NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Five hundred+ rural locations gain high-speed internet access – $6.8M federal funding connects previously unserved communities

    Source: US State of New Mexico

    SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham today announced that three completed broadband projects have connected more than 500 rural locations to high-speed internet in Cibola and McKinley counties through the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE).

    “Rural New Mexicans need reliable internet access and we’re delivering it,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “These projects deliver real results—connecting families to telehealth, students to online learning, and businesses to new markets.”

    “These projects define our mission to bring sustainable, reliable broadband to communities that lack this vital service,” said Jeff Lopez, director of OBAE. “It’s extremely satisfying to connect locations that now have access to critical online programs, services and opportunities. I’m proud of our OBAE team that has worked closely with internet service providers and others to make this happen.”

    Cibola County Project: OSO Internet Solutions deployed a nearly 50-mile fiber network connecting 109 homes in Pine Meadow Ranches near Ramah. The $5,789,283 ARPA grant project connects through Oso’s mainline with Lumen Technologies and crosses sections of Ramah Navajo Tribal allotments to reach the Pine Meadows areas.

    McKinley County Projects: Sacred Wind/Ethos Broadband used a $1,041,926 ARPA grant to install fixed wireless systems serving 410 locations in two areas:

    • 162 locations in the Western Skies subdivision in Gallup.
    • 248 locations in the unincorporated community of Thoreau, east of Gallup.

    “I’m proud to welcome $6.8 million from legislation I helped pass into law to connect New Mexicans living in Cibola and McKinley counties to high-speed internet,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich. “This funding will connect New Mexicans in rural areas to careers they can build their families around, help local small businesses boost their sales online, and provide the next generation with the tools they need to succeed in their education and beyond.”

    “In today’s digital era, reliable internet access is a necessity for New Mexico families,” said Sen. Ben Ray Luján. “The completion of these critical broadband projects will bring much-needed, high-speed internet to rural communities across Cibola and McKinley Counties. I’m proud to have secured over $6.8 million in federal funding for these projects through the American Rescue Plan. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, I will continue to fight to deliver federal dollars to help connect New Mexicans to high-speed internet.”

    “High-speed internet is not a luxury—it’s essential for school, work, health care, and opportunity. That’s why I fought to make sure our rural and Tribal communities weren’t left behind when Democrats invested in America’s future with the historic American Rescue Plan,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández. “The new connections in Gallup and Thoreau are life-changing for hundreds of families in McKinley County. With this over $6.8 million investment paid for by that Democratic reconciliation bill, we’re not just laying down internet lines—we’re building the foundation for our children’s success and building ‘the good life’ Democrats believe in.”

    “The completion of these three broadband projects is a big win for our district, as more New Mexicans living in Cibola and McKinley counties will now be able to access the online opportunities and resources they need to thrive in today’s digital world,” said Rep. Gabe Vasquez. “From online education platforms to telehealth medicine and more, the doors unlocked by expanded broadband access make day to day life easier for our communities, and I am proud to support this effort.”

    “The Navajo Nation Broadband Office is pleased to collaborate with OBAE and the state of New Mexico in delivering broadband access to Ramah Chapter and surrounding areas, with over 560 homes already successfully connected to fiber internet by Oso Internet Solutions,” said Sonia Nez, department manager for Navajo Nation Broadband Office. This achievement means more Navajo families now have the vital tools to access online healthcare, attend virtual classes, and stay connected with loved ones, all from the comfort of their homes.”

    All projects provide broadband speeds of 100/100 mbps download/upload to customers.

    ###

    The Office of Broadband Access and Expansion is dedicated to serving New Mexico with a commitment to make high-speed broadband accessible to all New Mexicans. OBAE’s mission is to expand and improve high-speed internet service with passionate leadership that drives bold, equitable, affordable and inclusive broadband solutions. OBAE seeks results that honor the state’s rich heritage and elevate quality of life for all.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor secures some federal resources for Ruidoso – State works with federal partners for additional financial assistance

    Source: US State of New Mexico

    SANTA FE – The state of New Mexico today received partial approval for a federal emergency declaration for flood-damaged communities, providing immediate federal personnel resources to support response and recovery efforts in Ruidoso while work continues to secure additional federal assistance.

    “This federal declaration is a critical first step, but it’s not everything Ruidoso needs and deserves,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “We will continue working with the federal government for every dollar and resource necessary to help this resilient community fully recover from these devastating floods.”

    What was approved: The emergency declaration provides immediate assistance to the community for life saving activities like urban search and rescue teams and the support staff for the incident management team to begin work.

    What remains under federal review: The governor’s original request also sought additional assistance that remains pending including:

    • Direct financial assistance for individuals, households, and businesses in the affected areas of Lincoln and Valencia counties, including grants for:
      • Repair or replacement of homes destroyed in the disaster.
      • Necessary expenses and essential needs including medical, dental, funeral, personal property, and transportation costs.
      • A one-time payment for emergency supplies including water, food, first aid, breastfeeding supplies, infant formula, diapers, personal hygiene items, and fuel for transportation.
      • Temporary housing including hotels, staying with family or friends, or other suitable options for displaced residents.
      • Transitional sheltering assistance.
    • Federal reimbursement for emergency work, including debris removal for Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, and Valencia counties.
    • Permanent repair of disaster-damaged facilities and public infrastructure for Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, and Valencia counties including:
      • Roads and bridges.
      • Water control facilities.
      • Public buildings and equipment.
      • Public utilities.
      • Parks, recreational, and other facilities.

    In support of the governor’s request, the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is actively working with FEMA to conduct preliminary damage assessments and provide additional documentation requested by FEMA.

    A state Disaster Recovery Center is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at ENMU-Ruidoso, 709 Mecham Dr, Ruidoso, N.M. 88345. State disaster case managers are on site, along with state agencies who can help residents replace documents, ask insurance questions, and find resources.

    Residents can also call the State Disaster Helpline at 1-833-663-4736 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or visit the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Vance Boelter Indicted for the Murders of Melissa and Mark Hortman, the Shootings of John and Yvette Hoffman, and the Attempted Shooting of Hope Hoffman

    Source: US FBI

    MINNEAPOLIS – Vance Boelter, 57, has been indicted on six federal charges in connection with the stalking and murders of Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, the stalking and shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, and the attempted shooting of their daughter Hope Hoffman, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

    “Vance Boelter planned and carried out a night of terror that shook Minnesota to its core,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.  “He carried out targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota. We grieve with the Hortman family and continue to pray for the recovery of the Hoffmans. Today, a grand jury indicted Boelter with the most serious of federal charges for these heinous political assassinations. Let me be clear: Boelter will see justice.”

    According to court documents, after extensive research and planning, Boelter embarked on a murderous rampage targeting Minnesota’s elected officials and their families. On June 14, 2025, the defendant disguised himself as a member of law enforcement and traveled to the homes of Democratic elected officials with the intent to intimidate and murder. Early that morning, the defendant traveled to the Hoffmans home in Champlin, Minnesota. By posing as a police officer, Boelter compelled the Hoffmans to answer their door. He then repeatedly shot Senator Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman and he attempted to shoot their daughter, Hope Hoffman.

    Boelter then traveled to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials, only to find that no one at those locations was home. He next drove to the home of Speaker Emerita and Representative Melissa Hortman. There, Boelter repeatedly shot, and killed,  Representative Hortman and her husband, Mark. Following a two-day manhunt, law enforcement arrested the defendant near his family residence in Green Isle, Minnesota.

    The defendant is charged with numerous counts, including the stalking and murders of Melissa and Mark Hortman, the stalking and shooting of John and Yvette Hoffman, and the attempted shooting of Hope Hoffman. The defendant faces charges which include maximum penalties of up to life in prison or death. 

    “Last month, the State of Minnesota experienced fear and panic. Today, Vance Boelter was indicted by a federal grand jury, marking another step forward in our pursuit of justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “As alleged in the indictment, Boelter’s actions took the lives of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, both beloved members of our community. The indictment also alleges that Boelter seriously wounded Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. This targeted violence was an attack on the rule of law, resulting in a manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly until Boelter was apprehended.  The FBI remains grateful to our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their dedication throughout this investigation. Together, we will ensure that justice is served and that a price is paid for the reign of terror and violence our community endured.”

    “Vance Boelter’s evil acts did unspeakable harm and terrorized our entire state that night,” Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said. “A lot of work has been happening and we are glad to see these next steps taken toward holding Mr. Boelter accountable for his actions.”

    “Political violence has no place in our society and Boelter will be held accountable for his crimes. Today’s indictment reflects the tireless efforts of the dedicated professionals who work every day to protect our communities,” said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley.

    “Today marks a significant milestone in our pursuit of justice. This case transcends headlines; it highlights the collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies who refused to rest until Vance Boelter was taken into custody, and it also captures the importance of due process in bringing justice,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt. “I’m grateful for everyone involved, including the HCSO staff who spent countless hours during the manhunt—responding to tips, conducting searches, offering intelligence and data support, and more to help bring accountability. As we move forward, our thoughts will remain with the victims and their families affected by this tragedy.”

    “The path to justice for the lives torn apart by Vance Boelter’s actions is far from over, but this indictment is a powerful step forward,” said Travis Riddle, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “What began as fear and chaos is now moving toward accountability thanks to the tireless work of so many law enforcement partners. ATF is honored to stand with them in pursuit of a prosecution that brings answers and a measure of peace to the communities impacted by this violence.”

    “The harm caused by Boelter’s actions was not confined to any one place—it was felt widely, including here in Minneapolis. His conduct endangered the safety of our communities and undermined trust in police. We are thankful to our U.S. Attorney’s Office and all federal, state, and local law enforcement that have worked tirelessly to hold this killer accountable,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, ATF, Brooklyn Park Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Champlin Police Department, and New Hope Police Department, together with several other state and local partners. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section also assisted in the investigation. This investigation has proceeded with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in strong partnership with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Bradley M. Endicott, Matthew D. Forbes, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Chu, Colleagues Join Union Workers to Announce Legislation to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Chu, Colleagues Join Union Workers to Announce Legislation to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat

    WATCH: Padilla pushes for enforceable workplace heat stress protections after hottest year on record

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, on the heels of another harsh heat wave across California, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28) joined union workers from the United Farm Workers (UFW), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and United Steelworkers to announce their bipartisan, bicameral legislation to implement federal enforceable workplace heat stress protections.

    Co-leads of the legislation include U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Alma Adams (D-N.C.-12).

    To address the increasing risks from extreme temperatures, the lawmakers introduced the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act, legislation to protect the safety and health of indoor and outdoor workers who are exposed to dangerous heat conditions in the workplace. The legislation would protect workers against occupational exposure to excessive heat by requiring the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to establish an enforceable federal standard to protect workers in high-heat environments with commonsense measures like paid breaks in cool spaces, access to water, limitations on time exposed to heat, and emergency response for workers with heat-related illness. The bill also directs employers to provide training for their employees on the risk factors that can lead to heat illness and guidance on the proper procedures for responding to symptoms.

    The bill is named in honor of Asunción Valdivia, who died in 2004 after picking grapes for 10 hours straight in 105-degree temperatures. Mr. Valdivia fell unconscious, but instead of calling an ambulance, his employer told Mr. Valdivia’s son to drive his father home. On his way home, he died of heat stroke at the age of 53.

    “Asunción Valdivia’s death was completely preventable, yet his story is sadly not unique. As the planet continues to grow hotter, there is still no federally enforceable heat safety standard for workers. That’s not just dangerous for the farm workers and construction workers who work all day outside in the sun — it’s also dangerous for the factory and restaurant workers in boiling warehouses and kitchens,” said Senator Padilla. “Every family deserves to know that even on the hottest day, their loved one will come back home. A national heat safety standard would provide that peace of mind and finally give workers the safety they deserve.”

    “Even as heat waves become more frequent, longer-lasting, and more severe, red state politicians are rolling back heat protections and child labor protections across the country. It’s not rocket science—you cannot be pro-worker if you are anti-heat protection,” said Senator Markey. “Our legislation would provide workers with basic, effective protections: access to water, access to shade, time limits on high heat exposure, and procedures for emergency medical response. Every worker deserves to know when they clock in that they will return home safe at the end of their shift.  The thermometer is rising and the clock is ticking. Republicans want to sacrifice working Americans. Let’s save our workers instead.”

    “From farmhands to construction workers, America’s essential workforce is doing important work while under extreme heat conditions,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Temperatures continue to reach record highs in Nevada and across the United States. We must act now to protect our communities’ vital workers.” 

    “As we continue to experience record-breaking summer heat waves, we’re also seeing a distressing increase in cases of workers collapsing and even losing their lives due to excessive heat. I will never forget people like Asunción Valdivia or Esteban Chavez Jr., who passed away in Pasadena, California in 2022 after a day of delivering packages in 90-degree heat in a truck without air conditioning. Unfortunately, their tragic deaths were entirely preventable,” said Representative Chu. “Whether on a farm, driving a truck, or working in a warehouse, workers like Asunción and Esteban keep our country running while enduring some of the most difficult conditions—often without access to water or rest. To protect our workforce and save lives, we must pass this bill into law and establish comprehensive and enforceable federal standards addressing heat stress on the job.”

    “This summer, Americans across the country are grappling with some of the hottest temperatures on record. Yet workers in this country still have no legal protection against excessive heat—one of the oldest, most serious, and most common workplace hazards. Heat illness affects workers in our nation’s fields, warehouses, and factories, and climate change is making the problem more severe every year,” said Ranking Member Scott, House Committee on Education and Workforce. “This legislation will require OSHA to issue a heat standard on a much faster track than the normal OSHA regulatory process. I was proud to advance this important bill in 2022, and I urge Chairman Walberg and Committee Republicans to do so again this Congress. Workers deserve nothing less, particularly as heat-related illnesses and deaths rise.”

    “As we face record temperatures, it has never been more important that we protect our workers facing extreme heat in the workplace,” said Representative Adams. “Last year, a North Carolina postal worker Wendy Johnson lost her life to heat illness after spending hours in the back of a postal truck on a 95-degree day with no air conditioning. Her death was entirely preventable, and Wendy should still be with us today. I’m proud to introduce this bill so we can honor her memory and ensure every worker has the protections from extreme heat that Wendy deserved.” 

    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2024 was the warmest year on record for the United States. The past decade, including 2024, was the hottest on record, marking a decade of extreme heat that will only get worse. Heat-related illnesses can cause heat cramps, organ damage, heat exhaustion, stroke, and even death. Between 1992 and 2017, heat stress injuries killed 815 U.S. workers and seriously injured more than 70,000. The Washington Center for Equitable Growth estimates hot temperatures caused at least 360,000 workplace injuries in California from 2001 to 2018, or about 20,000 injuries a year. The failure to implement simple heat safety measures costs U.S. employers nearly $100 billion every year in lost productivity.

    From 2011-2020, heat exposure killed at least 400 workers and caused nearly 34,000 injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work; both are likely vast underestimates. Farm workers and construction workers suffer the highest incidence of heat illness. And no matter what the weather is outside, workers in factories, commercial kitchens, and other workplaces, including ones where workers must wear personal protective equipment (PPE), can face dangerously high heat conditions all year round.

    The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act has the support of a broad coalition of over 250 groups, including: Rural Coalition, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, AFL-CIO, UNITE HERE!, Communication Workers of America, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Sierra Club, United Farm Workers, Farmworker Justice, Public Citizen, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Union of Concerned Scientists, United Steelworkers, National Resources Defense Council, American Lung Association, and Health Partnerships.

    “Every worker safety rule in America is written in blood,” said UFW President Teresa Romero. “The UFW has been fighting for heat safety protections for decades. Over 20 years later, Asuncion Valdivia’s death still hurts. There are so many other farm workers — many whose names we do not know — who have also been killed by extreme heat on the job in the years since. Enough is enough. Every farm worker deserves access to water, shade, and paid rest breaks — it’s past time for Congress get this done.”

    “Too many workers – including AFSCME members – have lost their lives on the job as a result of blistering heat waves and record-breaking temperatures,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “As the number of heat-related illnesses and fatalities continue to rise, it is well past time we adopt nationwide safeguards to better protect the workers who maintain our infrastructure, keep our streets clean, harvest our food, and keep our economy moving. We at AFSCME thank Senator Padilla and Representative Chu for introducing the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act, which will ensure essential workers who brave the heat can do their jobs safely and effectively, and most importantly, make it home alive.”

    “For the Steelworkers Union, we represent workers in manufacturing settings and in a host of other areas where not only is it hot outside, but the areas that they work around are as hot as up to 3,000 degrees and they must wear protective equipment. The Asunción Valdivia Heat, Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act is important because it will provide a basic standard for not just outdoor, but indoor workplaces as well to ensure that there is proper rest breaks and the ability to stay cool. The Steelworkers are absolutely supportive of this bill and are going to work with Republicans and Democrats to ensure that heat illness is the last thing a worker should worry about,” said Roy Houseman, Legislative Director of United Steelworkers. 

    “Everyone deserves safe working conditions, but powerful corporations have not done enough to protect their workers from hot working environments, exacerbated by the climate crisis,” said Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO. “Extreme heat is increasingly causing indoor and outdoor workers to collapse or even die on the job, and our union family has already lost too many members to preventable, work-related heat illness. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) must issue a strong heat rule, not a weak one, to ensure workers have specific protections they need and to be able to raise unsafe working conditions without fear of retaliation.”

    “It’s long past time for meaningful legislation to protect Teamsters and other workers from the effects of prolonged heat exposure and dangerous heat levels while at work,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “Paid breaks in cool spaces, access to water, and limitations on time exposed to heat are simple common sense steps that should be mandated immediately. Waiting to implement these measures is unacceptable and will result in the further loss of lives.”

    “Workers in America are facing unprecedented dangers from climate-driven heat and extreme weather, and things are only getting worse. It is far past time for a strong national standard to protect workers from illness and death caused by exposure to extreme heat. The provisions mandated in this bill, including temperature triggers, acclimatization, water, shade and paid rest breaks, would save countless lives. They represent a common sense and common decency approach that employers could quickly adopt. American workers deserve no less, and they urgently need it. Today, OSHA is in the final stage of issuing a final rule on this issue. It is imperative that the rule maintain the integrity and high standards called for in the Asuncíon Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act. We applaud Senators Padilla, Markey, and Cortez Masto and Representatives Chu, Adams, and Scott, as well as the dozens of Senators and Congresspersons who have joined them in this long effort. It’s time to bring a high quality, protective standard to the finish line for American workers,” said Ernesto Archila, Climate and Financial Regulation Policy Director, Public Citizen.

    “Every summer high temperature records get broken in states across the country, and while public health officials urge residents to stay inside and stay safe millions of workers have to report for work. From fields to warehouses, airports to schools, construction sites to manufacturing plants, and many more industries, too many workers are at risk of not getting home safely at the end of the day due to exposure to heat on the job. We know how to prevent these dangers. In fact, both outdoor and indoor workers in states like Oregon, California, and Maryland have strong, enforceable protections in place already. And in Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota at least some categories of workers are being kept safe from heat. But millions labor in other states where there are no protections; worker safety is left to the federal government in these states, and absent strong rules workers are left to protect themselves and hope for the best. We must extend workplace protections from heat to all workers. The National Employment Law Project thanks Senator Padilla and Representative Chu, as well as the dozens of Senators and Congresspersons who have cosponsored the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025,” said Anastasia Christman, Senior Policy Analyst, National Employment Law Project.

    The bill is cosponsored by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Senator Padilla has acted urgently to address the threats posed by extreme heat as the climate crisis becomes more severe. Padilla successfully called on OSHA to establish the first-ever federal safety standard to protect workers from the severe risks of excessive heat, implementing key provisions from the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act. Padilla and his colleagues also led 112 members of Congress in calling on the Biden Administration to implement a workplace federal heat standard as quickly as possible. The letter urged OSHA to model the standard after the provisions in the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act. Additionally, Padilla and Markey’s Preventing Health Emergencies and Temperature-related (HEAT) Illness and Deaths Act advanced out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation last year.

    Padilla previously joined union members and workers from UFW and the Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO in Forty Acres, California in 2023 to announce his legislation to implement an enforceable federal workplace heat standard.

    A one-pager on the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act is available here.

    A section-by-section of the bill is available here.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Violent Gang Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Racketeering and Drug and Firearms Trafficking

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

    BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.

    Felisberto Lopes, also known as “Chee-B,” 40, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In November 2024, Lopes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and multiple counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2025. In May 2023, Lopes was one of 22 individuals named in a multi-count superseding indictment charging him and others with racketeering conspiracy, drug and firearms trafficking and other offenses.

    Lopes was identified as a member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in Dorchester that uses violence to preserve, protect and expand its territory, promote fear and enhance its reputation. According to the charging documents, members use social media applications to promote Cameron Street, celebrate murders and other violent crimes committed by the gang, as well as denigrate rival gangs. Cameron Street members allegedly possess, carry and use firearms to murder and assault gang rivals as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds. Cameron Street members also allegedly distribute controlled substances and firearms, commit armed robberies and engage in human trafficking in part to generate income for the Cameron Street enterprise.

    During the investigation Lopes distributed several firearms as well as cocaine to a cooperating witness. On Feb. 26, 2022, law enforcement responded to a shooting that took place at Lopes’ residence in Dorchester. During a search of his residence, a half kilogram of cocaine, over $25,000, two plastic bags containing crack cocaine, two scales with cocaine residue, a bag of oxycodone pills and over 400 rounds of various calibers of ammunition were seized. Lopes was taken into custody nearby.

    Lopes had previously been convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and served a four-year state prison sentence.

    This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced for Possessing More than 65 Pounds of Methamphetamine and Seven Firearms

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

    TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national was sentenced today for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Marcos Javier Suazo-Mancilla, 23, to 270 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.

    In October 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a drug trafficking organization believed to be responsible for trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine in the Tulsa area. When law enforcement conducted a search warrant at a residence, Suazo-Mancilla was present, and documentation showed that he was residing in the home. During a search of the residence, approximately 26 pounds of methamphetamine, 41 grams of cocaine, seven firearms, and more than $9k in cash were found. The investigation further revealed that this organization rented an auto body shop. When law enforcement searched that business, they found an additional 39 pounds of methamphetamine.   

    Suazo-Mancilla was previously removed from the United States in August 2018. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar prosecuted the case.

    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: AvePoint Announces Redemption of Outstanding Public Warrants

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AvePoint (Nasdaq: AVPT), the global leader in data security, governance and resilience, today announced that it has completed the redemption of its publicly traded warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase shares of AvePoint’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), that were issued under the Warrant Agreement, dated September 16, 2019, by and between AvePoint’s predecessor company, Apex Technology Acquisition Corporation (“Apex”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, (the “Warrant Agreement”) as part of the units sold in Apex’s initial public offering, that remained unexercised at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on July 11, 2025 (the “Redemption Date”) for a redemption price of $0.01 per Warrant (the “Redemption Price”).

    On June 11, 2025, AvePoint filed a Form 8-K/A stating that, pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, it would redeem all Warrants that remained outstanding at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Redemption Date at the Redemption Price. Of the 1,242,994 Warrants that were outstanding as of the date AvePoint announced the redemption of its public warrants on June 11, 2025, 1,053,498 were subsequently exercised. Total cash proceeds generated from the Warrant exercises were approximately $12.1 million. A total of 189,496 Warrants remained unexercised as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Redemption Date, and AvePoint redeemed those Warrants for an aggregate redemption price of approximately $1,895. Following the Redemption Date, AvePoint had no Warrants outstanding and 211,879,134 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

    In connection with the redemption, the Warrants ceased trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) and will be delisted, with the trading suspension effective as of July 11, 2025. The Common Stock continues to trade on Nasdaq under the symbol “AVPT.”

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of AvePoint, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

    About AvePoint 

    Beyond Secure. AvePoint is a global leader in data security, governance, and resilience, going beyond traditional solutions to ensure a robust data foundation and enable organizations everywhere to collaborate with confidence. Over 25,000 customers worldwide rely on the AvePoint Confidence Platform to prepare, secure, and optimize their critical data across Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, and other collaboration environments. AvePoint’s global channel partner program includes over 5,000 managed service providers, value-added resellers and systems integrators, with our solutions available in more than 100 cloud marketplaces. To learn more, visit www.avepoint.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements 

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws including statements regarding the future performance of and market opportunities for AvePoint. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which AvePoint operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting AvePoint’s business and changes in AvePoint’s ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and ability to identify and realize additional opportunities, and the risk of downturns in the market and the technology industry. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of AvePoint’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Copies of these and other documents filed by AvePoint from time to time are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and AvePoint does not assume any obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements after the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. AvePoint does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations. Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this press release to the terms “AvePoint”, “the Company”, “we”, “our” and “us” refer to AvePoint, Inc. and its subsidiaries. 

    Disclosure Information

    AvePoint uses the https://www.avepoint.com/ir website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. 

    Investor Contact 
    AvePoint 
    Jamie Arestia 
    ir@avepoint.com 
    (551) 220-5654 

    Media Contact 
    AvePoint 
    Nicole Caci 
    pr@avepoint.com 
    (201) 201-8143 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Expand Energy Provides 2025 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call Information

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OKLAHOMA CITY, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: EXE) announced today that it will release its 2025 second quarter operational and financial results after market close on July 29, 2025. A conference call to discuss the results has been scheduled for July 30, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. EDT. Participants can view the live webcast here. Participants who would like to ask a question, can register here, and will receive the dial-in info and a unique PIN to join the call. Links to the conference call will be provided on Expand Energy’s website. A replay will be available on the website following the call.

    About Expand Energy
    Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: EXE) is the largest natural gas producer in the United States, powered by dedicated and innovative employees focused on disrupting the industry’s traditional cost and market delivery model to responsibly develop assets in the nation’s most prolific natural gas basins. Expand Energy’s returns-driven strategy strives to create sustainable value for its stakeholders by leveraging its scale, financial strength and operational execution. Expand Energy is committed to expanding America’s energy reach to fuel a more affordable, reliable, lower carbon future.

    INVESTOR CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT:
    Chris Ayres Brooke Coe
    (405) 935-8870 (405) 935-8878
    ir@expandenergy.com media@expandenergy.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Triumph Releases Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS , July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Triumph Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: TFIN) has released its second quarter 2025 financial results. The 2Q 2025 financial results and shareholder letter are available on the Company’s website at ir.triumph.io through the News & Events, Events & Presentations links.

    Aaron P. Graft, Vice Chairman & CEO, and Brad Voss, CFO, will review the financial results in a conference call with investors and analysts beginning at 9:30 a.m. central time on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

    The live video conference option may be accessed directly through this link, https://triumph-financial-q2-2025-earnings.open-exchange.net/ or via the Company’s IR website at ir.triumph.io through the News & Events, Events & Presentations links. An archive of this conference call will subsequently be available at the same location, referenced above, on the Company’s website.

    About Triumph

    Triumph (Nasdaq: TFIN) is a financial and technology company focused on payments, factoring, intelligence and banking to modernize and simplify freight transactions. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, its portfolio of brands includes Triumph, TBK Bank and LoadPay.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Triumph Financial’s expected financial results or other plans are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” and the forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and Triumph Financial undertakes no duty to update the information.

    Source: Triumph Financial, Inc.

    Investor Relations:
    Luke Wyse
    Executive Vice President, Head of Investor Relations
    lwyse@tfin.com
    214-365-6936

    Media Contact:
    Amanda Tavackoli
    Senior Vice President, Director of Corporate Communication
    atavackoli@tfin.com
    214-365-6930

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: South Plains Financial, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LUBBOCK, Texas, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — South Plains Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPFI) (“South Plains” or the “Company”), the parent company of City Bank (“City Bank” or the “Bank”), today reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

    Second Quarter 2025 Highlights

    • Net income for the second quarter of 2025 was $14.6 million, compared to $12.3 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $11.1 million for the second quarter of 2024.
    • Diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2025 was $0.86, compared to $0.72 for the first quarter of 2025 and $0.66 for the second quarter of 2024.
    • Average cost of deposits for the second quarter of 2025 was 214 basis points, compared to 219 basis points for the first quarter of 2025 and 243 basis points for the second quarter of 2024.
    • Net interest margin, on a tax-equivalent basis, was 4.07% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.81% for the first quarter of 2025 and 3.63% for the second quarter of 2024.
    • Return on average assets for the second quarter of 2025 was 1.34%, compared to 1.16% for the first quarter of 2025 and 1.07% for the second quarter of 2024.
    • Tangible book value (non-GAAP) per share was $26.70 as of June 30, 2025, compared to $26.05 as of March 31, 2025 and $24.15 as of June 30, 2024.
    • The consolidated total risk-based capital ratio, common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, and tier 1 leverage ratio at June 30, 2025 were 18.17%, 13.86%, and 12.12%, respectively.

    Curtis Griffith, South Plains’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We delivered solid second quarter results highlighted by steady margin expansion, continued loan growth despite high levels of loan payoffs, which were expected, and healthy capital levels that continued to build through the quarter. Additionally, we believe the credit quality of our loan portfolio remained solid through the quarter. We believe that we are in a strong position to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves and are pursuing a strategy to increase the assets of the Bank primarily focused on expanding our lending capabilities. Our community-based deposit franchise continues to provide a stable, lower-cost funding source for loan growth across our markets and our team has done a terrific job growing our loan portfolio over the last five years. We believe that we have opportunities to accelerate that growth by further expanding our lending platform and adding experienced commercial lenders who share our culture and values, and who can bring high quality customer relationships to the Bank. We recruited several experienced lenders in the Dallas market during the second quarter and will continue to add talent in the quarters to come as we expand our reach and continue to work to take market share.”

    Results of Operations, Quarter Ended June 30, 2025

    Net Interest Income

    Net interest income was $42.5 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $38.5 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $35.9 million for the second quarter of 2024. Net interest margin, calculated on a tax-equivalent basis, was 4.07% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 3.81% for the first quarter of 2025 and 3.63% for the second quarter of 2024. The average yield on loans was 6.99% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 6.67% for the first quarter of 2025 and 6.60% for the second quarter of 2024. The average cost of deposits was 214 basis points for the second quarter of 2025, which is 5 basis points lower than the first quarter of 2025 and 29 basis points lower than the second quarter of 2024. There was a recovery of $1.7 million in interest during the second quarter of 2025, related to a full repayment of a loan that had previously been on nonaccrual. This recovery positively impacted the net interest margin by 17 basis points and the loan yield by 23 basis points during the second quarter of 2025.

    Interest income was $64.1 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $59.9 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $59.2 million for the second quarter of 2024. Interest income increased $4.2 million in the second quarter of 2025 from the first quarter of 2025, which was primarily comprised of an increase of $3.3 million in loan interest income and an increase of $888 thousand in interest income on other earning assets. The increase in loan interest income was due primarily to the $1.7 million recovery of interest and growth of $20.0 million in average loans outstanding during the second quarter of 2025. The increase in interest income on other earning assets was mainly due to an increase of $69.8 million in average other interest-earning assets during the second quarter of 2025. Interest income increased $4.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the second quarter of 2024. This increase was primarily due to the $1.7 million recovery of interest and an increase of average loans of $12.0 million and higher loan interest rates during the period, resulting in growth of $3.3 million in loan interest income.

    Interest expense was $21.6 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $21.4 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $23.3 million for the second quarter of 2024. Interest expense increased $237 thousand compared to the first quarter of 2025 and decreased $1.7 million compared to the second quarter of 2024. The $237 thousand increase was primarily as a result of a $21.2 million increase in average interest-bearing deposits during the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the first quarter of 2025. The $1.7 million decrease was primarily as a result of a 42 basis point decline in the cost of interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by an increase of $151.3 million in average interest-bearing deposits in the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the second quarter of 2024.

    Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expense

    Noninterest income was $12.2 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $10.6 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $12.7 million for the second quarter of 2024. The increase from the first quarter of 2025 was primarily due to an increase of $1.5 million in mortgage banking revenues, mainly as a result of an increase of $1.4 million in the fair value adjustment of the mortgage servicing rights assets as interest rates that affect the value stabilized in the second quarter of 2025 after declining in the first quarter of 2025. The decrease in noninterest income for the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the second quarter of 2024 was primarily due to a decrease of $523 thousand in income from investments in Small Business Investment Companies.

    Noninterest expense was $33.5 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $33.0 million for the first quarter of 2025 and $32.6 million for the second quarter of 2024. The $513 thousand increase from the first quarter of 2025 was largely the result of an increase of $267 thousand in personnel expenses and $144 thousand in increased professional service expenses. The $971 thousand increase in noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the second quarter of 2024 was largely the result of an increase of $509 thousand in personnel expenses, mainly a result of annual salary adjustments.

    Loan Portfolio and Composition

    Loans held for investment were $3.10 billion as of June 30, 2025, compared to $3.08 billion as of March 31, 2025 and $3.09 billion as of June 30, 2024. The increase of $23.1 million, or 3.0% annualized, during the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the first quarter of 2025 occurred primarily as a result of organic loan growth experienced broadly across the portfolio, partially offset by a decrease of $52.6 million in multi-family property loans mainly due to the payoff of three loans totaling $49.1 million. As of June 30, 2025, loans held for investment increased $4.7 million, or 0.2%, from June 30, 2024.

    Deposits and Borrowings

    Deposits totaled $3.74 billion as of June 30, 2025, compared to $3.79 billion as of March 31, 2025 and $3.62 billion as of June 30, 2024. Deposits decreased by $53.6 million, or 1.4%, in the second quarter of 2025 from March 31, 2025. Deposits increased by $114.4 million, or 3.2%, at June 30, 2025 as compared to June 30, 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits were $998.8 million as of June 30, 2025, compared to $966.5 million as of March 31, 2025 and $951.6 million as of June 30, 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits represented 26.7% of total deposits as of June 30, 2025. The quarterly change in total deposits was mainly due to a seasonal decrease of $73.7 million in public fund deposits, partially offset by organic growth in retail and commercial deposits. The year-over-year increase in total deposits was primarily the result of continued organic growth in retail and commercial deposits.

    Asset Quality

    The Company recorded a provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2025 of $2.5 million, compared to $420 thousand in the first quarter of 2025 and $1.8 million in the second quarter of 2024. The provision during the second quarter of 2025 was largely attributable to an increase in specific reserves, net charge-off activity, increased loan balances, and several credit quality downgrades.

    The ratio of allowance for credit losses to loans held for investment was 1.45% as of June 30, 2025, compared to 1.40% as of March 31, 2025 and 1.40% as of June 30, 2024.

    The ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets was 0.25% as of June 30, 2025, compared to 0.16% as of March 31, 2025 and 0.57% as of June 30, 2024. Annualized net charge-offs were 0.06% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 0.07% for the first quarter of 2025 and 0.10% for the second quarter of 2024.

    Capital

    Book value per share increased to $27.98 at June 30, 2025, compared to $27.33 at March 31, 2025. The change was primarily driven by $12.2 million of net income after dividends paid, partially offset by a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive income of $2.3 million. The ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP) increased 34 basis points to 9.98% during the second quarter of 2025.

    Conference Call

    South Plains will host a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2025 financial results today, July 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial 1-877-407-9716 (international callers please dial 1-201-493-6779) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live audio webcast of the conference call and conference materials will be available on the Company’s website at https://www.spfi.bank/news-events/events.

    A replay of the conference call will be available within two hours of the conclusion of the call and can be accessed on the investor section of the Company’s website as well as by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (international callers please dial 1-412-317-6671). The pin to access the telephone replay is 13754259. The replay will be available until July 30, 2025.

    About South Plains Financial, Inc.

    South Plains is the bank holding company for City Bank, a Texas state-chartered bank headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. City Bank is one of the largest independent banks in West Texas and has additional banking operations in the Dallas, El Paso, Greater Houston, the Permian Basin, and College Station, Texas markets, and the Ruidoso, New Mexico market. South Plains provides a wide range of commercial and consumer financial services to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals in its market areas. Its principal business activities include commercial and retail banking, along with investment, trust and mortgage services. Please visit https://www.spfi.bank for more information.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Some of the financial measures included in this press release are not measures of financial performance recognized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). These non-GAAP financial measures include Tangible Book Value Per Share, Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets, and Pre-Tax, Pre-Provision Income. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the Company’s financial position and performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for any analysis based on GAAP financial measures.

    We classify a financial measure as being a non-GAAP financial measure if that financial measure excludes or includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding or including amounts, that are included or excluded, as the case may be, in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP as in effect from time to time in the United States in our statements of income, balance sheets or statements of cash flows. Not all companies use the same calculation of these measures; therefore, this presentation may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures as presented by other companies.

    A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures is provided at the end of this press release.

    Available Information

    The Company routinely posts important information for investors on its web site (under www.spfi.bank and, more specifically, under the News & Events tab at www.spfi.bank/news-events/press-releases). The Company intends to use its web site as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, investors should monitor the Company’s web site, in addition to following the Company’s press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts.

    The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the Company’s web site is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect South Plains’ current views with respect to future events and South Plains’ financial performance. Any statements about South Plains’ expectations, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believes,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “predicts,” “potential,” “should,” “will,” “estimate,” “plans,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “intends” and similar words or phrases. South Plains cautions that the forward-looking statements in this press release are based largely on South Plains’ expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on factors which are, in many instances, beyond South Plains’ control. Factors that could cause such changes include, but are not limited to, the impact on us and our customers of a decline in general economic conditions and any regulatory responses thereto; potential recession in the United States and our market areas; the impacts related to or resulting from uncertainty in the banking industry as a whole; increased competition for deposits in our market areas and related changes in deposit customer behavior; the impact of changes in market interest rates, whether due to a continuation of the elevated interest rate environment or further reductions in interest rates and a resulting decline in net interest income; the lingering inflationary pressures, and the risk of the resurgence of elevated levels of inflation, in the United States and our market areas; the uncertain impacts of ongoing quantitative tightening and current and future monetary policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; changes in unemployment rates in the United States and our market areas; adverse changes in customer spending and savings habits; declines in commercial real estate values and prices; a deterioration of the credit rating for U.S. long-term sovereign debt or uncertainty regarding United States fiscal debt, deficit and budget matters; cyber incidents or other failures, disruptions or breaches of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our third-party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks; severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism, geopolitical instability or other external events, including as a result of the policies of the current U.S. presidential administration or Congress; the impacts of tariffs, sanctions and other trade policies of the United States and its global trading counterparts and the resulting impact on the Company and its customers; competition and market expansion opportunities; changes in non-interest expenditures or in the anticipated benefits of such expenditures; the risks related to the development, implementation, use and management of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learnings; potential costs related to the impacts of climate change; current or future litigation, regulatory examinations or other legal and/or regulatory actions; and changes in applicable laws and regulations. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties to which South Plains’ business and future financial performance are subject is contained in South Plains’ most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q on file with the SEC, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of such documents, and other documents South Plains files or furnishes with the SEC from time to time, which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, or implied by the forward-looking statements due to additional risks and uncertainties of which South Plains is not currently aware or which it does not currently view as, but in the future may become, material to its business or operating results. Due to these and other possible uncertainties and risks, the Company can give no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Any forward-looking statements presented herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and South Plains does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in assumptions, new information, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. All forward-looking statements, express or implied, included in the press release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

    Contact: Mikella Newsom, Chief Risk Officer and Secretary
      (866) 771-3347
      investors@city.bank
       

    Source: South Plains Financial, Inc.

     
    South Plains Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights – (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands, except share data)
     
      As of and for the quarter ended
      June 30,
    2025    		   March 31,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024
    Selected Income Statement Data:                            
    Interest income $ 64,135     $ 59,922     $ 61,324     $ 61,640     $ 59,208  
    Interest expense   21,632       21,395       22,776       24,346       23,320  
    Net interest income   42,503       38,527       38,548       37,294       35,888  
    Provision for credit losses   2,500       420       1,200       495       1,775  
    Noninterest income   12,165       10,625       13,319       10,635       12,709  
    Noninterest expense   33,543       33,030       29,948       33,128       32,572  
    Income tax expense   4,020       3,408       4,222       3,094       3,116  
    Net income   14,605       12,294       16,497       11,212       11,134  
    Per Share Data (Common Stock):                            
    Net earnings, basic $ 0.90     $ 0.75     $ 1.01     $ 0.68     $ 0.68  
    Net earnings, diluted   0.86       0.72       0.96       0.66       0.66  
    Cash dividends declared and paid   0.15       0.15       0.15       0.14       0.14  
    Book value   27.98       27.33       26.67       27.04       25.45  
    Tangible book value (non-GAAP)   26.70       26.05       25.40       25.75       24.15  
    Weighted average shares outstanding, basic   16,231,627       16,415,862       16,400,361       16,386,079       16,425,360  
    Weighted average shares outstanding, dilutive   16,886,993       17,065,599       17,161,646       17,056,959       16,932,077  
    Shares outstanding at end of period   16,230,475       16,235,647       16,455,826       16,386,627       16,424,021  
    Selected Period End Balance Sheet Data:                            
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 470,496     $ 536,300     $ 359,082     $ 471,167     $ 298,006  
    Investment securities   570,000       571,527       577,240       606,889       591,031  
    Total loans held for investment   3,098,978       3,075,860       3,055,054       3,037,375       3,094,273  
    Allowance for credit losses   45,010       42,968       43,237       42,886       43,173  
    Total assets   4,363,674       4,405,209       4,232,239       4,337,659       4,220,936  
    Interest-bearing deposits   2,740,179       2,826,055       2,685,366       2,720,880       2,672,948  
    Noninterest-bearing deposits   998,759       966,464       935,510       998,480       951,565  
    Total deposits   3,738,938       3,792,519       3,620,876       3,719,360       3,624,513  
    Borrowings   111,799       110,400       110,354       110,307       110,261  
    Total stockholders’ equity   454,074       443,743       438,949       443,122       417,985  
    Summary Performance Ratios:                            
    Return on average assets (annualized)   1.34 %     1.16 %     1.53 %     1.05 %     1.07 %
    Return on average equity (annualized)   13.05 %     11.30 %     14.88 %     10.36 %     10.83 %
    Net interest margin (1)   4.07 %     3.81 %     3.75 %     3.65 %     3.63 %
    Yield on loans   6.99 %     6.67 %     6.69 %     6.68 %     6.60 %
    Cost of interest-bearing deposits   2.91 %     2.93 %     3.12 %     3.36 %     3.33 %
    Efficiency ratio   61.11 %     66.90 %     57.50 %     68.80 %     66.72 %
    Summary Credit Quality Data:                            
    Nonperforming loans $ 10,463     $ 6,467     $ 24,023     $ 24,693     $ 23,452  
    Nonperforming loans to total loans held for investment   0.34 %     0.21 %     0.79 %     0.81 %     0.76 %
    Other real estate owned $ 535     $ 600     $ 530     $ 973     $ 755  
    Nonperforming assets to total assets   0.25 %     0.16 %     0.58 %     0.59 %     0.57 %
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans held for investment   1.45 %     1.40 %     1.42 %     1.41 %     1.40 %
    Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding (annualized)   0.06 %     0.07 %     0.11 %     0.11 %     0.10 %
      As of and for the quarter ended
      June 30
    2025    		   March 31,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024
    Capital Ratios:                            
    Total stockholders’ equity to total assets   10.41 %     10.07 %     10.37 %     10.22 %     9.90 %
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)   9.98 %     9.64 %     9.92 %     9.77 %     9.44 %
    Common equity tier 1 to risk-weighted assets   13.86 %     13.59 %     13.53 %     13.25 %     12.61 %
    Tier 1 capital to average assets   12.12 %     12.04 %     12.04 %     11.76 %     11.81 %
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets   18.17 %     17.93 %     17.86 %     17.61 %     16.86 %
     
    (1)  Net interest margin is calculated as the annual net interest income, on a fully tax-equivalent basis, divided by average interest-earning assets.
     
    South Plains Financial, Inc.
    Average Balances and Yields – (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      For the Three Months Ended
      June 30, 2025   June 30, 2024
           
      Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Yield/Rate   Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Yield/Rate
    Assets                                  
    Loans $ 3,094,558   $ 53,894     6.99 %   $ 3,082,601   $ 50,579     6.60 %
    Debt securities – taxable   508,508     4,700     3.71 %     533,553     5,285     3.98 %
    Debt securities – nontaxable   152,202     1,015     2.67 %     155,408     1,022     2.64 %
    Other interest-bearing assets   456,818     4,747     4.17 %     225,720     2,545     4.53 %
                                       
    Total interest-earning assets   4,212,086     64,356     6.13 %     3,997,282     59,431     5.98 %
    Noninterest-earning assets   166,763                 171,472            
                                       
    Total assets $ 4,378,849               $ 4,168,754            
                                       
    Liabilities & stockholders’ equity                                  
    NOW, Savings, MMDA’s $ 2,326,779     15,890     2.74 %   $ 2,221,427     17,652     3.20 %
    Time deposits   438,697     4,172     3.81 %     392,778     3,977     4.07 %
    Short-term borrowings   18     –     0.00 %     3     –     0.00 %
    Notes payable & other long-term borrowings   –     –     0.00 %     –     –     0.00 %
    Subordinated debt   64,031     835     5.23 %     63,845     835     5.26 %
    Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures   46,393     735     6.35 %     46,393     856     7.42 %
                                       
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   2,875,918     21,632     3.02 %     2,724,446     23,320     3.44 %
    Demand deposits   990,343                 960,106            
    Other liabilities   63,679                 70,854            
    Stockholders’ equity   448,909                 413,348            
                                       
    Total liabilities & stockholders’ equity $ 4,378,849               $ 4,168,754            
                                       
    Net interest income       $ 42,724               $ 36,111      
    Net interest margin (2)               4.07 %                 3.63 %
     
    (1)  Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans and loans held for sale.
    (2)  Net interest margin is calculated as the annualized net interest income, on a fully tax-equivalent basis, divided by average interest-earning assets.
     
    South Plains Financial, Inc.
    Average Balances and Yields – (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      For the Six Months Ended
      June 30, 2025   June 30, 2024
                           
      Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Yield/Rate   Average
    Balance    		   Interest   Yield/Rate
    Assets                                  
    Loans $ 3,084,563   $ 104,471     6.83 %   $ 3,048,569   $ 99,519     6.56 %
    Debt securities – taxable   509,431     9,392     3.72 %     543,817     10,796     3.99 %
    Debt securities – nontaxable   152,716     2,029     2.68 %     155,831     2,046     2.64 %
    Other interest-bearing assets   421,899     8,606     4.11 %     262,345     6,020     4.61 %
                                       
    Total interest-earning assets   4,168,609     124,498     6.02 %     4,010,562     118,381     5.94 %
    Noninterest-earning assets   169,222                 177,882            
                                       
    Total assets $ 4,337,831               $ 4,188,444            
                                       
    Liabilities & stockholders’ equity                                  
    NOW, Savings, MMDA’s $ 2,314,562     31,401     2.74 %   $ 2,253,704     35,649     3.18 %
    Time deposits   440,297     8,488     3.89 %     383,816     7,643     4.00 %
    Short-term borrowings   11     –     0.00 %     3     –     0.00 %
    Notes payable & other long-term borrowings   –     –     0.00 %     –     –     0.00 %
    Subordinated debt   64,008     1,670     5.26 %     63,822     1,670     5.26 %
    Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures   46,393     1,468     6.38 %     46,393     1,717     7.44 %
                                       
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   2,865,271     43,027     3.03 %     2,747,738     46,679     3.42 %
    Demand deposits   962,557                 959,219            
    Other liabilities   64,875                 70,856            
    Stockholders’ equity   445,128                 410,631            
                                       
    Total liabilities & stockholders’ equity $ 4,337,831               $ 4,188,444            
                                       
    Net interest income       $ 81,471               $ 71,702      
    Net interest margin (2)               3.94 %                 3.60 %
     
    (1)  Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans and loans held for sale.
    (2)  Net interest margin is calculated as the annualized net interest income, on a fully tax-equivalent basis, divided by average interest-earning assets.
     
    South Plains Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      As of
      June 30,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024
               
    Assets          
    Cash and due from banks $ 60,400     $ 54,114  
    Interest-bearing deposits in banks   410,096       304,968  
    Securities available for sale   570,000       577,240  
    Loans held for sale   17,182       20,542  
    Loans held for investment   3,098,978       3,055,054  
    Less:  Allowance for credit losses   (45,010 )     (43,237 )
    Net loans held for investment   3,053,968       3,011,817  
    Premises and equipment, net   51,329       52,951  
    Goodwill   19,315       19,315  
    Intangible assets   1,417       1,720  
    Mortgage servicing rights   25,134       26,292  
    Other assets   154,833       163,280  
    Total assets $ 4,363,674     $ 4,232,239  
               
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity          
    Noninterest-bearing deposits $ 998,759     $ 935,510  
    Interest-bearing deposits   2,740,179       2,685,366  
    Total deposits   3,738,938       3,620,876  
    Short-term borrowings   1,352       —  
    Subordinated debt   64,054       63,961  
    Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures   46,393       46,393  
    Other liabilities   58,863       62,060  
    Total liabilities   3,909,600       3,793,290  
    Stockholders’ Equity          
    Common stock   16,230       16,456  
    Additional paid-in capital   90,268       97,287  
    Retained earnings   407,822       385,827  
    Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)   (60,246 )     (60,621 )
    Total stockholders’ equity   454,074       438,949  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 4,363,674     $ 4,232,239  
     
    South Plains Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Statements of Income
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
      June 30,
    2025    		   June 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2025    		   June 30,
    2024
                           
    Interest income:                      
    Loans, including fees $ 53,886   $ 50,571   $ 104,456   $ 99,503
    Other   10,249     8,637     19,601     18,432
    Total interest income   64,135     59,208     124,057     117,935
    Interest expense:                      
    Deposits   20,062     21,629     39,889     43,292
    Subordinated debt   835     835     1,670     1,670
    Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures   735     856     1,468     1,717
    Other   –     –     –     –
    Total interest expense   21,632     23,320     43,027     46,679
    Net interest income   42,503     35,888     81,030     71,256
    Provision for credit losses   2,500     1,775     2,920     2,605
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses   40,003     34,113     78,110     68,651
    Noninterest income:                      
    Service charges on deposits   2,098     1,949     4,239     3,762
    Mortgage banking activities   3,606     3,397     5,719     7,342
    Bank card services and interchange fees   3,771     4,052     7,150     7,113
    Other   2,690     3,311     5,682     5,901
    Total noninterest income   12,165     12,709     22,790     24,118
    Noninterest expense:                      
    Salaries and employee benefits   19,708     19,199     39,149     38,187
    Net occupancy expense   3,972     4,029     7,999     7,949
    Professional services   1,874     1,738     3,604     3,221
    Marketing and development   919     860     1,824     1,614
    Other   7,070     6,746     13,997     13,531
    Total noninterest expense   33,543     32,572     66,573     64,502
    Income before income taxes   18,625     14,250     34,327     28,267
    Income tax expense   4,020     3,116     7,428     6,259
    Net income $ 14,605   $ 11,134   $ 26,899   $ 22,008
     
    South Plains Financial, Inc.
    Loan Composition
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      As of
      June 30,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024
               
    Loans:          
    Commercial Real Estate $ 1,085,309   $ 1,119,063
    Commercial – Specialized   379,068     388,955
    Commercial – General   620,934     557,371
    Consumer:          
    1-4 Family Residential   589,935     566,400
    Auto Loans   258,193     254,474
    Other Consumer   63,589     64,936
    Construction   101,950     103,855
    Total loans held for investment $ 3,098,978   $ 3,055,054
     
    South Plains Financial, Inc.
    Deposit Composition
    (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      As of
      June 30,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024
               
    Deposits:          
    Noninterest-bearing deposits $ 998,759   $ 935,510
    NOW & other transaction accounts   1,244,023     498,718
    MMDA & other savings   1,072,010     1,741,988
    Time deposits   424,146     444,660
    Total deposits $ 3,738,938   $ 3,620,876
     
    South Plains Financial, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      For the quarter ended
      June 30,
    2025    		   March 31,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024
    Pre-tax, pre-provision income                                      
    Net income $ 14,605     $ 12,294     $ 16,497     $ 11,212     $ 11,134  
    Income tax expense   4,020       3,408       4,222       3,094       3,116  
    Provision for credit losses   2,500       420       1,200       495       1,775  
    Pre-tax, pre-provision income $ 21,125     $ 16,122     $ 21,919     $ 14,801     $ 16,025  
      As of
      June 30,
    2025    		   March 31,
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024    		   September 30,
    2024    		   June 30,
    2024
    Tangible common equity                            
    Total common stockholders’ equity $ 454,074     $ 443,743     $ 438,949     $ 443,122     $ 417,985  
    Less:  goodwill and other intangibles   (20,732 )     (20,884 )     (21,035 )     (21,197 )     (21,379 )
                                 
    Tangible common equity $ 433,342     $ 422,859     $ 417,914     $ 421,925     $ 396,606  
                                 
    Tangible assets                            
    Total assets $ 4,363,674     $ 4,405,209     $ 4,232,239     $ 4,337,659     $ 4,220,936  
    Less:  goodwill and other intangibles   (20,732 )     (20,884 )     (21,035 )     (21,197 )     (21,379 )
                                 
    Tangible assets $ 4,342,942     $ 4,384,325     $ 4,211,204     $ 4,316,462     $ 4,199,557  
                                 
    Shares outstanding   16,230,475       16,235,647       16,455,826       16,386,627       16,424,021  
                                 
    Total stockholders’ equity to total assets   10.41 %     10.07 %     10.37 %     10.22 %     9.90 %
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets   9.98 %     9.64 %     9.92 %     9.77 %     9.44 %
    Book value per share $ 27.98     $ 27.33     $ 26.67     $ 27.04     $ 25.45  
    Tangible book value per share $ 26.70     $ 26.05     $ 25.40     $ 25.75     $ 24.15  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Rosen, Hyde-Smith, Kelly and Reps. Houlahan, Baird Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Support Workers Entering or Returning to STEM Careers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    Legislation Would Help Businesses Bring On Mid-Career Workers Seeking To Return To Or Transition Into STEM Jobs
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the STEM Restoring Employment Skills through Targeted Assistance, Re-entry, and Training (RESTART) Act. This bipartisan legislation would provide funding to support mid-career internships, known as “returnships,” for workers seeking to return to or transition into the STEM workforce. Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Jim Baird (R-IN) have also introduced identical bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “When we invest in STEM education and workforce development, we can open the door to successful careers in some of the most in-demand industries,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m glad to introduce this bipartisan bill to help give workers the training and tools they need to enter new STEM careers. I’ll keep working across party lines to make sure all Nevadans have the skills needed to fill good-paying jobs.” 
    “Many skilled professionals step away from the workforce, but face significant barriers when trying to return, especially in technical fields where innovation moves fast,” said Senator Hyde-Smith. “Our legislation equips small and mid-sized businesses with the tools to tap into this valuable talent pool.  This will help hardworking Americans reconnect with meaningful careers while growing the STEM workforce in states like Mississippi and beyond.”
    “Arizona’s 21st century economy depends on a strong STEM workforce, and that means making sure talented workers who’ve taken time away or are looking to transition into STEM fields have a real pathway back in,” said Senator Kelly. “This effort will help small businesses tap into an underutilized talent pool while giving Arizonans the support they need to reenter the workforce and succeed in high-paying careers.”
    “As a former Air Force engineer and chemistry teacher, I know that building a strong STEM workforce is essential not only for creating good-paying jobs, but also for safeguarding our national security,” said Representative Houlahan. “Whether it’s biotechnology, quantum computing, or clean energy, the global race for innovation is accelerating, and we can’t afford to leave talent on the sidelines. The bipartisan STEM RESTART Act will help mid-career professionals and those returning to the workforce enter high-demand STEM fields so we can strengthen our economy, compete globally, and protect America’s leadership in emerging technologies. I’m proud to reintroduce this commonsense legislation, which is a win for both businesses and workers across our Commonwealth and country.”
    “If we want to maintain our global competitive edge and continue to lead the world in innovation, we must ensure we have a well-equipped STEM workforce now and empower future generations in STEM fields,” said Congressman Baird. “A robust STEM workforce is also vital to our economic prosperity and national security, especially when up against the threat of Communist China. I thank my colleagues in the House and Senate for their work on this bipartisan legislation to equip Hoosiers who want to return to the STEM workforce with the tools they need to fill job openings and build the greatest economy in history.”
    “The STEM RESTART Act is a forward-thinking investment in our nation’s workforce,” said Chris Heavey, Interim President of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “By supporting mid-career professionals reentering the STEM fields, this bill strengthens innovation, expands opportunity, and ensures that talent and experience are not left behind.”
    “The Society of Women Engineers is thrilled to see the STEM RESTART Act reintroduced in 2025. As the nation continues to rebuild a strong and inclusive STEM workforce, this legislation is more critical than ever. Hundreds of thousands of STEM professionals have stepped away from technical careers in recent years, and research shows most want to return—but face steep barriers. Grants for structured ‘returnships’ give mid-career professionals real, paid pathways back into meaningful STEM roles,” said Karen Horting, Executive Director & CEO of the Society of Women Engineers. “SWE and our 50,000 plus members fully support this bipartisan, bicameral effort to bridge talent gaps, bolster small and midsize businesses, and drive innovation. We urge lawmakers to pass the STEM RESTART Act as soon as possible and reaffirm our collective commitment to supporting women and others who pause their careers, as well as the country’s economic growth and global competitiveness.”
    The STEM RESTART Act has been endorsed by the Society of Women Engineers, STEM Education Coalition, AnitaB.org, Nevada System of Higher Education, College of Southern Nevada, Vegas Chamber, Henderson Chamber of Commerce, Nevada State University, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
    Senator Rosen has been a leader in advocating for tech innovation and improving access to STEM careers. She helped pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which invests $52 billion in domestic computer chip manufacturing to help address the current shortage. Additionally, Rosen helped write the broadband section of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is delivering $65 billion to make high-speed internet more available and affordable to Americans. In 2020, Senator Rosen’s bipartisan Building Blocks of STEM Act, which breaks down barriers to allow more young girls to study computer science, was signed into law.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Demands Answers on Emil Bove’s Involvement in DOJ Withholding the Epstein Files

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Emil Bove requesting information relating to his involvement in the Department of Justice’s review of and decision making relating to public disclosures of the Epstein Files. Emil Bove is currently a nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

    “You have held a key decision-making role at DOJ since the beginning of this Administration, first as Acting Deputy Attorney General through March 2025 and then in your current position as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, serving as a close adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi. In light of the significant public interest in the Epstein files and the Trump DOJ and FBI’s shifting positions on transparency and public disclosure, records and information relating to your participation in this matter are relevant to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ongoing review of your nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit,” wrote Senator Booker.

    “Your involvement in the DOJ’s review of the Epstein files is a matter of significant public importance given the contradictory statements by Attorney General Bondi concerning the existence of an Epstein “client list” and DOJ’s stated commitment to transparency. Furthermore, it warrants scrutiny whether the DOJ intentionally withheld evidence related to the trafficking and sexual abuse of minors to protect certain individuals,” Senator Booker continued.

    “As Acting Deputy Attorney General, you “advise[d] and assist[ed] the Attorney General in formulating and implementing Departmental policies and programs and [provided] overall supervision and direction to all organizational units of the Department” and were “authorized to exercise all the power and authority of the Attorney General.” By all accounts, you have continued to fulfill many of these responsibilities as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, closely advising Attorney General Pam Bondi,” Senator Booker wrote.

    “It is imperative that the Senate Judiciary Committee ascertain the scope and extent of your involvement in the handling of the Epstein files before voting on your nomination,” Senator Booker concluded.

    Senator Booker demanded answers to the following questions no later than 9:00 AM on July 17, 2025:

    1. Did you ever advise AG Bondi regarding the Epstein files?
    2. Did you participate in the review of any documents, video, or other evidence contained in the Epstein files?
    3. Did you participate in drafting or reviewing the letter Pam Bondi sent to Kash Patel on February 27, 2025 directing the FBI to produce “all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients”?
    4. Did you ever participate in discussions about what evidence from the Epstein files the DOJ should release?
    5. Did you participate in any discussions about whether to release video evidence from the Epstein files involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM)?
    6. Did you ever discuss the release of any evidence from the Epstein files with Pam Bondi?
    7. Did you ever discuss the release of any evidence from the Epstein files with Kash Patel?
    8. Did you ever discuss the release of any evidence from the Epstein files with Dan Bongino?
    9. Did you participate in a discussion about the release of any evidence from the Epstein files with Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino?
    10. Did you ever participate in a discussion in which Dan Bongino suggested releasing all the evidence in the Epstein files, including video, prior to July 7, 2025?
    11. Did you ever express concerns to Kash Patel or Dan Bongino about releasing video evidence from the Epstein files because it could include CSAM prior to July 7, 2025?
    12. Did you participate in any discussion in which Attorney General Bondi expressed concerns to Kash Patel or Dan Bongino about releasing video evidence from the Epstein files due to the presence of CSAM prior to July 7, 2025?
    13. Did you participate in drafting or reviewing the undated and unsigned DOJ and FBI memo issued on July 7, 2025?

    To read the full text of the letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Murray Reintroduce Access to Birth Control Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Patty Murray (D-WA) led the reintroduction of the Access to Birth Control Act. The legislation would guarantee patients’ timely access to birth control at pharmacies nationwide—including by addressing pharmacies’ refusals of contraception that prevent patients from obtaining their preferred form of birth control medication. U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) introduced companion legislation in the House. 

    Contraception is an essential part of reproductive health care, and protecting access to contraception at the pharmacy is more important than ever given the relentless attacks on reproductive health care currently ongoing throughout the country. In addition to ensuring that patients have access to contraception at the pharmacy without delay, the bill would also ensure that pharmacies do not operate an environment where patients are intimidated, threatened, or harassed when seeking access to contraception or medication related to contraception. In the event that a pharmacy violates one of these requirements, the bill establishes liability for civil penalties for the pharmacy and a private cause of action for patients to seek relief. 

    “Three years ago, the Supreme Court unjustly overturned Roe v. Wade, and opened the door to attacks on contraception,” said Senator Booker. “Since then, Republicans have used every tool they can to undercut access to reproductive health care, and Congress must act to ensure everyone has the freedom to make their own decisions about contraception without fear of intimidation or threats. The Access to Birth Control Act will remove barriers to accessing birth control, and ensure Americans have full autonomy over their bodies and reproductive choices.”

    “Birth control is essential health care—there is no reason it shouldn’t be available to every woman, without exception,” said Senator Murray. “As contraception comes under attack by Republican anti-abortion extremists, it is more important than ever that women can access birth control, free from fear and intimidation. Our bill ensures no one seeking birth control experiences harassment, denials, or delays from providers. I will never stop fighting to defend reproductive health care and make it more accessible and affordable for women everywhere.” 

    “Birth control is safe, effective, and essential for healthcare,” said Representative Kelly. “No pharmacy employee or politician should weigh into such a private decision as to if or when to start a family. My bill removes barriers that obstruct a patient’s right to birth control so everyone can access birth control without intimidation, harassment, or discrimination.”

    Although Supreme Court precedent recognizes a protected right to contraception, conservatives on the Court have ignored precedent to undermine reproductive rights. In the radical Dobbs decision, the Court reversed the nearly 50-year precedent of Roe v. Wade that guaranteed a right to access abortion care. Access to contraception in the United States should not hinge on the Supreme Court’s ideological balance or the willingness of individual pharmacists to fill prescriptions. Providers, including pharmacists, play a key role in providing contraceptive services and important information about prescription and over-the-counter birth control options to people across the country.  

    According to the National Women’s Law Center, pharmacists have refused to fill prescriptions for birth control or provide emergency contraception over the counter to patients in 24 states and the District of Columbia. These refusals are based on personal beliefs and can negatively impact a patient’s health. Additionally, these refusals disproportionately affect people of color, low-income people, LGBTQ+ people, and those who live in rural and other underserved areas.   

    The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The Access to Birth Control Act is endorsed by more than 20 organizations, listed here.

    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Russia to work on construction of auto approaches to borders with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and DPRK — Russian President V. Putin

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Moscow, July 16 /Xinhua/ — Russia will work on the construction of motor vehicle approaches to the state border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

    “We intend to continue actively developing the Vostok highway – it is to be extended to Tyumen and connected to the updated backbone road network of Siberia and the Far East. This is what I meant at the very beginning when I said that the launch of this section is not everything,” V. Putin said during the opening ceremony of the M-12 highway section via videoconference.

    “Of course, issues of building motor transport approaches to the state border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will be worked out. This will significantly increase our transit capabilities,” the head of state said.

    According to him, the route will be integrated into the international transport architecture and “will become an important, competitive logistics artery.” –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Russian President V. Putin gave the go-ahead for traffic on a new section of the M-12 highway

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Moscow, July 16 /Xinhua/ — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday took part via videoconference in the opening ceremony of the Dyurtyuli-Achit section of the M-12 Vostok highway.

    “Today we are opening a new section of the Dyurtyuli-Achit road, more than 275 km long. It will become an important part of the M-12 “Vostok” highway. With its commissioning, modern highways will connect St. Petersburg and Moscow with Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Urals, the leading scientific, industrial and cultural center of Russia,” the Russian leader noted.

    According to V. Putin, high-speed, seamless traffic without a single traffic light has been organized along the entire length of the highway, thanks to which travel time from Yekaterinburg to Moscow will be reduced by almost half.

    “As a result, travel by car will become more comfortable and safe, the number of passengers and cargo carried will increase. The development of domestic tourism will receive a good incentive. Natural and cultural attractions of our country will become more accessible to citizens,” the Russian president added. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Probationary license issued to child-care program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Slap a label on it! Making it easier for consumers to shop for Internet services

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Remarks by Brad Callaghan, Associate Deputy Commissioner of the Policy, Planning and Advocacy Directorate; and Jonathan Fonberg, Senior Behavioural Scientist, Behavioural Insights Unit 

    Opening statement at CRTC public hearing re: Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-318

    June 13, 2025

    Gatineau, Quebec

    (As prepared for delivery)

    Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, Commissioners and Commission staff. Thank you for the opportunity to appear here today on unceded Algonquin Anishinabeg land just north of the Kichi Zibi.

    My name is Brad Callaghan, and I am the Associate Deputy Commissioner of the Policy, Planning and Advocacy Directorate at the Competition Bureau of Canada.

    Let me begin by introducing the members of our panel. To my right is:

    • Ben Klass: Competition Law Officer, Policy, Planning and Advocacy Directorate; and
    • Derek Leschinsky: Senior Counsel, Competition Bureau Legal Services.

    To my left is:

    • Jonathan Fonberg, Senior Behavioural Scientist, Behavioural Insights Unit; and
    • Émilie-Ève Gravel, head of the Competition Bureau’s Behavioural Insights Unit.

    The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. We are an evidence-based agency we’re not influenced by commercial interests, but by the public interest just like the CRTC.

    We hope that our participation in this consultation will help to deliver outcomes that serve the public interest by creating the conditions for competition.

    Telecommunications services like home internet and mobile connectivity have become an essential part of modern life. Since the pandemic, Canadians across the country have come to rely on their connections more than ever before to stay in touch with family and community, to learn, work, play, and to do business.

    Policies promoting marketplace competition are helping get us to a place where most people have access to a range of innovative services that meet their needs at affordable prices.

    At the same time, your consumer codes for wireless, internet, and television services have helped empower consumers to make choices between services and providers on their own terms.

    Despite these positive steps, there are signs telling us there’s still work to be done and competition is key to achieving your policy objectives.

    So, as technology, markets, and patterns of communication evolve, we see this consultation as an opportunity to build on past successes and keep the momentum going.

    In our submission, we’ve shared several recommendations that we hope will help improve competitive dynamics and consumer choice in Canada’s telecom markets.

    Our recommendations are grounded in the general principle that good information and freedom from barriers to switching are key ingredients in the recipe for competition. When either or both of these components are lacking, it makes room for the exercise of market power, which can be harmful for consumers and the economy more broadly.

    To develop our input, we conducted desk research, consulted with stakeholders including other domestic and international regulators and engaged our behavioural insights experts, who are here with us today, to sharpen the focus on providing evidence-based best practices for empowering consumers.

    So, with that in mind, I’ll now briefly outline our recommendations and some of the key ideas why we think adopting them will help.

    First, we support the adoption of a ‘nutrition label’ format for providing customers with information.

    Four out of five participants in the CRTC’s public opinion research felt that ‘standardized information in a recognizable format, like the nutrition label but for home Internet services’ would be beneficial.

    We agree the label is a good idea and Canadians are already familiar with it: their experience in the food products sector shows that labels are an effective, adaptable tool for conveying complex yet crucial information about goods and services.

    From a competition perspective, enabling people to more easily compare services and providers gives them the power to make choices based on their own specific needs and circumstances. When consumers have good information that they can act on to switch, providers will work harder to make sure people’s needs are being met.

    The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already put in the legwork to adapt the nutrition label for the fixed and mobile broadband services. We believe that the record of their extensive rulemaking process represents a helpful resource to consult as the CRTC develops its own ‘made for Canada’ version of the label.

    So what does a ‘made for Canada’ label look like?

    For the most part, we think it should look a lot like the FCC’s label information about price, performance, and other important service characteristics is presented in a format that’s already familiar for Canadian consumers from their experience in the grocery aisle with just a few key differences.

    In our view, the monthly price on a ‘made for Canada’ label should show an ‘all-in’ price that includes all fixed and obligatory charges or fees as opposed to the approach favoured by the FCC where a baseline monthly price is followed by additional monthly fees. The reason is that Canada’s Competition Act prohibits ‘drip pricing’. Keeping the label consistent with the drip pricing provisions means making sure that the carriers can not be permitted to display a price that is unattainable because of additional fixed and obligatory charges or fees that drive up the price consumers ultimately pay for their services.

    Adopting an ‘all-in’ approach to pricing would help the label to work in harmony with the Competition Act’s provisions on drip pricing.

    Similarly, all relevant ads and information contained in policies and disclaimers must be consistent with information in the label. To the extent that the label refers or links to disclaimers, they cannot be used or relied upon to restrict, contradict, or negate any marketing messages, or otherwise cure misleading or deceptive marketing practices.

    Overall, this approach would help keep information simple, relevant, and it would facilitate apples-to-apples comparisons.

    Second, we think the label would benefit wireless phone customers and competition in that market, too.

    Like home internet services, wireless phones are essential for nearly all Canadians. CCTS and CRTC data show that Canadians have similar issues with both services, too.

    Every Canadian wireless network operator also offers home Internet – meaning that they will already be developing labels as a result of this proceeding.

    From our perspective, extending the labels’ application to wireless phone services could deliver significant benefits for minimal additional cost. Doing so would help to simplify and harmonize the consumer information environment in general while avoiding the need to duplicate efforts down the road.

    Third, we think the labels would be especially beneficial for customers who are actively shopping, and for subscribers whose contracts are about to expire.

    Dr. Fonberg will explain how we can think about making sure the labels are as useful for consumers as possible.

    [Jonathan Fonberg, Senior Behavioural Scientist]

    Thank you.

    Consumers are less likely to engage with information if the effort required to identify and understand that information is high.

    That means difficulties in accessing critical information about broadband plans and alternatives can create barriers to switching.

    Our recommendations draw on key principles and best practises from behavioural science.

    They aim to empower consumers by reducing the effort required to identify and understand critical information; thereby reducing barriers to switching.

    To that end, these recommendations address both the format and availability of the label.

    First, the label design should allow consumers to quickly grasp key information. It should be easily accessible and comprehensible.

    This is intended to reduce the effort required by customers to interpret complex plan information.

    But beyond what’s in the label, when and where it’s found is also important.

    We recommend that it be widely available anywhere specific plan information is displayed. We are also asking that the label be included in notices sent to customers whose contracts are set to expire.

    This will reduce the need for customers to search for key details buried in the fine print, making the process more convenient and increasing their chances of engaging with it.

    These recommendations are intended to ensure that customers will be able to easily access the label when they need it the most, maximizing its benefit.

    [Brad Callaghan, Associate Deputy Commissioner]

    Thank you, Dr. Fonberg.

    The CRTC has taken important steps in recent years to empower consumers in their relationships with their service providers. Ensuring that phone numbers are portable, placing limits on contract length, and unlocking devices are just some of the actions the CRTC has taken to foster competition in the marketplace for the benefit of consumers and the economy.

    The Competition Bureau is pleased that the CRTC continues to build on these achievements. A broadband nutrition label can put consumers in the driver’s seat of the switching process and improve competition in telecommunication markets. With clear, standardized information to compare their options, consumers can take advantage of competition more easily, and companies will compete harder to keep them.

    We’d like to thank the Commission for the opportunity to participate in these proceedings. We will endeavour to answer any questions you may have.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama: how electric guitarists challenge expectations of gender

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janelle K Johnstone, Associate Lecturer Crime, Justice and Legal Studies, PhD Candidate School of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University

    American gospel singer and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar on stage in 1957. Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    I’ve been playing a 1963 Maton FyrByrd guitar since I was 14 years old. It’s Australian designed and made with the unique sharkbite body, and pickups named cool, midway and hi-fi.

    With only 1,160 of this model produced between 1962 and 1965, it’s a rarity. But so too is its provenance. In lieu of jewellery, cabinet crystal or other family heirlooms, I inherited my mother’s electric guitar.

    The electric guitar is synonymous with rock’n’roll genres emerging from the 1950s. It’s also become one of the most potent icons of masculine heroism in popular music culture. Stereotypical imagery circulates around riffs, shredding and posturing.

    The wailing guitar solo has become a signature feature of virtuosity, a spotlight of grandeur setting the male guitarist apart from the band with a distinctive textural line.

    These characteristics mean the electric guitar takes up space – something traditionally associated with masculine performance.

    But the paradox about the gendering of “the axe” is that a leading, stylistic founder was a woman – and many follow in her footsteps today.

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe

    The guitar has been an important instrument of music making for centuries, but the 1930s marked the invention of the electric guitar.

    Amplifying the guitar produced its distinctive feature: the capacity for sustain. This enabled sounds to siren out, dive and waver – often at high volume.

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe emerged alongside the electrification of the guitar.

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe photographed in November 1957.
    Henry How/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

    Her style developed over four decades from the 1930s to 1960s with fluid fretboard prowess and a percussive right hand, leaning into the hover of distortion. Tharpe influenced big names of contemporary music such as Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.

    Audiences loved her.

    However, a woman (also queer, and a person of colour) “owning” the electric guitar challenged the patriarchal music industry who tended to frame her as a singer, rather than a prolific instrumentalist.

    DIY learning systems

    While stereotypes such as “masculine” taking up space might help to explain a lack of women and gender diverse electric guitarists (and indeed other instrumentalists in rock tropes), their absence also stems from the way that skills are developed and subsequently valued.

    In rock and punk music, learning to play often comes via friendship groups where knowledge is passed around and learnt using do-it-yourself (DIY) methods.

    These processes are often associated with rites of passage into adulthood.

    But these social networks are also gendered. Women and gender diverse people are often excluded from informal channels that create opportunities, or relegated to support roles, a reflection of mainstream ideas that set “women’s roles” to passive. This starts from a young age.

    My research (to be published) shows that, for those who do pick up a guitar, DIY (and punk sentiment) is an effective tool to circumvent social barriers to skill acquisition.

    Yet women and gender diverse guitarists are constantly compared to a male cannon of music history, scrutinised as an exception, but rarely exceptional.

    Gendered divisions of labour that see women carry a greater weight of unpaid labour further impact the time available to hone a craft. These are the double gates of sexism and ageism that make becoming a music legend a masculine, middle aged, luxury.

    Despite this, a treasure trove of musical elders have distorted the way that guitar playing is historically and sentimentally wedded to masculine expertise.

    The axe in different hands

    When Joan Jett burst onto the punk scene in the 1970s with her low-slung electric guitar, she had the look and attitude of her male counterparts. But she carved a style centred on solid, rhythmic blocks, saturating accents with power chords in lieu of complex, single note techniques.

    Joan Jett plays guitar for The Runaways, Chicago 1977.
    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    Later, Kurt Cobain adopted a similar technique, perhaps explaining Jett’s appearance in Nirvana’s recent 30th album anniversary special.

    In subcultural spaces, artists like Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama from Japanese cult band the 5, 6, 7, 8s, now in her mid 70s, shape-shifts her way through a range of genre bending musical statements that challenge stereotypical guitar playing with signature guitar pedals, and joyous virtuosity.

    Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama performing during the The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival in 2004.
    Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

    On her recent album tour, Kim Gordon, one of the most recognisable women in punk, now also in her 70s, ditched her bass for the electric guitar.

    She ended her shows standing on her amp holding her guitar overhead. She’s doing what she’s always done: querying the boundaries of culture tropes, cementing her iconic status.

    These artists and countless others challenge expectations of gender via the symbolism projected through the electric guitar.

    And they go a step further in rejecting pressures for older women to be sidelined.

    Kim Gordon as a member of the super-group Free Kitten performs in concert in Milan, 2024.
    Elena Di Vincenzo/Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

    The Australian soundscape

    Australian music culture has a rich and diverse heritage. However, the same touchstones tend to be used to produce a particular narrative about musical connoisseurship that enables (mostly) men to be elevated through to legendary status.

    It’s annoying. Because in the context of rock guitar playing, the local talent pool is extensive. Current stars Courtney Barnett, Erica Dunn, and emerging musicians like Jaybird Bryne represent a legacy to the work of artists such as Suze DeMarchi, Orianthi, Adalita, Barb Waters and Sarah McLeod, all sharing commercial success as guitarists.

    They sit alongside well-established independent artists really stretching the sonic parameters of the electric guitar in DIY/punk traditions including Penny Ikinger, Lisa Mackinney, Sarah Hardiman, Claire Birchall, Bonnie Mercer and Sarah Blaby.

    Moving past the musical bias of the great, white, male not only expands our sonic palettes – it might also help us to rethink the limitations of binary gender roles more broadly. This means querying cultural inheritances like the axe, re-imagining who an elder might be, and embracing what they sound like.

    Janelle K Johnstone receives funding from Creative Victoria and the Australia Council.

    – ref. From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama: how electric guitarists challenge expectations of gender – https://theconversation.com/from-sister-rosetta-tharpe-to-ronnie-yoshiko-fujiyama-how-electric-guitarists-challenge-expectations-of-gender-254704

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama: how electric guitarists challenge expectations of gender

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janelle K Johnstone, Associate Lecturer Crime, Justice and Legal Studies, PhD Candidate School of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University

    American gospel singer and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar on stage in 1957. Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    I’ve been playing a 1963 Maton FyrByrd guitar since I was 14 years old. It’s Australian designed and made with the unique sharkbite body, and pickups named cool, midway and hi-fi.

    With only 1,160 of this model produced between 1962 and 1965, it’s a rarity. But so too is its provenance. In lieu of jewellery, cabinet crystal or other family heirlooms, I inherited my mother’s electric guitar.

    The electric guitar is synonymous with rock’n’roll genres emerging from the 1950s. It’s also become one of the most potent icons of masculine heroism in popular music culture. Stereotypical imagery circulates around riffs, shredding and posturing.

    The wailing guitar solo has become a signature feature of virtuosity, a spotlight of grandeur setting the male guitarist apart from the band with a distinctive textural line.

    These characteristics mean the electric guitar takes up space – something traditionally associated with masculine performance.

    But the paradox about the gendering of “the axe” is that a leading, stylistic founder was a woman – and many follow in her footsteps today.

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe

    The guitar has been an important instrument of music making for centuries, but the 1930s marked the invention of the electric guitar.

    Amplifying the guitar produced its distinctive feature: the capacity for sustain. This enabled sounds to siren out, dive and waver – often at high volume.

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe emerged alongside the electrification of the guitar.

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe photographed in November 1957.
    Henry How/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

    Her style developed over four decades from the 1930s to 1960s with fluid fretboard prowess and a percussive right hand, leaning into the hover of distortion. Tharpe influenced big names of contemporary music such as Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.

    Audiences loved her.

    However, a woman (also queer, and a person of colour) “owning” the electric guitar challenged the patriarchal music industry who tended to frame her as a singer, rather than a prolific instrumentalist.

    DIY learning systems

    While stereotypes such as “masculine” taking up space might help to explain a lack of women and gender diverse electric guitarists (and indeed other instrumentalists in rock tropes), their absence also stems from the way that skills are developed and subsequently valued.

    In rock and punk music, learning to play often comes via friendship groups where knowledge is passed around and learnt using do-it-yourself (DIY) methods.

    These processes are often associated with rites of passage into adulthood.

    But these social networks are also gendered. Women and gender diverse people are often excluded from informal channels that create opportunities, or relegated to support roles, a reflection of mainstream ideas that set “women’s roles” to passive. This starts from a young age.

    My research (to be published) shows that, for those who do pick up a guitar, DIY (and punk sentiment) is an effective tool to circumvent social barriers to skill acquisition.

    Yet women and gender diverse guitarists are constantly compared to a male cannon of music history, scrutinised as an exception, but rarely exceptional.

    Gendered divisions of labour that see women carry a greater weight of unpaid labour further impact the time available to hone a craft. These are the double gates of sexism and ageism that make becoming a music legend a masculine, middle aged, luxury.

    Despite this, a treasure trove of musical elders have distorted the way that guitar playing is historically and sentimentally wedded to masculine expertise.

    The axe in different hands

    When Joan Jett burst onto the punk scene in the 1970s with her low-slung electric guitar, she had the look and attitude of her male counterparts. But she carved a style centred on solid, rhythmic blocks, saturating accents with power chords in lieu of complex, single note techniques.

    Joan Jett plays guitar for The Runaways, Chicago 1977.
    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    Later, Kurt Cobain adopted a similar technique, perhaps explaining Jett’s appearance in Nirvana’s recent 30th album anniversary special.

    In subcultural spaces, artists like Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama from Japanese cult band the 5, 6, 7, 8s, now in her mid 70s, shape-shifts her way through a range of genre bending musical statements that challenge stereotypical guitar playing with signature guitar pedals, and joyous virtuosity.

    Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama performing during the The Carling Weekend: Reading Festival in 2004.
    Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

    On her recent album tour, Kim Gordon, one of the most recognisable women in punk, now also in her 70s, ditched her bass for the electric guitar.

    She ended her shows standing on her amp holding her guitar overhead. She’s doing what she’s always done: querying the boundaries of culture tropes, cementing her iconic status.

    These artists and countless others challenge expectations of gender via the symbolism projected through the electric guitar.

    And they go a step further in rejecting pressures for older women to be sidelined.

    Kim Gordon as a member of the super-group Free Kitten performs in concert in Milan, 2024.
    Elena Di Vincenzo/Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

    The Australian soundscape

    Australian music culture has a rich and diverse heritage. However, the same touchstones tend to be used to produce a particular narrative about musical connoisseurship that enables (mostly) men to be elevated through to legendary status.

    It’s annoying. Because in the context of rock guitar playing, the local talent pool is extensive. Current stars Courtney Barnett, Erica Dunn, and emerging musicians like Jaybird Bryne represent a legacy to the work of artists such as Suze DeMarchi, Orianthi, Adalita, Barb Waters and Sarah McLeod, all sharing commercial success as guitarists.

    They sit alongside well-established independent artists really stretching the sonic parameters of the electric guitar in DIY/punk traditions including Penny Ikinger, Lisa Mackinney, Sarah Hardiman, Claire Birchall, Bonnie Mercer and Sarah Blaby.

    Moving past the musical bias of the great, white, male not only expands our sonic palettes – it might also help us to rethink the limitations of binary gender roles more broadly. This means querying cultural inheritances like the axe, re-imagining who an elder might be, and embracing what they sound like.

    Janelle K Johnstone receives funding from Creative Victoria and the Australia Council.

    – ref. From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama: how electric guitarists challenge expectations of gender – https://theconversation.com/from-sister-rosetta-tharpe-to-ronnie-yoshiko-fujiyama-how-electric-guitarists-challenge-expectations-of-gender-254704

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is astigmatism? Why does it make my vision blurry? And how did I get it?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne

    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    Have you ever gone to the optometrist for an eye test and were told your eye was shaped like a football?

    Or perhaps you’ve noticed your vision is becoming increasingly blurry or hard to focus?

    You might be among the 40% of people in the world who live with astigmatism.

    What causes astigmatism?

    The eye acts like a camera, capturing light through the front surface (the cornea) and focusing it onto the “film” at the back of the eye (retina).

    To get a clear picture, the eyeball and all of its surfaces (cornea, lens and retina) have to meet certain specifications of size and shape.

    Otherwise, vision can appear blurred and out-of-focus, known as “refractive error”.

    Astigmatism (uh-STIG-muh-tiz-um) is a type of refractive error where one or more of the eye’s surfaces are not smooth and/or round. It is broadly classified into two types: regular and irregular.

    Regular astigmatism is the most common. It typically comes from changes in the shape of the cornea. Instead of being round, it is more oval, like a football or an egg. We don’t fully understand why some people develop regular astigmatism, but it’s partly due to genetics.

    Irregular astigmatism is rarer. It occurs when a part of the cornea is no longer smooth (from scarring or growths on the cornea), or its shape has changed in an uneven or asymmetrical way.

    Eye conditions such as keratoconus – where the cornea weakens over time and becomes cone-like in shape – causes irregular astigmatism.

    If the cornea is no longer round or smooth, light entering the eye is scattered across the retina. This can cause blurry or distorted vision, reduced sensitivity to contrast, shadows or double vision and increased sensitivity to bright lights.

    Is astigmatism a new condition?

    In 1727, Sir Isaac Newton was the first to describe the physics of how an irregular surface might affect the focus of light passing through it.

    This was followed in 1800 by Thomas Young, a scientist who had astigmatism and described how it affected his vision in a lecture.

    In 1825, Sir George Airy, an astronomer who also had astigmatism, discovered he could see more clearly when he tilted his glasses on an angle. He became the first person to suggest using cylindrical lenses to correct for astigmatism. These are still used today.

    The name “astigmatism” came last, coined by William Whewell in 1846. The name was derived from Greek: “a-” (“without”), and “stigma” (“a mark/spot”), literally translating as “without a point”, referring to the lack of a single, clear focal point of vision.

    How is astigmatism measured?

    Optometrists usually detect and measure regular astigmatism during refraction, when they place different lenses in front of the eye to determine a spectacle prescription.

    As irregular astigmatism can involve very small rough patches or bumps, it is best seen with specialised imaging such as corneal topography. This creates a 3-dimensional map to show local bumps and irregularities on the cornea.

    I’ve got astigmatism, what do I need to know?

    Astigmatism can present at any age but becomes more common as we get older.

    You can develop astigmatism over time, and the level of astigmatism can change as well.

    With mild astigmatism, you may not notice any problems with your vision. With increasing levels of astigmatism, your vision becomes less crisp. This can lead to reduced vision, eye strain, or fatigue.

    You may need astigmatism correction to see clearly and effortlessly. Correcting astigmatism aims to compensate for the differing curvatures of the cornea, to ensure that light entering the eye focuses correctly on the retina.

    To correct regular astigmatism, cylindrical lenses compensate for each curvature in the “football”. Cylindrical lenses are prescribed as either glasses, contact lenses.

    Astigmatism can also be corrected with laser eye surgery.

    Orthokeratology (ortho-k) can also be used. This involves wearing specialised hard contact lenses overnight. These hard contact lenses temporarily reshape the cornea, allowing the wearer to be glasses-free during the day.

    To manage irregular astigmatism, it is important to treat the underlying condition causing astigmatism as well. But often, hard contact lenses are needed for clear vision during the day, as they can sit on the surface of the eye to compensate for local uneven patches in a way that glasses or soft contact lenses cannot.

    Surgery, such as corneal transplants, is also sometimes needed as a last resort to replace a damaged, misshapen cornea and manage the irregular astigmatism.

    Do I need to worry about astigmatism in my children?

    In children, if there is enough astigmatism present to cause blurred or distorted vision, it can impact their learning and development both in the classroom and during sporting activities.

    Untreated astigmatism is not dangerous, but high levels of astigmatism in young children can cause other vision problems such as “eye turns” or “lazy eye” (amblyopia).

    But don’t worry, regular eye checks with the optometrist for children (and adults as well) allows for early detection and management, when needed.

    Flora Hui works part-time in private practice as an optometrist.

    Angelina Duan works in private practice as an optometrist.

    – ref. What is astigmatism? Why does it make my vision blurry? And how did I get it? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-astigmatism-why-does-it-make-my-vision-blurry-and-how-did-i-get-it-256235

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is astigmatism? Why does it make my vision blurry? And how did I get it?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne

    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    Have you ever gone to the optometrist for an eye test and were told your eye was shaped like a football?

    Or perhaps you’ve noticed your vision is becoming increasingly blurry or hard to focus?

    You might be among the 40% of people in the world who live with astigmatism.

    What causes astigmatism?

    The eye acts like a camera, capturing light through the front surface (the cornea) and focusing it onto the “film” at the back of the eye (retina).

    To get a clear picture, the eyeball and all of its surfaces (cornea, lens and retina) have to meet certain specifications of size and shape.

    Otherwise, vision can appear blurred and out-of-focus, known as “refractive error”.

    Astigmatism (uh-STIG-muh-tiz-um) is a type of refractive error where one or more of the eye’s surfaces are not smooth and/or round. It is broadly classified into two types: regular and irregular.

    Regular astigmatism is the most common. It typically comes from changes in the shape of the cornea. Instead of being round, it is more oval, like a football or an egg. We don’t fully understand why some people develop regular astigmatism, but it’s partly due to genetics.

    Irregular astigmatism is rarer. It occurs when a part of the cornea is no longer smooth (from scarring or growths on the cornea), or its shape has changed in an uneven or asymmetrical way.

    Eye conditions such as keratoconus – where the cornea weakens over time and becomes cone-like in shape – causes irregular astigmatism.

    If the cornea is no longer round or smooth, light entering the eye is scattered across the retina. This can cause blurry or distorted vision, reduced sensitivity to contrast, shadows or double vision and increased sensitivity to bright lights.

    Is astigmatism a new condition?

    In 1727, Sir Isaac Newton was the first to describe the physics of how an irregular surface might affect the focus of light passing through it.

    This was followed in 1800 by Thomas Young, a scientist who had astigmatism and described how it affected his vision in a lecture.

    In 1825, Sir George Airy, an astronomer who also had astigmatism, discovered he could see more clearly when he tilted his glasses on an angle. He became the first person to suggest using cylindrical lenses to correct for astigmatism. These are still used today.

    The name “astigmatism” came last, coined by William Whewell in 1846. The name was derived from Greek: “a-” (“without”), and “stigma” (“a mark/spot”), literally translating as “without a point”, referring to the lack of a single, clear focal point of vision.

    How is astigmatism measured?

    Optometrists usually detect and measure regular astigmatism during refraction, when they place different lenses in front of the eye to determine a spectacle prescription.

    As irregular astigmatism can involve very small rough patches or bumps, it is best seen with specialised imaging such as corneal topography. This creates a 3-dimensional map to show local bumps and irregularities on the cornea.

    I’ve got astigmatism, what do I need to know?

    Astigmatism can present at any age but becomes more common as we get older.

    You can develop astigmatism over time, and the level of astigmatism can change as well.

    With mild astigmatism, you may not notice any problems with your vision. With increasing levels of astigmatism, your vision becomes less crisp. This can lead to reduced vision, eye strain, or fatigue.

    You may need astigmatism correction to see clearly and effortlessly. Correcting astigmatism aims to compensate for the differing curvatures of the cornea, to ensure that light entering the eye focuses correctly on the retina.

    To correct regular astigmatism, cylindrical lenses compensate for each curvature in the “football”. Cylindrical lenses are prescribed as either glasses, contact lenses.

    Astigmatism can also be corrected with laser eye surgery.

    Orthokeratology (ortho-k) can also be used. This involves wearing specialised hard contact lenses overnight. These hard contact lenses temporarily reshape the cornea, allowing the wearer to be glasses-free during the day.

    To manage irregular astigmatism, it is important to treat the underlying condition causing astigmatism as well. But often, hard contact lenses are needed for clear vision during the day, as they can sit on the surface of the eye to compensate for local uneven patches in a way that glasses or soft contact lenses cannot.

    Surgery, such as corneal transplants, is also sometimes needed as a last resort to replace a damaged, misshapen cornea and manage the irregular astigmatism.

    Do I need to worry about astigmatism in my children?

    In children, if there is enough astigmatism present to cause blurred or distorted vision, it can impact their learning and development both in the classroom and during sporting activities.

    Untreated astigmatism is not dangerous, but high levels of astigmatism in young children can cause other vision problems such as “eye turns” or “lazy eye” (amblyopia).

    But don’t worry, regular eye checks with the optometrist for children (and adults as well) allows for early detection and management, when needed.

    Flora Hui works part-time in private practice as an optometrist.

    Angelina Duan works in private practice as an optometrist.

    – ref. What is astigmatism? Why does it make my vision blurry? And how did I get it? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-astigmatism-why-does-it-make-my-vision-blurry-and-how-did-i-get-it-256235

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tasmania is limping towards an election nobody wants. Here’s the state of play

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania

    In the darkest and coldest months of the year, Tasmanians have been slogging through an election campaign no one wanted.

    It’s been a curious mix of humdrum plodding laced with cyanide levels of bitterness, with the most likely result being another hung parliament.

    How did we get here?

    It’s a long and sordid tale, but here’s the quick version.

    In early June, the Labor opposition moved a motion of no confidence in the Liberal Premier, Jeremy Rockliff. The motion passed with the support of three crossbench MPs, the Greens, and a casting vote from the speaker.



    Read more:
    After weeks of confusion and chaos, Tasmania heads back to the polls on July 19

    Rockliff refused to step aside and Opposition Leader Dean Winter ruled out doing a deal with the Greens to govern in minority, which left the Governor with no choice but to call an election just 16 months after the last.

    Some Tasmanians would be forgiven for feeling a bit of election fatigue. On top of the March 2024 state election, there was the federal election on May 3, voting for three legislative council seats on May 24 and now this poll.

    Trudging along the campaign trail

    The vibe of the campaign has veered wildly between pedestrian and acrimonious.
    Candidates have struggled to connect with a disgruntled public, and a combination of the stadium saga and political mudslinging have distracted from Tasmania’s serious challenges.

    Despite the election being brought about by Labor’s no confidence motion, the party seemed curiously unprepared. Its candidate announcements were slow and disjointed, and red corflutes have been greatly outnumbered by blue.

    Labor’s campaign has picked up some momentum in recent weeks by following the federal party’s playbook of making big health policy announcements.

    In contrast to Labor, the Liberals hit the ground running with a slew of candidate announcements. They have presented themselves as the only party with a realistic chance of winning a majority, and sought to frame Labor’s Dean Winter as a power-hungry wrecker. They have also campaigned hard on health, attempting to neutralise Labor’s traditional strength in this area.

    A bevy of former federal candidates are running, which could lead to changes in personnel, if not a big shift in the distribution of seats in parliament. Ones to watch include:

    • Liberal’s Bridget Archer (who lost her seat of Bass in May) and Gavin Pearce (retired Braddon MP)

    • Labor’s Brian Mitchell, the Lyons MP who stood aside for Rebecca White

    • Peter George, the anti-salmon farming independent in Franklin

    • and Vanessa Bleyer, a two-time Greens Senate candidate running in Braddon.

    The Nationals are also in the mix following the latest in a series of Tasmanian “reboots” over the past few decades. Their candidate list includes former Jacqui Lambie Network and Liberal MPs, which could create a tense and chaotic party room if they win seats.

    Disappointingly, both Labor and Liberal leaders have repeatedly demanded the other side stop playing “political games”, while merrily engaging in skulduggery of their own.

    Labor was indignant when the Liberals challenged the eligibility of one of their star candidates, unionist Jessica Munday.

    A few days later, Rockliff was righteously outraged when Labor grandee and former premier Paul Lennon registered the business “Tasinsure” – the name of the Liberals’ proposed state-owned insurance company.

    Subpar signage

    It’s fair to say no one has covered themselves in glory here.

    The Liberals went with “Let’s finish the job for Tasmania”. I’m sure this isn’t meant to be read as a threat, but I can’t help but hear it in Alan Rickman’s voice.

    Even if we leave aside the (unintended?) menacing implications, the slogan encourages voters to wonder why the job hasn’t been finished in the previous 11 years of Liberal government.

    Labor is using “A Fresh Start for Tasmania”: a cliche, but serviceably simple.

    The problem is, they stretched the slogan to the point of collapse by applying it to all of their policy headings. This meant that we ended up enduring “a fresh start for cost of living relief”, “a fresh start for our society”, and so on.

    A special mention to Labor’s social media ads, which had all the gravitas of a toddler demanding their turn on the playground swings.

    The Greens didn’t limit themselves to one slogan. Instead, they used various taglines on the theme of “the mess made by the major parties”, or simply stated their main policy pillars: stopping the stadium, investing in health and housing, protecting the environment, and stopping privatisation.

    There were also some questionable offerings from the menagerie of independents. Surely the voters are entitled to expect more from their MPs than the “familiar face in Clark” offered by former Liberal MP Elise Archer? And as an experienced journalist, I’m sure Peter George could have done better than the derivative “Time for Change”.

    What can we expect?

    What will Tasmanians end up with after a campaign that has been less sound and fury and more white noise and niggle?

    It looks like more of the same.

    Polling shows that the two major parties are on the nose, particularly with younger voters. Labor and Liberal are fairly aligned on some of the headline issues that divide the electorate, including the stadium and salmon farming.

    All this points to no party winning a majority of the 35 seats. If this happens, the convention is that the Governor gives the party with the most seats the first crack at cobbling together enough support from the crossbench to form a minority government.

    Minority governments can come in lots of different shapes and sizes, from loose “confidence and supply” agreements to more formal power-sharing coalitions.

    If the party with the most seats fails to form government, the Governor would typically let the second-largest party try.

    Both the Liberals and Labor will face big challenges if they are given the opportunity to form minority government.

    The Liberal Party has its nose ahead in most polls. However, several of the crossbench MPs the previous Liberal government relied on for support voted in favour of the no confidence motion in Rockliff.

    Most of these MPs are likely to be re-elected, and will be wary of doing deals that essentially put in place the same government that they recently helped to bring down.



    Read more:
    Hung parliament still likely outcome of Tasmanian election, with Liberals well ahead of Labor in new poll

    Labor have backed themselves into a corner by repeatedly ruling out working with the Greens. This would leave them needing to negotiate with a diverse array of crossbench MPs. Depending on the final distribution of seats, this might not secure them enough votes on the floor of parliament.

    If – as seems likely – Tasmania ends up with another hung parliament, it will fall to our MPs to move beyond point scoring and gamesmanship. We urgently need budget repair, alongside ambitious reforms in health, housing, education, sustainability and productivity.

    Here’s hoping that the next government is willing to collaborate and compromise – for the good of the state and to restore trust in our political system.

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

    – ref. Tasmania is limping towards an election nobody wants. Here’s the state of play – https://theconversation.com/tasmania-is-limping-towards-an-election-nobody-wants-heres-the-state-of-play-260504

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tasmania is limping towards an election nobody wants. Here’s the state of play

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania

    In the darkest and coldest months of the year, Tasmanians have been slogging through an election campaign no one wanted.

    It’s been a curious mix of humdrum plodding laced with cyanide levels of bitterness, with the most likely result being another hung parliament.

    How did we get here?

    It’s a long and sordid tale, but here’s the quick version.

    In early June, the Labor opposition moved a motion of no confidence in the Liberal Premier, Jeremy Rockliff. The motion passed with the support of three crossbench MPs, the Greens, and a casting vote from the speaker.



    Read more:
    After weeks of confusion and chaos, Tasmania heads back to the polls on July 19

    Rockliff refused to step aside and Opposition Leader Dean Winter ruled out doing a deal with the Greens to govern in minority, which left the Governor with no choice but to call an election just 16 months after the last.

    Some Tasmanians would be forgiven for feeling a bit of election fatigue. On top of the March 2024 state election, there was the federal election on May 3, voting for three legislative council seats on May 24 and now this poll.

    Trudging along the campaign trail

    The vibe of the campaign has veered wildly between pedestrian and acrimonious.
    Candidates have struggled to connect with a disgruntled public, and a combination of the stadium saga and political mudslinging have distracted from Tasmania’s serious challenges.

    Despite the election being brought about by Labor’s no confidence motion, the party seemed curiously unprepared. Its candidate announcements were slow and disjointed, and red corflutes have been greatly outnumbered by blue.

    Labor’s campaign has picked up some momentum in recent weeks by following the federal party’s playbook of making big health policy announcements.

    In contrast to Labor, the Liberals hit the ground running with a slew of candidate announcements. They have presented themselves as the only party with a realistic chance of winning a majority, and sought to frame Labor’s Dean Winter as a power-hungry wrecker. They have also campaigned hard on health, attempting to neutralise Labor’s traditional strength in this area.

    A bevy of former federal candidates are running, which could lead to changes in personnel, if not a big shift in the distribution of seats in parliament. Ones to watch include:

    • Liberal’s Bridget Archer (who lost her seat of Bass in May) and Gavin Pearce (retired Braddon MP)

    • Labor’s Brian Mitchell, the Lyons MP who stood aside for Rebecca White

    • Peter George, the anti-salmon farming independent in Franklin

    • and Vanessa Bleyer, a two-time Greens Senate candidate running in Braddon.

    The Nationals are also in the mix following the latest in a series of Tasmanian “reboots” over the past few decades. Their candidate list includes former Jacqui Lambie Network and Liberal MPs, which could create a tense and chaotic party room if they win seats.

    Disappointingly, both Labor and Liberal leaders have repeatedly demanded the other side stop playing “political games”, while merrily engaging in skulduggery of their own.

    Labor was indignant when the Liberals challenged the eligibility of one of their star candidates, unionist Jessica Munday.

    A few days later, Rockliff was righteously outraged when Labor grandee and former premier Paul Lennon registered the business “Tasinsure” – the name of the Liberals’ proposed state-owned insurance company.

    Subpar signage

    It’s fair to say no one has covered themselves in glory here.

    The Liberals went with “Let’s finish the job for Tasmania”. I’m sure this isn’t meant to be read as a threat, but I can’t help but hear it in Alan Rickman’s voice.

    Even if we leave aside the (unintended?) menacing implications, the slogan encourages voters to wonder why the job hasn’t been finished in the previous 11 years of Liberal government.

    Labor is using “A Fresh Start for Tasmania”: a cliche, but serviceably simple.

    The problem is, they stretched the slogan to the point of collapse by applying it to all of their policy headings. This meant that we ended up enduring “a fresh start for cost of living relief”, “a fresh start for our society”, and so on.

    A special mention to Labor’s social media ads, which had all the gravitas of a toddler demanding their turn on the playground swings.

    The Greens didn’t limit themselves to one slogan. Instead, they used various taglines on the theme of “the mess made by the major parties”, or simply stated their main policy pillars: stopping the stadium, investing in health and housing, protecting the environment, and stopping privatisation.

    There were also some questionable offerings from the menagerie of independents. Surely the voters are entitled to expect more from their MPs than the “familiar face in Clark” offered by former Liberal MP Elise Archer? And as an experienced journalist, I’m sure Peter George could have done better than the derivative “Time for Change”.

    What can we expect?

    What will Tasmanians end up with after a campaign that has been less sound and fury and more white noise and niggle?

    It looks like more of the same.

    Polling shows that the two major parties are on the nose, particularly with younger voters. Labor and Liberal are fairly aligned on some of the headline issues that divide the electorate, including the stadium and salmon farming.

    All this points to no party winning a majority of the 35 seats. If this happens, the convention is that the Governor gives the party with the most seats the first crack at cobbling together enough support from the crossbench to form a minority government.

    Minority governments can come in lots of different shapes and sizes, from loose “confidence and supply” agreements to more formal power-sharing coalitions.

    If the party with the most seats fails to form government, the Governor would typically let the second-largest party try.

    Both the Liberals and Labor will face big challenges if they are given the opportunity to form minority government.

    The Liberal Party has its nose ahead in most polls. However, several of the crossbench MPs the previous Liberal government relied on for support voted in favour of the no confidence motion in Rockliff.

    Most of these MPs are likely to be re-elected, and will be wary of doing deals that essentially put in place the same government that they recently helped to bring down.



    Read more:
    Hung parliament still likely outcome of Tasmanian election, with Liberals well ahead of Labor in new poll

    Labor have backed themselves into a corner by repeatedly ruling out working with the Greens. This would leave them needing to negotiate with a diverse array of crossbench MPs. Depending on the final distribution of seats, this might not secure them enough votes on the floor of parliament.

    If – as seems likely – Tasmania ends up with another hung parliament, it will fall to our MPs to move beyond point scoring and gamesmanship. We urgently need budget repair, alongside ambitious reforms in health, housing, education, sustainability and productivity.

    Here’s hoping that the next government is willing to collaborate and compromise – for the good of the state and to restore trust in our political system.

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

    – ref. Tasmania is limping towards an election nobody wants. Here’s the state of play – https://theconversation.com/tasmania-is-limping-towards-an-election-nobody-wants-heres-the-state-of-play-260504

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Schakowsky, Raskin, Senate Colleagues Fight for Children’s Fundamental Right to a Healthy, Livable Planet

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) led over 40 Representatives in the introduction of a new resolution to protect the fundamental rights of the nation’s children to a safe, habitable environment in the face of climate chaos’ increasingly destructive and deadly impacts.

    “Every single one of us — no matter our age, our background, our race, our income — has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But those rights are in jeopardy, because the future of our planet is in jeopardy. I applaud the young people who are taking their futures into their own hands and standing up to the Trump administration’s efforts to sell out our clean air and water to the highest fossil fuel bidder. Inaction is not an option and we all must stand up for climate justice and a future where we can all thrive,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.

    “There is no room for debate: climate change is real, and as this crisis grows, our increasingly paying the price. The movement to protect our planet is more important than ever before because we have a president who continues to ignore the science and cozy up to the fossil fuel industry,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “I am introducing the Children’s Fundamental Rights to Life and a Stable Climate System Resolution to emphasize that we as leaders have a duty to ensure that all people, especially our young people, are protected from the existential threat of climate change. Our children and grandchildren should not be forced to suffer the consequences of our lack of action. Together we can save our planet.”

    “Children have a right to live and therefore a right to a livable planet,” said Congressman Jamie Raskin. “But the Trump Administration wants to carve out more giveaways to the Carbon Kings rather than protect the climate for children and future generations of Americans. Our Resolution with Representatives Jayapal and Schakowsky and Senator Merkley is about uplifting the voices of those who will be most affected by this climate irresponsibility and corruption—young people and children—and sounding the alarm on America’s accelerating climate disaster. The time to act for public accountability is right now. I salute everyone involved in this important campaign.”

    The resolution — led in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) — responds to the Trump Administration’s ‘Polluters over People’ agenda that has enriched Big Oil, fueled climate chaos, and increased energy costs for working families. The resolution calls for leadership to put the United States on a trajectory to avoid the worst impacts of climate chaos.

    “Every child in America deserves a healthy and prosperous future, but the Trump Administration is selling out our health, safety, planet, and future to make billionaire corporate polluters even richer,” said Senator Jeff Merkley. “We stand with these courageous young activists in Oregon and across the country who are taking matters into their own hands with immediate and decisive steps to fight for themselves and future generations, address climate chaos, and tackle environmental injustice.”

    The resolution highlights the principles underpinning Lighthiser v. Trump, a youth-led lawsuit that was filed by 22 young plaintiffs from five states, challenging the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders that “unleash fossil fuels” and endanger the lives of children and future generations.

    In addition to Reps. Schakowsky, Jayapal, and Raskin, cosponsors of the resolution include Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Summer L. Lee, Shri Thanedar, Delia C. Ramirez, Yassamin Ansari, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Andre Carson, Nydia M. Velázquez, Nanette Barragán, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Dina Titus, Maxwell Frost, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Steve Cohen, Mary Gay Scanlon, Lateefah Simon, Jerrold Nadler, Kathy Castor, Kevin Mullin, Danny Davis, Julia Brownley, Dave Min, Sara Jacobs, Judy Chu, Maxine Dexter, David Scott, Mark Takano, Gabe Amo, Jared Huffman, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Valerie Foushee, Becca Balint, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Ro Khanna, Alma S. Adams, Ritchie Torres, James P. McGovern, Jill Tokuda, Darren Soto, Stephen F. Lynch, LaMonica McIver, Val Hoyle, and Jahana Hayes.

    Issues: Environment

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sherrill Votes to Pass Bipartisan NDAA to Strengthen National Security and Protect Service Members

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), former Navy helicopter pilot and member of the House Armed Services Committee, secured over $20 million in additional funds for Picatinny Arsenal programs and the New Jersey innovation economy in a mark-up of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

    The NDAA is critical legislation that Congress authors each year to establish defense priorities, make organizational shifts to military posture, and provide direction on how military funding can be spent.

    “One of my chief responsibilities is to craft national defense legislation that strengthens our fighting forces across the globe, bolsters the New Jersey economy by investing in Picatinny Arsenal, and expands protections for our service members and their families. With Pete Hegseth, the most incompetent Secretary of Defense in history, leading our armed forces, it’s more important than ever that we pass commonsense legislation that invests in our fighting forces and the men and women who have stepped up to serve our country. 

    “I ensured that Picatinny Arsenal continues to have the resources it needs to keep our soldiers safe across the world, bolster our New Jersey economy, and support the Ukrainian fight against Russian oppression. I continued my fight to ensure that our servicewomen and military families have access to abortion care, no matter where they are stationed; I stood up to protect women in combat roles across our armed forces; and I advocated to expand year-long contraception prescriptions for all active duty service members and families. I fought to strengthen guardrails to provide additional congressional oversight if the President or the Secretary of Defense tries to unilaterally relocate troops and protect the National Guard from being politicized. And I successfully included an amendment in the bill to reverse the Trump Administration’s attempt to legalize racial segregation in our armed forces.

    “Our service members and their families make incredible sacrifices to protect the rights, freedoms, and democracy we hold dear. There is far too much at stake right now to allow political fights and partisan gamesmanship to endanger our national security and weaken our fighting forces,” said Mikie Sherrill. 

    Rep. Sherrill championed a pilot program for remote blood pressure monitoring for pregnant and postpartum women, successfully included an amendment that would expand access to apprenticeship training for service members transitioning to civilian life, and improve training and resources for firefighters serving on military installations.

    She spoke up against Republican attempts to strip women from combat roles, highlighted Pete Hegseth’s dangerous use of Signal, and defended U.S. funding for our ally, Ukraine.

    The NDAA also includes provisions that will strengthen Picatinny Arsenal, one of the largest employers in NJ-11, and support the critical work conducted there. Rep. Sherrill championed additional funding for Picatinny programs, including:
     

    • Scalable Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (CsUAS) Munition delivered Air Defense payloads
    • Tier 1 Blast Over Pressure Reduction Technologies
    • Low Cost Armaments-based Counter Drone / Counter Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (CsUAS) Protection
    • Critical Energetic Materials and Manufacturing Industrial Base Supply Chain Technology 
       

    Rep. Sherrill offered and successfully secured inclusion of 12 amendments to the NDAA, including:
     

    • Requiring TRICARE to cover up to twelve-month supplies of contraception for service members and their families;
      • This amendment expands on Rep. Sherrill’s effort to require private insurance to allow patients to receive a full year’s supply of birth control instead of the typical three month supply.
    • Requiring DoD contractors to certify that they do not have segregated facilities
      • This amendment comes in response to the Trump Administration reversing a policy that required Department of Defense contractors to have nonsegregated facilities.
    • Establishing a pilot program to utilize remote monitoring of blood pressure for at-risk pregnant and postpartum military women;
    • Expanding bereavement leave to include service members and the spouse of the service member who experience the loss of a pregnancy or stillbirth;
    • Increasing the participation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) positions in the Armed Forces;
    • Increasing access to registered apprenticeships in the Skillbridge program for service members transitioning to civilian careers;
    • Requiring the Department of Defense to conduct a study on the training and equipment of Firefighter Rapid Intervention Teams on military facilities.
    • Prohibiting the Trump administration from eliminating US military bases in Europe to protect our NATO allies. 

    Rep. Sherrill is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Navy for almost 10 years as a helicopter pilot and Russian policy officer. As a Russian policy officer, she worked on the implementation of our nuclear treaty obligations and oversaw the relationship between the U.S. Navy and Russian Federation Navy. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and sits on the Tactical Air and Land Forces (TAL) and Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems (CITI) Subcommittees.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Rep. Sherrill Introduces NDAA Amendment to Ensure Reproductive Rights for Servicewomen in the Military

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    Washington, D.C. — Tonight, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) introduced an amendment to the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would repeal the longstanding federal ban on abortion care in the military health system. The amendment strikes Section 1093 of Title X, which prohibits the Department of Defense from providing abortion services in most cases.

    Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, approximately 40% of women in uniform are now stationed in states that ban or severely restrict abortion access. Even the narrow “exceptions” permitted under current law have proven unworkable in practice, putting the lives and health of servicewomen at risk.

    Thousands of active-duty servicewomen seek abortion care each year, according to a 2023 RAND report. Yet under current law, military doctors and facilities are prohibited from providing that care, even when it’s medically necessary for their health — forcing women to turn to informal support systems or delay treatment.

    The amendment seeks to restore full reproductive health care access for all military personnel and their families, regardless of where they are stationed.

    Click here to watch Sherrill’s full remarks.

    Full remarks, as delivered:

    “Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. 

    Today, across the country, women’s reproductive freedoms are under attack. After the Supreme Court’s MAGA majority overturned Roe, nineteen states now outright ban or severely restrict abortion access. 

    My daughters now have less freedoms than I did while growing up. It is unthinkable to me that so many of our servicewomen are already serving with less rights than I had while in the Navy and being stationed in states like Texas or Florida without basic access to reproductive care. 

    The fact that our military treatment facilities are only allowed to provide abortions in extremely limited circumstances is unacceptable and puts the health and wellbeing of our service members and their families at risk.

    The decision to get an abortion is deeply personal and should be made by a woman and her doctor, not by politicians.

    Our service members expect that they will receive the best possible health care. But our military healthcare providers can’t even give them an abortion when their health is at risk.

    And we know that “exceptions” to abortion bans don’t work. We see horrific stories on the news about women who were denied care that they were SUPPOSED TO receive under an exception, often ending with the mother nearly losing her life.

    We have more than 100,000 active-duty service members stationed in Texas. We’ve heard stories of a young woman, who died after experiencing a tragic miscarriage at 17-weeks. After being faced with this devastating loss, her doctors delayed medically necessary and lifesaving care because of the state’s abortion ban. She died as a result of an infection she developed because that care was delayed, leaving behind a young daughter.

    In Georgia, another young woman experienced a rare complication with medication abortion where her body did not expel all of the fetal tissue. When she sought out medical care, she waited 20 hours before doctors were able to operate because of the state’s abortion ban. While she waited, her infection spread and her organs began to fail. Amber’s care came too late and she died as a result of the infection leaving behind a six year old son.

    We ask our servicewomen to put their lives on the line for this country. They shouldn’t have to risk their lives giving birth. 

    But the fact remains that a woman should never need a so-called exception to get an abortion and it shouldn’t need to be an emergency before she can get care. It should be available, a decision a woman gets to make over her own body and her own life. 

    My amendment would repeal the draconian ban on abortions within the military health system, allowing our servicewomen and military families to have the freedom of access and the freedom to choose.  

    Thank you and I yield back.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: The Elon Code Releases 2025 Transparency Update on Digital Cognitive Optimization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Antonio, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    What You’ll Learn

    This release outlines The Elon Code’s updated 2025 structure as a digital-first cognitive enhancement platform. Readers will explore how the program integrates non-ingestible neuro-alignment techniques, behavioral science models, and performance training sequences rooted in theta/gamma brainwave logic. Discover why more users are turning to structured digital routines over traditional pills or supplement stacks — and what separates this MIT-modeled system from standard brain-training apps.

    Visit the Official The Elon Code Site to explore the latest digital training system transparency update.

    Disclaimer

    This content is for informational purposes only. The Elon Code is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. No medical claims are made or implied. Always consult a healthcare provider before use.

    Inside the 2025 Shift in Cognitive Training Protocols

    The performance enhancement landscape in 2025 has shifted toward precision, agency, and non-pharmaceutical tools. The Elon Code has aligned its evolution with this shift, focusing on fully digital experiences rather than supplement-based approaches. Consumers are increasingly seeking structured behavioral systems that support clarity and consistency, without the variables associated with physical ingredients or proprietary compounds. As a result, the brand has eliminated any association with nutritional interventions and instead built its system entirely around cognitive scaffolding, identity-driven repetition, and modular behavior design.

    Explore the Full Elon Code Stack Lineup to understand how this approach contrasts with physical supplementation models.

    The Elon Code’s new model is a software-first framework. Users don’t ingest anything. Instead, they engage with digitally sequenced experiences designed to mirror core neurobehavioral functions. The 2025 update enhances flexibility, reduces friction, and increases clarity around what the product is—a structured system for building habits, not a treatment protocol.

    Understanding the Science Behind The Elon Code’s Digital Strategy

    Scientific inspiration behind The Elon Code stems from neural learning models, cognitive psychology, and performance rhythm research. This system embraces theta-gamma phase synchronization — a neural coupling pattern seen during learning and working memory tasks — as the conceptual engine for its structured delivery method.

    Rather than replicating research directly, The Elon Code applies metaphorical alignment: modules are time-gated and layered to simulate the rhythm of neuroplastic reinforcement. Tools include:

    • Guided focus sessions using language-based priming
    • Audio protocols designed for internal pacing and external structure
    • Workflow builders modeled after known cognitive sequencing patterns

    See Details for The Elon Code and how its architecture avoids chemical dependency by design.

    This approach doesn’t diagnose or treat. It simply maps routines to predictable patterns of engagement using behavior science as a guide. In this way, the program becomes a mirror, enabling users to self-regulate and shape their daily performance rituals.

    Who This Digital Optimization System Might Serve Best in 2025

    While many tools in the cognitive space target specific ailments or use claims to drive conversion, The Elon Code focuses solely on voluntary behavior alignment. Its ideal audience includes:

    • Founders, freelancers, and digital strategists optimizing workflow depth
    • Learners and knowledge workers building focus and routine autonomy
    • Professionals avoiding stimulant-based energy tools
    • Creators building identity-driven routines anchored in rhythm, not hype

    Users who value control, minimalism, and clarity often find this system a compelling alternative to overstimulated cognitive stacks or vague promise-based apps. Its structure favors those who want to earn their transformation through consistency, not dependency.

    Digital Module Highlights: A Closer Look at What’s Inside

    The Elon Code consists of interactive routines, reflection prompts, and digital tools for reinforcing cognitive anchoring. There are no physical ingredients. No downloads. Just access to:

    • Morning Alignment Modules (mental rehearsal, sequence priming)
    • Midday Momentum Tracks (focus retention, emotional reset)
    • Evening Integration Protocols (learning lock-in, rhythm review)

    These modules are arranged in a non-linear path users can revisit or repeat. Unlike generic productivity courses, these sequences use targeted language design and anchored repetition principles to train consistency over novelty. The goal is rhythm, not stimulation.

    Discover the Structure Behind Flow State Support Protocols that power this rhythm-first model.

    How The Elon Code Compares to Traditional Cognitive Products

    Most cognitive products in the performance category fall into one of two camps: pharmacological (nootropics, energy boosters) or content-based (books, lectures, apps). The Elon Code stands apart by functioning as neither. It is not a product in the traditional sense. It is a protocol.

    Whereas many competitors emphasize what goes into the brain, The Elon Code emphasizes what comes out through behavior. The structure is its benefit. There are no bioactive compounds or passive videos. Everything is interactive, time-released, and designed to close the intention-action gap.

    This transparency-first model rejects trends and builds trust through clarity: no testimonials, no exaggerated claims, no urgency. Just rhythm, repetition, and scaffolding. This resonates with a 2025 audience tired of empty promises and quick fixes.

    Realistic Experiences: What Users Might Notice with Regular Use

    While outcomes vary, users consistently report improved execution behavior. These experiences often begin as small shifts—waking with clearer purpose, initiating tasks with less internal resistance, or noticing fewer interruptions in daily concentration. Rather than positioning itself as a tool for instant gratification, The Elon Code builds a momentum loop. The more users engage with the modules, the more reliable their behavioral anchors become.

    Some users have noted greater resilience during high-pressure work cycles, fewer instances of digital drift, and smoother transitions between focus modes. These responses aren’t presented as universal truths but as common experiential trends linked to routine-based reinforcement. Importantly, users who journal or track mood alongside program usage may see amplified outcomes due to the reflection component baked into the platform.

    Because The Elon Code is not a supplement, there is no expectation of a “kick in.” Instead, the system relies on:

    • Repeat exposure to internal cues
    • Environmental rhythm pairing
    • Daily decision reduction

    Learn More About The Elon Code’s 2025 Formulations and how they emphasize neural rhythm training without artificial triggers.

    Key Considerations When Exploring Digital Neuro-Tools in 2025

    With growing interest in behavioral enhancement, the risk of pseudoscience has never been greater. Platforms that promise effortless transformation or make unsupported medical claims often dominate headlines, but savvy users in 2025 are digging deeper. They’re evaluating frameworks not by aesthetic or testimonials but by epistemological integrity—how clearly the system explains what it does and what it doesn’t.

    The Elon Code takes a position of radical transparency. Every module, prompt, and progression track is described in terms of rhythm, repetition, and behavioral alignment—not vague neuroscience. The language used avoids jargon unless it’s grounded in well-established cognitive science. That makes the system approachable without dumbing down the underlying principles.

    It’s also designed for users who value experimentation. The Elon Code supports layered habit stacking, time-of-day testing, and internal state journaling so users can personalize their optimization cycle without needing external validation. This level of self-direction is rare in commercial cognitive tools, and it’s something high-agency users specifically seek out.

    The Elon Code meets these criteria while staying within clear ethical and regulatory boundaries. Its commitment is to clarity and calibration, not hype or health claims.

    Inside The Elon Code’s Digital Platform for 2025

    Beyond individual modules, what distinguishes The Elon Code in 2025 is its ecosystem approach. Users aren’t just given content—they’re given infrastructure. From the moment a user signs in, the interface guides them toward self-calibration. The platform encourages morning planning rituals, midday rhythm rechecks, and evening wind-down analysis without requiring external tools.

    The platform is responsive to user data in non-invasive ways. It flags skipped modules, tracks focus windows, and offers nudges when energy dips are detected through pattern analysis. While it collects no biometric data, the behavioral model adapts based on engagement timing and duration.

    The full system includes access to:

    • Sequence Map Dashboard
    • Habit Stack Engine
    • Identity Prompt Archive

    The 2025 update adds:

    • Session tracking
    • Rhythm deviation feedback
    • Expanded user onboarding for flow state compatibility

    This infrastructure replaces supplements, stack plans, and guru systems with something simple: your own system, reflected back and restructured for scale.

    Where to Learn More

    Readers can Explore the Full Elon Code Stack Lineup to dive into every element of its 2025 system architecture.

    Or See Details for The Elon Code through a behavioral lens by visiting the transparency portal.

    Or Discover the Structure Behind Flow State Support Protocols to examine how each module fits into broader neural rhythm theory.

    Contact & Company Info

    The Elon Code
    Program Support: https://theeloncode.com/help/contact/?
    Order Support: https://www.clkbank.com/#!/
    Toll-Free (US): +1 800-390-6035
    International: +1 208-345-4245 (24/7)

    Disclaimer

    This content is for informational purposes only. The Elon Code is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a healthcare provider before use.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Herzfeld Credit Income Fund, Inc. Announces Board Approval of Change in Dividend Reinvestment Policy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI BEACH, Fla., July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Herzfeld Credit Income Fund, Inc. (NASDAQ: HERZ) (the “Fund”) today announced that the Fund’s Board of Directors (“Board”) approved amendments to the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”), on May 8, 2025. The changes to the Plan will become effective thirty (30) days from the date that notice is mailed to shareholders of the Fund.

    The amendments make a number of changes to the Plan to align the terms with more recently adopted dividend reinvestment plans of similar funds in our industry. Such changes include a modification that allows the Fund to issue new shares to Plan participants regardless of whether the Fund’s common stock is trading at a premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV. The prior plan required the Fund to purchase shares on the open marketing in cases where the market price of the common stock is trading at a price below NAV.

    In addition, the Plan, as amended, determines the number of shares to be received when distributions are reinvested by dividing the amount of the distribution by 95% of (i) the market price per share of common stock at the close of regular trading on the securities exchange where the Fund’s securities are listed on that date (currently the NASDAQ Capital Market (the “Exchange”)), or, (ii) if there is no sale on the Exchange on that date, then the average between the closing bid and asked quotations on the Exchange on such date will be used.

    The Fund encourages its shareholders to carefully review the Plan to determine whether they would like to remain or become a Plan participant.

    About Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc.

    Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor”), founded in 1984, is an SEC registered investment advisor, specializing in investment analysis and account management in closed-end funds.

    More information about the advisor can be found at www.herzfeld.com.

    Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. An investment in the Fund is subject to certain risks, including market risk. In general, shares of closed-end funds often trade at a discount from their net asset value and at the time of sale may be trading on the exchange at a price which is more or less than the original purchase price or the net asset value. An investor should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objective, risks, charges and expenses. Please read the Fund’s disclosure documents before investing.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release, and other statements that the Advisor or the Fund may make, may contain forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to the Fund’s or the Advisor’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. The Advisor and the Fund caution that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Advisor and the Fund assume no duty to and do not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance. With respect to the Fund, the following risk factors, among others, could cause actual events to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) portfolio fair value risk; (2) potential conflicts of interest risk; (3) collateralized loan obligation risk; (4) covenant-lite loans risk; (5) subordinated securities risk; (6) high yield investment risk; (7) default risk; (8) non-diversification risk; (9) leverage risk; (10) reliance on senior management personnel of the Adviser risk; (11) liquidity risk; (12) risks related to the Adviser’s incentive fee; (13) market risks; (14) inflation risk; (15) interest rate risk; (16) regulatory risk; (17) credit spread risk; (18) prepayment risk; (19) volatility risk; (20) equity risk; (21) foreign exchange rate risk; and (22) cybersecurity risk. Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of the Fund with the SEC are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the Advisor’s website at www.herzfeld.com/herz, and may discuss these or other factors that affect the Fund. The information contained on the Advisor’s website is not a part of this press release.

    Contact:
    Thomas Morgan
    Chief Compliance Officer
    Herzfeld Credit Income Fund, Inc.
    1-305-777-1660

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: RadarFirst Unveils Radar AI Risk™, The Breakthrough Product Powering Next-Gen AI Compliance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PORTLAND, Ore., July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RadarFirst, a leader in regulatory risk automation, today announced the launch of Radar AI Risk, the industry’s first end-to-end solution purpose-built for AI governance under global frameworks such as the EU AI Act, with U.S. and U.K. regulations close behind.

    “Radar AI Risk gives enterprises a dynamic, future-ready foundation for AI governance,” said Lauren Wallace, Chief Legal Officer at RadarFirst. “Guided by our principles of transparency, adaptability, and proactive legal alignment, we’ll continue extending coverage, partnering with customers as regulations evolve and new use cases emerge.”

    As organizations deploy hundreds of new AI applications every month, legacy tools such as spreadsheets, siloed committees, and generic GRC systems can’t keep up. Radar AI Risk replaces these fragmented approaches with a unified platform designed to evolve alongside emerging requirements:

    • Conversational Intake: Capture rich, context-driven model details via a streamlined web interface.
    • Automated Classification: Instantly map models to EU AI Act risk tiers with a transparent scoring framework built to flexibly incorporate new regulations and policies as they emerge
    • Mapped Regulatory Guidance: Receive explicit risk-assessment rationale tied directly to applicable laws and regulations.
    • Versioned System Inventory: Maintain a centralized, version-controlled registry of AI systems, assessments, and documentation for effortless audits.
    • Rapid Assessments: Turn model reviews from hours into minutes, backed by continuous updates from your legal review team.
    • Third-Party Coverage: Apply the same rigorous risk process to in-house and vendor-sourced AI systems.
    • Audit-Ready Documentation: Generate timestamped, versioned assessments with a single click and review enhanced dashboard exports.
    • Unified Dashboards: Gain real-time visibility across Legal, Risk, Audit, and Executive teams.
    • Remediation & Overrides: Accept recommended actions or document custom responses, all tracked in one secure system of record.
    • Built on the Patented Radar® Platform: Leverage our proven, nine-patent-backed foundation for regulatory automation and control.

    Early adopters in finance, healthcare, and insurance report dramatic drops in manual errors and audit-prep time while unifying stakeholders around a single source of truth.

    “Our clients needed more than static scripts; they wanted a purpose-built platform that grows with their AI ambitions,” said Zach Burnett, CEO of RadarFirst. “Radar AI Risk delivers continuous innovation, automation, and real-time insights so teams can confidently chart the course ahead.”

    Radar AI Risk is available immediately. To learn more about Radar AI Risk, www.radarfirst.com/product/radar-ai-risk/

    About RadarFirst

    RadarFirst is a regulatory risk automation platform that empowers global enterprises to simplify complex decision-making and ensure the responsible and legal use of data across the organization. With patented workflows, real-time risk assessments, and built-in compliance intelligence, RadarFirst helps teams respond faster, reduce exposure, and unify stakeholders around a single source of truth. From incident response to third-party oversight, RadarFirst transforms regulatory risk into a strategic advantage, building trust, improving defensibility, and fueling enterprise growth.

    Media Contact:

    Alexis Kramer-Ainza
    Marketing Manager
    alexis.kramer@radarfirst.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: From diamonds to dirt: Sierra Leone youth bring land back to life

    Source: APO


    .

    Craters filled with muddy water pocket the landscape of the Kono district in Sierra Leone – the result of past diamond mining ventures which sparked a vicious local battle over resources.

    But now, parts of the land have been restored. Crops are beginning to flourish and bees are buzzing around once again.

    The people responsible for this change are a hodgepodge group – former taxi drivers and miners, people who barely finished secondary school and some with higher education degrees. The unifying factor? Most have youth on their side.

    “There is life beyond mining [but] we all grew up with the mentality that diamond is the only solution,” said Sahr Fallah, chairman of the Youth Council in Kono.

    Over 44 percent of the 1.3 billion people aged 15-24 are employed in agrifood systems. However, this group often does not have the same access to resources as older generations. Moreover, they are sidelined in the conversations which might change this systemic exclusion.

    “A lot of the time, what we find is that young people are included in policy processes but it is a little bit tokenistic. They don’t feel like their voice really matters,” said Lauren Phillips, a deputy director at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

    Decent work = economic growth

    The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York has been convened this week and next, to discuss progress – or lack thereof – towards the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which guarantees decent work for all.

    Despite this commitment, over half of the global workforce remains in informal employment, according to the Secretary-General’s report on the SDGs released Monday. This means that they do not have adequate social or legal protections.

    “Decent work must be at the heart of macroeconomic planning, climate and diesel transitions and social recovery strategies,” said Sangheon Lee, director of employment policy at the International Labor Organization (ILO).

    Don’t ignore youth

    Like other vulnerable groups, young people face unique challenges in the agrifood sector. Specifically, they often lack land rights and will struggle to act collectively to protect their interests.

    “If you are not looking at data with a lens of age or gender, you are actually missing part of the story,” Ms. Phillips said.

    Among these assets are land titles – which the elderly may be reluctant to pass down because of insufficient social protections. Youth also are less able to access credit so they can invest in themselves and their families.

    Betty Seray Sam, one of the young farmers in Kono, said that her family never used to come to her when they were going through a crisis – they knew that she had no money and a child to support.

    But now, through an agricultural job in Kono, she can support her family during times of crisis.

    “This project has had a rippling effect for the youth in terms of not only improving their livelihoods but also the livelihoods of their families,” said Abdul Munu, president of Mabunduku, a community-based farmer’s organization in Kono.

    Bee a farmer

    Providing training to young people in agrifood systems is absolutely essential to ensure that they can practice sustainable agriculture.

    In Chegutu, Zimbabwe, FAO has helped establish Bee Farmers Schools where young people are taught how to support apiaries through hands-on training activities.

    “The idea is that one of the apiaries can be turned into a classroom where youth from different parts of a district can come just like a school,” said Barnabas Mawire, a natural resource specialist at FAO.

    This training has helped support local youth beekeepers to move beyond local and small-scale honey production to a fully-fledged business model that has the potential to not just fight poverty but actually create local wealth.

    Evelyn Mutuda, the young entrepreneurs representative in Chegutu, aspires to plant Jacaranda trees which she says will improve the quality of the bees’ honey and enable the beekeepers to export beyond local markets.

    “We want to maximize all the profits so we can become better and bigger,” Ms. Mutuda said.

    From Facebook to TikTok

    Being able to form labour associations is one of the key factors of decent work. This sort of collective action is even more important for youth in agrifood who often lack the social capital to enact real policy change.

    “Young people are just starting out, making bonds within their group but also with people outside of their group. Those bonds are important…because there is power in numbers,” Ms. Phillips said.

    She also noted that young people are forming these bonds across geographic distances, often by using technology. Agrifood influencers on Instagram and TikTok, for example, are increasingly shaping conversations about the sector.

    Ms. Phillips also noted that it is important to think of collective action for youth as intergenerational.

    “While the report is focused on young people, it’s not ignorant of the fact that young people live in families…There is a lot which talks about the need for solidarity between generations,” Ms. Phillips said.

    Youth optimism

    The next generation will be the stewards of the food we eat, so integrating them into that system now is essential for future food security and sustainability.

    “Many youth integrate tradition with innovation, creating sustainability and community resilience,” said Venedio Nala Ardisa, a youth representative at the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, at an online side event during the high-level forum.

    Angeline Manhanzva, one of the beekeepers in Chegutu, said that the opportunity to become a beekeeper changed her life. One day, she dreams of owning her own bee farm.

    “I will be an old person who has so much wealth and is able to buy her own big land to keep my hives and process my own honey.”

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

    MIL OSI Africa –