NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Targeted support when relocating for work

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister for Social Development and Employment Louise Upston says there will be targeted help if people need to relocate for a job.

    The Relocate for Work Support payment will be available from 31 March for people on a benefit who can’t find a job where they currently live and need support to move to another location where they have found a job.

    “We want to remove barriers for job seekers who have a suitable job offer and need to move to take it up. The need to move shouldn’t be a reason not to take a job,” Louise Upston says.

    “Relocate for Work means we may be able to help with the travel costs for a private vehicle, airfare, bus, or ferry tickets to relocate. There’s also support to shift possessions.

    “We want to help New Zealanders when they need it. Getting people back into the workforce, earning money and having their own independence is something I’m committed to.

    “We know there are job opportunities out there and this is another practical way we can support New Zealanders off welfare and into work,” Louise Upston says.

    Relocate for Work replaces the $5k to Work grant, initially introduced as ‘$3k to Christchurch’ which helped New Zealanders relocate and support the rebuild after the Christchurch earthquakes.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 5 ways to enjoy Auckland after daylight saving ends

    Source: Auckland Council

    Daylight saving ends on 6 April and it’s natural to feel a shift this time of year. But shorter days don’t mean shorter experiences. There’s plenty to do to make the most of Auckland, even when there are fewer hours of sunshine. Take the opportunity to embrace this season of change with new ideas to boost your mood, from maximising vitamin D to rediscovering the warmth of a brisk walk.

    For those who work or study indoors, the end of daylight saving time can often mean that, in the height of winter, your days start and end in darkness. Reduced daylight hours can limit your ability to produce vitamin D, which is not only linked to bone health and muscle function, but has been shown to affect the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s key for mood regulation and happiness.

    One way to squeeze more vitamin D into your day is by spending your lunch break outdoors. It’s hip to be square when it comes to lunchtime eating options for workers in the central city. Auckland’s well-known public squares include Aotea Square, Te Komititanga at the bottom of Queen Street, and Britomart’s Takutai Square where you can enjoy your lunch while relaxing on beanbags. If you feel the need to be close to the water, Queens Wharf is also an ideal spot to enjoy your lunchtime with some seaside views. 

    The beanbags get put out at Takutai Square in Britomart on sunny days – a great spot to have a relaxing lunch.

    If you prefer the park life, then Myers Park is an urban oasis, packed with park benches poised for sandwich or sushi eating. Alternatively, you can eat your lunch while admiring the fountain and heritage trees at Albert Park. In Freyburg Place, the table and chairs outside the Ellen Melville Centre offer a great spot to chat with a coworker, while the tiered seating opposite is a sunny spot not far from many great High Street eateries (in case you left your lunch at home).

    While long summer evenings can get busy, autumn and winter are a chance to reclaim some ‘me time’ by taking a night class. If you’re keen to develop your artistic side, try the Contemporary Painting Class at Te Tuhi in Pakuranga, or get your hands dirty at the Fundamentals of Clay class at Corban Estate Arts Centre or Evening Clay Making at Mairangi Arts Centre.

    If you’d like to combine your art with exercise, try the yoga and art immersion class at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Or maybe you’d prefer to spend your evenings learning a language – why not drop in to Kōrero Mai! at Mt Roskill Library and improve your conversational te reo Māori?

    The quieter months in autumn and winter are great times to visit spots that are very popular over summer such as Karekare in Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. Karekare Falls is only a five-minute walk from the carpark, and is great if combined with a beach walk along the rugged coastline where The Piano was filmed.

    A family-friendly winter walk opinion is Te Ara Tahuna / Ōrewa Estuary Path on the Hibiscus Coast. This 80-minute scenic loop path is scooter, bike, pram and skateboard friendly (the track even goes past a skateboard park). If you’re bored over the weekend why not tread the boards – boardwalks that is. There are many to try, including the recently upgraded Shepherds Park in Beach Haven, Bucklands Beach Path where you can enjoy Rangitoto views, Mangawhau / Mt Eden overlooking the city – there’s even a boardwalk at Auckland Zoo if you’d prefer to go ape!

    The boardwalk at Shepherds Park is ideal for a weekend walk.

    When you put your clocks back on 6 April, take the opportunity to have a fitness reset. Even when the weather is wet, there are heaps of ways to stay active at Auckland Council Pool and Leisure centres. Reach your daily step count on the treadmill or improve bone density with weight-bearing exercises in one of the Council’s gym facilities. For extra motivation, try a group fitness class – such as cardio and core – or if you want to dance with somebody, try a dance-based class like Zumba and Barre. For a wheelie good time, try a stationary bike class. If team sports are more your jam, then prove your net worth with sports such as basketball, pickleball or badminton.

    The fitness centre at Albany Stadium Pool features cardio equipment such as treadmills and rowing machines, as well as free weights and other exercise machines.

    After all that exercise, you deserve a rest. The cooler months are the perfect time to make a dent in your reading list. Keen to get your hands on that book everyone is talking about?

    Visit your local Auckland Council library and explore the Bestie collection, which features new and bestselling books available with no holds or renewals, meaning you can pick up a copy and read it right away.

    Set up a cosy reading cocoon at home with a thrifted mug and warm blanket from your local Community Recycling Centre (CRC), or bring a mat and a warm coat to a park and read outdoors – perhaps enjoying the autumn leaves as you leaf through a book? Great parks to enjoy autumn colour include the Pukekawa / Auckland Domain, Albert Park and Victoria Park.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Smyrna Detective Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion/Enticement of a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILMINGTON, Del. – Shannon T. Hanson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Michael Kealty, of Magnolia, Delaware, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware to 10 years in federal prison for his crime of coercing and enticing a minor into sexual activity. The Honorable U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews issued the sentence.

    According to Court documents, Mr. Kealty met a 16-year-old girl online and groomed her for six months into producing sexually explicit images and videos of herself. At one point Mr. Kealty threatened to expose the girl’s images to the public if she did not continue to perform for him. Mr. Kealty’s online accounts also showed his attempted exploitation of additional, unidentified minor girls, including a 13-year-old.

    Mr. Kealty—a former detective with the Smyrna Police Department—was charged in October 2023 with Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. On October 15, 2024, Mr. Kealty pleaded guilty to an enhanced charge of Coercion/Enticement of a Minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Mr. Kealty betrayed his oath, his badge, and his community by exploiting the most vulnerable members of our community, our children. Today’s sentence sends a message that no one is above the law. I commend the FBI for their diligent pursuit of justice in this case and for ensuring that child predators like Mr. Kealty are brought to justice.”

    “There is absolutely no tolerance for any actions that hurt a child. Kealty’s crimes are especially egregious considering he swore to protect our communities and children,” says Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “Delaware is safer with him locked up where can no longer victimize or abuse anyone else.”

    This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hartford Man Charged with Narcotics Trafficking Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a three-count indictment charging JOSE BARET, 33, of Hartford, with narcotics trafficking offenses.

    The indictment was returned on January 29, 2025.  Baret appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  He has been detained since May 23, 2024, when he was arrested in Lebanon, New Hampshire, on separate charges.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Baret was arrested on related state charges on April 10, 2024.  On that date, a search of Baret’s vehicle and a hotel room he used revealed a distribution quantity of fentanyl, and a search of his residence on Goodrich Street in Hartford revealed quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

    The indictment charges Baret with two counts of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and heroin.  Each offense carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Man Sentenced for Larceny

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on March 24, 2025.

    Zyin Wright, age 22, was sentenced to time served from his arrest on March 27, 2024, through March 24, 2025, equal to approximately one year in custody, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Wright was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,124.47.

    Wright was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on December 16, 2024.

    The conviction stems from conduct that occurred in March of 2024. On the evening of March 26, 2024, Wright stole a motor vehicle from a residence in Rapid City. He then drove the vehicle to Mission, South Dakota, in the Rosebud Indian Reservation. The vehicle was reported stolen on the morning of March 27, 2024, and it was located in Mission a short time later with the assistance of vehicle-tracking software. Wright was arrested in Mission later that day.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona man gets life in prison for kidnapping victim and sexually exploiting minors

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WICHITA, KAN. – An Arizona man was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting his victim at gunpoint as he transported her across state lines. A federal judge also sentenced the defendant to 95 years in prison for other related crimes, to be served concurrent with his life sentence.

    Martin Brandon Gillen, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of transportation for criminal sexual activity, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

    In late 2021, Martin Brandon Gillen began an online relationship with a minor female who was then 17 years of age. He persuaded her to take and send him sexually explicit images and videos which he kept and later used to threaten the victim. Over the course of the online relationship, Gillen repeatedly made violent threats against the victim. In March 2024, Gillen traveled to Illinois to pick up the victim then transported her across state lines, from Illinois to Missouri to Kansas. During this trip, Gillen sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.

    Gillen and the victim were found in Kansas by officers with the Iola Police Department. In his possession, Gillen had a firearm, multiple magazines, and zip ties. Gillen admitted to officers that his cell phone contained child sexual abuse materials. Subsequent examination by law enforcement revealed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse materials on his cell phone, as well as sexually explicit images of the female from when she was 17 years old. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also found images of Gillen sexually abusing an unrelated 4-year-old child from Utah on the phone.

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Iola Police Department, the New Baden, Illinois Police Department, and the Illinois State Police.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.

    Project Safe Childhood
    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit     https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Burglarizing a Kern County Post Office

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — Shawn Van Dixon, 39, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez for burglarizing a U.S. Post Office in Caliente, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

    According to court documents, on Oct. 28, 2023, Van Dixon forcefully broke into the U.S. Post Office in Caliente by smashing in a glass door with a black hatchet. Van Dixon broke in just before working hours when the post office was empty. Once inside he stole several mail items, including envelopes, letters, and packages, from P.O. boxes and other locations belonging to more than 10 victims before driving off in a stolen truck.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Corpus Christi jury convicts Cuban national for transporting illegal aliens

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 52-year-old Cuban citizen lawfully residing in Jacksonville, Florida, has been convicted for transporting seven illegal aliens in a tractor-trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    The federal jury deliberated for under two hours before finding Jorge Grimon Maturell guilty following a less than two-day trial.

    On Nov. 1, 2024, Maturell drove to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint in a tractor-trailer. After a K-9 alerted to the vehicle, authorities directed him to secondary inspection. At that time, they discovered three individuals hiding in the corner of the sleeper area and four underneath a mattress. All seven were illegal aliens with no authority to be in the United States.

    The jury heard that authorities also found $20,684 in his possession and discovered communications between Maturell and others discussing transporting people for approximately that same amount of money

    Maturell claimed an unknown person at a gas station in Edinburg had threatened him earlier that day to smuggle the illegal aliens. The investigation revealed no evidence he had stopped at the specified gas station at all that day.

    The jury also heard Maturell directed the illegal aliens where to hide when entering his vehicle and to not make any noise when they arrived at the checkpoint. Testimony further revealed Maturell made no stops after the aliens got into the vehicle before arriving at the checkpoint.

    The defense attempted to convince the jury he transported the illegal aliens under duress. Maturell took the stand and admitted his original statement of being threatened in Edinburg was not true, but that he was really threatened in Laredo. He claimed he was directed to travel to McAllen where he then picked up the illegal aliens and proceeded to travel north through the checkpoint.

    The jury did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged.

    U.S. District Judge David Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing for June 25, at which time Maturell faces up to five years in federal prison.

    Previously released on bond, Maturell was taken into custody following the verdict where he will remain pending sentencing.

    Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bird and Patrick Overman are prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Cruz File Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Case Challenging Texas’ Lobbying Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) filed an amicus brief encouraging the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to take up Sullivan v. Texas Ethics Commission, which is a case on appeal from the Supreme Court of Texas by petitioner Michael Quinn Sullivan to resolve concerns over potential First Amendment violations in Texas’ lobbying registration law. A copy of the brief can be found here.
    “The American people should be able to engage in protected political speech without government restrictions, unless such limits are constitutionally permissible,” wrote the Sens.
    “Does the First Amendment permit the government to require ordinary citizens to register and pay a fee to communicate with their government representatives? With the current split of authority, the answer depends on which court hears the case,” they continued.  
    “This case is an apt vehicle for the Court to clarify the level of scrutiny that should apply to lobbying restrictions that impact political speech. This clarity will ensure any restriction on political speech is constitutionally permissible,” they concluded.
    An amicus brief, or “friend of the court” brief, can be filed in order to address concerns and advise the Court on a matter of law that directly affects the case at hand.
    Background:
    The State of Texas has a lobbying registration law, which requires anyone who tries to influence legislation or administration action by communicating directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to register and pay a fee. In 2012, the Texas Ethics Commission fined Michael Quinn Sullivan for failing to register as a lobbyist—and pay the fee—before sending emails to legislators.
    Sullivan challenged the lobbying statute on First Amendment grounds, first to the Texas Ethics Commission, which rejected his arguments and imposed the fine, then to state district court, which affirmed, and then to the state court of appeals, which also affirmed. He appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, which denied review, and is now seeking review in the Supreme Court. There is currently a circuit split about the level of scrutiny to apply to these requirements.
    In this amicus for cert, the Senators are supporting the Supreme Court taking up the question of whether or not the Texas lobbying law is unconstitutional the way it is currently written. SCOTUS hasn’t addressed lobbying laws since the tiers of scrutiny were established years ago, so it’s appropriate for the Court to revisit this question. Texas law doesn’t distinguish between concerned citizens and paid lobbyists, but other circuits have upheld lobbying laws under a strict scrutiny analysis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Secures Commitment from Trump’s Nominee on Ensuring Panama Cooperates to Stop Illicit Drug Trafficking to the U.S.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today at a hearing received a commitment from Kevin Cabrera, nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Panama, to use all tools at his disposal to ensure Panama cooperates with the United States on reducing the flow of illicit drug trafficking into America.
    “Transnational criminal organizations, from countries like Colombia and Mexico, have long used Panama to smuggle illicit drugs, and they’ve done it to the tune of billions of dollars,” Hagerty said. “Last year alone, the State Department estimates that up to 40 percent of cocaine that was produced in Colombia had transited through the exclusive economic zones of Panama.”
    “Mr. Cabrera, do you commit to use all of the tools at your disposal to ensure that the Panamanian government continues to collaborate with the United States [in taking] strong actions against these criminal organizations and stopping the flow of illicit drugs into America?” Hagerty asked.
    “[Panama is] a great ally in this and…[I look] forward to continuing that and using all the tools that are at our disposal to continue to [make] sure that we stop as many metric tons of drugs coming through that border through the Darién Gap,” said Cabrera. “It goes hand-in-hand with migration.”

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Budget support for cost of living, health and vulnerable communities welcomed – AMES

    Source: AMES

    Migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia has welcomed measures announced by the federal government in its 2025 budget which provide cost of living relief, support for diverse communities while promoting social cohesion and maintaining Australia’s commitment to resettling refugees.

    CEO of migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia also welcomed budget measures that supported access to healthcare, especially for women, as well as cost of living relief for vulnerable families and communities.

    “We welcome the measures in the budget that support migrants and refugees and their communities, who are among the most vulnerable to cost of living pressures and barriers to accessing healthcare,” Ms Scarth said.

    “The government’s investment in extending bulk billing and keeping medicines affordable will be welcomed by the communities we work with and support.

    “The modest tax cuts delivering $268 a year to families and the extension of power bill relief, saving households $150 a year, will also have a positive impact,” she said.

    Ms Scarth said the health measures in the budget would be felt in diverse communities.

    “We know that people from diverse communities can struggle to access healthcare, so the $8.5 billion boost to Medicare aimed at extending bulk-billing target of nine out of ten GP visits by 2030 is welcome,” Ms Scarth said.

    “Also welcome is the $650 million in the budget for urgent care clinics and the $573 million for women’s health. The measure to limit the costs of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to no more than $25 will help many families.

    “The women’s health measures are particularly important because they focus on areas such as contraception, endometriosis and menopause care,” she said.

    AMES Australia also welcomed the $178.4 million investment in the budget over five years to strengthen social cohesion, including $10 million for independent multicultural media and $44.8 million in grants for community projects.

    The budget also commits $21.4 million to strengthen support for victim-survivors of sexual violence, which builds on existing programs aimed at improving access to critical legal and non-legal support for victim-survivors.

     

    And it allocates funds to maintain Australia’s world-leading refugee programs.

     

    “The budget maintains Australia’s commitment to settle 20,000 refugees each year at a time when many countries are closing their borders to those fleeing war or persecution, and while an increasing number of global conflicts are driving record human displacement,” Ms Scarth said.

     

    “Overall, the budget is inclusive. It recognises that when people feel they are valued members of society, there is a dividend in stronger social cohesion and a stronger society,” she said.  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Reverend Warnock Leads Bipartisan Effort to Lower Housing Costs for Servicemembers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senators Reverend Warnock Leads Bipartisan Effort to Lower Housing Costs for Servicemembers

    Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Warnock (D-GA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are introducing a bipartisan bill that will help servicemembers across Georgia, Alaska, and the country obtain sufficient and affordable housing
    A stalwart champion for Georgia’s veterans, military families, and servicemembers, Senator Reverend Warnock has actively worked in the Senate to strengthen federal support for Georgia’s military communities
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Our bill will help ensure military families who sacrifice so much to serve our nation can access safe, dignified housing”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation to lower housing costs for servicemembers in Georgia, Alaska, and across the country. The bipartisan Basic Allowance for Housing Restoration Act will ensure servicemembers and their families receive their full housing allowance. In Fiscal Year 2015, Congress cut servicemembers’ housing allowance, decreasing Base Allowance for Housing (BAH) coverage from 100% of estimated housing costs to 95%. This cost-sharing has hurt military families, many of whom already face issues of food insecurity and other expenses. Companion legislation was also introduced in the House by Reps. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) earlier in the month.
    “Georgia is a military state, and with all that we ask from our servicemembers and their families, ensuring they have quality, affordable housing is the least we can do,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I have long been a champion for our servicemembers in Georgia and across the nation, which is why I am proud to partner with Senator Murkowski to champion the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Restoration Act. Our bill will help ensure military families who sacrifice so much to serve our nation can access safe, dignified housing, and I look forward to introducing companion legislation in the Senate.” 
    “Alaska is home to many critical military installations with serious missions, but our servicemembers and their families face some of the highest costs-of-living in the country – especially when it comes to housing.” said Senator Murkowski. “No member of our military should have to pay exorbitant out-of-pocket costs to have a roof over their head while serving our nation. It’s time for Congress to address this and take care of our servicemembers by raising the Basic Allowance for Housing back to 100 percent.”
    “Access to affordable housing is one of the top issues I hear from servicemembers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Servicemembers are priced out of options to live near their bases, putting strain on our military families,” said Rep. Strickland. “When the Department reduces the housing allowance, it exacerbates economic, food access, and readiness issues. Restoring the BAH to 100% provides servicemembers and their families with stability and shows that meeting their basic needs is a national security priority.”
    “Our service members and their families should not have to struggle to find and afford housing. When they volunteer to put their lives on the line for their country, we should be able to guarantee that they will have access to clean and comfortable housing within the allowance they are given,” said Rep. Bacon. “Restoring BAH to 100% will help improve the quality of life for those that are willing to sacrifice so much.”
    The legislation is endorsed by the Military Officers Association of America, the Military Housing Association, The American Legion, the Military Family Advisory Network, and the National Military Family Association.
    Senator Warnock has long been a leading advocate in the Senate for Georgia’s military families. In 2022, Senator Warnock helped to pass the bipartisan PACT Act, the largest expansion of veterans’ health benefits in decades. He was also successful in securing multiple important wins for military families in the Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA, including securing two of his provisions in the NDAA that will make housing more affordable for military families and ease the burden of relocation for military families. In the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA, the Senator helped secure a 14.5% raise for junior troops, who will now earn about $3,000 to $6,000 more per year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Pushes for Commitment to Keep Georgia Social Security Offices Open After Trump Administration Takes Aim at Seniors 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Pushes for Commitment to Keep Georgia Social Security Offices Open After Trump Administration Takes Aim at Seniors 

    At Tuesday’s Senate Finance committee hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock questioned Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Social Security Administration (SSA)
    Senator Reverend Warnock pushed Bisignano to commit to keeping all field offices in the state open for Georgia seniors
    This month, SSA announced it was making access to benefits more difficult for seniors, no longer allowing individuals to apply for benefits or request a direct deposit change over the phone; the proposed change could lead to an increase of 7 million visits to field offices per year across the country, and an estimated 200,000 additional visits in Georgia alone
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Retirees in Georgia who rely on Social Security deserve reliable, timely delivery of their full benefits with world class customer service. […] That’s why so many Georgians and I were alarmed looking at what’s happening last month when several news outlets reported that Elon Musk and his DOGE team announced on their own website plans to permanently close five Social Security customer service offices throughout Georgia”

    Watch Senator Reverend Warnock at Tuesday’s Senate Finance committee hearing HERE
    Washington, D.C. – Today, during a Senate Finance committee hearing on the nomination of Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration (SSA), U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) pushed the nominee to commit to keeping all field offices in the state open for Georgia seniors and increasing staffing at Georgia field offices. The Senator’s push comes after the SSA announced it was making access to benefits more difficult for seniors, no longer allowing individuals to apply for benefits or request a direct deposit change over the phone. These and other proposed changes at the SSA could lead to an increase of 7 million visits to field offices per year across the country, and an estimated 200,000 additional visits in Georgia alone. Senator Warnock is committed to ensuring Georgians can easily and efficiently access their benefits that they have paid into over their lifetime. 
    The line of questioning also comes after DOGE announced the closure of five Georgia SSA offices, only to walk back the announcement after the Senator brought attention to the deeply unpopular decision. 
    “Retirees in Georgia who rely on Social Security deserve reliable, timely delivery of their full benefits with world class customer service. […] That’s why so many Georgians and I were alarmed looking at what’s happening last month when several news outlets reported that Elon Musk and his DOGE team announced on their own website plans to permanently close five Social Security customer service offices throughout Georgia. These closures in Brunswick, Columbus, Gainesville, Thomasville, and Vidalia would give Georgia the highest number of planned Social Security office closures of any state. Those five cities represent five counties with over 136,000 people who rely on Social Security benefits,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. 
    The SSA, through both retirement benefits and disability insurance, provides support to 68 million Americans. Without Social Security, nearly 40 percent of people over age 65 would be living in poverty. Social Security has reduced elderly poverty to less than 12 percent according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  
    “I just need to know, when it comes to office closures, who’s going to be making that decision, you or Elon Musk?” asked Senator Reverend Warnock. 
    “Me,” Frank Bisignano replied. 
    “That’s a good answer. The seniors in my state, those are the folks I’m concerned about. Will you commit to keeping all field offices in my state open for Georgia seniors?” Senator Reverend Warnock asked. 
    In response, Mr. Bisignano said, “You know, I was asked this question more than one time today, and what I will commit to is that there will be no decision made without you knowing about it. I have no intent to close field offices, but I’ve studied nothing on the topic. So it’s a little hard to commit to something without…”
    Senator Reverend Warnock interjected, “I think study is a good thing, and what we’ve seen so far is no study, no real knowledge about what’s going on, just an effort to close offices, to be able to announce that you’re addressing waste, fraud and abuse.”
    Watch the Senator’s full remarks HERE.
    See below a transcript of key exchanges between Senator Warnock and SSA nominee Frank Bisignano (remarks have been lightly edited for clarity):
    Senator Reverend Warnock (SRW): “I want to follow up on some of the issues that we discussed in my office. When we met, I shared with you my strong view that retirees in Georgia who rely on Social Security deserve reliable, timely delivery of their full benefits with world class customer service, and you’ve got a long record of delivering that in the private sphere. That’s why so many Georgians and I were alarmed looking at what’s happening last month when several news outlets reported that Elon Musk and his DOGE team announced on their own website plans to permanently close five Social Security customer service offices throughout Georgia. These closures in Brunswick, Columbus, Gainesville, Thomasville, and Vidalia would give Georgia the highest number of planned Social Security office closures of any state. Those five cities represent five counties with over 136,000 people who rely on Social Security benefits. But since I raised the alarm, since I made some noise about this, DOGE is suddenly out on X, I guess that’s what you call the platform now, denying the closures that it posted on its own website. They posted those closures on their website, and now no one seems to know what’s true or whether or not these announced closures will affect Georgians access to their benefits or other services. So, sir, I know that you aren’t currently at the Social Security Administration, and perhaps you can’t speak to the plans hatched by Elon Musk or DOGE. But if you’re confirmed to lead the agency, Americans deserve to know who will actually be in charge of their benefits. I think we heard an answer from you a moment ago, from my colleague, but I’m going to ask you again for the record, where will the buck stop on this decision, specifically with respect to office closures? As someone who represents the state where they announced five closures–I made noise about it, it was on their website, then they withdrew them and acted like I made it up, they put it on their website–I just need to know, when it comes to office closures, who’s going to be making that decision, you or Elon Musk?”
    Frank Bisignano (FB): “Me.”
    SRW: “That’s a good answer. The seniors in my state, those are the folks I’m concerned about. Will you commit to keeping all field offices in my state open for Georgia seniors?”
    FB: “You know, I was asked this question more than one time today, and what I will commit to is that there will be no decision made without you knowing about it. I have no intent to close field offices, but I’ve studied nothing on the topic. So it’s a little hard to commit to something without…”
    SRW: “I think study is a good thing, and what we’ve seen so far is no study, no real knowledge about what’s going on, just an effort to close offices, to be able to announce that you’re addressing waste, fraud, and abuse. And we all know this is true, regardless of whether we’re Democrats or Republicans, because then they have to go back and rehire some of the people they fire. And you’re a businessman, sir, and you said earlier you wouldn’t operate in this way. And the reason I’m asking about these field offices, and these announced changes, is because it could lead to an increase of 7 million visits to field offices per year across the country, especially with the fact that they’re now not allowing you to call on the phone. An estimated 200,000 additional visits in Georgia alone, which is why, frankly, I think that it’s a terrible idea. But if confirmed, will you commit to increased staffing at Georgia field offices to account for this massive, expected increase in appointments, and to help ensure Georgians can easily and efficiently make appointments. Let me be clear about what I’m asking you: if you’re no longer able to call on the phone, which is a decision that’s already been made, and you have to go online or go to the office and actually have an in-person appointment, you’re going to have a backlog. So I want to know what’s the answer to that. How is it that I can assure the seniors in my church that their lines are not going to get longer and longer? I disagree with the Commerce Secretary who said, well, if his mother-in-law missed a check, she wouldn’t worry about it. I guess she wouldn’t. Her son-in-law is a billionaire. That is not the story of the seniors in my church. Will you make sure that they have access to find out what’s going on with the benefits that they have earned?”
    FB: “Senator, first of all, thank you very much. I’ve spent my career overseeing financial institutions, and today I serve 3,500 financial institutions in America, and that means we have community banks, rural banks, and I know what it means to have to serve neighborhoods and serve rural communities. My commitment is that it will be a fact based, rule-based organization we run, that we will ensure we have the staffing to get the best level of service for our constituents. So I’m giving you a longer answer, but we will have the talent that we need to get the job done at a service level better than today’s.”
    SRW: “I appreciate the answer. I’m just trying to get Georgia residents, senior citizens, the benefits that they have earned. No one is giving them anything, they paid into the system. Thank you.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Votes “No” on Dr. Oz Nomination, Raises Consequences of Medicaid Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock Votes “No” on Dr. Oz Nomination, Raises Consequences of Medicaid Cuts

    Today, during a Senate Finance committee vote, Senator Reverend Warnock voted “NO” on advancing the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz for full Senate consideration to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
    If confirmed, Dr. Oz expressed no indication he would defend Medicaid from Washington Republicans who are threatening major slashes in funding for health care
    In Georgia, Medicaid covers two in five children and one in ten veterans
    Senator Reverend Warnock believes access to health care for working or low-income Georgians is too important to gamble with nominees unable to unequivocally defend Medicare and Medicaid from partisan attacks 

    Watch Senator Reverend Warnock’s remarks HERE
    Washington, D.C. – Today, during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) announced he was voting “no” to advance the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to become the next Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Senator cited grave concerns that Dr. Oz would not defend Medicaid, which covers two in five Georgia children and one in ten Georgia veterans, from Washington Republicans looking to make devastating cuts to the program.
    “Let me be really clear that I’m voting against Dr. Oz. I think he is knowledgeable, certainly more knowledgeable than Secretary Kennedy about the program that he’s tasked to lead, but we’ve got to take seriously the needs of millions of Americans who will lose their health care. And so, I’m voting no for his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same,”said Senator Reverend Warnock. 
    In his remarks during the committee hearing, Senator Warnock highlighted how Washington Republicans are proposing to gut almost $900 billion from Medicaid to give millionaires and billionaires an additional tax cut, potentially kicking millions of Americans off of their health care insurance.
    “Here’s the deal, Republicans need a whole lot of money to pay for their tax cuts for the wealthiest among us, and they know if you give people enough bureaucratic hoops to jump through, then enough working people will get tripped up by the red tape and lose their health care. And so that’s the plan, less money spent on a working mom’s cancer treatment because she didn’t fill out the right form every month by the right deadline, so you have more money for billionaire tax cuts. We know this because I live in Georgia. Georgia is the only state with work reporting requirements in its Medicaid program, and all this program has to show for itself five years later, is 6,500 people enrolled. We’ve got nearly 600,000 Georgians who are in the Medicaid gap. The governor’s program has enrolled a whopping 6,500 people,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
    Interested media can read a transcript of the senator’s remarks below and watch them HERE.
    “Before entering the Senate I was fighting for my state to expand Medicaid, which would give an estimated 600,000 Georgians access to affordable health care. But here we are, 15 years almost to the day of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law, and still Georgia has not expanded Medicaid. Georgia continues to deny its citizens access to this program that’s being supported by the tax paying Georgians. To make matters worse, now, Washington Republicans have proposed to gut almost $900 billion from Medicaid to give millionaires and billionaires an additional tax cut, potentially kicking millions of Americans off of their health care insurance. Medicaid covers almost 40 million children across the country, two in five children in Georgia, one in 10 veterans, 63% of seniors in nursing homes. Medicaid also supports 1/5 of all hospital spending, especially in communities without many hospital options.”
    “Washington Republicans and Dr. Oz say they want to make Medicaid more efficient by requiring people who get their health insurance through Medicaid to fill out government paperwork each month to prove that they are working. Here are the facts: nearly all adults enrolled in Medicaid are either working, in school, or caregivers. By and large, if they can work, they do work. I know that may be hard to believe in a country that increasingly maligns poor people for being poor, but by and large, these folks already work, or their caregivers or their students. They are construction workers. They are restaurant service, and mechanics. They are doing exactly what Dr. Oz and Washington Republicans want them to do. But here’s the deal, Republicans need a whole lot of money to pay for their tax cuts for the wealthiest among us, and they know if you give people enough bureaucratic hoops to jump through, then enough working people will get tripped up by the red tape and lose their health care. And so that’s the plan, less money spent on a working mom’s cancer treatment because she didn’t fill out the right form every month by the right deadline, so you have more money for billionaire tax cuts.”
    “We know this because I live in Georgia. Georgia is the only state with work reporting requirements and its Medicaid program, and all of this program has to show for itself five years later, is 6,500 people enrolled. We’ve got nearly 600,000 Georgians who are in the Medicaid gap. The governor’s program has enrolled a whopping 6,500 people. Mr. Chair. I know I’m running out of time, but as I close, and nobody believes the Baptist preacher when he says as I close, let me be really clear that I’m voting against Dr. Oz. I think he is knowledgeable, certainly more knowledgeable than Secretary Kennedy about the program that he’s tasked to lead, but we’ve got to take seriously the needs of millions of Americans who will lose their health care. And so, I’m voting no for his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow Scientists Develop Questionnaire to Assess Doctors’ Trust in Artificial Intelligence Services: A Tool for International Research

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine – Moscow

    Researchers from Saudi Arabia and the Philippines have expressed interest in a revolutionary method developed by the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine. The innovative tool, a survey designed to assess radiologists’ attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) in medical imaging, is intended to advance global research into the integration of AI in healthcare.

    The survey assesses responses across four key areas: personal experience with AI, trust level, expectations for future collaboration, and implementation prospects. Taking into account the opinions of healthcare professionals, this study aims to streamline the implementation of AI services in healthcare, increasing efficiency and convenience. A scientific article about the new method was published in the international scientific journal Healthcare.

    Yuri Vasiliev, General Director of the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine, Chief Consultant on Radiology at the Moscow Department of Health, emphasized the importance of this initiative:

    “Artificial intelligence has already become an integral part of everyday medical practice in Moscow. Our goal is to make its use as convenient as possible for doctors and at the same time as useful as possible for patients. The questionnaire allows us to take into account the opinion of radiologists during the development process. We are also pleased with the international interest: colleagues from Saudi Arabia and the Philippines want to implement this tool. Moscow remains open to scientific cooperation with other countries.”

    Developing a reliable survey instrument required painstaking scientific work. The Moscow team made sure that the questions were clear, unambiguous, and allowed for reliable results regardless of external factors such as respondents’ mood or time of participation in the survey. The questionnaire was thoroughly tested with the participation of more than 430 radiologists, including retesting in focus groups to confirm its reliability.

    Anton Vladzimirsky, Deputy Director for Research at the Center, noted its practical application:

    “The survey results allow organizers to determine the prevailing attitudes towards AI in radiology and develop targeted interventions. For example, it is possible to develop customized educational programs for radiologists or take measures to reduce concerns about the implementation of AI. This tool is universal – it can be applied at the hospital, regional or even national level.”

    During this time, as part of an experimental initiative dedicated to innovative computer vision technologies for analyzing medical images, neural networks analyzed more than 14 million medical images, successfully identifying signs of pathologies in 39 different areas. The initiative is supported by the Government of Moscow and the Moscow Department of Health and is being implemented at the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine. Based on the results of the experiment, 22 national standards for the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare were developed, approved and officially put into effect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow Scientists Develop Questionnaire to Evaluate Doctors’ Trust in AI Services: A Tool for International Studies

    Source: Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine – Moscow

    Researchers from Saudi Arabia and the Philippines have expressed interest in a groundbreaking method developed by the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine. This innovative tool, a survey designed to assess radiologists’ attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) in medical imaging, is poised to facilitate global studies on the integration of AI in healthcare. 

    The survey evaluates responses across four key aspects: personal experience with AI, level of trust, expectations for future collaboration, and perspectives on implementation prospects. By considering the insights of medical professionals, this research aims to streamline the adoption of AI services in healthcare, enhancing both efficiency and user comfort. A scientific article about the new method was published in the international scientific journal Healthcare.

    Yuri Vasiliev, CEO of the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine and Chief Consultant for Radiology at the Moscow Healthcare Department, emphasized the importance of this initiative:

    “Artificial intelligence is already an integral part of daily medical practice in Moscow. Our goal is to make its use as seamless as possible for doctors while maximizing benefits for patients. The questionnaire allows us to incorporate radiologists’ feedback into our development process. We are also excited to see international interest, with colleagues from Saudi Arabia and the Philippines eager to adopt this tool. Moscow remains open to scientific collaboration with other nations.”

    Developing a reliable survey instrument required meticulous scientific effort. The Moscow team ensured that questions were clear, unambiguous, and capable of yielding valid results regardless of external factors like respondents’ mood or timing of participation. The questionnaire underwent rigorous validation processes involving over 430 radiologists, including repeated testing with focus groups to confirm its reliability.

    Anton Vladzimirsky, Deputy Director for Research at the Center, highlighted its practical applications:

    “The survey results enable organizers to identify prevailing attitudes toward AI in radiology and design targeted interventions. For instance, personalized educational programs can be developed for radiologists, or measures can be implemented to alleviate concerns about AI adoption. The tool is versatile—it can be applied at hospital, regional, or even national levels.”

     Moscow has been at the forefront of AI integration in medicine for five years. During this period, under the auspices of an experimental initiative focusing on innovative computer vision technologies for medical image analysis, neural networks have analyzed over 14 million medical images, successfully identifying signs of pathologies across 39 different domains. This initiative is supported by the Moscow City Government and the Moscow Healthcare Department, executed at the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine. As a result of the experiment’s findings, 22 national standards regarding the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare have been developed, approved, and formally enacted.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Migrant deaths in Asia hit record high in 2024, UN data reveals

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Migrants and Refugees

    The year 2024 marked the deadliest on record for migrants in Asia, with at least 2,514 lives lost along the region’s perilous migration routes, according to new data from the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    This represents a staggering 59 per cent increase from the 1,584 deaths recorded in 2023, highlighting the worsening dangers faced by people on the move.

    “No one should lose their life in pursuit of safety or a better future,” said Iori Kato, IOM Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

    “Every life lost on migration routes in Asia, or anywhere else, is a stark reminder of the urgent need for safe and regular migration pathways – these are preventable tragedies.”

    Source: IOM

    Migrant deaths in Asia since 2014; data for 2025 as of 15 March.

    Rohingya, Afghans most at risk

    The spike in migrant deaths was primarily linked to two of the region’s most vulnerable populations: the minority Muslim Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Afghans escaping conflict and instability.

    “The increase in deaths across Asia of people fleeing conflict and persecution in the region is of grave concern,” Mr. Kato said.

    In 2024, at least 1,517 Afghan migrants lost their lives while in transit – up 39 per cent from 2023.

    Deaths among Rohingya migrants more than doubled, reaching 889 compared to 436 the previous year.

    On 5 August 2024 alone, over 150 people were reportedly killed by artillery fire while attempting to cross the Naf River from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

    IOM also highlighted that the risks facing migrants extended beyond conflict-related violence. Many are vulnerable to perilous conditions en route, including overcrowded and unsafe boats, abuse by smugglers and extreme weather conditions.

    Crisis of missing migrants

    Lack of identification of migrants was also a major concern, with over 1,000 of those who died in 2024 unidentified. Among the documented deaths, 1,086 were men, 205 were women, and 217 children.

    “A lack of official reporting of data on missing migrants means we know our data do not fully capture the true number of lives lost during migration in Asia,” Mr. Kato said.

    “And even within the records we have, so few identifying details are known, meaning there are immeasurable effects on families searching for lost relatives,” he added.

    UNICEF/Patrick Brown

    A man helps a woman to the shore as a boat arrives with Rohingya refugees in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. (file)

    Asia’s deadly migration routes

    Migration in Asia is complex, driven by economic inequality, conflict and environmental factors, worsened by climate change. However, limited legal pathways have forced many to rely on irregular and highly dangerous routes.

    One of the deadliest corridors remains the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, where stateless Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants embark on treacherous sea journeys in search of refuge. Many pay smugglers for passage, only to find themselves trapped on overcrowded boats with insufficient food and water, facing violence from crew members and the risk of being turned away at their destination.

    Meanwhile, overland migration routes across South and Southeast Asia – such as those from Nepal to India, or from Afghanistan and Pakistan through Iran and Turkey – also pose serious risks. Migrants frequently endure extreme environmental conditions, exploitation by traffickers, and border violence.

    Sea crossings to Australia, once a significant migration route, have sharply declined in recent years due to strict border controls, according to IOM.

    While official data on boat interceptions remains scarce, the closure of this route has left many stranded in transit countries with little access to healthcare, education or legal protection, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: General Assembly Commemorates Slave Trade Remembrance, Adopts Resolutions on Conflict Diamonds, High-Level Talks on Rohingyas

    Source: United Nations 4

    Note: Full coverage of today’s meeting of the General Assembly will be available Wednesday, 26 March.

    The General Assembly today adopted resolutions on a range of topics, from the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict to a high-level conference on Rohingyas in Myanmar, while also holding a special event to pay tribute to the 15 million men, women and children from Africa who were trafficked into slavery.

    Conflict Diamonds

    The resolution on “The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict:  breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts” (document A/79/L.63) was adopted without a vote, following the United States’ unsuccessful bid to remove four paragraphs that refer to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

    An overwhelming majority — 144 Member States — voted in favour of retaining those paragraphs, defeating two negative votes cast by the United States and Argentina.  Six delegations — Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Libya, Maldives, Panama and Paraguay — abstained on the vote.

    By its terms, the Assembly reaffirmed the importance of the tripartite nature of the Kimberley Process and stressed that the widest possible participation in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is essential.

    The Kimberley Process, an international certification scheme for rough diamonds, is open to all countries, and began when southern African diamond-producing States met in Kimberley, South Africa, in May 2000, to discuss ways to tackle the financing of violence by armed movements through the illicit diamond trade. 

    Introducing the text, the representative of the United Arab Emirates said the current resolution reflects a “shared commitment to fostering a sustainable and responsible diamond industry that benefits millions around the world”.  The representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, voiced support for reforming the Kimberley Process.  Unfortunately, due to lack of consensus, “the definition of conflict diamonds remains very narrow”, she said, stressing the need to ensure the Process remains relevant and credible in a changing world.  The Russian Federation’s delegation, however, rejecting the pressure from Western countries to unilaterally filter the diamonds that are entering the main market, said this attempt by consumer countries to deliberately thwart tried and tested multilateral mechanisms is reckless and incompetent.

    …

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor, industry leaders, stakeholders focus on railway, hearing safety during 2025 Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON  — The first university-owned feed mill in Iowa was the site for the kickoff of the 2025 Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week, an annual training and educational event that reminds agriculture industry employers and workers about the potentially deadly hazards present in confined spaces, including grain engulfment.

    This year’s event, held March 24-28, is a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Alliance Program, the Grain Handling Safety Council, the Grain Elevator and Processing Society, and the National Grain and Feed Association. At the Iowa State University in Ames, the opening event focused on worksite housekeeping, hearing conservation, preventing struck-by incidents, and railway safety. 

    OSHA’s Alliance Program, in collaboration with state workplace safety officials and industry leaders, helped reduce fatal grain entrapments by 25.7 percent from 2022 to 2023. Despite those efforts, half of reported grain entanglements in 2024 were fatal. 

     “Every worker should be able to go home safe at the end of the day,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Amanda Wood Laihow. “By working together with our alliance and industry partners, we’re making grain handling safer and raising awareness to protect the people who produce our nation’s vital food supply.” 

    Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week features open discussions and daily interactive webinars with experts on OSHA regulations and topics including fatigue, emergency safety planning, worksite housekeeping, railway safety, and alternative grain storage. Learn more, register for the webinars, and find local live event information.

    Alliance members will share information through newsletters, emails, the Stand Up 4 Grain Safety webpage, and social media using the hashtag #StandUp4GrainSafety.

    OSHA’s Grain Handling Safety Standards address six major hazards: engulfment, falls, auger entanglement, struck-by incidents, combustible dust explosions, and electrocution. Learn more about agriculture safety resources. and learn about OSHA. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. John Albers Applauds House Passage of Organ Donor Legislation

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (March 25, 2025) — Last week, Senate Bills 84 and 58 passed through the House with unanimous support. These measures, sponsored by Sen. John Albers (R–Roswell), support organ donation in Georgia.

    SB 58, the “Georgia Transporting Life-Saving Organs and Personnel Act,” will grant emergency organ transport vehicles the same abilities as ambulance services. SB 84 creates a special license plate recognizing the importance of organ donation.

    “I know firsthand the impact that organ donation can have on a family after donating a kidney to my son in 2021,” said Sen. Albers. “Time is of the essence when transporting a donated organ to a patient. Granting organ transport vehicles the same rights as an ambulance through SB 58 ensures that no family has to pray for light traffic when their loved one is waiting for a transplant. Additionally, SB 84 highlights the impact of organ donation, and the phrase ‘Organ Donors Save Lives’ is a clear reminder of the life-changing significance of these services. Organ donation is essential, and I am truly honored to see the passage of this legislation to help save more lives.”

    Having passed through the Senate and the House, SB 58 now awaits the Governor’s approval to be signed into law. SB 84 will return to the Senate for a final vote after passing the House by substitute.

    You can find more information about SB 84 here and SB 58 here.

    # # # #

    Sen. John Albers serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety. He represents the 56th Senate District, which includes portions of Cherokee, Cobb and Fulton County. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at John.Albers@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Petrus Resources Announces Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2024 Financial, Operating & Reserves Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, March 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Petrus Resources Ltd. (“Petrus” or the “Company”) (TSX: PRQ) is pleased to report financial and operating results as at and for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and to provide 2024 year end reserves information as evaluated by Insite Petroleum Consultants Ltd. (“Insite”). The Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) and audited consolidated financial statements are available on SEDAR+ (the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval) at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Q4 2024 HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Dividends – Throughout the fourth quarter Petrus paid a dividend of $0.01 per share per month, totaling $3.7 million. Including the dividend declared on March 3, 2025 payable on March 31, 2025, Petrus will have cumulatively paid $0.18 per share, or $22.4 million in dividends since the company began paying dividends in Q4 2023. Based on the average closing share price at March 24, 2025 of $1.36 per share, the current dividend yield is approximately 9% annually.
    • Production – Production for the fourth quarter of 2024 averaged 9,066 boe/d(1), which was relatively flat compared to 9,215 boe/d in the third quarter of 2024, as natural declines were largely offset by new wells that were brought on production in December 2024.
    • Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) production – NGL production increased to 1,810 bbl/d in the fourth quarter of 2024, up 24% compared to 1,465 bbl/d in the third quarter of 2024. Strategic efforts to improve NGL recoveries resulted in the NGL yield increasing by 25%, from 40 bbl/mmcf of gas in Q4 2023 to 50 bbl/mmcf of gas in Q4 2024.
    • Commodity prices – Total realized price was $26.45/boe in the fourth quarter of 2024, up 10% from $24.07/boe in the third quarter of 2024. Increases were seen across all commodities, with the most notable change in realized natural gas pricing, which was up 101% compared to the prior quarter.
    • Funds flow(2)– Petrus generated funds flow of $12.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to $10.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. The 17% increase is due to the higher natural gas prices combined with higher NGL production volumes.
    • Net debt(2)– Net debt was $60.1 million at the end of Q4 2024, which was down $0.3 million compared to the end of the prior quarter.

    2024 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Commodity prices – Total realized price was $27.24/boe in 2024, a decrease of 18% from $33.31/boe in 2023. Realized natural gas prices declined by 47% from $3.01/mcf in 2023 to $1.60/mcf in 2024.
    • Capital expenditures – Total capital expenditures were $31.8 million in 2024, down from $86.8 million in 2023 as the Company reduced its capital expenditures program in response to lower natural gas prices.
    • Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) production – NGL production was higher by 3% in 2024, increasing to 1,623 bbl/d compared to 1,575 bbl/d in 2023.
    • Production – Production for 2024 averaged 9,382 boe/d(1), as compared to 10,301 boe/d in 2023. The 9% decrease was primarily due to natural declines and a reduced capital program.
    • Funds flow(2)– Petrus generated funds flow of $50.1 million in 2024 compared to $78.0 million in 2023. The 36% decrease was due to a combination of lower natural gas prices and reduced production.
    • Net debt(2)– Petrus reduced net debt by $2.5 million from $62.6 million at year end 2023 to $60.1 million at year end 2024.

    2025 OUTLOOK(3)

    In 2025, Petrus will continue to execute its strategy of disciplined capital investment, focusing on projects that sustain production, increase liquids weighting, enhance capital efficiency, and drive free funds flow. On February 12, 2025, we announced our 2025 capital budget and guidance, available under the ‘News & Events’ section of our website.

    The 2025 capital program began early in the year with a return to drilling in Ferrier. Completion operations were carried out in February and new wells were brought on before the end of the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, construction of the 12-kilometer expansion of the North Ferrier pipeline was completed in March. This infrastructure investment will further improve access to undeveloped lands and allow the Company to transport both its own and third-party natural gas to the Petrus’ operated Ferrier gas plant, providing cost-effective processing and the opportunity to generate additional revenue through third-party fees.

    For the balance of 2025, the Company has hedged approximately 53% of forecasted production at an average of $2.67/GJ for natural gas and CAD$94.81/bbl for oil. The Company is well-positioned to carry out its 2025 capital program and achieve guidance targets. As always, Petrus will closely monitor market conditions and is prepared to adjust its capital program as needed, guided by its commitment to delivering sustainable returns to shareholders.

    FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR-END 2024 CONFERENCE CALL

    Date: March 26, 2025
    Time: 9:00 am (mountain time)
    Please refer to the events page on Petrus’ website for conference call details and links: www.petrusresources.com/events

    ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

    The Company’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday May 21, 2025 at 1:30 pm (mountain time).
    Please refer to the events page on Petrus’ website for location details: www.petrusresources.com/events

    For further information, please contact:

    Ken Gray, P.Eng.
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    T: (403) 930-0889
    E: kgray@petrusresources.com

    (1)Disclosure of production on a per boe basis consists of the constituent product types and their respective quantities. Refer to “BOE Presentation” and “Production & Product Type Information” for further details.
    (2)Non-GAAP financial measure or non-GAAP ratio. Refer to “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures”.
    (3)Refer to “Advisories – Forward-Looking Statements”.

    SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

    OPERATIONS Twelve months
    ended     

    Dec. 31, 2024

    		 Twelve months
    ended

    Dec. 31, 2023

    		 Three months
    ended

    Dec. 31, 2024

    		 Three months
    ended

    Sept. 30, 2024

    		 Three months
    ended

    Jun. 30, 2024

    		 Three months
    ended

    Mar. 31, 2024
    Average Production            
    Natural gas (mcf/d) 38,149   42,779   36,178   37,368   38,908   40,174  
    Oil and condensate(1) (bbl/d) 1,400   1,595   1,226   1,522   1,322   1,529  
    NGLs (bbl/d) 1,623   1,575   1,810   1,465   1,664   1,557  
    Total (boe/d) 9,382   10,301   9,066   9,215   9,471   9,783  
    Total (boe)(1) 3,433,994   3,760,004   834,111   847,760   861,838   890,267  
    Liquids weighting 32 % 31 % 33 % 32 % 32 % 32 %
    Realized Prices            
    Natural gas ($/mcf) 1.60   3.01   1.61   0.80   1.41   2.54  
    Oil and condensate(1) ($/bbl) 94.35   95.61   93.60   90.80   103.77   90.38  
    NGLs ($/bbl) 38.44   39.31   36.90   36.81   37.25   43.09  
    Total realized price ($/boe) 27.24   33.31   26.45   24.07   26.81   31.42  
    Royalty income 0.05   0.09   0.03   0.05   0.05   0.07  
    Royalty expense (3.66 ) (4.59 ) (3.85 ) (3.06 ) (3.83 ) (3.89 )
    Gain (loss) on risk management activities —   0.40   —   —   —   —  
    Net oil and natural gas revenue ($/boe) 23.63   29.21   22.63   21.06   23.03   27.60  
    Operating expense (5.93 ) (6.25 ) (5.89 ) (6.10 ) (4.96 ) (6.76 )
    Transportation expense (1.55 ) (1.63 ) (1.44 ) (1.46 ) (1.46 ) (1.81 )
    Operating netback(2)($/boe) 16.15   21.33   15.30   13.50   16.61   19.03  
    Realized gain (loss) on financial derivatives 2.02   2.14   3.04   2.49   (0.36 ) 2.90  
    Other cash income (expense) 0.34   0.02   1.19   0.09   0.05   0.05  
    General & administrative expense (1.54 ) (1.11 ) (2.10 ) (1.43 ) (1.34 ) (1.32 )
    Cash finance expense (1.87 ) (1.28 ) (1.83 ) (1.95 ) (1.91 ) (1.78 )
    Decommissioning expenditures (0.52 ) (0.37 ) (0.61 ) (0.12 ) (0.72 ) (0.61 )
    Funds flow & corporate netback(2)($/boe) 14.58   20.73   14.99   12.58   12.33   18.27  
                 
    FINANCIAL (000s except $ per share) Twelve months
    ended

    Dec. 31, 2024

    		 Twelve months
    ended

    Dec. 31, 2023

    		 Three months
    ended

    Dec. 31, 2024

    		 Three months
    ended

    Sept. 30, 2024

    		 Three months
    ended

    Jun. 30, 2024

    		 Three months
    ended

    Mar. 31, 2024
    Oil and natural gas sales 93,721   125,605   22,085   20,446   23,150   28,039  
    Net income (loss) (1,246 ) 50,731   (4,004 ) 5,302   2,789   (5,333 )
    Net income (loss) per share            
    Basic (0.01 ) 0.41   (0.03 ) 0.04   0.02   (0.04 )
    Fully diluted (0.01 ) 0.40   (0.03 ) 0.04   0.02   (0.04 )
    Funds flow(2) 50,058   78,024   12,493   10,665   10,628   16,272  
    Funds flow per share(2)            
    Basic 0.40   0.63   0.10   0.09   0.09   0.13  
    Fully diluted 0.40   0.62   0.10   0.08   0.08   0.13  
    Capital expenditures 31,814   86,843   7,705   4,859   6,907   12,343  
    Weighted average shares outstanding            
    Basic 124,389   123,469   124,497   124,372   124,290   124,299  
    Fully diluted 124,389   126,436   124,497   126,686   126,559   124,299  
    As at period end            
    Common shares outstanding            
    Basic 125,113   124,266   125,113   124,372   124,372   124,259  
    Fully diluted 134,919   134,542   134,919   134,952   134,919   134,484  
    Total assets 420,124   437,842   420,124   421,196   419,584   427,574  
    Non-current liabilities 65,475   60,926   65,475   62,869   59,511   59,995  
    Net debt(2) 60,080   62,596   60,080   60,423   61,848   63,114  

    (1)   Disclosure of production on a per boe basis consists of the constituent product types and their respective quantities. Refer to “BOE Presentation” and “Production & Product Type Information” for further details.
    (2)   Non-GAAP financial measure or non-GAAP ratio. Refer to “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures”.


    OPERATIONS UPDATE

    Fourth quarter average production by area was as follows:

    For the three months ended December 31, 2024 Ferrier & North
    Ferrier    		 Foothills Central Alberta Total
    Natural gas (mcf/d) 31,052 539 4,587 36,178
    Oil and condensate (bbl/d) 928 54 244 1,226
    NGLs (bbl/d) 1,665 7 138 1,810
    Total (boe/d)(1) 7,768 151 1,147 9,066

    (1)   Disclosure of production on a per boe basis consists of the constituent product types and their respective quantities. Refer to “BOE Presentation” and “Production & Product Type Information” for further details.

    Production for the fourth quarter of 2024 averaged 9,066 boe/d, as compared to 9,474 boe/d in the fourth quarter of 2023. The 4% decrease was primarily due to natural declines and strategic shut-ins due to low natural gas prices and was partially offset by new wells that commenced production in December 2024.

    RESERVES

    Petrus’ 2024 year end reserves were evaluated by its independent reserves evaluator, Insite, in accordance with the definitions, standards and procedures contained in the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (“COGE Handbook”) and National instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (“NI 51-101”) as of December 31, 2024 (“2024 Insite Report”). Additional reserve information as required under NI 51-101 will be included in our Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024, which will be available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR (the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval) at www.sedarplus.com.

    Petrus has a reserves committee, comprised of a majority of independent board members, that reviews the qualifications and appointment of the independent reserves evaluator. The committee also reviews the procedures for providing information to the evaluators. All booked reserves are based upon annual evaluations by the independent qualified reserve evaluator conducted in accordance with the COGE Handbook and NI 51-101. The evaluations are conducted using all available geological and engineering data. The reserves committee has reviewed the reserves information and approved the 2024 Insite Report.

    The following table provides a summary of the Company’s before tax reserves as evaluated by Insite:

    As at December 31, 2024 Total Company Interest (1)(3)
    Reserve Category Conventional
    Natural Gas
    (mmcf)    		 Light and
    Medium
    Crude Oil
    (mbbl)    		 NGL
    (mbbl)    		 Total
    (mboe)    		 NPV 0%(2)
    ($000s)    		 NPV 5%(2)
    ($000s)    		 NPV 10%(2)
    ($000s)
    Proved Developed Producing 72,283 764 4,661 17,472 300,947 242,886 206,936
    Proved Developed Non-Producing 1,434 19 67 325 3,397 2,821 2,335
    Proved Undeveloped 120,479 3,060 7,235 30,375 425,388 255,976 155,680
    Total Proved 194,196 3,843 11,963 48,172 729,733 501,683 362,616
    Proved + Probable Producing 86,694 913 5,598 20,960 382,364 291,613 238,115
    Total Probable 96,481 3,434 5,405 24,919 499,146 294,964 192,562
    Total Proved Plus Probable 290,677 7,277 17,368 73,091 1,228,879 796,647 555,178

    (1)Tables may not add due to rounding.
    (2)NPV 0%, NPV 5% and NPV 10% refer to the risked net present value of the future net revenue of the Company’s reserves, discounted by 0%, 5% and 10%, respectively
    and is presented before tax and based on Insite’s pricing assumptions.
    (3)Total company interest reserve volumes presented therein are presented as the Company’s total working interest before the deduction of royalties (but after including any royalty interests of Petrus).

    The Company produced 3.4 mmboe during 2024 and ended the year with 17.5 mmboe of Proved Developed Producing (“PDP”) reserves (31% oil and liquids).

    Petrus ended 2024 with $206.9 million, $362.6 million and $555.2 million of PDP, Total Proved (“TP”), and Total Proved plus Probable (“P+P”) reserve value before-tax, respectively, discounted at 10%, based on the 2024 Insite Report. In 2024, the Company realized Finding and Development (“F&D”)(1)(2) costs of $12.58/boe for PDP reserves.

    Based on the 2024 Insite Report, the Company’s PDP reserve value before-tax, discounted at 10% is $1.32 per share (134,918,886 fully-diluted common shares outstanding at December 31, 2024). On the same basis, the Company’s P+P reserve value before-tax, discouted at 10%, is $3.90 per share.  

    (1)Refer to “Oil and Gas Disclosures”
    (2)While F&D costs are commonly used in the oil and nature gas industry and have been prepared by management, these terms do not have a standardized meaning and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and, therefore, should not be used to make such comparisons.


    FUTURE DEVELOPMENT COST

    Future Development Cost (“FDC”) reflects Insite’s best estimate of what it will cost to bring the P+P undeveloped reserves on production. The following table provides a summary of the Company’s FDC as set forth in the 2024 Insite Report:

    Future Development Cost ($000s) Total Proved Total Proved + Probable
    2025 44,349 44,349
    2026 138,485 138,485
    2027 151,518 164,611
    2028 83,030 147,282
    Thereafter — 130,453
    Total FDC, Undiscounted 417,381 625,179
    Total FDC, Discounted at 10% 345,611 489,942


    PERFORMANCE RATIOS
    The following table highlights annual performance ratios for the Company from 2020 to 2024(2):

      December 31,
    2024    		 December 31,
    2023    		 December 31,
    2022    		 December 31,
    2021    		 December 31,
    2020
    Proved Producing          
    FD&A ($/boe) (1) 12.58 19.67 12.58 15.64 4.83  
    F&D ($/boe) (1) 12.58 19.67 12.70 8.90 4.83  
    Reserve Life Index (yr) (1) 5.24 5.27 5.31 5.41 5.20  
    Reserve Replacement Ratio (1) 0.74 1.15 3.20 0.78 1.20  
    FD&A Recycle Ratio (1) 1.28 1.06 2.91 1.58 2.60  
    Proved Developed          
    FD&A ($/boe) (1) 12.63 19.34 12.50 14.54 4.71  
    F&D ($/boe) (1) 12.63 19.34 12.61 8.53 4.71  
    Reserve Life Index (yr) (1) 5.33 5.36 5.39 5.50 5.20  
    Reserve Replacement Ratio (1) 0.73 1.17 3.22 0.84 1.20  
    FD&A Recycle Ratio (1) 1.28 1.08 2.93 1.70 2.70  
    Total Proved          
    FD&A ($/boe) (1) 17.53 14.50 18.24 10.51 1.29  
    F&D ($/boe) (1) 17.53 14.50 33.99 9.24 1.29  
    Reserve Life Index (yr) (1) 14.4 13.85 12.18 15.30 10.90  
    Reserve Replacement Ratio (1) 0.97 2.98 3.79 4.50 (1.00 )
    FD&A Recycle Ratio (1) 0.92 1.44 2.01 2.35 9.80  
    Future Development Cost (undiscounted) ($000s) 417,381 391,058 313,786 233,684 156,815  
    Total Proved + Probable          
    FD&A ($/boe) (1) 33.63 14.00 15.66 10.57 0.37  
    F&D ($/boe) (1) 33.63 14.00 36.12 8.36 0.37  
    Reserve Life Index (yr) (1) 21.9 21.62 19.68 23.29 17.70  
    Reserve Replacement Ratio (1) 0.33 3.49 6.63 5.10 (1.30 )
    FD&A Recycle Ratio (1) 0.48 1.50 2.34 2.33 33.70  
    Future Development Cost (undiscounted) ($000s) 625,179 618,437 519,823 343,489 252,335  

    (1)Refer to “Oil and Gas Disclosures”
    (2)While FD&A cost and F&D costs, reserve life index, reserve replacement ratio and FD&A recycle ratio are commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry and have been prepared by management, these terms do not have a standardized meaning and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and, therefore, should not be used to make such comparisons.


    NET ASSET VALUE
    The following table shows the Company’s Net Asset Value (“NAV”), calculated using the 2024 Insite Report and Insite’s December 31, 2024 price forecast. The reader is cautioned that these amounts may not be directly comparable to other companies, as the term “Net Asset Value” does not have a standardized meaning under GAAP or NI 51-101. Management believes that net asset value provides a useful measure to analyze the comparative change in the Company’s estimated value on a normalized basis.

    As at December 31, 2024 ($000s except per share) Proved Developed
    Producing    		   Total Proved   Proved + Probable  
    Present Value Reserves, before tax (discounted at 10%) (1) 206,936   362,616   555,178  
    Undeveloped Land Value (2) 30,758   30,758   30,758  
    Net Debt (3) (60,080 ) (60,080 ) (60,080 )
    Net Asset Value 177,614   333,294   525,856  
    Fully Diluted Shares Outstanding 134,919   134,919   134,919  
    Estimated Net Asset Value per Fully Diluted Share $1.32   $2.47   $3.90  

    (1)Based on the 2024 Insite Report, using the forecast future prices and costs.
    (2)Based on the exploration and evaluation assets as per the Company’s December 31, 2024 audited consolidated financial statements.
    (3)Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures”.


    NON-GAAP AND OTHER FINANCIAL MEASURES

    This press release makes reference to the terms “operating netback” (on an absolute and $/boe basis), “corporate netback” (on an absolute and $/boe basis), “funds flow” (on an absolute, per share (basic and fully diluted) and $/boe basis), and “net debt”. These non-GAAP and other financial measures are not recognized measures under GAAP (IFRS) and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP (IFRS). Accordingly, the Company’s use of these terms may not be comparable to similarly defined measures presented by other companies. These non-GAAP and other financial measures should not be considered to be more meaningful than GAAP measures which are determined in accordance with IFRS as indicators of our performance. Management uses these non-GAAP and other financial measures for the reasons set forth below.

    Operating Netback
    Operating netback is a common non-GAAP financial measure used in the oil and natural gas industry which is a useful supplemental measure to evaluate the specific operating performance by product type at the oil and natural gas lease level. The most directly comparable GAAP measure to operating netback is oil and natural gas sales. Operating netback is calculated as oil and natural gas sales less royalty expenses, gain (loss) on risk management activities, operating expenses and transportation expenses. See below for a reconciliation of operating netback to oil and natural gas sales.

    Operating netback ($/boe) is a non-GAAP ratio used in the oil and natural gas industry which is a useful supplemental measure to evaluate the specific operating performance by product type at the oil and natural gas lease level. It is calculated as operating netbacks divided by weighted average daily production on a per boe basis. See below.

    Corporate Netback and Funds Flow
    Corporate netback or funds flow is a common non-GAAP financial measure used in the oil and natural gas industry which evaluates the Company’s profitability at the corporate level. Corporate netback and funds flow are used interchangeably. Petrus analyzes these measures on an absolute value and on a per unit (boe) and per share (basic and fully diluted) basis as non-GAAP ratios. Management believes that funds flow and corporate netback provide information to assist a reader in understanding the Company’s profitability relative to current commodity prices. They are calculated as the operating netback less general and administrative expense, cash finance expense and decommissioning expenditures, plus or minus other income (expense) and the realized gain (loss) on financial derivatives. See below for a reconciliation of funds flow and corporate netback to oil and natural gas sales.

    Corporate netback ($/boe) or funds flow ($/boe) is a non-GAAP ratio used in the oil and natural gas industry which evaluates the Company’s profitability at the corporate level. Management believes that funds flow ($/boe) or corporate netback ($/boe) provide information to assist a reader in understanding the Company’s profitability relative to current commodity prices. It is calculated as corporate netbacks or funds flow divided by weighted average daily production on a per boe basis. See below.

    Funds flow per share (basic and fully diluted) is comprised of funds flow divided by basic or fully diluted weighted average common shares outstanding.

      Three months ended

    Dec. 31, 2024

    		 Three months ended

    Dec. 31, 2023

    		 Twelve months ended

    December 31, 2024

    		 Twelve months ended

    December 31, 2023
      $000s $/boe $000s $/boe $000s $/boe $000s $/boe
    Oil and natural gas sales 22,085   26.48   26,747   30.70   93,721   27.29   125,605   33.41  
    Royalty expense (3,212 ) (3.85 ) (4,167 ) (4.78 ) (12,572 ) (3.66 ) (17,255 ) (4.59 )
    Gain (loss) on risk management activities —   —   —   —   —   —   1,522   0.40  
    Net oil and natural gas revenue 18,873   22.63   22,580   25.92   81,149   23.63   109,872   29.22  
    Transportation expense (1,203 ) (1.44 ) (1,271 ) (1.46 ) (5,316 ) (1.55 ) (6,115 ) (1.63 )
    Operating expense (4,915 ) (5.89 ) (4,419 ) (5.07 ) (20,376 ) (5.93 ) (23,505 ) (6.25 )
    Operating netback 12,755   15.30   16,890   19.39   55,457   16.15   80,252   21.34  
    Realized gain (loss) on financial derivatives 2,539   3.04   1,737   1.99   6,930   2.02   8,051   2.14  
    Other income(1) 991   1.19   (161 ) (0.18 ) 1,156   0.34   79   0.02  
    General & administrative expense (1,752 ) (2.10 ) (319 ) (0.37 ) (5,291 ) (1.54 ) (4,183 ) (1.11 )
    Cash finance expense (1,530 ) (1.83 ) (1,246 ) (1.43 ) (6,418 ) (1.87 ) (4,801 ) (1.28 )
    Decommissioning expenditures (510 ) (0.61 ) (376 ) (0.43 ) (1,776 ) (0.52 ) (1,374 ) (0.37 )
    Funds flow and corporate netback 12,493   14.99   16,525   18.97   50,058   14.58   78,024   20.74  
      Three months ended

    Dec. 31, 2024

    		 Three months ended

    Sept. 30, 2024

    		 Three months ended

    Jun. 30, 2024

    		 Three months ended

    March 31, 2024
      $000s $/boe $000s $/boe $000s $/boe $000s $/boe
    Oil and natural gas sales 22,085   26.48   20,446   24.12   23,150   26.86   28,039   31.50  
    Royalty expense (3,212 ) (3.85 ) (2,593 ) (3.06 ) (3,305 ) (3.83 ) (3,461 ) (3.89 )
    Net oil and natural gas revenue 18,873   22.63   17,853   21.06   19,845   23.03   24,578   27.61  
    Transportation expense (1,203 ) (1.44 ) (1,239 ) (1.46 ) (1,259 ) (1.46 ) (1,615 ) (1.81 )
    Operating expense (4,915 ) (5.89 ) (5,172 ) (6.10 ) (4,271 ) (4.96 ) (6,018 ) (6.76 )
    Operating netback 12,755   15.30   11,442   13.50   14,315   16.61   16,945   19.04  
    Realized gain (loss) on financial derivatives 2,539   3.04   2,115   2.49   (307 ) (0.36 ) 2,583   2.90  
    Other income (expense)(1) 991   1.19   77   0.09   40   0.05   48   0.05  
    General & administrative expense (1,752 ) (2.10 ) (1,209 ) (1.43 ) (1,152 ) (1.34 ) (1,178 ) (1.32 )
    Cash finance expense (1,530 ) (1.83 ) (1,657 ) (1.95 ) (1,650 ) (1.91 ) (1,581 ) (1.78 )
    Decommissioning expenditures (510 ) (0.61 ) (103 ) (0.12 ) (618 ) (0.72 ) (545 ) (0.61 )
    Funds flow and corporate netback 12,493   14.99   10,665   12.58   10,628   12.33   16,272   18.28  


    Net Debt
    Net debt is a non-GAAP financial measure and is calculated as the sum of long term debt and working capital (current assets and current liabilities), excluding the current financial derivative contracts and current portion of the lease obligation and decommissioning obligation. Petrus uses net debt as a key indicator of its leverage and strength of its balance sheet. Net debt is reconciled, in the table below, to long-term debt which is the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

    ($000s) As at Dec. 31, 2024 As at Dec. 31, 2023 As at Sep. 30, 2024 As at Jun. 30, 2024 As at March 31, 2024
    Long-term debt 25,000   25,000   25,000   25,000   25,000  
    Current assets (17,583 ) (30,805 ) (20,258 ) (16,333 ) (21,081 )
    Current liabilities 51,268   61,755   48,458   52,379   61,099  
    Current financial derivatives 2,632   8,374   7,690   1,276   (716 )
    Current portion of lease obligation (164 ) (258 ) (230 ) (237 ) (263 )
    Current portion of decommissioning obligation (1,073 ) (1,470 ) (237 ) (237 ) (925 )
    Net debt 60,080   62,596   60,423   61,848   63,114  


    ADVISORIES

    OIL AND GAS DISCLOSURES
    Our oil and gas reserves statement for the year ended December 31, 2024, which includes disclosure of our oil and natural gas reserves and other oil and natural gas information in accordance with NI 51-101, is contained in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024 (the “AIF”), which will be filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. It should not be assumed that the present worth of estimated future amounts presented in the tables above represents the fair market value of the reserves. There is no assurance that the forecast prices and costs assumptions will be attained, and variances could be material. The recovery and reserve estimates contained herein are estimates only and there is no guarantee that the estimated reserves will be recovered. Actual reserves may be greater than or less than the estimates provided herein.

    This release contains metrics commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry which have been prepared by management. These terms do not have a standardized meaning and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies, and therefore should not be used to make such comparisons.

    Management uses oil and gas metrics for its own performance measurements and to provide shareholders with measures to compare Petrus’ operations over time. Readers are cautioned that the information provided by these metrics, or that can be derived from the metrics presented in this release, should not be relied upon for investment or other purposes.

    F&D Costs and FD&A Costs

    FD&A cost is defined as capital costs for the time period including change in FDC divided by change in reserves including revisions and production for that same time period. F&D cost is defined as capital costs for the time period including change in FDC divided by change in reserves including revisions and production for that same time period, excluding acquisitions and dispositions. Both F&D costs and FD&A costs take into account reserves revisions during the year on a per boe basis. The methodology used to calculate F&D costs includes disclosure required to bring the proved undeveloped and probable reserves to production. Annually, changes in forecast FDC occur as a result of Petrus’ development, acquisition and disposition activities, undeveloped reserve revision and capital cost estimates. These values reflect the independent evaluator’s best estimate of the cost to bring the proved and probable undeveloped reserves to production.

    Reserve Life Index

    Reserve life index is defined as total reserves by category divided by the annualized fourth quarter production.

    Reserve Replacement Ratio

    The reserve replacement ratio is calculated by dividing the yearly change in reserves net of production by the actual annual production for the year.

    FD&A Recycle Ratio

    The FD&A recycle ratio is calculated by dividing operating netback by FD&A costs.

    ADVISORIES

    Basis of Presentation

    Financial data presented above has largely been derived from the Company’s financial statements, prepared in accordance with GAAP which require publicly accountable enterprises to prepare their financial statements using IFRS. Accounting policies adopted by the Company are set out in the notes to the audited consolidated financial statements as at and for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. The reporting and the measurement currency is the Canadian dollar. All financial information is expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise stated.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain information regarding Petrus set forth in this release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law, that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements represent Petrus’ internal projections, estimates, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. These statements are only predictions and actual events or results may differ materially. Although Petrus believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievement since such expectations are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause Petrus’ actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, Petrus. In particular, forward-looking statements included in this release include, but are not limited to statements with respect to: that in 2025, Petrus will continue to execute its strategy of disciplined capital investment, focusing on projects that sustain production, increase liquids weighting, enhance capital efficiency, and drive free funds flow; that the Company is well-positioned to carry out its 2025 capital program and achieve guidance targets; that Petrus will closely monitor market conditions and is prepared to adjust its capital program as needed, guided by its commitment to delivering sustainable returns to shareholders; the estimated future development costs to bring our undeveloped reserves on production; that we have a unique ability to be dynamic and respond quickly to constantly evolving market conditions; that Petrus will continue paying an industry leading, high-yielding dividend to our shareholders while investing remaining cash flow in high return wells and strategic infrastructure projects; that during periods of low prices, we will maintain production and cash flow and ensure the Company is positioned to quickly pivot to a growth strategy when pricing is more constructive; that our strengths will continue to serve the Company and our shareholders well as we navigate the constant changes and challenges inherent in this business; that the Company utilizes financial derivative contracts and physical commodity contracts to mitigate commodity price risk and provide stability and sustainability to the Company’s economic returns, funds flow, dividend payments and capital development plans; that the Company’s risk management contracts provide protection from significant changes in crude oil and natural gas commodity prices out to 2026; that the Company endeavors to hedge approximately half of its forecasted production for up to 12 months forward, and approximately 25% of its forecasted production for 12 to 24 months forward; that the Company’s hedging strategy is intended to provide stability and sustainability to the Company’s economic returns, funds flow, dividend payments and capital development plans; that the Company does not intend to settle its DSUs for cash; and that the Company expects the working capital deficiency to diminish over the next 12 months as the RLF is paid down by cash flow from operations. In addition, statements relating to “reserves” are deemed to be forward-looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described can be profitably produced in the future.

    These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond the Company’s control, including: the risk that (i) negotiations between the U.S. and Canadian governments are not successful and one or both of such governments implements announced tariffs, increases the rate or scope of announced tariffs, or imposes new tariffs on the import of goods from one country to the other, including on oil and natural gas, (ii) the U.S. and/or Canada imposes any other form of tax, restriction or prohibition on the import or export of products from one country to the other, including on oil and natural gas, and (iii) the tariffs imposed by the U.S., Canada, China and other countries and responses thereto could have a material adverse effect on the Canadian, U.S. and global economies, and by extension the Canadian oil and natural gas industry and the Company; the impact of general economic conditions; volatility in market prices for crude oil, NGL and natural gas; industry conditions; currency fluctuation; changes in interest rates and inflation rates; imprecision of reserve estimates; liabilities inherent in crude oil and natural gas operations; environmental risks; incorrect assessments of the value of acquisitions and exploration and development programs; competition; the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management; changes in income tax laws or changes in tax laws and incentive programs relating to the oil and gas industry; hazards such as fire, explosion, blowouts, cratering, and spills, each of which could result in substantial damage to wells, production facilities, other property and the environment or in personal injury and/or increase our costs, decrease our production, or otherwise impede our ability to operate our business; extreme weather events, such as wild fires, floods, drought and extreme cold or warm temperatures, each of which could result in substantial damage to our assets and/or increase our costs, decrease our production, or otherwise impede our ability to operate our business; stock market volatility; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; that the amount of dividends that we pay may be reduced or suspended entirely; that we reduce or suspend the repurchase of shares under our NCIB; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our AIF. With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this release, Petrus has made assumptions regarding: that the tariffs that have been publicly announced by the U.S. and Canadian governments (but which are not yet in effect) do not come into effect, but that if such tariffs do come into effect, the potential impact of such tariffs, and that other than the tariffs that have been announced, neither the U.S. nor Canada (i) increases the rate or scope of such tariffs, or imposes new tariffs, on the import of goods from one country to the other, including on oil and natural gas, and/or (ii) imposes any other form of tax, restriction or prohibition on the import or export of products from one country to the other, including on oil and natural gas; the amount of dividends that we will pay; the number of shares that we will repurchase under our NCIB; future commodity prices and royalty regimes; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of capital expenditures; future exchange rates; the impact of increasing competition; conditions in general economic and financial markets; availability of drilling and related equipment and services; effects of regulation by governmental agencies; the effects of inflation on our costs and profitability; future interest rates; and future operating costs. Management has included the above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking information provided in this release in order to provide investors with a more complete perspective on Petrus’ future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Petrus’ actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing lists of factors are not exhaustive.

    This release contains future-oriented financial information and financial outlook information (collectively, “FOFI”) about Petrus’ prospective results of operations including, without limitation, the percentage of our forecast production for the 2025 that is hedged, which are subject to the same assumptions, risk factors, limitations, and qualifications as set forth above. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on FOFI. Petrus’ actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these FOFI, or if any of them do so, what benefits Petrus will derive therefrom. Petrus has included the FOFI in order to provide readers with a more complete perspective on Petrus’ future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

    These forward-looking statements and FOFI are made as of the date of this release and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements and FOFI, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

    BOE Presentation

    The oil and natural gas industry commonly expresses production volumes and reserves on a barrel of oil equivalent (“boe”) basis whereby natural gas volumes are converted at the ratio of six thousand cubic feet to one barrel of oil. The intention is to sum oil and natural gas measurement units into one basis for improved measurement of results and comparisons with other industry participants. Petrus uses the 6:1 boe measure which is the approximate energy equivalence of the two commodities at the burner tip. Boe’s do not represent an economic value equivalence at the wellhead and therefore may be a misleading measure if used in isolation.

    Production & Product Type Information

    References to crude oil (or oil), natural gas liquids (“NGLs”), natural gas and average daily production in this document refer to the light and medium crude oil, conventional natural gas, and NGLs product types, as applicable, as defined in National Instrument 51-101 (“NI 51-101”), except as noted below.

    NI 51-101 includes condensate within the NGLs product type. The Company has disclosed condensate as combined with crude oil and separately from other NGLs since the price of condensate as compared to other NGLs is currently significantly higher and the Company believes that this crude oil and condensate presentation provides a more accurate description of its operations and results therefrom. Crude oil therefore refers to light oil, medium oil, and condensate. NGLs refers to ethane, propane, butane and pentane combined. Natural gas refers to conventional natural gas.

    Abbreviations
    $000’s   thousand dollars
    $/bbl   dollars per barrel
    $/boe   dollars per barrel of oil equivalent
    $/GJ   dollars per gigajoule
    $/mcf   dollars per thousand cubic feet
    bbl   barrel
    mbbl   thousand barrels
    bbl/d   barrels per day
    boe   barrel of oil equivalent
    mboe   thousand barrel of oil equivalent
    mmboe   million barrel of oil equivalent
    boe/d   barrel of oil equivalent per day
    GJ   gigajoule
    GJ/d   gigajoules per day
    mcf   thousand cubic feet
    mcf/d   thousand cubic feet per day
    mmcf/d   million cubic feet per day
    NGLs   natural gas liquids
    WTI   West Texas Intermediate

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Finance Committee Advances Dr. Oz to be CMS Commissioner

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–The U.S. Senate Finance Committee today advanced the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) by a vote of 14-13.  Following the vote, Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the statement below:

    “Dr. Oz’s years of experience as an acclaimed physician and public health advocate have prepared him well to manage the intricacies of CMS.  He will work tirelessly to deliver on the promise of much-needed change at CMS that ensures Americans receive the best care possible.  I look forward to working with him as Administrator.”

    Dr. Oz’s nomination was reported out of the Committee by a vote of 14 to 13.  Executive session information can be found here.

    Chairman Crapo’s full statement at the nomination hearing can be found here, and his statement at the executive session can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Supports Challenge to Trump Administration’s Early Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Venezuelans

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Leads multistate coalition in filing an amicus brief in Haitian-Americans United v. Trump

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, leading a multistate coalition, filed an amicus brief in Haitian-Americans United v. Trump in support of a challenge to the early termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haitians and Venezuelans. TPS is a critical humanitarian program that allows immigrants of designated countries to remain in the United States due to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or extraordinary and temporary conditions in their home countries. Since taking office, the Trump Administration has taken the unprecedented and unlawful action of attempting to cancel TPS for more than 800,000 immigrants fleeing dangerous conditions in their home countries. 

    “The Trump Administration seeks to strip more than 50% of all TPS holders of legal protections that allow them to live lawfully in this country. In doing so, it threatens to force these individuals to choose between living in the shadows here in America or returning to dangerous conditions in their home countries,” said Attorney General Bonta. “TPS holders are neighbors and co-workers, teachers and students, entrepreneurs and job-creators. They are integral parts of their communities and important contributors to our economy. I urge the court to prevent the Trump Administration’s heartless and unlawful attempt to revoke their legal immigration status.” 

    In the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition urge the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to prevent the Trump Administration’s order from going into effect, arguing that the termination of Haitian and Venezuelan TPS is unlawful and will:

    • Result in irreparable harm to families, stripping members of work authorization and exposing them to the threat of deportation.
    • Harm states’ economies and workforces as TPS holders, including the Haitian and Venezuelan communities, are dynamic contributors to California and other states’ economies.
    • Raise healthcare costs and pose substantial risks to public health.
    • Create challenges for jurisdictions across the country in enforcing their criminal codes and protecting public safety.

    Attorney General Bonta is committed to upholding the rights and protections of all of California’s residents, including the nearly 11 million immigrants who call California home. He has defended pathways for legal immigration for those fleeing dangerous conditions in their home counties, supported a challenge to the early termination of the TPS designation for Venezuela, and secured a preliminary injunction in his lawsuit challenging the President’s unlawful executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

    Attorney General Bonta, with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and New York Attorney General Letitia James, leads the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin in filing the brief.  

    A copy of the brief can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Whitehorse — Crime Reduction Unit arrest three people for trafficking offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Shortly after 8 pm on March 21, 2025, officers from the Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) arrested three individuals on Main Street in Whitehorse for trafficking drugs.

    Subsequently, a related vehicle was examined. During this investigation, CRU confiscated cash, a scale, substances suspected to be fentanyl, as well as weapons including a machete, a knife, and bear spray.

    Two of the individuals, an adult male and an adult female, were released on an undertaking to attend court at a later date on charges of trafficking a controlled substance.

    34-year-old Whitehorse resident, Jared Skookum was held in custody on the following charges: two counts of possession for the purposes of trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime and two counts of failure to comply with a release order.

    Mr. Skookum’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 26 at 9:30 am.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Equal Pay Day, Senator Murray Leads Entire Senate Democratic Caucus in Reintroducing Paycheck Fairness Act to End Wage Discrimination, Close Gender Pay Gap

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Murray, former HELP Chair, is a longtime leader in the fight to ensure equal pay for equal work

    Murray: “Women don’t want more discrimination. They don’t want more of their wages stolen by bosses like Elon. They just want the pay they earned. They just want to be treated decently—and paid fairly no matter who they are.”

    Washington, D.C. — Today, on Equal Pay Day, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation to combat pay discrimination and help close the gender pay gap by strengthening the Equal Pay Act of 1963, ending the practice of pay secrecy, and strengthening available remedies to ensure wronged employees can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable. U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-03) led the reintroduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the House today.

    More than five decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the gender wage gap still exists—and alarmingly, for the first time in 20 years, the gender pay gap widened in 2023. Across all workers in the United States, women were typically paid 75 cents for every dollar paid to a man in 2023, adding up to a $14,170 pay difference in a year. U.S. women overall lost $1.7 trillion in earnings overall in 2023, according to a recent analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families.  

    “When you do the same work as your colleagues, you should get the same pay, and no one should get to rip you off and pay you less because you are a woman. The principle is simple—but the problem we are talking about is far from trivial; it’s an injustice that compounds over time, robbing women of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of their career,” Senator Murray said.

    “For anyone who is serious about fighting for women, for anyone who is serious about ensuring our economy is built on merit and not undermined by discrimination, this is basic stuff. But Trump and Elon—some of the richest men in the world—are right now eliminating a 60-year-old executive order that helped ensure federal contractors don’t discriminate against women, illegally firing commissioners at the EEOC, which enforces existing pay discrimination laws, and making it easier to rip workers off,” Senator Murray continued. “Women don’t want more discrimination. They don’t want more of their pay stolen by bosses like Elon. They just want the pay they earned. They just want to be treated decently—and paid fairly no matter who they are. Republicans can choose to stand with billionaires who cheat their workers—but by reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act today, Democrats are showing that we stand with women, we stand with workers, we stand for fairness, and we are going to keep fighting to make sure people get the pay they have rightfully earned, down to the last dime.”

    “Equal Pay Day marks how far into the current year a woman must work to catch up to what her male counterpart earned in the previous year,” said Rep. DeLauro, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Six decades after passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women working full-time or part-time still earn 75 cents for every dollar earned by men. We are in a cost of living crisis – this must end. Equal pay for equal work is a simple concept – men and women in the same job deserve the same pay. It is time we make it real it for the millions of American women who are being unfairly undervalued in the workplace. Let’s enact the Paycheck Fairness Act and empower working women by giving them the tools to ensure their contributions to the workplace are properly respected and reflected in their pay.”

    Senator Murray’s Paycheck Fairness Act would:

    • Require employers to prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons. In doing so, it ensures that employers who try to justify paying a man more than a woman for the same job must show the disparity is not sex-based, but job-related and necessary.
    • Ban retaliation against workers who discuss their wages.
    • Remove obstacles in the Equal Pay Act to facilitate participation in class action lawsuits that challenge systemic pay discrimination, by allowing workers to opt-out, rather than requiring them to opt-in.
    • Improve the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) and Department of Labor’s (DOL) tools for enforcing the Equal Pay Act. To help these enforcement agencies better uncover and remedy wage discrimination, the bill will require the collection of compensation data from certain employers, including federal contractors.
    • Provide assistance to all businesses to help them with their equal pay practices, recognize excellence in pay practices by businesses, and empower women and girls by creating a negotiation skills training program.
    • Prohibit employers from relying on and seeking the salary history of prospective employees.

    Throughout her career, Senator Murray has been a leader in Congress in fighting for efforts to close the gender pay gap and ensure equal pay for equal work, and she has helped lead the fight in Congress for paid family and medical leave since she first joined Congress. Senator Murray leads the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act, comprehensive legislation to prevent workplace harassment, strengthen and expand key protections for workers, and support workers in seeking accountability and justice. Senator Murray leads the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, comprehensive legislation to put hard-earned wages back in workers’ pockets and crack down on employers who unfairly withhold wages from their employees. Murray also recently helped reintroduce the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to protect workers’ right to join and form a union in order to demand better pay, benefits, and working conditions—legislation she first introduced in the 116th Congress. Murray also introduced the Children Harmed in Life-threatening or Dangerous (CHILD) Labor Act last Congress, new legislation to protect children from exploitative child labor practices and hold the companies and individuals who take advantage of them accountable.

    In recent weeks, Senator Murray raised the alarm on President Trump’s illegal firing of EEOC Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Member Gwynne Wilcox, as well as the firings of EEOC General Counsel Karla Gilbride and NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo—Murray has long championed the vital work and mission of the EEOC and the NLRB in protecting workers’ rights.

    The full text of the Paycheck Fairness Act is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Plans to Freeze Tens of Millions in Title X Family Planning Funds for Planned Parenthood, Other Organizations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement in response to reports that the Trump administration plans to freeze tens of millions of dollars in federal Title X family planning grants for Planned Parenthood and other organizations in the U.S. that support critical family planning efforts and preventive health care including cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, birth control, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, and infertility services, among much else.

    “By illegally freezing tens of millions of dollars that help women get cancer screenings, birth control and pregnancy tests, prevent and treat STIs, and more, this administration is putting women’s lives at risk yet again and ripping away the ability of women with the tightest budgets to get the basic reproductive health care they need to control their lives and futures. It’s clear Trump and Elon couldn’t care less how many people suffer, whose cancer goes undetected, or if women can no longer afford birth control as a result of their deranged mission to attack anything they deem DEI—no matter the consequences to real people’s lives, and no matter the fact that this administration can’t even define DEI.

    “Fundamentally, we are talking about the Trump administration cutting off very basic and lifesaving health care. Title X has long had bipartisan support and I hope every one of my colleagues who support basic, cost-saving family planning services will speak out against this illegal hijacking of lifesaving funding women across America are counting on for health care.”

    Senator Murray has consistently fought to strengthen and preserve the Title X program, and was a vocal critic of the first Trump Administration’s Title X gag rule and countless other efforts to undermine reproductive health care. Early in 2019, Senator Murray released a memo highlighting some of the negative impacts of the rule and comments from patients, providers, city and county officials, and religious organizations submitted in opposition. Senator Murray is also a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the floor multiple times. Murray also led her colleagues in raising the alarm about the threat a second Trump administration poses to reproductive rights and abortion access in every state, as outlined in Project 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Romanian Men Indicted For Card Skimming

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DANIEL IULIAN TEUTOC (“TEUTOC”), a/k/a “Simon Mikula,” and CONSTANTIN CALIN (“CALIN”), citizens of Romania, were charged on March 21, 2025, in a nine-count indictment for conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343, 1344, and 1349; conspiracy to commit access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 1029(a)(3) and 1029(a)(4); and seven counts of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3). 

    According to the indictment, TEUTOC and CALIN went to Walmart stores across the Eastern District of Louisiana, including Laplace, Slidell, Harvey, Boutte, Chalmette, and New Orleans. TEUTOC and CALIN captured card information at different the points of sale, from card skimming devices that had been previously installed by other members of the conspiracy.  TEUTOC and CALIN used magnets to activate the card skimmers and send the card information electronically to TEUTOC and CALIN’s cell phones.  After gaining possession of the Walmart customer’s credit, debit, and EBT card information, TEUTOC and CALIN sent the information to another co-conspirator with the intent to allow members of the conspiracy to make fraudulent charges with the stolen card information.

    If convicted of the conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, TEUTOC and CALIN face up to 30 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release.  If convicted of the conspiracy to commit access device fraud, TEUTOC and CALIN face up to 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.  If convicted of possession of unauthorized access devices, TEUTOC and CALIN face up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.  As to each count, TEUTOC and CALIN, individually, face payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Secret Service, New Orleans Police Department, St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office, and St. John the Baptist Parish’s Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit, Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator, and André Jones, lead OCDETF Narcotics Task Force Attorney, are in charge of the prosecution.

    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: Woodbury Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and Armed Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – Alfonso Lee Seals, a Woodbury man, has been sentenced to 182 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon and interfering with commerce by robbery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, on June 14, 2023, Minneapolis police responded to a 911 call reporting a shootout between two cars along University Avenue Northeast. Responding officers found an abandoned car crashed into a utility pole. On the floorboard of the driver’s seat, law enforcement discovered a Glock model 27 .40 caliber pistol with a “switch” or “auto-sear” attached to it, making it fully automatic. Forensic testing confirmed that that the defendant, Alfonso Lee Seals, 28, possessed the pistol. On November 7, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s brother’s home where they recovered a Taurus model G2S 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, which had been reported stolen from Mounds View, Minnesota, in October 2022.  Forensic testing confirmed that the defendant possessed that pistol as well. On October 17, 2023, the defendant and an accomplice robbed a convenience store at gunpoint in Oakdale, Minnesota. Security camera footage showed the defendant ordering the victim cashier to his knees, placing a semiautomatic firearm to the cashier’s back, forcing him to open a cash register, and repeatedly threatening to kill the cashier during the robbery.

    On December 23, 2024, Seals pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm as a felon and one count of interfering with commerce by robbery. In his plea agreement, Seals admitted that he knowingly and willingly possessed both firearms and that he possessed the Glock in connection with two other felonies—felony drive-by shooting and intentionally discharging a firearm under circumstances that endanger the safety of another. He also admitted that he and his accomplice robbed the convenience store at gunpoint and threatened to kill the victim cashier. Because Seals has multiple prior felony convictions for assault in both Hennepin and Dakota Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

    “Minnesotans should have no tolerance for armed and violent career criminals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This behavior is shocking and unacceptable.  My office will continue to hold Seals—and others who would terrorize our community—accountable.”  

    Seals was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Oakdale Police Department, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed robber sentenced to over 12 years in prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield man was sentenced today to 12 years and three months in prison for armed robbery.

    According to court documents, on April 22, 2023, two victims were robbed at gunpoint on Dunston Avenue in Richmond. The victims described the incident and the robber to police, who then located surveillance cameras that captured a suspect vehicle. Police identified the vehicle as a four-door Acura with a moon roof and distinctive stickers on the two rear passenger windows. They also identified the license plate and determined that the Acura was registered to the girlfriend of Kumkio Leftha Martin, 31.

    The next day, Martin entered a convenience store in Chesterfield, pointed a gun at the victims inside, and demanded money and cigarettes. He took the victims’ iPhones as well as a bag containing a laptop, payroll checks, credit cards, cash, and car keys. Footage from a nearby camera showed a sedan resembling the Acura.

    On May 4, 2023, Martin entered a tobacco store in Richmond and, while brandishing a firearm, demanded money and vaping products from a store employee. Martin’s girlfriend was also in the store. About two minutes after Martin fled, the Acura with the distinctive stickers on the passenger side rear windows drove past the store.

    Police located Martin and the vehicle and performed a felony traffic stop. Law enforcement later performed a search of Martin’s girlfriend’s residence and located the firearm the defendant used in the May 4, 2023, robbery.

    On Nov. 12, 2024, Martin pled guilty to armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence related to the May 4, 2023, robbery. As a part of his plea, the defendant also admitted to committing the April 23, 2023, robbery.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Vetan Kapoor prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-150.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Pushes Frank Bisignano, Nominee to Oversee SSA, to Defend Social Security from DOGE: “Keep Musk the hell out of Social Security.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Finance Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) questioned Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s nominee to be the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), a federal agency that provides program benefits to over 150,000 Vermonters and 71 million Americans. Senator Welch pushed Bisignano on how he would protect Social Security from the Trump Administration and Elon Musk’s actions to harm social security. Senator Welch also pressed Bisignano on working to increase Social Security death benefits. 
    “Here’s the dilemma that you and every other nominee is in: Musk is running roughshod. He could care less about what the function is. He wants a body count. And he, from our perspective, has way more control over every agency than the head of the agency…So, you’re going to be under the thumb of DOGE, that’s the aspect of this that worries me,” said Senator Welch. “You know what? Keep Musk the hell out of Social Security.” 
    Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s pick for Commissioner of the Social Security Administration: 
    Read excerpts of Senator Welch’s questioning below: 
    Sen. Welch: Here’s my problem with DOGE—it’s not about efficiency. There’s nobody here who doesn’t want to have our committee run more efficiently, or our Congress run more efficiently…But what’s happened with DOGE—and the news is in on this—I mean, this isn’t a debatable proposition. They’re cutting first, shooting first, and aiming later. And it’s really had incredibly damaging effects on what’s going on…The question is: doesn’t it make sense for an agency, whose goal is to have its place to be more efficient, to study the function first before they start firing people? 
    Bisignano: Yeah. I think—first of all, I think that the agency needs, is a multidisciplined… 
    Sen. Welch: That’s what I’m asking. Let’s be just direct here. DOGE has sent out termination notices to people, by DOGE employees who have no idea who the people are that they’re firing. They just know they’re on a list and they need a body count in order to be able to claim they’re ‘saving money.’  But nobody took a look at what the function was before they started firing people. I mean, have you ever done that in all of the time of your successful career that’s been a hallmark of being able to make organizations run more efficiently? Would you do it that way?  
    Bisignano: Uh, no.   
    Sen. Welch: That’s the right answer…Nobody would do it that way. Here’s the dilemma that you and every other nominee is in: Musk is running roughshod. He could care less about what the function is. He wants a body count. And he, from our perspective, has way more control over every agency than the head of the agency. I’d much prefer to have somebody who, with your experience, looks carefully at what the function is and then makes determinations about how to improve the delivery of that function. So, you’re going to be under the thumb of DOGE, that’s the aspect of this that worries me.  
    Bisignano: I’m planning on running the agency, reporting to the President, and I think the President has made it clear that DOGE is there for input, but that the agency heads own their decisions.  
    Sen. Welch: You know what, keep Musk the hell out of Social Security, please—totally. One Vermonter contacted me about the death benefit—we talked about this in my office. 1955 is when the death benefit in Social Security was established—$255. It doesn’t go as far today as it did before. And I want to work to have that come up to 2025 standards. Do you support doing that in a way that’s fiscally responsible for the Social Security beneficiaries?  
    Bisignano: As I said in your office, I’m happy to work on it with you. 

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