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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minister for the Armed Forces speech at Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Minister for the Armed Forces speech at Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 2025

    Minster for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, speech at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 2025 on 17 July 2025.

    Good morning everyone.

    It’s a year ago that I last stood in this spot as a new Minister. Some of you will not be able to remember me because I have more grey hair than I had, certainly at this time last year.

    But it was a privilege to welcome colleagues from around the world a year ago and it is a privilege to be able to do exactly the same again today.

    The Secretary of State sends his apologies that he can’t be with us today – some of you may have spotted there has been some news going on in the UK over the past few days – and he continues to explain the situation that we inherited there.

    But having worked alongside him in Opposition as the Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces, and now over the last year, I’ll do my best to fill his considerable shoes that he has.

    But let me first begin by saying a few words about Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, for his incredible service as the Chief of the Air Staff and now as we look ahead to his new role as Chief of the Defence Staff.

    Sir Rich has served our nation with considerable distinction for 37 years.

    Of the 31 individuals who have been CAS since the creation of the RAF in 1918, he has been the first non-pilot to do so, an engineer by trade.

    In leading the Royal Air Force, he has upheld the highest traditions of respect, integrity and excellence, and he’s normally done so with a cheeky smile on his face as well – for those who know him.

    And at a time when our recent Strategic Defence Review has heralded the beginning of a new era for UK deterrence and defence, I can think of no-one better to lead our people through the critical changes ahead.

    Congratulations on your fully-deserved appointment, Rich. I look forward to carrying on working with you.

    And of course, Rich’s boots are not easily filled. And so although there was a very competitive shortlist for the new Chief of the Air Staff, it was fiercely competitive, we were very fortunate to have an outstanding candidate in Air Marshal Harv Smyth.

    Harv, we have urgent and important work to do as we seek to implement the Strategic Defnece Review and I’m going to look forward to continuing to work strongly with all our RAF colleagues.

    And it was just a year ago, we had a General Election. It feels in Britain like there’s a lot of politics going on at the moment, and a lot of change. And that has been a year when defence has rarely been off the front pages.

    From the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, to the modernisation of the UK Armed Forces set in motion, not just by the General Election, but by the Strategic Defence Review that follows.

    But what the news headlines don’t always show are the efforts and the achievements of the people that stand behind the headlines that work every single day to protect our nation and our allies.

    The men and women of our Armed Forces, and if I look around the room, the collective men and women of our Armed Forces, from an alliance that spans the globe of friends and allies – those men and women carry out their duties every single day with superb professionalism and precision, they go above and beyond to keep their nations, our nations, and all our partners safe, and in doing so, they not only create the environment where we can better protect our own homeland from Russian aggression, they are working to support friends and allies the world over.

    The UK Armed Forces have flown over 500 sorties, for example, and moved 9 million tonnes of freight to help the people and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

    And I’m minded, at times like this, when there are so many people in uniform ahead of us, that at this very moment there are brave Ukrainian pilots in the sky above their country trying to keep Ukraine safe from Putin’s illegal aggression. There are brave men and women who I met at the INTERSTORM graduation for the training of Ukrainian pilots – many of whom were very frank and honest about their chances of survival.

    That bravery is something that you all know, because it’s the bravery you see in your own people. But it is something that we, and myself as a politician, need to talk more about. Because we spend a lot of our time talking about kit and equipment and it is absolutely right – and I will do so in this speech, as a spoiler alert – but we need to talk more about our people.

    Notwithstanding autonomy and uncrewed systems, we need to value the men and women who not only serve in the sky, but on the ground, in the laboratories and workshops, that keep our air forces on a global basis the incredible power that they are.

    It was those brave men and women who also were active recently in the Middle East, evacuating over 220 British nationals and their dependants out of Tel Aviv, including a 3 month old baby and a 91 year old pensioner, to protect them from missile attacks.

    It’s particularly important in these times of increasing insecurity that we do recognise that dedication of our people, and that is why, unapologetically, this government talks about renewing the contract between the nation and those who serve.

    Everyone around the world will have a similar formulation. It may be slightly worded differently, it may be translated in a slightly different word order. But fundamentally, we need our nations to value our people more, and if we can do that we have a stronger defence by default even if we spend not a single extra penny on it. Because our people are only as strong as the nation that stands behind them.

    So after awarding UK service personnel their biggest pay rise for 20 years and giving them another above inflation pay rise this year, we are delivering a generation of renewal of military accommodation, with at least £7 billion of funding for this in this parliament. For those international visitors who have not stayed in some British military accommodation for a while, let me tell you it is not good enough. That is not good enough for me, it’s not good enough for our people, and we are fixing it.

    And that’s why we are going to continue to put people at the heart of our defence unapologetically.

    Now, I know that the pace of change in our Armed Forces in the UK and collectively is matched by many of our international friends who are doing exactly the same.

    But we are only at the start of the transformation and the RAF is at the heart of that.

    The Strategic Defence Review set out our blueprint to reshape and revitalise UK defence in a new geopolitical era of threat.

    Britain now has a absolutely clear NATO-first defence policy and it is pivotal to our future security.

    But it is only right that Europe steps up to take on more of the heavy lifting for its own defence and protection.

    At the recent Hague Summit, European leaders came together and did precisely that.

    As well as a pledge to spend 5% of GDP on national security, the UK announced the biggest strengthening of our nuclear posture in a generation, including the purchase of a dozen F-35As and a commitment to join NATO’s nuclear Dual Capable Aircraft mission, giving the RAF a nuclear role for the first time since the end of the Cold War and complementing our own sovereign Continuous At Sea Deterrent which we declare, in full, to the defence of NATO.

    Driving the modernisation of the RAF will be a relentless focus on innovation. For well over a century, the UK has been a leader in shaping and pioneering air power.

    From the founding of the Royal Flying Corps in 1912, and the new technologies of the interwar years, radar, air defence systems, the Second World War saw air power tested and developed like never before. Yet the pace of change did not stop after the peace came.

    The jet age defined deterrence in new terms, transforming speed, reach, and altitude, and while the post-Cold War era has given us precision weapons, global ISTAR and unparalleled situational awareness.

    Today, we stand on the verge of another profound leap forward in which autonomy, AI, and digitisation will define the bounds of the sky. One of the key takeaways from me from the SDR is that we’re not just developing niche autonomous units at the periphery of our military. Every single unit across every single service in the UK will be moving to a system of crewed, uncrewed, and autonomous systems. That is a substantial change in not just fighting doctrine, in training, in how our people come together, in how we procure, it is a fundamental change in how we will fight and how we will deter.

    We will deliver £1 billion in an integrated Targeting Web. So any sensor, any effector, any target can be struck. That is a fundamental change in how we build an integrated force, regardless of the cloth that you are wearing.

    Times change, but the victors in the race to dominate air power are always those who adapt first and adapt fast.

    Innovation, speed and agility, the ability to out-think, out-perform and out-manoeuvre the enemy, are the capabilities and challenges we must harness.

    But let us make no mistake, our adversaries are doing exactly the same, and they are seeking to hack our phones to learn what we are doing to outpace them as well.

    That means the UK and our Allies must compete harder to have control of the air and to fight in new ways.

    Now I mentioned the war in Ukraine earlier, and one of the things that that is showing us is that getting new technology into the hands of warfighters fast can give you an edge on the battlefield.

    It is also a central message of the new UK defence policy.

    Our SDR calls for investment in Autonomous Collaborative Platforms to ensure the future of UK air combat air. And that can sound, to the voters I represent in Plymouth, a little bit like science fiction.

    But making the case that that already exists, and telling the story of systems like StormShroud is vital to building the public support we need for this new era of autonomous systems as well.

    StormShroud is designed to disrupt enemy radar at long range, and this fleet of new autonomous wingman drones will increase fighter jet survivability, and boost our warfighting power.

    As an uncrewed system, integrated into our new digital targeting web, it also frees up personnel to perform other vital frontline missions.

    And there are other ways in which StormShroud provides glimpses of the future.

    As we spend more on the military in the coming years, something that as a group of friends we are all doing, Defence will increasingly become a potent engine for economic growth. An argument we must make over, and over, and over again. It is a licence to operate – Defence is an engine for growth.

    StormShroud has already created hundreds of skilled jobs around the UK, with the promise of 1,000 more in the future.

    And it is in contrast to the failing procurement system we inherited, StormShroud is an example of good practice.

    It has gone from factory to front-line in record time, signalling how we want to streamline procurement in the future. And I suspect that the UK is not alone in wanting to make procurement faster on a global basis.

    Our policy is NATO-first, but it’s not NATO-only.

    The Euro-Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and Middle East are inseparably connected.

    And with that, I welcome our friends from the GCAP International Government Organisation.

    Through GCAP, Italy, Japan and the UK are developing a supersonic stealth fighter jet.

    The programme means our nations can come together, not just to defend the Euro-Atlantic, but to support our values on a global stage. That will bring together our industrial bases, and make sure we are being able to provide the deterrence that we need well into the future.

    And this time last year, just as we were kicking off the SDR, I received a lot of questions on GCAP and our position on it and a year later, I’m absolutely proud to stand on the same stage and say that GCAP is progressing well.

    It already supports 3,500 UK jobs, and 1,000 apprenticeships.

    Last week, we cut the ribbon on GCAP’s new headquarters in Reading, where hundreds of skilled personnel will be based, and the Defence Secretary met with counterparts from Italy and Japan to plan the next phase of this programme.

    And at a time of rapidly changing technology, it’s also essential we upgrade not just those at the tip of the spear that are able to deliver kinetic effect, it’s also vital  we upgrade our airborne early warning and control capabilities.

    The E-7 Wedgetail will provide the improved performance we are looking for offering greater speed, range, endurance and crew capacity.

    And by improving detection, it provides early warning of more challenging threats at greater distances, increasing the time available for offensive and defensive action, so boosting the lethality, survivability and resilience of our Joint Force.

    Wedgetail also has a growth path to meet the expected threat over the next 20 years and beyond and for those at RIAT, look forward to seeing her in the sky above the incredible air show there.

    So, to conclude.

    The story of air power has always been one of constant innovation, imagination, and adaptation. That has not changed today.

    But we must evolve again, to stay ahead of those who threaten our security. And that does mean moving on from some traditional doctrines and embracing the new. Embracing autonomy is a fundamental challenge for all our air forces, for all our procurement systems, for politicians who might be easier to make a case of a pilot in the sky, but by improving our lethality, by increasing it, we increase our deterrence. And with increased deterrence, we make more strategic dilemmas for those who seek to challenge the international order, who seek to challenge our freedom, and the liberty that our people enjoy.

    The SDR has fired the starting pistol on that reform of the UK Armed Forces, and, having read many of the reviews undertaken by our Allies in recent months, I know similar themes are present in the new emerging defence policies that our Allies in this room are developing as well. More collaborative platforms, working together, more investment in our Armed Forces, more focus on our people. It is precisely in these ways that we will be stronger in the future, to keep not only the UK secure at home and strong abroad, but to make sure we do so in support of all our Allies as we all face similar threats from similar adversaries who fundamentally want to attack our values  and our position in the world. The people in this room today have a key role in defending all those values and all our people, thank you for what you are doing. Thank you for the pace of change that you are instigating, and keep going. Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Worcester Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of Two Loaded Firearms, Ammunition and Silencer

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered silencer. 

    Ryan Davidson, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to six years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2025, Davidson pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm-silencer. In August 2023, Davidson was indicted by a federal grand jury. The grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Davidson in November 2023.

    On or about May 9, 2023 in Worcester, Davidson was stopped by police for a marked lane violation and for concerns about the Georgia “dealer” license plate on his vehicle. After failing to provide proof of insurance on the vehicle, Davidson was told he could leave with a citation but that his car would have to be towed, and an inventory search would be conducted pursuant to the tow. Davidson told police he did not want them to search his car and shortly thereafter, he fled the scene on foot. Davidson was apprehended in a backyard on an adjacent street, at which time he was arrested. At the time of the incident, Davidson was wearing a GPS monitoring device in connection with open state charges involving a firearm.  

    During the inventory search of Davidson’s vehicle, a heavy black bag was located in the trunk . In the bag, was a black balaclava and a zipped blue bag. Inside the blue bag, a Polymer P80, 9-millimeter pistol with no serial number, with a 9-millimeter magazine inserted containing 10 rounds of ammunition, a silencer and a box of 9-millimeter ammunition containing 9 rounds were located. A  Taurus 9-millimeter pistol with a round in the chamber and a magazine inserted containing six rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition was also recovered in the glovebox. Davidson possessed the Taurus 9-millimeter pistol and 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition after having been convicted of previous felonies for which he had been sentenced to 7-10 years in prison.
     
    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Chief Paul Saucier of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Auburn Man Charged with Federal Program Fraud

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    MONTGOMERY, Ala. – An Auburn, Alabama man charged with federal crimes related to loans received through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is now in federal custody, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. On July 15, 2025, law enforcement conducted an operation to execute search warrants and locate 52-year-old Cesar Campos-Reyes, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. The United States District Court in Montgomery unsealed Campos-Reyes’s criminal indictment today. Campos-Reyes surrendered to federal authorities Tuesday evening.

    Two sources of relief provided by the CARES Act are the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Both programs were intended to help eligible small businesses by giving them working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses such as payroll, rent or mortgage expenses, utilities, or business debt. The indictment alleges that Campos-Reyes made false representations when applying for multiple loans for various restaurants owned and operated by him and for using the proceeds for unauthorized purposes.

    The charges are the result of a wide-ranging investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). This operation received significant support from the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force, which is a collaborative law enforcement unit including the FBI and HSI. Additional assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Alabama Department of Corrections, Auburn Police Department, Opelika Police Department, Prattville Police Department, Wetumpka Police Department, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and United States Marshals Service.

    A criminal indictment or complaint is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    If convicted on all charges, Campos-Reyes faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison along with significant fines. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner and John J. Geer, III.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Little Rock Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison After Committing Arson at Two Little Rock Fitness Centers

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

          LITTLE ROCK—Miles Andrew Caldwell will spend the next 84 months in federal prison after intentionally starting three fires at two different fitness centers in Little Rock, Arkansas. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.

          An investigation revealed that on November 16, 2023, Caldwell, 20, of Little Rock, arrived at the Little Rock Athletic Club at approximately 11:00 a.m. Caldwell then walked down the hallway and entered the men’s restroom on the first floor. A few minutes later, he exited the restroom and walked down the hallway past the operating daycare center that was occupied by several children (mainly babies and toddlers) and staff members. 

          Caldwell then entered the basketball court. Later, after exiting the basketball court, Caldwell walked back to the daycare, looking through the large windows of the daycare center before taking the stairs to the second floor. Moments later, women in the tennis hallway reported the smell of smoke. The smoke filled the tennis hallway which caused the fire alarm to sound. Children, daycare staff, and other occupants of the tennis area exited the building through the smoke-filled hallway.

          The investigation revealed that the fire was set in a paper towel dispenser in the first-floor men’s restroom. Caldwell also set fire to the paper towel dispenser, trash receptable, and toilet paper dispenser in the second-floor men’s restroom.

          Later that same day, at approximately 3:49 p.m., the Little Rock Fire Department responded to 10 Fitness on North Rodney Parham Road, where its men’s restroom also sustained fire damage. Firefighters observed smoke present in the main gym, with thicker smoke in the area of the bathrooms. The Little Rock Fire Marshal determined that the toilet paper dispenser in the handicapped stall of the men’s restroom had been set on fire.

          The investigation revealed that Caldwell scanned into 10 Fitness, entered the men’s restroom, remained for approximately one minute while no one else entered, and left the gym after a total of approximately five minutes, without using any equipment. After smoke became visible in the area between the gym and restroom, the fire department was called. In the parking lot, Caldwell remained in his vehicle for 10 additional minutes, waiting until after firefighters arrived to leave.

          Investigators reviewed security footage from the Little Rock Athletic Club and located the suspect, later identified as Caldwell. Investigators also obtained security footage from 10 Fitness and identified an individual wearing the same clothes, shoes, and headphones as the suspect at the Little Rock Athletic Club.

          Caldwell was later located at his residence. In the home and his vehicle investigators located shoes and a hooded sweatshirt consistent with what was observed on security footage.

          On November 20, 2023, Caldwell was arrested on a federal complaint. On December 5, 2023, Caldwell was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of arson. Caldwell pleaded guilty to one count of arson committed at the Little Rock Athletic Club on February 4, 2025. 

          Judge Moody also sentenced Caldwell to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

           The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Little Rock Fire Department and the Little Rock Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly knon as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met reiterates warning on support for proscribed organisations ahead of Saturday protests

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    There will be an increased police presence in Westminster on Saturday when a number of protests are due to take place.

    A march organised by the Palestine Coalition will go from Victoria Embankment to Whitehall via Westminster Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and the Strand. Speeches will take place in Whitehall following the march.

    A static protest organised by Stop the Hate, in opposition to the Palestine Coalition march, will take place at the junction of the Strand and Waterloo Bridge.

    Discussions are ongoing with the organisers of both protests and details of any conditions in place will be published on Friday.

    We are also expecting further protest activity in support of Palestine Action which is a group now proscribed under the Terrorism Act. Similar protests have taken place in Parliament Square for the past two weekends, with 70 arrests made.

    The location of any such protest has not yet been confirmed.

    Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who is charge of the Met’s policing operation this weekend, said: “Our policing plans for the sort of protest activity we expect on Saturday are tried and tested, with officers working hard to achieve the balance of allowing people to exercise their right to peaceful protest while avoiding serious disruption to the community and ensuring incidents and offences can be swiftly dealt with.

    “This Saturday’s Palestine Coalition protest is the first large scale eventof its kind since the proscription of Palestine Action and I want to make sure the implications of that change in the law are fully understood.

    “Nobody will be committing an offence by simply supporting the Palestinian cause, taking part in the march or carrying flags, banners or other signs providing they don’t stray into hate speech or other offences.

    “However, those who see this as an opportunity to test the limits of the law by expressing support for Palestine Action, whether at a standalone protest or as part of the Palestine Coalition protest, will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested.

    “I would urge those people to consider the seriousness of being arrested under the Terrorism Act and the very real long term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances – that such an arrest is likely to have for their future.

    “This is also the first large scale protest on this issue since Glastonbury Festival where offensive chanting led by an artist on one of the stages prompted a police investigation. Investigations are also underway, led by Met officers, following similar uses of the same chant in London.

    “Those investigations are ongoing and it would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcomes, but I can say a bit more about our approach to similar chanting at this weekend’s protest.

    “We have said before that whether chants cross the line from free speech to a potential criminal offence depends on the specific circumstances.

    “For example, there will be words that when chanted in the middle of the Palestine Coalition march, and not directed at individuals who might be caused harassment, alarm or distress as a result, might not lead an officer to reasonably suspect an offence has been committed.

    “But directing the same words at a group of people for whom the words would very likely cause harassment, alarm or distress, could well give rise to grounds for arrest.

    “At previous protests, the area between the main march and any counter protest has seen the most heated exchanges. Officers will be particularly alert to conduct, including chanting, in this area and will be working with stewards to ensure crowds keep moving past this point.

    “Where they become aware of behaviour that crosses the line from protest into criminality they will intervene and take appropriate action.

    “All participants are responsible for their own behaviour. Avoiding the use of threatening, abusive and insulting language, or language that is supportive of proscribed organisations, is the surest way to stay on the right side of this line.”

    Further details of these protests, including any conditions in place, will be published at news.met.police.uk and on the Met’s X account.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: The Riverside Company Closes Value Fund II at $750 Million Hard Cap

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CLEVELAND, NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Riverside Company, a global investment firm focused on lower middle market investments, announced the successful final close of its Riverside Value Fund II (RVF II) at its hard cap of $750 million. RVF II was significantly oversubscribed and closed at more than double the size of its predecessor fund RVF I, which held a final close in June 2023 at $350 million. RVF II closed the fund five months after its initial launch in February 2025.

    The Riverside Value Fund (RVF) seeks to invest in North American businesses that compete in durable, growing end markets and that have the potential for significant growth and operational transformation. RVF provides flexible capital solutions to support businesses in transition or at an inflection point. The fund targets investments in a wide range of industries, and its current portfolio includes companies in the business services, specialty manufacturing, value-added distribution and financial services sectors, among others. The RVF team works closely with its management partners to implement aggressive top- and bottom-line growth plans for each of its portfolio companies.

    “We are humbled by the trust placed in us by this highly experienced and thoughtful group of existing and new investors in RVF II, and we are grateful for the strong performance delivered by our partner companies which enabled us to achieve this milestone,” said Riverside Managing Partner Sean Ozbolt. “We’re fortunate to partner with investors who share our value-driven philosophy and our focus on operational excellence as a catalyst for sustainable growth.”

    Joining Ozbolt in leading the RVF investment team are Managing Partner Ron Sansom and Partners Andrew Fohrer and Craig Kahler. In addition to its dedicated investment and operating team based in Los Angeles, RVF leverages the depth and breadth of Riverside’s global platform, including its highly experienced, 23-person origination team and its extensive group of more than 50 operating professionals.

    “The lower middle market offers a wide range of companies navigating complex or transitional situations, including carve-outs, family-owned business transitions, challenging integrations, leadership changes or other inflection points,” said Riverside Co-CEO Stewart Kohl. “RVF’s platform is built to identify these hidden gems, unlock overlooked value and work with management partners to implement hands-on operational strategies that accelerate both revenue and quality of earnings.”

    Over the last twelve months, RVF completed transactions totaling more than $1 billion in enterprise value, including three new platform investments, five add-on acquisitions and one exit. The firm also continues to expand its partnership with Ownership Works, implementing broad-based employee equity ownership plans at several of its portfolio companies. Thus far, more than 1,100 employees of RVF partner companies have earned an equity stake in their businesses.

    “The RVF team now has a proven track record of identifying value in complex situations or companies in transition which led to successfully raising this second fund,” said Riverside Co-CEO Béla Szigethy. “We’re thrilled so many LPs, both new and existing, in turn recognized the value of RVF. An oversubscribed fund is a testament to their faith in Riverside – and we’re honored to have those investors join us on this journey.”

    The Riverside Company
    The Riverside Company is a global investment firm focused on being one of the leading private equity and flexible capital options for business owners and portfolio company employees at the smaller end of the middle market by seeking to fuel transformative growth and create lasting value. Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has made more than 1,000 investments. The firm’s international private equity and flexible capital portfolios include more than 140 companies. For more information, visit www.riversidecompany.com.

    Holly Mueller 
    Marketing Consultant
    The Riverside Company
    216.535.2236 
    hmueller@riversidecompany.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Topnotch Crypto Opens Green Cloud Mining Chapter, From London to the World

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Houston, Texas, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Topnotch Crypto, a pioneering blockchain solutions provider headquartered in London, has officially unveiled its groundbreaking green cloud mining chapter. This bold initiative positions Topnotch Crypto at the forefront of sustainable digital asset technology, delivering a cleaner, smarter way for individuals and enterprises worldwide to mine top cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Litecoin.

    A Major Leap Toward Sustainable Crypto

    As global concern mounts over the heavy environmental toll of traditional crypto mining, Topnotch Crypto’s timely move introduces a new paradigm. By powering operations with energy sourced from cutting-edge solar and wind facilities, the company’s cloud mining solution slashes carbon emissions, demonstrating how blockchain innovation can coexist with ecological responsibility.

    Our mission has always been to make blockchain work for both people and the planet. Through this new green chapter, we’re proving that you can profit from digital assets without leaving a damaging footprint on the Earth.

    Mining Made Simple — Without Expensive Hardware

    Topnotch Crypto’s platform revolutionizes access to crypto mining by eliminating the need for costly rigs, noisy setups, and complex maintenance. Users anywhere can sign up, choose a mining plan tailored to their goals, and begin receiving daily payouts. The entire infrastructure — from hardware management to renewable power sourcing — is expertly handled by Topnotch Crypto’s dedicated teams.

    This accessible model breaks down the traditional barriers that have kept many would-be miners out of the market. Whether in London, Lagos, São Paulo, or Singapore, users can now seamlessly participate in mining and grow their digital wealth without the headaches or high upfront costs.

    AI Optimization Powers Higher Returns

    At the core of this green cloud mining operation lies advanced AI technology. Topnotch Crypto’s intelligent systems continuously monitor network loads and adjust mining activities to maximize efficiency. By distributing workloads across renewable-powered data centers in real time, the platform ensures energy is never wasted and that returns remain strong even in shifting market conditions.

    Our AI does more than just streamline operations. it guarantees smarter use of every watt. That means we’re not only protecting the environment, but also delivering more value back to our clients.

    Security, Transparency, and Global Confidence

    Trust is critical in the world of digital assets, and Topnotch Crypto places security and transparency at the center of its operations. The platform employs military-grade encryption, multi-layered authentication, and continuous network monitoring to protect user investments.

    Clients also benefit from clear, intuitive dashboards that provide a full view of mining performance, payouts, and contract status around the clock. This level of transparency builds confidence, ensuring that each user — whether an individual investor or a large enterprise — always knows exactly how their assets are working for them.

    A Global Call to Rethink Crypto Mining

    This opening of a green cloud mining chapter is more than just a business evolution for Topnotch Crypto; it’s a rallying point for the broader blockchain industry. By proving that mining can be both profitable and environmentally sound, Topnotch Crypto hopes to inspire similar practices worldwide.

    We believe this is the future of mining. As more companies follow this path, we’ll see a stronger, cleaner blockchain ecosystem that benefits everyone.

    Start mining in simple steps

    •Create an account: Visit the Topnotch Crypto official website or download the app, register with your email address, and receive a $15 newbie bonus.

    •Choose a contract: Choose a suitable option from a variety of contracts based on your needs.

    •Start mining: The contract will take effect immediately after confirmation, the system will automatically allocate computing power, and you can check the progress in real time.

    About Topnotch Crypto

    Topnotch Crypto is a London-based leader in blockchain and digital asset solutions, dedicated to making cryptocurrency mining accessible, secure, and environmentally responsible. Through a combination of innovation, rigorous security, and a commitment to sustainability, the company helps clients around the world grow their digital assets with confidence.

    Join the Green Mining Revolution Today

    Individuals and organizations eager to participate in this new era of eco-friendly mining can start with Topnotch Crypto in just minutes. With flexible packages, transparent operations, and support for users across all continents, the platform makes it simple to begin earning daily crypto rewards — all powered by clean, renewable energy.

    For more information or to start mining sustainably, visit https://topnotchcrypto.com.

    You can contact through Email address: info@topnotchcrypto.com

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and may result in the loss of funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: No Credit Check Loans With Guaranteed Approval & Same-Day Payday Loans — GADCapital Launches New Digital Platform for Instant Online Loans in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Aventura, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  GADCapital has launched a new digital lending platform designed to connect U.S. borrowers with no credit check loans with guaranteed approval options and same-day payday loans online for urgent financial needs. More details about the service are available on GADCapital’s same-day payday loans page, where consumers can explore features built for rapid funding and expanded access even for those with lower credit scores..

    GADCapital’s platform responds to the growing demand for faster, more inclusive financial solutions by evaluating real-time income and bank activity rather than relying solely on FICO scores. The system enables instant payday loans online guaranteed approval possibilities and same-day cash deposits for loans up to $5,000, helping consumers address unexpected expenses quickly and discreetly.

    How GADCapital’s Platform Delivers No Credit Check Loans Online

    Unlike traditional bank loans that require hard credit pulls and strict scoring thresholds, GADCapital’s digital platform focuses on no credit check loans that rely on alternative data like income and bank transactions. Through the use of soft credit inquiries, GADCapital helps ensure that applying for same-day payday loans online will not harm a borrower’s credit score.

    Borrowers using GADCapital’s platform can:

    • Complete secure applications in under five minutes
    • Avoid hard credit checks that could lower FICO scores
    • Receive loan offers from multiple licensed lenders
    • Access funds as quickly as the same business day
    • Request amounts ranging from $100 to $5,000

    By modernizing the lending process, GADCapital positions itself as a leading provider of no credit check loans guaranteed approval possibilities, ensuring consumers receive timely support during financial emergencies.

    Why Borrowers Choose GADCapital for Same-Day Payday Loans Online

    Many Americans encounter situations where traditional lenders can’t offer the speed or flexibility needed for sudden expenses. GADCapital’s platform specifically addresses this gap by connecting consumers to same-day payday loans online no credit check options, giving them tools to manage costs such as medical bills, auto repairs, or unexpected utility payments.

    GADCapital’s platform stands out because it:

    • Avoids traditional credit requirements
    • Focuses on current financial health instead of past credit challenges
    • Prioritizes digital convenience over lengthy bank processes
    • Enables fast funding for urgent needs
    • Maintains partnerships only with state-licensed, reputable lenders

    This modern approach aligns with consumer demand for instant payday loans online guaranteed approval possibilities, offering a smoother alternative to traditional bank loans.

    GADCapital’s Digital Platform vs. Traditional Bank Loans

    Traditional banks often fall short for borrowers needing emergency cash loans, primarily because:

    • They require hard credit pulls that lower scores
    • They impose rigid credit score cutoffs
    • Loan decisions can take days or weeks
    • Rejections are frequent for subprime or thin-credit applicants
    • Loan sizes tend to be too large for small emergency needs

    By contrast, GADCapital’s platform:

    • Uses soft credit checks only
    • Bases decisions on verified income and real-time banking data
    • Delivers same-day or next-day funding for qualified borrowers
    • Provides loan offers for as little as $100
    • Focuses on urgent financial situations

    This makes GADCapital’s system a practical alternative for those searching for payday loans online no credit check instant approval while avoiding the bureaucracy of traditional financial institutions.

    How GADCapital’s Process Works for No Credit Check Loans

    Applying for a same day payday loan no credit check through GADCapital involves a simple four-step path:

    1. Online Application: Consumers fill out a secure digital form detailing employment, income, and banking information in just a few minutes.
    2. Soft Credit and Bank Data Review: GADCapital’s system performs a soft credit inquiry and analyzes recent bank activity to confirm financial stability.
    3. Multiple Lender Offers: Licensed lenders respond with side-by-side offers, presenting clear loan terms, rates, and repayment schedules.
    4. E-Signature and Funding: Once borrowers choose an offer, they e-sign documents electronically and may receive funds via ACH deposit or debit card push as quickly as the same business day.

    This digital workflow provides consumers with a faster and more transparent way to secure instant payday loans online guaranteed approval possibilities compared to traditional lenders.

    Who Can Apply for GADCapital’s No Credit Check Loans

    Consumers interested in using GADCapital’s platform for payday loans online no credit check instant approvalgenerally need to:

    • Be at least 18 years old
    • Reside in the United States
    • Have verifiable income from wages, benefits, or self-employment
    • Maintain an active checking account for loan deposits and repayments
    • Provide a valid email address and phone number

    By focusing on current financial circumstances rather than credit history alone, GADCapital opens access to no credit check loans guaranteed approval possibilities for individuals who might otherwise be excluded from traditional lending options.

    Types of No Credit Check Loans Offered Through GADCapital’s Platform

    GADCapital’s digital platform connects borrowers with various lending products, including:

    • $255 Payday Loans: A popular micro-loan option in states with lending caps for covering immediate small expenses.
    • Instant Payday Loans Online Guaranteed Approval Possibilities: Larger loan amounts up to $1,000 for urgent financial situations like auto repairs or medical bills.
    • Bad Credit Payday Loans: Designed for borrowers with sub-600 FICO scores who can verify income and employment.
    • Emergency Loans: Aimed at covering life-critical costs, such as emergency medical expenses or overdue utility bills.
    • Same Day Loans: Specifically designed for consumers needing funds within hours rather than waiting for traditional processing.

    All loans are provided by licensed lenders who adhere to state regulations, helping borrowers secure payday loans online no credit check instant approval safely and legally.

    Key Features of GADCapital’s Digital Lending Platform

    GADCapital’s platform introduces several advantages for consumers exploring no credit check loans:

    • Soft Credit Inquiries: Borrowers avoid hard credit pulls, preserving credit scores.
    • Same-Day Funding Available: Many loans are funded the same business day for urgent needs.
    • Income-Based Approvals: Decisions rely on current income and banking activity, not just credit scores.
    • Transparent Terms: All loan offers disclose rates and fees clearly for consumers seeking payday loans online.
    • Strong Security Measures: GADCapital’s encryption protocols protect sensitive personal and financial data.

    These features make GADCapital’s digital platform a trusted choice for those seeking instant payday loans online guaranteed approval possibilities without traditional lending barriers.

    Benefits and Considerations of GADCapital’s Platform

    Advantages of GADCapital’s platform:

    • Fast application and funding process
    • Access to multiple lenders for competitive loan offers
    • Eligibility for borrowers with diverse credit histories
    • Clear and transparent loan terms
    • Digital convenience with secure online transactions

    Important considerations:

    • Short-term loans may carry higher interest rates
    • Repayment periods are often shorter than traditional loans
    • Loans should only be used for genuine emergencies, not ongoing expenses
    • Borrowers should review terms carefully to avoid future financial strain

    GADCapital emphasizes that same-day payday loans online no credit check are intended as emergency solutions, not long-term financial strategies.

    How GADCapital Fits Into Today’s Emergency Lending Landscape

    As demand for rapid financial solutions grows, GADCapital continues to position itself as a leader in the payday loans online no credit check instant approval market. Through technology and strong partnerships with licensed lenders, the company remains focused on:

    • Expanding credit access for underserved consumers
    • Delivering transparent lending processes
    • Offering a digital alternative to traditional bank loans

    By leveraging advanced digital tools and an extensive lender network, GADCapital helps consumers handle financial emergencies quickly and securely.

    About GADCapital

    GADCapital is a digital lending platform connecting consumers with licensed lenders offering no credit check payday loans, same-day payday loans online, and other short-term financial solutions. The company’s mission is to simplify the borrowing process and deliver fast, secure funding for individuals facing unexpected expenses.

    Disclaimer

    This article provides general information about emergency lending services and should not be considered financial or legal advice. Loan terms, interest rates, and availability vary by lender and state. While some lenders may offer high approval rates, no loan approval is truly “guaranteed” and depends on individual circumstances and lender verification processes. This content is for informational purposes only. Prospective borrowers should carefully review all terms and conditions before accepting any loan offer. The publisher assumes no responsibility for actions taken based on this information. All company names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used for informational purposes only.

    Contact Data:
     GADCapital Press Office
    Phone: (800) 961-5909
    Email: info@gadcapital.com
    Website: https://gadcapital.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: VERAXA Biotech and Voyager Acquisition Corp. Announce Filing of Form F-4 Registration Statement with the SEC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ZURICH, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VERAXA Biotech AG (“VERAXA” or the “Company”), an emerging leader in designing novel cancer therapies, and Voyager Acquisition Corp.,  a Cayman Islands exempted company and special purpose acquisition company targeting the healthcare sector (NASDAQ:VACH, “Voyager” or the “SPAC”), announced today the filing of a registration statement on Form F-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in regards to the proposed Business Combination Agreement announced April 23, 2025.

    “We are excited to share this pivotal milestone in VERAXA’s journey toward becoming a public company,” commented Christoph Antz, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of VERAXA. “The filing of our Registration Statement marks a significant step forward in our path to accessing the public capital markets and vision of bringing the next generation of safe and highly effective cancer therapies to patients. We remain focused on executing the merger effectively with Voyager as we move forward together.”

    While the Registration Statement has not been declared effective, and the information included within is not complete and subject to change, it contains key information about Voyager’s business and securities listing, VERAXA’s drug development pipeline, technology platform, licensing partnerships, intellectual property, and research and development program. It also includes the proposed Business Combination Agreement and the proposals to be considered by SPAC’s shareholders.

    Transaction Overview

    Under the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, VERAXA’s equity value contribution to the Business Combination will amount to approximately $1.3 billion. Accordingly, VERAXA’s shareholders will receive approximately 130 million ordinary shares of the combined company in exchange for their existing VERAXA shares. Existing VERAXA shareholders and management will not receive any cash proceeds as part of the transaction and will roll over 100% of their equity into the combined company.

    Assuming a share price of $10.00 per share and no redemptions of Voyager’s shares by Voyager’s public shareholders, VERAXA (as a combined entity) is expected to have an implied pro forma equity value of approximately $1.64 billion at closing.

    Upon the closing of the Business Combination, VERAXA anticipates access to approximately up to $253 million in cash held in trust by Voyager, prior to the payment of transaction costs of VERAXA and Voyager, and assuming no redemptions by Voyager’s public shareholders.

    The boards of directors of both Voyager and VERAXA unanimously approved the Business Combination. Voyager and VERAXA expect the Business Combination to close in the fourth quarter of 2025. The transaction is subject to approval of Voyager’s and VERAXA’s shareholders and the satisfaction of certain other customary closing conditions.

    Additional information about the transaction will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K that will contain an investor presentation to be filed with the SEC and will be available at www.sec.gov. In addition, VERAXA will file other documents regarding the Business Combination with the SEC. This communication is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Voyager has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the Business Combination.

    Advisors

    Anne Martina Group is acting as sole M&A advisor to VERAXA. Duane Morris LLP is acting as legal counsel to VERAXA. Winston & Strawn LLP is serving as legal counsel to Voyager. Cantor Fitzgerald is acting as Voyager’s capital markets advisor.

    About VERAXA Biotech

    At VERAXA, we are building a premier engine for the discovery and development of next-generation antibody-based therapeutics, including bispecific ADCs, bispecific T cell engagers and other innovative formats. Powered by a suite of transformative technologies and guided by rigorous quality-by-design principles, we are rapidly advancing our pipeline of ADCs and proprietary BiTAC formats into clinical development and beyond. VERAXA was founded on scientific breakthroughs made at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, a world-renowned institution known for pioneering life science research and cutting-edge technology. For more information, please visit www.veraxa.com.

    On April 22, 2025, VERAXA entered into a definitive business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with Voyager Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company and special purpose acquisition company targeting the healthcare sector (NASDAQ: VACH, “Voyager”). Upon closing of the Business Combination Agreement, VERAXA is expected to become a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ.

    About Voyager Acquisition Corp.

    Voyager is a special purpose acquisition company with a bold mission: to revolutionize the healthcare sector through a merger, stock purchase, or business combination. Our team of experienced executives includes unparalleled expertise in investing, operations, and medical innovation, supported by a vast network of connections. With these strengths, we not only seek to drive success but commit to scaling companies to unprecedented heights in the healthcare industry. For more information, please visit https://www.voyageracq.com.

    Participants In the Solicitation

    Voyager, VERAXA, and their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Voyager’s stockholders with respect to the Business Combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the Business Combination of Voyager’s directors and officers in Voyager’s filings with the SEC, including, when filed with the SEC, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, amendments and supplements thereto, and other documents filed with the SEC. Such information with respect to VERAXA’s directors and executive officers will also be included in the proxy statement/prospectus. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described below under the heading “Additional Information and Where to Find It”.

    Non-Solicitation

    This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of Voyager or VERAXA, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about future events or Voyager’s or VERAXA’s future financial or operating performance. For example, statements regarding VERAXA’s anticipated growth and the anticipated growth and other metrics, statements regarding the benefits of the Business Combination, and the anticipated timing of the completion of the Business Combination are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “project,” “strive,” “budget,” “forecast,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology.

    These forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future results of Voyager and VERAXA are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the industry in which VERAXA operates, as well as the beliefs and assumptions of Voyager’s management and VERAXA’s management. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to, without limitation, (i) known and unknown risks, including the risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the final prospectus of Voyager relating to its initial public offering filed with the SEC, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and other documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by Voyager; (ii) uncertainties; (iii) assumptions; and (iv) other factors beyond Voyager’s or VERAXA’s control that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. They are neither statements of historical fact nor promises or guarantees of future performance. Therefore, VERAXA’s actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements and Voyager and VERAXA therefore caution against relying on any of these forward-looking statements.

    These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Voyager and its management, VERAXA and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain and are inherently subject to risks, variability and contingencies, many of which are beyond Voyager’s or VERAXA’s control. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement and any subsequent definitive agreements with respect to the Business Combination; (ii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Voyager, VERAXA, or others following the announcement of the Business Combination and any definitive agreements with respect thereto; (iii) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain consents and approvals of the shareholders of Voyager, to obtain financing to complete the Business Combination or to satisfy other conditions to closing, or delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals required to complete the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement; (iv) changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; (v) projections, estimates and forecasts of revenue and other financial and performance metrics, projections of market opportunity and expectations, and the estimated implied enterprise value of VERAXA; (vi) VERAXA’s ability to scale and grow its business, and the advantages and expected growth of VERAXA; (vii) VERAXA’s ability to source and retain talent, the cash position of VERAXA following closing of the Business Combination; (viii) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards in connection with, and following, the consummation of the Business Combination; (ix) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of VERAXA as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; (x) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of VERAXA to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain key relationships and retain its management and key employees; (xi) costs related to the Business Combination; (xii) changes in applicable laws, regulations, political and economic developments; (xiii) the possibility that VERAXA may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; (xiv) VERAXA’s estimates of expenses and profitability; (xv) the failure to realize estimated shareholder redemptions, purchase price and other adjustments; and (xvi) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the filings by Voyager with the SEC. There may be additional risks that neither Voyager nor VERAXA presently know or that Voyager and VERAXA currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Voyager or VERAXA speak only as of the date they are made. None of Voyager or VERAXA undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect any changes in their respective expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    In connection with the Business Combination Agreement, Voyager and/or VERAXA intend to file relevant materials with the SEC, including the Registration Statement, which will include a proxy statement/prospectus of Voyager, and will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. This communication is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Voyager has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. When available, the definitive proxy statement and other relevant materials for the proposed transaction will be mailed or made available to stockholders of Voyager as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed transaction.

    Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and stockholders of Voyager are urged to carefully read, when they become available, the entire registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus, and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to these documents, and the documents incorporated by reference therein, because they will contain important information about Voyager, VERAXA, and the proposed transaction. Voyager’s investors and stockholders and other interested persons will also be able to obtain copies of the registration statement, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, and all other relevant documents filed with the SEC by Voyager in connection with the Transaction, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Voyager at the address set forth below.

    Contact

    VERAXA Biotech AG Voyager Acquisition Corp.
    Dr. Christoph Antz
    CEO
    Telephone: +49-6221-3521330
    Email: antz@veraxa.com    		 Mr. Adeel Rouf
    Chief Executive Officer, and Director
    Email: adeel@voyageracq.com
       
    For Media & Investors
    Mario Brkulj
    Valency Communications
    Telephone: +49 160 9352 9951
    Email: mbrkulj@valencycomms.eu    		  
       
    BiTAC is a trademark of VERAXA Biotech AG.  
       

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cyabra Launches AI-Powered Deepfake Detection Tool to Expose Media Manipulation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cyabra Strategy Ltd. (“Cyabra”), the AI-powered platform for real-time disinformation detection, has announced the launch of its advanced deepfake detection tool designed to help brands and governments counter the growing threat of AI-generated “synthetic” media.

    The new capability uses artificial intelligence to analyze images and videos for signs of manipulation, providing rapid verification of content authenticity. In an era when hyper-realistic fake videos and photos spread disinformation at alarming speeds, Cyabra’s tool empowers organizations to distinguish real content from convincing forgeries, detecting threats to brand reputation and public safety.

    Earlier this year, the World Economic Forum warned that organizations must be vigilant and maintain awareness of attacker techniques to protect their people and systems. In February 2024, it was reported that a finance worker for a multinational firm in Hong Kong was tricked into paying $25 million based on a Zoom meeting in which all of the participants, including the company’s chief financial officer, were all deepfakes.

    The advanced detection tool leverages two proprietary AI models: PixelProof for images and MotionProof for videos. PixelProof uses spatio-frequency analysis to detect invisible pixel inconsistencies, while MotionProof identifies unnatural movement patterns and lip-sync errors across video frames. Both models deliver results in seconds and provide confidence scores with visual heatmap explanations showing exactly where content appears manipulated.

    Dan Brahmy, CEO and Co-founder of Cyabra. “Our detection tool acts as a digital magnifying glass, revealing the invisible fingerprints of even the most convincing deepfakes. As digital manipulation evolves, our defenses must keep pace. This new tool gives our customers the forensic clarity needed to help them preserve trust, safeguard discourse, and defend democratic institutions.”

    Recently fabricated videos of public figures – one depicting U.S. President Donald Trump being “arrested,” and another showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemingly surrendering to Russia – briefly went viral and misled audiences before being debunked. Companies are also increasingly targets of deepfake-driven disinformation. Malicious actors can use AI-generated videos and images to fabricate corporate scandals or executive remarks, wreaking havoc on a company’s reputation and stock price. This vulnerability has made deepfake detection a critical component of brand reputation management.

    Unlike standalone deepfake detection tools, Cyabra’s solution integrates into the company’s comprehensive disinformation detection platform. Deepfakes are rarely used in isolation; they are often deployed alongside fake social media profiles, bot networks, and orchestrated false narratives as part of larger influence campaigns. Recognizing this, Cyabra has built the deepfake detector to work in concert with its existing suite of tools for authenticity analysis, narrative tracking, and 24/7 real-time monitoring. This integrated approach gives government agencies and corporations the context and early-warning signals needed to counter complex disinformation threats.

    Cyabra has entered into a business combination agreement with Trailblazer Merger Corporation I (NASDAQ: TBMC), a blank-check special-purpose acquisition company.

    About Cyabra

    Cyabra is a real-time AI-powered platform that uncovers and analyzes online disinformation and misinformation by uncovering fake profiles, harmful narratives, and GenAI content across social media and digital news channels. Cyabra’s AI solutions protect corporations and governments against brand reputation risks, election manipulation, foreign interference, and other online threats. Cyabra’s platform leverages proprietary algorithms and NLP solutions, gathering and analyzing publicly available data to provide clear, actionable insights and real-time alerts that inform critical decision-making. Cyabra uncovers the good, bad, and fake online.

    For more information, visit www.cyabra.com.

    Media Contact:

    Jill Burkes
    Jill@cyabra.com

    About Trailblazer

    Trailblazer is a blank check company formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. For more information, visit: www.trailblazermergercorp.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to certain products and services that are the subject of a proposed transaction (the “Business Combination”) between Trailblazer and Cyabra. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding Cyabra’s business strategy, products and services, research and development costs, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and future results of current and anticipated product offerings, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, the following risks relating to the proposed transaction: the ability to complete the Business Combination or, if Trailblazer does not consummate such Business Combination, any other

    initial business combination; expectations regarding Cyabra’s strategies and future financial performance, including its future business plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products and services, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and Cyabra’s ability to invest in growth initiatives and pursue acquisition opportunities; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Trailblazer or Cyabra following announcement of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; the inability to complete the proposed Business Combination due to, among other things, the failure to obtain Trailblazer stockholder approval; the risk that the announcement and consummation of the proposed Business Combination disrupts Cyabra’s current operations and future plans; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination; unexpected costs related to the proposed Business Combination; the amount of any redemptions by existing holders of Trailblazer’s common stock being greater than expected; limited liquidity and trading of Trailblazer’s securities; geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; the size of the addressable markets for Cyabra’s products and services; the possibility that Trailblazer and/or Cyabra may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the ability to obtain and/or maintain the listing of the combined company’s common stock on Nasdaq following the Business Combination; operational risk; and the risks that the consummation of the proposed Business Combination is substantially delayed or does not occur.

    Important Information for Investors and Stockholders

    In connection with the Business Combination, Trailblazer Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Trailblazer (“Holdings”) has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, and certain other related documents, which will be both the proxy statement to be distributed to holders of shares of Trailblazer’s common stock in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the vote by its stockholders with respect to the Business Combination and other matters as may be described in the Registration Statement, as well as the prospectus of Holdings relating to the offer and sale of its securities to be issued in the Business Combination. . After the Registration Statement is declared effective, the proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all Trailblazer stockholders so that they may vote on the Business Combination.

    INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF TRAILBLAZER ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES INVOLVED.

    Trailblazer stockholders are currently able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy

    statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference therein, and will be able to obtain the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein, once available, in all cases without charge, at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Trailblazer at 510 Madison Avenue, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10022, Telephone: 646-747-9618.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Cyabra, Trailblazer, and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Trailblazer stockholders regarding the proposed Business Combination. Information about Trailblazer’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Trailblazer’s securities is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed Business Combination.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval. No sale of securities shall occur in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under applicable laws.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: zerohash funding infrastructure helps power World App Mini App ecosystem; launches Account Funding SDK for Mini Apps in World App

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — zerohash today announced it is providing funding infrastructure for Mini Apps within the World App ecosystem.

    Zerohash for World App’s Mini App ecosystem aims to help pave the way for real-world adoption of digital assets including WLD (Worldcoin), as well as offering an additional technical foundation for developers building Mini Apps. The Mini App ecosystem allows third-party developers to build experiences directly inside the platform – ranging from event-based trading to AI-powered utilities and decentralized services. Notable Mini Apps include Kalshi, UNO Swap, and World Chat, across over 1 million unique users (Source:World App).

    Mini App developers can now seamlessly embed zerohash’s regulated funding rails to enable compliant, in-platform transactions. By extension, World App users are able to instantly fund their accounts in USDC or WLD, without needing to manually input their wallet addresses or leaving the platform. zerohash’s Account Funding SDK works by automatically detecting the World App environment using pre-populated user context to deliver a faster, frictionless funding experience.

    The integration is now live for the growing roster of Mini App developers, as World App becomes a leading hub for on-chain, user-friendly companies.

    Edward Woodford, CEO of zerohash said, “as the go-to partner for compliant, regulated, on-chain infrastructure, zerohash is proud to deliver the rails that make innovators including World App.”

    Head of Financial Products at Tools for Humanity, Patrick Traughber said, “zerohash’s infrastructure helps deliver a more seamless Mini App developer experience as we build out engaging products for the real human network.”

    About zerohash
    zerohash is the leading infrastructure provider for crypto, stablecoin, and tokenized assets. Its API and embeddable dev-kit enables innovators to easily launch solutions across cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization and on/off-ramps.

    zerohash powers solutions for some of the largest and innovative companies including Interactive Brokers, Stripe, Shift4, Franklin Templeton, Felix Pago, Kalshi and LightSpark. Zerohash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

    In the United States, zerohash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 U.S. jurisdictions. zerohash LLC and zerohash Liquidity

    Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. zerohash Trust Company LLC has been approved by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks as a non-depository trust company. For information about our global regulatory footprint, including our Argentinian registrations, see here.

    zerohash Disclosures
    zerohash services and product offerings may not be available in all jurisdictions.

    zerohash accounts are not subject to FDIC or SIPC protections, or any such equivalent protections that may exist outside of the US. zerohash’s technical support and enablement of any asset is not an endorsement of such asset and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any crypto asset.

    zerohash is not registered with the SEC or FINRA. zerohash does not provide any securities services and is not a custodian of securities, including security tokens, on behalf of Customers.

    Learn more by visiting zerohash.com or following us on X @ZeroHashX

    Media Contacts
    zerohash
    Shaun O’Keeffe
    (855) 744-7333
    media@zerohash.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cloudera Awarded DoD Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) Agreement, Enhancing Access to AI-Driven Data Solutions Across Federal Agencies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cloudera, the only cloud anywhere platform for data and AI, today announced it has been awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) by the Department of Defense (DoD) through their highly competitive Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) program. This agreement simplifies procurement and accelerates deployment of Cloudera’s platform across the DoD, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Intelligence Community.

    The BPA allows Cloudera to offer its software for up to five years through a pre-negotiated, competitively awarded contract vehicle, supporting faster and more efficient access to modern data tools. To date, the DoD ESI program has achieved more than $7 billion in cost avoidance through volume pricing and streamlined acquisition via the GSA Federal Supply Schedule, underscoring how Cloudera’s scalable data capabilities align with ESI’s mission to deliver cost-effective solutions that support the DoD’s critical needs.

    “This award opens up significant opportunities for Cloudera to further support the DoD and the Intelligence Community’s digital transformation initiatives, enabling them to leverage the power of their data, anywhere, for enhanced decision-making improved operational efficiency, all while advancing national security,” said Jonathan Veal, group vice president, defense and intelligence at Cloudera. “Through the DoD ESI program, agencies can now more easily access our open data lakehouse, secure generative AI capabilities and trusted AI framework — all delivered within a U.S. citizen-on-soil model that meets the highest standards for compliance, scalability and performance.”

    This BPA marks a new chapter in Cloudera’s partnership with the U.S. defense and intelligence communities, providing a trusted foundation to expand AI-driven capabilities and modernize mission operations at scale.

    To learn more about Cloudera’s public sector business or for information on accessing the cutting-edge capabilities of Cloudera’s data platform via DoD ESI, visit https://www.cloudera.com/solutions/public-sector.html.

    About Cloudera
    Cloudera is the only cloud anywhere platform for data and AI. With 100x more data under management than other cloud-only vendors, Cloudera empowers global enterprises to transform data of all types, on any public or private cloud, into valuable, trusted insights. Our open data lakehouse delivers scalable and secure data management with portable cloud-native analytics, enabling customers to bring GenAI models to their data while maintaining privacy and ensuring responsible, reliable AI deployments. The world’s largest brands in financial services, insurance, media, manufacturing, and government rely on Cloudera to use their data to solve what seemed impossible—today and in the future.

    To learn more, visit Cloudera.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. Cloudera and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cloudera, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

    Contact
    Jess Hohn-Cabana
    cloudera@v2comms.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Crowd Street Recognized by CNBC as One of the World’s Top Fintech Companies for Second Year in a Row

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crowd Street, the private market investment platform helping members achieve their financial goals by providing access to investment opportunities, today announced that it has been named to CNBC’s World’s Top 250 Fintech Companies 2025 in the Alternative Financing category. CNBC defines Alternative Financing as companies that offer businesses and consumers a way to borrow or raise money online.

    For the second consecutive year, CNBC is recognizing Crowd Street for empowering the next generation of private market investors who prefer to invest independently. Private market investing has historically been reserved for institutions and elite wealth managers who primarily serve extremely high net-worth individuals. Crowd Street is providing these same opportunities directly to the millions of accredited investors, many of whom prefer to use a self-directed platform to manage their investments.

    “We are incredibly honored to receive this award – it’s a powerful recognition of the passion and dedication our entire team puts in every day,” said John Imbriglia, CEO of Crowd Street. “This achievement reflects not only our commitment to transforming access to the private markets, but also the tangible impact we can make for the millions of accredited investors who prefer to invest independently by providing them the access, education, and tools to responsibly access the private markets.”

    The recognition from CNBC comes at an exciting inflection point for private markets. Only about three percent of individual investors’ assets are allocated to private market opportunities today, but industry research projects that will rapidly expand, and become a trillion dollar market opportunity by 2028.1 Crowd Street is uniquely positioned to lead the category. As of July 2025, with more than $4.4B invested through its platform solely in commercial real estate, Crowd Street is poised to scale by working with some of the top asset management firms to introduce new fund options across additional asset classes, including private equity, private credit and venture capital later this year.

    CNBC and Statista conducted in-depth research on more than 2,000 eligible companies, considering annual reports, company websites, media monitoring, and notable KPIs to determine the top 250 firms across seven categories. Crowd Street’s notable recognition follows several exciting moments from the company in 2025, including the launch of its new brand, new platform updates, inaugural Member Council, new headquarters in New York City, executives named to Top 50 Women in Fintech and more.

    About Crowd Street
    Crowd Street empowers its members to reach their financial goals through self-directed private market investments. The platform offers a carefully selected marketplace of alternative investment opportunities that have historically only been available to a small group of people. In addition to providing advanced tools, research, and insights to help investors confidently explore these exclusive opportunities, Crowd Street is also building a member experience rooted in trust and experience, further bridging the gap between investment opportunities and true financial wealth. For more information, visit https://www.crowdstreet.com/.

    Media Contact
    LaunchSquad
    CrowdStreet@launchsquad.com

    1)   The Investment Association, Private Markets: A Briefing from The Investment Association, March 2024

    CrowdStreet, Inc. (“Crowd Street”) offers investment opportunities and financial services on its website. Broker dealer services provided in connection with an investment are offered through CrowdStreet Capital LLC (“Crowd Street Capital”), a registered broker dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services are offered through CrowdStreet Advisors, LLC (“Crowd Street Advisors”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Crowd Street and a federally registered investment adviser. Investment opportunities available through Crowd Street are speculative and involve substantial risk. You should not invest unless you can sustain the risk of loss of capital, including the risk of total loss of capital. All investors should consider their individual factors in consultation with a professional advisor of their choosing when deciding if an investment is appropriate.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (FMCB) Reports Record Second Quarter 2025 Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Second Quarter 2025 Highlights

    • Net income of $23.1 million, an increase of $1.3 million or 5.9% compared to the second quarter of 2024;
    • Basic earnings per share of $33.06 and diluted earnings per share of $32.94; diluted earnings per share up 12.1% compared to the second quarter of 2024;
    • Diluted earnings per share of $126.87 over the trailing twelve months, up 7.8% compared to $117.73 over the same trailing period a year ago and 15.2% compared to $110.10 for the same period two years ago;
    • Tangible book value per share increased 9.7% to $835.33 compared to $761.62 as of June 30, 2024;
    • Achieved a return on average assets of 1.65% and a return on average equity of 15.09%;
    • Net interest income of $53.9 million, up $3.1 million or 6.1% compared to $50.8 million in the second quarter of 2024; net interest margin (tax equivalent basis) of 4.07%, up from 3.91% in the second quarter of 2024;
    • Continued cost discipline resulted in an efficiency ratio of 44.88%;
    • Liquidity position remains strong with $291.8 million in cash, $1.3 billion in investment securities, of which $573.0 million are available-for-sale, no borrowings and a borrowing capacity of $2.1 billion as of June 30, 2025;
    • Continued to grow our solid capital position with a preliminary total risk-based capital ratio of 15.35%, common equity tier 1 ratio of 13.87%, tier 1 leverage ratio of 11.18% and a tangible common equity ratio of 11.08%;
    • Credit quality remains resilient with an allowance for credit losses on loans and leases of 2.09%; net charge-off ratio of 0.02% for the quarter and no non-accrual loans or leases at quarter-end.

    LODI, Calif., July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (OTCQX: FMCB) (the “Company” or “FMCB”), the parent company of Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California (the “Bank” or “F&M Bank”), reported record second quarter net income of $23.1 million, or $32.94 per diluted common share for the second quarter of 2025 compared with $21.8 million, or $29.39 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2024 and $23.0 million, or $32.86 per diluted common share for the first quarter of 2025. Annualized return on average assets was 1.65% and return on average equity was 15.09% for the second quarter of 2025 compared with 1.58% and 15.33% for the second quarter of 2024, and 1.70% and 15.65% for the first quarter of 2025. The expense efficiency ratio for second quarter was 44.88% down from 45.77% for the second quarter of 2024 and up from 43.86% for the first quarter of 2025.

    Net income over the trailing twelve months was $90.0 million compared with $87.9 million for the same trailing period a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share over the trailing twelve months totaled $126.87, up 7.8% compared with $117.73 for the same trailing period a year ago and $110.10 for the same period two years ago. Basic earnings per share over the trailing twelve months totaled $127.01, up 7.9% compared with $117.73 for the same trailing period a year ago and $110.10 for the same period two years ago.

    During the quarter, the Company declared a mid-year cash dividend of $9.30 per share totaling $6.5 million, a 5.7% increase over the $8.80 per share mid-year dividend paid in 2024. The Company has now paid a cash dividend for 90 consecutive years and has increased the cash dividend for 60 consecutive years. Farmers and Merchants Bancorp is a member of a select group of only 55 publicly traded companies referred to as “Dividend Kings,” and is ranked 17th in that group. On July 1, 2025, Sure Dividend released their top-ranked Dividend Kings, based on expected returns over the next five years and ranked Farmers & Merchants Bancorp #5 on this prestigious list.

    CEO Commentary

    Kent Steinwert, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are very pleased with the Company’s financial performance in the second quarter of 2025, highlighted by record second quarter net income of $23.1 million, a return on average assets of 1.65%, and a return on average equity of 15.09%. Net income for the first six-months of 2025 of $46.1 million is the best performing six-month period in the history of the Company. We achieved these impressive results while continuing to maintain a strong liquidity position and balance sheet at quarter end with $291.8 million in cash, $1.3 billion in investment securities, of which $573.0 million are available-for-sale, no borrowings and access to $2.1 billion in borrowing capacity, while maintaining a conservative loan-to-deposit ratio of 76.38%. Capital levels continue to strengthen and are significantly above the regulatory thresholds for “well-capitalized” banks. Total deposits increased $61.2 million, or 1.3% to $4.8 billion at June 30, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024, as we continued our focus on growing deposits with our longstanding client relationships and developing new client relationships. Gross loans and leases were $3.6 billion at the end of the second quarter, up $40.3 million or 1.1% from March 31, 2025 and down $54.4 million or 1.5% from December 31, 2024. The increase in the second quarter was due to increased loan demand while the decrease in the first quarter was partially due to some seasonality in agricultural lending as well as our continued conservative approach in underwriting given the yield curve, which continues to not price in duration risk for loans and leases beyond three years. Credit quality remains solid as we continue to work closely with our borrowers while they work through the current economic cycle, particularly in a few agricultural products adversely impacted by negative conditions in the export market. Our Company remains in excellent financial condition, continues to perform at a high-level and is well positioned to navigate the challenges ahead as we have for the past 109 years.”

    Mr. Steinwert continued, “I am pleased to announce that Bank Director Magazine just released their annual ranking of the top performing banks for 2024 and Farmers & Merchants Bancorp was ranked the #3 bank in the nation across all asset categories. This follows our #2 ranking for 2023 and #1 ranking for 2022. Bank Director’s recognition of our performance over the last three years validates the success of our strategy and commitment to our clients, employees, shareholders and communities.”

    Earnings

    Net interest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was $53.9 million compared with $50.8 million in the same quarter in 2024 and $53.1 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net interest income for the six-months ended June 30, 2025 was $107.0 million, an increase of $4.5 million, or 4.4%, when compared with the $102.5 million for the same period in 2024. The Company’s net interest margin increased to 4.13% for the six-months ended June 30, 2025 compared with 4.02% for the same period in 2024.  The increase in the net interest margin was driven primarily by a decrease in deposit costs. Tangible book value per share increased to $835.33 at June 30, 2025, up 9.7% compared with $761.62 a year ago.

    Balance Sheet

    Total assets at quarter-end were $5.5 billion, up from $5.4 billion as of December 31, 2024. Total cash and cash equivalents were $291.8 million, an increase of $79.2 million from December 31, 2024 and a decrease of $315.5 million compared to March 31, 2025, primarily due to the repayment of brokered deposits. Total loans and leases outstanding were $3.6 billion, a decrease of $54.4 million or 1.5% from December 31, 2024, but an increase of $40.3 million or 1.1% from March 31, 2025. As of June 30, 2025, our total investment securities portfolio was $1.3 billion, an increase of $88.0 million from December 31, 2024 and an increase of $66.6 million from March 31, 2025. The portfolio is comprised of $573.0 million in available-for-sale securities and $748.9 million in held-to-maturity securities. Total deposits decreased $217.6 million to $4.76 billion compared to March 31, 2025, due to the repayment of all brokered deposits of $250.0 million during the quarter. Excluding the brokered deposits, total deposits increased $32.4 million, or 0.7% in the second quarter from March 31, 2025, and increased $61.2 million or 1.3% from December 31, 2024. Our loan to deposit ratio was 76.38% as of June 30, 2025, down from 78.53% as of December 31, 2024, due to an increase in total deposits and a modest decrease in total loans and leases.

    Credit Quality

    The Company’s credit quality remained solid with no non-accrual loans and leases as of June 30, 2025 and a negligible delinquency ratio of 0.03% of total loans and leases. Net charge-offs were 0.02% of average loans and leases for both the second quarter of 2025 and for the first half of 2025 compared to minor net recoveries for the comparative periods in 2024. Net charge-offs over the trailing twelve months were 0.04% of average total loans and leases. The total allowance for credit losses on loans and leases as well as unfunded commitments was $79.0 million as of June 30, 2025 compared to $78.1 million as of March 31, 2025. The allowance for credit losses on loans and leases increased by $0.8 million to $76.2 million, or 2.09% as of June 30, 2025 compared with $75.4, million or 2.10% as of March 31, 2025. A provision of $1.4 million was recorded during the second quarter of 2025 compared to no provision during the second quarter of 2024. The provision totaled $1.7 million for the first six-months of 2025 compared to no provision in the first six-months of 2024.

    Capital

    The Company’s and Bank’s regulatory capital ratios continued to strengthen during the second quarter of 2025. The growth in capital was driven by net income of $23.1 million offset by stock repurchases of $5.3 million and dividends paid of $6.8 million. The Company repurchased 4,546 shares during the quarter, reducing total outstanding shares to 725,367. As of June 30, 2025, there remains $14.7 million authorized for repurchases under the board-approved repurchase plan. At June 30, 2025, the Company’s preliminary total risk-based capital ratio was 15.35% and the common equity tier 1 capital ratio was 13.87%, an increase from 15.23% and 13.75% as of March 31, 2025, respectively. At June 30, 2025, the Company’s tier 1 leverage capital ratio was 11.18%, a decrease from 11.32% as of March 31, 2025, as a result of higher average assets. At June 30, 2025, all F&M Bank capital ratios exceeded the regulatory requirements to be classified as “well-capitalized.” At June 30, 2025, the tangible common equity ratio was 11.08%, up from 10.72% as of June 30, 2024.

    About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

    Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, trades on the OTCQX under the symbol FMCB, and is the parent company of Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, also known as F&M Bank. Founded in 1916, F&M Bank is a locally owned and operated community bank, which proudly serves California through 33 convenient locations. F&M Bank is financially strong, with $5.5 billion in assets, and is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s safest banks by national bank rating firms. The Bank has maintained a 5-Star rating from BauerFinancial for 35 consecutive years, longer than any other commercial bank in the State of California.

    Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has paid dividends for 90 consecutive years and has increased dividends for 60 consecutive years. As a result, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp is a member of a select group of only 55 publicly traded companies referred to as “Dividend Kings,” and is ranked 17th in that group based on consecutive years of dividend increases. A “Dividend King” is a stock with 50 or more consecutive years of dividend increase.

    In July 2025, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp was named by Bank Director’s Magazine as the #3 best performing bank in the nation across all asset categories in their annual “Ranking Banking” study of the top performing banks for 2024. In July 2024, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp was named by Bank Director’s Magazine as the #2 best performing bank in the nation across all asset categories in their annual “Ranking Banking” study of the top performing banks for 2023. In July 2023, the Bank was named by Bank Director’s Magazine as the #1 best performing bank in the nation across all asset categories in their annual “Ranking Banking” study of the top performing banks for 2022.

    In April 2024, F&M Bank was ranked 6th on Forbes Magazine’s list of “America’s Best Banks” in 2023. Forbes’ annual “America’s Best Banks” list looks at ten metrics measuring growth, credit quality, profitability, and capital for the 2023 calendar year, as well as stock performance in the 12 months through March 18, 2024.

    In December 2023, F&M Bank was ranked 4th on S&P Global Market Intelligence’s “Top 50 List of Best-Performing Community Banks” in the US with assets between $3.0 billion and $10.0 billion for 2023. S&P Global Market Intelligence ranks financial institutions based on several key factors including financial returns, growth, and balance sheet risk profile.

    In October 2021, F&M Bank was named the “Best Community Bank in California” by Newsweek magazine. Newsweek’s ranking recognizes those financial institutions that best serve their customers’ needs in each state. This recognition speaks to the superior customer service the F&M Bank team members provide to its clients.

    F&M Bank is the 18th largest bank lender to agriculture in the United States. F&M Bank operates in the mid-Central Valley of California, including Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, and Merced counties and the east region of the San Francisco Bay Area, including Napa, Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

    F&M Bank was inducted into the National Agriculture Science Center’s “Ag Hall of Fame” at the end of 2021 for providing resources, financial advice, guidance, and support to the agribusiness communities as well as to students in the next generation of agribusiness workforce. F&M Bank is dedicated to helping California remain the premier agricultural region in the world and will continue to work with the next generation of farmers, ranchers, and processors. F&M Bank remains committed to servicing the needs of agribusiness in California as has been the case since its founding over 109 years ago.

    F&M Bank offers a full complement of loan, deposit, equipment leasing and treasury management products to businesses, as well as a full suite of consumer banking products. The FDIC awarded F&M Bank the highest possible rating of “Outstanding” in their last Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) evaluation.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current expectations regarding the Company’s financial performance. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could” or “may.” Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding loan and deposit production levels of net interest margin, the ability to control costs and expenses, the competitive environment, financial and regulatory policies of the United States government, general economic conditions, inflation, recessions, tariffs, economic uncertainty in the United States, and changes in interest rates. Forward-looking statements in this earnings release include matters that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others: the effects of and changes in monetary and fiscal policies, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board and their effects on inflation risk; political and economic uncertainty, including any decline in global, domestic or local economic conditions or the stability of credit and financial markets; and other relevant risks detailed in the Company’s Form 10-K, Form 10-Qs, and various other securities law filings made periodically by the Company, copies of which are available from the Company’s website. All such factors are difficult to predict and are beyond the Company’s ability to control or predict. There also may be additional risks that the Company does not presently know, or that the Company currently believes to be immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those contained in these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances after the date of this press release or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

    For more information about Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and F&M Bank, visit fmbonline.com.

    Investor Relations Contact
    Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
    Bart R. Olson
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

    Phone: 209-367-2485
    bolson@fmbonline.com

                             
    FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS                        
          Three-Months Ended     Six-Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)     June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024     June 30, 2025   June 30, 2024
    Earnings and Profitability:                        
    Interest income     $ 70,061     $ 67,138     $ 69,831       $ 137,199     $ 136,472  
    Interest expense       16,193       13,997       19,050         30,190       33,978  
    Net interest income       53,868       53,141       50,781         107,009       102,494  
    Provision for credit losses       1,400       300       –         1,700       –  
    Noninterest income       5,519       5,021       4,767         10,540       9,842  
    Noninterest expense       26,651       25,509       25,422         52,160       50,943  
    Income before taxes       31,336       32,353       30,126         63,689       61,393  
    Income tax expense       8,281       9,344       8,359         17,625       16,903  
    Net income     $ 23,055     $ 23,009     $ 21,767       $ 46,064     $ 44,490  
                             
    Basic earnings per share     $ 33.06     $ 32.88     $ 29.39       $ 65.94     $ 59.95  
    Diluted earnings per share     $ 32.94     $ 32.86     $ 29.39       $ 65.80     $ 59.95  
    Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic       697,332       699,736       740,752         698,527       742,150  
    Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted       699,852       700,215       740,752         700,102       742,150  
    Return on average assets       1.65 %     1.70 %     1.58 %       1.67 %     1.65 %
    Return on average equity       15.09 %     15.65 %     15.33 %       15.37 %     15.82 %
    Loan yield       6.08 %     6.07 %     6.13 %       6.07 %     6.11 %
    Cost of average total deposits       1.31 %     1.17 %     1.51 %       1.25 %     1.39 %
    Net interest margin – tax equivalent       4.07 %     4.20 %     3.91 %       4.13 %     4.02 %
    Effective tax rate       26.43 %     28.88 %     27.75 %       27.67 %     27.53 %
    Efficiency ratio       44.88 %     43.86 %     45.77 %       44.37 %     45.35 %
    Book value per share     $ 852.72     $ 825.18     $ 779.40       $ 852.72     $ 779.40  
    Tangible book value per share     $ 835.33     $ 843.33     $ 761.62       $ 835.33     $ 761.62  
                             
    Balance Sheet:                        
    Total assets     $ 5,478,773     $ 5,680,024     $ 5,267,485       $ 5,478,773     $ 5,267,485  
    Cash and cash equivalents       291,752       607,254       295,936         291,752       295,936  
    of which held at Fed       178,999       515,758       225,676         178,999       225,676  
    Total investment securities       1,321,812       1,255,204       1,046,210         1,321,812       1,046,210  
    of which available-for-sale       572,951       495,433       251,413         572,951       251,413  
    of which held-to-maturity       748,861       759,771       794,797         748,861       794,797  
    Gross loans and leases       3,635,831       3,595,511       3,692,237         3,635,831       3,692,237  
    Allowance for credit losses – loans and leases       76,169       75,423       74,432         76,169       74,432  
    Total deposits       4,760,364       4,977,968       4,597,055         4,760,364       4,597,055  
    Subordinated debentures       10,310       10,310       10,310         10,310       10,310  
    Total shareholders’ equity     $ 618,532     $ 602,306     $ 576,220       $ 618,532     $ 576,220  
                             
    Loan-to-deposit ratio       76.38 %     72.23 %     80.32 %       76.38 %     80.32 %
    Percentage of checking deposits to total deposits       49.23 %     50.79 %     48.60 %       49.23 %     48.60 %
                             
    Capital ratios (Bancorp) (1)                        
    Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets       13.87 %     13.75 %     13.09 %       13.87 %     13.09 %
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets       14.09 %     13.97 %     13.32 %       14.09 %     13.32 %
    Risk-based capital to risk-weighted assets       15.35 %     15.23 %     14.58 %       15.35 %     14.58 %
    Tier 1 leverage capital ratio       11.18 %     11.32 %     10.66 %       11.18 %     10.66 %
    Tangible common equity ratio (2)       11.08 %     10.40 %     10.72 %       11.08 %     10.72 %
                             
    (1) Capital information is preliminary for June 30, 2025                        
    (2) Non-GAAP measurement                        
                             
    Non-GAAP measurement reconciliation:                        
                             
    (Dollars in thousands)     June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024          
                             
    Shareholders’ equity     $ 618,532     $ 602,306     $ 576,220            
    Less: Intangible assets       12,609       12,740       13,145            
    Tangible common equity     $ 605,923     $ 589,566     $ 563,075            
                             
    Total assets     $ 5,478,773     $ 5,680,024     $ 5,267,485            
    Less: Intangible assets       12,609       12,740       13,145            
    Tangible assets     $ 5,466,164     $ 5,667,284     $ 5,254,340            
                             
    Tangible common equity ratio (1)       11.08 %     10.40 %     10.72 %          
                             
    (1) Tangible common equity divided by tangible assets                        

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fusion Fuel’s BrightHy Solutions and Houpu Global Clean Energy Sign Strategic Agency Agreement to Expand Hydrogen Infrastructure in Europe and Latin America

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBLIN, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via IBN — Fusion Fuel Green PLC´s (NASDAQ: HTOO) (“Fusion Fuel” or the “Company”) hydrogen advisory and solutions subsidiary, Bright Hydrogen Solutions Ltd (“BrightHy Solutions”), has signed an agency agreement with Houpu Global Clean Energy Co., Ltd. (“Houpu Global Clean Energy”), a leading Chinese manufacturer of hydrogen refueling equipment and clean energy technologies.

    The commercial relationship represents a key milestone in Fusion Fuel’s strategy to expand the deployment of advanced hydrogen refueling infrastructure and integrated hydrogen systems across Iberia and Latin America.

    Under this agreement, BrightHy Solutions will act as Houpu Global Clean Energy’s authorized agent for its hydrogen product portfolio within the territory, leveraging BrightHy Solutions’ deep market experience, commercial network, and engineering expertise to promote, negotiate, and deliver Houpu Global Clean Energy’s equipment and services. The collaboration aims to accelerate the development of hydrogen infrastructure projects that support industrial decarbonization and clean mobility solutions throughout the region.

    Houpu Global Clean Energy, with its extensive manufacturing capabilities, engineering know-how, and global project references, brings cutting-edge hydrogen refueling and clean energy solutions to the commercial relationship. Combined with BrightHy’s localized presence, business development capabilities, and technical support services, customers will benefit from an integrated approach that ensures reliable, efficient, and high-quality project execution.

    “We are excited to collaborate with Houpu Global Clean Energy to expand the reach of their hydrogen refueling and clean energy technologies in our markets,” said Mr. Frederico Figueira de Chaves, Chief Executive Officer of BrightHy Solutions. “Houpu Global Clean Energy’s strong industrial background, combined with BrightHy Solutions’ customer-driven approach and local expertise, positions us to deliver complete and dependable solutions to clients who are driving the hydrogen transition.”

    Mr. Liu Xing, vice president of Houpu Global Clean Energy, added: “Working with BrightHy Solutions strengthens our ability to serve the growing demand for hydrogen infrastructure outside of China. Their market knowledge and commitment to technical excellence make them an ideal partner to jointly pursue the expansion of hydrogen solutions across new territories.”

    As demand for hydrogen continues to grow globally, this agreement reinforces both companies’ shared vision to advance practical, safe, and scalable hydrogen technologies in support of the global energy transition.

    About Fusion Fuel Green PLC

    Fusion Fuel Green PLC (NASDAQ: HTOO) provides integrated energy engineering, distribution, and green hydrogen solutions through its Al Shola Gas and BrightHy Solutions platforms. With operations spanning LPG supply to hydrogen solutions, the Company supports decarbonization across industrial, residential, and commercial sectors.

    About Bright Hydrogen Solutions Ltd

    Bright Hydrogen Solutions Ltd, a subsidiary of Fusion Fuel Green PLC (NASDAQ: HTOO) is positioning itself as a leader in the hydrogen through electrolysis solutions market. With its substantial industry experience, BrightHy Solutions is a partner to clients through the entire hydrogen production value chain including plant design, tailored engineering solutions, equipment sourcing, engineering and implementation oversight. BrightHy Solutions has a strong and core focus on safety, reliability, and efficiency.

    About Houpu Global Clean Energy Co., Ltd.

    Houpu Global Clean Energy Co., Ltd. is a leading provider of hydrogen refueling and clean energy infrastructure solutions, specializing in the development and integration of equipment for the entire hydrogen value chain. As a pioneer in China’s clean mobility sector, Houpu Global Clean Energy leverages decades of engineering experience and a strong manufacturing base to deliver advanced solutions including hydrogen dispensers, compressors, storage systems, and control systems. The company’s expertise spans design, manufacturing, and turnkey deployment of hydrogen refueling stations and related equipment. With a commitment to safety, reliability, and innovation, Houpu Global Clean Energy is enabling the decarbonization of transportation and industry, supporting the global shift toward a low-carbon future.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or the Company’s future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify these statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “should,” “seeks,” “future,” “continue,” “plan,” “target,” “predict,” “potential,” or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology that concern the Company’s expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. Forward-looking statements relating to expectations about future results or events are based upon information available to the Company as of today’s date and are not guarantees of the future performance of the Company, and actual results may vary materially from the results and expectations discussed. The Company’s expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties described under Item 3. “Key Information – D. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), on May 9, 2025 (the “Annual Report”), and other filings with the SEC. Should any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the underlying assumptions about the Company’s business and the commercial markets in which the Company operates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described as anticipated, estimated or expected in the Annual Report. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the Company or other matters and attributable to the Company or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof, except as required by law.

    Investor Relations Contact
    ir@fusion-fuel.eu
    www.fusion-fuel.eu 

    Wire Service Contact:
    IBN
    Austin, Texas
    www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com 
    512.354.7000 Office
    Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Commercial Drone Applications Rapidly Expanding as a Huge Spotlight is Currently Shining on Drone Industry

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – On the heels of the latest Drone Production Governmental initiatives and Executive Orders, manufacturing efforts have rapidly increased. For example, in the commercial drone space, the Indoor Inspection and Surveillance Drone Market is growing globally. Technological advancements in drone capabilities have significantly improved their suitability for industrial applications. Modern drones are equipped with advanced sensors, improved navigation systems, and enhanced safety features, enabling precise inspections in complex indoor environments. These enhancements align with industry demands for efficient and safe inspection methods, thereby driving market growth. Furthermore, as governments worldwide recognize the benefits of drones in industrial operations, supportive policies are being implemented to facilitate their integration. The increasing investment in drone research and development is an opportunity for manufacturers to innovate and develop drones tailored to industry-specific needs, expanding their application scope. According to industry reports: “Warehouse inspection has emerged as one of the most critical applications for indoor inspection drones, driven by the increasing complexity of supply chain operations and the increasing demand for automation in logistics. Warehouses, particularly those in e-commerce, retail, and third-party logistics, require regular inspections to ensure operational efficiency, inventory accuracy, and infrastructure maintenance. The manufacturing sector has become one of the leading adopters of indoor inspection drones, driven by the increasing need for automation, precision monitoring, and predictive maintenance. Manufacturing facilities, particularly in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and electronics, require frequent inspections of machinery, production lines, and inventory storage areas to ensure operational efficiency and compliance with quality standards. Indoor drones equipped with AI-powered visual imaging and thermal sensors enable real-time monitoring of production processes, detecting potential defects, equipment malfunctions, and structural vulnerabilities.” Active Companies in the drone industries include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PRZO), NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO).

    The article continued: “The North American indoor inspection drone market is witnessing substantial growth, driven by increasing industrial automation, stringent safety regulations, and advancements in drone technology. On the basis of Type, the Global Indoor Inspection Drone Market has been segmented into Rotary-wing Drones, Hybrid Drones, Fixed-wing Drones. Rotary-wing Drones accounted for the largest market share of 78.65% in 2024, with a market value of USD 4,013.90 Million and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.86% during the forecast period. Hybrid Drones was the second-largest market in 2024. Rotary-wing drones are the most commonly used type in indoor inspection applications as a result of their ability to hover, maneuver in tight spaces, and perform precise inspections in complex industrial environments. These drones feature multiple rotors that provide stability and control, making them ideal for navigating confined areas such as warehouses, factories, and energy facilities. Their growth is primarily driven by advancements in autonomous navigation, AI-powered obstacle avoidance, and real-time data analytics.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Releases Video of ZenaDrone’s IQ Nano Indoor Inventory AI Drone for US Defense and Government – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a business technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), Enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, today releases an exclusive video of ZenaDrone’s IQ Nano indoor drone for inventory management and security applications. The video footage showcases the drone’s precision navigation in complex warehouse environments for rapid stock-taking and real-time data integration—capabilities that can improve US military logistics and bolsters supply chain modernization.

    Watch ZenaDrone’s IQ Nano indoor inventory AI drone in operation here.

    The ZenaDrone IQ Nano is a tactical indoor drone engineered and designed for GPS-denied, confined, or high-risk environments where traditional systems and personnel face operational challenges. Engineered for precision, it automates inventory management by scanning barcodes or RFID tags in armories and warehouses, while seamlessly integrating with SAP-based systems for real-time NSN (National Stock Number) military stock tracking verification and cycle counts and eliminating human error. Equipped with HD/thermal imaging and LiDAR, and AI-powered anomaly detection, it also combines secure indoor surveillance and security of command centers, ammunition depots, and restricted zones, with stable hover capabilities, and obstacle avoidance.

    “With the IQ Nano, we are delivering more than a drone—we’re deploying a mission-critical logistics asset built for a technologically advanced military,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. “The US federal government, including the Department of Defense, operates over a billion square feet of warehouse and storage space globally, representing a large opportunity. Our drone is also designed to operate where GPS fails and risks run high for unmatched precision, automation, and situational awareness. We will commence demonstrations of this product in August, a key step in our go-to-market plan.”

    The IQ Nano is part of ZenaDrone’s IQ Series product portfolio. This autonomous indoor drone features an NDAA-compliant supply chain that excludes Chinese produced components. The company has initiated submission for the Green UAS certification – the required pathway to Blue UAS (Unmanned Autonomous Systems) approval for US military procurement listing. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the drone industries include:

    ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PRZO), an aerospace defense company pioneering smart, autonomous solutions for the global manned and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry, recently announced the successful completion of a live demonstration of its DefendAir™ Personal Net Gun System to a select group of Israeli security and defense professionals.

    The demonstration was attended by 25 senior officers and experts from various tactical units and critical infrastructure defense entities. During the live field simulation, ParaZero’s DefendAir system demonstrated 100% interception success, effectively neutralizing every fast-incoming multirotor drone threat in real-time scenarios. While specific affiliations remain confidential, participants represented top-level Israeli national security sectors, including site protection and strategic defense planning.

    NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) Developments: Vision software company Foresight Autonomous Holdings has integrated Nvidia’s Jetson Orin generative AI computing modules into its 3D-perception system.   Foresight is using Nvidia’s Jetson Orin Nano and Jetson AGX Orin modules to improve the capabilities of its perception systems deployed in various use cases, with a major focus on autonomous drones and unmanned aerial vehicles.

    The Jetson modules, which are used in generative AI, computer vision and advanced robotics, upgrade Foresight’s vision system with the computing power needed for autonomous drones and UAVs, according to Foresight. The Nano module is best suited for compact, lightweight UAVs and provides them with robust AI performance and energy efficiency in a small and lightweight package. The Nano reduces power consumption while maintaining high performance, which makes it well suited for drones operating in wide open or remote areas.

    Archer (NYSE: ACHR) recently announced the company raised an additional $850M following the White House’s announcement last week of an Executive Order by President Trump to implement an eVTOL Integration Pilot Program in the United States. This program is focused on accelerating the deployment of eVTOL aircraft in the U.S.

    Archer intends to closely coordinate with the White House, Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration on how this can integrate into Archer’s plans to ramp its operations in the U.S. ahead of the LA 28 Olympic Games at which Archer will serve as the Official Air Taxi Provider of the Olympic Games and Team USA. Archer believes cross-industry collaboration will be the key to the success of the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program and the U.S. achieving its goal of “dominance” within this new category of aircraft.

    AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO), a global leader in advanced aerospace and defense technologies, recently announced plans to expand its U.S. footprint with the addition of a new manufacturing and engineering development facility. This strategic move builds on the success of AIRO’s existing operations and is driven by the growing global demand for AIRO’s flagship product, the RQ-35 ISR Drone.

    The RQ-35 ISR Drone has rapidly gained international recognition for its reliability, performance, and mission versatility across defense and security sectors. Known in military applications as the RQ-35 Heidrun, the system offers significant advantages over existing micro-ISR drones due to its combination of full autonomy, long flight endurance, and ease of operation. It has been rigorously tested and deployed in harsh electronic warfare and GPS-denied environments, including active conflict zones, where it has demonstrated exceptional resilience and effectiveness.

    About FN Media Group:

    At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated fifty one hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by ZenaTech, Inc. by the Company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Allied Energy Corporation (OTC: AGYP) Signs Strategic MOU with Green Rain Energy Holdings (OTC: GREH) to Convert Stranded Gas into Power for Texas-Based EV Charging Infrastructure

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Allied Energy Corporation (OTC: AGYP) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Green Rain Energy Holdings Inc. (OTC: GREH) to supply natural gas for powering EV charging stations across Texas, transforming stranded and underutilized gas resources into sustainable energy for high-speed electric vehicle infrastructure.
    • This partnership positions AGYP at the forefront of Texas’s energy transition, leveraging the state’s leadership in oil and gas production alongside over $400 million in NEVI funding to address grid constraints and support the projected 1 million EVs on Texas roads by 2030 through off-grid, localized power generation.
    • By converting natural gas into power for Level 3 DC fast chargers along key corridors like I-35 and I-10, AGYP aims to generate recurring revenue in the $120B+ EV charging market, promote decarbonization, and align with Texas’s goals for energy independence and carbon reduction, as highlighted by President George Monteith.

    DALLAS, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Allied Energy Corporation (OTC: AGYP), a Texas-based independent energy producer focused on hydrocarbon production and well-site optimization, is proud to announce the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Green Rain Energy Holdings Inc. (OTC: GREH), a clean energy infrastructure developer, to supply natural gas for EV charging station deployment across Texas and other high-growth U.S. markets.

    The agreement marks a bold step in bridging traditional energy with the future of electrified transportation, allowing Allied Energy Corporation to monetize a broad spectrum of energy resources to help power the next generation of high-speed charging networks.

    “This is where energy/oil field innovation meets clean energy execution,” said George Monteith, President of Allied Energy Corporation. “We’re taking energy resources that are often wasted, stranded, or underutilized and turning them into revenue-producing power for EV infrastructure. That’s a win for Texas, a win for decarbonization, and a win for investors.”

    Texas: The Epicenter of the Energy Transition

    Texas leads the U.S. in both oil & gas production and energy transition investment. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Texas is eligible for over $400 million in NEVI funding to expand electric vehicle infrastructure across interstate corridors and underserved areas.

    With more than 1 million EVs projected to hit Texas roads by 2030, and the state facing ongoing grid constraints, there is a growing need for off-grid, localized power generation to support fast-charging infrastructure. This MOU positions Allied Energy Corporation to become a key energy supplier for those systems.

    MOU Highlights: Natural Gas to Power EV Corridors

    Under the agreement, Green Rain Energy Holdings will identify priority charging station corridors, and Allied Energy Corporation will:

    • Conduct gas composition testing, where required (BTU, methane content, impurities)
    • Negotiate surface rights & Energy leases for micro-generation integration
    • Provide quarterly reports on Energy quality and Energy output from all sources.

    The Energy resources will fuel small-scale turbine or generator units that power Level 3 DC fast chargers—bypassing lengthy grid interconnect timelines and enabling rapid deployment in key areas, such as West Texas, the I-35 corridor, and along I-10.

    Economic & Environmental Upside

    This model allows Allied Energy Corporation to:

    • Generate new recurring revenue from all energy sources
    • Participate in the rapidly growing $120B+ EV charging market (Fortune Business Insights, 2024)
    • Provide a cleaner alternative to diesel-based mobile charging units
    • Support Texas’s dual mandate of energy independence and carbon reduction

    “We’re transforming how to use energy resources to create value,” Monteith added. “And we’re doing it in a way that aligns with infrastructure funding, clean air goals, and decentralized energy strategies.”

    The MOU is effective for 120 days and is expected to result in a definitive Energy Purchase and Sales Agreement (EPSA) upon commencement of site development.

    About AGYP:

    Allied Energy Corp. is an energy development and production company acquiring oil & gas reserves in some of the most prolific hydrocarbon bearing regions of the United States. The Company specializes in the business of reworking & re-completing ‘existing’ oil & gas wells located in the thousands of mature oil & gas producing fields across the United States. The Company applies its knowledge, experience, and effective well-remediation technologies to achieve higher production volumes, longer well life, and more efficient recovery of the proven and available oil and gas reserves in the fields/projects in which it has acquired an ownership interest. The Company will utilize updated technologies such as hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), drilling of lateral (“horizontal”) legs in productive zones, and utilizing new cased hole electric logging to locate bypassed pays, all to enhance daily rates and oil & gas recoveries. By acquiring interests in a growing number of selected projects in various regions, Allied Energy Corp. is diversifying its exposure and effectively minimizing risk as it pursues corporate growth, top line & bottom-line revenues to the benefit of all stakeholders. There are proven, recoverable reserves contained in the many aging oil & gas fields that have been bypassed by companies moving away from these fields in search of deeper, more plentiful, but more costly reserves. The Company plans to concentrate on bypassed oil and gas as there is less competition and, as mentioned above, the costs are considerably less. Additionally, the company will acquire interests in marginal wells that can be acquired at minimal cost, of which there are 420,000 wells in the U.S. Quoting Barry Russell, President of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (“IPAA”) – “With approximately 20 percent of American oil production and 10 percent of American natural gas production coming from marginal wells, they are America’s true strategic petroleum reserve.”

    For more information about Allied Energy Corporation, visit: www.alliedengycorp.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement:

    This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “potential” and similar expressions. These statements reflect the Company’s current beliefs and are based upon information currently available to it. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or advise in the event of any change, addition or alteration to the information catered in this Press Release, including such forward-looking statements.

    Contact:

    Allied Energy Corporation
    Phone: 972-632-2393
    Email: info@alliedengycorp.com
    X: https://x.com/AlliedEnergyCo1

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d2d9c88-6393-4129-8fe3-ce2783eea12a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Summertime Streets changes to begin next week

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    The High Street and St Giles’ Cathedral during the month of August.

    With the summer festivals season fast approaching, we’re making temporary changes to the way some of our city centre streets operate between Thursday 24 July and Sunday 7 September 2025.

    During this busy period the population of our city effectively doubles, which brings challenges for our residents, businesses and visitors.

    These temporary changes, which include removing or restricting vehicle traffic, are designed to make our streets easier and safer to walk around.

    George Street and several streets in the Old Town will be impacted. A full list of streets along with further information is available on our website.

    There is also specific advice for blue badge holders, home deliveries, loading and services for businesses, places of worship and special arrangements.

    Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said:

    As we prepare to welcome the world to Edinburgh for our summer festivals, we’re making sure that these higher visitor numbers are managed safely and properly. We’ve made temporary changes to our city centre streets successfully during this period for many years and I’m sure that this summer will be no different.

    I’d like to thank our residents and businesses for their understanding and patience as we get ready to showcase and enjoy our city’s unparalleled cultural offering once again.

    Published: July 17th 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: When grief involves trauma − a social worker explains how to support survivors of the recent floods and other devastating losses

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Liza Barros-Lane, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Houston-Downtown

    Rain falls over a makeshift memorial for flood victims along the Guadalupe River on July 13, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. AP Photo/Eric Gay

    The July 4, 2025, floods in Kerr County, Texas, swept away children and entire families, leaving horror in their wake. Days later, flash floods struck Ruidoso, New Mexico, killing three people, including two young children.

    These are not just devastating losses. When death is sudden, violent, or when a body is never recovered, grief gets tangled up with trauma.

    In these situations, people don’t only grieve the death. They struggle with the terror of how it happened, the unanswered questions and the shock etched into their bodies.

    I’m a social work professor, grief researcher and the founder of The Young Widowhood Project, a research initiative aimed at expanding scholarship and public understanding of premature spousal loss.

    I was widowed when I was 36. In July 2020, my husband, Brent, went missing after testing a small, flat-bottomed fishing boat called a Jon boat. His body was recovered two days later, but I never saw his remains.

    Both my personal loss and professional work have shown me how trauma changes the grieving process and what kind of support actually helps.

    To understand how trauma can complicate grief, it’s important to first understand how people typically respond to loss.

    Grief isn’t a set of stages

    Many people still think of grief through the lens of psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ five stages of grief, popularized in the early 1970s: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

    But in fact, this model was originally designed for people facing their own deaths, not for mourners. In the absence of accessible grief research in the 1960s, it became a leading framework for understanding the grieving process – even though it wasn’t meant for that.

    Despite this misapplication, the stages model has shaped cultural expectations: namely, that grief ends once people reach the “acceptance” stage. But research doesn’t support this idea. Trying to force grief into this model can cause real harm, leaving mourners feeling they’re grieving “wrong.”

    In reality, mourning is often lifelong. Most people go through an acute period of overwhelming pain right after the loss. This is usually followed by integrated grief, where the pain softens but the loss is still part of everyday life, returning in waves.

    Although grief is unique to each person and relationship, researchers have found that mourners often strive to a) make sense of the death; b) adjust to a world without their loved one; c) form an ongoing connection with their deceased loved one in new ways; and d) figure out who they are without their loved one.

    It’s difficult and at times disorienting work, but most people find ways to carry their grief and keep living.

    Julia Mora embraces her granddaughter, Isla Meyer, during a vigil for Texas flood victims on July 11, 2025.
    AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

    When grief and trauma collide

    However, some losses carry an extra layer of pain, confusion and trauma.

    Sudden, unexpected, accidental, violent or deeply tragic deaths – like those experienced during the recent floods – can lead to what researchers call traumatic bereavement: grief that is disrupted by the traumatic nature of the death.

    People experiencing traumatic bereavement often endure a longer and more intense acute grief period. They may be haunted by disturbing images, nightmares or relentless thoughts about how their loved one died or suffered. Many wrestle with dread, spiritual disorientation and a shattered sense of safety in the world.

    Some of these deaths are also considered “ambiguous” – unclear or unconfirmed loss – such as when a body is never recovered or is too damaged to view. Without physical confirmation, mourners often feel stuck in disbelief and helplessness.

    This was true in my case. Not seeing my husband’s body left a part of me suspended between knowing and not knowing. I knew he had died but couldn’t fully believe it, no matter how much I lived with the reality of his absence. For a long time, I caught myself repeating these words every morning: “Brent is dead. Brent is dead.”

    In many cases, these reactions aren’t short term. Many people affected by traumatic loss remain overwhelmed and sometimes physically and emotionally impaired for years. Symptoms may taper over time, but they rarely disappear entirely.

    Supporting mourners

    Traumatic bereavement can feel unbearable. Many mourners struggle with intense, long-lasting reactions that can leave them feeling helpless, altered or even unrecognizable to themselves. They may appear withdrawn, forgetful or emotionally drained because their systems are overwhelmed. Coping can look messy or self-destructive, but these are often survival strategies, not conscious choices. I’ve also seen how those same struggles become more survivable when mourners don’t have to carry them alone. If you’re supporting someone through traumatic loss, here are three ways to help.

    • Make space for the horror. Listen without flinching. Acknowledge the full weight of what happened and how terrifying and unjust the loss was. This means saying things like, “This should never have happened,” or “What you went through is beyond words.” It means staying present when the mourner speaks about what haunts them. Let them know they don’t have to carry this alone. You may feel the urge to say something hopeful such as, “At least the body was recovered,” but there is no silver lining in these cases. Instead, say: “There’s nothing I can say to fix this, but I’m not going anywhere.”

    • Help them find others who can understand. Trauma can be isolating. Mourners often feel uniquely overwhelmed or confused. Support groups, peer companions and therapists trained in treating grief and trauma can offer the kind of recognition and validation that even the most devoted friend may not be able to provide.

    • Take care of yourself, too. Being present for someone in deep grief takes energy, especially if you were personally affected by the loss. Stay connected to replenishing people, practices and routines. If you don’t, you may begin to experience trauma, too. Taking care of yourself will help you remain grounded so that you can show up.

    I believe supporting someone through traumatic bereavement is one of the most meaningful things you can do. You don’t need perfect words or a plan. What sustains them won’t be advice or solutions, but your simple, powerful act of staying.

    Liza Barros-Lane 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. When grief involves trauma − a social worker explains how to support survivors of the recent floods and other devastating losses – https://theconversation.com/when-grief-involves-trauma-a-social-worker-explains-how-to-support-survivors-of-the-recent-floods-and-other-devastating-losses-260908

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Data can show if government programs work or not, but the Trump administration is suppressing the necessary information

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Sarah James, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Gonzaga University

    Do government programs work? It’s impossible to find out with no data. Andranik Hakobyan/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality among developed nations. Since 1987, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has administered the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System to better understand when, where and why maternal deaths occur.

    In April 2025, the Trump administration put the department in charge of collecting and tracking this data on leave.

    It’s just one example of how the administration is deleting and disrupting American data of all kinds.

    The White House is also collecting less information about everything from how many Americans have health insurance to the number of students enrolled in public schools, and making government-curated data of all kinds off-limits to the public. President Donald Trump is also trying to get rid of entire agencies, like the Department of Education, that are responsible for collecting important data tied to poverty and inequality.

    His administration has also begun deleting websites and respositories that share government data with the public.

    Why data is essential for the safety net

    I study the role that data plays in political decision-making, including when and how government officials decide to collect it. Through years of research, I’ve found that good data is essential – not just for politicians, but for journalists, advocates and voters. Without it, it’s much harder to figure out when a policy is failing, and even more difficult to help people who aren’t politically well connected.

    Since Trump was sworn in for a second time, I have been keeping an eye on the disruption, removal and defunding of data on safety net programs such as food assistance and services for people with disabilities.

    I believe that disrupting data collection will make it harder to figure out who qualifies for these programs, or what happens when people lose their benefits. I also think that all this missing data will make it harder for supporters of safety net programs to rebuild them in the future.

    Why the government collects this data

    There’s no way to find out whether policies and programs are working without credible data collected over a long period of time.

    For example, without a system to accurately measure how many people need help putting food on their tables, it’s hard to figure out how much the country should spend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program, formerly known as food stamps, the federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, known as WIC, and related programs. Data on Medicaid eligibility and enrollment before and after the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 offers another example. National data showed that millions of Americans gained health insurance coverage after the ACA was rolled out.

    Many institutions and organizations, such as universities, news organizations, think tanks, and nonprofits focused on particular issues like poverty and inequality or housing, collect data on the impact of safety net policies on low-income Americans.

    No doubt these nongovernmental data collection efforts will continue, and maybe even increase. However, it’s highly unlikely that these independent efforts can replace any of the government’s data collection programs – let alone all of them.

    The government, because it takes the lead in implementing official policies, is in a unique position to collect and store sensitive data collected over long periods of time. That’s why the disappearance of thousands of official websites can have very long-term consequences.

    What makes Trump’s approach stand out

    The Trump administration’s pausing, defunding and suppressing of government data marks a big departure from his predecessors.

    As early as the 1930s, U.S. social scientists and local policymakers realized the potential for data to show which policies were working and which were a waste of money. Since then, policymakers across the political spectrum have grown increasingly interested in using data to make government work better.

    This focus on data grew starting in 2001, when President George W. Bush made holding government accountable to measurable outcomes a top priority.

    He saw data as a powerful tool for reducing waste and assessing policy outcomes. His signature education reform, the No Child Left Behind Act, radically expanded the collection and reporting of student achievement data at K-12 public schools.

    President George W. Bush speaks about education in 2005 at a high school in Falls Church, Va., outlining his plans for the No Child Left Behind Act.
    Alex Wong/Getty Images)

    How this contrasts with the Obama and Biden administrations

    Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden emphasized the importance of data for evaluating the impact of their policies on low-income people, who have historically had little political clout.

    Obama initiated a working group to identify ways to collect, analyze and incorporate more useful data into safety net policies. Biden implemented several of the group’s suggestions.

    For example, he insisted on the collection of demographic data and its analysis when assessing the impacts of new safety net policies. This approach shaped how his administration handled changes in home loan practices, the expansion of broadband access and the establishment of outreach programs for enrolling people in Medicaid and Medicare.

    Why rebuilding will be hard

    It’s harder to make a case for safety net programs when you don’t have relevant data. For example, programs that help low-income people see a doctor, get fresh food and find housing can be more cost-effective than simply having them continue to live in poverty.

    Blocking data collection may also make restoring government funding after a program gets cut or shut down even more challenging. That’s because it will be more challenging for people who in the past benefited from these programs to persuade their fellow taxpayers that there is a need for investing in a expanding program or creating a new one.

    Without enough data, even well-intended policies in the future may worsen the very problems they’re meant to fix, long after the Trump administration has concluded.

    Sarah James 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. Data can show if government programs work or not, but the Trump administration is suppressing the necessary information – https://theconversation.com/data-can-show-if-government-programs-work-or-not-but-the-trump-administration-is-suppressing-the-necessary-information-259760

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: College ‘general education’ requirements help prepare students for citizenship − but critics say it’s learning time taken away from useful studies

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Kelly Ritter, Professor of Writing and Communication, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Students learn about the arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics in general education. Olga Pankova/Moment via Getty Images

    What do Americans think of when they hear the words “general education”?

    By definition, general education covers introductory college courses in arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and mathematics. It has different names, including core curriculum or distribution requirements, depending on the college or university.

    It is also sometimes called liberal education, including by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, which describes it as providing “a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills.”

    The liberal label can be fodder for conservative groups who argue that today’s general education is part of an indoctrination into higher education’s purported left-leaning belief systems. Some other conservatives support general education as a concept but want more emphasis on so-called traditional values and less on cross-cultural understanding. These initiatives position general education and college as a space for ideological battles.

    As a scholar of historical connections between literacy and social class, I know that general education was designed to provide opportunity for all students without regard for their political preferences.

    The value of a college education can be shaped by political affiliation.
    bernarddobo/iStock via Getty Images

    An education for all

    Eighty years ago, a group of Harvard University faculty created what many colleges and universities still follow as a template for general education. This plan was outlined in the book “General Education in a Free Society.”

    Harvard’s plan was meant for all students, including veterans studying under the GI Bill, and others we today refer to as first generation, where neither parent had a college degree.

    General education made college more accessible to students who were not becoming doctors or lawyers but who also wanted careers outside the vocational trades. It helped make college a place for educating all citizens, not just students of socioeconomic privilege.

    Expanding access to higher education was central to the 1947 special report Higher Education for American Democracy, commissioned by President Harry Truman. The goal was to provide a foundational education for all, especially in math and science. But the report, commonly known as the Truman Commission Report, also included disciplines that help students understand the world – such as writing and communication, literature, psychology and history.

    The purposes of general education are central to two competing views of college today, views that I also hear expressed by students and parents I’ve met in my 28 years as a professor.

    One view of college is of an on-campus experience steeped in the liberal arts that holistically prepares students to live in a functioning democracy. These benefits are seen as worth the time and costs.

    The other view is of college as a sum of career-focused credentials that can begin and end anywhere, not specific to one college campus. These benefits are completely financial, to be gained via the cheapest, quickest means.

    Both of these views are informed by national perspectives that further divide citizens on higher education as a whole, such as Vice President JD Vance’s 2021 statement that “there was a wisdom in what Richard Nixon said approximately 40, 50 years ago. He said, and I quote, ‘The professors are the enemy.’”

    Both these groups of Americans, however, hope that obtaining a college degree will pay off for graduates who find employment and reach a standard of living better than their parents’ generation.

    For the first group, general education is critical to developing the whole student for jobs and life. For the latter, it is an expensive obstacle to it.

    Not surprisingly, these views on education and college often correspond to political party identification and whether a person attended college themselves.

    A July 2023 Lumina Foundation and Gallup Poll showed that only 36% of Americans have a “great deal” of confidence in higher education, with significant partisan differences between the 20% of Republicans who have this confidence, the 56% of Democrats and the 35% of independents who have it. There are also measurable differences between those who have earned a postgraduate degree and those who have not.

    To cut costs, more students are searching for ways to complete general education requirements before they begin college.
    PeopleImages/E+ via Getty Images

    Questioning value

    As college costs continue to rise in 2025, families are struggling – even taking on payment plans for everyday purchases, also known as phantom debt – to make ends meet.

    General education represents about a third of the requirements of a bachelor’s degree and most of an associate degree.

    For those who see college as a waste of money, general education courses are a calculable loss on future income. In the past two decades, this – and the increasingly competitive admissions process for college – has contributed to a tenfold increase in low-income students who take Advanced Placement courses and a 50% increase since 2021 in the number of students in dual-credit coursework. Both programs allow students to complete general education-equivalent courses for free while still in high school.

    Complete College America, a nonprofit advocacy group that works with states to increase college completion rates, supports these moves by students and parents, classifying general education under “gateway courses” to be completed “as soon as possible.”

    Other groups promote stackable units of credit toward college degrees. This push to complete general education requirements before entering college is gaining momentum, despite studies that show Advanced Placement classes, and exams, favor and benefit mostly white, middle- to upper-class students because these students tend to have more time and resources to devote to AP coursework and also take multiple exams in order to earn college credit.

    For college students, general education can offer benefits beyond career attainment.
    ferrantraite/E+ via Getty Images

    Understanding the world

    While arguments for streamlining college and its costs are evergreen, foundational lessons taught across fields of study are as relevant in 2025 as they were in 1945. The U.S. faces threats to its democracy, is navigating rapid advances in technology, and is adapting to population shifts that will change how its residents live and work.

    General education gives students broad foundational knowledge that can be used in a variety of careers. By design, it teaches an understanding of the world outside one’s own and how to live in it – a core requirement for a functioning democracy.

    Kelly Ritter 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. College ‘general education’ requirements help prepare students for citizenship − but critics say it’s learning time taken away from useful studies – https://theconversation.com/college-general-education-requirements-help-prepare-students-for-citizenship-but-critics-say-its-learning-time-taken-away-from-useful-studies-257083

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Poll finds bipartisan agreement on a key issue: Regulating AI

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Adam Eichen, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, UMass Amherst

    Are concerns about AI a bridge across the polarization divide? ZargonDesign/iStock via Getty Images

    In the run-up to the vote in the U.S. Senate on President Donald Trump’s spending and tax bill, Republicans scrambled to revise the bill to win support of wavering GOP senators. A provision included in the original bill was a 10-year moratorium on any state law that sought to regulate artificial intelligence. The provision denied access to US$500 million in federal funding for broadband internet and AI infrastructure projects for any state that passed any such law.

    The inclusion of the AI regulation moratorium was widely viewed as a win for AI firms that had expressed fears that states passing regulations on AI would hamper the development of the technology. However, many federal and state officials from both parties, including state attorneys general, state legislators and 17 Republican governors, publicly opposed the measure.

    In the last hours before the passage of the bill, the Senate struck down the provision by a resounding 99-1 vote. In an era defined by partisan divides on issues such as immigration, health care, social welfare, gender equality, race relations and gun control, why are so many Republican and Democratic political leaders on the same page on the issue of AI regulation?

    Whatever motivated lawmakers to permit AI regulation, our recent poll shows that they are aligned with the majority of Americans who view AI with trepidation, skepticism and fear, and who want the emerging technology regulated.

    Bipartisan sentiments

    We are political scientists who use polls to study partisan polarization in the United States, as well as the areas of agreement that bridge the divide that has come to define U.S. politics. In April 2025, we fielded a nationally representative poll that sought to capture what Americans think about AI, including what they think AI will mean for the economy and society going forward.

    The public is generally pessimistic. We found that 65% of Americans said they believe AI will increase the spread of false information. Fifty-six percent of Americans worry AI will threaten the future of humanity. Fewer than 3 in 10 Americans told us AI will make them more productive (29%), make people less lonely (21%) or improve the economy (22%).

    While Americans tend to be deeply divided along partisan lines on most issues, the apprehension regarding AI’s impact on the future appears to be relatively consistent across Republicans and Democrats. For example, only 19% of Republicans and 22% of Democrats said they believe that artificial intelligence will make people less lonely. Respondents across the parties are in lockstep when it comes to their views on whether AI will make them personally more productive, with only 29% − both Republicans and Democrats − agreeing. And 60% of Democrats and 53% Republicans said they believe AI will threaten the future of humanity.

    On the question of whether artificial intelligence should be strictly regulated by the government, we found that close to 6 in 10 Americans (58%) agree with this sentiment. Given the partisan differences in support for governmental regulation of business, we expected to find evidence of a partisan divide on this question. However, our data finds that Democrats and Republicans are of one mind on AI regulation, with majorities of both Democrats (66%) and Republicans (54%) supporting strict AI regulation.

    When we take into account demographic and political characteristics such as race, educational attainment, gender identity, income, ideology and age, we again find that partisan identity has no significant impact on opinion regarding the regulation of AI.

    State of anxiety

    In the years ahead, the debate over AI and the government’s role in regulating it is likely to intensify, on both the state and federal levels. As each day seems to bring new advances in AI’s capability and reach, the future is shaping up to be one in which human beings coexist – and hopefully flourish – alongside AI. This new reality has made the American public, both Democrats and Republicans, justifiably nervous, and our polling captures this widespread trepidation.

    Lawmakers and technology leaders alike could address this anxiety by better communicating the pitfalls and potential of AI, and take seriously the concerns of the public. After all, the public is not alone in its trepidation. Many experts in the field also have substantial worries about the future of AI.

    One of the fundamental political questions moving forward, then, will be to what degree regulators put guardrails on this emerging and transformative technology in order to protect Americans from AI’s negative consequences.

    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. Poll finds bipartisan agreement on a key issue: Regulating AI – https://theconversation.com/poll-finds-bipartisan-agreement-on-a-key-issue-regulating-ai-259780

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Supreme Court justices’ political leanings got a lot more newspaper coverage after the 2016 death of Scalia – and reporters have been mentioning them ever since

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joshua Boston, Associate Professor of Political Science, Bowling Green State University

    Reporters used to treat the Supreme Court as a nonpolitical institution, but not anymore. Tetra Images/Getty

    The U.S. Supreme Court has always ruled on politically controversial issues. From elections to civil rights, from abortion to free speech, the justices frequently weigh in on the country’s most debated problems.

    And because of the court’s influence over national policy, political parties and interest groups battle fiercely over who gets appointed to the high court.

    The public typically finds out about the court – including its significant decisions and the politics surrounding appointments – from the news media. While elected officeholders and candidates make direct appeals to their voters, the justices and Supreme Court nominees are different – they largely rely on the news to disseminate information about the court, giving the public at least a cursory understanding.

    Recently, something has changed in newspaper coverage of the Supreme Court. As scholars of judicial politics, political institutions and political behavior, we set out to understand precisely how media coverage of the court has changed over the past 40 years. Specifically, we analyzed the content of every article referencing the Supreme Court in five major newspapers from 1980 to 2023.

    Of course, people get their news from a variety of sources, but we have no reason to believe the trends we uncovered in our research of traditional newspapers do not apply broadly. Research indicates that alternative media sources largely follow the lead of traditional beat reporters.

    What we found: Politics has a much stronger presence in articles today than in years past, with a notable increase beginning in 2016.

    When public goodwill prevailed

    Not many cases have been more important in the past quarter-century or, from a partisan perspective, more contentious than Bush v. Gore – the December 2000 ruling that stopped a ballot recount, resulting in then-Texas Governor George W. Bush defeating Democratic candidate Al Gore and winning the presidential election.

    Bush v. Gore is particularly interesting to us because nine unelected, life-tenured justices functionally decided an election.

    The New York Times story about the Supreme Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore indicated the justices’ names and votes but neither the party of the president who appointed them nor their ideological leanings.
    Screenshot, The New York Times

    Surprisingly, the court’s public support didn’t suffer, ostensibly because the court had built up a sufficient store of public goodwill.

    One reason public support remained steady following Bush v. Gore might be newspaper coverage. Although the court’s decision reflected the justices’ ideologies, with the more conservative members effectively voting to end the recount and its more liberal members voting in favor of the recount, newspapers largely ignored the role of politics in the decision.

    For example, the New York Times case coverage indicated the justices’ names and their votes but mentioned neither the party of the president who appointed them nor their ideological leanings. The words “Democrat,” “Republican,” “liberal” and “conservative” – what we call political frames – do not appear in the Dec. 13, 2000, story about the decision.

    This epitomizes court-related newspaper articles from the 1980s to the early 2000s, when reporters treated the court as a nonpolitical institution. According to our research, court-related news articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal hardly used political frames during that time.

    Instead, newspapers perpetuated a dominant belief among the public that Supreme Court decisions were based almost completely on legal principles rather than political preferences. This belief, in turn, bolstered support for the court.

    Recent newspaper coverage reveals a starkly different pattern.

    A contemporary political court

    It would be nearly impossible to read contemporary articles about the Supreme Court without getting the impression that it is just as political as Congress and the presidency.

    Analyzing our data from 1980 to 2023, the average number of political frames per article tripled. To be sure, politics has always played a role in the court’s decisions. Now, newspapers are making that clear. The question is when this change occurred.

    Across the five major newspapers, reporting about the court has gradually become more political over time. That isn’t surprising: America has been gradually polarizing since the 1980s as well, and the changes in news media coverage reflect that polarization.

    Take February of 2016, when Justice Antonin Scalia unexpectedly died. Of course, justices have died while serving on the court before. But Scalia was a conservative icon, and his death could have swung the court to the center or the left.

    How the politics of naming his successor played out after Scalia’s death was unprecedented.

    President Barack Obama’s nomination effort to put Merrick Garland on the court were stonewalled. The Senate majority leader, Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the Senate would not consider any nomination until after the presidential election, nine months from Scalia’s death.

    Republican candidate Donald Trump, seeing an opening, promised to fill the vacancy with a conservative justice who would overturn Roe v. Wade. The court and the 2016 election became inseparable.

    President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama pay respects to Justice Antonin Scalia, whose 2016 death brought lasting change in newspaper coverage of the court.
    Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

    Scalia vacancy changed everything

    February 2016 brought about an abrupt and lasting change in newspaper coverage. The day before Scalia’s death, a typical article referencing the court used 3.22 political frames.

    The day after, 10.48.

    We see an uptick in political frames if we consider annual changes as well. In 2015, newspapers averaged 3.50 political frames per article about the Supreme Court. Then, in 2016, 5.30.

    Using a variety of statistical methods to identify enduring framing shifts, we consistently find February 2016 as the moment newspapers shifted to higher levels of political framing of the court. We find the number of political frames in newspapers remained elevated through 2023.

    How stories frame something shapes how people think about it.

    If an article frames a court decision as “originalist” – an analytical approach that says constitutional texts should be interpreted as they were understood at the time they became law – then readers might think of the court as legalistic.

    But if the newspaper were to frame the decision as “conservative,” then readers might think of the court as ideological.

    We found in our study that when people read an article about a court decision using political frames, court approval declines. That’s because most people desire a legal court rather than a political one. No wonder polls today find the court with precariously low public support.

    We do not necessarily hold journalists responsible for the court’s dramatic decline in public support. The bigger issue may be the court rather than reporters. If the court acts politically, and the justices behave ideologically, then reporters are doing their job: writing accurate stories.

    That poses yet another problem. Before Trump’s three court appointments, the bench was known for its relative balance. Sometimes decisions were liberal; other times, conservative.

    In June 2013, the court provided protections to same-sex marriages. Two days earlier, the court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act. A liberal win, a conservative win – that’s what we might expect from a legal institution.

    Today the court is different. For most salient issues, the court supports conservative policies.

    Given, first, the media’s willingness to emphasize the court’s politics, and second, the justices’ ideologically consistent decisions across critical issues, it is unlikely that the news media retreats from political framing anytime soon.

    If that’s the case, the court may need to adjust to its low public approval.

    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. Supreme Court justices’ political leanings got a lot more newspaper coverage after the 2016 death of Scalia – and reporters have been mentioning them ever since – https://theconversation.com/supreme-court-justices-political-leanings-got-a-lot-more-newspaper-coverage-after-the-2016-death-of-scalia-and-reporters-have-been-mentioning-them-ever-since-259120

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Early Alert: Microbore Extension Set Issue from B. Braun Medical Inc.

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    This communication is part of the Communications Pilot to Enhance the Medical Device Recall Program. The FDA has become aware of a potentially high-risk issue. The FDA will keep the public informed and update this web page as significant new information becomes available. 
    Affected Product

    The FDA is aware that B. Braun Medical Inc. has issued a letter to affected customers recommending certain microbore extension sets be removed from where they are used or sold:

    Product Description
    Model Number
    UDI-DI
    Lot Numbers

    Microbore Extension Set
    V6215
    Case: 04046964189173Each: 04046964189166
    0061742452, 0061747379, 0061767411, 0061780914, 0061803499, 0061806173, 0061822333, 0061836578, 0061849109, 0061850836, 0061899902, 0061936368, 0061936119, 0061936369, 0061940584

    What to Do
    Identify and stop use of all affected product. Affected product should be quarantined and clearly labeled to prevent accidental use until it can be returned to B. Braun. Do not destroy affected product.

    On July 9, B. Braun Medical Inc. sent all affected customers a letter recommending the following actions:

    Review the Urgent Medical Device Recall Notification in its entirety and ensure that all users in your organization of the above-mentioned product, and any other concerned persons, are informed about this voluntary recall. If you are a distributor and have further distributed the product, please forward this notice to your consignees. The recall is to be extended to the hospital/healthcare facility level.
    Determine your current inventory of the affected items within inventory of your facility, cease use and quarantine product subject to recall. Do not destroy any affected product.
    Utilizing the “Urgent Medical Device Recall Acknowledgement Form”, record the total number of individual impacted units. If you have no inventory remaining, please enter zero (0) on the form.
    Return the completed “Urgent Medical Device Recall Acknowledgement Form” to the B. Braun Medical Inc. Postmarket Surveillance department. 
    Once we receive your Acknowledgement Form, a B. Braun Customer Support representative will contact you with instructions on how to return any impacted cases, including partial cases, in your possession and provide credit and/or replacement of the product based on your individual needs.

    Check this web page for updates. The FDA is currently reviewing information about this potentially high-risk device issue and will keep the public informed as significant new information becomes available.

    Reason for Alert
    The affected Microbore Extension Sets labels show incorrect information about the device’s filter. Specifically, the product label shows that the device contains an air eliminating filter. However, the filter used on this extension set does not feature an air vent, which is common to air eliminating filters, and is not indicated for the removal of air.
    If during use there is air within the line or filter itself, the air can occlude the filter. This could lead to a significant delay in therapy with significant impact on patient condition (e.g. with life sustaining drugs). It is possible for air to escape the filter and enter the patient where embolization could occur. This could lead to patient harm up to and including permanent organ damage or death.
    As of July 9, B. Braun Medical Inc. has not reported any serious injuries or deaths associated with this issue.
    Device Use
    B. Braun Extension Sets are single use, disposable, add-on devices used for direct injection, intermittent infusion, continuous infusion or aspiration of fluids, medications, blood and blood products.
    Contact Information
    Customers in the U.S. with adverse reactions, quality problems, or questions about this recall should contact B. Braun Medical Inc. at 1-833-425-1464.
    Unique Device Identifier (UDI)
    The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from distribution to use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified more quickly, and as a result, problems potentially resolved more quickly.

    How do I report a problem?
    Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

    Content current as of:
    07/17/2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New AI model could revolutionize U.S manufacturing

    Source: US Government research organizations

    NSF-supported researchers developed a new AI model that sees inside a factory, understands what’s happening and suggests ways to solve problems, making manufacturing smarter, safer and more competitive.

    Artificial intelligence has transformed fields like medicine and finance, but it hasn’t gained much traction in manufacturing. Factories present a different challenge for AI: They are structured, fast-paced environments that rely on precision and critical timing. Success requires more than powerful algorithms; it demands deep, real-time understanding of complex systems, equipment and workflow. A new AI model designed specifically for manufacturing, seeks to address this challenge and revolutionize how factories operate.

    With support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, a team led by California State University Northridge’s Autonomy Research Center for STEAHM has developed MaVila — short for Manufacturing, Vision and Language — an intelligent assistant that combines image analysis and natural language processing to help manufacturers detect problems, suggest improvements and communicate with machines in real time. Their goal is to create smarter, more adaptive manufacturing systems that can better support one of the most important sectors of the U.S. economy.

    MaVila takes a different approach. Instead of relying on outside data, like information on the internet, it is trained with manufacturing-specific knowledge from the start. It learns directly from visual and language-based data in factory settings. The tool can “see” and “talk” — analyzing images of parts, describing defects in plain language, suggesting fixes and even communicating with machines to carry out automatic adjustments.

    MaVila was trained using a specialized approach that required far less data than typical AI systems — an advantage in manufacturing, where data is often limited or expensive to collect. Therefore, the tool could be more accessible to small and medium-sized businesses that can’t afford expensive AI tools, or the expertise required to run them.

    Researchers trained MaVila using vast datasets of images paired with descriptive language. Then, they fine-tuned it in a lab setting by showing it pictures of 3D-printed parts with visible flaws, such as blobs, cracks or stringy filaments. In most cases, MaVila correctly identified the defects and suggested better printing settings.

    The team also connected MaVila to mobile devices and robotic simulations. This allowed the model to operate in real-time scenarios, such as identifying a machine from a photo and generating step-by-step commands to adjust performance or fix a flaw — something that traditionally requires expert programming.

    The development of MaVila was powered by the National Research Platform (NRP) Nautilus — a federally funded partnership of over 50 institutions led by experts at UC San Diego that has received continuous support from NSF. To meet the enormous processing demands of training MaVila, the researchers turned to NSF-funded high-performance computing (HPC) systems. These HPC resources allowed them to simulate realistic manufacturing conditions, test edge cases and validate the AI’s response and decision-making faster than traditional computing could allow.

    This project marks a leap forward in intelligent, adaptive manufacturing. It empowers human workers, increases productivity and strengthens the U.S. position in a fiercely competitive global market. And it reflects years of public investment in computing, collaboration and AI innovation.

    Technologies like MaVila are expected to boost domestic manufacturing, fuel economic resilience, and help prepare the workforce for future-ready industries. NSF’s support ensures that cutting-edge research translates into practical tools that benefit everyday people and keep America at the forefront of innovation.

    The achievement of the researchers reflects the results of years of public investment in computing infrastructure, cross-institutional partnerships and targeted AI research. Through initiatives like the NRP and widespread access to advanced computing resources, the NSF provides researchers with essential tools that accelerate innovation and translate lab research into real-world solutions.

    The project represents a significant step forward in autonomous, adaptive manufacturing. By enabling factories to detect issues and optimize operations, MaVila supports human workers by helping them make decisions more efficiently, driving global competitiveness in a constantly evolving world.

    [embedded content]

    Listen to NSF Discovery Files wherever you get your podcasts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: King’s Hawaiian to Invest $54 Million in Hall County Expansion

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that family-owned, Hawaii-inspired food company King’s Hawaiian® will invest approximately $54 million in expanding its Oakwood facility, creating more than 135 new jobs. 

    “For nearly 15 years, King’s Hawaiian has proven to be an incredible partner in creating quality jobs in northeast Georgia, and we look forward to even more years of great success for them in Hall County,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Expansions like these are an important part of our economic development work, helping create further opportunities in growing communities.”

    King’s Hawaiian was founded in 1950 by the Taira family in Hilo, Hawaii. Since establishing a presence in Georgia in 2010, the company’s footprint has grown to support more than 800 jobs in the state.

    “This expansion represents a major milestone in our journey, and we’re thrilled to continue growing our ohana in Hall County,” said Mark Taira, CEO of King’s Hawaiian. “For 15 years, Georgia has been an essential part of our success. The support from Lanier Technical College, Georgia Quick Start, and the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce has been instrumental in helping us train and develop talent to grow our business.”

    The expansion will add a new production line at the 150,000-square-foot King’s Hawaiian facility located in the Oakwood South Industrial Park. Start-up of the new line is expected in the second quarter of 2026, producing additional flavors of King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Bites. The company will be hiring for positions in management, maintenance, food safety, and quality control. Interested individuals can learn more and apply at kingshawaiian.com/careers.

    “King’s Hawaiian has become a cornerstone of our regional economy and a shining example of a company that invests in both business and community,” said Tim Evans, President and CEO of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce. “This sixth major expansion since 2010 is a testament to the company’s deep roots in Hall County. We are especially proud of their ongoing support for youth and community programs, including the University of North Georgia’s First Generation Scholars, Junior Achievement, and Youth Leadership Hall. We look forward to continuing this remarkable partnership.”

    Regional Project Manager Brandon Lounsbury represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce and Georgia EMC. 

    “King’s Hawaiian has been a cornerstone employer in northeast Georgia and a valued partner of Georgia Quick Start for more than a decade,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “By continuing to invest in people and innovation – and by working closely with the Technical College System of Georgia – King’s Hawaiian is helping build the skilled workforce that drives its success. Congratulations to Hall County on another exciting chapter in this thriving partnership.”

    About KING’S HAWAIIAN 
     
    Founded more than 70 years ago in Hilo, Hawaii, by Robert R. Taira, KING’S HAWAIIAN is a family-owned business that has been dedicated to providing Hawaii-inspired foods made with original recipes and Aloha Spirit for three generations. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.KingsHawaiian.com, or find KING’S HAWAIIAN on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM speech at the Civil Society Summit: 17 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    PM speech at the Civil Society Summit: 17 July 2025

    The Prime Minister gave a speech at the Civil Society Summit.

    It’s fantastic to be with you all. As I look around, I see many friends and colleagues.

    Great to be here at the Science Museum, which, I have to say, feels like a fitting place to be because this is the home of innovation – celebrating the progress that has transformed so many people’s lives. And in a way, speaking to us, calling us, and inspiring us to do the same today.

    Now, as many of you in this room will remember, around 18 months ago, in opposition, in a church near Waterloo Station, I made a promise to people in this room.

    I said [political content redacted] we would work in partnership with you. To deliver on every one of our missions and change the country together. I meant that back then.

    And the moment I walked through the front door of Downing Street, our work began. And that door is now wide open to you.

    Today’s summit is the first of its kind ever. And that’s really important because this is about delivering on the priorities of working people – but it’s also about something even more fundamental than that.

    Because I often say – the changes we are making aren’t just about lines on a graph and statistics. They’re about people – and you will understand that better than anyone else.

    Take the Drive Partnership. Now, this is a fantastic initiative led by a coalition of civil society organisations. They’ve worked with the police to tackle the drivers of domestic abuse – a really serious issue, hard to deal with, and it is integral to the work we’re doing in government in our Safer Streets mission.

    So today, working together in the spirit of partnership, we’re announcing a £53 million investment to roll out the Drive Project nationally across England and Wales.

    Delivering together in partnership, taking forward the initiative that you’ve brought forward to us and recognising your power to reach into places government can’t. We’re combining the ability of the government to deliver nationally.

    Now, for me, that’s a blueprint for a brand-new way of working. And today, we take one step further with our Civil Society Covenant.

    And I’m really proud we’re launching that today because that’s really the hard yards of the eighteen months since I made the promise, because it recognises the national renewal, which requires everyone to play a vital role.

    Not the hierarchical, top-down approach of the state working on its own. Not the transactional approach of the markets left to their own devices. But a way forward in partnership – together – by giving civil society a home at the heart of government.

    We’re not going to shut charities out and then expect you to pick up the pieces [political content redacted].

    Nor am I interested in slogans that sound good but end up being gimmicks for governments to simply hide behind. I’m interested in solutions.

    So, we’re also working with businesses, social enterprises, and private investors.

    And with the Chancellor’s announcement just earlier this week – the largest social outcomes fund in the world to give struggling families a better start, backed by £500 million in government funding with plans to match this with up to £500 million more from local governments, social investors, and philanthropists. Transforming hundreds of thousands of lives – together. That is about genuine partnership, putting your fingerprints on everything we do.

    Take our 10-Year Plan for the NHS, which we announced earlier this month. It’s a really important initiative. We look back proudly on our NHS – it’s been around for 77 years. But we also need to make sure that in decades to come, our NHS was rebuilt and made fit for the future.

    And in that 10-Year Plan, we consulted experts, charities, and the public, so every person, no matter who they are or where they’re from, can get the treatment they deserve.

    Look at the incredible work of charities already, day in, day out, on the frontline, delivering real change where it’s needed most.

    So, I’m proud to announce an exciting new partnership between government and civil society today: Diagnosis Connect. Now, this will transform the way we work together.

    This is a new programme linking newly diagnosed patients directly to expert charities.

    Helping them navigate which charities they can get to, which support they want from each of them. Very hard to make that journey at the moment. That’s life-changing for people looking for information and support, often at a really difficult time.

    Now, that’s putting your expertise directly in people’s pockets with the NHS App.

    So that’s going to go on the NHS App, which is a central part of our plan, so people have it as their map to support from the charities they need when they’ve been diagnosed. What a comfort and security that will be for so many people.

    But I believe that good relationships need to be honest relationships.

    We won’t blindside you with public attacks like the last government did. We need to be honest about the issues people care about and expect us to tackle. Have the tough conversations on issues like migration, social cohesion, and our security as a country.

    These are issues where politicians have often chosen to stoke division instead of bringing people together to fix the problem.

    Now, we know the damage that does to our communities, so when it comes to issues like immigration, we are working differently. Strengthening our border security and tackling fraud, working with 72 local organisations as we transition people to a digital immigration status to make sure vulnerable communities aren’t shut out of that transition.

    And working with community groups to train young people in the skills we need to reduce our dependence on overseas recruitment. Together, we’ll build stronger communities, a fairer system, a better society for everyone.

    Most of all, this is about rebalancing power and responsibility. [political content redacted]. Let me tell you what I think people are tired of. I think they’re tired of establishment figures who don’t listen to them and don’t understand the challenges they face.

    Tired of being excluded from decisions about their own lives. Tired of being treated like their experiences don’t matter. They are the people this government is working for.

    Something I often talk about is the people I keep in my mind’s eye. Politics is about policies, it is about numbers and statistics, but most importantly, it’s about who you have in your mind’s eye when you make your decisions. It’s the people up and down the country who serve every day, who put in every day, often unseen, but are absolutely irreplaceable.

    So, this is an opportunity to say to each and every one of you, and through your organisations, thank you. Thank you for what you put in. To those of you who work tirelessly to make Britain a better place.

    And to say that we are keeping our promises. We said we would work differently – and we are. We promised we would listen to you – and we have.

    Those initiatives that we are announcing today – they came from you, not us. We put them into something that works in partnership.

    We said we would deliver change together – and we will, to build a society of service. Bound together by our common values and finding new pride in our country and our communities.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnicians received the national award “People change the country”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Five polytechnicians became laureates of the first national award “People Change the Country”. The award ceremony took place in the Zaryadye Concert Hall in Moscow.

    The purpose of the award is to recognize and reward scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs whose advanced developments improve people’s lives and strengthen the economy and technological sovereignty of the country.

    The award is organised by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) together with the Roscongress Foundation with the support of VEB.RF, the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation and the autonomous non-profit organisation Russia – Land of Opportunities.

    This year, the award was received by more than a thousand laureates in seven nominations: “National Social Initiative”, “National Technological Initiative”, “National Entrepreneurial Initiative”, “National Personnel Initiative”, “National Ecological and Climate Initiative”, “Defenders of the Fatherland” and “Russia – the Land of Opportunities”.

    In the nomination “National Technological Initiative” the winners were five representatives of the Polytechnic University: the head of the world-class Scientific Center “Advanced Digital Technologies”, chief designer in the scientific and technological direction, acting director of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” (AES CI) Alexey Borovkov; deputy director of the Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” of AES CI Nikolay Efimov-Soini; director of the Center for Continuing Professional Education of AES CI, senior lecturer of the Higher School of Advanced Digital Technologies Sergey Salkutsan; chief engineer of the project of the Scientific Laboratory “Strategic Development of Engineering Markets” Pavel Kozlovsky; leading specialist of the project support department Maria Rodionova.

    Alexey Borovkov received a high award for actively promoting approaches to creating globally competitive science-intensive products using advanced end-to-end digital technologies. One of the key areas of his activity is the development and implementation of the technology of “digital twins” – an innovative tool that allows you to create virtual copies of products, machines, structures, equipment, as well as model physical, mechanical and technological processes with the highest accuracy. Under the leadership of Alexey Ivanovich, the digital platform CML-Bench® was developed, tested and successfully implemented in production, which became a key tool for creating digital twins. It opened up new opportunities for optimizing design, increasing production efficiency and reducing costs in various industries.

    Other significant projects implemented under the leadership of Alexey Borovkov include: development of body frame elements and structural armor elements for domestic Limousine, Sedan, SUV, and Minibus vehicles based on a single modular platform commissioned by FSUE NAMI; creation of a smart digital twin and experimental prototype of a small-sized urban electric vehicle with a level 3-4 ADAS system (KAMA-1); optimization of the weight of the TV7-117ST-01 engine based on the digital twin technology for UEC-Klimov/JSC UEC; development of a digital twin of a marine gas turbine engine and gearbox as part of the unit commissioned by UEC-Saturn (Rostec State Corporation); creation of the architecture of a highly adequate multiphysical digital model and a digital twin of a vitrification furnace for high-level radioactive waste for PO Mayak (Rosatom State Corporation), etc.

    Nikolay Efimov-Soini, Deputy Director of the Engineering Center “Computer Engineering Center” of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”, became a laureate thanks to the project “Development of high-tech products in the field of nuclear engineering based on digital twin technology”. Under the leadership of Nikolay Konstantinovich, a large-scale complex of scientific and technical developments in the field of nuclear engineering of strategic importance for the industry was implemented over three years. Among the key achievements is the creation of digital models of fuel assemblies (FA) for VVER and TVS-K reactors, as well as the proposal of innovative design solutions aimed at increasing the efficiency of fuel assemblies. The developed solutions allow for high-precision modeling of FA behavior throughout the entire fuel cycle, which helps optimize the performance characteristics and improve the safety of nuclear power plants.

    Director of the Center for Continuing Professional Education of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” Sergey Salkutsan and Chief Engineer of the Scientific Laboratory “Strategic Development of Engineering Markets” project Pavel Kozlovsky were awarded for educational projects implemented within the framework of the NTI Center “New Production Technologies”, as well as for the development of a family of simulators. By the beginning of 2024, a group of experts from the Advanced Engineering School CI developed five computer simulators available on the Digital Platform CML-Bench®.EDU, which is gradually developing as a separate direction of the Digital Platform for the Development and Application of Digital Twins CML-Bench®. The digital simulator “Lean Manufacturing” is a flagship product that marked the beginning of the creation and scaling of a line of simulators for training students, implementing corporate programs of continuing professional education for employees of the university’s industrial partners, as well as holding professional competitions. It is an online platform for learning the skills, tools and basics of lean manufacturing using practical solutions on a simulator. The digital simulator “Lean Manufacturing” has repeatedly been awarded prizes and diplomas at prestigious competitions in Russia and abroad, and is highly appreciated at the state level.

    In February 2024, the New Industrial Challenge simulators for team competitions and Lean Manufacturing were successfully tested at the Archipelago-2024 project-educational intensive course in Sakhalin. In August of this year, the Polytechnicians will present their developments at Archipelago-2025 in Moscow.

    Leading specialist of the project support department of the Directorate of the Center of the National Technological Initiative “New Production Technologies” Maria Rodionova received an award for her work on the project “Smart Factory: New Standards for Industry 4.0”. The project developed standards in the field of smart production, laying the foundation for the digital transformation of industry. The standards define the key principles of building a smart factory, ensuring technological unification, reducing operating costs and creating an ecosystem for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Exclusive: China is a stabilizing factor and a center of innovation in global supply chains – Schneider Electric VP

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BERLIN, July 17 (Xinhua) — China’s dual role as a stabilizing force and a driver of innovation in global supply chains is becoming increasingly visible as companies around the world face growing uncertainty, rising operating costs and challenges from climate change, Schneider Electric executive vice president Yin Zheng told Xinhua in an exclusive interview ahead of the third China International Supply Chain Exposition (CISCE).

    Yin Zheng noted that China’s fully integrated industrial system gives it a unique position in the global supply chain. “The traditional efficiency-oriented model is no longer sufficient,” he said. “The industry now needs not only efficient supply chains, but also sustainable and green supply chains, and this is a view increasingly shared by different industries.”

    According to Yin Zheng, CISCE is a timely platform for global manufacturers to engage in international dialogue and deepen industrial cooperation amid ongoing global uncertainty.

    “That’s why we are participating,” he said. “CISCE is a window connecting China with the world and a new calling card for China’s high-level openness.”

    For multinational companies like Schneider Electric, CISCE is more than a platform to showcase innovation, he said. CISCE provides a valuable opportunity to find new partners and explore ways to transform and modernize industrial supply chains, he stressed.

    “China is the most important engine of global growth,” he said, adding that the rise of new productive forces in China, especially in digital and green development, opens up greater opportunities for technology companies.

    China’s industrial ecosystem is increasingly characterized by openness and cooperation, and more companies are joining in joint innovation and knowledge sharing, he said.

    Looking to the future, Yin Zheng noted that the global industrial landscape is undergoing profound changes, driven by the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the accelerated movement toward sustainable development. To fully leverage these trends, he called for closer cooperation between industry, academia and government.

    “Digitalization and green transformation are fundamentally changing the way global supply chains operate,” he said. “Schneider Electric will continue to leverage China’s momentum and collaborate with local partners to bring new technologies to all parts of the supply chain.” –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Prescott, multiagency case results in owners of northern Arizona businesses arrested for illegal employment practices

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PRESCOTT, Ariz. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and multiple state, local and federal law enforcement agencies executed federal search warrants July 15 at five Colt Grill restaurants and 12 residences in two states after a three-year labor exploitation investigation and a five-count federal indictment against four individuals in Arizona. Significant assistance was provided by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office with execution of the search warrants.

    “The success of this investigation is in large part due to the coordinated efforts of many law enforcement agencies working alongside HSI through the Homeland Security Task Forces,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede. “This multiyear case involving several federal charges is a testament of our commitment to combatting crime that has true impact to communities. I thank everyone involved — this case was true team effort.”

    A grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment May 27, against Robert and Brenda Clouston, both 61, of northern Arizona, and Luis Pedro Rogel-Jaimes, 33, and Iris Romero-Molina, 29, both illegal aliens from Mexican residing in Cottonwood, Arizona, for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to unlawfully enter the United States, and pattern and practice of knowingly employing unauthorized aliens.

    The indictment alleges that Robert and Brenda Clouston operated four Colt Grill restaurants in the northern Arizona cities of Cottonwood, Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Sedona, and one Colt Grill in Foley, Alabama. In September 2022, the Cloustons, along with Rogel-Jaimes and Romero-Molina, made a plan that Romero-Molina would create a cleaning company, R&R AZ Cleaning, that would operate as a staffing company for the Colt Grill restaurants. Rogel-Jaimes and Romero-Molina would then find undocumented workers to work at the restaurants, paying them through R&R AZ Cleaning with funds from Colt Grill. The undocumented workers were paid below minimum wage and were not compensated for overtime. The Cloustons, Rogel-Jaimes, and Romero-Molina benefited financially from the plan and did not pay proper employment taxes for the workers.

    All four indicted individuals were arrested July 15 without incident. While executing the warrants, law enforcement also arrested several undocumented illegal aliens for criminal or administrative immigration violations.

    “Cooperation is the cornerstone for law enforcement in Arizona and this case demonstrates the great outcome that comes from federal and local law enforcement working together,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The United States Attorney’s Office is grateful to HSI for their hard work on this investigation and extremely appreciative to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office for their support and willingness to keep their community safe from bad actors.”

    “On behalf of the citizens of Yavapai County, I want to thank our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and all our local agencies for their collaboration with the men and women of Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in dismantling this criminal enterprise,” said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes. “Coordinated, multiagency enforcement actions like this one are essential to protecting our communities from the destabilizing impacts of organized crime. By working together, we will continue to leverage every available resource to safeguard the people of Yavapai County from those who seek to do harm.”

    A conviction for conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States unlawfully, conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, and conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to unlawfully enter the United States each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A conviction for pattern and practice of knowingly employing unauthorized aliens carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and up to a $3,000 fine per unauthorized employee.

    An indictment is a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

    MIL OSI USA News –