NewzIntel.com

Category: Taxation

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Rep. Stansbury Votes No on GOP Tax Bill after 29-hour Fight

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)

    GOP bill guts healthcare, food assistance for millions to fund permanent tax breaks for billionaires

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) released the following statement after House Republicans narrowly passed their H.R. 1 tax bill by one vote after 29 straight hours of debate.  

    Watch Rep. Stansbury break down the bill here and here. 

    “Today, the GOP showed who they’re really fighting for in passing a shameful package that will strip millions of veterans, working families, and children of access to healthcare and food assistance—in order to provide permanent tax breaks to billionaires.  In so doing, nearly 14 million Americans will lose access to healthcare, 18 million children will lose access to food assistance and school meals, and millions of seniors will be impacted by cuts to Medicare.

    “This is not what the American people voted for and the GOP knows it, which is why they tried to sneak this bill through in the dead of night—not once, but twice.  Democrats laid it all on the line to stop this bill and its devastating impacts, filing over 500 amendments and working through the night for 29 straight hours. Meanwhile, the GOP cut side deals and snuck in more last minute kickbacks for their wealthy friends and donors late into the night. But, the American people see what is happening, and this fight is far from over.  We will keep working to defeat this bill as it heads to the Senate using every tool we have.”

    H.R. 1 will have wide-ranging and devastating impacts on vulnerable families, the cost of living, and the environment:

    • Tax Breaks at the Expense of the Most Vulnerable. Gives massive permanent tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy through permanent income, estate, and corporate tax breaks on the backs of working Americans. With the 10% wealthiest Americans receiving a 2-4% increase in their income under the bill, and the poorest 10% of Americans seeing a net decrease of 2-4% in income. New Mexico families, who are among the lowest income in the country, will be among the hardest hit.

    • Healthcare. Will take access to healthcare away from over 13.7 million Americans through cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act programs. Defunds Planned Parenthood and bans abortion care under private marketplace insurance. Will strip $880 billion from Medicaid and $500 billion from Medicare, decimating the healthcare economy, with potential hospital, healthcare, and nursing facility closures across the country—representing the largest cut in Medicaid and Medicare in American history. With nearly two thirds of New Mexicans receiving healthcare through Medicare and Medicaid, New Mexico families and healthcare providers will be especially impacted.

    • Food and Hunger.  Will gut access to food assistance and school meals for 18 million American kids, with potentially devastating impacts to over 3 million seniors, veterans and vulnerable families—representing the largest cut in SNAP programs in American history. With one in five kids in New Mexico experiencing food insecurity and one in five families receiving SNAP benefits, New Mexico will be devastated by these cuts.  

    • Education Programs. Guts access to education programs with 4 million students set to lose Pell Grant funding.  With New Mexico students being among the most low-income in the country, they will be particularly impacted by cuts to education assistance programs.

    • Corporate Giveaways. Sends billions of dollars in private contracts to defense contractors, private prisons, oil and gas companies, and big tech. With significant national security infrastructure in New Mexico, New Mexico installations are likely to see shift in security priorities. Funds for detention and attacks on due process in the bill could increase private prison contracts in New Mexico to incarcerate immigrant families. Decreases in oil and gas royalty rates in the bill, could reduce state revenues by nearly a half billion dollars a year—defunding key programs.

    • Decimates Protections for the Environment.  Guts key provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act and opportunities for the public, Tribal nations, and communities to protect their land and water.  Includes mandatory oil and gas leasing, mining, and logging giveaways on public lands, while gutting billions of dollars in investments in climate, clean energy, and land stewardship. New Mexico is specifically named for mandatory oil and gas lease sales.

    • Increases the National Debt and Burdens on States. Is projected to add $3.7 to 5 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years, representing the largest increase in deficit spending in American history. Shifts significant burden to cash-strapped states with billions of dollars in costs for healthcare and food programs pushed to states, while it cuts federal and state revenues through reductions in oil and gas royalties in a giveaway to industry.  

    H.R. 1 passed the House of Representatives in a 215 to 214 party line vote, with three Republicans abstaining from voting. The bill will now head to the U.S. Senate for further consideration. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newhouse Applauds Passage of Aerial Firefighter Legislation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

    Headline: Newhouse Applauds Passage of Aerial Firefighter Legislation

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement upon unanimous passage of S.160, the Aerial Firefighter Enhancement Act of 2025 that strengthens aerial wildfire suppression efforts by utilizing excess military aircraft and parts.  

    “This legislation is a huge step in mitigating the impacts of wildfires and gives our firefighters the tools they need to keep our communities safe,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Utilizing the Department of Defense’s excess aircraft gives aerial firefighters an upper hand while leveraging the assets we already have at our disposal. I thank Senator Sheehy from Montana for his leadership as we send this legislation to the president’s desk.” 

    Rep. Newhouse introduced the bipartisan companion legislation in the House of Representatives alongside Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) in February. The version passed today was sponsored by Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and was passed by the Senate in April under Unanimous Consent. The legislation now heads to the White House to be signed by President Trump. 

    “This year is the most dangerous and expensive wildfire year in history, and the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act will give wildland firefighters the tools they need to protect communities and save lives. Eliminating bureaucratic obstacles to fight wildfires more quickly and aggressively is America First common sense, and I appreciate my colleagues in the House and Senate for their support. I look forward to seeing this bipartisan bill cross the finish line so we can better support the brave first responders on the front lines fighting wildfires across the country,” said Senator Sheehy. 

    The legislation is supported by 10 Tanker Air Carrier, Billings Flying Service, and Firehawk Helicopters.  

    Joel Kerley, President and CEO, 10 Tanker Air Carrier said “10 Tanker Air Carrier supports and thanks the bipartisan efforts of Congress to help the many operators involved with aerial firefighting to purchase at fair market value excess, retired military spare parts, particularly desperately needed engines and brakes. This commonsense approach will ensure that our aging fleet will remain available to the United States to battle the devastating wildland fires of today and well into the future.  We are pleased that the Department of Defense and the Air Force also support the national security mission of companies like ours.” 

    Bridger Blain, President, Billings Flying Service said, “Billings Flying Service is grateful to Rep. Carbajal and Rep. Newhouse for their leadership in introducing the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025. As an operator providing aerial wildfire suppression services across the United States, maintaining BFS fleet readiness is ever so critical to our mission. This Act opens up direct access to U.S. Armed Forces surplus parts, allowing operators to keep their aircraft in the air and deployed on life-saving missions. We are proud of the advancements Congress has made in protecting the sustainment of aerial wildfire resources, and we look forward to the Aerial Firefighter Enhancement Act becoming law.” 

    Bart Brainerd, CEO, Firehawk Helicopters said, “Firehawk Helicopters is encouraged by the passing of the Aerial Firefighting and Enhancement Act and would like to thank Rep. Newhouse, Rep. Carbajal, Sen. Tim Sheehy and Sen. Martin Heinrich for leading the efforts in seeing this bill passed. Since 2017 the aerial firefighting community has lost access to a critical aircraft and parts supply source. Taxpayers have lost hundreds of millions of dollars as valuable aircraft and aircraft parts were no longer made available for commercial sale.  The law will save these critical aircraft and parts from being scrapped. By making these aircraft and parts available for commercial sale again, the taxpayers will reap the maximum return on their original investment, but more importantly, see these aircraft and parts utilized in a second life that prioritizes the protection of the public from the growing threat of devastating wildfires.” 

    Background 

    The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale of aircraft and parts by the Department of Defense for wildfire suppression.

    This bipartisan bill will help the U.S. better suppress wildfires year-round by facilitating the acquisition of military excess aircraft, sold at fair market value, for the aerial wildfire suppression fleet. Additionally, the sale of parts will help the U.S. maintain its existing aerial firefighting aircraft fleet.

    The bill reauthorizes the Secretary of Defense to sell excess Department of Defense aircraft and aircraft parts, which are acceptable for commercial sale, to persons or entities that contract with the government for the delivery of fire retardants or water by air to suppress wildfires, as long as the aircraft and parts are used only for wildfire suppression. The initial authority expired in 2005 and was reauthorized from 2012 to 2017 before lapsing again. 

    See full bill text here. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Slam House-Passed Republican Bill to Make Tax Filing More Expensive

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement regarding a provision in the megabill Republicans are ramming through Congress that would eliminate Direct File—a pilot program that allows Americans to file their taxes without making extra payments to tax preparation services—all so that Republicans can slash taxes for the wealthiest Americans:
    “If it were up to us, we’d be debating ways to put money back in the pockets of working Virginians. But the megabill Republicans are ramming through Congress does the opposite. Not only will it raise taxes for millions of working Americans, it will cut off a new, successful service that allows people to file their taxes directly to the IRS without having to pay a middleman’s fees. We should be strengthening programs that lower costs, not eliminating them.”
    In 2024 alone, Direct File helped 140,803 taxpayers nationwide claim more than $90 million in refunds and save an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees. Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported Direct File. Last year, they urged Governor Youngkin and the General Assembly to allow Virginians to use the program to file their future tax returns.
    Sens. Warner and Kaine have been sounding the alarm about the effects of the GOP plan on Virginia families if Republicans in Congress continue to insist on gutting vital programs in order to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans. The senators have noted that the GOP bill would strip health insurance from more than 262,000 Virginians, cut SNAP benefits for more than 204,000 people in Virginia, raise energy costs for Virginia households, jeopardize more than 20,000 Virginia jobs, raise the deficit by $3.8 trillion, and raise taxes on minimum-wage workers while giving the richest 0.1% a $188,000 tax cut.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: c-FIRST Team Sets Sights on Future Fire-observing Satellite Constellations

    Source: NASA

    Two NASA-developed technologies are key components of a new high-resolution sensor for observing wildfires: High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), and a cutting-edge Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), developed with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

    A novel space-based sensor for observing wildfires could allow first responders to monitor burns at a global scale, paving the way for future small satellite (SmallSat) constellations dedicated entirely to fire management and prevention.
    Developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), the “Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker” (c-FIRST) is a small, mid-wave infrared sensor that collects thermal radiation data across five spectral bands. Most traditional space-based sensors dedicated to observing fires have long revisit times, observing a scene just once over days or even weeks. The compact c-FIRST sensor could be employed in a SmallSat constellation that could observe a scene multiple times a day, providing first responders data with high spatial resolution in under an hour.
    In addition, c-FIRST’s dynamic spectral range covers the entire temperature profile of terrestrial wild fires, making it easier for first-responders to detect everything from smoldering, low-intensity fires to flaming, high intensity fires.
    “Wildfires are becoming more frequent, and not only in California. It’s a worldwide problem, and it generates tons of by-products that create very unhealthy conditions for humans,” said Sarath Gunapala, who is an Engineering Fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and serves as Principal Investigator for c-FIRST.
    The need for space-based assets dedicated to wildfire management is severe. During the Palisade and Eaton Fires earlier this year, strong winds kept critical observation aircraft from taking to the skies, making it difficult for firefighters to monitor and track massive burns.
    Space-based sensors with high revisit rates and high spatial resolution would give firefighters and first responders a constant source of eye-in-the-sky data.
    “Ground-based assets don’t have far-away vision. They can only see a local area. And airborne assets, they can’t fly all the time. A small constellation of CubeSats could give you that constant coverage,” said Gunapala.
    c-FIRST leverages decades of sensor development at JPL to achieve its compact size and high performance. In particular, the quarter-sized High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector (HOT-BIRD), a compact infrared detector also developed at JPL with ESTO support, keeps c-FIRST small, eliminating the need for bulky cryocooler subsystems that add mass to traditional infrared sensors.
    With HOT-BIRD alone, c-FIRST could gather high-resolution images and quantitative retrievals of targets between 300°K (about 80°F) to 1000°K (about 1300°F). But when paired with a state-of-the-art Digital Readout Integrated Circuit (DROIC), c-FIRST can observe targets greater than 1600°K (about 2400°F).
    Developed by Copious Imaging LLC. and JPL with funding from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, this DROIC features an in-pixel digital counter to reduce saturation, allowing c-FIRST to capture reliable infrared data across a broader spectral range.
    Artifical intelligence (AI) will also play a role in c-FIRST’s success. Gunapala plans to leverage AI in an onboard smart controller that parses collected data for evidence of hot spots or active burns. This data will be prioritized for downlinking, keeping first responders one step ahead of potential wildfires.
    “We wanted it to be simple, small, low cost, low power, low weight, and low volume, so that it’s ideal for a small satellite constellation,” said Gunapala.
    Gunapala and his team had a unique opportunity to test c-FIRST after the Palisade and Eaton Fires in California. Flying their instrument aboard NASA’s B-200 Super King Air, the scientists identified lingering hot spots in the Palisades and Eaton Canyon area five days after the initial burn had been contained.
    Now, the team is eyeing a path to low Earth orbit. Gunapala explained that their current prototype employs a standard desktop computer that isn’t suited for the rigors of space, and they’re working to incorporate a radiation-tolerant computer into their instrument design.
    But this successful test over Los Angeles demonstrates c-FIRST is fit for fire detection and science applications. As wildfires become increasingly common and more destructive, Gunapala hopes that this tool will help first responders combat nascent wildfires before they become catastrophes.
    “To fight these things, you need to detect them when they’re very small,” said Gunapala.
    A publication about c-FIRST appeared in the journal “Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers” (SPIE) in March, 2023.
    For additional details, see the entry for this project on NASA TechPort.
    To learn more about emerging technologies for Earth science, visit ESTO’s open solicitations page.
    Project Lead:  Sarath Gunapala, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
    Sponsoring Organization: NASA ESTO

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: Special Tax Refund Checks Begin Issuing This Week

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp and the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) announced today that the state will begin issuing one-time, special tax refunds this week. The third round of such refunds under Governor Kemp’s leadership, these measures were made possible by the passage of House Bill 112 during the 2025 legislative session and are a direct result of conservative budget practices and a strong state economy. Most eligible taxpayers who filed their 2023 and 2024 returns in a timely manner and before the filing deadlines can expect to receive their refund within the coming weeks.

    “Because we’ve managed our state’s resources wisely, we’re again able to return money to hardworking Georgians who know how best to use it,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Along with our acceleration of the largest income tax rate cut in state history, this latest refund is just one more way we’re working to support the people of our state, their families, and their businesses, because that’s not the government’s money, it’s theirs!”

    This marks the third time Georgia has returned a portion of its revenue surplus to taxpayers, with previous refunds issued in 2022 and 2023. To be eligible, taxpayers must have filed both 2023 and 2024 individual income tax returns, have paid into the system, and do not owe the state Department of Revenue. An individual filer’s refund amount will depend on their tax liability from the 2023 tax year and is capped at:

    • $250 for single filers and married individuals filing separately
    • $375 for head of household filers
    • $500 for married individuals filing jointly

    In addition to HB 112, the General Assembly also passed House Bill 111, reducing Georgia’s income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19%. This was the second acceleration of the income tax cut implementation schedule signed by Governor Kemp in 2022. 

    “Our Department is ready to get this third round of refunds out the door efficiently and securely,” said State Revenue Commissioner Frank O’Connell. “We appreciate the continued partnership with the Governor and the General Assembly in making this happen.”

    Taxpayers can check their eligibility using the Surplus Tax Refund Eligibility Tool, available through the Georgia Tax Center, by inputting their tax year, Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number, and Federal Adjusted Gross Income.

    For more details, including Frequently Asked Questions and refund tracking, visit:
    https://dor.georgia.gov/georgia-surplus-tax-refund.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ThoughtSpot Launches Agentic Analytics Platform for Snowflake, Empowering Customers to go from Insights to Actions, Powered by Agents

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ThoughtSpot, the Agentic Analytics Platform company, today announced a new offering of the ThoughtSpot Agentic Analytics Platform purpose-built for Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, at Snowflake Summit 2025. This new ThoughtSpot offering has deep integrations with Snowflake Cortex AI and Snowpark, and enables new ways to purchase, deploy and consume via the Snowflake Marketplace. Hundreds of Snowflake customers such as Hyatt, PepsiCo, LegalZoom, Capital One, and Matillion are already experiencing the transformative potential of this collaboration, seamlessly integrating the intelligence of Spotter, ThoughtSpot’s agentic AI analyst, the exploratory data prep workflows of ThoughtSpot Analyst Studio, the advanced capabilities of Cortex AI, and a comprehensive suite of intelligent analytics features to drive their business.

    “With our core business operating on the Snowflake ecosystem, we’ve achieved a truly data-driven state. The integration of ThoughtSpot has further empowered teams across LegalZoom, strengthening our data strategy and ultimately enabling us to deliver the personalized experiences our customers have come to expect,” said Ana Garcia, VP, Data and Platform Engineering, LegalZoom.

    The Next Generation of Agentic Analytics

    Designed to empower every user – from business leaders extracting actionable insights from AI agents and AI-augmented dashboards, to data scientists preparing AI-ready datasets in Python, to product leaders building the next generation of intelligent applications – ThoughtSpot offers a seamless experience to gain instant access to actionable insights, wherever they are.

    The deep integrations between ThoughtSpot and Snowflake empower data, product and business teams to:

    • Set the right foundation with an Agentic Semantic Layer. ThoughtSpot’s Agentic Analytics Platform seamlessly connects to the Snowflake AI Data Cloud, automatically inheriting key metadata such as joins, column descriptions and synonyms directly from their Snowflake environment. The ThoughtSpot SQL Passthrough capability allows users to create formula columns in ThoughtSpot models using advanced or custom Snowflake SQL functions. This integration reduces manual setup and ensures consistency, allowing business users to confidently explore and analyze data using familiar business terms.
    • Build Smart Apps with ThoughtSpot AI features embedded into Snowflake Streamlit ApplicationsThoughtSpot’s integration with Streamlit, powered by the Visual Embed SDK, brings AI-Augmented Liveboards and the full range of ThoughtSpot’s AI capabilities directly into Snowflake’s Python-based apps. Snowflake developers benefit from instant access to ThoughtSpot features, including AI Highlights, SpotIQ Change Analysis, and Spotter. This enables agentic analytics, natural language queries, proactive insights, and real-time anomaly detection, all within a single, interactive analytics experience.
    • Deliver AI agents with Spotter, powered by Snowflake Cortex AI. Available soon, Spotter will integrate with Cortex AI, empowering users to leverage Snowflake’s advanced AI capabilities directly within Spotter. This approach offers greater flexibility, control and security as customers can integrate models from the industry-leading LLMs that Cortex AI offers. Customer data stays in Snowflake’s security boundary and is fine-tuned for their business under the stewardship of their own data team. Users can ask questions about their dataset itself that require building complex calculations on the fly, and ‘why’ questions that require automated change and root cause analysis.
    • Upgrade to next generation dashboards with connected insights. ThoughtSpot’s Agentic Analytics Platform for Snowflake enables every user to seamlessly connect to their Snowflake data warehouse and instantly begin searching, analyzing and visualizing live data without the need for data movement or duplication. Once connected, users can leverage ThoughtSpot’s AI-driven analytics to explore data in real time, create custom visualizations, and build interactive Liveboards that update automatically as the underlying Snowflake data changes. Muze, ThoughtSpot’s native visualization engine, offers extensive customization and flexibility, allowing users to craft compelling, interactive charts and dashboards tailored to their needs. This combination of live connectivity, advanced charting, and intuitive data storytelling empowers organizations to deliver actionable insights at the point of impact, making analytics accessible and impactful for every user across the business.
    • Give data teams the power tools they need with Snowflake Snowpark Python in Analyst Studio. For analysts and data teams, the offering includes Analyst Studio, ThoughtSpot’s comprehensive workspace to prepare, cleanse, and transform data for AI-driven analytics. Analyst Studio brings together SQL, Python, and data management tools in a unified interface, allowing teams to quickly make data AI-ready, and publish datasets for business users and AI agents—all in minutes, not days. The Python Notebook can be used to execute Snowpark compute workloads and allow business users to self-serve insights on the results. Snowpark Python libraries are preinstalled to simplify the process of getting started.
    • Experience Snowflake data everywhere via ThoughtSpot. With seamless integrations in the ThoughtSpot platform, users have real time access to their Snowflake data insights. Users can bring live, governed data from Snowflake directly into Google Sheets and Slides, as well as Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, ensuring that reports and presentations are always up to date. They can also ask natural language questions and receive instant answers from their Snowflake data directly within Microsoft Teams. This unified experience empowers everyone to make data-driven decisions faster, with trusted insights powered by ThoughtSpot and delivered in their favorite productivity tools.

    Easy to get started, right from Snowflake Marketplace.
    ThoughtSpot’s Agentic Analytics Platform for Snowflake is now on the Snowflake Marketplace for effortless consumption. This means customers can seamlessly purchase and deploy ThoughtSpot using their existing Snowflake credits and accelerating time to value. This Marketplace integration simplifies the transaction process and enables customers to maximize their Snowflake investment while taking advantage of the operational and financial efficiencies offered by the Marketplace.

    Thoughts from the Top: A New Era of Agentic Analytics

    “Today, we’re not just answering questions—we’re helping our customers think, reason, and act with data,” said Ketan Karkhanis, Chief Executive Officer at ThoughtSpot. “Our agentic platform is designed to be a true thought partner, bringing perception and reasoning to every business user. It is a catalyst for building data-driven organizations where human expertise and AI agents for your Snowflake data work hand-in-hand to drive smarter decisions and transformative outcomes. This is the next phase of analytics, and it’s available now.”

    “Our vision is to put the power of data directly into the hands of every user and help organizations get the most from their Snowflake investment. ThoughtSpot’s agentic semantic layer is a key enabler of this vision, providing a smart and intuitive pathway to explore your Snowflake data. By understanding context and relationships automatically, it allows individuals, regardless of their technical expertise, to ask meaningful questions and drive data-informed decisions with confidence,” said Francois Lopitaux, Senior Vice President, Product Management at ThoughtSpot.

    “The launch of ThoughtSpot’s Agentic Analytics Platform for Snowflake demonstrates how we’re helping customers make meaningful business decisions from their data,” said Kieran Kennedy, VP, Data Cloud Product Partners at Snowflake. “Our collaboration with ThoughtSpot enables organizations to expand analytics access across their teams, helping stakeholders make informed decisions with their Snowflake data and drive measurable business outcomes.”

    “ThoughtSpot’s Agentic Analytics Platform availability on the Snowflake Marketplace is a game-changer for our customers,” said Jeff Depa, Chief Revenue Officer at ThoughtSpot.”By making ThoughtSpot available directly through the Snowflake Marketplace, we’re removing barriers to adoption and enabling organizations to leverage their existing Snowflake capacity for seamless procurement and deployment. This not only accelerates time to value, but also empowers our customers to maximize their Snowflake investment while bringing self-service analytics and AI-driven insights to every corner of their business. It’s all about making it easier for customers to unlock the full potential of their data and drive real business impact, faster than ever before.”

    ThoughtSpot’s agentic analytics platform is available today for all ThoughtSpot and Snowflake customers. To learn more, request a demo, or start your free trial, visit thoughtspot.com.

    About ThoughtSpot

    ThoughtSpot is the Agentic Analytics Platform for every enterprise. Our mission is to create a more fact-driven world by empowering everyone to explore any data, ask any question, and uncover actionable insights faster—leading to growth, better business outcomes, and efficiency in their organizations. With ThoughtSpot’s intuitive natural language search, every user can confidently generate answers from their business data at every point of decisioning. The platform’s unified capabilities, along with our agentic AI analyst, Spotter, enable users to create precise, transparent, personalized, and actionable insights with enterprise grade trust, security, and scale. Accessible via the web and mobile app, ThoughtSpot ensures intelligent decision-making happens seamlessly, wherever and whenever needed. For developers, ThoughtSpot Embedded offers a low-code solution to integrate AI-powered analytics directly into products and services, driving data monetization and boosting user engagement for customers. Industry leaders like NVIDIA, Hilton Worldwide, Capital One and Huel rely on ThoughtSpot to transform how their employees and customers take advantage of data to create better business outcomes. Try ThoughtSpot today and experience the new era of analytics.

    PR Contact:
    Lindsay Noonan
    Director of Communications, ThoughtSpot
    press@thoughtspot.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 50 Wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Here are 50 reasons why President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is the best chance in a generation to pass critical reforms for which Americans voted:
    It delivers the largest tax cut in American history. This means an extra $5,000 in Americans’ pockets with a DOUBLE-DIGIT percent DECREASE to their tax bills. Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 will pay around 15% less in taxes.
    It makes the Trump Tax Cuts permanent, preventing the largest tax increase ever. If the bill doesn’t pass, Americans will see the largest tax increase in history.
    It raises Americans’ take-home pay by as much as $13,300 and wages by as much as $11,600.
    It reverses the spending curse plaguing Washington, D.C. The bill delivers the largest deficit reduction in nearly 30 years, with $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings — the largest single reduction in mandatory spending in our country’s history.
    It delivers NO TAX ON TIPS and NO TAX ON OVERTIME. This makes good on two of President Trump’s cornerstone campaign promises and will benefit hardworking Americans where they need it the most — their paychecks.
    It provides historic tax cuts for seniors.
    It finishes President Trump’s border wall. As a result, 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers will be constructed.
    It boosts Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines with the largest border security investment in history. This means funding to hire 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents to detain and deport at least one million illegal immigrants annually.
    It increases the child tax credit to $2,500 per family.
    It protects Medicaid for Americans who truly need it. This bill eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse by ending benefits for at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants who are gaming the system.
    It implements popular work requirements for able-bodied Americans receiving taxpayer-funded benefits. Through commonsense, Clinton-era work, volunteer, education, or training requirements, the One Big Beautiful Bill lifts Americans up to find a better quality of life through the dignity of work.
    It eliminates hundreds of billions of dollars in Green New Scam tax credits. The legislation immediately stops credits from flowing to China, saving taxpayers $500+ billion every year.
    It reverses electric vehicle mandates that let radical climate activists set the standards for American energy.
    It ends Biden’s war on American energy. The bill finally unleashes American energy dominance by opening federal lands and waters to oil, gas, coal, geothermal, and mineral leasing.
    It streamlines onerous permitting processes so America can get building again.
    It refills the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to safeguard America’s energy security.
    It repeals and rescinds every “green” corporate welfare subsidy in Democrats’ so-called “Inflation Reduction Act.”
    It stops illegal immigrants from receiving tax credits and taxes remittances sent to foreign countries.
    It supports small businesses by increasing the Section 199A deduction to 23% — promoting the growth and success of Main Street.
    It incentivizes MADE IN AMERICA. The bill rewards companies that build their products in America with lower taxes — and allows Americans who buy an American-made vehicle to fully deduct their auto loan interest.
    It creates new Trump Savings Accounts for newborns — allowing children across America to experience the miracle of compounded growth.
    It expands access to childcare for hardworking American families.
    It provides a historic increase in funding for the U.S. Coast Guard. This will help block illegal drugs and migrants from entering our country, protect our sovereignty in the Arctic, and promote our national security.
    It supports building new factories to grow domestic business operations. The bill renews 100% immediate expensing and interest deductions, increases the small business deduction, and establishes 100% immediate expensing for equipment and machinery.
    It helps American farmers, producers, and ranchers compete and sell products in foreign markets. The bill makes sure American farmers aren’t crowded out by foreign imports in liquid fuel production markets.
    It holds woke, elitist universities accountable by increasing the endowment tax on large universities.
    It protects hardworking taxpayers by canceling Biden’s illegal and unfair student loan bailouts.
    It ends taxpayer-funded sex changes. It reverses the Biden-era mandate that Medicaid cover so-called “gender transition” procedures — ending the taxpayer-funded chemical castration and mutilation of American children.
    It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to revolutionize our nation’s defense capabilities and protect the homeland against new threats by funding President Trump’s Golden Dome.
    It enhances the capacity of America’s naval fleet. The bill provides billions of dollars to revitalize America’s shipbuilding and maritime industrial base.
    It modernizes air traffic control — fulfilling President Trump’s plan to completely overhaul the systems that keep Americans flying safely and efficiently.
    It strengthens SNAP benefits. The legislation requires states to contribute a greater portion of the cost of administering benefits, thereby controlling costs, and closes the excessively broad loopholes for work requirements.
    It implements critical program integrity and cost containment provisions in Medicaid to strengthen it for future generations. These include removing deceased individuals from the program and limiting retroactive coverage from three months to one month prior to enrollment.
    It safeguards Second Amendment rights by removing tax and registration requirements for firearm silencers and eliminating silencers from the National Firearms Act.
    It provides critical disaster recovery funding to farmers, producers, and ranchers.
    It provides funding to rebuild America’s military — including $9+ billion to improve quality of life for our servicemembers, $20+ billion to bolster U.S. munitions production, and $12+ billion to modernize our nuclear arsenal.
    It expands health savings accounts to give Americans greater choice and flexibility in how they spend their money.
    It gives $10,000 bonuses annually over the next four years to Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines.
    It incentivizes scholarships that empower American families and students to choose the education that best fits their needs.
    It repeals Democrats’ insane attack on the gig economy — ending the requirement that Venmo, PayPal, and other gig transactions over $600 be reported to the IRS.
    It reforms and streamlines the federal student loan program to drive down tuition costs and simplify repayment plans. This includes reasonable limits on amounts students can borrow.
    It strengthens accountability for students and taxpayers on federal student loans. The bill imposes “skin in the game” requirements to hold universities financially accountable to the government on defaulted federal student loans.
    It implements critical reforms to Pell Grants to make sure they prioritize students who truly need financial assistance while promoting completion. The legislation allows grants to be used for short-term, high-quality workforce training programs to support Americans who want to learn a trade instead of the traditional four-year colleges.
    It increases timber sales on federal lands. This means an increase in timber production and improvement to forest management — improving the resilience of timber and saving billions on future wildfire suppression costs.
    It authorizes the sale of expanded spectrum MHz to strengthen rural broadband and secure America’s technological dominance in AI and other emerging technologies.
    It creates permanent fees that illegal immigrants must pay for their applications so American taxpayers aren’t saddled with covering these costs. These fees will bring in over $77 billion to cover adjudication costs and fund immigration processes and enforcement actions.
    It protects family farmers. The bill prevents the greedy death tax from hitting two million family-owned farms who would otherwise see their exemptions cut in half and cuts taxes on farmers by over $10 billion.
    It ends abusive financing practices in Medicaid by freezing existing provider taxes and prohibiting new provider taxes. This ensures states cannot improperly increase the federal government’s cost-share of a state Medicaid program at the expense of taxpayers.
    It reins in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren has long functioned as another woke, weaponized arm of the bureaucracy — with minimal accountability or oversight — that leverages its power against certain industries and individuals disfavored by the so-called “elites.”
    It rolls back harmful Biden-era regulations that increase cost and administrative burdens with limited flexibility for states. These burdensome regulations, such as federal staffing mandates at nursing homes, lead to closures, reduced access to care, and increased costs, particularly in areas already overwhelmed by labor shortages.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Small Business Owner Applauds Ernst Leadership in Making Trump Tax Cuts Permanent

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Palo small business owner Jerry Akers authored an op-ed in The Gazette praising Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) leadership in the fight to permanently extend the Trump tax cuts and avoid the largest tax hike in American history.
    As chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Ernst invited Akers to testify before Congress in April to ensure the voices of Iowa small businesses are represented as Washington debates repealing the punitive death tax, making the pass-through tax deduction permanent, and other key provisions in the Trump tax cuts.
    Read the full editorial below:
    Don’t raise taxes on small businesses
    By: Jerry Akers
    With the headache of Tax Day behind us, small business owners are looking ahead with a new worry — will the Trump tax cuts be extended, or will they be hit with the largest tax hike in our nation’s history in 2026?
    I know this firsthand as a franchise business owner of Great Clips and The Joint Chiropractic. With my wife and two daughters, I own and operate 33 Great Clips and four The Joint Chiropractic locations across Iowa, as well as Nebraska.
    In April, Sen. Joni Ernst invited me to testify before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, which she chairs, to detail why making the Trump tax cuts permanent is so critical for small businesses and franchises like mine.
    Dating back to Benjamin Franklin’s printing press, franchising has been perhaps the most important business growth strategy in our history. It has served as a core American model over centuries for opportunity and entrepreneurism, contributing to robust job creation and providing foundational skills development for small businesses. Franchising allows entrepreneurs to go into business for themselves, but not by themselves.
    Passed in 2017, the Trump tax cuts, or the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), significantly overhauled large portions of the tax code for individuals, families, and businesses. While some of these changes for big businesses were permanent, many of the individual and small business provisions are expiring at the end of this year. The looming expiration is creating uncertainty and giving business owners pause.
    Among the key provisions at risk of expiring include several that provide important tax relief to small businesses.
    For example, the Section 199A deduction provides pass-through businesses with a 20% deduction for qualified business income, which helps level the playing field with larger businesses. Notably, more than 95% of franchised businesses are organized as pass-throughs, meaning we pay individual tax rates, not corporate ones.
    The 199A deduction has enabled me to increase investment in new equipment, technology, and facilities, driving growth and innovation, while the extra financial breathing room has allowed me to hire more employees and provide better benefits.
    Investing in new equipment is just as important as investing in employees. The bonus depreciation provision of the Trump tax cuts provides critical relief but is in danger of expiring. Bonus depreciation allows businesses to deduct a large percentage of the cost of capital investments.
    This immediate deduction significantly reduces taxable income, leading to lower tax liabilities and improved cash flow. For our businesses, this influx of cash is crucial for reinvestment, expansion, or managing operational costs.
    These deductions help level the playing field, allowing businesses like mine to compete with larger corporations, and provide valuable financial stability, especially in achieving the dream of fully passing the businesses on to my two daughters.
    But whether that transfer can happen — hopefully many years from now — may depend on whether Congress makes permanent key estate tax provisions. These provisions allow family businesses like mine to be passed down to the next generation without selling or paying even higher taxes.
    Fortunately, Sen. Ernst has led the fight in Washington to permanently repeal the punitive death tax and ensure that grieving families do not lose their livelihood.
    These are just a few provisions critical to the success of small businesses. I was also encouraged that early version of the legislation included provisions on “No Tax On Tips” and overtime, which will put more money back in the pockets of our staff.
    I thank Sen. Ernst for being a voice for Iowans and small business in Washington, and I urge Congress to make the Trump tax cuts permanent.
    Jerry Akers is a multiunit franchisee of Great Clips and The Joint Chiropractic, and serves on the board of the International Franchise Association (IFA). He lives in Palo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Interrelated Drug Rings Taken Down in Series of Arrests Following Wiretap Investigation

    Source: US FBI

    Follows earlier arrests focused on dealers in International District and “the Jungle”

    Seattle – Fourteen people were indicted in late May and eleven were taken into custody in coordinated arrests last week as part of an ongoing investigation of drug traffickers with ties to drug trafficking in Seattle’s International District and homeless encampments, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. The defendants are charged in two separate indictments with trafficking cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from California into the Western District of Washington.  In addition to searches of Washington locations, search warrants were executed in Oregon and Southern California. The defendants have detention hearings over the next few days.

    “The indictment of five defendants in January 2025 was just the first step,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “Now we are prosecuting fourteen additional defendants. Law enforcement partners continued to pursue drug traffickers even after the initial arrests in January to address the importation of substances like fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into western Washington generally and the International District in particular.” 

    “For years, this criminal organization preyed on the homeless and drug addicted. They terrorized people living and working in the Chinatown-International District and South Seattle,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon F. Barnes. “I am proud of the work our detectives and federal partners have done to put these criminals behind bars where they belong.”

    The seven defendants named in the first indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin are:

    Octavio Salazar Palma, 33, of Federal Way, Washington, a U.S. citizen

    Luis Soto Lara, 47, of Vancouver, Washington

    Juan Ramirez Recinos, 41, of Burien, Washington, sought by law enforcement

    German Juarez-Otanez, 34, Bothell, Washington, sought by law enforcement

    Alexander Emilio Cozza, 42, of Seattle

    Marco Antonio Bobadilla, 33, Pacific, Washington

    Isai Gamboa Pacheco, 55, of Everett, Washington

    The seven defendants in the second indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine are:

    Daniel Ibarra Loera, 31, of Kent, Washington

    Jose Garcia Corona, 61, of Seattle

    Leonardo Rojas Cruz, 53 of Federal Way, Washington

    Oscar Omar Serrano Serrano, 31, of Algona, Washington

    Juan Lopez Roblero, 43, of Tukwila, Washington

    Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia, 46, of Issaquah, Washington

    Sang Su, 44, Seattle, a U.S. citizen, sought by law enforcement

    In this investigation in March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics is nearly $3 million.

    “Thanks to the sustained investigative efforts of the FBI and our partners, we are continuing the work we began in November 2023 by first intercepting the flow of dose quantities of dangerous drugs into the International District and homeless encampments in Seattle,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Since January 2025, when we arrested five Washington-based members of this organization, we followed the investigation outside of Washington state as the traffickers made frequent trips into Oregon and California. We are now reaching sources of supply, further stopping these poisons—and the violence that accompanies them—from reaching our communities.”

    On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake California and Beaverton, Oregon.  Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash

    Due to the quantities involved some of the defendants face mandatory minimum ten-year prison terms. Federal law enforcement is still determining the citizenship status of many of the defendants in this case.

    “This trafficking group was a major supplier of deadly drugs to the International District and other communities throughout the Seattle area,” said David F. Reames.  “The fentanyl powder and pills our team seized in this case could have yielded enough lethal doses to kill everyone in Seattle twice.  I am proud of our team and would like to thank the Seattle Police, the FBI, the IRS and the Washington National Guard Counterdrug program for their amazing partnership.”

    “Illegal drug trafficking devastates lives and affects us all. It is a huge issue that requires a forceful response,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “This investigation draws from the resilience of our communities, which drives the combined efforts of our law enforcement partners and of our agency. Together, we will push back and continue to make a positive, felt impact for all our friends and neighbors.”

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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

    The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bloomberg Tax: Warren Seeks Details From Donors to IRS Pick’s Dormant Campaign

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    May 15, 2025

    Senate Finance Committee Democrats say donors to IRS commissioner pick Billy Long’s hibernating campaign fund could have been illegally influencing the former House lawmaker.

    “This brazen attempt to curry favor with Mr. Long is not only unethical—it may also be illegal,” the lawmakers led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote in one of the letters seen by Bloomberg Tax that were sent Thursday. The letters suggest that the circumstances of the donations raise questions over whether they constitute a violation of federal anti-bribery laws.

    Also at issue is the timing and size of the donations that were made to Long, who could soon lead the tax collection agency. Democrats asked donors why they gave, whether their donations were solicited, and whether they had matters currently pending in front of the IRS.

    Long, a former Republican House member from Missouri who has a confirmation hearing with the panel May 20, hasn’t been on any ballot for several years but saw nearly $137,000 flow into his dormant campaign committee for a Senate seat in the first quarter of this year. He also used the funds to repay a $130,000 personal loan. Donors to his campaign included people associated with firms that promoted so-called sovereign tribal tax credits that the Treasury Department and IRS say don’t exist.

    Warren signed the letters along with Finance ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). The Democrats’ letter is the latest in a string of demands from Democrats pressing Long about his dealings with White River Energy Corp., which has been selling the credits to wealthy investors through a network of promoters.

    …

    Read the full article here.

    By:  Chris Cioffi
    Source: Bloomberg Tax

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Quadient Q1 2025 sales at €258m, with strong performance in Digital and Lockers. FY 2025 guidance maintained

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Key highlights

    • Q1 2025 consolidated revenue of €258 million, down 1.1% on a reported basis, including the contribution of Package Concierge, and down 2.5% organically(1)
    • Continued good momentum in Digital and Lockers, with double-digit growth in subscription-related revenue
    • Low point in the renewal cycle of mail equipment installed base, as expected
    • Positive current EBIT evolution supported by all three Solutions
    • Acceleration of digital financial automation strategy in Europe with the acquisition of Serensia, a leading French electronic invoicing certified platform
    • Stronger H2 anticipated on the back of continued strong momentum in Digital and Lockers with further improvement in profitability, expected Mail recovery and good order pipeline across Solutions
    • FY 2025 guidance maintained, i.e. organic growth acceleration in both revenue and current EBIT

    Paris, 3 June 2025

    Quadient S.A. (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, today announces its 2025 first quarter consolidated revenue (period ended on 30 April 2025).

    Geoffrey Godet, Chief Executive Officer of Quadient S.A., stated:

    “The first quarter of 2025 has been another strong quarter for our Digital and Lockers solutions, which delivered solid levels of subscription-related revenue organic growth at +11.1% for Digital and +12.7% for Lockers, demonstrating the strength and success of our two fast growing solutions as well as the quality of our recurring business model.

    As expected, our Mail performance was softer, reflecting the low point in the renewal cycle and a tough comparison base following the decertification-driven boost in 2024 in the United-States. The situation was further exacerbated by a particularly challenging American macroeconomic environment during the first quarter.

    Despite these headwinds in the quarter, we achieved current EBIT organic growth, supported by EBITDA margin positive development in all three solutions.

    With the acquisition of Serensia, a leading French electronic invoicing certified platform, Quadient is accelerating its digital financial automation strategy in Europe and will bring superior digital intelligent automation capabilities to its 300K+ customers worldwide, and notably to its 60K+ French customers, further accelerating their digital transformation, as they anticipate the 2026 mandatory e-invoicing law in France.

    While we expect the same uncertainty and market conditions to continue in Q2, we remain confident in our ability to deliver a stronger second half. As a result, we are maintaining our full-year 2025 guidance of acceleration in both organic revenue growth and organic EBIT growth compared to the 2024 growth rates.”

    Comments on Q1 2025 performance

    Group revenue came in at €258 million in Q1 2025, down 1.1% on a reported basis, and 2.5% organically compared to Q1 2024. Reported growth includes a positive scope effect of €4 million from the acquisition of Package Concierge in December 2024. The currency impact was broadly flat over the period.

    Subscription related revenue (€193 million, 75% of total sales) increased by +1.2% organically over Q1 2025, reflecting the continued strong momentum in Digital and Lockers. In contrast, non-recurring revenue declined by 12.0% organically against Q1 2024, due to a low point in the renewal cycle of mail equipment installed base, as expected. The decline in hardware sales has however been amplified by the challenging macroeconomic environment in the United States.

    By geography, North America (59% of revenue) declined organically by 2.4% in Q1 2025, impacted by macroeconomic uncertainty in the US delaying customer decision making and a strong comparison base in Mail following last year’s decertification-driven uplift in sales. The Main European countries (33% of revenue) recorded a 2.8% organic decline, while the International segment (8% of revenue) was down 2.0% organically.

    Consolidated revenue by Solution

    Q1 2025 consolidated revenue

    In € million Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Change Organic change
    Digital 67 63 +6.5% +7.2%
    Mail 164 178 (7.9)% (7.9)%
    Lockers 27 20 +35.4% +12.2%
    Group total 258 261 (1.1)% (2.5)%
     

    Digital

    In Q1 2025, revenue from Digital reached €67 million, up 7.2% organically and up 6.5% on a reported basis compared to Q1 2024.

    This solid performance was driven by a strong 11.1% organic growth in Q1 2025 in subscription-related revenue, in acceleration compared to the previous quarter. Growth was broad-based across all regions, including a double-digit growth in North America. Subscription-related revenue represented 85% of Digital total sales, a further increase compared to 82% in Q1 2024.

    At the end of Q1 2025, annual recurring revenue (ARR) reached €237 million(2), vs. €232 million at the end of FY 2024, representing a 9.6% organic growth on an annualized basis.

    The Digital solution continued to demonstrate healthy booking trends, highlighted by:

    • Robust cross-selling bookings with Mail customers, up c. +50% year-on-year;
    • Double-digit growth in new customer acquisition within the Enterprise business.

    During the quarter, Quadient’s Digital Automation platform received several leadership recognitions across multiple analyst rankings, notably in AP/AR financial automation, where it is now ranked on par with its high positions in CCM/CXM.

    Quadient is accelerating its digital financial automation strategy in Europe, with the acquisition on 2nd June 2025 of Serensia, a leading French electronic invoicing certified platform, trusted by more than 160 customers (including TotalEnergies, Dalkia, RATP…), processing nearly 200 million invoices annually. This acquisition provides Quadient with:

    • First-class software Intellectual Property for its PDP platform (Partner Dematerialization Platform, registered by the French State), and
    • Access to Pan-European Public Procurement Online (PEPPOL) market.

    This acquisition further strengthens Quadient’s Finance Automation portfolio (which includes online payment, e-invoicing, account payable and account receivable automation, credit analysis, hybrid mail, …), and further accelerates Quadient’s Mail customers’ digital transformation, by providing additional pathways towards the necessary adoption of e-invoicing solutions, legally mandated across Europe. Please refer to our dedicated press release published on 2nd June for more details.

    Mail

    Mail revenue reached €164 million in Q1 2025, down 7.9% organically and on a reported basis compared to Q1 2024.   

    Hardware sales recorded a 15.8% organic decline in the first quarter of 2025. This decrease was primarily driven by:

    • A softer performance across all regions. This was expected, given the echo effect of the COVID period, with fewer contracts for renewal, reflecting the lower level of hardware placements made during the pandemic 5 years ago;
    • The United States was particularly affected, with a strong comparison base in Q1 2024, which had benefited from the decertification boosting effect (which ended in Q4 2024), as well as by increased economic uncertainty that delayed customer decision-making.

    Subscription-related revenue (72% of Mail sales) recorded an organic decline of 4.4% in the quarter.

    Despite these headwinds, Quadient continued to outperform the market this quarter.

    The Mail automation platform continued to show good commercial momentum, and double-digit growth in cross-sell order intake with Lockers and +50% for Digital bookings in Q1 2025. This dynamic is illustrated by the expansion of the partnership with the University of Pittsburgh, which has long relied on Quadient’s parcel locker systems to facilitate on-campus student and staff deliveries and is now extending the relationship to include a comprehensive mail management solution.

    At the end of April 2025, already 44.0% of Quadient installed base has been upgraded with its newest technology, compared to 42.4% at the end of January 2025.

    H2 2025 performance is expected to recover as the Mail equipment business will be supported by a stronger pipeline of contracts up for renewal over the second part of the year.

    Lockers

    Lockers revenue reached €27 million in Q1 2025, a 12.2% increase on an organic basis. The reported growth stood at 35.4% year-on-year, reflecting the positive contribution from Package Concierge (€4 million in Q1 2025).

    Subscription-related revenue increased by 12.7% organically in Q1 2025, benefiting from:

    • The outstanding strong volumes ramp up in the UK and French open networks;
    • The continued momentum in the US, driven by higher monetization of usage fees.

    Overall, subscription-related revenue stood at 65% of total revenue in Q1 2025 (vs. 68% in Q1 2024, this small drop reflecting the different revenue mix at the recently acquired Package Concierge).

    Non-recurring revenue (license & hardware sales and professional services) grew strongly by 11.4% organically in Q1 2025, driven by a significant locker placement in International, which more than offset the softer performance in North America. Moreover, another hardware sales deal for circa €5 million has been signed in International and will be recognized in H2 2025

    Quadient’s global locker installed base reached c.26,100 units at the end of Q1 2025, with 600 new lockers deployed over the quarter. This reflects the accelerated pace of new locker installations, particularly in the UK open network, which has expanded nearly fourfold over the last 15 months. This growth is driven by partnerships signed in recent quarters to host parcel lockers in new prime locations.

    In the UK, Quadient extended its partnership with EVRi, with a new large and long-term deal signed, including the consolidation of returns (Drop Box functionality). Quadient also signed a strategic partnership with Stasher, offering travelers a nationwide luggage storage service through Quadient’s smart locker network. These partnerships are expected to further drive volume and support continued adoption growth. In Japan (International segment), Quadient expanded the access to its network so that Amazon parcels can be delivered within approximately 6,000 “PUDO Stations” nationwide.

    LIQUIDITY MANAGEMENT

    In May 2025, Quadient proactively extended the maturity of its €300 million undrawn Revolving Credit Facility by an additional year, pushing it to 2030.

    FY 2025 GUIDANCE MAINTAINED

    While Q2 is expected to face similar markets conditions to the previous quarter and continued macroeconomic uncertainty, Quadient remains confident in its ability to deliver a stronger performance in the second half of the year. This confidence is supported by:

    • A good profitability start of the year, with an improvement in EBITDA margin across solutions;
    • Moving forward:
      • Sustained strong momentum in Digital and Lockers, with further improvement in profitability;
      • An expected recovery in Mail in H2, as the renewal cycle of the mail equipment installed base should reverse and provide greater opportunities;
      • A promising order pipeline across solutions.

    In this this context, Quadient maintains its full-year 2025 guidance, of acceleration in both organic revenue growth and organic current EBIT growth compared to the 2024 growth rates, while acknowledging that ongoing global economic disruptions and their impact, in particular on the US market, remain difficult to predict at this stage.

    Q1 2025 BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS

    Quadient Recognized in Inaugural 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Accounts Payable Applications
    On 4 April 2025, Quadient announced it has been recognized in the first ever 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Accounts Payable Applications. A Gartner Magic Quadrant is a culmination of research in a specific market, giving a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the market’s competitors3.

    Quadient Receives SBTi’s Validation of its GHG Emission Reduction Targets
    On 7 April 2025, Quadient announced that the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. SBTi is a corporate climate action initiative that provides companies with science-based guidance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This validation confirms that Quadient’s commitments align with scientific requirements to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

    Quadient Recognized in Analyst Report on Top AI Use Cases for Finance Automation
    On 16 April 2025, Quadient announced it has been recognized in a recent Forrester report on ways artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming accounts receivable (AR) processes. The report, “Top AI Use Cases for Accounts Receivable Automation In 2025,” includes mentions of Quadient AR for cash application and payment notice. Quadient considers its inclusion in the report as proof of the impact its AI- and machine learning-powered financial process automation offer, enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making capabilities.

    Quadient Named a Leader in the SPARK Matrix™: Customer Communication Management Report for 2025
    On 24 April 2025, Quadient has been recognized as a Leader in the SPARK Matrix™: Customer Communication Management (CCM), Q2, 2025 report by global advisory and consulting firm QKS Group. This marks the fifth consecutive year Quadient has been named a Leader in the SPARK Matrix for CCM, a strategic vendor performance assessment tool that ranks vendors across the categories of Technology Excellence and Customer Impact.

    Quadient: 11% Increase in Software Sales to Mail Clients in 2024 Reflects Rising Demand for Smarter, Multichannel Communications
    On 30 April 2025, Quadient shared that businesses are increasingly turning to digital solutions to meet rising customer expectations for modern, multichannel communication. This shift is driving tangible growth: in fiscal year 2024, Quadient recorded a record 11% increase in cross-sales of its Digital automation solutions within its Mail customer base.

    POST-CLOSING EVENTS

    Stasher and Quadient Partner to Launch Nationwide Luggage Storage Using UK Smart Locker Network
    On 7 May 2025, Quadient announced a strategic partnership with Stasher, the world’s first luggage storage platform. This partnership marks a significant expansion of Stasher’s UK network and will provide travelers in key cities throughout the UK, including London, Birmingham, York, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Cardiff and Manchester, with more convenient, secure, and accessible luggage storage options through more than 1,640 Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers.

    Quadient and Nuvei Sign New Partnership to Enhance Cloud Payment Capabilities for Businesses Globally
    On 13 May 2025, Quadient and Nuvei announced a strategic technology partnership to enhance cloud payment capabilities for businesses globally. Through this partnership, Nuvei’s advanced payment processing technology is now integrated into Quadient’s cloud-based Accounts Receivable (AR) and Accounts Payable (AP) automation solutions, providing businesses of all sizes across North America, the UK, and Europe with a unified platform to manage B2B payments more efficiently, securely, and at scale.

    AI-powered Automation and Real-Time Payments Secure Quadient Leader Position in SPARK Matrix for Accounts Receivable
    On 15 May 2025, Quadient has been positioned as a Leader in the SPARK Matrix™: Accounts Receivable Applications, 2025. This marks the fourth consecutive year Quadient has been named as a leader in the report produced by the technology advisory and research firm QKS Group. Quadient believes this recognition is a testament to its continuing commitment to help businesses accelerate digital transformation, automate financial processes to increase business performance and create high-value customer interactions.

    Quadient Surpasses 300 Higher Education Locker Customers, Helping Campuses Modernize Logistics and Tackle Food Insecurity
    On 27 May 2025, Quadient announced that more than 300 higher education institutions in the U.S. are now relying on Parcel Pending by Quadient Lockers for streamlined package pickup and drop-off, bookstore merchandise, class and IT equipment exchange points, and addressing the challenge of student food insecurity.

    Quadient Advances AI Capabilities to Help Organizations Power Better Customer Interactions and Revenue Growth
    On 28 May 2025, Quadient announced the release of advanced AI capabilities designed for crafting and orchestrating highly personalized, omnichannel customer interactions. The extended AI is part of the latest release of Quadient Inspire, an industry-leading customer communications management (CCM) solution, and represents Quadient’s continued investment in transforming the way businesses dynamically communicate with customers.

    Quadient Accelerates its Digital Financial Automation Strategy in Europe with the Acquisition of Serensia
    On 2 Juin 2025, Quadient announced the acquisition of Serensia, a highly recognized a leading French electronic invoicing platform provider accredited by the French government as a Partner Dematerialization Platform (PDP). This strategic acquisition strengthens Quadient’s position in digital compliance and its ability to support both its 150,000 European customers and the more than 8 million businesses impacted in France as they transition to mandatory electronic invoicing.

    To know more about Quadient’s news flow, previous press releases are available on our website at the following address: https://invest.quadient.com/en/newsroom.

    CONFERENCE CALL & WEBCAST

    Quadient will host a conference call and webcast today at 6:00 pm Paris time (5:00 pm London time).

    To join the webcast, click on the following link: Webcast.

    To listen to the presentation by phone, please register using the following link to receive the dial-in details: Conference call.

    A replay of the webcast will also be available on Quadient’s Investor Relations website for 12 months.

    Calendar

    • 13 June 2025: Annual General Assembly
    • 24 September 2025: Half-year results and Q2 2025 sales

    About Quadient®

    Quadient is a global automation platform provider powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing.

    For more information about Quadient, visit https://invest.quadient.com/en/.

    Contacts

    APPENDIX

    Digital: New name for Intelligent Communication Automation

    Mail: New name for Mail-Related Solutions

    Lockers: New name for Parcel Locker Solutions

    Q1 2025 consolidated revenue

    Q1 2025 consolidated revenue by geography

    In € million Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Change Organic
    change
    North America(a) 151 150 +0.6%(d) (2.4)%
    Main European countries(b) 86 89 (2.9)% (2.8)%
    International(c) 21 23      (5.6)%(d) (2.0)%
    Group total 258 261 (1.1)% (2.5)%
    (a)  Including the United States and Canada. Brazil and Mexico are also part of this segment as of 1stJanuary 2025.
    (b)  Including Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy (excluding Mail), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
    (c)  International includes the activities of Digital, Mail and Lockers outside of North America and the Main European countries. From 1stJanuary 2025, Brazil and Mexico are no longer included and are now part of North America.
    (d)  The reported changes reflect a €0.9m reclassification effect due to the transfer of Brazil and Mexico from International to North America as of 1stJanuary 2025.

    (1) Q1 2025 sales are compared to Q1 2024 sales, to which is added pro rata temporis the revenue of Package Concierge for a consolidated amount of €4 million. The currency impact is broadly neutral in the period.
    (2) Q1 2025 ARR includes a €1.3 million positive currency effect vs 31 January 2025.
    (3) Gartner Research Methodologies, Gartner Magic Quadrant, 28 March 2025

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 117-Units of Affordable Housing for Seniors in the Bronx

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams today announced the completion of YP Senior Residence, a 117-unit affordable housing development in the Morris Heights neighborhood of The Bronx that is reserved for older New Yorkers. The $81 million project includes 37 supportive apartments where eligible tenants will receive on-site support services. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has financed almost 6,200 affordable homes in The Bronx. YP Senior Residence continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year housing plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.

    “New York is committed to supporting our more vulnerable communities, including seniors who help build and shape neighborhoods throughout the state,” Governor Hochul said. “As an affordable housing development for older New Yorkers, YP Senior Residence is making the cost of living more affordable for over 100 households in The Bronx. Thank you to our partners for bringing this important project to fruition.”

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “From creating record amounts of senior housing for older New Yorkers to building historic amounts of supportive housing for people who need a little extra help, we have the most pro-housing mayoral administration in New York City history. Through our partnership with Governor Hochul and projects like this one in the Bronx, we have doubled down on those efforts, delivering the housing that New Yorkers need at prices they can afford. Whether it’s individual developments like this or generational initiatives like our ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ plan to revitalize New York City’s zoning code, we are showing what is possible when government at all levels comes together to make a real difference in building a more affordable city for New Yorkers.”

    Apartments at YP Senior Residence are available to households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income. There are 37 units reserved for New Yorkers age 55 and older experiencing chronic homelessness eligible for on-site support services. The remaining 80 units are available to New Yorkers age 62 and older.

    YP Senior Residence includes sustainable features such as rooftop solar panels and a Variant Refrigerant Flow heating and cooling system that captures and repurposes heat already in the environment. There are Energy Star® appliances, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation for improved indoor air quality, water-conserving plumbing, and a green roof.

    The building is designed to promote a supportive environment and socialization while combatting isolation. It is full of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces including communal lounges on each floor, a rooftop terrace, and a landscaped courtyard.

    The project’s developer and support services provider is the Volunteers of America — Greater New York. Robert Sanborn Development is the co-developer.

    YP Senior Residence is supported by HCR’s Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program which generated nearly $35 million in equity, a $20 million first mortgage bond from its Housing Finance Agency, $4.4 million from its Office of Resilient Homes and Communities’ Affordable Housing Fund Program, and $1.7 million from its Senior Housing Program.

    The project also received $6.5 million from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program, $6.1 million from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, $1 million in Reso A capital discretionary funding from the Bronx Borough President and the Bronx delegation of the City Council, and $135,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

    Operating funding for the supportive units is being provided by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, administered by the New York State Department of Health. All apartments will benefit from Project-Based Section 8 vouchers administered by NYC HPD.

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Older New Yorkers deserve the opportunity to remain in the communities they love, and that means creating affordable apartments that provide the resources and amenities they need to live independently. This $81 million investment will allow more than 100 senior households to stay in The Bronx and offers support to those individuals who need it most. We thank Governor Hochul and each of our partners for their continued commitment to addressing the housing crisis.”

    New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “The Homeless Housing and Assistance Program’s investment in YP Senior Residence will provide chronically homeless seniors in the Bronx with safe, affordable, apartments they can call home, along with easy access to vital support services that will help them remain housed and age in place with dignity and independence. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for continuing to make permanent supportive housing a priority in New York State, and to all the state and local partners who supported the development of this important project.”

    New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Access to affordable housing and adequate support is critical for older adults who may otherwise experience isolation, preventable illness, homelessness or even death. Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, the Department is committed to the wellbeing of all New Yorkers, and affordable and supportive housing like the YP Senior Residence will help some of our most vulnerable residents achieve basic needs for health and safety.”

    New York State Office for the Aging Director Greg Olsen said, “Housing that is affordable, accessible, and supportive ranks among the highest priorities for older adults across New York State. Thanks to Governor Hochul, New York State is addressing this need with a comprehensive plan that brings forth innovative housing models to address health and social needs at the heart of age-friendly community development.”

    New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Doreen M. Harris, President & CEO said, “The completion of today’s project welcomes more than 100 clean, comfortable living spaces to the Bronx and helps ensure New York residents benefit from the latest modern building solutions. Through the use of energy efficient appliances, ventilation, and plumbing, these affordable housing units and community spaces will improve the quality of life for many senior citizens within the community.”

    New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said, “Older New Yorkers are often the anchors of our communities and the stewards of our shared history. That’s why, at HPD, we are deeply committed to ensuring that those who helped build and sustain their neighborhoods can age with dignity in safe, affordable homes. Today’s event is a testament to the incredible work that can happen when we work together — guided by our values and commitment to take care of our neighbors, including those who need a bit of additional support — and deliver real, tangible results.”

    New York City Department of Homeless Services Administrator Joslyn Carter said, “I commend Volunteers of America-Greater New York for recognizing that older adults face unique challenges in remaining stably housed and for building affordable, supportive housing that will allow senior residents to continue to be vibrant, important members of their community. VOA-GNY has long been a vital collaborator with DHS in addressing homelessness. Here, they are stepping up once again to serve a need and ensure that older adults age with dignity and respect, maintain or establish social connections as they leave transitional housing to a permanent home.”

    New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park said, “One of my biggest priorities as commissioner has been to build bridges between the affordable housing side and the homeless services lane to create a pipeline of housing options for vulnerable New Yorkers. This project and the work of Volunteers of America-Greater New York will facilitate shelter exits and confront the issue of senior homelessness. The benefits of this residence couldn’t be clearer. We are thrilled for the tenants, who will have access to services they deserve, and we applaud VOA-GNY for being a valued partner in the effort to combat homelessness.”

    Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “Seniors are a crucial pillar of communities across New York, and we must ensure that they have a safe and supportive place to call home. The YP Senior Residence will address the growing threats of homelessness and isolation among older adults by creating 117 affordable and supportive apartments— Including units housing seniors who have experienced homelessness and building a safe, supportive environment for its occupants. I look forward to the positive change this project will bring to the Bronx and beyond, and I will continue to fight for the right of all Americans to age with dignity and security.”

    State Senator Robert Jackson said, “A society is judged by how it treats its elders — and today, we take a proud step forward. The YP Senior Residence is more than brick and mortar — it is policy made personal. It is what happens when we invest in care, not neglect; in permanence, not patches. This building says to our seniors—especially those who have known homelessness — that your journey matters, your dignity matters, and their golden years will not be lived in the shadows. Let this ribbon cutting also be a ribbon of commitment — to build not just housing, but justice, equity, and community. Congratulations to Volunteers of America and everyone who helped turn vision into refuge. Let’s keep building”

    Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia said, “Ensuring our seniors have access to safe, affordable housing is a top priority. I am proud to celebrate this housing development for the Bronx, a place where our seniors can age with dignity and independence. This is exactly the kind of investment we need to ensure every New Yorker has a safe and supportive place to call home.”

    Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said, “Ensuring our older adults have safe, stable, and affordable housing is not just a promise, but a priority. With the completion of YP Senior Residence, we are taking a significant step forward in allowing our most seasoned residents to age in place with dignity, stability, and the support they deserve. I am grateful to Governor Hochul, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the Bronx delegation of the City Council, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for their continued partnership in uplifting our older New Yorkers and investing in a future where every generation is cared for and valued.”

    VOA-GNY President and CEO Jeffrey R. Ginsburg said, “It is an honor to help reverse the growing crisis of senior homelessness, and address the serious risks social isolation and loneliness can have on the health of older adults. We thank our partners for their generosity and collaboration, without whom the development of YP Senior Residence would not have been possible. Older New Yorkers deserve to age with dignity and independence, and we are proud to help make this possible.”

    Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda
    Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY 2025 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives, capital funding, and new protections for renters and homeowners. Building on this commitment, the FY 2026 Enacted Budget includes more than $1.5 billion in new State funding for housing, a Housing Access Voucher pilot program, and new policies to improve affordability for tenants and homebuyers. These measures complement the Governor’s five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan, included in the FY 2023 Budget, to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 60,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.

    The FY 2025 and 2026 Enacted Budgets also strengthened the Governor’s Pro-Housing Community Program – which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have received Pro Housing certification, including New York City.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cornwall — Police have a busy winter at the Cornwall border

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Between January 1, 2025 and April 1, 2025, the Ontario RCMP Border Integrity team and its partners in the Cornwall region, laid multiple charges and seized a total of $561,568 worth of contraband tobacco products. The RCMP allege that several individuals have attempted to smuggle unstamped tobacco, cigarettes, cigars and nicotine pouches which are being unlawfully imported for unregulated resale in convenience stores and other retail outlets into Ontario.

    The Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) is a joint task force made up of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the Ontario Ministry of Finance. We work closely with our trusted Canadian and US partners to combat crime on both sides of the border.

    On January 7th, a CBSA led initiative partnering with the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) stopped a vehicle under Section 99(1)(f) of the Customs Act and a search of the vehicle found 28 boxes of unstamped tobacco with a total of 280,000 cigarettes. Driver James Johnson (34 yrs.), from Saint Regis, QC was charged with Possession of Unstamped Tobacco under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 and Operation while Prohibited under Section 320.18 of the Criminal Code. Passenger Dylan David (35 yrs.), from Hogansburg, NY was charged with Possession of Unstamped Tobacco under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 and Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for Possession of a Schedule 1 Drug – Fentanyl.

    On January 12th, a vehicle was examined by the CBSA under Section 99(1)(f) of the Customs Act and found to contain 9,360 unstamped cigars. Nadir Khedidem (23 yrs.), from Mirabel, QC was charged by the RCMP pursuant to Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 and was convicted.

    On January 16th, two vehicles that had crossed the Cornwall border were stopped and searched under Section 99(1)(f) of the Customs Act and a total of 18 cases of nicotine pouches, for a total of 36,000 pouches were seized. Reese Hitterman-Carr (24 yrs.) from Lancaster, ON and Adam Bomberry (31 yrs.) from Akwesasne, NY were arrested and charged under Sections 155 and 159 (1) of the Customs Act.

    On January 27th, Lawrence Oakes (22 yrs) from Cornwall was arrested by Cornwall RCMP after fleeing from a secondary examination by CBSA officers at the border and striking a marked Police vehicle. Oakes is charged with Assaulting a Police Officer with a weapon, Dangerous Driving, Flight from Police and Fail to Comply to Release Order.

    In late February, a CBSA led initiative partnering with the CRTF collaborated to arrest, Robert Green (32 yrs.), from Ohsweken, ON under Sections 155 and 159(1) of the Customs Act and Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 for possession of 37,000 nicotine pouches, 7200 cigars and 1440 ounces of chewing tobacco for a total of $294,560. Green was released on an undertaking and appeared in court on May 20th.

    On February 26th a CBSA led initiative partnering with the CRTF spotted three individuals behind a restaurant in Cornwall where they were allegedly exchanging nicotine pouches from the trunks of their vehicles. RCMP arrested all three males on Customs Act charges and seized over $ 160 Thousand dollars’ worth of nicotine pouches. Nasim El Bendago (22 yrs.) from Gatineau, QC, Zahir Taskie (20 yrs.) from Orleans, ON, and Mark Wesley (24 yrs.) from Scarborough, ON were arrested under Sections 155 and 159(1) of the Customs Act for possession of these nicotine pouches. Wesley also faces charges for possession for the purpose of trafficking under Section 5 (2) of the CDSA. All three were released on undertakings and will appear in court on June 3rd.

    On February 24th, Megan Morin (22 yrs.) from Longueuil, QC was found with a total of 255 cartons of illegal cigars which was seized from the trunk of the vehicle she was driving. Morin was charged with Possession of Unstamped Tobacco, contrary to Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001, released on an undertaking and was convicted on May 7th.

    In March, law enforcement seized 3,122 tins of flavoured nicotine pouches from a driver allegedly attempting to illegally import them across the Cornwall border. The male driver was arrested initially under Sections 155 and 159(1) of the Customs Act, however, has subsequently been released without charges.

    On March 8th, a traffic stop led the OPP and RCMP to an observation of a total of 2,532 tins of Unstamped Tobacco valued at over $56,000 which was seized immediately. The driver, Asiful Haque (27 yrs.) from Scarborough, ON was arrested under Section 32(1) of the Excise Act, 2001 for Unlawful Possession of Unstamped Tobacco. Haque was released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on May 29th.

    “Thanks to the CBSA, OPP, OPP-BEST, Ontario Ministry of Finance, and Cornwall RCMP for their dedicated collaboration which continues to produce successful results, taking contraband, including nicotine pouches, off our streets.”
    —Inspector Etienne Thauvette, Officer in Charge RCMP Cornwall Detachment

    “Canada Border Services Agency officers are committed to disrupting organized crime. By intercepting contraband, we stop proceeds from being reinvested into other criminal activity. We will continue to work closely with the RCMP and other law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.”
    —Jag Johnston, Regional Director General, CBSA Northern Ontario Region

    “The OPP is committed to working with our provincial and national partners to stem the flow of contraband tobacco, as well as illegal drugs and firearms, contributing to safer communities.”
    – OPP Acting Detective Inspector Tyler Stewart, Border Enforcement Security Task Force

    Products seized

    • Unstamped tobacco: 633 KG
    • Cigarettes: 280 000
    • Nicotine pouches: 180 380
    • Cigars: 17 400
    • Chewing tobacco: 1440 oz

    Vehicles seized

    • 2003 Chevy Silverado
    • 2015 Mazda 3
    • 2010 Black Kia Forte
    • 2020 Grey Honda Civic
    • 2014 White KIA Sedan
    • 2010 White Honda Civic
    • 2005 GMC Savana
    • 2009 White Dodge Ram Crew Cab

    Fast facts:

    • Ontario RCMP Border Integrity protect over 2,700km of the Canada-US border from Cornwall through the Great Lakes to the Manitoba border. The Canada-US border is the longest, safest border in the world.
    • Oral nicotine pouches over the 4mg limit as per the Food and Drugs Act are classified as prescription drugs as per Health Canada’s prescription drug list.
    • No person other than one of following shall import a prescription drug: a practitioner, a drug manufacturer, a wholesale druggist, a pharmacist or a resident of a foreign country while a visitor to Canada (policy of a 90-day supply).
    • Its effects are widespread, impacting public health, public safety, government revenue, and the broader economy.
    • Revenues from contraband tobacco often support organized crime activities, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and firearms smuggling.
    • Smuggling networks engage in violent activities and corruption, increasing risks to the public and law enforcement agencies.
    • The Canada Border Services Agency screens goods coming into Canada and examines more closely those that may pose a threat to the safety of Canadians.
    • For the latest enforcement statistics, visit Canada Border Services Agency seizures.

    If you have any information related to smuggling, drug importation, trafficking, or possession, or wish to report other criminality, you can contact the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020, the confidential CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), at any time.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada strengthens border security

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    News release

    June 3, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario

    A strong Canada means strong borders. Today, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety introduced the Bill, the Strong Borders Act to strengthen our laws and keep Canadians safe.

    The Bill will keep Canadians safe by ensuring law enforcement has the right tools to keep our borders secure, combat transnational organized crime, stop the flow of illegal fentanyl, and crack down on money laundering. It will bolster our response to increasingly sophisticated criminal networks, and enhance the integrity and fairness of our immigration system while protecting Canadians’ privacy and Charter rights.

    Securing the border

    • Amend the Customs Act to secure our borders against illicit drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, and auto theft:
      • obligating owners and operators at certain ports of entry/exit to provide, equip, and maintain facilities for any purpose related to the administration and enforcement of CBSA’s mandate which includes the examination and detention of goods destined for export;
      • allowing the CBSA access to premises under the control of transporters and warehouse operators to perform examinations in places where goods destined for export are reported, loaded, unloaded, or stored.
    • Amend the Oceans Act to add security-related activities to coast guard services, which will enable the Canadian Coast Guard to conduct security patrols and collect, analyse and disseminate information and intelligence for security purposes;
    • Enhance the ability of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to share information collected on registered sex offenders with domestic and international law enforcement partners;
    • Protect the asylum system against sudden increases in claims by introducing new ineligibility rules.
    • Improve how asylum claims are received, processed, and decided;
    • Strengthen authorities to cancel, suspend or change immigration documents, and to cancel, suspend or stop accepting new applications; and 
    • Improve how Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shares client information with federal, provincial and territorial partners.

    Combatting transnational organized crime and illegal fentanyl

    • Create a new accelerated scheduling pathway that allows precursor chemicals that can be used to produce illicit drugs to be rapidly controlled by the Minister of Health. This will allow law and border enforcement agencies to take swift action to prevent their illegal importation and use and to ensure strict federal oversight over any legitimate use of these chemicals;
    • Amend the Criminal Code and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act to facilitate law enforcement’s access to basic information and data, and amend the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Act to ensure CSIS’s investigative tools also keep pace;
    • Introduce the Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act (SAAIA) to ensure that electronic service providers have the capabilities to support law enforcement agencies and the CSIS in criminal and intelligence investigations by compelling them to fulfill legally authorized requests to access or intercept information and communications;
    • Amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to remove barriers that prevent police from searching the mail, where authorized to do so in accordance with an Act of Parliament, to advance a criminal investigation; and
    • Expand Canada Post’s inspection authority to open mail.

    Disrupting illicit financing

    • Strengthen Canada’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regime, including through stronger anti-money laundering penalties;
    • Address some of the most prevalent types of money laundering, including through new restrictions on large cash transactions and ‘third party deposits’;
    • Enhance supervisory collaboration and support high standards of regulatory compliance by adding the Director of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) to the Financial Institutions Supervisory Committee (FISC) and enabling FINTRAC to exchange supervisory information on federally regulated financial institutions with FISC; and
    • Clarify public to private information sharing provisions to help better detect and deter money laundering and support the recently created Integrated Money Laundering Intelligence Partnership (IMLIP) between banks and law enforcement.

    The Strong Borders Act is a key component of our plan to build a safer and more secure Canada. Further action will be announced over the coming months to keep our communities safe, get guns off our streets, and make bail harder to get for repeat offenders charged with car theft, home invasions, human trafficking and drug smuggling.

    Quotes

    “Our government made a commitment to keep our communities safe and work with our American partners to strengthen our border. The Strong Borders Act will help us tackle organized crime, and further equip our border and law enforcement agencies with the authorities and resources they need to keep our border secure – for both American and Canadian communities.”

    –       The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety

    “Canada is taking action to respond to rising migration pressures. We’re improving security at the Canada-US border and making our immigration and asylum systems stronger, more flexible, and responsive to new and developing pressures. This is about protecting the integrity of our system while building a safer and more resilient Canada.”

    –       The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

    “Canada is stepping up in the fight against transnational financial crime. This bill will strengthen supervision and enforcement to combat money laundering and terrorist financing – reinforcing our government’s commitment to stop illicit financial flows.”

    –       The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue

    “Canada’s criminal laws must keep pace with an evolving landscape. This legislation strengthens the tools available to law enforcement to detect and investigate serious crimes, while upholding the Charter rights of people in Canada and respecting the rule of law.”

    –       The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

    “Expanding the Canadian Coast Guard’s services to include security activities will help ensure the protection and sovereignty of our vast coasts and waterways. With our extensive fleet and experience on the water, we are well positioned to make a significant contribution to Canada’s national security, making the country stronger, more adaptable, and more responsive.”

    –       The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries

    “This legislation will give Canada stronger tools in the fight against fentanyl so together with all levels of government, Indigenous communities, and public health and law enforcement partners, we can save lives and keep our communities safe.”

    –       The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health

    “Canada’s new Government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians. The proposed amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act will help stop the flow of drugs in Canada. This will help to prevent thousands of overdoses and save lives.”

    –       The Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement

    Quick facts

    • Through Canada’s Border Plan, the Government of Canada is investing $1.3 billion in concrete action to keep communities safe on both sides of the border. 

    • The Border Plan provides $200 million to Public Safety Canada and the Communications Security Establishment Canada to support enhanced gathering of intelligence on transnational organized crime and illegal fentanyl, and enable sharing with law enforcement partners across Canada and the United States.

    • Moreover, providing $743.5 million over five years, including $159.5 million ongoing, was provided to support the stability and integrity of Canada’s asylum system, increasing processing and decision-making capacity.

    • In recent years, the Government has invested more than $379 million to strengthen the effectiveness of Canada’s Anti-Money Laundering/Anti-Terrorist Financing Regime, and made or is making legislative and regulatory changes, including by providing new tools to law enforcement, adding new criminal offences and strengthening penalties, enhancing information sharing, expanding the Regime to new sectors at risk of money laundering, and providing the CBSA with new authorities to pursue trade-based money laundering. 

    • The Canada Border Services Agency is Canada’s first line of defence at 1,200 ports of entry across the country. Day in and day out, approximately 8,600 frontline personnel play a crucial role protecting our communities by preventing illegal goods and inadmissible people from entering Canada. For more on the CBSA’s enforcement actions visit: Canada Border Services Agency enforcement action statistics.

    • The Government of Canada is committed to recruiting 1,000 more RCMP personnel to tackle drug and human trafficking, foreign interference, cybercrime, and the organized criminal gangs, as well as to the hiring of over 1000 additional CBSA personnel, including border services officers, intelligence analysts and specialized chemists, and the training of up to 9 new detector dog teams.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Alice Hansen
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree
    Minister of Public Safety
    Alice.Hansen@ps-sp.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Public Safety Canada
    613-991-0657
    media@ps-sp.gc.ca

    Chantalle Aubertin
    Deputy Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
    Chantalle.Aubertin@justice.gc.ca      

    Media Relations
    Department of Justice Canada
    613-957-4207
    media@justice.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Canada Border Services Agency
    1-877-761-5945
    media@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca

    Audrey Milette
    Office of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
    Minister of Finance and National Revenue
    audrey.milette@fin.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Department of Finance Canada
    613-369-4000
    mediare@fin.gc.ca

    Mathis Denis
    Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor
    Office of the Honourable Joël Lightbound
    343-573-1846
    mathis.denis@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Transformation, Public Services and Procurement
    819-420-5501
    media@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Canadian Security Intelligence Service
    613-231-0100
    Media-medias@smtp.gc.ca

    Renée LeBlanc Proctor
    Press Secretary
    Minister’s Office
    Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
    Renee.Proctor@cic.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
    613-952-1650
    media@cic.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Health Canada
    613-957-2983
    media@hc-sc.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    media.qc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca  

    Stay connected

    Follow Public Safety Canada on X, LinkedIn and YouTube
    Follow Don’t Drive High on Facebook and Instagram

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Housing Bill: Greens’ ‘Mansion Tax’ bid rejected by other parties

    Source: Scottish Greens

    03 Jun 2025 Finance

    Property taxes are important to ensure the wealthiest people pay their fair share back into our public services.

    More in Finance

    Proposals put forward by Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer for a ‘Mansion Tax’ on the sale of the million pound plus homes have been rejected by all other parties.

    Mr Greer tabled amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill to create a new band of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on the most expensive homes. This would have raised money for public services in need of financial support.

    The highest rate of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax for residential properties is 12%, starting at £750,000. The Green MSP had proposed that a further band should kick in at £1 million, suggesting it start at 15%. During a debate on the proposals in Parliament he pointed to the example of the Newliston Estate near Edinburgh, currently on sale for offers over £15 million, suggesting that its buyer should pay a higher rate of tax than someone purchasing an £800,000 townhouse in the city.

    The proposal was rejected by SNP, Labour and Conservative members of the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Housing Committee.

    Mr Greer said:

    “It is disappointing that MSPs from other parties rejected our Green proposal for a Mansion Tax. 

    “A higher tax on the biggest and most luxurious properties could have raised money to support public services like the NHS and schools. Only the very wealthiest people in the country, who can afford to pay more, would have been impacted. 

    “Scotland has enough wealth to end injustices like child poverty tomorrow, but far too much of this money is in the hands of a tiny number of super-rich people and big corporations.

    “Property taxes are important to ensure the wealthiest people pay their fair share back into our public services. I hope other MSPs remember that when they next complain about cuts to public services due to a lack of money.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Completion of Affordable Senior Development in Buffalo

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of Mt. Olive Senior Manor, an affordable housing development for seniors that builds on the State’s historic $50 million investment in Buffalo’s East Side. Developed in partnership between Mt. Olive Development Corporation and People Inc., the new building creates 65 apartments for adults aged 55 and older, including 20 apartments with supportive services for individuals struggling with homelessness, on an underutilized parcel adjacent to the Mt. Olive Baptist Church. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has financed more than 11,000 affordable homes in Erie County. Mt. Olive Senior Manor continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year housing plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.

    “Through strong partnerships with faith-based organizations like Mt. Olive Baptist Church, we are transforming underutilized spaces into vibrant, affordable homes for New York’s seniors,” Governor Hochul said. “Mt. Olive Senior Manor reflects our commitment to delivering safe, supportive housing that meets the unique needs of the East Side’s residents, advancing our bold vision to create and preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York.”

    The three-story development is constructed on land next door to the Mt. Olive Baptist Church that has undergone brownfield remediation. All apartments are affordable to households earning up to 50 percent of the Area Median Income.

    Twenty apartments are set aside for seniors in need of supportive services to live independently. Services and rental subsidies are funded by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and administered by the New York State Department of Health. The service provider is People Inc.

    Residential amenities include a community room with kitchen, laundry facilities, bicycle storage area, management office, support service offices, multipurpose room, a lounge area, and an enclosed courtyard with walkable space and a patio. To support residents as they age, the building’s design includes features such as grab bars, low-reach shelving and cabinets, lever-style door handles, under cabinet lighting, and zero transition showers.

    The development was designed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Multifamily New Construction – Energy Rating Index compliance path. The highly energy efficient, all-electric development features include electric vehicle charging stations, Energy Star appliances and lighting, low flow plumbing fixtures, and high efficiency mechanical equipment.

    State financing for Mt. Olive Senior Manor includes support from HCR’s Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program that generated more than $13 million in equity, as well as $3.6 million in subsidy. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is providing $4 million through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program. Additionally, the site participated in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s successful Brownfield Cleanup Program and became eligible for $3.6 million in tax credits administered by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency awarded $2 million in HOME funds. NYSERDA’s New Construction – Housing Program contributed $260,000 in incentives.

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Mt. Olive Senior Manor exemplifies New York State’s commitment to creating affordable, supportive housing, including in partnership with faith-based organizations, that uplifts residents and strengthens communities like East Buffalo. This $27 million investment not only provides safe, modern homes and vital services that seniors deserve, but allows 65 households to stay and thrive in the community they love. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we will continue to create more housing opportunities for New Yorkers of every age and income level.”

    New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “The 20 supportive housing units created as part of this development will help older adults in Erie County who have experienced homelessness by providing a safe, stable home and access to support services that will enable them to age in place. Congratulations to Mt. Olive Baptist Church, People Inc., and all of our state and local partners on the successful completion of Mt. Olive Senior Manor.”

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Everyone should have access to environmentally safe and affordable housing. For more than two decades, the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program has played a critical role in cleaning up formerly contaminated sites, returning them to productive use, and supporting local revitalization efforts. DEC is proud to oversee this critical program and its contribution to achieving Governor Hochul’s affordable housing goals in communities like Buffalo, including the Mt. Olive Senior Housing Development, while supporting DEC’s mission to protect public health and the environment for all.”

    NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Projects like Mt. Olive Senior Manor are helping shape a cleaner, more modern future for every New Yorker. Integrating the latest clean energy technology into affordable housing not only provides access to healthier, more comfortable living spaces for Western New York’s older adults, but helps improve the quality of life for many living in a historically underserved community.”

    State Senator April N. M. Baskin said, “This type of collaboration is meaningful on many levels: it’s a successful partnership between Mt. Olive and the leading human services agency in our region, People Inc.. This project also reimagines an underutilized parcel, turning it into a beautiful space benefiting our older East Side residents. Mt. Olive Baptist Manor is a safe and affordable place to call home, enabling our elders to live their best life in a way they surely deserve.”

    Erie County Legislator St. Jean Tard said, “It is an honor to celebrate the opening of Mt. Olive Senior Manor, a development that brings both hope and stability to our community. This project represents more than new construction—it’s a commitment to the well-being of our seniors, especially those who have faced the hardships of homelessness. Transforming a long-vacant site into a place of safety, care, and opportunity is a powerful reflection of what can be achieved through meaningful collaboration. I extend my sincere thanks to Mt. Olive Development Corp., People Inc., and all the partners who brought this vision to life.”

    Buffalo Common Council Member Zeneta Everhart said, “The newly constructed Mt. Olive Senior Manor located in the Masten District is an essential facility to meet the needs of our seniors and people struggling with homelessness. Thanks to major investments from the state and the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency, what was once a vacant brownfield is now a great and affordable home for dozens of our older neighbors. I am grateful to Governor Hochul and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal for investing in our community and prioritizing the needs of vulnerable residents.”

    People Inc. President and CEO Anne McCaffrey said, “We are extremely proud to join Mt. Olive Development Corp., federal, state and local government officials in unveiling this impactful housing complex,” said Anne McCaffrey, People Inc. president and CEO. “We are providing more than just new housing. We are creating life-changing opportunities for living that are invigorating communities and meeting a critical regional need. Mt. Olive Senor Manor will help people live their best lives, which is central to People Inc.’s mission and vision for the communities we serve.”

    Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

    Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives, capital funding, and new protections for renters and homeowners. Building on this commitment, the FY26 Enacted Budget includes more than $1.5 billion in new State funding for housing, a Housing Access Voucher pilot program, and new policies to improve affordability for tenants and homebuyers. These measures complement the Governor’s five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan, included in the FY23 Enacted Budget, to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 60,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.

    The FY25 and FY26 Enacted Budgets also strengthened the Governor’s Pro-Housing Community Program — which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have received Pro Housing certification, including Buffalo.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nicholas Green, Assistant Professor of Biology, Kennesaw State University

    The system of scientific naming began in the 1700s. Westend61 via Getty Images

    Most people would call it a “field mouse,” but a scientist would ask, “Was it Peromyscus maniculatus? Or Peromyscus leucopus?”

    Scientists use a system of complicated-sounding names to refer to everyday creatures, a practice heavily lampooned in the Warner Bros. cartoons featuring the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote – or, respectively, Accelleratii incredibus and Carnivorous vulgaris.

    As a biologist, I use these seemingly odd names myself and help my students learn them. For most people it’s a huge effort, like learning a second language. That’s because it is.

    A chimpanzee, otherwise known as Pan troglodytes.
    guenter guni/E+ via Getty Images

    Humans, skunks and maple trees

    The science of naming and classifying organisms is called taxonomy. Scientists do this so they can be as precise as possible when discussing living things.

    The first word in an organism’s name is its genus, which is a group of related species, such as Panthera for lions, tigers and leopards.

    The second word is the specific name identifying the species, usually defined as a population that can reproduce only with each other, such as Panthera leo for lion.

    Every two-word combination must be unique. Called binomial nomenclature, this naming system was popularized by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s. So, humans are Homo sapiens, the red maple Acer rubrum, garlic Allium sativum, and the eastern spotted skunk Spilogale putorius.

    Today, biologists maintain huge databases containing the taxonomic names of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms. For instance, one of these databases – the Open Tree of Life project – includes over 2.3 million species.

    The scientist who discovers a species usually names it by publishing a formal description in a peer-reviewed journal. From there, the name makes its way into the databases. From then on, scientists always use that name for the organism, even if it turns out to be misleading. For example, many fossils were originally given names containing the Greek root “saur,” which means lizard – even though paleontologists later realized dinosaurs were not lizards.

    The archosaur group includes dinosaurs and also today’s birds and crocodiles.
    Orla/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Snobbery isn’t the issue

    To most people, these names sound inscrutable. Particularly nowadays, as science becomes more open and accessible to everyone, such arcane vocabulary can come across as old-fashioned and elitist.

    Given the current backlash against “elites” and “experts” in every field, that’s a serious charge. But in a roundabout way, this seemingly exclusive practice is really a story of inclusiveness.

    As modern science began taking shape in Europe during the 1600s, scientists had a problem. They wanted to read and be read by others, but language got in the way. French scientists couldn’t read Swedish, Swedes couldn’t read Italian, and Italians couldn’t read German.

    Also, writing about plants and animals posed a particular challenge: Many species had common names that could vary from place to place, and some common names might apply to multiple species. Scientists needed a way to be precise and consistent when referring to species, so that everyone could understand each other.

    To sidestep the language issue, scientists of the era mostly published their work in classical Latin. Back then, everyone learned it – at least every European man wealthy enough to attend school and become a scientist. Others published in classical Greek, also widely taught. By sticking with these more universally known languages, early scientists made sure that science was accessible to as many of their peers as possible.

    By the late 1700s and 1800s, translation services were broadly available, so naturalists such as Georges Cuvier could write in his native French, and Charles Darwin in his native English. Today, English has become the de facto language for science, so most scientists publish in English regardless of their native tongue.

    So why continue to use Latin and Greek names today? Taxonomists do it partly out of tradition, but partly because the terminology is still useful. Even without seeing a photo of the animal, a biologist might work out that Geomys bursarius – “earth-mouse with a pouch” – was a pocket gopher. Or that Reithrodontomys fulvescens – “groove-toothed mouse that is yellow” – is a yellow mouse with grooves on its incisors.

    A two-minute, how-to-do-it lesson.

    What’s in a name?

    Although taxonomists still largely adhere to the naming principles of Linnaeus, new scientific names are more and more frequently derived from non-European languages. For example, a chicken-size dinosaur discovered and named in China is called Yi qi, meaning “strange wing” in Mandarin.

    Some of the more recent names are touched by whimsy, with a few honoring politicians and celebrities. Etheostoma obama is a spangled darter named after the 44th U.S. president; the Swift twisted-claw millipede – Nannaria swiftae – is named after pop star Taylor Swift.

    With so much of Earth’s biodiversity yet to be discovered and named, remember that names are just names. What we call these species often reflects our own values and perspectives.

    In the future, another language – or no language at all – might rise to dominance. Artificial intelligence may act as a universal translator. This possibility would let everyone publish and read science in their own language. Predicting how technology will change our relationship with terminology is challenging, but the need for precise scientific language, including the names of species, will never go away.

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

    – ref. A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names – https://theconversation.com/a-bottlenose-dolphin-or-tursiops-truncatus-why-biologists-give-organisms-those-strange-unpronounceable-names-252265

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MSPs reject Green proposals to fix ‘absurd’ Council Tax system

    Source: Scottish Greens

    03 Jun 2025 Housing

    Scotland deserves a fairer, proportionate system to fund our public services.

    More in Housing

    Scottish Green proposals that would see the first Council Tax revaluation in over 30 years have been turned down by all other parties, despite Labour and Tory MSPs agreeing that the current system is ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’.
     
    The proposals to the Housing (Scotland) Bill were lodged by Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer, who has long campaigned to reform Council Tax.
     
    Council Tax rates are still based on property values from 1991, resulting in most people now being in the wrong band. Those in smaller, less valuable homes are often paying considerably more than they should, whilst the richest in larger properties pay far less than they would if accurate valuations were used.

    Mr Greer’s proposals, lodged as amendments to the Housing Bill, were voted down by SNP, Labour and Conservative MSPs on Parliament’s Local Government and Housing Committee. This was despite Labour’s Housing spokesperson Mark Griffin agreeing during the debate that using 1991 properties values is ‘ridiculous’ and the Conservatives’ Meghan Gallagher and Graham Simpson describing it as ‘absurd’.
     
    Mr Greer said:

    “We wouldn’t tolerate a situation where most people pay the wrong rate of income tax, so why do all other parties think it’s acceptable for Council Tax?
     
    “Using property values from before I was even born means that low-income families in smaller houses typically pay more than they should, whilst the richest get off with an absolute steal.
     
    “Every other party agrees this is wrong, but they just don’t want to upset the wealthiest people in Scotland, who would pay far more if the system was fixed.
     
    “That’s the only reason for other MSPs to accept that the current situation is ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’, but then vote against fixing it.
     
    “If we want to give our schools, care services, bin collections and road repairs the funding they desperately need, fixing the Council Tax is the bare minimum. I hope other parties will stop this hypocrisy and support Green proposals to deliver that fix in the future.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Paytronix Announces Nonita Verma as New GM, Changes to Executive Structure

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWTON, Mass., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paytronix, an Access Group company, and the leader in guest engagement for restaurants and convenience stores, has announced the appointment of technology industry veteran Nonita Verma as its new General Manager. A seasoned executive with over two decades of leadership experience, Verma brings a proven track record of scaling global platforms and driving hyper-growth. Verma’s appointment, along with changes to the executive team, will help accelerate Paytronix’s growth and provide its customers with a flexible, industry-leading guest engagement platform that meets their challenges.

    Verma previously served as a Chief Strategy Officer at Keenai Global, where she focused on their Go-to-Market strategy and operational alignment as the Wealthtech platform readied for market entry across their B2C and B2B platforms. She has an extensive financial services background dating back to 2000 at Goldman Sachs, as well as senior roles at Credit Suisse among other places.

    Verma’s connection to the hospitality industry was strengthened during her tenure at Tripadvisor, where she served as B2B General Manager and Global Head of Hotels.

    According to Access North America President Jonah Paransky, “Nonita brings a plethora of skillsets to the table that will be essential during a pivotal time in Paytronix’s history. Her leadership qualities and experience are a great complement to our executive team and are sure to enhance our guest engagement offerings in the industry.”

    “The hospitality industry is under pressure from uncertain market conditions and Paytronix is poised to help equip brands with the solutions they need to meet evolving customer expectations,” said Verma. “We’re accelerating investment in our platform while infusing it with advanced technologies like AI and new unique functionalities from Access to further enhance value we drive for our customers.”

    Additionally, other members of the Paytronix executive team have taken on new roles:

    • Former Chief Revenue Officer Charles Gray will become the VP of Product Management at Paytronix, leveraging his extensive product and technology background with NCR, California Pizza Kitchen, and Cosi to lead product development and direction.
    • Pamela Robertson, who was brought on as Chief Marketing Officer of Paytronix in late 2022, will take on a larger role in Access, becoming the VP of Marketing, Hospitality for the Americas. She will maintain her role at Paytronix, and work alongside Access’ hospitality brands in North America to unify their marketing initiatives with Paytronix and Access.
    • Digger McElligott will become VP of Sales at Paytronix.
    • Customer Success will see a new face in Philippe Mestritz, who will become Access Group’s VP of Customer Success, Hospitality for the Americas.

    For more information, reach out to Communications Manager Calen McGee.

    About Paytronix
    Paytronix, an Access Group company, is a cloud-based digital guest engagement platform for the hospitality industry. Our innovative, unified platform provides loyalty programs, online ordering, gift cards, branded mobile applications, and strategic insights to more than 1,800 leading restaurant and convenience store brands. Our valued clients leverage the power of Paytronix across 50,000 sites globally to create seamless, personalized, and brand-authentic experiences that foster lasting relationships with their customers. For more than 20 years, Paytronix has been a trusted partner helping brands maximize the lifetime value of their guests and grow more profitable businesses. For more information, visit www.paytronix.com.

    About The Access Group  

    The Access Group is one of the largest UK-headquartered business management software providers. It provides solutions that empower more than 128,000 small and mid-sized organisations in commercial and non-profit sectors across Europe, USA and APAC, giving every employee the freedom to do more of what’s important. Its innovative cloud solutions and integrated AI software experience across multiple Access products transform how business technology is used. Access employs approx. 8,000 people, continuously driving product innovation and customer service excellence. For more information, visit www.theaccessgroup.com or follow us @TheAccessGroup

    Media Contact:
    Calen McGee
    Paytronix Systems, Inc.
    Calen.McGee@theaccessgroup.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/32e6fab2-3ac0-4858-aa54-0c5c96ecde18

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: First Pacific Bank Recognized for Exceptional Workplace Culture, Two Years Running

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WHITTIER, Calif., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Pacific Bank, the wholly owned subsidiary of First Pacific Bancorp (OTC Pink: FPBC), is proud to announce that it has been awarded the 2025 Great Company Culture Award—marking the second consecutive year the Bank has received this honor. Presented by CultureID, this recognition highlights the Bank’s unwavering commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive, and high-performing workplace.

    This award is a direct result of employee feedback received from the 2025 Employee Engagement Survey and is awarded to companies that achieve strong participation and a high overall engagement score, placing First Pacific Bank in the top third of participating organizations. As a result of intentional leadership across the organization, employees have indicated that they have strong relationships, high accountability, clear alignment, consistent communication, and full capability to work and perform at their best, resulting in an engaged culture.

    “Our mission at CultureID is to help companies create environments where people thrive,” said Kelly Burns, CEO of CultureID. “First Pacific Bank has demonstrated what’s possible when you make culture a priority. Their employee-centric focus is a model for other organizations to follow.”

    “We are honored to receive the Great Company Culture Award highlighting our ongoing efforts to build a workplace that not only meets the needs of its employees but also aligns with First Pacific Bank’s core values,” said Nathan Rogge, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Pacific Bank. “This recognition reflects the dedication and hard work of our entire team in building a workplace where employees feel supported and inspired. We believe that a strong company culture is the foundation of our success, and this award motivates us to continue investing in our people and our values.”

    To learn more about First Pacific Bank’s award-winning culture, visit firstpacbank.com.

    ABOUT FIRST PACIFIC BANK

    First Pacific Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of First Pacific Bancorp (OTC Pink: FPBC) and is a growing community bank catering to individuals, professionals, and small-to-medium sized businesses throughout Southern California. Since opening in 2006, the Bank has offered a personalized approach, access to decision makers, a broad range of solutions, and a commitment to delivering an exceptional customer experience. First Pacific Bank operates locations in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, and the Inland Empire. For more information, visit firstpacbank.com or call 888.BNK.AT.FPB.

    ABOUT CULTUREID

    CultureID is a leading provider of workforce business intelligence. Their mission is to help organizational leaders unlock the potential of their people by providing powerful tools and data-driven strategies that sustainably increase engagement, productivity, and profitability.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Haze Over North America

    Source: NASA

    More than 180 wildland fires burned across Canada on June 1, 2025, continuing what has been an active fire year so far. Some of the fires produced plumes so thick and widespread they were easily visible from a vantage point in space well beyond that of the Moon.
    NASA’s EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera) on NOAA’s DSCOVR satellite acquired this image on May 31, 2025. The instrument is positioned 1.5 million kilometers (1 million miles) from Earth’s surface, which is about four times farther than the orbit of the Moon. For comparison, most polar orbiting satellites that observe Earth orbit at an altitude of less than 1,000 kilometers. From its distant position, EPIC captures a color image of the entire sunlit side of Earth at least once every two hours.
    The EPIC wide view shows smoke from fires burning primarily in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The plumes extend to the north-northeast across Nunavut toward the coast of Greenland and southward across the United States. Another patch of smoke is visible over the Atlantic Ocean near Europe. Note that the hazy air west of Africa is not smoke but dust that has blown westward from the Sahara Desert.
    The blazes forced tens of thousands of people across three provinces to evacuate. Around 5,000 evacuated from Flin Flon as a major blaze crossed from Saskatchewan into Manitoba, according to news reports. This fire, among many others, led officials to declare a state of emergency in Saskatchewan and Manitoba in late May.

    Smoke from the fires burning in Canada has raised health concerns as airborne particles degraded air quality locally and in several U.S. states. In Michigan, officials issued an air quality advisory on May 30, noting that the air could become unhealthy for sensitive groups. On June 2, Minnesota issued an air quality alert, as particle pollution in the state’s northwest neared hazardous levels for all people.
    The jet stream pulled smoke even farther south. The detailed image above, acquired May 31 with the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-21 satellite, shows smoke reaching northern Florida. Smoke-affected states farther from the fires saw mostly good to moderate air quality. Still, smoke high in the air can tint skies orange and contribute to some striking sunsets.
    Since the start of the year, 1,586 fires have burned more than 1 million hectares across Canada, according to a report issued June 1 by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. In 2024, the country saw 1,343 fires burn less than half a million hectares by the same date. Canada’s wildfire season has historically run from late April to August, but fires can happen any time of the year.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using DSCOVR EPIC and VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). Text by Kathryn Hansen.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Greenbacker delivers first quarter results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announces year-over-year increases in IPP revenue, power production, and generation capacity in its operating fleet, as well as construction milestones on largest solar project in New York

    Key Takeaways

    • Against a backdrop of trade policy driven volatility, Greenbacker’s proactive approach to tariff risk management delivered $19 million cost savings on 1 GW solar module order.
    • Company continued construction on largest solar project in New York State to date; the 674 MW Cider solar farm—also GREC’s largest to date—is expected to reach commercial operation in late 2026, generating 1 billion kWh of power in first year of operation.
    • Wind and solar PPA revenue increased 17% year-over-year to $39 million, driving total first-quarter operating revenue of $48 million.
    • Power production increased 14% across combined wind and solar fleets, year-over-year, generating 676 million kWh of power in the first quarter.
    • Operating fleet expanded 3% year-over-year, representing 41 MW of additional total generation capacity, as Company brought online over a dozen new assets.
    • Greenbacker’s assets contributed to a more resilient U.S. clean energy system, delivering homegrown power, driving decarbonization, and supporting the domestic economy.

    NEW YORK, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC (“Greenbacker,” “GREC,” or the “Company”), an energy transition-focused investment manager and independent power producer (“IPP”), has announced financial results for the first quarter of 2025, including year-over-year increases in revenue, operating capacity, and clean energy generation.1

    Greenbacker’s proactive approach to tariff risk management delivered $19 million cost savings

    Greenbacker’s proactive approach to managing exposure to tariff risk continued to deliver measurable results for investors. In late 2024, the Company’s procurement team secured a 1 gigawatt (“GW”) order with one of the world’s largest suppliers of solar modules for use in the construction of assets across its sustainable infrastructure portfolio—including the 674 MW Cider solar farm, Greenbacker’s largest clean energy project to date. As part of the agreement, Greenbacker was able to lock in its access to 1 GW of panels while limiting or eliminating risk on future tariff exposure.

    This forward-looking contract structure when procuring over 960,000 solar modules proved its value through the first quarter of 2025, as financial markets and the energy transition asset class experienced increased volatility driven by uncertainty around the Trump administration’s tariff regime.2

    As of March 31, 2025, the contract generated approximately $19 million in cost savings for Greenbacker, helping to protect returns by ensuring predictable pricing for a substantial volume of critical solar equipment.

    “Greenbacker and other clean energy industry participants have been successfully navigating the evolving trade landscape for over a decade,” said Dan de Boer, Greenbacker’s interim CEO. “The steps we’ve taken to mitigate tariff-related risk across our portfolio deliver results, protect returns, and add stability to our investment platform. This disciplined approach is a core part of how we create long-term value for our investors.”

    Company continued construction on 674 MW Cider solar project, projected to be largest solar farm in New York State when completed in 2026

    After breaking ground on early construction activity late last year, Greenbacker’s utility-scale Cider project continued major construction activities in Genesee County, NY. When complete, Cider is expected to be the largest solar energy project in New York State, where Greenbacker is headquartered.

    This phase of construction centers on key civil and mechanical activities, such as beginning installation of steel pilings and solar module racking systems. Additional phases of construction are expected to ramp up by mid-summer, including installation of electrical wiring and high-voltage utility interconnection infrastructure.

    Over its operational lifespan, Cider is expected to generate approximately $100 million in revenue for local communities through property taxes, host community agreements, and tax benefits—funds that can be used to support critical services and infrastructure, including first responders, area roadways, and local schools. Cider’s construction is expected to support hundreds of clean energy jobs, driving both immediate and long-term economic impact across the region.

    Cider is slated to enter commercial operation in late 2026 and is expected to generate approximately 1 billion kWh of power in its first full year of operation. The project plans to utilize agrivoltaics (dual land use combining photovoltaic production with agricultural practices) as part of a more cost-effective, nature-based approach to vegetation management. Cider will initially host rotational sheep grazing on over 300 acres, with the potential to increase grazing acreage across the project’s operational lifetime.

    Wind and solar PPA revenue increased 17% year-over-year to $39 million, driving total operating revenue of $48 million; wind and solar power production increased 14%

    Greenbacker generated total operating revenue of $47.5 million within its IPP segment during the first quarter of 2025, reflecting strong performance from the Company’s core operating fleet. This was driven by an increase in revenue from Greenbacker’s long-term power purchase agreements (“PPAs”) across both its wind and solar fleets, which together generated $38.8 million—a 17% increase compared to the same period last year, or an additional $5.8 million of revenue.

    First-quarter net loss attributable to Greenbacker in 2025 was $(15.6) million and Adjusted EBTIDA3 was $14.4 million, representing year-over-year changes of 84% and 56%, respectively. The net loss reflected impairment charges resulting from deteriorating macroeconomic conditions, as well as depreciation and amortization, partially offset by a decrease in other operating expenses.

    While total operating revenue represented a 3% year-over-year decline—primarily due to the timing of Renewable Energy Credit (“REC”) revenue recognition in the first quarter of 2024 and the divestment of a non-core asset in April 2024—the underlying power production of Greenbacker’s core fleet remained strong. Notably, the non-core divestiture was a key driver of the Company’s year-over-year increase in Adjusted EBITDA.

    On a year-over-year basis, GREC increased its operating fleet size by 3%, as of the end of the first quarter of 2025, resulting in a 41 MW increase in total operating power production capacity.4 This included placing over a dozen new solar energy assets into commercial operation. In total, GREC’s operating solar and wind portfolios delivered a combined year-over-year power production increase of 14%,5 generating over 676 million kWh of clean energy in the quarter—enough to power approximately 63,000 average U.S. homes for one year.6

             
    GREC Operating Fleet 1Q25 1Q24 YoY
    Increase
    (total)    		 YoY
    Increase
    (%)
    Clean power produced by solar assets (MWh) 307,154 266,339 40,815 15%
    PPA revenue generated by solar assets ($M) $ 18.0 $15.3 $2.6 17%
    Clean power produced by wind assets (MWh) 368,957 325,406 43,551 13%
    PPA revenue generated by wind assets ($M) $ 20.8 $17.7 $3.1 18%
    Total clean power generated by wind and solar assets (MWh) 676,111 591,745 84,366 14%
    Total PPA operating revenue generated by wind and solar assets ($M) $ 38.8 $33.0 $5.8 17%
             

    Some figures may not add to stated totals due to rounding. Total clean power generated does not include power generated from the non-core biomass facility during first quarter of 2024, which GREC divested in April 2024, nor does it include assets in which the Company holds a preferred equity position.

    Long-term contracted cash flows with investment-grade counterparties

    As of March 31, 2025, approximately 93% of Greenbacker’s portfolio of assets7 were contracted to sell power to investment-grade counterparties across the most resilient parts of the U.S. economy—including utilities, municipalities, and corporations—under long-term PPAs. The portfolio had approximately 17.3 years of contracted, highly visible cash flows associated with these PPAs, providing a solid foundation to build additional future revenue streams.

    As of March 31, 2025, the Greenbacker operating fleet represented approximately 1.6 gigawatts of total clean power generation and storage capacity, spanning over 30 states, territories, districts and provinces.

    Building a more resilient clean energy future by delivering homegrown power, driving decarbonization, and supporting the domestic economy

    As of March 31, 2025, Greenbacker’s portfolio of energy assets had cumulatively produced more than 12 million MWh of power.8 This clean energy has abated over 8 million metric tons of carbon9 and conserved more than 8 billion gallons of water.10

    Greenbacker’s business operations have driven more than $170 million in spending with U.S.-based manufacturers and suppliers in that period, directly supporting American industry and strengthening domestic supply chains, while advancing homegrown energy deployment.

    To date, Greenbacker’s fleet of operating and pre-operating projects currently support, or are expected to support, thousands of green energy jobs.11

    Additional information regarding the Company’s impact can also be found in Greenbacker’s impact report.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. Although Greenbacker believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. Greenbacker undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained herein to conform to actual results or changes in its expectations.

    Private placements are speculative.
    For financial professionals and their accredited investors only. Not for inspection by, distribution to, or quotation to the general public. There are material risks associated with investing in alternative investments including financing risks, general economic risks, long hold periods, and potential loss of the entire investment principal. Potential cash flow, returns, and appreciation are not guaranteed. The shares offered are illiquid assets for which there is not expected to be any secondary market, nor is it expected that any will develop in the future. The ability to transfer shares is limited. Pursuant to the LLC Agreement, GREC has the discretion under certain circumstances to prohibit transfers of shares, or to refuse to consent to the admission of a transferee as a member. Securities offered through WealthForge Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Greenbacker Capital Management LLC and WealthForge Securities, LLC are separate entities.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    In addition to evaluating the Company’s performance on a U.S. GAAP basis, the Company utilizes certain non-GAAP financial measures to analyze the operating performance of our segments as well as our consolidated business. Each of these measures should not be considered in isolation from or as superior to or as a substitute for other financial measures determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, such as net income (loss) or operating income (loss). The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures to supplement its U.S. GAAP results in order to provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting its operations.

    Adjusted EBITDA
    Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company uses as a performance measure, as well as for internal planning purposes. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is useful to management and investors in providing a measure of core financial performance adjusted to allow for comparisons of results of operations across reporting periods on a consistent basis, as it includes adjustments relating to items that are not indicative on the ongoing operating performance of the business.

    Adjusted EBITDA is a performance measure used by management that is not calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from or as superior to or as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss) or any other measure of financial performance calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Additionally, our calculations of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

    Funds From Operations (FFO)
    FFO is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company uses as a performance measure to analyze net earnings from operations without the effects of certain non-recurring items that are not indicative of the ongoing operating performance of the business. FFO is calculated using Adjusted EBITDA less the impact of interest expense (excluding the non-cash component) and distributions to tax equity investors under the financing facilities associated with our IPP segment. 

    The Company believes that the analysis and presentation of FFO will enhance our investor’s understanding of the ongoing performance of our operating business. The Company considers FFO, in addition to other GAAP and non-GAAP measures, in assessing operating performance and as a proxy for growth in distribution coverage over the long term.

    FFO should not be considered in isolation from or as a superior to or as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss) or any other measure of financial performance calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    General Disclosure
    This information has been prepared solely for informational purposes and is not an offer to buy or sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security, or to participate in any trading or investment strategy. The information presented herein may involve Greenbacker’s views, estimates, assumptions, facts, and information from other sources that are believed to be accurate and reliable and are, as of the date this information is presented, subject to change without notice.

               
    GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARIES
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (in thousands, except per share data)
     
      March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024
      (unaudited)      
    Assets          
    Current assets:          
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 103,237     $ 120,057  
    Restricted cash, current 31,949     38,403  
    Accounts receivable, net 28,033     27,103  
    Derivative assets, current 16,064     17,632  
    Other current assets 26,418     28,586  
    Total current assets 205,701     231,781  
    Noncurrent assets:          
    Restricted cash 2,131     3,128  
    Property, plant and equipment, net 2,280,196     2,232,486  
    Intangible assets, net 351,065     362,352  
    Investments, at fair value 75,196     74,136  
    Derivative assets 80,953     98,495  
    Other noncurrent assets 240,587     242,667  
    Total noncurrent assets 3,030,128     3,013,264  
    Total assets $ 3,235,829     $ 3,245,045  
    Liabilities, Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests and Equity          
    Current liabilities:          
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 107,394     $ 69,464  
    Contingent consideration, current 14,675     15,293  
    Current portion of long-term debt 85,969     88,901  
    Current portion of failed sale-leaseback financing and deferred ITC gain 45,868     45,868  
    Other current liabilities 8,034     8,767  
    Total current liabilities 261,940     228,293  
    Noncurrent liabilities:          
    Long-term debt, net of current portion 1,025,804     1,001,654  
    Failed sale-leaseback financing and deferred ITC gain, net of current portion 195,933     201,601  
    Deferred tax liabilities, net 24,495     35,316  
    Operating lease liabilities 195,090     196,911  
    Out-of-market contracts, net 170,749     180,640  
    Other noncurrent liabilities 62,005     59,561  
    Total noncurrent liabilities 1,674,076     1,675,683  
    Total liabilities $ 1,936,016     $ 1,903,976  
    Commitments and contingencies (Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies)          
    Redeemable noncontrolling interests $ 1,851     $ 1,851  
    Equity:          
    Preferred shares, par value, $0.001 per share, 50,000 authorized; none issued and outstanding —     —  
    Common shares, par value, $0.001 per share, 350,000 authorized, 199,176 and 199,326 outstanding as of 2025 and 2024, respectively 199     199  
    Additional paid-in capital 1,774,330     1,773,758  
    Accumulated deficit (600,317 )   (584,733 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive income 33,690     34,937  
    Noncontrolling interests 90,060     115,057  
    Total equity 1,297,962     1,339,218  
    Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity $ 3,235,829     $ 3,245,045  
               
    GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARIES
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (unaudited)
    (in thousands, except per share data)
     
      Three months ended March 31,
      2025   2024
    Revenue          
    Energy revenue $ 43,980     $ 44,569  
    Investment Management revenue 3,260     3,931  
    Other revenue 301     668  
    Contract amortization, net 2,921     (2,615 )
    Total net revenue $ 50,462     $ 46,553  
               
    Operating expenses          
    Direct operating costs 23,911     26,990  
    General and administrative 17,046     18,855  
    Change in fair value of contingent consideration —     493  
    Depreciation, amortization and accretion 21,628     20,485  
    Impairment of long-lived assets, net and project termination costs 13,665     6,328  
    Total operating expenses 76,250     73,151  
               
    Operating loss (25,788 )   (26,598 )
               
    Interest expense, net (36,566 )   (4,250 )
    Change in fair value of investments, net 990     (566 )
    Income from sale-leaseback transfer of tax benefits 10,188     —  
    Other expense, net 148     125  
               
    Loss before income taxes (51,028 )   (31,289 )
    Benefit (expense) from income taxes 10,374     (3,064 )
    Net loss $ (40,654 )   $ (34,353 )
    Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests (25,068 )   (25,874 )
    Net loss attributable to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC $ (15,586 )   $ (8,479 )
               
    Earnings per share          
    Basic $ (0.08 )   $ (0.04 )
    Diluted $ (0.08 )   $ (0.04 )
               
    Weighted average shares outstanding          
    Basic 199,333     198,856  
    Diluted 199,333     198,856  
               
    GREENBACKER RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY LLC AND SUBSIDIARIES
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (unaudited)
    (in thousands)
         
      Three months ended March 31,
      2025   2024
    Cash Flows from Operating Activities          
    Net loss $ (40,654 )   $ (34,353 )
    Adjustments to reconcile Net loss to Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:          
    Depreciation, amortization and accretion 18,707     23,100  
    Impairment of long-lived assets, net 12,665     6,328  
    Share-based compensation expense 3,469     4,806  
    Changes in fair value of contingent consideration —     493  
    Amortization of financing costs and debt discounts 2,963     1,661  
    Amortization of interest rate swap contracts (1,693 )   4  
    Change in fair value of interest rate swaps, net 21,741     (9,944 )
    Gain on interest rate swaps, net —     (1,410 )
    Change in fair value of investments (990 )   566  
    Deferred income taxes (10,374 )   3,064  
    Interest expense on failed sale-leaseback financing and deferred ITC gain 4,519     4,269  
    Income from sale-leaseback transfer of tax benefits (10,188 )   —  
    Other 1,235     980  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:          
    Accounts receivable (930 )   (826 )
    Current and noncurrent derivative assets —     51,269  
    Other current and noncurrent assets 1,085     2,988  
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses (8,875 )   (8,227 )
    Operating lease liabilities (1,771 )   (714 )
    Other current and noncurrent liabilities (541 )   (243 )
    Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities (9,632 )   43,811  
    Cash Flows from Investing Activities          
    Purchases of property, plant and equipment (28,564 )   (55,294 )
    Net deposits returned (paid) for property, plant and equipment (390 )   1,314  
    Other investing activities (70 )   (45 )
    Net cash used in investing activities (29,024 )   (54,025 )
    Cash Flows from Financing Activities          
    Shareholder distributions —     (22,361 )
    Repurchases of common shares (341 )   (390 )
    Deferred shareholder servicing fees (739 )   (795 )
    Contributions from noncontrolling interests 2,132     1,005  
    Distributions to noncontrolling interests (5,071 )   (3,240 )
    Proceeds from borrowings 58,731     50,920  
    Payments on borrowings (40,054 )   (84,381 )
    Proceeds from failed sale-leaseback —     111,453  
    Payments on failed sale-leaseback —     (25,080 )
    Payments for loan origination costs (273 )   (1,257 )
    Net cash provided by financing activities 14,385     25,874  
    Net (decrease) increase in Cash, cash equivalents and Restricted cash (24,271 )   15,660  
    Cash, cash equivalents and Restricted cash at beginning of period 161,588     187,675  
    Cash, cash equivalents and Restricted cash at end of period  $ 137,317     $ 203,335  
               

    Non-GAAP Reconciliations

    Adjusted EBITDA

    Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company uses as a performance measure as well as for internal planning purposes. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is useful to management and investors in providing a measure of core financial performance adjusted to allow for comparisons of results of operations across reporting periods on a consistent basis as it includes adjustments relating to items that are not indicative of the ongoing operating performance of the business.

    The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before: (i) interest expense; (ii) income taxes; (iii) depreciation expense; (iv) amortization expense (including contract amortization); (v) accretion; (vi) impairment of long-lived assets; (vii) amounts attributable to our redeemable and non-redeemable noncontrolling interests; (viii) unrealized gains and losses on financial instruments; (ix) gains and losses for asset dispositions; (x) other income (loss); and (xi) foreign currency gain (loss). Additionally, the Company further adjusts for the following items described below:

    • Share-based compensation is excluded from Adjusted EBITDA as it is different from other forms of compensation as it is a non-cash expense and is highly variable. For example, a cash salary generally has a fixed and unvarying cash cost. In contrast, the expense associated with an equity-based award is generally unrelated to the amount of cash ultimately received by the employee, and the cost to the Company is based on a share-based compensation valuation methodology and underlying assumptions that may vary over time;
    • The change in fair value of contingent consideration, which is related to the Acquisition, is excluded from Adjusted EBITDA, if any such change occurs during the period. The non-cash, mark-to-market adjustments are based on the expected achievement of revenue targets that are difficult to forecast and can be variable, making comparisons across historical and future quarters difficult to evaluate;
    • Start-up costs associated with new investment strategies is excluded from Adjusted EBITDA. The Company evaluates new investment strategies on a regular basis and excludes start-up cost from Adjusted EBITDA until such time as a new strategy is determined to form part of the Company’s core investment management business.
    • Placement fees, including internal sales commissions, related to fundraising efforts based on the capital raised, are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA. By excluding these fundraising-related fees from Adjusted EBITDA, we focus on core operational performance, separate from capital raising efforts, which might vary significantly from period to period.
    • Other costs that are not consistently occurring, not reflective of expected future operating expense and provide no insight into the fundamentals of current or past operations of our business are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA. This includes costs such as professional services and legal fees, and other non-recurring costs unrelated to the ongoing operations of the Company.

    Adjusted EBITDA is a performance measure used by management that is not calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from or as superior to or as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss) or any other measure of financial performance calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Additionally, our calculations of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

    FFO

    FFO is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company uses as a performance measure to analyze net earnings from operations without the effects of certain non-recurring items that are not indicative of the ongoing operating performance of the business.

    FFO is calculated using Adjusted EBITDA less the impact of interest expense (excluding the non-cash component) and distributions to Tax Equity Investors under the financing facilities associated with our IPP segment. The Company excludes these distributions as these are not recorded within Adjusted EBITDA and is therefore not a component of our earnings from operations.

    The Company believes that the analysis and presentation of FFO will enhance our investors’ understanding of the ongoing performance of our operating business. The Company considers FFO, in addition to other GAAP and non-GAAP measures, in assessing operating performance and as a proxy for growth in distribution coverage over the long-term.

    Adjusted EBITDA and FFO should not be considered in isolation from or as a superior to or as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss) or any other measure of financial performance calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    The following table reconciles Net loss attributable to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC to Adjusted EBITDA and FFO:

         
      Three months ended
    March 31,
    (in thousands) 2025   2024
    Net loss attributable to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC $ (15,586 )   $ (8,479 )
    Add back or deduct the following:          
    Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests (25,068 )   (25,874 )
    Benefit (expense) from income taxes (10,374 )   3,064  
    Interest expense, net 36,566     4,250  
    Depreciation, amortization and accretion(1) 18,804     23,235  
    EBITDA $ 4,342     $ (3,804 )
    Share-based compensation expense 3,469     4,806  
    Change in fair value of contingent consideration —     493  
    Change in fair value of investments, net (990 )   566  
    Income from sale-leaseback transfer of tax benefits (10,188 )   —  
    Other expense, net (148 )   (125 )
    Loss on asset disposition 13     —  
    Impairment of long-lived assets, net and project termination costs 13,665     6,328  
    Non-recurring professional services and legal fees 1,689     578  
    Non-recurring salaries and personnel related expenses(2) 2,596     393  
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 14,448     $ 9,235  
    Cash portion of interest expense (9,408 )   (8,349 )
    Distributions to tax equity investors (3,811 )   (3,277 )
    FFO $ 1,229     $ (2,391 )
               
    (1) Includes contract amortization, net in the amount of $2.9 million and $(2.6) million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, which are included in Contract amortization, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations; also includes certain other amortization costs included in Direct operating costs and General and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
               
    (2) Non-recurring salaries and personnel related expenses include start-up costs which primarily include salaries and personnel related expenses of incremental employees hired in advance to launch new investment strategy initiatives. Given the nature and scale of the related costs and activities, management does not view these as normal, recurring operating expenses, but rather as non-recurring investments to initially develop our new funds. Therefore, we believe it is useful and necessary for investors to understand our core operating performance in current and future periods by excluding the impact of these start-up costs as incurred. Non-recurring salaries and personnel related expenses also include placement fees, including internal sales commission.
               

    The following table reconciles total Segment Adjusted EBITDA to Net loss attributable to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC:

         
      For the three months ended March 31,
    (in thousands) 2025   2024
    Segment Adjusted EBITDA:          
    IPP Adjusted EBITDA $ 22,515     $ 17,291  
    IM Adjusted EBITDA (689 )   (1,160 )
    Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA $ 21,826     $ 16,131  
               
    Reconciliation:          
    Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA $ 21,826     $ 16,131  
    Unallocated corporate expenses (7,378 )   (6,896 )
    Total Adjusted EBITDA $ 14,448     $ 9,235  
               
    Less:          
    Share-based compensation expense 3,469     4,806  
    Change in fair value of contingent consideration —     493  
    Loss on asset disposition 13     —  
    Impairment of long-lived assets, net and project termination costs 13,665     6,328  
    Depreciation, amortization and accretion(1) 18,804     23,235  
    Non-recurring professional services and legal fees 1,689     578  
    Non-recurring salaries and personnel related expenses(2) 2,596     393  
    Operating loss $ (25,788 )   $ (26,598 )
               
    Interest expense, net (36,566 )   (4,250 )
    Change in fair value of investments, net 990     (566 )
    Income from sale-leaseback transfer of tax benefits 10,188     —  
    Other expense, net 148     125  
    Loss before income taxes $ (51,028 )   $ (31,289 )
               
    Benefit from (provision for) income taxes 10,374     (3,064 )
    Net loss $ (40,654 )   $ (34,353 )
               
    Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests (25,068 )   (25,874 )
    Net loss attributable to Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC $ (15,586 )   $ (8,479 )
               
    (1) Includes contract amortization, net in the amount of $2.9 million and $(2.6) million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, which are included in Contract amortization, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations; also includes certain other amortization costs included in Direct operating costs and General and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
               
    (2) Non-recurring salaries and personnel related expenses include start-up costs which primarily include salaries and personnel related expenses of incremental employees hired in advance to launch new investment strategy initiatives. Given the nature and scale of the related costs and activities, management does not view these as normal, recurring operating expenses, but rather as non-recurring investments to initially develop our new funds. Therefore, we believe it is useful and necessary for investors to understand our core operating performance in current and future periods by excluding the impact of these start-up costs as incurred. Non-recurring salaries and personnel related expenses also include placement fees, including internal sales commission.
               

    About Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company
    Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC is a publicly reporting, non-traded limited liability sustainable infrastructure company that both acquires and manages income-producing renewable energy and other energy-related businesses, including solar and wind farms, and provides investment management services to other renewable energy investment vehicles. We seek to acquire and operate high-quality projects that sell clean power under long-term contracts to high-creditworthy counterparties such as utilities, municipalities, and corporations. We are long-term owner-operators, who strive to be good stewards of the land and responsible members of the communities in which we operate. Greenbacker conducts its investment management business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Greenbacker Capital Management, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. We believe our focus on power production and asset management creates value that we can then pass on to our shareholders—while facilitating the transition toward a clean energy future. For more information, please visit https://greenbackercapital.com.

    About Greenbacker Capital Management
    Greenbacker Capital Management LLC is an SEC registered investment adviser that provides advisory and oversight services related to project development, acquisition, and operations in the renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability industries. For more information, please visit www.greenbackercapital.com.

    Greenbacker media contact
    Chris Larson
    Media Communications
    646.569.9532
    c.larson@greenbackercapital.com

    _______________________________

    1 The financial and portfolio metrics set forth herein are unaudited and subject to change. Data as of March 31, 2025. Total assets and megawatts statistics include those projects where we have contracted for the acquisition of the project pursuant to a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (“MIPA”).
    2S&P 500 Suffers Worst Month Since 2022—Despite Monday Recovery, Forbes, March 2025.
    3 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company uses as a performance measure, as well as for internal planning purposes. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is useful to management and investors in providing a measure of core financial performance adjusted to allow for comparisons of results of operations across reporting periods on a consistent basis, as it includes adjustments relating to items that are not indicative on the ongoing operating performance of the business. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for additional discussion. Adjusted EBITDA is unaudited. See the Company’s 10-Q filed with the SEC for additional financial information and important related disclosures.
    4 Data as of March 31, 2025. Total assets and megawatts statistics include those projects where we have contracted for the acquisition of the project pursuant to a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (“MIPA”). The financial and portfolio metrics set forth herein are unaudited and subject to change
    5 Does not include power generated from biomass facility during first quarter of 2024, and also does not include assets in which the Company holds a preferred equity position
    6 Based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s estimate that the average annual amount of electricity used by a U.S. residential electric-utility customer is 10,791 kilowatt-hours (kWh).
    7 Includes both operating and pre-operating clean energy projects within the GREC portfolio.
    8 Since January 2016.
    9 Data is as of March 31, 2025. When compared with a similar amount of power generation from fossil fuels. Carbon abatement is calculated using the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator which uses the Avoided Emissions and generation Tool (AVERT) US national weighted average CO2 marginal emission rate to convert reductions of kilowatt-hours into avoided units of carbon dioxide emissions.
    10 Data is as of March 31, 2025. Water saved by Greenbacker’s clean energy projects is compared to the amount of water needed to produce the same amount of power by burning coal. Gallons of water saved are calculated based on Operational water consumption and withdrawal factors for electricity generating technologies: a review of existing literature – IOPscience, J Macknick et al 2012 Environ. Res. Lett. 7 045802.
    11 Data is as of March 31, 2025. Green jobs calculated using The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) State Clean Energy Employment Projection Support, nrel.gov.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Energy taxation rules – E-001180/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The green taxation reform is a key element of Cyprus’ recovery and resilience plan[1]. It aims to internalise environmental externalities, encouraging more efficient use of resources and incentivising the adoption of renewable energy.

    This is crucial in Cyprus where carbon prices and municipal waste recycling lag behind the rest of Europe, and water scarcity is a challenge.

    The green taxation reform includes a carbon tax, which constitutes a transition towards the Emissions Trading System applicable from 2027 to buildings and road transport, a levy on water and a charge on landfill waste, both of which will be incrementally increased.

    As regards the taxation of motor and heating fuels, and of electricity, in the recent Action Plan for Affordable Energy and Clean Industrial Deal[2], the Commission has reiterated its call on Member States to complete the revision[3] of the current Energy Taxation Directive.

    This is a recognition of the crucial role that the revision can play in promoting affordable energy and clean industry. As communicated in the action plan for Affordable Energy, the Commission will issue a recommendation to Member States by the end of 2025.

    This will be taken forward in line with the present Directive[4], which allows decreasing taxes for electricity consumed by households and energy intensive industries.

    In addition to structural and cohesion funds, the Social Climate Fund aims to support a fair transition towards climate neutrality. It will provide Member States with dedicated funding so that the most affected vulnerable groups can be directly supported.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resilience-facility/country-pages/cyprus-recovery-and-resilience-plan_en.
    • [2] COM(2025) 79 final and COM(2025) 85 final of 26.02.2025.
    • [3] COM(2021) 563 final of 14.07.2021.
    • [4] Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003.
    Last updated: 3 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Hyperscale Data Reports Approximately $8.7 Million In Bitcoin Mining Revenue Year to Date, Including Approximately $1.9 Million for May 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hyperscale Data, Inc. (NYSE American: GPUS), a diversified holding company (“Hyperscale Data” or the “Company”), today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Sentinum, Inc. (“Sentinum”) received approximately 17.4 Bitcoin in the month of May 2025 and approximately 90 Bitcoin year to date from the mining pool to which Sentinum provides hash calculation services. Revenue is calculated daily based upon the number of Bitcoin earned that day at the value of Bitcoin on such date.

    Milton “Todd” Ault III, Founder and Executive Chairman of Hyperscale Data, commented, “These results reflect strong execution from the Sentinum team as they continue to focus on operational excellence. Further, the recent increase in the price of Bitcoin has given the Company greater optionality in the deployment of its mining fleet. It is my belief that we have an opportunity to capitalize on the price increase through selective miner deployment as opposed to the selling of miners in the secondary market, which has recently been strongly considered. The Company is thrilled with the current price of Bitcoin and is happy with the current contributions from Sentinum.”

    The Company would also like to remind its stockholders that Sentinum plans to resume Bitcoin mining operations at its Montana facilities in the month of June. This site is expected to increase Bitcoin mining capacity with approximately ten megawatts of power capacity coming online, which is sufficient to operate approximately 3,200 S19j Pro Antminers (“Antminers”).   Sentinum will initially recommence mining operations on approximately 2,600 Antminers and expects to increase operations to full capacity of approximately 3,200 Antminers, during July 2025.

    For more information on Hyperscale Data and its subsidiaries, Hyperscale Data recommends that stockholders, investors and any other interested parties read Hyperscale Data’s public filings and press releases available under the Investor Relations section at hyperscaledata.com or available at www.sec.gov.

    About Hyperscale Data, Inc.

    Through its wholly owned subsidiary Sentinum, Hyperscale Data owns and operates a data center at which it mines digital assets and offers colocation and hosting services for the emerging artificial intelligence (“AI”) ecosystems and other industries. Hyperscale Data’s other wholly owned subsidiary, Ault Capital Group, Inc. (“ACG”), is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies with a global impact.

    Hyperscale Data expects to divest itself of ACG on or about December 31, 2025 (the “Divestiture”). Upon the occurrence of the Divestiture, the Company would solely be an owner and operator of data centers to support high-performance computing services, though it may at that time continue to mine Bitcoin. Until the Divestiture occurs, the Company will continue to provide, through ACG and its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including an AI software platform, social gaming platform, equipment rental services, defense/aerospace, industrial, automotive, medical/biopharma and hotel operations. In addition, ACG is actively engaged in private credit and structured finance through a licensed lending subsidiary. Hyperscale Data’s headquarters are located at 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 190, Las Vegas, NV 89141.

    On December 23, 2024, the Company issued one million (1,000,000) shares of a newly designated Series F Exchangeable Preferred Stock (the “Series F Preferred Stock”) to all common stockholders and holders of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock on an as-converted basis. The Divestiture will occur through the voluntary exchange of the Series F Preferred Stock for shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock of ACG (collectively, the “ACG Shares”). The Company reminds its stockholders that only those holders of the Series F Preferred Stock who agree to surrender such shares, and do not properly withdraw such surrender, in the exchange offer through which the Divestiture will occur, will be entitled to receive the ACG Shares and consequently be stockholders of ACG upon the occurrence of the Divestiture.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “potential,” or similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties.

    Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors. More information, including potential risk factors, that could affect the Company’s business and financial results are included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Company’s Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All filings are available at www.sec.gov and on the Company’s website at hyperscaledata.com.

    Hyperscale Data Investor Contact:
    IR@hyperscaledata.com or 1-888-753-2235

    The MIL Network –

  • Break big smuggling syndicates, curb narcotics trade: FM Sitharaman tells DRI

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to adopt a holistic and technology-driven approach to tackle smuggling and narcotics trade amid increasingly complex geopolitical environment and security threats.

    In her address at the inaugural event of the DRI’s new headquarters, the Finance Minister said there was a need to go beyond surface-level enforcement and focus on uncovering deeper systemic threats.

    “Investigate holistically, keeping the big picture in mind, leverage all available resources to uncover deeper systemic risks and threads by connecting the dots,” she said.

    She emphasised that dismantling the entire smuggling syndicates must be the end-goal of any investigation, which must not stop at peripheral seizures.

    “It’s no good if you catch the small fish. The bigger smuggling chain has to be tracked and acted upon. We must take down those nefarious chains,” she added.

    Sitharaman identified narcotics as the most serious national threat and called for urgent coordination with state law enforcement agencies to prevent schools and colleges from being targeted by drug traffickers.

    She also underlined the importance of internal collaboration: “Internal coordination, when well managed, makes outcomes better.”

    The Finance Minister cited PM Modi’s ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’ mantra as the spirit with which the enforcement agencies should move forward.

    She spelt out three guiding principles for the agency’s approach: the rules must be applied fairly, public confidence in the trade system must be maintained, and the enforcement must be intelligent and high-impact.

    “Value- and trust-based compliance is important, not fear-induced compliance,” Sitharaman pointed out.

    She highlighted the need for deeper and faster integration of modern technology into enforcement frameworks. “There’s a lot of talk around AI, but I now want to see concrete output using AI,” she said, pressing for data-driven, intelligence-led action. “More modern technology use needs to be deeply and well integrated into the system – data analytics and so on,” she added.

    (With inputs from IANS)

     

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 1 June 2025 Donors making a difference: tobacco control

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing over 8 million people a year globally.

    In February 2025, WHO marked the 20th anniversary of its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), providing a legal framework and comprehensive package of tobacco control measures. The WHO FCTC now has 182 Parties covering more than 90% of the world’s population.

    In 2007, WHO introduced a practical, cost-effective initiative to scale up implementation to reduce tobacco use called MPOWER. Today, 5.6 billion people are covered by an MPOWER measure which includes: monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; protect people from tobacco use; offer help to quit tobacco use; warn about the dangers of tobacco; enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and raise taxes on tobacco.

    MPOWER has helped to reduce global deaths from tobacco use and created a global partnership on tobacco control focused on supporting the highest burden countries in the world, with WHO recognized as a global leader.

    Thanks to commitment and powerful action in countries, and with support from key donors, tobacco use is declining across all WHO regions. Here are some stories from across the WHO regions demonstrating the impact of WHO’s work in this area.

    Tobacco free farms in Kenya and Zambia

    Tobacco free farmer from Migori County, Kenya. Photo by: WHO

    A record 349 million people are facing acute food insecurity globally. Food insecurity is further exasperated by tobacco production. Tobacco is grown in over 124 countries, taking up 3.2 million hectares of fertile land that could be used to grow food. Tobacco farmers often lack the confidence to shift away from tobacco due to market variability for alternative crops.

    WHO, in collaboration with partners, launched the Tobacco-Free Farms initiative in 2021 in Kenya and 2023 in Zambia.

    The initiative has supported over 8 600 farmers in Kenya and over 500 farmers in Zambia.

    The initiative seeks to move smallholder farmers away from tobacco growth and into nutritious food crops, by creating an ecosystem which could improve household food security and income generation. It may simultaneously add value to farmers’ land through rehabilitation of climate smart and other good agricultural practices.

    Read more about the initiative

    First ever WHO treaty marks 20 years of saving millions of lives worldwide

    Since the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and the MPOWER technical package that supports it, global tobacco use prevalence has dropped by one-third. The WHO FCTC has helped to save millions of lives through strengthened tobacco control measures around the world.

    Up to 5.6 billion people are now covered by at least one tobacco control policy and studies have shown a decline in global smoking rates. 138 countries require large pictorial health warnings on cigarettes packages because of the Convention and dozens more countries have implemented plain packaging rules on cigarette packages. Both measures serve as powerful tools to reduce tobacco consumption and warn users about the dangers of tobacco use.

    Over a quarter of the world’s population is now covered by smoke free policies which require bans in indoor and workspaces, saving millions of lives from the dangers of the second-hand smoke.

    More than 66 countries have implemented bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship which include bans on tobacco advertising in the media and sponsorship deals.

    Read the story

    Uganda’s anti-tobacco initiative yields results

    In 2022, WHO trained 157 law enforcement officers and 15 national trainers from five districts in Uganda to raise awareness and help enforce the smoking ban in public places. Photo by: WHO

    In 2007, Uganda signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a legally binding treaty that requires countries to implement evidence-based measures to reduce tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke. In 2015, the country passed its Tobacco Control Act, which regulates tobacco products and their use, including in public places.

    These dual interventions have delivered notable results. Between 2014 to 2022, Uganda saw a 51% drop in the prevalence of tobacco use.

    WHO played a key role in supporting the Ugandan government’s efforts, building the capacity of tobacco control focal people in government entities since 2015.

    Read the story

    Legal measures drive down rates of tobacco use in Mauritania

    “Quitting smoking is the best decision I’ve ever made for my health and I’m very proud of it,” says Ifrah. “Giving up smoking is difficult, but not impossible. With willpower and determination, it can be done.” Photo by: WHO

    In 2018, Mauritania introduced legislation in line with WHO recommendations stipulating that all tobacco products on sale in Mauritania must carry a health warning covering at least 70% of the surface area of both sides of the packaging.

    These legal steps to introduce graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging are changing the status quo. The 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) shows that between 2012 and 2021, tobacco use in Mauritania has declined by 8%, from 18% to 10%. Nearly 25% of smokers in Mauritania first noticed health warnings on cigarette packages, while 14% of smokers thought about quitting because of warning labels.

    With WHO support, Mauritania’s Health Ministry has provided tobacco control training to 15 regional governors. Mauritania is also implementing awareness campaigns around the dangers of tobacco consumption, a ban on smoking in public places, and the introduction of tobacco taxes.

    Read the story

    Pan American Health Organization hosts regional workshop to implement effective tobacco tax policies

    Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable death in Latin America, contributing to high rates of non-communicable diseases. Despite clear evidence that tobacco taxation is one of the most effective public health interventions to reduce consumption, its use is still limited in many Latin American countries.

    PAHO/WHO, with partners brought together policymakers from 15 countries to participate in the 3-day workshop, “Advancing Tobacco Taxes in Latin America”.

    The meeting focused on addressing the ongoing public health and economic challenges posed by tobacco consumption in Latin American countries, emphasizing the potential of tobacco taxes as a cost-effective tool to reduce the burden of tobacco use. Participants included delegates from ministries of health and finance from Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

    Read the story

    Ministry of Health and WHO release Global Adult Tobacco Survey Indonesia Report

    The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Indonesia Report 2021 presents detailed information on tobacco use and key tobacco control indicators, using globally standardized protocols and methodologies. The report found that 34.5% of adults – 70.2 million people – used tobacco. Use of electronic cigarettes increased by 10 times in the last 10 years, from 0.3% in 2011 – when the last GATS was conducted – to 3% in 2021.

    Across Indonesia, WHO continues to advocate for implementation of strong tobacco control measures. This includes increased taxation of tobacco products, expansion of subnational bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and stronger, more effective implementation and enforcement of smoke-free policies.

    WHO encourages policy makers and public health researchers in Indonesia and globally to access and utilize the GATS Indonesia Report 2021, to better control tobacco and achieve a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

    Read the story

    World No Tobacco Day 2024 in Thailand: protecting children from tobacco industry interference

    Every year on 31 May, World No Tobacco Day highlights the dangers of tobacco use, exposes harmful business practices of tobacco companies, and empowers individuals to claim their right to health and protect future generations.

    In Thailand, a troubling trend is rising among the youth: the growing popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping, driven by aggressive marketing and appealing designs. A sharp rise in e-cigarette use was observed amongst Thai school-aged children (13–15 years), with prevalence increasing from 3.35% in 2015 to 17.6% in 2022, despite the sale of e-cigarettes being banned in Thailand. Children and young people are aggressively targeted through marketing that relies heavily on social media and influencers.

    The campaign exposed the tobacco industry’s deceptive practices and the real dangers of e-cigarettes, aiming to empower Thai youth to resist the lure of smoking and vaping. WHO urged all stakeholders – readers, parents, educators, policymakers – to unite in this fight, support anti-smoking campaigns, advocate for strict regulations, and educate communities to protect youth and secure a smoke-free future.

    Read the story

    Towards a tobacco-free Jordan: launch of national strategy to combat tobacco and smoking

    Minister of Health in Jordan delivering speech at the National Strategy to combat tobacco and smoking in all its forms launch. Photo by: WHO

    Jordan’s Ministry of Health, with support from WHO, officially launched the National Strategy to Combat Tobacco and Smoking in All Its Forms 2024–2030 and an accompanying action plan for 2024–2026. The landmark launch event was held on 6 June 2024 under the patronage of His Excellency Prime Minister of Jordan Dr Bisher Khasawneh.

    A startling 66.1% of males in Jordan are smokers, according to the 2019 Jordan National Stepwise Survey. A further 15.9% of males use electronic cigarettes. According to the WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030, published in 2023, Jordan is one of just 6 countries globally where tobacco use is still growing.

    The Ministry of Health developed the strategy in collaboration with the WHO Country Office in Jordan and incorporated contributions from various ministries, nongovernmental organizations and international experts. This approach has ensured that the strategy is a comprehensive, evidence-based road map tailored to the Jordanian context.

    Read the story

    WHO Director-General congratulates the Philippines on its progress in tobacco control, 10 years since the signing of the Sin Tax Reform Law

    In January 2023 in Manila, legislators of the Philippine Government, members of the Action for Economic Reforms and the Sin Tax Coalition, and representatives from WHO, development partners and civil society organisations marked the 10th anniversary of the passage of Republic Act 10351 or the Sin Tax Reform Law.

    WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated the Philippines on putting this tax reform and other measures in place for tobacco control. As a result of the many measures taken, tobacco use has dropped from 30% in 2009 to 20% in 2021.

    “The taxes are having a clear impact. More smokers are trying to quit because of the high price of cigarettes. The Philippines is a great example for other countries of how raising tobacco taxes can save lives, reduce health costs, and raise revenues”, said Dr Tedros.

    Read the story

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Pilot project to restrict access to phishing sites launches

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Document

    Order of May 31, 2025 No. 1403-r

    Starting June 4, 2025, Russia will begin implementing a pilot project to restrict access to phishing sites and applications that are created under the guise of official sites of government agencies and companies, and then used by fraudsters to steal passwords and other personal information of citizens. An order to this effect has been signed.

    The goal of the pilot is to create an effective mechanism for identifying and promptly blocking fake Internet resources and applications that may use a domain name very similar to the real one of a government agency, company or bank.

    The objectives of the pilot project include developing mechanisms for interaction between various government and non-government structures in identifying and blocking fraudulent websites and applications, as well as preparing proposals for the regulatory consolidation of such mechanisms.

    The participants of the pilot project from the state side will be the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Tax Service, Rospatent, the Bank of Russia and the Prosecutor General’s Office. The project also involves the participation of the autonomous non-profit organization “Coordination Center for the National Domain of the Internet” and the research institute “Integral”.

    The pilot project is scheduled to be completed on March 1, 2026. Its implementation will provide new opportunities to protect citizens from fraudulent activities and enhance their security on the Internet.

    The work is being carried out within the framework of the federal project “Cybersecurity Infrastructure”, which is part of the new national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State”.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smucker Votes in Favor of One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

    WASHINGTON—Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It was approved in the House of Representatives by a vote of 215-214.

    “Last November, the American people gave President Trump and the Republican-led Congress a mandate for change. House Republicans today took a critical step to bring the transformative One Big Beautiful Bill closer to final passage. This bill will deliver for the American people by extending tax relief for hardworking families and small businesses, securing our border, unleashing American energy dominance, achieving peace through strength, and critically –making real, measurable reductions in federal spending. This bill secures more savings than any other reconciliation bill in American history – protecting families from both a historic tax hike and the hidden costs of unchecked federal borrowing. Passing this legislation will be a first step in righting our fiscal trajectory and I remain committed to the hard work ahead of addressing our $36 trillion and growing national debt,” said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11). 

    Click to watch Rep. Smucker’s comments in support of the measure: 

    BACKGROUND ON THE ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT:

    Extending Tax Relief for Hardworking Families and Small Businesses, courtesy of the Committee on Ways and Means

    • Make permanent the lower tax rates and brackets for all taxpayers, the doubled guaranteed Standard Deduction, and the Child Tax Credit, preventing a $1,700 tax hike on PA-11 taxpayers providing for their families.
    • Increase the Child Tax Credit by $500 to combat Bidenflation.
    • Raise annual real wages by $2,100 to $3,300 per worker.
    • Increase real annual take-home pay for a median-income household with two children by roughly $4,000 to $5,000.
    • Provide tax relief for: overtime pay for hourly workers, cut taxes for tipped workers, and provide relief for seniors.
    • Expand and make permanent the 199A small business deduction to 23% – creating over 1 million new Main Street small business jobs and generating $750 billion in economic growth at American small businesses.
    • Protects family farms from the death tax that would threaten future generations of farmers. 

    Securing our Border

    • Makes significant investments in personnel, resources, and technology to maintain operational control of the border and enforce America’s immigration laws, building on President Trump’s administration’s immediate work to make America safer.
    • Hires 18,000 new personnel to enforce America’s immigration laws. 

    Unleashing American Energy Dominance 

    • Acts to ramp up American energy production including by cutting bureaucracy and streamlining permitting processes.
    • Ends wasteful spending and ineffective energy programs including those in the “Green New Deal.” 

    Achieving Peace Through Strength 

    • Invests in America’s arsenal to ensure our selfless servicemen and women continue to be the best equipped fighting force in the world ready to respond to any threat, including targeted investments in improving servicemember quality of life programs.
    • Expands naval capabilities, restocking of American munitions, supporting soldier readiness.
    • Defends America through the creation of a Golden Dome missile defense system and continued funding of nuclear deterrence programs. 

    Reductions in Federal Spending

    • Changes the way that Washington operates, delivering real reductions in federal spending—nearly $1.7 trillion in estimated mandatory savings.
    • Saves hundreds of billions through repeal of provisions in the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” passed during the Biden administration.

    Preserving And Protecting Critical Safety Net Programs and Encouraging Personal Accountability

    • Preserves critical programs like Medicaid for those truly in need.
    • Roots out waste, fraud, and abuse of federal safety net programs to ensure they remain accessible to those in need.
    • Implements and strengthens common sense work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP, ensuring that able bodied unemployed individuals contribute or make efforts to better themselves.
    • Ensures states cannot support illegal immigrants through Medicaid.

    This legislation is fiscally responsible: 

    • The $4.12 trillion estimated cost of the legislation is more than fully offset by:
      • Nearly $1.7 trillion in estimated mandatory savings, slowing the rate of growth of future spending.
      • $2.6 trillion in expected revenue resulting from a growing economy.  

    According to the White House Council of Economic Advisors, the legislation will: 

    • Boost the level of short-run real GDP by 3.3 to 3.8 percent and long-run real GDP by 2.6 to 3.2 percent.
    • Raise annual real wages by $2,100 to $3,300 per worker.
    • Increase real annual take-home pay for a median-income household with two children by roughly $4,000 to $5,000.
    • Save over 4 million full-time equivalent jobs from being destroyed.
    • Facilitate $100 billion of investment in distressed communities.

    The legislation contains provisions authored by Rep. Smucker, including: 

    • Permanent Tax Relief and Certainty for Small Businesses: Permanently increasing and enhancing the small business tax deduction, known as Section 199A of the tax code. Smucker’s Main Street Tax Certainty Act has the support of 187 Members of the House and the legislation has broad support among stakeholders in PA-11 and across the nation.  
       
    • Expanded Support for Individuals with Disabilities Using ABLE Accounts: Smucker’s bipartisan ENABLE Act to allow individuals with disabilities and their families to save and invest in tax-advantaged accounts without jeopardizing their eligibility for essential federal support programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income, is included making these tax provisions permanent. 
       
    • Improved Access to Primary Care: The Ways and Means Committee’s proposals include Smucker’s Primary Care Enhancement Act, which would clarify provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to remove barriers for individuals with Health Savings Accounts from using those funds to access Direct Primary Care, a health care delivery model which provides high-quality care at lower cost for individuals of all ages and incomes across America.

    # # # 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davids Opposes Partisan Bill That Slashes Health Care, Food Assistance to Benefit Billionaires

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    Today, Representative Sharice Davids released the following statement after voting against President Trump and U.S. House Republicans’ extreme budget that cuts health care and food assistance for hardworking families to pay for tax giveaways for billionaires and ultrawealthy corporations. 

    “This budget is not just out of touch — it’s dangerous, irresponsible, and means higher costs for hardworking Kansans,” said Davids. “It rips health care away from thousands of Kansans, takes food off the tables of hardworking families, all to hand massive tax giveaways to billionaires and the ultra-wealthy at the expense of our neighbors. I introduced common-sense amendments to protect Kansas families, but House Republicans rejected every one of them. I won’t stop pushing for policies that put people first — not politics or powerful donors.”

    Background: 

    President Trump and U.S. House Republicans are pushing a budget that would make the largest cuts to Medicaid and emergency food assistance in American history — all to fund more than $1 trillion in tax giveaways for billionaires. These extreme cuts would gut programs that help Kansans afford food and stay healthy. In response, Davids introduced a slate of amendments aimed at protecting Kansas families and restoring common sense and stability to our economy. Every single one was rejected.

    How This Bill Hurts Kansans: Raising costs on the middle class so billionaires pay less

    • HIGHER Health Care Costs: The Joint Economic Committee estimates that more than 16,000 people in Kansas’ Third District would lose health care coverage under this bill — including 13,000 through the Affordable Care Act and another 3,000 through Medicaid. These cuts would lead to more hospital closures, reduced services, and worse care for all Kansas families, especially in rural communities, where more than half of hospitals are already at risk of shutting down.
    • HIGHER Grocery Costs: In Kansas’ Third District alone, 8,000 households could lose access to the emergency food assistance they rely on through this bill. Also, up to 27,000 grocery stores nationwide may be forced to close due to lost revenue, worsening food deserts, especially in rural communities. These cuts would reduce farm income by more than $30 billion and threaten good-paying jobs.
    • LOWER Taxes for Billionaires: The Republican budget actually raises taxes on the lowest-income families in the country, all while billionaires who already pay next to nothing in taxes get more breaks. This bill shows exactly where U.S. House Republicans’ loyalties lie: not with the hardworking Americans who sent them to Congress, but to Trump and their billionaire donors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davids Stands with Kansans to Oppose Devastating GOP Cuts to Medicaid, Food Assistance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

    Today, Representative Sharice Davids hosted a virtual press conference to call out the devastating impact of House Republicans’ budget — particularly its deep cuts to Medicaid. The partisan budget, backed by President Trump, would also slash emergency food assistance and programs hardworking Kansans rely on every day to pay for more than $1 trillion in tax giveaways for billionaires and large corporations.

    “We should be focused on cutting waste and making life more affordable for Kansans,” said Davids. “Instead, this partisan budget does the exact opposite — rips away health care and food assistance from the people who need it most. Kansans deserve policies that invest in the middle class, not ones that line the pockets of billionaires at their expense. That’s why I’m fighting to protect Medicaid, preserve critical programs, and stand up for hardworking families across our state.”

    WATCH: Davids hosts press conference with Kansans affected by Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts

    At today’s press conference, Davids was joined by Kansans directly impacted by proposed Medicaid cuts in the Republican budget. Mark and Patty Hink spoke about their son Brian, who relies on Medicaid for critical services and medications provided at a disability services provider in Overland Park. Samantha Denzin Armistead shared how her brother Connor, an adult with intellectual disabilities, depends on KanCare’s Home and Community Based Services to attend day programs that give him purpose and stability. Corey Craig, CEO of Monarch Hospice & Palliative Care, provided insight into how these cuts would harm health care providers and seniors across the state.

    President Trump and U.S. House Republicans are pushing a budget that would make the largest cuts to Medicaid and emergency food assistance in American history — all to fund more than $1 trillion in tax giveaways for billionaires. These extreme cuts would force Kansans to pay more to put food on the table and stay healthy.

    • Cuts to Health Care: The Joint Economic Committee estimates that more than 16,000 people in Kansas’ Third District would lose health care coverage under this bill — including 13,000 through the Affordable Care Act and another 3,000 through Medicaid. These cuts would lead to more hospital closures, reduced services, and worse care for all Kansas families, especially in rural communities, where more than half of hospitals are already at risk of shutting down.
    • Cuts to Food Access: In Kansas’ Third District alone, 8,000 households could lose access to the emergency food assistance they rely on through this bill. Also, up to 27,000 grocery stores nationwide may be forced to close due to lost revenue, worsening food deserts, especially in rural communities. These cuts would reduce farm income by more than $30 billion and threaten good-paying jobs.

    To fight back against this reckless and harmful budget that will raise costs, Davids introduced a series of amendments early this morning. Her goal is to protect Kansas families and bring common sense and stability back to our economy and government. Davids’ original amendments include:

    • Health Care
    • Agriculture
      • Animal Disease Protection: Stops job cuts at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, which protects farmers and food from dangerous animal diseases.
      • Tariff Study: Requires the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study how U.S. tariffs hurt farmers, from higher supply costs to lost market access.
    • Research
      • Medical Research Funding: Unfreezes all National Institutes of Health (NIH) research money and protects existing medical research contracts, including at the University of Kansas Cancer Center.
      • Science Grants: Makes the National Science Foundation (NSF) keep its promises and funding for science projects already approved and signed, including at public universities in Kansas.
    • Jobs
      • Manufacturing Partnerships: Ensures Kansas Manufacturing Solutions and similar groups keep getting federal support each year.
      • Energy Assistance Program: Saves jobs and funding for the team that runs Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps families pay heating and cooling bills.
      • Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit: Protects the 45X tax credit that domestic manufacturers use to help build clean energy technology and create good-paying jobs.

    MIL OSI USA News –