Category: Transport

MIL-OSI Global: Detroit’s lack of affordable housing pushes families to the edge – and children sometime pay the price

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Meghan Wilson, Assistant Professor of American Politics and Public Policy, Michigan State University

Some of Detroit’s unhoused population take refuge in abandoned buildings, cars and parks. Adam J. Dewey/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

As outside temperatures dropped to the low- to mid-teens Fahrenheit on Feb. 10, 2025, two children died of carbon monoxide toxicity in a family van parked in a Detroit casino parking garage.

We are political scientists who study urban and housing public policies, and in the months since this tragedy, we took a deep look at the trends in homelessness and housing policies that foreshadowed the events of that night.

More kids are experiencing homelessness

One important trend is that the number of homeless children in the city reached a record high in 2024. This is true even though the overall numbers of people experiencing homelessness in the city is declining overall.

According to the Point-in-Time count, 455 children were experiencing homelessness in Detroit on Jan. 31, 2024, up from 312 the year before. The count captures data for one night each year.

Most of these children were unhoused but considered sheltered because they had a place to sleep in an emergency shelter or transitional housing, or were able to temporarily stay with family or friends.

Nineteen of the kids were unsheltered – meaning they were sleeping in places not designed for human habitation, like cars, parks or abandoned buildings.

A different set of data comes from the Detroit Public Schools. The district looked at the entire 2022-2023 school year and found that roughly 1 in 19 students were unhoused at some point during that nine-month period — more than double the number in the 2019-2020 school year.

A lack of temporary solutions

The lack of adequate funding and staffing in the city’s shelter system means unhoused people often struggle to access temporary shelter beds.

That includes kids. Even though the city prioritizes giving beds to the most vulnerable, the number of unsheltered children of school age has nearly tripled in three years, rising from an estimated 48 in the school year beginning in September 2019 to 142 in the school year beginning in September 2022. These figures align with the rise in unsheltered children recorded in the one-night Point-in-Time count, which increased from four in 2016 to 19 in 2024.

The end of COVID-era funding that prevented many evictions is likely to increase the need for shelter and put additional strain on Detroit’s response to the crisis.

Gaps in a vital system

Children who experience housing insecurity are often caught in the middle of bureaucracy and failed regulation.

The mother of the children who died in February had reached out to the city in November 2024 when they were staying with a family member. The mother noted that she wanted to keep all five of her children together.

According to a report issued by the city, the Detroit Housing Authority did not follow up with her. Her situation was not considered an emergency at the time of contact since she was sheltered with family.

At the time of the call, the family was a Category 2: immediate risk of homelessness – in other words, not the highest priority under the emergency shelter grants guideline. If the city had deemed the situation an emergency, protocol would be to dispatch immediate support for the family.

The mother moved her family to the van after the request for help failed to provide a solution.

The Detroit mayor’s office admitted that the family fell through the cracks and promised to expand available shelter beds and require homeless outreach employees to visit any unhoused families that call for help.

“We have to make sure that we do everything possible to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” Deputy Mayor Melia Howard told local media.

More than 8 in 10 placed on wait list

According to records from the Coordinated Assessment Model Detroit, the system responsible for connecting individuals to shelters, 82% of calls do not result in immediate help but rather being placed on a shelter waitlist. Similar to instances across the country, the wait time is long.

Families in Detroit face an average wait of 130 days, while unaccompanied youth typically wait around 50 days.

The long wait for shelter has contributed to the rise in people living on the streets or in their vehicles. The number of unsheltered individuals — including both adults and children — doubled from 151 in 2015 to 305 in 2024. This trend of increasing unsheltered homelessness contrasts with the overall decline in the total number of homeless people in the city, which is down from a peak of 2,597 in 2015.

Children need safety and security to thrive.

Their access to stable housing depends on their parents and what the adults in their life are able to provide. As rents increase in the city, some children are left vulnerable.

Stricter regulations

Over the past decade, Detroit, like many other U.S. cities, has experienced rising housing costs while wages fail to keep up, particularly for long-term residents.

Since 2021, the number of rentals in the city has increased by 51%.

Rents are also up. Since 2017, the average rent in Detroit has increased 55% for single-family homes and 43% for multifamily homes.

While inflation and increased maintenance costs contribute to this rise, stricter rental regulations like the heightened enforcement of housing codes, expanded tenant protections and higher compliance cost for landlords have played an important role.

Some landlords pass the expense of these regulations on to tenants, making housing less affordable. Others leave their properties vacant, pushing up prices by lessening the supply.

The current average fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Detroit is $1,314 per month. For the typical household in the city, this basic shelter cost, not including utilities, makes up 41% of the household income.

For the lowest-income households, any unexpected expense can disrupt a delicate financial balance and lead to eviction and homelessness. Children in these situations often face major instability, moving between shelters – or, as in the case of the children who died in February, sleeping in cars.

This kind of displacement disrupts education, strains mental health and increases exposure to danger.

Detroit’s stricter housing regulations may have improved conditions for some renters, but a report by Outlier Media shows that only 8% of landlords are in compliance, leaving legacy residents in subpar rentals at higher prices.

And these new rules have victims who are too often ignored until tragedy strikes.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Detroit’s lack of affordable housing pushes families to the edge – and children sometime pay the price – https://theconversation.com/detroits-lack-of-affordable-housing-pushes-families-to-the-edge-and-children-sometime-pay-the-price-251591

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis filled the College of Cardinals with a diverse group of men – and they’ll be picking his successor

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joanne M. Pierce, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross

The Catholic Church’s 115 cardinal-electors take part in a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on March 12, 2013, ahead of entering the conclave for a papal election. Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images

Following the death of 88-year-old Pope Francis on Easter Monday, several cardinals who were already in Rome, or who traveled only short distances to arrive, held the first of several meetings – general congregations – to discuss preparations for the papal funeral and the election to follow.

The College of Cardinals – which will elect the next pope – has 252 members, but only 135 can vote. Only those younger than 80 as of the day of a pope’s death may cast a ballot. Theoretically, church law allows the College of Cardinals to elect any Catholic man in the world to become the next pope – but in reality, as has been the case for more than 600 years, one of those cardinal-electors will almost certainly be Francis’ successor.

As a specialist on medieval Catholicism and worship, I have studied how the role of cardinals has developed over time and how it has changed in the 20th and 21st centuries.

How role of cardinals evolved

During the early centuries of Christianity, three classes of ordained minsters came about to lead and serve Christian communities: bishops, priests and deacons.

Bishops supervised local church communities and presided at liturgical ceremonies in the main churches – cathedrals. Priests advised the bishops and led individual communities – parishes. Deacons tended to the needs of the poor, widows and orphans and took care of community finances. They also had a special role during some worship services and often acted as the bishop’s secretaries.

Over time, seven of these deacons in key Roman churches served as special advisers to the bishop of Rome, the pope. They came to be called cardinals, from Latin “cardo” – meaning hinge – and “cardinalis” meaning key or principal. Later popes would choose priests and bishops to be cardinals as well.

Electing the pope

In the earlier centuries, popes would be elected by the clergy and people of the city of Rome. As time went on, these elections could be manipulated by local civic leaders, wealthy families and political leaders outside of Rome and Italy.

It was not until the 11th century that Pope Nicholas II formulated a process for selecting a new pope: election by an assembly of cardinals. However, it was not always possible for all the cardinals – known as the College of Cardinals – to come together, due to age, illness or distance. Those who had to travel long distances might arrive too late to vote.

In order to avoid continued outside interference, Pope Gregory X in the 13th century adopted a new procedure: the conclave. Cardinals would remain in a locked location – from the Latin cum clave, “with a key” – in isolation from outside influences until the election concluded.

The rules governing the conclave changed slightly over the years. The leader of the College of Cardinals is called the dean of the college. Over the centuries, his duties have come to include organizing the conclave, assisted by other Vatican officials. The size of the college has also varied over time but has steadily increased despite efforts to limit its size.

Starting in the 19th century, popes began expanding the size and geography of the college. Once dominated by European and especially Italian cardinals, popes began to choose new cardinals from different areas of the globe. For example, the first cardinals born in North America were named: John McClosky, archbishop of New York, was named cardinal in 1875; James Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore in 1886, and Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, archbishop of Quebec, also in 1886.

The College of Cardinals receives final instructions from the Grand Marshal before adjourning to the Sistine Chapel to begin voting for a new pope in 1922.
Bettmann via Getty Images

The expansion of the college gathered momentum in the mid-20th century. The first native-born bishops from Asia were named at this time – for example, from China in 1946, Japan and the Philippines in 1960, and Sri Lanka in 1965. The first native-born cardinals of both Mexico and Uruguay were named in 1958, and the first native-born African of modern times, from Tanzania, was named in 1960. Popes continued this trend through the later 20th and early 21st centuries.

Different visions

By the time of his death, Francis had named a large number of new, non-European cardinals, especially from the Global South, where Catholicism is expanding. Currently, out of a total of 252 cardinals, 138 are non-European. Importantly, out of a total 135 cardinals eligible to vote, 82 are not from Europe, which makes a record number of non-Europeans eligible to vote.

In addition, at this conclave, 80% of the cardinal-electors have been named by Francis: that is 108 cardinals out of 135. This is an overwhelming number, representing a wide variety of Catholic communities from several different cultures. A new pope must be elected with a two-thirds majority of the votes: a total of 90 votes. If no candidate receives 90 votes, balloting continues as scheduled.

As I see it, there are several issues likely to arise and influence the vote for the upcoming election. Some of the cardinal-electors may want to choose a cardinal with more progressive views. But other cardinals, even if chosen by Francis, still might prefer to choose a more conservative candidate, to moderate what they see as the progressive agenda of the past 12 years. Their appointment by Francis doesn’t mean that they automatically agree with all of his ideas.

In addition, specific issues facing the church will also shape opinions. Perhaps the most important include dealing with the scandal of clergy sexual abuse cases; the role of women in the church; and the treatment of immigrants and other instances of economic and social injustice.

Catholics around the world will be praying for the Holy Spirit to guide the hearts and minds of the cardinals as they fill out their ballots. Many will hope for a pope as inspiring as his predecessor, one who can face the challenging problems of an increasingly complex world.

Joanne M. Pierce 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. Pope Francis filled the College of Cardinals with a diverse group of men – and they’ll be picking his successor – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-filled-the-college-of-cardinals-with-a-diverse-group-of-men-and-theyll-be-picking-his-successor-254976

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Granular systems, such as sandpiles or rockslides, are all around you − new research will help scientists describe how they work

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jacqueline Reber, Associate Professor of Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate, Iowa State University

Sand is one type of granular system – hundreds of grains act collectively. Nenov/Moment via Getty Images

Did you eat cereal this morning? Or have you walked on a gravel path? Maybe you had a headache and had to take a pill? If you answered any of these questions with a yes, you interacted with a granular system today.

Scientists classify any collection of small, hard particles – such as puffed rice, sand grains or pills – as a granular system.

Even though everyone has interacted with these kinds of systems, describing the physics of how the particles collectively act when they are close together is surprisingly hard.

Granular systems sometimes move like a fluid. Think of an hourglass where sand, a very typical granular material, flows from one half of the glass to the other. But if you’ve run on a beach, you know that sand can also act like a solid. You can move over it without sinking through the sand.

As a geologist, I’m interested in understanding when a granular system flows and when it has strength and behaves like a solid. This line of research is very important for many agricultural and industrial applications, such as moving corn kernels or pills in a pipeline or shoot.

Understanding when a granular system might flow is also essential for geologic hazard assessments. For example, geologists would like to know whether the various boulders making up the slope of a mountain are stable or whether they will move as a rockslide.

Transferring forces between grains

To understand the behavior of a granular system, scientists can zoom in and look at the interactions between individual grains. When two particles are in contact with each other, they can transfer forces between each other.

Imagine this scenario: You have three tennis balls – the grains in this experiment. You place the tennis balls in a row and squeeze the three balls between your hand and a wall, so that your hand presses against the first ball. The last ball is in contact with a wall, but the middle ball is free floating and touches only the other two balls.

Tennis balls can act as grains in this simple granular system experiment. When you push against the tennis ball on the end, you exert a force, which acts upon the other two balls and eventually the wall.
Jeremy Randolph-Flagg

By pushing against the first ball, you have successfully transferred the force from your hand through the row of three tennis balls onto the wall, even though you’ve touched only the first ball.

Now imagine you have many grains, like in a pile of sand, and all the sand grains are in contact with some neighboring grains. Grains that touch transfer forces between each other. How the forces are distributed in this granular system dictates whether the system is stable and unmoving or if it will move – such as a rockslide or the sand in an hourglass.

On the left are photoelastic discs used for two-dimensional experiments (9 mm diameter), and on the right are photoelastic grains used for three-dimensional experiments (14 mm diameter).
Nathan Coon

Tracking forces in the lab

This is where my research team comes in. Together with my students, I study how grains interact with each other in the laboratory.

In our experiments, we can visualize the forces between individual grains in a granular system. While all granular systems have these forces present, we cannot see their distribution because force is invisible in most grains, such as sand or pills. We can see the forces only in some transparent materials.

To make the forces visible, we made grains using a material that is transparent and has a special property called photoelasticity. When photoelastic materials are illuminated and experience force, they split light into two rays that travel at different speeds.

This property forms bright, colorful bands in the otherwise transparent material that make the force visible. The brightness of the grains depends on how much force a grain is experiencing, so we can see how the forces are distributed in the granular system. The particles themselves do not emit light, but they change how fast light rays travel through them when they experience force – which makes them appear brighter.

On side A is a three-dimensional photoelastic grain without force applied, while on side B is the same grain once force is applied. In this case, we just squish the grain from the top and bottom. The brighter green bands start at the top and bottom of the grain where the force is applied and are the result of the photoelastic property.
Jacqueline Reber

Scientists before us have used photoelasticity to visualize force in granular materials. These previous experiments, however, have examined only a single layer of grains. We developed a method to see the forces in not just a single layer of grains but throughout a whole heap.

Observing the forces on the outside of the heap of grains is pretty easy, but seeing how the forces are distributed in the middle of the pile is a lot harder. To see into the middle of the granular system and to illuminate grains there, we used a laser light sheet.

To generate a laser light sheet, we manipulated a laser beam so that the light spread out into a very narrow sheet.

With this light sheet, we illuminated one slice throughout the granular system. On this illuminated slice, we could see which grains were transferring forces, similarly to the previous two-dimensional experiments, without having to worry about the third dimension.

We then collected information from many slices across different parts of the grain heap. We used the information from the individual slices to reconstruct the three-dimensional granular system.

This technique is similar to how doctors reconstruct three-dimensional shapes of the brain and other organs from the two-dimensional images obtained by a medical CT scanner.

In 3D photoelastic experiments, the cart system shown at the top left is used to obtain regularly spaced laser light slices of the experiments, with the middle being sliced. The bottom left shows a schematic on how multiple slices can recreate a 3D object. The right shows three consecutive photos that are 0.7 cm apart – roughly one grain’s radius. The bright green crosshatch pattern shows how the forces are distributed between the individual grains.
Nathan Coon

In our current experiments, we’ve been using only a small number of grains – 107. This way we can keep track of every individual grain and test whether this method works to see the force distribution in three dimensions. These 107 grains fill a cube-shaped box that is about 4 inches (10 centimeters) wide, tall and deep.

So far, the experimental method is working well, and we’ve been able to see how the force is distributed between the 107 grains. Next, we plan to expand the experimental setup to include more grains and explore how the force changes when we agitate the granular system – for example, by bumping it.

This new experimental approach opens the door for many more experiments that will help us to better understand granular systems. These systems are all around you, and while they seem so simple, researchers still don’t truly understand how they behave.

Jacqueline Reber receives funding from the Iowa State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Frontier Science Fund.

– ref. Granular systems, such as sandpiles or rockslides, are all around you − new research will help scientists describe how they work – https://theconversation.com/granular-systems-such-as-sandpiles-or-rockslides-are-all-around-you-new-research-will-help-scientists-describe-how-they-work-251689

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Cancer research in the US is world class because of its broad base of funding − with the government pulling out, its future is uncertain

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jeffrey MacKeigan, Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University

Without federal support, the lights will turn off in many labs across the country. Thomas Barwick/Stone via Getty Images

Cancer research in the U.S. doesn’t rely on a single institution or funding stream − it’s a complex ecosystem made up of interdependent parts: academia, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology startups, federal agencies and private foundations. As a cancer biologist who has worked in each of these sectors over the past three decades, I’ve seen firsthand how each piece supports the others.

When one falters, the whole system becomes vulnerable.

The United States has long led the world in cancer research. It has spent more on cancer research than any other country, including more than US$7.2 billion annually through the National Cancer Institute alone. Since the 1971 National Cancer Act, this sustained public investment has helped drive dramatic declines in cancer mortality, with death rates falling by 34% since 1991. In the past five years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved over 100 new cancer drugs, and the U.S. has brought more cancer drugs to the global market than any other nation.

But that legacy is under threat. Funding delays, political shifts and instability across sectors have created an environment where basic research into the fundamentals of cancer biology is struggling to keep traction and the drug development pipeline is showing signs of stress.

These disruptions go far beyond uncertainty and have real consequences. Early-career scientists faced with unstable funding and limited job prospects may leave academia altogether. Mid-career researchers often spend more time chasing scarce funding than conducting research. Interrupted research budgets and shifting policy priorities can unravel multiyear collaborations. I, along with many other researchers, believe these setbacks will slow progress, break training pipelines and drain expertise from critical areas of cancer research – delays that ultimately hurt patients waiting for new treatments.

A 50-year foundation of federal investment

The modern era of U.S. cancer research began with the signing of the National Cancer Act in 1971. That law dramatically expanded the National Cancer Institute, an agency within the National Institutes of Health focusing on cancer research and education. The NCI laid the groundwork for a robust national infrastructure for cancer science, funding everything from early research in the lab to large-scale clinical trials and supporting the training of a generation of cancer researchers.

This federal support has driven advances leading to higher survival rates and the transformation of some cancers into a manageable chronic or curable condition. Progress in screening, diagnostics and targeted therapies – and the patients who have benefited from them – owe much to decades of NIH support.

The Trump administration is cutting billions of dollars of biomedical research funding.

But federal funding has always been vulnerable to political headwinds. During the first Trump administration, deep cuts to biomedical science budgets threatened to stall the progress made under initiatives such as the 2016 Cancer Moonshot. The rationale given for these cuts was to slash overall spending, despite facing strong bipartisan opposition in Congress. Lawmakers ultimately rejected the administration’s proposal and instead increased NIH funding. In 2022, the Biden administration worked to relaunch the Cancer Moonshot.

This uncertainty has worsened in 2025 as the second Trump administration has cut or canceled many NIH grants. Labs that relied on these awards are suddenly facing funding cliffs, forcing them to lay off staff, pause experiments or shutter entirely. Deliberate delays in communication from the Department of Health and Human Services have stalled new NIH grant reviews and funding decisions, putting many promising research proposals already in the pipeline at risk.

Philanthropy’s support is powerful – but limited

While federal agencies remain the backbone of cancer research funding, philanthropic organizations provide the critical support for breakthroughs – especially for new ideas and riskier projects.

Groups such as the American Cancer Society, Stand Up To Cancer and major hospital foundations have filled important gaps in support, often funding pilot studies or supporting early-career investigators before they secure federal grants. By supporting bold ideas and providing seed funding, they help launch innovative research that may later attract large-scale support from the NIH.

Without the bureaucratic constraints of federal agencies, philanthropy is more nimble and flexible. It can move faster to support work in emerging areas, such as immunotherapy and precision oncology. For example, the American Cancer Society grant review process typically takes about four months from submission, while the NIH grant review process takes an average of eight months.

Ted Kennedy Jr., right, and Jeff Keith raise money for the American Cancer Society in 1984.
Mikki Ansin/Getty Images

But philanthropic funds are smaller in scale and often disease-specific. Many foundations are created around a specific cause, such as advancing cures for pancreatic, breast or pediatric cancers. Their urgency to make an impact allows them to fund bold approaches that federal funders may see as too preliminary or speculative. Their giving also fluctuates. For instance, the American Cancer Society awarded nearly $60 million less in research grants in 2020 compared with 2019.

While private foundations are vital partners for cancer research, they cannot replace the scale and consistency of federal funding. Total U.S. philanthropic funding for cancer research is estimated at a few billion dollars per year, spread across hundreds of organizations. In comparison, the federal government has typically contributed roughly five to eight times more than philanthropy to cancer research each year.

Industry innovation − and its priorities

Private-sector innovation is essential for translating discoveries into treatments. In 2021, nearly 80% of the roughly $57 billion the U.S. spent on cancer drugs came from pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Many of the treatments used in oncology today, including immunotherapies and targeted therapies, emerged from collaborations between academic labs and industry partners.

But commercial priorities don’t always align with public health needs. Companies naturally focus on areas with strong financial returns: common cancers, projects that qualify for fast-track regulatory approval, and high-priced drugs. Rare cancers, pediatric cancers and basic science often receive less attention.

Industry is also saddled with uncertainty. Rising R&D costs, tough regulatory requirements and investor wariness have created a challenging environment to bring new drugs to market. Several biotech startups have folded or downsized in the past year, leaving promising new drugs stranded in limbo in the lab before they can reach clinical trials.

Without federal or philanthropic entities to pick up the slack, these discoveries may never reach the patients who need them.

A system under strain

Cancer is not going away. As the U.S. population ages, the burden of cancer on society will only grow. Disparities in treatment access and outcomes persist across race, income and geography. And factors such as environmental exposures and infectious diseases continue to intersect with cancer risk in new and complex ways.

Addressing these challenges requires a strong, stable and well-coordinated research system. But that system is under strain. National Cancer Institute grant paylines, or funding cutoffs, remain highly competitive. Early-career researchers face precarious job prospects. Labs are losing technicians and postdoctoral researchers to higher-paying roles in industry or to burnout. And patients, especially those hoping to enroll in clinical trials, face delays, disruptions and dwindling options.

Researchers have been rallying to protect the future of science in the U.S.
AP Photo/John McDonnell

This is not just a funding issue. It’s a coordination issue between the federal government, academia and industry. There are currently no long-term policy solutions that ensure sustained federal investment, foster collaboration between academia and industry, or make room for philanthropy to drive innovation instead of just filling gaps.

I believe that for the U.S. to remain a global leader in cancer research, it will need to recommit to the model that made success possible: a balanced ecosystem of public funding, private investment and nonprofit support. Up until recently, that meant fully funding the NIH and NCI with predictable, long-term budgets that allow labs to plan for the future; incentivizing partnerships that move discoveries from bench to bedside without compromising academic freedom; supporting career pathways for young scientists so talent doesn’t leave the field; and creating mechanisms for equity to ensure that research includes and benefits all communities.

Cancer research and science has come a long way, saving about 4.5 million lives in the U.S. from cancer from 1991 to 2022. Today, patients are living longer and better because of decades of hard-won discoveries made by thousands of researchers. But science doesn’t run on good intentions alone. It needs universities. It needs philanthropy. It needs industry. It needs vision. And it requires continued support from the federal government.

Jeffrey MacKeigan receives funding from NIH National Cancer Institute. He has consulting agreements with Merck and scholarly activity with the Translational Genomics Research Institute and the Van Andel Research Institute.

– ref. Cancer research in the US is world class because of its broad base of funding − with the government pulling out, its future is uncertain – https://theconversation.com/cancer-research-in-the-us-is-world-class-because-of-its-broad-base-of-funding-with-the-government-pulling-out-its-future-is-uncertain-254536

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE expands Federal Police of Brazil partnership in new memorandum of understanding

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations announced an expanded partnership with the Federal Police of Brazil April 22 in a collaborative bid to combat transnational crime.

HSI International Operations Deputy Assistant Director Jeff DaRin and PF Director of International Cooperation Felipe Tavares Seixas signed the memorandum of understanding at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“This partnership will enable our agents and officers to collaborate seamlessly on high-impact investigations, strengthening our collective ability to address security threats and protect the well-being of citizens in both countries,” said DaRin.

The memorandum upholds HSI’s longstanding, cooperative relationship with PF and establishes a robust framework for directly sharing criminal investigative intelligence, best practices and methodologies for investigating transnational crime across North and South America.

“Today’s signing ceremony is not just a formal agreement, but a testament to our shared commitment to fighting crime and protecting our citizens,” said Tavares Seixas. “By leveraging our collective resources and expertise, we will make substantial strides in combating transnational crime and safeguarding the security of our nations.”

HSI and PF have collaborated for over 20 years to combat some of the world’s most significant transnational criminal organizations, with a particular focus on human smuggling and trafficking, firearms trafficking, child exploitation, cybercrimes and financial criminal networks.

Most recently, HSI and PF took down a transnational criminal organization allegedly responsible for smuggling hundreds of individuals from Brazil to the United States in March, with support from multiple partners.

For more news and information on ICE’s efforts to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and combat transnational crime, follow us on X at @ICEgov and @HSI_HQ.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: AI Lifecycle Automation Leader ModelOp Strengthens Its Commitment to Trustworthy and Ethical AI in Healthcare by Joining the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI)

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

As a member of CHAI, ModelOp joins a diverse network of industry leaders, healthcare providers, academic institutions, and technology organizations working together to establish best practices and frameworks that ensure the safe and equitable deployment of health AI systems.

CHICAGO, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ModelOp, the leading AI lifecycle automation and governance software for enterprises, announced today its official membership in the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), a private sector coalition committed to developing industry best practices and frameworks to address the urgent need for independent validation for quality assurance, representation, and ethical practices for health AI. CHAI aims to address the critical need for independent validation and oversight of AI technologies that impact patient care, clinical outcomes, and health equity.

“AI is rapidly transforming healthcare, and with that transformation comes a heightened responsibility to ensure models are transparent, trustworthy, and aligned with ethical standards,” said Pete Foley, CEO of ModelOp. “Joining CHAI reflects ModelOp’s deep commitment to enabling both innovation and robust governance for health AI, ensuring that AI initiatives are not only effective but also fair, explainable, and safe.”

ModelOp’s expertise in operationalizing and governing AI models at scale will support CHAI’s mission to create interoperable frameworks for evaluating AI performance, bias mitigation, and regulatory compliance. With its enterprise-grade model operations platform, ModelOp helps healthcare organizations manage the entire AI model lifecycle – from use case intake, risk tiering, and compliance reviews, to model implementation, recurring validations, monitoring, decommissioning, and audit reporting – while ensuring alignment with industry regulations and ethical guidelines.

“I am thrilled to welcome ModelOp to our growing community of organizations committed to ensure responsible health AI for all of us,” said Brian Anderson, CHAI’s CEO. “We are driven by the expertise and diverse perspectives of our members together with the feedback of our broader health ecosystem and the public. We look forward to working together to unlock the potential benefits of AI, on a foundation of trust and safety.”

As a coalition bringing together leaders and experts across the community of health systems, patient advocates, researchers, professional associations, start-ups and established technology providers, CHAI has established diverse working groups focusing on privacy & security, fairness, transparency, usefulness, and safety of AI algorithms.

CHAI was started by clinicians. Its mission is to build the broadest possible consensus across the health ecosystem to help ensure health AI is trusted and safe. The CHAI membership is diverse, open and rapidly expanding. Today it includes over 2500 organizations including health systems, patient advocacy groups, academia, and a wide range of industry start-ups and incumbents. CHAI is committed to convening and dialogue to achieve consensus. There are no limits to who can join and participate. Learn more about a CHAI membership here.

Visit https://www.modelop.com/ to learn more about ModelOp.

About CHAI
The CHAI (Coalition for Health AI) mission is to be the trusted source of guidelines for Responsible AI in Health that serves all. It aims to ensure high-quality care, foster trust among users, and meet the growing healthcare needs. As a coalition bringing together leaders and experts representing health systems, startups, government and patient advocates, CHAI has established diverse working groups focusing on privacy & security, fairness, transparency, usefulness, and safety of AI algorithms.

About ModelOp
ModelOp is the leader in AI lifecycle automation and governance software, purpose-built for enterprises. It enables organizations to bring all of their AI initiatives – from GenAI and ML to regression models – to market faster, at scale, and with the confidence of end-to-end control, oversight, and value realization. ModelOp is used by the most complex and regulated institutions in the world – including major banks, insurers, regulatory bodies, healthcare organizations, and global CPG companies – because it delivers the structure, automation, and oversight necessary to operationalize AI at scale across the entire enterprise. In 2024, ModelOp received the prestigious AI Breakthrough Award for “Best AI Governance Platform” and was also recognized as a winner in Inc.’s Best in Business Awards in the AI & Data category. In 2025, it was awarded the “Best AI Governance Software Award” from Netty Awards and received Business Intelligence Group’s Artificial Intelligence Excellence Award. Follow ModelOp on LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Ria Romano, Partner
RPR Public Relations, Inc.
Tel. 786-290-6413

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/daed40bd-0503-446a-9b72-bda2edc3ed16

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Block Advisors by H&R Block Now Accepting Entries for Second Annual ‘Fund Her Future’ Grant Program Created to Help Female Founders Thrive, Fuel Small Business Growth

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Block Advisors by H&R Block today announced the return of its Fund Her Future grant program. Starting today, applications are being accepted through May 30, 2025. In its second year, the 2025 program is recognizing six women-owned small businesses with high growth and community impact potential. Grant recipients will receive a combined award of $100,000 in funding plus a year of small business services from Block Advisors valued at nearly $30,000.

Despite women being one of the fastest-growing segments of new small business owners, female entrepreneurs face more hurdles compared to male entrepreneurs when it comes to accessing capital and resources. The 2024 State of Women’s Small Business Report by Block Advisors found that 42% of women business owners who applied for a bank loan were never approved, and nearly 90% of women reported relying on personal finances and credit cards to fund their ventures due to the lack of accessible funding.

“We understand the challenges entrepreneurs face as they grow their businesses. They need more than just capital; they need trusted expertise that saves them time and puts their mind at ease,” said Jamil Khan, Chief Small Business Officer at H&R Block. “That’s why Fund Her Future provides not only financial support but also access to Block Advisors year-round small business services, including such business-critical services as tax preparation, payroll, bookkeeping and business structure analysis.”

Fund Her Future Entries Now Open

The 2025 program will award up to one small business owner a grant package of $50,000. Up to five additional recipients will receive a $10,000 grant. All winners will receive a year of access to Block Advisors small business services.

To apply, applicants must be over 18 years old and an owner of a United States-based business. Other eligibility requirements can be found on the Fund Her Future website. Businesses that demonstrate community impact are especially encouraged to apply. Submissions to the 2025 Fund Her Future small business grant program are being accepted from April 28 through May 30. Recipients will be notified by the end of July.

Driving Impact, Fueling Growth: The Success Stories of Fund Her Future 2024

Last year’s Fund Her Future grant program received more than 6,000 applicants and awarded grants to five entrepreneurs whose businesses were poised to achieve growth with the right resources.

Grant recipient Heather Jiang, who owns Allégorie, a NYC-based small-batch accessory line that turns food waste into fashion, leveraged her grant winnings to expand her product lines and hire additional staff. The Block Advisors services Jiang received as part of the grant package helped her position her company for long-term success. “There is a sense of relief in handing off my bookkeeping to a Block Advisors expert,” Jiang explained. “It frees up my time to focus on other aspects of the business. They ensure everything is handled properly. The recognition from the grant has been amazing, as well. We’ve seen a 50 percent increase in online traffic to our website since the 2024 grant was announced.”

Erica Cole is the owner of Richmond-based No Limbits, an accessible apparel brand for people with lower limb differences, those with limited dexterity in their hands and arms, individuals with sensory processing challenges and wheelchair users. When asked about the impact of winning a Fund Her Future grant, Cole shared “the funding and small business support from Block Advisors has allowed me to scale my business. It enabled me to launch my sensory-friendly collection in Walmart and acquire Buck & Buck, a leader in adaptive apparel.”

Ameka Coleman, owner of Strands of Faith based in Pearl, MS, is a former healthcare professional who started her company after noticing many healthcare patients lacked access to non-toxic haircare products that celebrated their textured hair. “This grant allowed us to onboard two more hospital networks, which significantly increases demand for our products. We’re looking at a 400% increase in revenue from this workstream,” said Coleman.

To learn more, including how to apply to the 2025 Fund Her Future Grant program, visit www.BlockAdvisors.com/FundHerFutureGrant. For more information about Block Advisors and its year-round services for small businesses, visit www.BlockAdvisors.com.

About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News.

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Luis de Guindos: Presentation of the ECB Annual Report 2024 to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament

Source: European Central Bank

Introductory remarks by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, at the ECON Committee of the European Parliament

Brussels, 28 April 2025

It is a pleasure to present the ECB’s Annual Report for 2024 to this esteemed Committee. Concurrently, we are also publishing our response to the European Parliament’s resolution on our previous Annual Report. These elements – our Annual Report, today’s discussion and our response to your resolution – are central to the ECB’s accountability to the European Parliament and highlight the open dialogue between our institutions.

In my remarks today, I will discuss the economic and financial stability landscape and consider the challenges that lie ahead. I will share the ECB’s assessment and underline the need to invest in measures to enhance Europe’s resilience amid a volatile external environment and an uncertain outlook.

Economic developments and monetary policy

As highlighted in the Annual Report, economic activity in the euro area began to recover gradually in 2024. Incoming data suggest modest growth in the first quarter of 2025. However, risks have intensified amid exceptional uncertainty, largely related to trade. Euro area exporters are now facing new barriers, and tensions in financial markets and geopolitical uncertainty will likely weigh on business investment. In this environment, consumers may become cautious about the future and hold back spending.

In the medium term, a resilient labour market, higher real incomes and the impact of our monetary policy easing should support spending. Moreover, recent policy initiatives focused on defence spending and infrastructure investment at both national and EU levels are expected to positively affect activity and strengthen long-term growth.

Turning to inflation, headline figures fell further towards the ECB’s 2% target in 2024, supported by our then restrictive monetary policy. Looking ahead, inflation is expected to hover around our target. However, global trade disruptions are adding uncertainty to the inflation outlook. Declining energy prices, further wage moderation and a stronger euro could dampen inflation, potentially amplified by weaker demand for euro area exports and a re-routing of other countries’ exports into the euro area. Conversely, a fragmentation of global supply chains could raise import prices and hence inflation.

Following a period of holding interest rates steady in early 2024, the ECB started reducing its key interest rates in June. So far, we have lowered the rate on the deposit facility by 175 basis points to 2.25%, in view of the disinflation process being well on track. We are determined to ensure that inflation stabilises sustainably at our 2% medium-term target. Especially given current uncertainty, we will continue to follow a data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting approach to setting the appropriate monetary policy stance, and we are not pre-committing to a particular rate path.

Maintaining financial stability

Let me also say a few words on financial stability in the light of recent developments.

The recent trade policy upheaval has triggered the most significant financial market turmoil since the pandemic. While euro area banks’ valuations have also been affected, their fundamentals remain robust and they are well positioned to withstand potential shocks thanks to their sizeable capital and liquidity buffers.

But despite the resilience of our financial sector, these developments warrant careful monitoring. Sharp adjustments in financial markets could become disorderly, particularly if they are amplified by the growing size and influence of non-bank financial institutions. In addition, trade conflicts could pose challenges for both households and corporates, translating into rising credit risk for banks and non-banks alike. Finally, a combination of weaker growth and heightened spending needs could increase pressures on government finances.

To ensure our banking system remains resilient in this environment, we need a regulatory framework that is fit for purpose. Decisive action is required to move us closer to completing the banking union. This includes an effective crisis management and deposit insurance framework that extends to small and medium-sized banks, and progress on a European deposit insurance scheme. The recent financial market turmoil also highlights that non-banks must be subject to robust rules, and that gaps in the regulatory framework need to be closed so they are not treated differently to regular banks.

The ECB supports efforts to simplify the regulatory framework. However, this should not be confused with deregulation. The resilience of our financial system can largely be attributed to the rules established since the global financial crisis. Financial stability is a global public good – it is in everybody’s interest and must remain the long-term goal.

Europe’s future policy priorities

A strong and resilient financial sector will also play a crucial role – alongside the public sector – in financing Europe’s key policy priorities as we confront a series of generational challenges.

The defence investments foreseen in the EU will have an impact on national public finances. By spending jointly through EU-level initiatives, we can achieve greater scale, reduce costs and strengthen our strategic autonomy – all while supporting long-term growth and fiscal sustainability.

In addition to the pressing security challenges, investing in the green transition and digital innovation remains vital to boosting Europe’s competitiveness and closing the productivity gap with our global peers.

Finally, the evolving global landscape underscores the need to strengthen trade within the EU’s Single Market, as emphasised by the European Commission.^[1] A more integrated and deeper Single Market is essential if we are to achieve the scale required for European firms to thrive and expand, thereby enhancing our resilience against external shocks. We also need to ensure that innovative firms can access the financing they need in order to grow. In this context, completing the savings and investment union is both urgent and essential.

Conclusion

Faced with a complex and uncertain landscape, the ECB remains firmly committed to its primary mandate of maintaining price stability. This is the most important contribution we can make towards fostering a strong and prosperous Europe.

I know that both our institutions are united by our commitment to serve the people of Europe, within our respective mandates. Our dialogue today is testament to this.

I now look forward to your questions.

MIL OSI Europe News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: IDEX Biometrics ASA: Registration of share capital increase – 28 April 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Reference is made to the announcement by IDEX Biometrics ASA (the “Company”) on 11 March 2025 regarding a loan financing of NOK 30 million and a proposed debt conversion of the loan. Reference is also made to the announcement on 11 April 2025 regarding the resolution by the Extraordinary General Meeting to carry out the debt conversion by issuance of a total of 3,000,000,000 new shares in the Company.

The share capital increase by debt conversion has duly been registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. Following the share capital increase, the Company’s share capital is NOK 38,315,942.32 divided into 3,831,594,232 shares, each with a nominal value of NOK 0.01.

For further information, please contact:

Kristian Flaten, CFO, Tel: +47 95092322

E-mail: ir@idexbiometrics.com

About IDEX Biometrics:

IDEX Biometrics ASA (IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market. For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com

About this notice:

This notice was published by Kristian Flaten, CFO, 28 April 2025 at 14:30 CET on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to the Norwegian Securities Trading Act section 5-12.

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Bel Fuse Announces Upcoming Investor Conference Schedule for May 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WEST ORANGE, N.J., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bel Fuse Inc. (Nasdaq: BELFA and BELFB), a leading global manufacturer of products that power, protect and connect electronic circuits, today announced its investor conference schedule for May 2025:
- Oppenheimer’s 20^thAnnual Industrial Growth Conference (Virtual)
  Farouq Tuweiq, CFO
  Lynn Hutkin, VP Financial Reporting & Investor Relations
  Thursday, May 8, 2025
  Conducting meetings throughout the day with a fireside chat at 12:45 pm ET
- 22^ndAnnual Craig-Hallum Institutional Investor Conference
  Farouq Tuweiq, CFO
  Lynn Hutkin, VP Financial Reporting & Investor Relations
  Wednesday, May 28, 2025
  Depot Renaissance Hotel Minneapolis
  Conducting meetings throughout the day
- KeyBanc Industrial & Basics Conference
  Farouq Tuweiq, CFO
  Lynn Hutkin, VP Financial Reporting & Investor Relations
  Thursday, May 29, 2025
  InterContinental Boston
  Conducting meetings throughout the day
About Bel
Bel (www.belfuse.com) designs, manufactures and markets a broad array of products that power, protect and connect electronic circuits. These products are primarily used in the defense, commercial aerospace, networking, telecommunications, computing, general industrial high-speed data transmission, transportation and eMobility industries. Bel’s product groups include Power Solutions and Protection (front-end, board-mount and industrial and transportation power products, module products and circuit protection), Connectivity Solutions (expanded beam fiber optic, copper-based, RF and RJ connectors and cable assemblies), and Magnetic Solutions (integrated connector modules, power transformers, power inductors and discrete components). The Company operates facilities around the world.

Company Contact:
Lynn Hutkin, VP Financial Reporting & Investor Relations
ir@belf.com

Investor Contact:
Three Part Advisors
Jean Marie Young, Managing Director or Steven Hooser, Partner
631-418-4339

The MIL Network –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Beeline teams up with Rabbu to make finding and funding short term rental properties frictionless

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Providence, RI, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beeline Loans, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings (NASDAQ: BLNE) a tech-forward mortgage originator focused on delivering fast, flexible financing solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Rabbu, a leading short-term rental (STR) analytics platform used by over one million investors. The partnership creates a streamlined pipeline for investors—from identifying STR properties to securing tailored financing—all in one ecosystem.

Rabbu’s free Airbnb calculator allows users to enter any U.S. property address to receive data-driven projections, including estimated annual revenue, average daily rates, and expected occupancy. Now, with integrated access to Beeline’s investment property loans, users can move directly from analysis to action.

“This partnership expands our reach into one of the most dynamic segments in residential real estate,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline. “We’re connecting the dots—discovery, funding, and ultimately, management—to deliver a truly frictionless STR investment experience.”

Beeline’s investment lending business has seen significant growth over the past 12 months. In 2024, more than half of its loan volume was dedicated to investment properties, with STR financing emerging as a leading driver. The company supports a full spectrum of borrower profiles through its DSCR, bank statement, and conventional loan products—all optimized for speed and simplicity.

The Rabbu partnership complements Beeline’s existing collaboration with Red Awning, a full-service STR management platform. Together, the trio forms a powerful, end-to-end solution: identify with Rabbu, finance with Beeline, manage with Red Awning.

Beeline also announced during its recent earnings call that April is expected to be its strongest revenue month since the market downturn, with increased investor demand and product diversification contributing to the momentum.

About Beeline

Beeline Financial Holdings, Inc. is a trailblazing mortgage fintech transforming the way people access property financing. Through its fully digital, AI-powered platform, Beeline delivers a faster, smarter path to home loans—whether for primary residences or investment properties. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Beeline is reshaping mortgage origination with speed, simplicity, and transparency at its core. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings and also operates Beeline Labs, its innovation arm focused on next-generation lending solutions.

About Rabbu

Rabbu helps real estate investors find and evaluate high-performing short-term rental properties. It offers revenue estimates, ROI insights, and market data tools to analyze both on-market and off-market deals. Users can explore listings, connect with agents and lenders, and make informed investment decisions—all through a streamlined platform focused on Airbnb-style rental income.

To learn more about Beeline’s innovative financing for investment properties, visit makeabeeline.com. To explore high-performing short-term rental opportunities, visit rabbu.com.

For more information, please contact Beeline at IR@Makeabeeline.com.

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025

MIL-OSI: Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2025 Earnings of $0.32 Per Share; Book Value Per Share Up 8% and Tangible Book Value Per Share Up 10% Since March 31, 2024, After Annual Dividend Payment of $0.36 Per Share

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

EAU CLAIRE, Wis., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: CZWI), the parent company of Citizens Community Federal N.A. (the “Bank” or “CCFBank”), today reported earnings of $3.2 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.32 for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $2.7 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.27 for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024, and $4.1 million and $0.39 earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, respectively.

The Company’s first quarter 2025 operating results reflected the following changes from the fourth quarter of 2024: (1) decrease in net interest income of $0.1 million as two fewer days in the quarter were largely offset by an increase in the net interest margin of 6 basis points; (2) a smaller negative provision for credit losses of $0.3 million compared to $0.5 million in the fourth quarter; (3) higher non-interest income of $0.6 million primarily due to $0.5 million higher gain on sale of loans and $0.3 million higher net gains on sale of equity securities in the first quarter of 2025; and (4) lower non-interest expense primarily due to lower compensation and related benefits of $0.2 million and lower losses on repossessed assets of $0.2 million.

Book value per share improved to $18.02 at March 31, 2025, compared to $17.94 at December 31, 2024, and $16.61 at March 31, 2024. Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)¹ was $14.79 at March 31, 2025, compared to $14.69 at December 31, 2024, and a 10.1% increase from $13.43 at March 31, 2024. For the first quarter of 2025, tangible book value was positively impacted by (1) net income, (2) the impact of lower long-term interest rates which decreased the net unrealized loss on the available for sale securities portfolio, and (3) amortization of intangibles which were largely offset by the payment of the annual $0.36 per share dividend. Stockholders’ equity as a percentage of total assets was 10.12% at March 31, 2025, compared to 10.24% at December 31, 2024. Tangible common equity (“TCE”) as a percent of tangible assets (non-GAAP)¹ decreased modestly to 8.45% at March 31, 2025, compared to 8.54% at December 31, 2024, largely due to the payment of the dividend.

“I am pleased with results in a quarter that is seasonally the slowest for us because of winter. The balance sheet is well positioned for the remainder of 2025 with strong capital and liquidity positions, strong ACL reserves and credit metrics in our historical range. Our TCE at 8.5% provides a cushion for uncertainty like we have seen thus far in 2025 and for share repurchases. Our liquidity position, including the loan to deposit ratio below 90% is expected to support quality, well priced loan growth in the low to mid-single digit percentages with strategic, relationship borrowers. Our markets remain stable with unemployment below national averages and tariff exposure appears to be indirect should this risk persist. We believe loan repricing and originations will benefit our net-interest margin expansion, especially in the second half of 2025, and throughout 2026, as well as will the impact of deposit repricing,” stated Stephen Bianchi, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer.

March 31, 2025, Highlights:

Quarterly earnings were $3.2 million, or $0.32 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, an increase compared to earnings of $2.7 million, or $0.27 per diluted share for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and a decrease from $4.1 million, or $0.39 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.
Net interest income decreased $0.1 million to $11.6 million for the current quarter ended March 31, 2025, from $11.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and from $11.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The decrease in net interest income from the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily due to two fewer days in the quarter which was mostly offset by an increase in net interest margin of six basis points.
The net interest margin increased to 2.85%, primarily due to lower deposit costs. The net interest margin increase in the first quarter of 2025 was negatively impacted by three basis points from lower deferred fee accretion compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 due to lower payoffs in the first quarter of 2025.
Negative provision for credit losses of $0.25 million, $0.45 million, and $0.80 million were recorded during the quarters ended March 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and March 31, 2024, respectively. The first quarter’s negative provision was due to decreases in on-balance sheet allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) of $0.35 million partially offset by a $0.10 million increase in off-balance sheet ACL due to an increase in unfunded loan commitments.
Non-interest income increased by $0.6 million in the first quarter of 2025 to $2.6 million from $2.0 million the prior quarter due to $0.5 million of higher gain on sale of loans, $0.3 million of higher net gains on equity securities partially offset by lower loan fees and service charges of $0.2 million due to lower customer activity. Total non-interest income for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, was $0.7 million lower than first quarter 2024 primarily due to lower gain on sale of loans and net realized gains on debt securities.
Non-interest expense decreased $0.3 million to $10.5 million from $10.8 million for both the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2024. The $0.3 million decrease in non-interest expense compared to the linked quarter was largely due to lower compensation due to lower incentive costs and lower losses on repossessed assets, partially offset by higher other expense. The $0.3 million decrease from the first quarter of 2024 was due to a $0.4 million decrease in other expenses resulting from lower SBA recourse reserve expense.
Loans receivable decreased $16.3 million during the first quarter ended March 31, 2025, to $1.353 billion compared to the prior quarter end, largely due to the seasonal impact of lower activity.
Total deposits increased $35.5 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2025, to $1.524 billion. Total deposit growth reflected the seasonal growth in municipal deposits of $20.8 million, which typically decreases in the middle two quarters before increasing in the fourth quarter. Growth in retail and commercial areas was partially offset by the reduction of $6.3 million in wholesale deposits due to reduction in brokered deposits.
The last remaining Federal Home Loan Bank advance was repaid in the quarter, resulting in no advances at March 31, 2025, down from $5.0 million at December 31, 2024, and $39.5 million one year earlier.
The effective tax rate was 19.6% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to 19.5% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and 21.3% for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.
Nonperforming assets increased $0.3 million during the quarter to $14.5 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $14.2 million at December 31, 2024.
Special mention loans increased $6.5 million to $15.0 million at March 31, 2025, from $8.5 million in the previous quarter. The increase was largely due to one C&I relationship that showed weaker cash flow than expected.
The efficiency ratio was 73% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to 76% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

Balance Sheet and Asset Quality

Total assets increased by $31.4 million during the quarter to $1.780 billion at March 31, 2025.

Cash increased $50.0 million due to the growth in deposits and loan shrinkage growing our balances at the Federal Reserve.

Securities available for sale (“AFS”) decreased $3.2 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2025, to $139.6 million from $142.9 million at December 31, 2024. The decrease was due to principal repayments of $2.6 million, and a corporate debt security maturity of $2.5 million, partially offset by lower pre-tax unrealized losses of $1.9 million.

Securities held to maturity (“HTM”) decreased $1.2 million to $84.3 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2025, from $85.5 million at December 31, 2024, due to principal repayments.

The on-balance sheet liquidity ratio, which is defined as the fair market value of AFS and HTM securities that are not pledged and cash on deposit with other financial institutions, was 14.38% of total assets at March 31, 2025, compared to 11.75% at December 31, 2024. On-balance sheet liquidity collateralized new borrowing capacity and uncommitted federal funds borrowing availability was $852 million, or 314%, of uninsured and uncollateralized deposits at March 31, 2025, and $725 million, or 273%, at December 31, 2024.

Loans receivable decreased $16.3 million during the first quarter ended March 31, 2025, to $1.353 billion compared to the prior quarter end, largely due to the seasonal impact of lower origination and funding activity.

The office loan portfolio consisting of seventy-two loans totaled $28 million at March 31, 2025, compared to seventy-one loans totaling $28 million at December 31, 2024. Criticized loans in the office loan portfolio for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, totaled $0.5 million, the same amount at December 31, 2024, and there have been no charge-offs in the trailing twelve months.

The allowance for credit losses on loans decreased by $0.34 million to $20.2 million at March 31, 2025, representing 1.49% of total loans receivable compared to 1.50% of total loans receivable at December 31, 2024. For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, the Bank recorded a negative provision of $0.25 million which included a negative provision on ACL for loans of $0.35 million, partially offset by a provision of $0.10 million on ACL for unfunded commitments due to an increase in unfunded commitments. 30-89 day loan delinquencies decreased to 0.15% of total loans at March 31, 2025, compared to a 0.33% delinquency ratio at December 31, 2024. The Bank had $0.007 million of net recoveries in the first quarter.

Allowance for Credit Losses (“ACL”) – Loans Percentage

(in thousands, except ratios)

	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
Loans, end of period	$	1,352,728		$	1,368,981		$	1,424,828		$	1,428,588
Allowance for credit losses – Loans	$	20,205		$	20,549		$	21,000		$	21,178
ACL – Loans as a percentage of loans, end of period		1.49	%		1.50	%		1.47	%		1.48	%

In addition to the ACL – Loans, the Company has established an ACL – Unfunded Commitments of $0.435 million at March 31, 2025, $0.334 million at December 31, 2024, and $0.975 million at March 31, 2024, classified in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.

Allowance for Credit Losses – Unfunded Commitments:
(in thousands)

	March 31, 2025 and Three Months Ended		December 31, 2024 and Three Months Ended			March 31, 2024 and Three Months Ended
ACL – Unfunded commitments – beginning of period	$	334	$	460		$	1,250
(Reductions) additions to ACL – Unfunded commitments via provision for credit losses charged to operations		101		(126	)		(275	)
ACL – Unfunded commitments – end of period	$	435	$	334		$	975

Special mention loans increased by $6.5 million to $15.0 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $8.5 million at December 31, 2024. The increase was largely due to one C&I relationship as noted earlier.

Substandard loans increased by $0.7 million to $19.6 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $18.9 million at December 31, 2024.

Nonperforming assets increased modestly by $0.3 million to $14.5 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $14.2 million at December 31, 2024.

	(in thousands)
	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024
Special mention loan balances	$	14,990	$	8,480	$	11,047	$	8,848	$	13,737
Substandard loan balances		19,591		18,891		21,202		14,420		14,733
Criticized loans, end of period	$	34,581	$	27,371	$	32,249	$	23,268	$	28,470

Deposit Portfolio Composition
(in thousands)

	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024
Consumer deposits	$	861,746	$	852,083	$	844,808	$	822,665	$	827,290
Commercial deposits		423,654		412,355		406,095		395,148		400,910
Public deposits		211,261		190,460		176,844		187,698		202,175
Wholesale deposits		26,993		33,250		92,920		114,033		97,114
Total deposits	$	1,523,654	$	1,488,148	$	1,520,667	$	1,519,544	$	1,527,489

At March 31, 2025, the deposit portfolio composition was 56% consumer, 28% commercial, 14% public, and 2% wholesale deposits compared to 57% consumer, 28% commercial, 13% public, and 2% wholesale deposits at December 31, 2024.

Deposit Composition By Type
(in thousands)

	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024
Non-interest-bearing demand deposits	$	253,343	$	252,656	$	256,840	$	255,703	$	248,537
Interest-bearing demand deposits		386,302		355,750		346,971		353,477		361,278
Savings accounts		167,614		159,821		169,096		170,946		177,595
Money market accounts		370,741		369,534		366,067		370,164		387,879
Certificate accounts		345,654		350,387		381,693		369,254		352,200
Total deposits	$	1,523,654	$	1,488,148	$	1,520,667	$	1,519,544		1,527,489

Uninsured and uncollateralized deposits were $271.7 million, or 18% of total deposits, at March 31, 2025, and $265.4 million, or 18% of total deposits, at December 31, 2024. Uninsured deposits alone at March 31, 2025, were $444.4 million, or 29% of total deposits, and $428.0 million, or 29% of total deposits at December 31, 2024.

The last remaining Federal Home Loan Bank advance was repaid in the quarter, resulting in no advances at March 31, 2025, down from $5.0 million at December 31, 2024, and $39.5 million one year earlier.

No common stock was repurchased in the first quarter of 2025. There are 238 thousand shares remaining available to repurchase under the July 2024 Board of Director repurchase authorization.

Review of Operations

Net interest income decreased $0.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, to $11.6 million from $11.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and decreased $0.3 million from $11.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The decrease in net interest income compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily due to two fewer days of interest income or approximately $0.2 million, the impact of smaller average assets of $0.2 million, offset by an increase in net interest margin of six basis points or $0.3 million. The net interest margin increase was negatively impacted by 3 basis points due to lower deferred fee accretion compared to the fourth quarter resulting from lower loan payoffs.

Net interest income and net interest margin analysis:
(in thousands, except yields and rates)

	Three months ended
	March 31, 2025					December 31, 2024					September 30, 2024					June 30, 2024					March 31, 2024
	Net Interest Income			Net Interest Margin		Net Interest Income			Net Interest Margin		Net Interest Income			Net Interest Margin		Net Interest Income			Net Interest Margin		Net Interest Income			Net Interest Margin
As reported	$	11,594		2.85	%	$	11,708		2.79	%	$	11,285		2.63	%	$	11,576		2.72	%	$	11,905		2.77	%
Less accretion for PCD loans		(36	)	(0.01)%			(42	)	(0.01)%			(45	)	(0.01)%			(62	)	(0.01)%			(75	)	(0.02)%
Less scheduled accretion interest		(33	)	(0.01)%			(33	)	(0.01)%			(33	)	(0.01)%			(32	)	(0.01)%			(33	)	(0.01)%
Without loan purchase accretion	$	11,525		2.83	%	$	11,633		2.77	%	$	11,207		2.61	%	$	11,482		2.70	%	$	11,797		2.74	%

The table below shows the impact of certificate, loan and securities contractual fixed rate maturing and repricing.

Portfolio Contractual Repricing:
(in millions, except yields)

	Q2 2025			Q3 2025			Q4 2025			Q1 2026			Q2 2026			Q3 2026			Q4 2026			FY 2027
Maturing Certificate Accounts:
Contractual Balance	$	174		$	101		$	28		$	23		$	8		$	—		$	—		$	8
Contractual Interest Rate		4.59	%		3.98	%		3.72	%		3.66	%		3.47	%		—	%		—	%		4.01	%
Maturing or Repricing Loans:
Contractual Balance	$	52		$	18		$	55		$	45		$	51		$	120		$	98		$	243
Contractual Interest Rate		6.62	%		6.14	%		4.64	%		4.53	%		4.18	%		3.61	%		3.72	%		4.66	%
Maturing or Repricing Securities:
Contractual Balance	$	5		$	3		$	4		$	2		$	7		$	7		$	3		$	6
Contractual Interest Rate		5.64	%		4.07	%		4.31	%		3.72	%		3.57	%		3.44	%		3.27	%		4.47	%

Non-interest income increased by $0.6 million in the first quarter of 2025, to $2.6 million from $2.0 million the prior quarter due to $0.5 million of higher gain on sale of loans and $0.3 million of higher net gains on equity securities. Total non-interest income for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, was $0.7 million lower than first quarter 2024 primarily due to lower gain on sale of loans and net realized gains on debt securities.

Non-interest expense decreased $0.3 million to $10.5 million from $10.8 million for both the previous quarter and the quarter one year earlier. The $0.3 million decrease in non-interest expense compared to the linked quarter was largely due to lower compensation due to lower incentive costs and lower losses on repossessed assets. The $0.3 million decrease from the first quarter of 2024 was largely due to a $0.4 million decrease in other expense due to lower SBA recourse reserve expense.

Provision for income taxes increased to $0.8 million in the first quarter of 2025, from $0.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, largely due to higher pre-tax income. The effective tax rate was 19.6% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, 19.5% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and 21.3% for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

These financial results are preliminary until the Form 10-Q is filed in May 2025.

About the Company

Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: “CZWI”) is the holding company of the Bank, a national bank based in Altoona, Wisconsin, currently serving customers primarily in Wisconsin and Minnesota through 21 branch locations. Its primary markets include the Chippewa Valley Region in Wisconsin, the Twin Cities and Mankato markets in Minnesota, and various rural communities around these areas. The Bank offers traditional community banking services to businesses, ag operators and consumers, including residential mortgage loans.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release are considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified using forward-looking words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “estimates,” “intend,” “may,” “on pace,” “preliminary,” “planned,” “potential,” “should,” “will,” “would” or the negative of those terms or other words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements in this release are inherently subject to many uncertainties arising in the operations and business environment of the Company and the Bank. These uncertainties include: conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions generally; the impact of inflation on our business and our customers; geopolitical tensions, including current or anticipated impact of military conflicts; higher lending risks associated with our commercial and agricultural banking activities; future pandemics (including new variants of COVID-19); cybersecurity risks; adverse impacts on the regional banking industry and the business environment in which it operates; interest rate risk; lending risk; changes in the fair value or ratings downgrades of our securities; the sufficiency of allowance for credit losses; competitive pressures among depository and other financial institutions; disintermediation risk; our ability to maintain our reputation; our ability to maintain or increase our market share; our ability to realize the benefits of net deferred tax assets; our ability to obtain needed liquidity; our ability to raise capital needed to fund growth or meet regulatory requirements; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; our ability to keep pace with technological change; prevalence of fraud and other financial crimes; the possibility that our internal controls and procedures could fail or be circumvented; our ability to successfully execute our acquisition growth strategy; risks posed by acquisitions and other expansion opportunities, including difficulties and delays in integrating the acquired business operations or fully realizing the cost savings and other benefits; restrictions on our ability to pay dividends; the potential volatility of our stock price; accounting standards for credit losses; legislative or regulatory changes or actions, or significant litigation, adversely affecting the Company or Bank; public company reporting obligations; changes in federal or state tax laws; and changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines and their impact on financial performance. Stockholders, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and other risks that may affect the Company’s performance are discussed further in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in the Company’s Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 13, 2025 and the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to make any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained in this news release or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.

¹Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains non-GAAP financial measures, such as net income as adjusted, net income as adjusted per share, tangible book value, tangible book value per share, tangible common equity as a percent of tangible assets and return on average tangible common equity, which management believes may be helpful in understanding the Company’s results of operations or financial position and comparing results over different periods.

Net income as adjusted and net income as adjusted per share are non-GAAP measures that eliminate the impact of certain expenses such as branch closure costs and related severance pay, accelerated depreciation expense and lease termination fees, and the gain on sale of branch deposits and fixed assets. Tangible book value, tangible book value per share, tangible common equity as a percentage of tangible assets and return on average tangible common equity are non-GAAP measures that eliminate the impact of goodwill and intangible assets on our financial position. Management believes these measures are useful in assessing the strength of our financial position.

Where non-GAAP financial measures are used, the comparable GAAP financial measure, as well as the reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure, can be found in this press release. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other banks and financial institutions.

Contact: Steve Bianchi, CEO
(715)-836-9994

(CZWI-ER)

CITIZENS COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except share data)

	March 31, 2025 (unaudited)			December 31, 2024 (audited)			September 30, 2024 (unaudited)			March 31, 2024 (unaudited)
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	100,199		$	50,172		$	36,632		$	28,638
Securities available for sale “AFS”		139,642			142,851			149,432			151,672
Securities held to maturity “HTM”		84,301			85,504			87,033			89,942
Equity investments		5,462			4,702			5,096			3,281
Other investments		12,496			12,500			12,311			13,022
Loans receivable		1,352,728			1,368,981			1,424,828			1,450,159
Allowance for credit losses		(20,205	)		(20,549	)		(21,000	)		(22,436	)
Loans receivable, net		1,332,523			1,348,432			1,403,828			1,427,723
Loans held for sale		3,296			1,329			697			—
Mortgage servicing rights, net		3,583			3,663			3,696			3,774
Office properties and equipment, net		16,649			17,075			17,365			18,026
Accrued interest receivable		5,926			5,653			6,235			6,324
Intangible assets		800			979			1,158			1,515
Goodwill		31,498			31,498			31,498			31,498
Foreclosed and repossessed assets, net		876			915			1,572			1,845
Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”)		26,296			26,102			25,901			25,836
Other assets		16,416			17,144			16,683			16,219
TOTAL ASSETS	$	1,779,963		$	1,748,519		$	1,799,137		$	1,819,315
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Liabilities:
Deposits	$	1,523,654		$	1,488,148		$	1,520,667		$	1,527,489
Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) advances		—			5,000			21,000			39,500
Other borrowings		61,664			61,606			61,548			67,523
Other liabilities		14,594			14,681			15,773			11,982
Total liabilities		1,599,912			1,569,435			1,618,988			1,646,494
Stockholders’ Equity:
Common stock— $0.01 par value, authorized 30,000,000; 9,989,536, 9,981,996, 10,074,136, and 10,406,880 shares issued and outstanding, respectively		100			100			101			104
Additional paid-in capital		114,477			114,564			115,455			118,916
Retained earnings		80,439			80,840			78,438			71,831
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(14,965	)		(16,420	)		(13,845	)		(18,030	)
Total stockholders’ equity		180,051			179,084			180,149			172,821
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$	1,779,963		$	1,748,519		$	1,799,137		$	1,819,315

Note: Certain items previously reported were reclassified for consistency with the current presentation.

CITIZENS COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC. Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2025 (unaudited)			December 31, 2024 (unaudited)			March 31, 2024 (unaudited)
Interest and dividend income:
Interest and fees on loans	$	18,602		$	19,534		$	20,168
Interest on investments		2,501			2,427			2,511
Total interest and dividend income		21,103			21,961			22,679
Interest expense:
Interest on deposits		8,597			9,273			9,209
Interest on FHLB borrowed funds		11			65			512
Interest on other borrowed funds		901			915			1,053
Total interest expense		9,509			10,253			10,774
Net interest income before provision for credit losses		11,594			11,708			11,905
(Negative) provision for credit losses		(250	)		(450	)		(800	)
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		11,844			12,158			12,705
Non-interest income:
Service charges on deposit accounts		423			450			471
Interchange income		518			550			541
Loan servicing income		559			520			582
Gain on sale of loans		720			218			1,020
Loan fees and service charges		120			292			230
Net realized gains on debt securities		—			—			—
Net gains (losses) on equity securities		10			(287	)		167
Other		243			266			253
Total non-interest income		2,593			2,009			3,264
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and related benefits		5,597			5,840			5,483
Occupancy		1,287			1,217			1,367
Data processing		1,719			1,743			1,597
Amortization of intangible assets		179			179			179
Mortgage servicing rights expense, net		140			107			148
Advertising, marketing and public relations		167			218			164
FDIC premium assessment		198			192			205
Professional services		508			514			566
Losses on repossessed assets, net		4			247			—
Other		664			552			1,068
Total non-interest expense		10,463			10,809			10,777
Income before provision for income taxes		3,974			3,358			5,192
Provision for income taxes		777			656			1,104
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	3,197		$	2,702		$	4,088
Per share information:
Basic earnings	$	0.32		$	0.27		$	0.39
Diluted earnings	$	0.32		$	0.27		$	0.39
Cash dividends paid	$	0.36		$	—		$	0.32
Book value per share at end of period	$	18.02		$	17.94		$	16.61
Tangible book value per share at end of period (non-GAAP)	$	14.79		$	14.69		$	13.43

Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income and Net Income as Adjusted (non-GAAP)

(in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024

GAAP pretax income	$	3,974	$	3,358	$	5,192
Branch closure costs (1)		—		—		—
Pretax income as adjusted (2)	$	3,974	$	3,358	$	5,192
Provision for income tax on net income as adjusted (3)		777		656		1,104
Net income as adjusted (non-GAAP) (2)	$	3,197	$	2,702	$	4,088
GAAP diluted earnings per share, net of tax	$	0.32	$	0.27	$	0.39
Branch closure costs, net of tax		—		—		—
Diluted earnings per share, as adjusted, net of tax (non-GAAP)	$	0.32	$	0.27	$	0.39

Average diluted shares outstanding		10,000,818		10,033,957		10,443,267

(1) Branch closure costs include severance pay recorded in compensation and benefits and depreciation and right of use lease asset accelerated expense included in other non-interest expense in the consolidated statement of operations.
(2) Pretax income as adjusted and net income as adjusted are non-GAAP measures that management believes enhances the market’s ability to assess the underlying business performance and trends related to core business activities.
(3) Provision for income tax on net income as adjusted is calculated at our effective tax rate for each respective period presented.

Loan Composition

(in thousands)

	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
Total Loans:
Commercial/Agricultural real estate:
Commercial real estate	$	709,975		$	709,018		$	730,459		$	729,236
Agricultural real estate		71,071			73,130			76,043			78,248
Multi-family real estate		237,872			220,805			239,191			234,758
Construction and land development		58,461			78,489			87,875			87,898
C&I/Agricultural operating:
Commercial and industrial		109,620			115,657			119,619			127,386
Agricultural operating		29,310			31,000			27,550			27,409
Residential mortgage:
Residential mortgage		129,070			132,341			134,944			133,503
Purchased HELOC loans		2,560			2,956			2,932			2,915
Consumer installment:
Originated indirect paper		3,434			3,970			4,405			5,110
Other consumer		4,679			5,012			5,438			5,860
Gross loans	$	1,356,052		$	1,372,378		$	1,428,456		$	1,432,323
Unearned net deferred fees and costs and loans in process		(2,542	)		(2,547	)		(2,703	)		(2,733	)
Unamortized discount on acquired loans		(782	)		(850	)		(925	)		(1,002	)
Total loans receivable	$	1,352,728		$	1,368,981		$	1,424,828		$	1,428,588

Nonperforming Assets
Loan Balances at Amortized Cost

(in thousands, except ratios)

	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
Nonperforming assets:
Nonaccrual loans
Commercial real estate	$	4,948		$	4,594		$	4,778		$	5,350
Agricultural real estate		5,934			6,222			6,193			382
Construction and land development		—			103			106			—
Commercial and industrial (“C&I”)		701			597			1,956			422
Agricultural operating		725			793			901			1,017
Residential mortgage		782			858			1,088			1,145
Consumer installment		1			1			20			36
Total nonaccrual loans	$	13,091		$	13,168		$	15,042		$	8,352
Accruing loans past due 90 days or more		568			186			530			256
Total nonperforming loans (“NPLs”) at amortized cost		13,659			13,354			15,572			8,608
Foreclosed and repossessed assets, net		876			915			1,572			1,662
Total nonperforming assets (“NPAs”)	$	14,535		$	14,269		$	17,144		$	10,270
Loans, end of period	$	1,352,728		$	1,368,981		$	1,424,828		$	1,428,588
Total assets, end of period	$	1,779,963		$	1,748,519		$	1,799,137		$	1,802,307
Ratios:
NPLs to total loans		1.01	%		0.98	%		1.09	%		0.60	%
NPAs to total assets		0.82	%		0.82	%		0.95	%		0.57	%

Average Balances, Interest Yields and Rates

(in thousands, except yields and rates)

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2025						Three Months Ended December 31, 2024						Three Months Ended March 31, 2024
	Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Rate		Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Rate		Average Balance		Interest Income/ Expense		Average Yield/ Rate
Average interest earning assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	47,835	$	524	4.44	%	$	26,197	$	327	4.97	%	$	13,071	$	191	5.88	%
Loans receivable		1,363,352		18,602	5.53	%		1,396,854		19,534	5.56	%		1,456,586		20,168	5.57	%
Investment securities		228,514		1,808	3.21	%		235,268		1,940	3.28	%		243,991		2,060	3.40	%
Other investments		12,498		169	5.48	%		12,318		160	5.17	%		13,350		260	7.83	%
Total interest earning assets	$	1,652,199	$	21,103	5.18	%	$	1,670,637	$	21,961	5.23	%	$	1,726,998	$	22,679	5.28	%
Average interest-bearing liabilities:
Savings accounts	$	167,001	$	407	0.99	%	$	162,501	$	383	0.94	%	$	176,838	$	421	0.96	%
Demand deposits		382,355		2,033	2.16	%		346,411		1,891	2.17	%		353,995		2,017	2.29	%
Money market accounts		365,528		2,535	2.81	%		351,566		2,720	3.08	%		377,475		2,920	3.11	%
CD’s		343,751		3,622	4.27	%		374,087		4,279	4.55	%		360,177		3,851	4.30	%
Total deposits	$	1,258,635	$	8,597	2.77	%	$	1,234,565	$	9,273	2.99	%	$	1,268,485	$	9,209	2.92	%
FHLB advances and other borrowings		64,635		912	5.72	%		72,431		980	5.38	%		124,701		1,565	5.05	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	1,323,270	$	9,509	2.91	%	$	1,306,996	$	10,253	3.12	%	$	1,393,186	$	10,774	3.11	%
Net interest income			$	11,594					$	11,708					$	11,905
Interest rate spread					2.27	%					2.11	%					2.17	%
Net interest margin					2.85	%					2.79	%					2.77	%
Average interest earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities					1.25						1.28						1.24

Wholesale Deposits
(in thousands)

	Quarter Ended
	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024
Brokered certificate accounts	$	5,489	$	14,123	$	48,578	$	54,123	$	43,507
Brokered money market accounts		5,053		5,002		18,076		42,673		40,429
Third party originated reciprocal deposits		16,451		14,125		26,266		17,237		13,178
Total	$	26,993	$	33,250	$	92,920	$	114,033	$	97,114

Key Financial Metric Ratios:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024
Ratios based on net income:
Return on average assets (annualized)	0.74	%	0.61	%	0.90	%
Return on average equity (annualized)	7.26	%	6.00	%	9.57	%
Return on average tangible common equity⁴(annualized)	9.28	%	7.72	%	12.26	%
Efficiency ratio	73	%	76	%	71	%
Net interest margin with loan purchase accretion	2.85	%	2.79	%	2.77	%
Net interest margin without loan purchase accretion	2.83	%	2.77	%	2.74	%
Ratios based on net income as adjusted (non-GAAP)
Return on average assets as adjusted²(annualized)	0.74	%	0.61	%	0.90	%
Return on average equity as adjusted³(annualized)	7.26	%	6.00	%	9.57	%

Reconciliation of Return on Average Assets

(in thousands, except ratios)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024

GAAP earnings after income taxes	$	3,197		$	2,702		$	4,088
Net income as adjusted after income taxes (non-GAAP) (1)	$	3,197		$	2,702		$	4,088
Average assets	$	1,763,191		$	1,771,351		$	1,834,152
Return on average assets (annualized)		0.74	%		0.61	%		0.90	%
Return on average assets as adjusted (non-GAAP) (annualized)		0.74	%		0.61	%		0.90	%

(1) See Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income and Net Income as Adjusted (non-GAAP)

Reconciliation of Return on Average Equity

(in thousands, except ratios)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024
GAAP earnings after income taxes	$	3,197		$	2,702		$	4,088
Net income as adjusted after income taxes (non-GAAP) (1)	$	3,197		$	2,702		$	4,088
Average equity	$	178,470		$	179,242		$	171,794
Return on average equity (annualized)		7.26	%		6.00	%		9.57	%
Return on average equity as adjusted (non-GAAP) (annualized)		7.26	%		6.00	%		9.57	%

(1) See Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income and Net Income as Adjusted (non-GAAP)

Reconciliation of Return on Average Tangible Common Equity (non-GAAP)

(in thousands, except ratios)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024
Total stockholders’ equity	$	180,051		$	179,084		$	172,821
Less: Goodwill		(31,498	)		(31,498	)		(31,498	)
Less: Intangible assets		(800	)		(979	)		(1,515	)
Tangible common equity (non-GAAP)	$	147,753		$	146,607		$	139,808
Average tangible common equity (non-GAAP)	$	146,083		$	146,676		$	138,692
GAAP earnings after income taxes		3,197			2,702			4,088
Amortization of intangible assets, net of tax		144			144			141
Tangible net income	$	3,341		$	2,846		$	4,229
Return on average tangible common equity (annualized)		9.28	%		7.72	%		12.26	%

Reconciliation of Efficiency Ratio

(in thousands, except ratios)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024
Non-interest expense (GAAP)	$	10,463		$	10,809		$	10,777
Less amortization of intangibles		(179	)		(179	)		(179	)
Efficiency ratio numerator (GAAP)	$	10,284		$	10,630		$	10,598

Non-interest income	$	2,593		$	2,009		$	3,264
Add back net losses on debt and equity securities		—			(287	)		—
Subtract net gains on debt and equity securities		10			—			167
Net interest income		11,594			11,708			11,905
Efficiency ratio denominator (GAAP)	$	14,177		$	14,004		$	15,002
Efficiency ratio (GAAP)		73	%		76	%		71	%

Reconciliation of tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)

(in thousands, except per share data)

Tangible book value per share at end of period	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024
Total stockholders’ equity	$	180,051		$	179,084		$	180,149		$	176,045		$	172,821
Less: Goodwill		(31,498	)		(31,498	)		(31,498	)		(31,498	)		(31,498	)
Less: Intangible assets		(800	)		(979	)		(1,158	)		(1,336	)		(1,515	)
Tangible common equity (non-GAAP)	$	147,753		$	146,607		$	147,493		$	143,211		$	139,808
Ending common shares outstanding		9,989,536			9,981,996			10,074,136			10,297,341			10,406,880
Book value per share	$	18.02		$	17.94		$	17.88		$	17.10		$	16.61
Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)	$	14.79		$	14.69		$	14.64		$	13.91		$	13.43

Reconciliation of tangible common equity as a percent of tangible assets (non-GAAP)

(in thousands, except ratios)

Tangible common equity as a percent of tangible assets at end of period	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024
Total stockholders’ equity	$	180,051		$	179,084		$	180,149		$	176,045		$	172,821
Less: Goodwill		(31,498	)	$	(31,498	)	$	(31,498	)	$	(31,498	)		(31,498	)
Less: Intangible assets		(800	)	$	(979	)	$	(1,158	)	$	(1,336	)		(1,515	)
Tangible common equity (non-GAAP)	$	147,753		$	146,607		$	147,493		$	143,211		$	139,808
Total Assets	$	1,779,963		$	1,748,519		$	1,799,137		$	1,802,307		$	1,819,315
Less: Goodwill		(31,498	)		(31,498	)		(31,498	)		(31,498	)		(31,498	)
Less: Intangible assets		(800	)		(979	)		(1,158	)		(1,336	)		(1,515	)
Tangible Assets (non-GAAP)	$	1,747,665		$	1,716,042		$	1,766,481		$	1,769,473		$	1,786,302
Total stockholders’ equity to total assets ratio		10.12	%		10.24	%		10.01	%		9.77	%		9.50	%
Tangible common equity as a percent of tangible assets (non-GAAP)		8.45	%		8.54	%		8.35	%		8.09	%		7.83	%

¹Net income as adjusted and net income as adjusted per share are non-GAAP financial measures that management believes enhances investors’ ability to understand the underlying business performance and trends related to core business activities. For a detailed reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results, see the accompanying financial table “Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income and Net Income as Adjusted (non-GAAP)”.

²Return on average assets as adjusted is a non-GAAP measure that management believes enhances investors’ ability to understand the underlying business performance and trends relative to average assets. For a detailed reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results, see the accompanying financial table “Reconciliation of Return on Average Assets as Adjusted (non-GAAP)”.

³Return on average equity as adjusted is a non-GAAP measure that management believes enhances investors’ ability to understand the underlying business performance and trends relative to average equity. For a detailed reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results, see the accompanying financial table “Reconciliation of Return on Average Equity as Adjusted (non-GAAP)”.

⁴Tangible book value, tangible book value per share, tangible common equity as a percent of tangible assets and return on tangible common equity are non-GAAP measures that management believes enhances investors’ ability to understand the Company’s financial position. For a detailed reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results, see the accompanying financial table “Reconciliation of tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)”, “Reconciliation of tangible common equity as a percent of tangible assets (non-GAAP)”, and “Reconciliation of return on average tangible common equity)”.

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025

MIL-OSI: One Stop Systems to Report First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ESCONDIDO, Calif., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One Stop Systems, Inc. (“OSS” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: OSS), a leader in rugged Enterprise Class compute for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and sensor processing at the edge, announced today that the Company will release its first quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. A webcast and conference call will be held that same day at 10:00 a.m. ET to review the Company’s results.

Conference Call and Webcast

Domestic: 1-800-717-1738
International: 1-646-307-1865
Conference ID: 57745 (required for entry)
Webcast: https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1710966&tp_key=28a1f0fc7f

Conference Call Replay

Domestic: 1-844-512-2921
International: 1-412-317-6671
Passcode: 1157745

A replay of the call will be available after 1:00 p.m. ET on May 7, 2025, through May 21, 2025.

About One Stop Systems
One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS) is a leader in AI enabled solutions for the demanding ‘edge’. OSS designs and manufactures Enterprise Class compute and storage products that enable rugged AI, sensor fusion and autonomous capabilities without compromise. These hardware and software platforms bring the latest data center performance to harsh and challenging applications, whether they are on land, sea or in the air.

OSS products include ruggedized servers, compute accelerators, flash storage arrays, and storage acceleration software. These specialized compact products are used across multiple industries and applications, including autonomous trucking and farming, as well as aircraft, drones, ships and vehicles within the defense industry.

OSS solutions address the entire AI workflow, from high-speed data acquisition to deep learning, training and large-scale inference, and have delivered many industry firsts for industrial OEM and government customers.

As the fastest growing segment of the multi-billion-dollar edge computing market, AI enabled solutions require-and OSS delivers-the highest level of performance in the most challenging environments without compromise.

OSS products are available directly or through global distributors. For more information, go to www.onestopsystems.com. You can also follow OSS on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
One Stop Systems cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the company’s current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by One Stop Systems or its partners that any of our plans or expectations will be achieved. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Media Contacts:
Robert Kalebaugh
One Stop Systems, Inc.
Tel (858) 518-6154
Email contact

Investor Relations:
Andrew Berger
Managing Director
SM Berger & Company, Inc.
Tel (216) 464-6400
Email contact

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council is building for a bright future with new affordable homes scheme

Source: City of Leeds

Work on a new housing development is in full swing as Leeds City Council once again demonstrates its commitment to providing high quality, energy efficient and affordable homes for local families.

The council secured planning permission in October last year for a total of 82 houses and apartments on the site of a former school at Hough Top, in Swinnow, near Pudsey.

And, six months on, construction activity is proceeding at pace, with a new road layout already taking shape and good progress being made on car parking, substations and perimeter fencing.

The development – which is being delivered via Leeds’s Council Housing Growth Programme (CHGP) – will comprise 55 houses and 27 apartments, with a mix of one, two, three and four bedrooms.

The apartments will be located in a new three-storey building named Hough Top Court. The site’s roads, meanwhile, will be called Hough Common, Hough Fold and Hough Drive.

All 82 properties will be made available for affordable rent, an important consideration given the high level of demand for social housing in the wider Pudsey area.

The new homes will also be fitted with air source heat pumps, a sustainable heating solution that will help cut carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty and support Leeds’s net zero ambitions.

Landscaping and tree-planting work will create attractive open space within the 2.5-hectare site, which has lain empty since the demolition of the former Hough Side High School buildings in 2021 and 2022.

The development is being delivered for the council by construction company Willmott Dixon, which is also conducting a wide-ranging programme of associated community-focused activity. To date, its team has run more than 30 apprentice training weeks, undertaken 50 hours of school engagement and carried out 80 hours of career mentoring for local people.

The bulk of the funding for the scheme – scheduled for completion late next year – is being provided by the council’s housing service via Right to Buy receipts and borrowing, with £1.64m of grant support coming from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.

Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said:

“The Hough Top scheme is an excellent example of how the council is working, with partners, to deliver good quality, energy efficient and affordable homes for the people of Leeds.

“The difference that a development like this can make to local families is huge, particularly in an area such as Pudsey where there are significant housing needs.

“Our aim is to ensure that communities right across Leeds can benefit in the same way and, while we know there is still much to do, the various schemes currently taking shape as part of our Council Housing Growth Programme are moving us ever closer to realising that ambition.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“Because of devolution, we’ve been able to invest almost £90m to help unlock over 5,000 new homes, including dozens of affordable and sustainable homes in Pudsey.

“Working with Leeds City Council, we’re taking decisive action to tackle the housing crisis and deliver the warm, high-quality homes that local families need, with lower rents and energy bills.

“Everyone is entitled to a safe and secure roof over their head, so we will work with central government to get the whole of West Yorkshire building, with new freedoms and funding to deliver thousands more homes and create a greener, more vibrant region.”

Chris Yates, Yorkshire director at Willmott Dixon, said:

“Our team of local housing experts bring a wealth of experience to Hough Top. We share Leeds City Council’s passion for creating employment opportunities for this community. In partnership with our local supply chain partners, we are committed to supporting local people through our dedicated Building Lives Academy skills programme, as well as continuing to work closely with local schools and colleges.”

More than 350 new homes have been built via the council’s CHGP since 2018. More than 420 homes have also been acquired as part of the programme, with these properties and the new-builds both playing a crucial role in efforts to ease local affordable housing pressures.

By increasing the number of appropriate properties available to tenants looking to downsize, the programme has also helped free up some homes that are best suited to larger families.

Locations where new housing has recently been delivered by the CHGP include Barncroft Close in Seacroft and Scott Hall Drive in Chapel Allerton as well as a site in Middleton formerly occupied by Throstle Recreation Ground and Middleton Skills Centre.

Places where CHGP schemes are, like the one at Hough Top, currently under construction include Brooklands Avenue in Seacroft, the Ambertons area of Gipton and the former Middlecross Day Centre site in Armley.

ENDS

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Report to the President on Protecting Children from Surgical and Chemical Mutilation Executive Summary

US Senate News:

Source: The White House
Background
Under President Biden, the Federal government promoted a grotesque social and scientific experiment on American children. During the first three years of his administration alone, more than 7,000 children were administered puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Over 4,000 were subjected to sex-trait modification surgical interventions, such as mastectomies. These interventions were marketed to children on the basis of ideologically driven and financially motivated junk-science.
On January 28, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14187, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.” EO 14187 prohibits Federal departments from funding, sponsoring, assisting, or facilitating the chemical and surgical mutilation of minors and directs them to stop these immoral, unjust, and disproven practices more broadly to the greatest extent possible. The following sections summarize initial steps taken to implement this Order.
Restoring Scientific Integrity
Section 3(i) directs agencies to rescind or amend all policies that rely on the “Standards of Care Version 8” developed by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). These standards were not drafted based on scientific evidence, but on political considerations. During the drafting process, then-Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Levine, lobbied WPATH to drop its proposed age limits for surgical mutilation. Levine then issued Federal guidance titled “Gender-affirming Care and Young People,” which promoted the chemical sterilization and surgical mutilation of minors.
After President Trump took office in January, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) immediately removed this document, along with other pseudo-scientific information, from its webpages. On February 14, a court order compelled HHS to display this document and other pseudoscientific webpages. HHS followed the court order, but provided a notice that it disavows Levine’s document – and all materials that cite WPATH – in the strongest possible terms.
Section 3(ii) directs HHS to publish an evidence-based review of the literature on best-practices to promote the health of children who assert gender dysphoria. HHS has coordinated with a team of eight distinguished scholars, and will publish this review by the 90-day deadline.
Promoting Accurate Information
Section 3(b) directs HHS to use “all available methods” to increase data quality to improve practices “for improving the health of minors with gender dysphoria.”
The lead researcher of one notable study, funded by the National Institute for Health (NIH), withheld its results from the public for political reasons. The NIH has taken, and will continue to take, all necessary and proper steps to ensure accountability and transparency for all taxpayer-funded studies.
HHS is reviewing data tools to ensure that Federal data collection reflects biological reality and provides medically useful information.
Stopping Taxpayer-Funded Child Experimentation and Mutilation
Section 4 directs HHS to “immediately take appropriate steps to ensure that [medical] institutions receiving federal research or education grants end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”
HHS has eliminated 215 such grants, saving taxpayers over $477 million. Two examples include: a $1,319,024 grant to the Center for Innovative Public Health research for “#TranscendantHealth – Adapting an LGB+ inclusive teen pregnancy prevention program for transgender boys;” and a $5,955,310 grant to Boston Children’s Hospital for “TransHealthGUIDE: Transforming Health for Gender-Diverse Young Adults Using Intervention to Drive Equity.”
Ensuring Proper Medical Treatment
Section 5 directs HHS to take all appropriate actions to end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children. On March 5, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Quality and Safety Special Alert Memo entitled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which alerted providers to the dangers of chemical mutilation as well as the lack of medical evidence supporting their use. Among other provisions, the letter stated that:
it is of utmost importance that all providers follow the highest standards of care and adhere closely to the foundational principles of medicine, especially as it comes to America’s children. This CMS alert to providers on the dangerous chemical and surgical mutilation of children, including interventions that cause sterilization, is informed by a growing body of evidence and protective policies across the world.
Within days, similar letters were sent by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
This administration is preparing other actions in accordance with Section 5. HHS, through CMS, is also exploring every avenue to increase access to detransition care.
Pursuant to Section 6, the Department of Defense has required its health services contractors to discontinue child mutilation as a covered benefit. Pursuant to Section 7, the Office of Personnel Management has excluded coverage for the mutilation of the children of the Federal civilian workforce beginning in Plan Year 2026.
Ensuring Equal Protection and Rule of Law
Pursuant to Section 8, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has prepared guidance regarding enforcement of 18 U.S.C. § 116, prioritizing protection against female genital mutilation, and will convene State Attorneys General to coordinate enforcement. It has also initiated investigations of multiple entities that have misled the public about the long-term side effects of chemical and surgical mutilation under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
DOJ has drafted and submitted legislation creating a private right of action, with a long statute of limitations, for children whose bodies have been chemically and surgically damaged and their parents, for additional review. DOJ will also establish a “Parental Rights Task Force” to vindicate the rights of parents in states like California, where parental refusal to consent to the mutilation of their children can enable the state to remove children from parental custody, and to further uphold parents’ recognized constitutional rights.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: People with passion for education urged to take governor role

Source: City of Wolverhampton

School Governing Boards are made up of people from all walks of life with a range of different backgrounds, skills and experiences – but they are all volunteers who work together for the benefit of the school and act as the link between the school and the community it serves.

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “We are currently looking for new governors to work in schools across Wolverhampton and we’d be delighted to hear from anyone who has an interest in school performance, a desire to contribute to and represent the community, and an open and enquiring mind.

“Key skills are the ability to look at issues objectively, the confidence to ask questions and join in debate, a willingness to listen and make informed judgements and the ability to work well with others.

“If this is you, you may be the very person to become a governor. Everyone has something to offer, and we want to hear from people from as many backgrounds and with as wide a range of interests as possible.

“Becoming a governor is an enjoyable and rewarding way to play an active part in the local community – and can allow you to further develop your strategic management skills and enhance your CV, too.”

People would need to be able to volunteer for around eight hours a term, with some meetings potentially outside of school hours. The council will provide all the necessary training and support to carry out this important role.

Governing bodies play a key role in setting targets for raising standards of educational achievement, monitoring progress towards meeting these targets, supporting and challenging the performance of the headteacher and deciding policy and future development plans.

To request an application pack, or to find out more about the role, please contact Kay Mason, School Improvement Advisor, via kay.mason@wolverhampton.gov.uk.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TUV Condemns Alliance MLA’s Defence of Kneecap; Appeals to US to Block Rap Group’s Visas

Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

Statement by TUV East Antrim representative, Councillor Matthew Warwick:

“It is revealing that Danny Donnelly, an elected representative of the Alliance Party, attacks Unionists for criticising Kneecap — a rap group whose very name glorifies the brutal practice of IRA kneecappings, leaving countless innocent victims scarred for life.

“While Alliance routinely condemns Loyalism for the slightest real or perceived offence, Mr Donnelly leaps to the defence of a group that:

• openly calls for the ethnic cleansing of ‘Brits’ from Northern Ireland;

• weaponises the Irish language, featuring the notorious slogan ‘Every word spoken in Irish is a bullet in the freedom struggle’ in promotional material;

• supports terrorist groups in the Middle East, including Hamas; and

• advocates the murder of Tory MPs.

“If any group associated with Loyalism featured a character in a balaclava named DJ UDA, Mr Donnelly and his party would waste no time in public denunciation. Yet he now seeks to shield a group whose stage names mock the suffering inflicted by IRA terrorists.

“It is important to make clear that Mr Donnelly’s views do not represent the majority of East Antrim. Accordingly, today I have written to the U.S. Department of State to request that Kneecap be denied visas to spread their toxic ideology to America.”

Mr Warrick’s letter is as follows:

Visa Office

U.S. Department of State

Washington, D.C. 20520

United States of America

Re: Objection to Visa Applications by Kneecap

Dear Sir/Madam,

I write on behalf of Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) to urge the United States Department of State to deny visas to the rap group Kneecap, who are seeking entry into the United States for a concert tour later this year.

Kneecap are not merely entertainers; they are open advocates of violence, division, and terror. Their lyrics and public appearances glorify the blood-soaked legacy of the Provisional IRA, a terrorist organisation responsible for nearly 1,800 murders. Their very name references the IRA’s gruesome practice of “kneecapping” — a method of torture used to permanently maim their victims.

Kneecap has publicly called for violence against sitting Members of Parliament, promoting the killing of elected officials — a grave incitement that goes far beyond artistic expression and constitutes a direct attack on democracy.

The group also uses their platform to champion extremist causes abroad. At their recent performance at the Coachella music festival, they projected inflammatory anti-Israel slogans, accusing Israel of genocide and condemning the U.S. government as complicit in alleged war crimes.

Furthermore, they have publicly aligned themselves with organisations such as Hamas, whose brutal acts of terrorism have targeted Jewish civilians.

In today’s climate, where antisemitism is a rising threat particularly in academic settings where President Trump’s administration has taken welcome steps to address the issues, it would be deeply irresponsible to allow entry to individuals who promote such hatred and violence.

U.S. law rightly provides for the denial of visas to those who advocate terrorism, incite political violence, or pose a risk to public order and social cohesion. By their words and actions, Kneecap clearly fall into this category.

Granting Kneecap visas would not promote cultural exchange. It would instead export to American cities a toxic ideology rooted in glorifying terrorism and stoking division.

I therefore respectfully urge the Department of State to reject any current or future visa applications from members of Kneecap.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Matthew Warwick

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV)

East Antrim

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: From Innovations to Personnel: The Polytechnic University Hosted the Arctic Summit

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

The 9th International Arctic Summit “Arctic: Prospects, Innovations and Regional Development”, dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Geographical Society, was held in two cities – Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the Northern capital, the participants of the large-scale event were hosted by the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

At the opening of the summit in the Technopolis Polytech research building, guests were greeted on behalf of the Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, by the Head of the Department for Development of Interaction with the Arctic Region of the St. Petersburg Committee for Arctic Affairs, Sergei Nikolaev.

The regional head’s address states that St. Petersburg is the center of Russia’s Arctic competencies, and the exchange of regions’ accumulated experience and the discussion of pressing issues of the development of the Far North are the key to strengthening our country’s position in the Arctic.

As Yuri Fomin, Vice-Rector for Research at SPbPU, noted in his greeting, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University not only trains personnel for enterprises in the northern region, but also conducts research in areas that are relevant for the Arctic: development of autonomous energy, construction in the Far North, infrastructure, logistics, security, etc.

The developments of our scientists are aimed at solving the problems outlined by the President of Russia at the VI International Arctic Forum. This is strengthening the transport and logistics contour of the Arctic, ensuring the energy independence of the region, mining, construction in difficult weather conditions, – said Yuri Vladimirovich and wished the forum participants successful and fruitful work.

Participants of the plenary session and thematic sections discussed many problematic issues related to the geopolitical, environmental and economic situation, harsh climate conditions and the shortage of highly professional personnel for the Arctic zone. At the Polytechnic site, they sought and proposed solutions, shared experiences and found partners.

Experts, including representatives of SPbPU, outlined the goals, main directions and mechanisms for implementing the tasks set, and also noted the importance of the activities of the Russian Geographical Society in the development of the Arctic.

Nikolay Vatin, Director of the Scientific and Technological Complex “Digital Engineering in Civil Construction”, spoke at the plenary session. He also held a thematic session “Development of Science and Technology in the Interests of Arctic Development. Information Partnership of Arctic Regions”.

At the special session “Scientific and technical projects and modern technologies for the development of the Arctic zone: Russian industry, world practice” Liliya Talipova, senior lecturer of the Higher School of Industrial, Civil and Road Construction of SPbPU, gave a report. She spoke about the development of a GIS platform for the design of linear objects in the Arctic.

The round table, dedicated to improving the quality of life of the population of the Arctic, was attended by IPMEiT teachers Maxim Polyukhovich, Alexey Ulyanov and Yulia Logvinova. The topic of their presentations was a model for designing workplaces for the region. In the round table session dedicated to Arctic energy, SPbPU professor Viktor Elistratov made a report on the use of renewable energy sources in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

Students of the Polytechnic University also took part in the summit. Thus, at the thematic session “International Relations in the Arctic”, Zoya Merkulova, a master of the Higher School of Technosphere Safety of SPbPU, presented a report “Comparison of Russian and Foreign Experience in Industrial Safety Applied to Enterprises in Arctic Regions”.

Summing up the forum, the director of the Arctic 2025 summit Gennady Cherepov thanked the participants and noted the productivity of all sections. In conclusion, the winners of the competition of scientific research works aimed at sustainable development and exploration of the Arctic within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology were awarded. Based on the materials of the summit, a scientific collection of the Russian Science Citation Index will be prepared and published.

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 –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: OLAF tip-off leads to seizure of 1.5 tonnes of counterfeit sportswear

Source: European Anti-Fraud Offfice

Press release no. 9/2025
PDF version

This press release is also available in Spanish.

A major seizure of counterfeit t-shirts and uniforms bound for a high-profile football event was carried out in Spain on Friday, 25 April, thanks to crucial intelligence provided by OLAF. The operation is part of a wider effort led by OLAF, in close cooperation with the Spanish National Police and EU customs authorities, to combat a surge in counterfeit sportswear.

This coordinated initiative aims to block the entry of fake and substandard products into the EU market, thereby protecting consumers, safeguarding public health, and defending legitimate businesses across Europe. As counterfeit goods often bypass safety regulations, they can pose significant risks, particularly during high-demand periods surrounding major international sporting events.

The operation on Friday resulted in the seizure of 59 boxes containing goods with a market value of approximately €570,000. It is believed that the sportswear was intended to be sold in connection with the Copa del Rey final taking place in Spain on 26 April.

OLAF is currently coordinating ongoing activities across several Member States, providing relevant intelligence and information to support enforcement actions. This approach has already resulted in multiple successful seizures of counterfeit sportswear, with Spain recording the majority of recent interceptions.

OLAF Director-General Ville Itälä said: “Counterfeit products not only harm the EU economy and legitimate businesses but can also pose health and safety risks to consumers. The upcoming sporting season has drawn the attention of criminal networks eager to exploit the market. The seizure in Spain is a clear example of what strong cooperation and timely intelligence sharing can achieve. OLAF remains committed to working with national and EU partners to prevent fake and potentially dangerous goods from reaching European consumers.”

OLAF will continue to monitor and coordinate activities in the field to combat the illicit trade in counterfeit goods, standing firm against those who attempt to exploit the EU market.

For more information and video, please see the communication from the Spanish Police here

_{OLAF mission, mandate and competences:}
_{OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds.}

_{OLAF fulfils its mission by:}
_{•    carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds, so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can create jobs and growth in Europe;}
_{•    contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions;}
_{•    developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy.}

_{In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning:}
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_{Once OLAF has completed its investigation, it is for the competent EU and national authorities to examine and decide on the follow-up of OLAF’s recommendations. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a competent national or EU court of law.}

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MIL OSI Europe News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Bitget Drops Exclusive LALIGA Skins: Trade in Style with Barça, Real Madrid & More

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has launched its innovative “Your Team, Your Skin: LALIGA on Bitget“ campaign in a move that blends the thrill of football with the excitement of crypto trading. The product update allows users to deck out their Bitget app with their favorite LALIGA team logo and compete for rewards, proving that in crypto, as in football, passion and strategy go hand in hand.

Bitget, known for pushing the boundaries of user engagement, has leveled up its game by integrating LALIGA’s iconic team designs into its app interface. Now, traders can wear their team’s pride on their digital sleeves with this new trading kit. Whether you’re a die-hard FC Barcelona fan or ride with Real Madrid, your Bitget app can now feature your team’s logo.

“We’re giving crypto enthusiasts a new way to show off their team spirit while they trade,” said Gracy Chen, Chief Executive Officer at Bitget. “Think of it as the ultimate crossover—where your trading app becomes as personalized as your fantasy football lineup. This campaign is a hat trick of engagement, personalization, and fun; whether you’re here for the trading or the trophies, there’s something for every fan.”

This isn’t just a cosmetic upgrade—it’s a full-blown competition. Users earn points by completing gamified tasks tied to their chosen team, with weekly leaderboards tracking the top performers. The more you trade, the higher your team climbs. And just like in football, every point counts.

Getting in on the action is simple yet thrilling. First, fans can personalize their Bitget trading experience by selecting their favorite LALIGA team’s iconic crests, transforming the app interface into a digital tribute to their football passion. Then the real competition begins: users earn points for their chosen squad by completing trading challenges and engaging with the platform, creating an exciting crossover between crypto activity and team pride. The stakes get higher each week as updated leaderboards showcase which club’s supporters are dominating the competition, blending trading prowess with undying fandom in a way that’s never been done before.

LALIGA’s reputation for innovation and global appeal aligns perfectly with Bitget’s mission to make crypto trading more interactive and engaging. By blending sports fandom with financial markets, Bitget is redefining how users interact with their trading platforms, proving that crypto doesn’t have to be all charts and numbers. Sometimes, it’s about bragging rights too.

The “Your Team, Your Skin” campaign is now live in the Bitget app. Download, customize, and start earning points today. Who said crypto trading couldn’t have a little fútbol flair?

About Bitget

Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f7e187b7-cdfe-4cc7-9410-ec2319c1a0f9

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Sunrun Installs Solar Projects at Three Affordable Apartment Communities in Southern California, Providing Energy Bill Savings to 800 Renters

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, today announced three new solar installations at affordable apartment communities in Orange County, California. Collectively, the new rooftop solar projects will provide monthly utility bill savings to approximately 800 low-income residents.

Sunrun installed the solar systems in partnership with affordable housing providers at Arroyo Vista, Villa Plumosa, and Yorba Linda Palms apartment complexes. In total, the systems will provide 748 kilowatts of electricity, offsetting approximately 80% to 90% of the communities’ energy usage. All three projects are located in California’s 40th Congressional District, which U.S. Rep. Young Kim represents.

“Rooftop solar energy in affordable housing communities I represent lowers utility bills for hardworking families struggling with rising living costs, creates local jobs here at home, and promotes U.S. energy dominance around the world,” said Rep. Young Kim. “I appreciate Sunrun’s work in our Southern California communities and will keep doing all I can to make life more affordable.”

To commemorate the three projects, Sunrun executives joined Rep. Kim, other state and county elected officials, and Eden Housing’s CEO for a ribbon cutting event at the recently completed 1,120 solar panel installation at Arroyo Vista apartment complex in Mission Viejo.

“We are so proud to be cutting energy bills for hundreds of hard-working residents in Southern California,” said Sunrun President and Chief Revenue Officer Paul Dickson. “This project is another example of how Sunrun is making solar energy—and the resulting savings—available to homeowners and renters of all income levels.”

Through virtual net metering, each of the 156 apartment homes at Arroyo Vista is receiving approximately $60 in monthly energy bill savings.

“Affordable housing is deeply needed in this part of Southern California and we are grateful to partner with Sunrun to make Arroyo Vista even more affordable for our residents through energy bill savings,” said Linda Mandolini, president and CEO of Eden Housing. “Supporting clean energy while also helping families stretch their hard-earned dollars is a win-win collaboration for our communities.”

Due to energy inflation and three years of approved utility rate hikes for San Diego Gas & Electric, Arroyo Vista residents will likely save even more over time. Over the next 20 years, Sunrun’s solar installation at Arroyo Vista is projected to collectively save the low-income renters over $3.5 million on their electric bills.

“When you’re on a fixed income, every penny counts, which is why I was especially happy to see the $60 savings on my power bill each month,” said Arroyo Vista resident Lametrius Freeman. “It feels great to be saving money and helping the environment at the same time. We’re grateful that Eden Housing and Sunrun made it possible.”

The solar installation at the Villa Plumosa apartment complex, located in Yorba Linda, is also completed and operating, providing 76 affordable apartment homes with nearly $60 in monthly energy bill savings through virtual net metering. The new solar project at nearby Yorba Linda Palms will be operational this summer and will provide the complex’s 44 affordable apartment homes with over $75 in monthly energy savings.

The projects participated in the state’s Solar On Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program and the Low-Income Communities Investment Tax Credit (ITC) program, allowing residents to enjoy the benefits of solar energy at no cost to them. State funding for the three projects comes from polluters who purchase greenhouse gas allowances under the state’s cap-and-trade program.

“SOMAH projects bring affordable, clean energy to hard working families who need it most, by significantly cutting monthly electricity bills,” said Lawrence Goldenhersh, President of the Center for Sustainable Energy, one of the SOMAH program administrators. “By lowering energy costs, we’re helping parents keep their homes running, care for their children, and protect their family’s health — creating lasting stability and opportunity for communities across California.”

Sunrun currently serves more than 21,000 households in low-income multifamily properties. The solar projects create economic activity in their respective communities through significant investments at the time of installation, employment, and the ongoing financial benefits provided to renters.

About Sunrun
Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com.

Media Contact
Wyatt Semanek
Director, Corporate Communications
press@sunrun.com

Investor & Analyst Contact
Patrick Jobin
SVP, Deputy CFO & Investor Relations Officer
investors@sunrun.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/74b9767f-3acc-44a2-841b-7625790af8f4

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2de7b9c4-7029-485a-832b-fe1a7d294364

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c9760a53-6f61-4415-bd86-43cd863e6331

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: CareCloud Launches Healthcare AI Center Set to Become World’s Largest with 500 AI Professionals
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SOMERSET, N.J., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CareCloud, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCLD, CCLDO), a leading provider of healthcare technology and generative AI solutions, today announced the official launch of its AI Center of Excellence (the “AI CoE”) — a major strategic initiative aimed at delivering scalable, domain-specific artificial intelligence solutions purpose-built for healthcare.

“Our ground-breaking AI Center officially began operations earlier this month with an inaugural team of over 50 AI engineers, data scientists, and healthcare domain experts, marking a pivotal moment in CareCloud’s journey,” said Hadi Chaudhry, Co-CEO of CareCloud. “The AI Center of Excellence reflects our long-term vision to lead in healthcare transformation. By leveraging 25 years of clinical and financial data, CareCloud is building proprietary, purpose-driven AI solutions that empower providers to deliver better care—faster, smarter, and more efficiently.”

The AI CoE operates under a dual-shore model, seamlessly combining global engineering talent with localized healthcare expertise. CareCloud plans to scale the team to 500 AI professionals between now and the fourth quarter of 2025 — a milestone that CareCloud believes will establish it as the largest dedicated healthcare AI initiative in the world. The AI CoE is fully self-funded, reflecting CareCloud’s strong operating cash flows, disciplined execution, and the scalability of its global delivery model. By leveraging a highly efficient cost structure that outperforms U.S.-based competitors, CareCloud is uniquely positioned to accelerate innovation at scale while delivering enterprise-grade solutions with exceptional cost-effectiveness.

“The launch of CareCloud’s AI Center of Excellence marks a major step forward in our growth strategy,” said Stephen Snyder, Co-CEO of CareCloud. “RCM companies and other industry competitors without advanced AI capabilities are being left behind — survival and growth now depend on innovation at scale. With the launch of our AI Center of Excellence, CareCloud is not just adapting to this shift — we are driving it. By embedding AI across every level of our organization, we are building a more powerful, efficient, and future-ready company positioned to lead the next era of healthcare.”

Some core focus areas of CareCloud’s AI CoE include:
- Proprietary Healthcare AI Models: Developing intelligent, domain-specific models for clinical workflows, revenue cycle processes, and decision support.
- Automation and Efficiency Gains: Streamlining clinical documentation, coding, claims management, prior authorizations, and compliance workflows.
- Predictive and Preventive Analytics: Enabling earlier identification of reimbursement risks, denial causes, patient propensity-to-pay and operational bottlenecks.
- Smarter Patient and Provider Engagement: Enhancing communication, scheduling, patient education, and satisfaction through AI-driven personalization.
- Accelerated Innovation Across Platforms: Embedding AI natively across EHR, RCM, and digital health products to deliver real-time, scalable value.
CareCloud’s deep domain expertise and rich historical datasets provide a significant advantage in training and refining accurate, compliant AI models. By tightly integrating AI across its technology stack, the company is poised to deliver enterprise-grade, HIPAA-compliant solutions with immediate real-world impact.

As the healthcare industry rapidly embraces artificial intelligence, CareCloud’s AI CoE strengthens its role as an innovation leader — driving operational transformation, enhancing clinical outcomes, and reducing the administrative burden on providers.

About CareCloud

CareCloud (Nasdaq: CCLD, CCLDO) brings disciplined innovation to the business of healthcare. Our suite of AI and technology-enabled solutions helps clients increase financial and operational performance, streamline clinical workflows and improve the patient experience. More than 40,000 providers count on CareCloud to help them improve patient care, while reducing administrative burdens and operating costs. Learn more about our products and services, including revenue cycle management (RCM), practice management (PM), electronic health records (EHR), business intelligence, patient experience management (PXM) and digital health, at carecloud.com.

Follow CareCloud on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.

For additional information, please visit our website at carecloud.com. To listen to video presentations by CareCloud’s management team, read recent press releases and view the latest investor presentation, please visit ir.carecloud.com.

Disclaimer

This press release is for information purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to anticipated future events, future results of operations or future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” “could”, “intends,” “expects,” “plans,” “goals,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “possible,” “potential,” “target,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.

Our operations involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect our results of operations and whether the forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements reflecting management’s expectations for future financial performance and operating expenditures, expected growth, profitability and business outlook, the impact of pandemics on our financial performance and business activities, and the expected results from the integration of our acquisitions.

These forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are only predictions, are uncertain and involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our (or our industry’s) actual results, levels of activity or performance to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of the risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s ability to manage growth, migrate newly acquired customers and retain new and existing customers, maintain cost-effective global operations, increase operational efficiency and reduce operating costs, predict and properly adjust to changes in reimbursement and other industry regulations and trends, retain the services of key personnel, develop new technologies, upgrade and adapt legacy and acquired technologies to work with evolving industry standards, compete with other companies’ products and services competitive with ours, and other important risks and uncertainties referenced and discussed under the heading titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by the Company on its website or otherwise. The Company does not assume any obligations to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

SOURCE CareCloud

Company Contact:
Norman Roth
Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller
CareCloud, Inc.
nroth@carecloud.com

Investor Contact:
Stephen Snyder
Co-Chief Executive Officer
CareCloud, Inc.
ir@carecloud.com

The MIL Network –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: Smart Share Global Limited Files Its Annual Report on Form 20-F

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SHANGHAI, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Smart Share Global Limited (Nasdaq: EM) (“Energy Monster” or the “Company”), a consumer tech company providing mobile device charging service, today announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 28, 2025. The annual report can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at https://ir.enmonster.com/ and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

The Company will provide a hard copy of its annual report containing the audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be directed to Investor Relations, 6^th Floor, 799 Tianshan W Road, Changning District, Shanghai, 200335, the People’s Republic of China.

About Smart Share Global Limited

Smart Share Global Limited (Nasdaq: EM), or Energy Monster, is a consumer tech company with the mission to energize everyday life. The Company is a leading provider of mobile device charging service in China with an extensive network of partners powered by its own advanced service platform. The Company provides mobile device charging service through its power banks, which are placed in POIs such as entertainment venues, restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, transportation hubs and public spaces. Users may access the service by scanning the QR codes on Energy Monster’s cabinets to release the power banks. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had 9.6 million power banks in 1,279,900 POIs across more than 2,200 counties and county-level districts in China.

Contact Us

Investor Relations
Hansen Shi
ir@enmonster.com

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: iRhythm Presents New Real-World Data on Ambulatory Cardiac Monitoring at HRS 2025 Reinforcing Clinical Superiority of Zio Long-Term Continuous Monitoring
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- Findings in a younger, commercially insured population build on Medicare-based CAMELOT results, expanding the generalizability of Zio LTCM’s clinical impact across patient groups.
- Latest data showed Zio LTCM was associated with higher diagnostic yield and lower likelihood of repeat testing and cardiovascular events compared to all other LTCM products.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRTC) announced results from a large real-world retrospective analysis presented at the Heart Rhythm Society’s annual meeting, HRS2025, held April 24–27 in San Diego, CA, The Assessment of Variation in AmbuLatory Cardiac MONitoring: Real-World Evidence of Commercially Insured Beneficiaries (AVALON) study—drawing on claims data from a cohort of 428,707 commercially insured patients—represents the largest real-world comparative evaluation of ambulatory cardiac monitoring (ACM) among this population to date, and reinforces the clinical superiority of the Zio^® long-term continuous monitoring (LTCM) service.

The Zio LTCM service consists of a prescription-only, patch-based ECG monitoring device that captures up to 14 days of continuous, uninterrupted data, and the ZEUS^® (Zio ECG Utilization Software) system with an FDA-cleared AI algorithm clinically proven to perform at the level of cardiologists.¹ The system delivers an end-of-wear report that is reviewed and validated by qualified cardiac technicians, with a 99% physician agreement rate.²

Building on findings from the CAMELOT (Cardiac Ambulatory Monitor EvaLuation of Outcomes and Time to Events) study—published in the American Heart Journal—which demonstrated the clinical superiority of the Zio LTCM service among a Medicare population, the AVALON study evaluated a younger, commercially insured population (mean age: 46 years). Like CAMELOT, the AVALON data showed that Zio LTCM service was associated with the highest diagnostic yield compared to other ACM modalities and all other LTCM services, and a lower likelihood of repeat testing compared to all other LTCM services. AVALON also found that Zio LTCM service was associated with a lower likelihood of cardiovascular (CV) events compared to other ACM modalities and all other LTCM services.

Also at HRS, as part of a separate analysis, data were also presented showing that use of the MyZio^® App, a patient smartphone accessory app designed to improve patient engagement and enable digital symptom logging, was associated with increased symptom reporting, improved symptom-rhythm correlation, and a greater rate of arrhythmia-correlated dairy entries compared to non-users — demonstrating that digital apps can provide additional contextual clinical information and reinforcing the value of digital engagement alongside ambulatory cardiac monitoring.

“Once again, we have strong real-world evidence that compellingly demonstrates the superiority of Zio’s 14-day, uninterrupted, patch-based monitoring — AVALON extends findings beyond Medicare to patients in common commercial insurance plans,” said Mintu Turakhia, MD, iRhythm Chief Medical and Scientific Officer and EVP of Product Innovation. “We’re also proud of MyZio, which enriches the patient experience and provides more information to their doctor. As a Top 40 Medical App, our iOS App has a 4.7 rating — a rare accomplishment among medical device connected apps.”

AVALON Study Evaluates Clinical Outcomes in Real-World Cardiac Monitoring

The AVALON study aimed to assess the impact of ambulatory cardiac monitoring strategy on three key clinical outcomes: diagnostic yield, likelihood of repeat testing, and likelihood of cardiovascular (CV) events.³ These outcomes reflect both the immediate diagnostic effectiveness of ambulatory cardiac monitoring and its longer-term clinical implications.

Diagnostic yield—the ability to identify clinically relevant arrhythmias during a monitoring period—is a critical measure of effectiveness, as it enables earlier, more confident treatment decisions and may reduce the need for additional testing. Arrhythmias are commonly paroxysmal and infrequent. Therefore, device design, and performance AI, and quality of technician review can all affect whether arrhythmias are identified. Repeat testing may reflect diagnostic uncertainty, which can delay care and increase the burden on both patients and clinicians. In real-world settings, retest rates offer practical insight into diagnostic efficiency. CV events, such as cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction (MI), embolic stroke, or heart failure, represent meaningful long-term outcomes. Reducing the likelihood of these CV events is a key goal in arrhythmia management and may reflect the broader clinical impact of monitoring strategy.

Using closed claims data,⁴ investigators identified 428,707 commercially insured patients who were diagnostically naïve — defined as having no prior cardiac monitoring, arrhythmia diagnosis, or arrhythmia-related procedures or medications in the 12 months prior to the index date (baseline period). Of the records analyzed, 36% of patients used LTCM, 36% used a Holter monitor, and 27% used an ambulatory event monitor (AEM). The mean age ranged from 45 to 46 years across ACM cohorts.

Diagnostic Yield and Likelihood of Retest and Cardiovascular Events

New arrhythmia diagnosis — as documented in clinical encounter claims using ICD-10 codes for specified arrhythmias, within the first 90 days was highest for Zio LTCM service (26.5%), followed by non-iRhythm LTCM (18.4%), AEM (17.0%), and Holter monitoring (14.7%).

Zio LTCM service was associated with the highest adjusted odds of a new arrhythmia encounter diagnosis compared to other ACM modalities and all other LTCM services. Compared to Holter monitors, Zio LTCM service was 2.04 times more likely to have a new arrhythmia encounter diagnosis within 90-days. Compared to AEM, Zio LTCM was 1.69 times more likely to have a new arrhythmia encounter diagnosis within 90-days. Compared to non-iRhythm LTCM services, Zio LTCM service was 1.56 times more likely to have a new arrhythmia encounter diagnosis within 90-days. Compared to Bardy LTCM service, Zio LTCM service was 1.12 times more likely to have a new arrhythmia encounter diagnosis within 90-days. Compared to Biotelemetry LTCM service, Zio LTCM service was 1.72 times more likely to have a new arrhythmia encounter diagnosis within 90-days. Compared to Preventice LTCM service , Zio LTCM service was 1.69 times more likely to have a new arrhythmia encounter diagnosis within 90-days. Compared to “Other LTCM,” Zio LTCM service was 1.61 times more likely to have a new arrhythmia encounter diagnosis within 90-days.

Zio LTCM service was associated with lowest adjusted odds of retesting within 180 days compared to all other LTCMs from service providers in the same extended monitoring category. Compared to Zio LTCM service, all non-iRhythm LTCMs were 1.95 times more likely to result in a retest. Across the providers in the LTCM space, Bardy, BioTelemetry, Preventice, and “Other LTCM” providers were associated, respectively, as 1.41, 1.39, 1.30, and 3.52 times more likely to result in a retest within 180 days compared to Zio LTCM.³

Zio LTCM service was associated with lowest adjusted odds of cardiovascular events within 1-year compared to ACM modalities and all other LTCMs from service providers in the same extended monitoring category.

Holter monitors were 1.13 times more likely and AEM were 1.21 times more likely to have a CV event within 1-year compared to Zio LTCM service. Compared to Zio LTCM service, non-iRhythm LTCMs were 1.23 times more likely to have a CV event within 1-year after accounting for baseline patient differences. Across the providers in the LTCM space, Bardy, BioTelemetry, Preventice, and “Other LTCM” providers were 1.11, 1.24, 1.19, and 1.23 times more likely, respectively, to have a CV event within 1-year compared to Zio LTCM.³

iRhythm’s Expanding Clinical Evidence Base

These new data build on iRhythm’s comprehensive clinical evidence program, encompassing more than 125 original research manuscripts,⁵ insights derived from over 2 billion hours of curated heartbeat data⁶ and more than 10 million patient reports posted since the company’s inception—underscoring the company’s ongoing commitment to expanding evidence that supports improved patient outcomes.

About the iRhythm Studies Presented at HRS2025

AVALON: Assessment of Variation in AmbuLatory Cardiac MONitoring: Real-World Evidence of Commercially Insured Beneficiaries study

Ambulatory cardiac monitors (ACM) enable heart rhythm monitoring for various durations, including Holter monitors (0–48 hours), long-term continuous monitoring (LTCM, 3–14 days), and external ambulatory event monitors (AEM, up to 30 days). These devices detect intermittent or asymptomatic arrhythmias that might go unnoticed with a standard electrocardiogram. The prior CAMELOT study explored variations in ACM use among older and sicker Medicare beneficiaries (Mean Age: 76 years; Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI]: 2.4), but differences among commercially insured patients remained unclear, until now.

The retrospective cohort study sought to assess the incidence of clinical outcomes among commercially insured diagnostic naïve patients who received their first ACM, using a large commercial claims database focused on patients without prior arrhythmia diagnoses who underwent their first ACM between 2016 and 2023. Outcomes included new arrhythmia diagnoses (based on ICD-10 codes) within 90 days, repeat ACM testing within 180 days, and cardiovascular events within 365 days of initiating ACM use. Results were stratified by major ACM manufacturers using national provider identifiers (NPI). To minimize confounding, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) balanced covariates, and adjusted regression models were used to evaluate outcomes during follow-up. Of 428,707 patients meeting inclusion, 36% used LTCM, 36% Holter, and 27% AEM.

Adjusted analyses showed Zio LTCM service was associated with higher odds of arrhythmia diagnoses, fewer retests (except AEM), and lower odds of cardiovascular events compared to other modalities and all other LTCM manufacturers.

Clinical outcomes vary by ACM type among commercially insured patients. Zio LTCM service demonstrated superior performance, with higher rates of arrhythmia diagnoses, fewer repeat tests, and fewer cardiovascular events compared to other ACM types and all other LTCM providers.

The AVALON study was funded by iRhythm Technologies, Inc; statistical analysis was independently performed by Blue Health Intelligence (BHI).

Digital Engagement With A Patient Smartphone App Is Associated With Increased Symptom Reporting And Symptom-Rhythm Correlation In Patients Undergoing Ambulatory Cardiac Monitoring

Patient-reported symptoms are the most common indication for ambulatory cardiac monitoring (ACM) and a key component of arrhythmia management used to guide treatment decisions. Symptom severity and context are useful in risk stratification and were traditionally captured in paper diaries. MyZio^® mobile app is an optional patient smartphone app for use with Zio^® ACMs (including LTCM and mobile cardiac telemetry devices) designed to improve engagement and enable digital symptom logging.

The retrospective study sought to evaluate the impact of MyZio App digital symptom logging, as compared to paper patient diaries, on symptom-rhythm correlation (SRC), and evaluated >164,000 randomly sampled ECG records from among patients ≥18 yrs prescribed Zio ACM for ≤14 days between Jan 1 and Jun 30, 2024. Symptoms were recorded by 1) a patient-activated button incorporated into the ACM, 2) entries in a paper diary provided with the ACM, or 3) entries in a digital diary available to app users. Continuous ECG data were analyzed using an FDA cleared deep learning algorithm for arrhythmia classification. Symptoms documented within ±45 seconds of an arrhythmia were considered rhythm correlated. We calculated the percentage of symptomatic episodes based on button presses or dairy entry and per-patient SRC.

Among 164,563 patients, 18.4% used the MyZio App. App users were younger and more likely to be female than non-users. App use was associated with increased odds of rhythm-correlated symptoms by button press (OR=1.86; 95%CI 1.84-1.89) and diary entry (OR=3.44; 95%CI 3.38-3.50). Overall engagement was greater among App users vs. non-users, with a higher rate of episodes identified by button press alone and per-patient SRC (16.0% vs. 13.9%). Use of the MyZio App was associated with a 1.85-fold increase in rate of rhythm-correlated diary entries (OR 1.85, 95%CI 1.81-1.89) over the increase in rate of rhythm-correlated button presses alone.

In patch-based ACM, use of the MyZio App was associated with increased symptom logging, greater SRC and higher odds of rhythm-correlated diary entries. Use of a patient digital app as an adjunct to ACM can provide greater contextual clinical information.

About iRhythm Technologies
iRhythm is a leading digital health care company that creates trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease. Combining wearable biosensors and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms, iRhythm distills data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information. Through a relentless focus on patient care, iRhythm’s vision is to deliver better data, better insights, and better health for all. To learn more about iRhythm and its Zio^® portfolio of products and services, please visit https://www.irhythmtech.com/.

Media Contact
Kassandra Perry
irhythm@highwirepr.com

Investor Contact
Stephanie Zhadkevich
investors@irhythmtech.com

¹ Hannun et al. Cardiologist-level arrhythmia detection and classification in ambulatory electrocardiograms using a deep neural network. Nat Med. 2019;25:65-69. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-018-0268-3
² 99% of physicians agree with the comprehensive end-of-wear report. Based on a review of all online Zio XT, Zio monitor, and Zio AT end-of-wear reports. Data on file. iRhythm Technologies, 2023.
3 Cardiovascular Events defined as cardiac arrest, MI, arterial embolism and thrombosis, embolic stroke, systemic embolism, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure
⁴ The analysis was conducted using closed claims data from a large, national commercial health plan dataset maintained by BHI (Blue Health Intelligence).
⁵ Data on file. iRhythm Technologies, 2025.
⁶ Data on file. iRhythm Technologies, 2024.

The MIL Network –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI: StepStone Real Estate Closes Record-Breaking $3.77 Billion Real Estate Secondaries Fund, Surpassing $4.5 Billion in Total Investment Capacity

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StepStone Real Estate (SRE), the real estate arm of StepStone Group (Nasdaq: STEP), today announced the final closing of StepStone Real Estate Partners V (SREP V), its fifth flagship fund dedicated to GP-led secondaries and recapitalizations of real estate vehicles. With $3.77 billion in primary commitments, SREP V represents the largest real estate secondaries fund raised to date. Including co-investments completed and discretionary vehicles raised to invest alongside the fund, the total investment program exceeds $4.5 billion in capacity.

Despite challenging market conditions and a slowdown in fundraising across the real estate sector, SREP V was significantly oversubscribed, reflecting strong investor confidence in SRE’s differentiated strategy and past performance. To date, SREP V and related separate accounts have committed $1.7 billion across 8 investments, with a large pipeline of transactions currently closing, underscoring the significant demand for liquidity solutions from real estate GPs.

Founded in 2009, SRE was established by Jeff Giller, Partner and Head of StepStone Real Estate, Josh Cleveland, Partner and Head of EMEA, and Brendan MacDonald, Partner and Chief Operating Officer. Since inception, the firm has focused on providing liquidity to real estate funds and their investors during times of market dislocation.

“We believe the combination of value declines, historically low transaction volume, increased borrowing costs, and a slow fundraising environment has created unprecedented illiquidity across real estate markets,” said Giller. “Our strategy—providing liquidity solutions to real estate vehicles and investors when traditional liquidity avenues are challenged—has proven resilient through all phases of the market cycle, and it’s especially compelling today.”

“SREP V attracted a diverse global investor base, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance companies, and wealth management platforms,” said Cleveland. “The fund saw notably higher participation from North American institutions compared to prior vintages, along with increased commitments from investors in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America,” he added.

The success of the fundraise was also driven by the strength of SRE’s broader platform. “Our advisory practice, which oversees roughly $170 billion in real estate assets under advisement, continues to play a pivotal role in sourcing and evaluating secondaries transactions,” said MacDonald. “We conduct over 1,000 manager meetings annually and have allocated approximately $17 billion per year across primary investments in funds, secondaries, and co-investments. This level of engagement gives us a distinct vantage point in the market—and a strong edge in deal sourcing and diligence.”

SREP V continues a strategy pioneered by SRE’s founders following the Global Financial Crisis, shifting from traditional secondaries focused on passive limited partner interests to control-oriented, GP-led secondaries and recapitalizations.

Latham & Watkins LLP advised on the formation of the fund and Threadmark Partners Limited provided placement agent services.

About StepStone and StepStone Real Estate

StepStone Group Inc. (Nasdaq: STEP) is a global private markets investment firm focused on providing customized investment solutions and advisory and data services to its clients. As of December 31, 2024, StepStone was responsible for $698 billion of total capital, including $179 billion of assets under management. StepStone’s clients include some of the world’s largest public and private defined benefit and defined contribution pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies, as well as prominent endowments, foundations, family offices and private wealth clients, which include high-net-worth and mass affluent individuals. StepStone partners with its clients to develop and build private markets portfolios designed to meet their specific objectives across the real estate, private equity, infrastructure, and private debt asset classes.

Contacts

Shareholder Relations:
Seth Weiss
shareholders@stepstonegroup.com
+1 (212) 351-6106

Media:
Brian Ruby / Chris Gillick / Matt Lettiero, ICR
StepStonePR@icrinc.com
+1 (203) 682-8268

The MIL Network –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cost of living boost for millions as prescription charges frozen
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

Cost of living boost for millions as prescription charges frozen

Millions of patients are getting a cost of living boost as the government freezes prescription charges for the first time in three years.
NHS prescription charges in England will be frozen for the first time in three years, keeping the cost of a prescription below a tenner.

The decision means £18 million saving to help with cost of living for millions who regularly pay for prescriptions as the government delivers security for working people through its Plan for Change.

Freeze comes weeks after this government agreed record investment for community pharmacies to fund local services for patients.

Millions of people across the country will see the cost of their prescriptions frozen for the first time in three years from today – as the government puts money back into the pockets of working people as it delivers on the Plan for Change.

The move will save patients around £18 million next year – keeping prescriptions under the cost of a tenner, at £9.90 for a single charge. Those who are already exempt from paying their prescription will continue to be so.

Three month and annual prescriptions prepayment certificates will also be frozen for 2025/26.

Annual charges can be made in instalments meaning those requiring regular medicines will be able to get them for just over £2 a week.

The prescription charge freeze builds on wider government action to tackle the cost of living crisis, including the rollout of free breakfast clubs, expanded childcare through 300 new school-based nurseries, lowering the cost of school uniforms, and extending the fuel duty freeze – all aimed at easing financial pressures on families across the country.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:

This government’s Plan for Change will always put working people first, and our moves today to freeze prescription charges will put money back into the pockets of millions of patients.

Fixing our NHS will be a long road – but by working closer with our pharmacies we’re saving money and shifting care to the community where it’s closer to your home.

We made the difficult but necessary choices at the Budget to fund moves like this and change our NHS so it can once again be there for you when you need it.

The announcement follows news last month of the government agreeing funding with Community Pharmacy England worth an extra £617 million over 2 years.

And the investment comes alongside reforms to deliver a raft of patient benefits, as part of the government’s agenda to shift the focus of care from hospitals into the community, so that people can more easily access care and support on their high streets.

This freeze is only possible thanks to the government’s difficult but necessary choices at the Budget to bring in a £26 billion boost to the health service.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

We promised to build an NHS fit for the future, and that started with the £26 billion funding boost I delivered at the Budget, to repair and improve the many vital services it provides.

Since then, waiting lists are falling, staff are better paid and supported, and today, £18 million has been kept in patient’s pockets by freezing prescription charges – easing the cost of living through our Plan for Change, delivering for all.

Jonathan Blades, Head of Policy at Asthma + Lung UK, said:

The freezing of prescription charges is a welcome first step and will provide some short-term relief for people with lung conditions during the ongoing cost of living crisis. Living with a long-term lung condition like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is expensive and rising prescription costs only make it harder for people to manage their condition and stay well.

Around 89% of prescriptions in England are already dispensed free of charge to children, over-60s, pregnant women, and those with certain medical conditions. This freeze will not impact that scheme.

In addition to the freeze on charges, the NHS low income scheme offers help with prescription payments, with free prescriptions for eligible people in certain groups such as pensioners, students, and those who receive state benefits or live in care homes.

Alongside action to rebuild the NHS, the government’s Plan for Change is focused on growing the economy to improve living standards across the country. This further freeze will only improve that.

Notes to editors:

NHS prescription charges apply in England only

A 3-month prescription prepayment certificate (PPCs) will be frozen at £32.05 and a 12 month PPCs will remain at £114.50.

Groups exempt from prescription charges include:

o   Children under 16 and those in full-time education aged 16-18

o   People aged 60 and over

o   Pregnant women and those who have had a baby in the last 12 months

o   People with specified medical conditions like diabetes or cancer and have valid exemption certificates

o   Those receiving qualifying benefits including Universal Credit (with criteria)

o   NHS inpatients

The freeze will also apply to NHS wigs and fabric supports; these prices will remain at current levels:

·       Surgical brassiere                        £32.50

·       Abdominal or spinal support    £49.05

·       Stock modacrylic wig                 £80.15

·       Partial human hair wig £212.35

·       Full bespoke human hair wig    £310.55

Patients on a low income, who do not qualify for an exemption, can apply for help with help costs through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme. People can check whether they are eligible for help here.

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Published 28 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ofsted visit highlights progress in Children’s Services
Source: City of Liverpool

Ofsted has published the findings of its latest monitoring visit of Children’s Services at Liverpool City Council.

The inspection, which took place in March 2025, focused on:
- Response to children at risk from exploitation or going missing from home or care, including assessment and planning for those children.
- Response to disabled children, including assessment and planning for those children.
- Supervision of social workers.
It found that there has been a significant improvement in the response to disabled children since March 2023, which caseloads for social workers reduced by half and increased management capacity in the team.

They report that disabled children “now benefit from thorough assessments and plans which support them and their families effectively” with risks “promptly recognised and responded to”, and social workers devoting time to “sensitively communicating with children to understand their wishes and feelings”.

They also note that the immediate response to children who go missing from home or care has also improved, noting that social workers are “persistent in their efforts to talk to children when they return home, to explore why they went missing” and that this information is used to try and reduce the risk of children going missing again.

They also found that leaders are working at pace to address issues with children at risk not always being promptly identified and referred by partner agencies, with work under way on developing a more coordinated approach to enable earlier intervention and support for vulnerable children at risk of exploitation.

They concluded that timely action is usually taken to protect children at risk of exploitation and criminality, and work is under way to address the small number of strategy discussions that are delayed.

There is also praise for children and family assessments, which “have improved in quality”, with partner agencies contributing well to them and “children’s wishes and views are sensitively sought and considered by social workers, who take the time and effort to truly know and understand children’s needs”.]

They also found “some improvement” in the quality of child in need and children protection plans, although the understanding and analysis of risks is described as “variable”.

Other improvements noted include:
- Case supervision is starting to improve in quality and is now more reflective and focuses on children’s experiences, with management training starting to have a positive impact.
- Regular and detailed reporting to the improvement board and scrutiny committee is providing the necessary challenge to drive improvement plans forward.
The inspection also noted that staff told inspectors that there have been “significant improvements” over the last two years, with reduced caseloads and social workers feeling safer and better able to deliver quality social work.

Ofsted said: “They welcome improved communication from leaders about plans, and value the regular employee forum and the two-way communication it facilitates. Social workers say they feel happy, motivated and well supported in their work in Liverpool, describing themselves as ‘being part of a family’.”

Councillor Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “This monitoring visit highlights the progress we have made over the last two years, and that we are addressing areas that need improvement.

“Our staff are absolutely committed to delivering the very best services for children and young people in Liverpool, and I would like to thank them for their hard work which is making a positive difference to the lives of the most vulnerable every single day.

“Improving Children’s Services is a journey that takes time, and our ambition is to get to a position where we are delivering an outstanding service, as well as becoming a UNICEF Child Friendly City putting young people at the forefront of decision making. I firmly believe we are on track to achieve both.”

The full report can be read here.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE operation leads to indictment of 4 charged with conspiracy to commit visa and marriage fraud

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

BALTIMORE — An investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Maryland; along with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland, led to federal charges for four individuals — Ella Zuran, 65, Tatiana Sigal, 74, and Alexandra Tkach, 41, of New York City, New York; along with Shawnta Hopper, 33, of Sicklerville, New Jersey — for facilitating visa and marriage fraud.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations HSI Maryland and USCIS with assistance from the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service administratively arrested 10 individuals April 24. Individuals involved have had their immigration benefits revoked as part of this investigation.

“Marriage fraud is not a victimless crime — it compromises the integrity of our immigration system, diverts critical resources, and erodes public trust in a process that countless individuals follow legally and in good faith,” said ICE HSI Maryland Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy. “These arrests mark a critical milestone in our broader effort to dismantle a criminal network that has sought to undermine our nations immigration laws. HSI remains committed to safeguarding the lawful immigration process and holding accountable those who seek to exploit it.”

“The defendants’ greed led them to concoct an illegal-marriage scheme that compromises the integrity of our immigration system,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes. “This indictment sends a clear message: the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who try to exploit our immigration system through fraud and deception.”

In April 2022, HSI Maryland’s Document and Benefit Fraud/El Dorado Task Force with assistance from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Fraud Detection and National Security began investigating individuals suspected of entering sham marriages with foreign nationals in order to obtain immigration benefits. As of result of interviews with FDNS officers, U.S. citizen petitioners admitted to their participation in the fraud scheme and to receiving financial compensation.

“Some marriages are made in heaven. Some are just made up,” said USCIS Spokesperson Matthew Tragesser. “Our work with ICE in this investigation dismantled a major marriage fraud ring where U.S. citizens were paid to marry illegal aliens. These criminals are now behind bars, reaffirming President Trump and Secretary Noem’s commitment to restoring integrity in our immigration system. Fraudulent marriages should never lead to U.S. citizenship.”

In March 2025, HSI Maryland successfully charged and arrested Zuran, Sigal and Tkach who orchestrated fraudulent marriage schemes to help foreign nationals obtain permanent residence in the United States. The individuals were paid thousands of dollars for facilitating introductions to U.S. citizens and coordinating sham weddings. In addition, they arranged for the preparation of false immigration forms, including fake health status attestations, in connection with applications for immigration benefits.

In addition to these individuals, HSI Maryland arrested Shawnta Hopper. Hopper encouraged several U.S. citizens to participate in fraudulent marriages with foreign nationals for financial gain. She received compensation for recruiting women in Baltimore and other locations to enter into these sham marriages.

If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

“The Diplomatic Security Service is s key partner in the United States’ work to reduce illegal immigration and root out those who endeavor to exploit the U.S. travel system,” said Diplomatic Security Service Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Richeson. “DSS proudly coordinates with our U.S. and international law enforcement partners to investigate transnational crimes and apprehend fugitives who commit fraud and violate U.S. law.”

McCarthy, with HSI – Maryland, announced the indictment with Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, and Field Office Director Elizabeth Grant, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services – Baltimore Field Office.

HSI conducts federal criminal investigations into the illegal movement of people, goods, money, contraband, weapons and sensitive technology into, out of and through the United States. HSI’s investigations are wide ranging – our cases include drug and weapons smuggling, cyber and financial crime, illegal technology exports and intellectual property crime. HSI also plays a crucial role in investigating crimes of exploitation. This includes combating child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud and scams and other crimes against vulnerable populations.

Members of the public with information about criminal activity in your community are encouraged to contact the Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE.

Learn more about HSI Baltimore’s mission to increase public safety in our Maryland communities on X at @HSIBaltimore.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sustainability Takes Flight in UConn’s Poultry Science Courses

Source: US State of Connecticut

As the world’s population grows, it is becoming more and more important to develop more environmentally and economically sustainable ways of producing food.

As part of an ongoing $10 million grant from the USDA, led by Kumar Venkitanarayanan, CAHNR associate dean of research and graduate education and professor of animal science, Abhinav Upadhyay, assistant professor of animal science, has developed a course to teach the next generation of agricultural workers and researchers about sustainable poultry production.

“We are aiming to educate the next generation workforce to understand that food production is important but at the same time it should not come at the cost of losing our planet,” Upadhyay says.

The course is designed as a follow-up to Upadhyay’s longstanding course on the fundamentals of poultry science. The new course was offered for the first time in fall 2024.

Students are introduced to the basic tenets of sustainability, why it is important, and why the scientific community is interested in making agriculture reducing the impact of agriculture on the environment now.

“In the scientific world, there is a lot of discussion as to how are we going to provide this human population with nutritious food that is also sustainable,” Upadhyay says. “Because what we cannot do is have an intensive farming model where we destroy forests or don’t care about the industry’s implications on climate.”

The course then moves into more specific information on raising poultry more sustainably and the specific challenges this industry faces in terms of human, animal, and environmental health.

For the final project in the course, students work in groups to create a proposal for their own sustainable poultry production research project.

Through this assignment, students get to experience how research proposals are actually evaluated in the professional scientific world with their peers serving as anonymized reviewers.

“These students don’t have a lot of research experience,” Upadhyay says. “But it was still very impressive to see how they could crosslink the ideas that were discussed in the course and then come up with a project of their own.”

The course had 12 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the fall. It will be offered again in fall 2025. The course is open to all UConn students.

“I was happy to see that the first time we introduced this course, it has significant interest among graduate and undergraduate students,” Upadhyay says.

Mackenzie Connors ‘25 (CAHNR) is one undergraduate student who took the course in the fall.

Connors says she valued how the course exposed her to new information not just about poultry sustainability, but also the grant writing process, even as she plans to attend veterinary school after graduation.

“It taught me a lot about sustainable poultry and also about writing grants,” Mackenzie says. “For somebody who will do that in the future, that is a very, very good course. And even if you’re not planning to take that career path, it’s good exposure.”

Upadhyay and his colleagues at Appalachian State University, University of Minnesota, and University of Arkansas published an article in Poultry Science, highlighting the course.

“The aim of the research article was to share with the entire global scientific community what we are doing,” Upadhyay. “We are expecting, in the future when people read this article, they will reach out to us for potential collaborations.”

Upadhyay will continue to offer the course at UConn and eventually share it with other universities as an online course. The course will be consistently updated to reflect new research and regulations related to sustainable poultry production.

“In order to develop a strong workforce in the U.S. we are developing this course and UConn is at the crux of it,” Upadhyay says.

This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.

Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: UConn to Offer Housing Option Near Hartford Campus Starting in Fall 2025

Source: US State of Connecticut

UConn Hartford will be able to offer student housing near its downtown campus starting this fall, a year ahead of its planned opening of a larger and permanent student housing development nearby.

UConn’s Board of Trustees recently approved plans to lease studio and one-bedroom apartments in The Donaghue at 525 Main St., to accommodate up to 57 students in the 2025-2026 academic year. That newly renovated building is across the street from the Hartford Public Library and just a few minutes from the campus.

The University will offer the apartments for student housing through Residential Life, acclimating students to the concept of living near the campus so they can easily transition next year to the permanent housing under development at 64 Pratt St.

The housing complements the planned opening of a new café this fall in the Hartford Times campus headquarters building, where food will be available for purchase with UConn meal plans or à la carte by members of the University community and the public.

Students who live in the apartments in The Donaghue building will be able to opt for a UConn meal plan that includes either five or 10 meals per week, plus $50 in dining points per semester.

Nathan Fuerst, UConn’s vice president for student life and enrollment, said at a recent Board of Trustees meeting that offering the apartments near UConn Hartford has many benefits both for the students and for the campus itself.

“The housing option will help students develop a strong sense of community and build momentum moving into the coming year as we prepare to open the housing on Pratt Street,” Fuerst said. “We’re very excited to be able to offer a housing opportunity even earlier than we anticipated, and we look forward to strong interest.”

Providing the option also will help ease some space constraints at UConn Storrs, since UConn Hartford students who currently live in Storrs dorms will get first dibs on The Donaghue apartments closer to their home campus.

“UConn Hartford’s new café and its student housing plans are examples of the University’s commitment to partnering with the City of Hartford and adding to its economic, social, and cultural vibrancy,” said Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, UConn Hartford’s dean and chief administrative officer.

UConn plans to offer about 200 beds of student housing starting in August 2026 in a building called The Annex at the corner of Pratt and Trumbull streets in downtown Hartford, not far from the campus.

UConn has been working for the past several years to deepen its ties with the capital city, where the University also recently opened an academic and research facility in a building that fronts the XL Center on Trumbull Street.

UConn opened the Hartford campus downtown in 2017, and has worked since then to position it as a centerpiece of a thriving capital city by bringing people downtown to learn, live, and support the regional economy.

Interest in student housing has grown along with the campus population. UConn Hartford’s undergraduate enrollment has increased steadily since fall 2017, and an increasing number of students are choosing to start their UConn careers there.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 29, 2025

Category: Transport

More kids are experiencing homelessness

A lack of temporary solutions

Gaps in a vital system

More than 8 in 10 placed on wait list

Stricter regulations

How role of cardinals evolved

Electing the pope

Different visions

Transferring forces between grains

Tracking forces in the lab

A 50-year foundation of federal investment

Philanthropy’s support is powerful – but limited

Industry innovation − and its priorities

A system under strain

Introductory remarks by Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, at the ECON Committee of the European Parliament

Economic developments and monetary policy

Maintaining financial stability

Europe’s future policy priorities

Conclusion

Cost of living boost for millions as prescription charges frozen

Notes to editors:

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