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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New independent review function for civil aviation decisions

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today.
    “Today we are making it easier and more affordable for New Zealanders to challenge decisions that have a significant impact on their livelihoods, such as cancelling or suspending a pilot’s licence,” Mr Meager says.  
    “Until now, people have had to go to the courts to appeal a decision, a costly and time-consuming process. Being able to have decisions reviewed independently will now mean those people won’t incur these costs and delays, and they’ll have the opportunity for a quick, cost-effective determination so they can get on with delivering growth for New Zealand.” 
    The new review function will focus on the most impactful decisions that primarily relate to aviation documents. This includes granting or suspending pilot licences, air operator’s certificates, airworthiness certificates or maintenance engineer’s licences. It will also include decisions on individual exemptions from civil aviation regulations or rules.  
    The function will not review medical certification decisions, as these are already covered by the existing medical convener process.
    Application fees for reviews, which will partially recover the costs for the new independent review function, are set at $1,000 (excl. GST) for individuals and $1,500 (excl. GST) in any other case (such as for organisations). 
    “In comparison, I’ve heard that it can cost in excess of $300,000 to take an appeal through the District Court and it can take 3 to 4 years before there is a hearing.
    “I will soon be announcing the appointment of the independent reviewers who will be carrying out these reviews.”
    The independent review function will become operational on 5 April 2025 when the Civil Aviation Act 2023 comes into force.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: EU launches action plan to boost steel, metals industry

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    An action plan designed to strengthen the competitiveness of Europe’s steel and metals industry kicked off on Wednesday, the European Commission has announced.

    The plan will ensure an affordable and secure energy supply for the sector, promote faster grid access for energy-intensive industries, prevent carbon leakage, expand European industrial capacities, promote circularity and protect quality industrial jobs, the Commission said on its website.

    “The steel industry has always been a core engine for European prosperity. Next-generation, clean steel should therefore continue to be manufactured in Europe,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

    “We have to help our steelmakers to make sure they remain competitive, we must reduce energy costs and help them introduce innovative, low-carbon technologies to the market,” she added.

    The Commission will mobilize over 100 billion euros (108.9 billion U.S. dollars) of funding in the coming years to promote the decarbonization of industry.

    It is planning a pilot auction in 2025 to the value of 1 billion euros, which will focus on decarbonizing and electrifying key industrial processes.

    The European steel industry has approximately 500 production sites across 22 European Union (EU) member states, and employs some 2.6 million people. It contributes around 80 billion euros to the EU’s GDP, according to the Commission. (1 euro = 1.09 U.S. dollar) 

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police seeking Storm Hughes in central Auckland

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Be on the lookout for a man who is committing a spree of offending at central Auckland retailers.

    That’s the message from Police to the public and retailers around Auckland’s city centre and Newmarket.

    Storm Bryce Hughes also has numerous warrants for his arrest.

    The 49-year-old HeadHunters associate is wanted for aggravated robbery and other dishonesty offending.

    Inspector Grant Tetzlaff, Auckland Central Area Commander, says Hughes is still active around the city.

    “We believe he is continuing to commit offending at retail stores to the tune of thousands of dollars.

    “It’s important that we locate Hughes to prevent further offending taking place.

    “We are asking retailers and security staff, especially around the city and Newmarket, to be aware of Hughes.”

    Anyone who sees Hughes should contact Police straight away.

    “We do not advise anyone to take matters in their own hands, but instead contact Police and let us take care of it,” Inspector Tetzlaff says.

    Hughes has links to the west Auckland area.

    Inspector Tetzlaff says in recent theft reports, Hughes has been wearing glasses and occasionally a baseball cap.

    He may be carrying a backpack or reusable bag to help facilitate his offending.

    Hughes is described as being of medium build and is about 171 centimetres tall. 

    If you have information, please contact Police.

    Please contact 105 using the reference number 250306/7255.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS. 

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    Media note: Police are releasing two images in this appeal.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Efforts pay off with economic growth

    Source: ACT Party

    “It’s official: the economy is growing,” says ACT Leader David Seymour in response to new gross domestic product figures from Stats NZ showing 0.7 percent growth in the three months to December.

    “Firms, farms, and families have made tough sacrifices in a cost-of-living crisis, but now they’re starting to see the fruits of their efforts. Inflation is under control, interest rates are getting lower.

    “The economy returned to growth last year and is growing further. The Government must keep saving so there’s more for everyone to spend.

    “As households have more money to spend, and businesses gain confidence to invest and employ, we’ll see more growth, better paying jobs, and more reasons for the next generation to build families and careers in New Zealand.

    “With ACT in Government, we’re doing our part to speed along the recovery, cutting waste in Wellington and stripping back red tape that stops Kiwis from being productive. Let’s stay the course.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: Innovative collaboration for women’s health screening

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Innovative collaboration for women’s health screening

    Published: 20 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for the North Coast, Minister for Regional Health, Minister for Women


    In a first for the NSW North Coast, women will be able to have both their breast and cervical screenings done in a single visit, thanks to a Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) and BreastScreen NSW partnership.

    The Cervical Screening Collaborative is an initiative of MNCLHD’s Women’s Health team, ensuring women have access to timely, effective screening with nursing support throughout the process.

    Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, with more than 70 per cent of cases occurring in people who have never been screened or are overdue for their cervical screening.

    A Cervical Screening Test every five years is recommended for eligible people aged 25 to 74 who have ever been sexually active. A quick and simple procedure, the test looks for a common infection called human papillomavirus (HPV) which causes almost all cervical cancers.

    Under the pilot project, women will be offered a cervical screening appointment at the time of booking their routine breast screening with BreastScreen NSW, allowing them to opt in to the cervical screening.

    The first monthly clinic was held in Port Macquarie with the aim to offer the dual screening service at Coffs Harbour, Lismore, and Tweed Heads in the future.

    For women aged 50-74, a breast screening every two years is still the best way to detect breast cancer early, before it can be seen or felt. Aboriginal women are recommended to start screening at 40 years of age. 

    Any woman who has noticed a change in their breasts, like a lump, should see their doctor without delay. 

    For more information and to make an appointment at a local BreastScreen NSW clinic or mobile van, call 13 20 50 or book online on the BreastScreen NSW website.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

    “Breast and cervical screening can save lives, and I urge all eligible people to get screened when they’re due.

    “This pilot provides a seamless experience where women can choose to attend both breast and cervical screening services at the same time.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Women, Jodie Harrison:

    “Many women have busy lives and often put off important health checks.

    “I encourage all eligible women to make the most of this innovative service and book in for the screenings that could save their life.

    “The integration of these services means they can get both of these important checks done at the same time. It’ll help increase cervical screening rates on the Mid North Coast, ensuring early detection and better health outcomes for women.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for the North Coast, Janelle Saffin:

    “Offering a combination of screenings for breast cancer and cervical cancer is a progressive win for women’s health in Lismore, Tweed Heads and Coffs Harbour.

    “Every woman knows these health checks can be a bit uncomfortable, but they are absolutely necessary.

    “Being able to opt in for this dual screening service is convenient and increases the chances of early detection, potentially saving more women’s lives.”

    Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, Cameron Murphy MLC:

    “This integrated service will be seamless and life saving. We know that early detection of cancer is crucial and hopefully this new combined service prompts every eligible person to use it.”

    Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Tweed, Emily Suvaal MLC:

    “Early detection and prevention are key to delivering effective, timely care that can save lives and provide overall better health outcomes for women.

    “This initiative will provide efficient and easy access to regular screening for women in the Mid-North Coast, helping them to manage their health on top of their busy lives.

    “This is just one part of the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing efforts to improve health outcomes for people in rural and regional New South Wales.”

    Quotes attributable to Professor Tracey O’Brien AM, Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive Cancer Institute NSW:

    “As a working mother I know how busy life gets so it’s fantastic that we can provide a service that makes it easier for women to prioritise their health and get their cervical and breast screening in one location.

    “The self-collection option to the Cervical Screening Test is now giving people a choice on how to do the test, helping break down barriers and encouraging people to take advantage of life-saving screening.”

    Quotes attributable to MNCLHD Women’s Health Clinical Nurse Consultant Renee Bell:

    “We know that time is precious and providing women with the opportunity to fulfil two commitments to their health at one location is both convenient and beneficial.

    “Our Women’s Health team is excited to be able to offer this timely screening process to the women of the Mid North Coast.”

    MIL OSI News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Germany delivers 32 trucks to support aid convoy for Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Germany on Wednesday delivered 32 trucks to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) to join its convoy for aid delivery to Gaza.

    JHCO Secretary-General Hussein Shibli thanked Germany for its continued support, emphasizing the importance of international solidarity in delivering aid to those in urgent need.

    The German Embassy in Jordan, at the handover ceremony, said the Jordanian humanitarian corridor is a “lifeline” for Gaza and its residents, who are in dire need of assistance.

    Due to its strategic geographical position, Jordan has been playing a key role in facilitating the flow of aid into the besieged enclave.

    Additionally, the Jordan Armed Forces’ Royal Medical Services Directorate received the seventh batch of German medical aid, including treatments and equipment. German Ambassador Bertram von Moltke said Germany has supplied Jordanian field hospitals in Gaza with approximately 16 tonnes of medical supplies since 2023. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: US launches new round of airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, other provinces

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Photo taken with a cellphone on March 19, 2025 shows smoke and fire rising from a neighborhood following an airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen. [Photo/Xinhua]

    A new round of U.S. airstrikes struck Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Wednesday evening, wounding at least nine people, including seven women and two children, according to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

    The strikes targeted a building under construction in Sanaa’s Geraf neighborhood, damaging nearby residential structures and injuring civilians sheltering in an adjacent building, the channel reported.

    The attack marked the second U.S. strike on the area since Saturday, when earlier raids killed 53 people and wounded 98, including women and children, according to Houthi-controlled health authorities.

    Wednesday’s strikes also expanded to other regions, with al-Masirah reporting strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in governorates such as Saada, al-Bayda, Hodeidah, and al-Jawf.

    The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, claimed earlier on Wednesday they had launched cruise missiles at the USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea, calling it their fourth such attack in 72 hours.

    The group insists its maritime strikes target only Israeli-linked vessels to pressure Israel to halt its Gaza offensive and allow humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.

    The U.S. military, which began strikes on Houthi targets Saturday, says the campaign aims to protect international shipping lanes.

    U.S. President Donald Trump warned the Houthis on Saturday to cease attacks or face intensified consequences, declaring, “Hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before.”

    MIL OSI China News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tax Reform – New poll shows public don’t want corporate tax cuts

    Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

    Tax Justice Aotearoa welcomes the latest Horizon poll which shows poll only 9% of respondents support a cut to corporate tax rates. (ref. https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360621413/poll-suggests-few-support-corporate-tax-breaks )

    TJA chair Glenn Barclay said the findings aligned with a recent petition organised by Tax Justice Aotearoa in which 13,000 people called on Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis to say NO to corporate tax cuts, in response to their earlier suggestions New Zealand’s corporate tax rates were too high.

    “These signatures were collected in little over three weeks which is an indication of the level of public opposition to corporate tax cuts,” Mr Barclay said.

    “Corporate tax cuts will do little to boost the economy but will instead end up costing us a lot of money – with a 1 percentage point reduction in corporate tax equal to $650m.

    “$650m is nearly the same as Te Whatu Ora’s deficit and is the equivalent of 1,187 hospital bed nights a year.

    “$650m would more than fully fund the School Lunch Programme over two years, or could be used to employ up to 6,300 nurses

    “It is also enough to maintain benefits’ link to wages for four years,” Mr Barclay said.

    “This is money we need when important public services, such as healthcare and school lunches, are under pressure.

    “We also welcome the strong support for a capital gains tax and a wealth tax in this survey, which aligns with surveys we conducted in 2023.

    “We strongly call on the government not to introduce cuts to corporate taxes in this year’s budget.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA President: “Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students”

    Source: US National Education Union

    By: Eric Jotkoff

    Published: March 19, 2025

    Gutting the Department of Education will send class sizes soaring, take away support for students with disabilities, and cut job training programs 

    National Education Association President Becky Pringle released the following statement reacting to Donald Trump’s reported Executive Order pushing to end the Department of Education:    

    “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have aimed their wrecking ball at public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America, by dismantling public education to pay for tax handouts for billionaires.   

    “Last week Trump and Musk fired — without cause — nearly half of the Department of Education staff, trying to get rid of the dedicated public servants who help ensure our nation’s students have access to the services and resources to keep class sizes down, expand learning opportunities for students, and ensure programs like FAFSA can function.  

    “Now, Trump is at it again with his latest effort to gut the Department of Education programs that support every student across the nation. If successful, Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, making higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections.    

    “In moving forward with this, Trump is ignoring what parents and educators know is right for our students. This morning, in hundreds of communities across the nation thousands of families, educators, students, and community leaders joined together outside of neighborhood public schools to rally against taking away resources and support for our students. And, we are just getting started. Every day we are growing our movement to protect our students and public schools.   

    “We won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Together with parents and allies, we will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize so that all students have well-resourced schools that allow every student to grow into their full brilliance.”    

     
    -###- 

     Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org  

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Councils backed with over £500m to restore family services

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Councils backed with over £500m to restore family services

    Funding for preventive services doubled to over half a billion pounds to drive restoration in family and parenting support across every English council.

    More vulnerable children will be prevented from falling through the cracks as the government restores vital family support services, delivering on its plan for change to give every child the best start in life. 

    New guidance sets a clear expectation on all councils and their partners to reform family support services to enable earlier intervention and better protect children from harm.  

    Key reforms include introducing a single ‘front door’ to support services in every local area. This will make it clear to families struggling with complex needs such as mental health issues, disabilities and substance misuse, where and how they can access help. 

    This could mean embracing digital services or bringing different teams and services into an existing setting, such as a family hub. Bringing help from health visitors, housing support teams and mental health specialists into one place, will make it clear to parents where to access help and improve join up with existing universal support. 

    Thousands more family help leads will be matched with families to coordinate support and resources, taking responsibility for getting them the support they need to stop issues escalating. This will importantly end the frustrating experience of vulnerable families being passed from team to team, forced to tell their story time and time again.  

    These radical reforms are all backed by over half a billion pounds for councils in 2025/2026 – double their allocation in previous years – rebuilding the vital support infrastructure needed to reduce the number of children going into care.  These changes are urgently needed, with eight in ten parents unable to access the services they need in their child’s early years.  

    The measures build on the landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to better support vulnerable children. Representing the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation, the bill paves the way for a unique child identifier, like an NHS number, a register of children not in school, and a requirement for every council to have multi-agency child safeguarding teams.

    Minister for Children and Families, Janet Daby said: 

    For too long, vulnerable children and families have been left to struggle – battling fragmented services and receiving support when it’s too late.  

    Backed by over £500m and delivering our Plan for Change, we’re putting an end to this injustice and building back crumbling family support services, to keep children safe and enable more families to achieve and thrive together. 

    Whether seeking help with supporting a child’s development or for substance misuse, families can feel assured that they will get the right help at the right stage, as this government delivers the real change that matters to families.

    The government inherited a broken system, with children and families facing poor outcomes and barriers to opportunity. 

    While spending on services for families at crisis point – which local authorities have a legal duty to provide – has skyrocketed by £4 billion since 2013, investment in early preventative support which isn’t statutory has plummeted by £900m. 

    At the same time, those known to children’s services are seven times more likely to face permanent exclusion from school and care-experienced young people making up around a quarter of the adult prison population. 

    Minister for Children and Families, Janet Daby, visited a children’s centre in Redbridge to hear about the implementation of reforms so far.

    One parent said:

    I want to be the best father I can be for my children, but I was struggling to parent and build meaningful bonds.

    I self-referred myself after finding out about the services online. The team facilitated a plan for me, which included attending a parenting programme to learn more parenting skills and understand how I can improve my relationship with my children. So far, it’s taught me a lot and had a really positive impact on my family.

    Reflecting on their experience, another local parent said:

    After being referred by our school, my family was matched with a coordinator to support challenges with my children’s disabilities. I was facing a lot of red tape and struggling to navigate the system. After providing us with a whole-family plan, my coordinator has made this much smoother and really helped to bridge our relationship with the school. They’ve also made sure I have access to support for lots of other challenges, including mentoring and housing.

    I was hitting lots of walls trying to get help, but the service has really transformed by experience – I wish I’d known about this sooner so I could have referred myself.

    These reforms will driver greater collaboration between agencies, bringing together professionals with different expertise and backgrounds to ensure children don’t fall through the cracks.  

    From the point parents are expecting a baby, support services such as parenting skills, domestic abuse counselling and financial advice will be wrapped around the family, with the needs of the whole family considered throughout their journey.  

    Chief Executive Officer at the National Children’s Bureau, Anna Feuchtwang, said:

    The Families First Partnership Programme has enormous potential to provide earlier support and better address the needs of children within their family networks.

    With further investment in preventative services, shared workforce development and stability, these reforms present a huge opportunity to reorient child and family services towards enabling and supporting wellbeing.

    It is critical that roll out is informed by the ongoing evidence from the FFC pathfinders and that all children, including those with disabilities, are able to benefit.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: New pilot program to strengthen regional manufacturing

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 20 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Regional NSW, Minister for Western New South Wales


    The NSW Government is continuing its commitment to rebuild the state’s manufacturing industry with the launch of an $800,000 pilot program aimed at boosting productivity, reducing costs and increasing competitiveness.

    The Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program will provide small-to-medium-sized manufacturers across regional NSW with funding to undertake audits by professional consultants that will identify ways to re-organise their manufacturing operations.

    Lean manufacturing is an internationally recognised business management process that revolves around the principles of continuous improvement, waste elimination, and a customer-centric approach.

    It focuses on creating products more efficiently by eliminating unnecessary steps, saving time and using fewer materials in the production process. This approach helps businesses produce goods with fewer resources, without compromising on quality.

    More efficient processes mean production lines manufacture fewer products with defects, which in turn reduces operating costs related to providing returns and waste disposal.

    For example, a regional food manufacturer might reorganise production lines to improve efficiency, implement preventative maintenance to reduce equipment breakdowns and implement just-in-time inventory management to reduce excess stock and waste.

    The audits, undertaken as part of the program, will offer tailored recommendations to help businesses identify inefficiencies, streamline operations, reduce waste and increase productivity, while also highlighting training opportunities for staff.

    Several major companies have successfully implemented lean manufacturing to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance productivity over the past decades including Toyota, Ford Motor Company, Boeing, General Electric and Nike.

    Many regional NSW companies such as the Bega Group in Bega, Donaldson Australia on the Central Coast, Belmore Engineering at Tamworth, Flavourtech in Griffith and Tyree Transformers at Braemar have also successfully used lean manufacturing principles.

    Manufacturing is a key driver of the NSW economy, contributing nearly 30 per cent of Australia’s total manufacturing output.

    In regional NSW, the sector generates $32 billion in sales and employs 84,000 workers, reinforcing the need for continued support to strengthen and future-proof the industry.

    Industry research by Binder Dijker Otte (BDO) suggests that adopting lean manufacturing can boost small-to-medium-sized businesses’ profit margins by up to three times, depending on their size and turnover.

    The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development designed the pilot program following in-depth industry consultation, which highlighted the need for more support in adopting lean manufacturing principles to ensure regional manufacturers remain globally competitive.

    The Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program is part of the NSW Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting manufacturing industries across the state as they navigate rising costs and market challenges.

    Expressions of interest for the audits are now open to eligible manufacturers and will close at 4pm on Monday 31 March 2025, with funding allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

    For more information about the program, including guidelines and Expression of Interest details, go to www.nsw.gov.au/LMPP or email economic.programs@dpird.nsw.gov.au.

    Minister for Regional NSW and Western NSW Tara Moriarty, said:

    “The Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program is an important part of our ongoing support for regional manufacturers across the state, helping them overcome the challenges posed by rising supply chain, energy and labour costs.

    “This program is an important step towards ensuring the long-term success of our regional manufacturers.

    “We know that by supporting regional businesses to improve their operations, we’re strengthening the entire economy of regional NSW, creating more local jobs and enhancing the long-term sustainability of our regions.”

    Minister for Industry and Trade, Anoulack Chanthivong said:

    “NSW manufacturing fell in nine out of 12 years under the previous Liberal-National Government, and the Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program is a prime example of how the Minns Labor Government is working to rebuild local manufacturing right across the state.

    “Support for local manufacturing is also an integral part of the Minns Labor Government’s recently released Industry Policy.

    “Central to the Industry Policy are three new local manufacturing targets, which demonstrate a real commitment to supporting local manufacturing to promote a dynamic, sustainable, and diversified economy.”

    HunterNet Chief Executive Officer Ivan Waterfield said:

    “Lean manufacturing plays a crucial role in the future of the NSW manufacturing sector. By focusing on eliminating waste and improving efficiency, it helps manufacturers reduce costs and enhance productivity.

    “In a time of scarce resources, a strong Lean culture helps manufacturing companies improve their efficiency and their P&L.

    “The Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program by the NSW Government is a significant step towards supporting regional manufacturers in becoming more competitive on a global scale and is something that HunterNet fully supports and endorses.”

    MIL OSI News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: 81-2025: Transition phase of the Highly compliant importer project

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    20 March 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    All importers and customs brokers who lodge imported cargo eligible under the Highly Compliant Importer Project (HCIP).

    Background

    The highly compliant importer project (HCIP), implemented in July 2018, is an initiative to reduce intervention for compliant importers and ensure departmental resources are focused on high-risk priorities. The following import industry advice notices have been published in relation to the…

    MIL OSI News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Enhanced urgent care service for Napier

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed.

    “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to receive afterhours care for urgent problems close to home,” says Mr Brown.

    “Not only will the existing service be retained, Health New Zealand has agreed to enhance the overnight service so that Napier residents can receive more comprehensive care such as access to nurse prescribers, plus overnight medical support from a doctor via telehealth.

    “This is a significant improvement on the status quo and means that the local community will have access to a better service, delivered from Napier Health at 76 Wellesley Road, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    “Work has been underway since the end of 2024 to develop a sustainable model of care for urgent care services in the area.

    “Significant feedback was gathered during consultation on how a better and safer patient experience could be delivered. The enhanced service will include:
     

    • The existing nurse-provided walk in service
    • An additional nurse with the ability to prescribe
    • An overnight telehealth medical service

    “Urgent care supports patients with non-life-threatening illnesses who need to see a medical professional quickly and who can’t wait until the following day for medical attention.

    “Nurses will also now be able to connect directly with a doctor overnight if required or schedule a later virtual appointment for the patient. This is a practical option to ensure the people of Napier have access to a doctor for urgent, but non-life threatening, care. This will further strengthen the ability of the overnight nurse led service to be able to support patients.

    “As has always been the case, anyone requiring emergency care should go to the Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers Memorial Hospital’s emergency department or call 111 for an ambulance.

    “My focus as Minister of Health is ensuring New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare.

    “I am pleased that Health New Zealand has been able to provide certainty to the people of Napier that they will continue to have access to overnight urgent care, now and in the future.

    “I want to thank everyone who has advocated for this service being retained, including local MP Katie Nimon who has been a staunch advocate for the retention of this service, which was put in place following the closure of Napier Hospital in 1998,” Mr Brown says.

    In addition to the enhanced service announced today, Health New Zealand will consider future options to supplement the service such as an on-call clinical pharmacist to support medication dispensing. 
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Q&A: What is a blue-green network?

    Source: Auckland Council

    A blue-green network is a system of waterways (blue) and parks (green) that give stormwater space to flow and help reduce flooding where people live.

    After severe weather events in 2023, Auckland Council prioritised blue-green projects to better protect our communities from flooding.

    As part of our Making Space for Water 10-year flood resilience programme, we identified 12 focus areas around the region that could benefit the most from a blue-green project.

    What has the council been doing to reduce flood risk in Auckland?

    We have been working hard to assess all the potential project areas to decide if there is an infrastructure solution that can deliver significant flood reduction to the community and that is affordable for ratepayers.

    These assessments are very complex, they involve multiple stages of research, analysis and decision making before a feasible solution can be presented to the council’s Governing Body and central government funding partners for approval. If approved, further stages of design, consenting and engagement are undertaken before a project is ready to construct. This process before construction generally takes 2-3 years.

    Why has the amount of funding allocated to these projects changed?

    Following major 2023 storms, a co-funding package with the Government has given us the opportunity to ‘retreat’ high-risk homes and deliver some key resilience projects sooner than expected.

    Within this funding package, buy-outs have been the first priority to get high-risk homeowners out of harm’s way. Now that we understand more which high-risk areas still need mitigations, and how much funding we have remaining from the package, we can start prioritising flood resilience projects.

    What is the process for delivering the blue green projects?

    While we are working as quickly as possible, we can’t progress all projects at the same time, so they’ll be developed and delivered across several years.

    Central and local government representatives will work together to guide each project through a five-stage process. At each stage decisions will need to be made which will determine whether the project can proceed to the next stage.

    Our staged approach is crucial due to the scale of these projects – they’re expensive and can be disruptive. We want to ensure value for Aucklanders.

    As these projects are made up of a number of connected works and they will make a huge difference to those that live in the area, we will be working together with iwi and the community in prioritised project areas and setting up opportunities in the coming months to meet and start to gather their input to help shape the designs.

    What stage is each project at?

    Two projects in Māngere have already been prioritised, with construction starting soon, because they could be delivered in a reasonable timeframe to reduce the risk to life for local homes.

    Feasibility assessments have been completed for all 12 areas originally identified in the blue-green networks initiative.

    In Ōpoutūkeha / Cox’s Creek, Grey Lynn and Meola-Epsom, much of the flood risk has been managed through the voluntary buy-out programme. Removing these houses will give sufficient space for water to flow.

    Finding a suitable solution to reduce flooding for the Kumeū River catchment has been challenging. The council, with engineering experts, has thoroughly explored several options including building stop banks, extending a flood way, diverting the river, and creating detention ponds upstream.

    Although a lot of work has gone into these ideas, none are feasible due to high costs, environmental impacts, and the high level of residual flood risk faced by the community. We are now working with other council teams and the government to find the best solutions for the community.

    The remaining blue-green projects will take longer to develop as they will need to be funded by the council through the Long-term Plan process. We will aim to deliver these projects over the following 10 years. In areas where larger scale projects cannot be funded right now, we will look for ways to accelerate smaller works that may help to reduce the impacts of lower-level flooding.

    Blue-Green project status

    Project area funding source status

    Project area funding source status

    Project area funding source status

    ·       Harania Creek, Māngere

    ·       Te Ararata Stream, Māngere.

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Funding approved, community engagement underway.

    Construction expected to start April/ May 2025.

    ·       Rānui / Clover Drive

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Council funding approved, pending crown business case approval.

    ·       Wairau Valley

    Crown / Auckland Council

    Community engagement underway.

    Business case being developed.

    ·       Whangapouri (Pukekohe)

    ·       Te Auaunga (Mt Roskill)

    TBC (currently unfunded)

    Early design and modelling underway.

    ·       Whau Stream (Blockhouse Bay / Lynfield)

    ·       Opanuku Stream (Henderson)

    ·       Porter’s Stream

    TBC (currently unfunded)

    Potential options identified.

    ·       Cox’s Creek

    ·       Epsom

    ·       Kumeū

    N/A

    Not progressing through blue-green networks initiative.

    Alternative projects may be scoped in future if required.


    What are the current priorities for development?

    Projects in Harania Creek and Te Ararata Stream are underway and expected to start construction later this year.

    A detailed prioritisation analysis has determined that Clover Drive in Rānui is the next area proposed to progress. Auckland Council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee approved funding in February 2025.

    This area was identified as the next priority based on several criteria due to its potential for reducing risk to life, improving community health and wellbeing, and delivering economic benefits to residents and businesses. Addressing flooding risks in this area also stands to lead to improved water quality and broader environmental benefits. Approval to progress is also required from Crown, with a decision expected in March.

    How does Wairau Valley fit into the overall plan?

    Given the Wairau Valley’s size and the complexity of required mitigations, addressing flooding issues requires a phased approach. This will involve significant long-term investment, community input, and collaboration. The council will be promoting opportunities for the community to participate and provide input into early designs to maximise local benefits before submitting a detailed business case in the coming months. A catchment-wide approach will ensure optimal outcomes for the community.

    This flood resilience work will bring many additional benefits to the community, including better water quality, more open space, improved biodiversity, and better connectivity. We look forward to working together to develop and deliver these improvements.

    What else is being done to reduce flooding in blue-green areas in the meantime?

    We understand that residents may feel anxious about more storms and heavy rain, especially if they were seriously affected in the 2023 storms.

    For those areas that have not been prioritised in this phase but are still included in the blue-green programme, early design and modelling is underway so that projects are ready to progress as soon as funding can be allocated.

    Maintenance and monitoring of critical waterways and infrastructure has been increased to help to improve water flow during smaller storms. We are also looking at other opportunities such as flood intelligence and flood warning systems that will help to reduce risks from severe weather events. Alongside this we continue to update our flood modelling data so that we can base our decisions and recommendations on the most up-to-date information and better prepare and support Aucklanders when future weather events occur.

    Guides offering property level advice to reduce the impacts of flooding in multiple languages can be found on Flood Viewer and in libraries across the region.

    What are the plans for the vacant land once Category 3 houses are cleared?

    More than 1,200 high-risk Auckland properties are expected to be purchased by Auckland Council before the end of 2025 – making it one of the largest land acquisition programmes undertaken in New Zealand.

    We are carefully deciding what to do with this storm-affected land, with decisions expected to take years.

    We want to ensure Auckland’s land is used effectively to provide homes and maintain strong communities, while managing risk and reducing the financial impact to ratepayers.

    If we keep the land, options for use could include:

    • flood resilience and stream management

    • adding it to neighbouring parkland or bush

    • managing it as high-hazard land.

    If we don’t keep the land, options could include:

    • sale for safe redevelopment

    • sale with conditions to manage the risk (such as converting ground floor units to storage)

    • sale to neighbours for extra backyard space.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to platform trial looking at the efficacy of anti-amyloid drugs to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s related dementia

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    March 19, 2025

    A platform trial published in The Lancet Neurology looks at the efficacy of anti-amyloid drugs that could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

    Prof Robert Howard, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, UCL, said:

    “The press release claims that gantenerumab treatment can delay or prevent the appearance of dementia, but this is not supported by the data and could give false hope to patients and their families about what treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are able to do.

    “Anyone who understands how to look at the results of a clinical trial will recognise that this paper reports the failure of gantenerumab to show treatment efficacy on any prespecified clinical outcomes in randomised controlled comparisons between drug and placebo. And, sadly, because of this and other negative trials, development of gantenerumab has been abandoned.

    “However, the authors carried out many further analyses from a small number of participants who chose to continue treatment in an open-label extension to the randomised controlled trial. Because this was an open-label extension, there was no randomly allocated placebo group to compare the effects of treatment to. Instead, the results from an “extended control” group were used for comparison and a large number of differently defined treatment groups were run through the analyses, increasing the risk that any apparent differences with treatment would be due to chance. For these reasons, no responsible clinical trialist should claim on the basis of these data to have shown a 50% lowering of the risk of developing dementia symptoms. If you look at the wording of the Summary of the published paper, you will see that such a claim does not appear, as presumably the scientific peer reviewers and editorial staff would not have permitted such a misleading overstatement to be published in the Journal.

    “I hope that journalists will question why the conclusions of the peer reviewed article are so different from the headline content of the press release and won’t disseminate what is unhelpful misinformation about the potential of a drug to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

     

    Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation, Alzheimer’s Society, said:

    “As with all antiamyloid trials, this study stemmed from research funded by Alzheimer’s Society, shedding light on the role of amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease.  

    “These exciting early-stage results hint that long-term antiamyloid treatments, started before Alzheimer’s disease symptoms appear, could potentially delay symptom onset. 

    “However, these results need to be treated with caution; this trial focuses on a very small group of individuals with genetic forms of Alzheimer’s disease. Longer-term follow up of this group and larger studies will tell us more about the effect of these drugs in these types of Alzheimer’s. 

    “Ultimately, the field hopes to see similar progress in preventative trials of antiamyloid treatments in people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life, which affects the majority of people with dementia. 

    “This is a hugely exciting time in dementia research and there is hope on the horizon for all affected by this condition – research will beat dementia.”  

     

    Prof Charles Marshall, Professor of Clinical Neurology, Queen Mary University of London, said:

    “This study focusses on a rare group of people with genetic mutations that cause Alzheimer’s disease that runs in famiilies. These people are of particular interest because we know for certain that they will develop Alzheimer’s disease, and can estimate when they are likely to develop it, making them an ideal group to evaluate preventive treatments.

    “It seems from these results that if treated for long enough with a drug that reduces amyloid beta protein in the brain we can delay the development of symptoms in those who will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and this is very exciting. There are two major limitations of the study. The first is that it was a secondary evaluation of a relatively small number of people who were treated for a long time, and therefore the results are not as certain as they would have been if they were the main trial result. The other limitation is that gantenerumab is not nearly as effective as some of the other amyloid reducing treatments that are now available, suggesting that we may be able to do even better than these results suggest.

    “I look forward to seeing more results from the other treatments that are now being given in this trial. It is giving tremendous hope to the families that have these rare genetic mutations, and these results suggest that in years to come we may have preventive treatments to offer them.”

     

    Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and President of the British Neuroscience Association said:

    “This study by Bateman and colleagues shows promising preliminary results of an experimental treatment in people with rare inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease.  People who inherited a gene that causes early onset Alzheimer’s disease received the drug gantenerumab to remove sticky amyloid pathology before they developed symptoms.  Scientists observed that the 22 people who took the drug for the longest (an average of 8 years)  had delayed progression of cognitive symptoms.  While this study is important scientifically as evidence that amyloid-lowering drugs may potentially be able to delay symptom onset,  there are several important limitations to consider.  As the authors acknowledge, the delay in symptom onset with treatment was only found in people who were treated for an average of 8 years, probably because amyloid pathology accumulates in the brain for at least 10 years before symptom onset.  This study also did not include a control group receiving placebo alongside the drug which is a very important control.  Further, the drug used in this study, gantenerumab, has been discontinued by the company that developed it because it did not slow symptoms of the more common non-genetic forms of Alzheimer’s disease in a trial with over 1,900 participants.  While this study does not conclusively prove that Alzheimer’s disease onset can be delayed and uses a drug that will not likely be available, the results are scientifically promising.”

    ‘Safety and efficacy of long-term gantenerumab treatment in dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s disease: an open label extension of the phase 2/3 multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled platform DIAN-TU Trial’ by Bateman et al. was published in Lancet Neurology at 23:30 UK time on Wednesday 19th March. 

    Declared interests:

    Prof Robert Howard “No COIs”

    Dr Richard Oakley “this study stemmed from research funded by Alzheimer’s Society” as this is factually accurate.”

    Prof Charles Marshall “I have no relevant conflicts”

    Prof Tara Spires-Jones  “I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several charities and non-profit institutions.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Construction begins on new adult mental health building in Christchurch

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. 

    “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says.

    “Improving health infrastructure is a priority for the Government to ensure patients have access to timely, quality healthcare, including mental health services.

    “This important project will provide 80 inpatient beds for adults with acute needs and is part of an ongoing transformation of mental health facilities in Canterbury and around New Zealand.

    “The design of this facility incorporates features from previous builds and has been designed to provide contemporary mental health services and a safer environment for people with mental health needs.”

    The Hillmorton Campus redevelopment will continue over the next 10–15 years, ensuring services meet the needs of the community now and in the future.

    “We know that in order to improve outcomes and experiences for people with mental health needs, facilities need to be modern and fit-for-purpose. This project reflects our commitment to delivering such facilities,” Mr Doocey says.

    “The redevelopment of Hillmorton Campus will improve the whole adult inpatient service, ensuring a broader range of options are available to clinical teams to better support people in their time of greatest need.

    “The impact of this enhanced continuum of care across services will be immense, leading to improved mental health outcomes and more seamless transitions for the patient back into the community.” 

    The new facility is expected to be completed at the end of 2027 and is being delivered by Naylor Love.
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Brockport woman awaiting sentencing for committing fraud, charged once again with bank fraud and making false statements

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Patricia Hutchins, 53, of Brockport, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with making a false statement and bank fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in July 2021, U.S. Postal Inspectors executed a search warrant at Hutchins’ Rochester and seized documents, cash, and electronic devices that were either used in or derived from various wire fraud schemes, including Unemployment Insurance fraud, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud, and elder fraud. In October 2022, Hutchins was arrested on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. On May 1, 2024, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and is awaiting sentencing on that charge, which is scheduled for April 15, 2025. As part of her plea agreement, Hutchins must pay restitution to two victims: $20,052.00 to reimburse a financial institution for a fraudulent PPP loan disbursement $25,100.00 to an elderly individual who had been duped into “paying off a debt for a friend” by sending that money to Hutchins.

    On October 16, 2024, Hutchins appeared in federal court for sentencing. At that time, she stated that she had invested the entire proceeds of her home sale in a retirement account and did not have any money for restitution. As a result, her sentencing was delayed. On December 4, 2024, Hutchins appeared once again for sentencing. This time, she advised the court that she had given all of her money to an individual whom she believed to be country music recording artist Kenny Chesney, who had agreed to invest it for her. Hutchins had already used this excuse—that she was scammed by a person whom she believed was Kenny Chesney—twice before. Hutchins ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud with the individual whom she claimed to believe was Kenny Chesney.

    According to the latest complaint against Hutchins, the proceeds from the sale of her residence were deposited into her bank account, approximately one month before her scheduled sentencing on October 16, 2024. In the month leading up to the sentencing, she pulled approximately $15,000.00 out of the account, making numerous $250.00 gift card purchases at merchants such as Walgreens, Tops, Wegman’s, Lowe’s, and Home Depot. After the original sentencing was adjourned, and she was directed by the Court to gather funds to pay restitution, Hutchins continued to make regular gift card purchases totaling approximately $8,500.00. As of November 29, 2024, there was approximately $1,000 left in her account. In addition, Hutchins is accused of fraud involving two credit card accounts.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to receipt of child pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dylan C. Irvin, 26, of Bradford, PA, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that sometime in June or July 2023, Irvin engaged in sexual activity with a 13-year-old female (victim). Irvin used his cellular telephone to record the sexual activity and then received the video on a Snapchat account he controlled. On March 5, 2024, Irvin was arrested on state charges related to the sexual contact, at which time his cell phone was seized. A search of the phone recovered the video of Irvin and the victim.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler.

    Sentencing is scheduled for May 28, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: North American Construction Group Ltd. Announces Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ACHESON, Alberta, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — North American Construction Group Ltd. (“NACG”) (TSX:NOA/NYSE:NOA) today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024. Unless otherwise indicated, figures are expressed in Canadian dollars with comparisons to prior periods ended December 31, 2023.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights:

    • Combined revenue of $372.7 million, compared to $405.4 million in the same period last year. Reported revenue of $305.6 million, compared to $328.3 million in the same period last year, was generated by our wholly owned subsidiaries as incremental scopes and strong equipment utilization of 82% in Australia were more than offset by lower demand for our Canadian heavy equipment fleet when comparing to 2023 Q4.
    • Our net share of revenue from equity consolidated joint ventures was $67.1 million in 2024 Q4 and compared to $77.1 million in the same period last year as the consistency in the Fargo and MNALP joint ventures were offset by lower scopes being completed within the Nuna Group of Companies.
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $103.7 million and margin of 27.8% compared favorably to the prior period operating metrics of $101.1 million and 24.9%, respectively, as operational excellence in both Australia and Canada drove margin improvements.
    • Combined gross profit for the quarter was $54.3 million and a margin of 14.6%. When adjusting for $10.1 million of integration costs incurred and $8.9 million of claims extinguished to secure long-term contracts, the resulting 19.7% reflects operational performance and compares favorably to 18.3% posted in the same period last year.
    • Cash flows generated from operating activities of $97.0 million were lower than the $168.6 million generated in the prior period as higher cash generation from the strong EBITDA was offset by the temporary impact of changes to working capital in the quarter.
    • Free cash flow generated in the quarter was $50.5 million as operational earnings were offset by routine capital maintenance and cash interest expenses with working capital and capital work in process balances generating positive cash in the quarter.
    • Net debt was $856.2 million at December 31, 2024, a decrease of $26.3 million from September 30, 2024, as free cash flow generation and the impact of a stronger CAD/AUD exchange rate were offset by growth spending, the NCIB program, and the dividend payment .
    • Additional highlights include: i) in November, we were awarded a $125 million heavy civil construction project primarily to construct diversion channels; ii) in December, we announced an extended and amended regional services contract, valued at $500 million, with a major producer in the oil sands region; iii) also in December, we were awarded a $100 million early works contract by a copper producer in the Australian state of New South Wales; iv) by the end of the year, we surpassed the 60% completion mark at the Fargo-Moorhead flood diversion project; and v) completed go-live activities for the ERP system in Australia during the quarter.

    Joe Lambert, President and CEO, stated, “Once again, I would like to thank our operations team for their safe and efficient performance this quarter. The recent contract awards in Australia and Canada speak for themselves but are a testament to the quality and reputation of our operating teams. We’re off to a fast and robust start this year, and we couldn’t be more excited about completing the work our customers have awarded us. We see opportunities and tailwinds in the heavy civil infrastructure and mining industries in Australia and North America and are diligently advancing efforts to win scopes based on the reputation we have in the respective regions.”

    Consolidated Financial Highlights
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Revenue   $ 305,590     $ 328,282     $ 1,165,787     $ 964,680  
    Cost of sales     218,834       220,672       789,056       678,528  
    Depreciation     44,765       41,990       166,683       131,319  
    Gross profit   $ 41,991     $ 65,620     $ 210,048     $ 154,833  
    Gross profit margin     13.7 %     20.0 %     18.0 %     16.1 %
    General and administrative expenses (excluding stock-based compensation)(i)     13,696       18,702       47,245       41,016  
    Stock-based compensation expense     5,625       (496 )     8,706       15,828  
    Operating income     22,544       45,944       153,330       96,330  
    Interest expense, net     14,401       14,007       59,340       36,948  
    Net income     4,808       17,646       44,085       63,141  
                     
    Adjusted EBITDA(i)     103,714       101,136       390,258       296,963  
    Adjusted EBITDA margin(i)(ii)     27.8 %     24.9 %     27.6 %     23.2 %
                     
    Per share information                
    Basic net income per share   $ 0.18     $ 0.66     $ 1.65     $ 2.38  
    Diluted net income per share   $ 0.19     $ 0.58     $ 1.52     $ 2.09  
    Adjusted EPS(i)   $ 1.00     $ 0.87     $ 3.73     $ 2.83  

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
    (ii)Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated using adjusted EBITDA over total combined revenue.

        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows                
    Cash provided by operating activities   $ 96,989     $ 168,569     $ 217,607     $ 278,090  
    Cash used in investing activities     (75,764 )     (137,756 )     (274,683 )     (244,879 )
    Effect of exchange rate on changes in cash     1,400       (4,532 )     353       (5,994 )
    Add back of growth and non-cash items included in the above figures:                
    Acquisition of MacKellar(i)     —       51,671       —       51,671  
    Acquisition costs     —       5,934       —       7,095  
    Buyout of BNA Remanufacturing LP     4,210       —       4,210       —  
    Growth capital additions(ii)     23,646       35,941       84,633       40,416  
    Capital additions financed by leases(ii)     —       (931 )     (14,157 )     (28,159 )
    Free cash flow(ii)   $ 50,481     $ 118,896     $ 17,963     $ 98,240  

    (i)Acquisition of MacKellar is the purchase price less cash acquired.
    (ii)See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.

    Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2024

    Revenue from wholly-owned entities was $305.6 million, down from $328.3 million in the same period last year. The quarter-over-quarter reduction reflects a reduction in overall work scopes in the Heavy Equipment – Canada segment due to a reduction in equipment utilization to 54%, compared to 65% in 2023 Q4, largely offset by improved performance in the Heavy Equipment – Australia segment. Revenue generated in that segment of $160.3 million includes a strong contribution from MacKellar of $155.4 million, up from $122.5 million in Q4 of last year, as the group commences work on new contracts and increases equipment utilization at existing sites. Eliminations in the quarter largely relate to equipment maintenance performed by the Heavy Equipment – Canada segment on MacKellar equipment.

    Gross profit was $42.0 million, representing 13.7% of revenue, compared to $65.6 million and a 20.0% gross margin in the same period last year. The decline was primarily driven by lower contributions from the Heavy Equipment – Canada segment. Cost of sales for the quarter totaled $218.8 million, down from $220.7 million in the prior-period, reflecting lower overall revenue levels. Gross profit in the Heavy Equipment – Canada segment was impacted by the $8.9 million customer claim extinguishment as part of a four-year $500 million contract extension executed in December 2024. Gross profit in the Heavy Equipment – Australia segment was impacted by $10.1 million of integration costs, primarily transportation of haul trucks from North America to Australia.

    General and administrative expenses (excluding stock-based compensation expense) were $13.7 million, or 4.5% of revenue, for the three months ended December 31, 2024, down from $18.7 million, or 5.7% of revenue, in the same period last year. The current year decrease is due to the inclusion of non-recurring MacKellar acquisition costs totaling $5.9 million in the prior year, offset by spend related to increased activity levels in the Heavy Equipment – Australia segment.

    Cash related interest expense of $13.7 million represents an average cost of debt of 6.7% (compared to $13.2 million and 8.8%, respectively, for the three months ended December 31, 2023). The increase in interest expense is primarily attributed to a higher balance on the Credit Facility, along with greater equipment financing—mainly from the addition of MacKellar—partially offset by the elimination of our customer supply chain financing arrangement late in Q3.

    Net income of $4.8 million in Q4 2024, compared to $17.6 million in the same period last year, was lower due to the lower gross profit factors discussed above, partially offset by lower general and administrative expenses and improved results from the equity joint ventures.

    Free cash flow in the quarter was $50.5 million, driven primarily by adjusted EBITDA of $103.7 million less sustaining capital spending of $47.7 million and cash interest paid of $13.7 million.

    Liquidity

    Including equipment financing availability and factoring in the amended Credit Facility agreement, total available capital liquidity of $275.3 million includes total liquidity of $170.6 million, $86.7 million of unused finance lease borrowing availability, and $17.9 million of unused other borrowing availability as at December 31, 2024. Liquidity is primarily provided by the terms of our $522.6 million credit facility which allows for funds availability based on a trailing twelve-month EBITDA as defined in the agreement, and is now scheduled to expire in October 2027.

    Business Updates

    Strategic Focus Areas for 2025

    • Safety – maintain our uncompromising commitment to health and safety while elevating the standard of excellence in the field, particularly with regards to front-line leadership training;
    • Operational excellence – put into action practical and experienced-based protocols to ensure predictable high-quality project execution in Australia;
    • Execution – enhance equipment availability in Canada through improved fleet maintenance, equipment telematics and reliability programs, technical improvements and management systems;
    • Integration – utilize recently implemented ERP at MacKellar Group to optimize business processes to lower overall costs and improve working capital management;
    • Organic growth – based on strong site operating performance, leverage customer satisfaction to earn contract extensions and expansions;
    • Diversification – pursue diversification of customers and resources through strategic partnerships, industry expertise and investment in Indigenous joint ventures; and
    • Sustainability – further develop and deliver into our environmental, social and governance goals.

    Outlook for 2025

    The following table provides projected key measures for 2025 and actual results of 2024 and 2023. The measures for 2025 are predicated on contracts currently in place, including expected renewals and the heavy equipment fleet that we own and operate.

    Key measures   2023 Actual   2024 Actual   2025 Outlook
    Combined revenue(i)   $1.3B   $1.4B   $1.4 – $1.6B
    Adjusted EBITDA(i)   $297M   $390M   $415 – $445M
    Sustaining capital(i)   $169M   $166M   $180 – $200M
    Adjusted EPS(i)   $2.83   $3.73   $3.70 – $4.00
    Free cash flow(i)   $90M   $18M   $130 – $150M
                 
    Capital allocation            
    Growth spending(i)   $40M   $85M   $65 – $75M
    Net debt leverage(i)   1.7x   2.2x   Targeting 1.7x

    (i)See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.

    Conference Call and Webcast

    Management will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss our financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024, tomorrow, Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 9:00 am Eastern Time (7:00 am Mountain Time).

    The call can be accessed by dialing:

    Toll free: 1-800-717-1738
    Conference ID: 71653

    A replay will be available through April 20, 2025, by dialing:

    Toll Free: 1-888-660-6264
    Conference ID: 71653
    Playback Passcode: 71653

    A slide deck for the webcast will be available for download the evening prior to the call and will be found on the company’s website at www.nacg.ca/presentations/

    The live presentation and webcast can be accessed at:

    https://onlinexperiences.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowUUID=70DEA77D-C2B3-4C4B-80EF-A1303C5C95BF

    A replay will be available until April 20, 2025, using the link provided.

    Basis of Presentation

    We have prepared our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“US GAAP”). Unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts discussed are in Canadian dollars. Please see the Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024, for further detail on the matters discussed in this release. In addition to the MD&A, please reference the dedicated 2024 Q4 Results Presentation for more information on our results and projections which can be found on our website under Investors – Presentations.

    Change in significant accounting policy – Basis of presentation

    During the first quarter of 2024, we changed our accounting policy for the elimination of its proportionate share of profit from downstream sales to affiliates and joint ventures to record through equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. Prior to this change, we eliminated our proportionate share of profit on downstream sales to affiliates and joint ventures through revenue and cost of sales. The change in accounting policy simplifies the presentation for downstream profit eliminations and has no cumulative impact on retained earnings. We have accounted for the change retrospectively in accordance with the requirements of US GAAP Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 250 by restating the comparative period. For details of retrospective changes, refer to note 25 in the consolidated financial statements.

    Accounting pronouncements recently adopted

    Segment reporting

    The Company adopted the new standard for segment reporting that is effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2024. In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting: Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. This accounting standard update was issued to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The Company has updated its disclosures to reflect the additional requirements.

    Recent accounting pronouncements not yet adopted

    Joint venture formations

    In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-05, Business Combinations – Joint Venture Formations. This accounting standard update was issued to create new requirements for valuing contributions made to a joint venture upon formation. This standard is effective January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. We are assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Income taxes

    In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes: Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. This accounting standard update was issued to increase transparency by improving income tax disclosures primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. This standard is effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. We are assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Stock compensation

    In March 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-01, Compensation – Stock Compensation. This accounting standard update was issued to reduce complexity in determining if profit interest awards are subject to Topic 718 and to reduce diversity in practice. This standard is effective for annual statements for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2025. The Company is assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Debt with conversion options

    In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-04, Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options. This accounting standard update was issued to improve the relevance and consistency in application of the induced conversion guidance in Subtopic 470-20. This standard is effective for annual statements for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2026. The Company is assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Expense disaggregation

    In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income – Expense Disaggregation Disclosures. This accounting standard update was issued to require public entities to disclose additional information about specific expense categories in the notes to financial statements. This standard is effective for annual statements for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2027. We are assessing the impact the adoption of this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.

    Forward-Looking Information

    The information provided in this release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “should” or similar expressions and include guidance with respect to financial metrics provided in our outlook for 2025.

    The material factors or assumptions used to develop the above forward-looking statements include, and the risks and uncertainties to which such forward-looking statements are subject, are highlighted in the MD&A for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements because of any number of factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond NACG’s control. Undue reliance should not be placed upon forward-looking statements and NACG undertakes no obligation, other than those required by applicable law, to update or revise those statements. For more complete information about NACG, please read our disclosure documents filed with the SEC and the CSA. These free documents can be obtained by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or on the CSA website at www.sedarplus.ca and on our company website at www.nacg.ca.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release presents certain non-GAAP financial measures, non-GAAP ratios, and supplementary financial measures that may be useful to investors in analyzing our business performance, leverage, and liquidity. A non-GAAP financial measure is defined by relevant regulatory authorities as a numerical measure of an issuer’s historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flow that is not specified, defined or determined under the issuer’s GAAP and that is not presented in an issuer’s financial statements. A “non-GAAP ratio” is a ratio, fraction, percentage or similar expression that has a non-GAAP financial measure as one or more of its components. Non-GAAP financial measures and ratios do not have standardized meanings under GAAP and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. They should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A “supplementary financial measure” is a financial measure disclosed, or intended to be disclosed, on a periodic basis to depict historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that does not fall within the definition of a non-GAAP financial measure or non-GAAP ratio. The non-GAAP financial measures and ratios we present include, “adjusted EBIT”, “adjusted EBITDA”, “adjusted EBITDA margin” “adjusted EPS”, “adjusted net earnings”, “backlog”, “capital additions”, “capital expenditures, net”, “capital inventory”, “capital work in progress”, “cash liquidity”, “cash related interest expense”, “cash provided by operating activities prior to change in working capital”, “combined backlog”, “combined gross profit”, “combined gross profit margin”, “equity investment depreciation and amortization”, “equity investment EBIT”, “equity method investment backlog”, “free cash flow”, “general and administrative expenses (excluding stock-based compensation)”, “growth capital”, “growth spending”, “invested capital”, “margin”, “net debt”, “net debt leverage”, “share of affiliate and joint venture capital additions”, “sustaining capital”, “total capital liquidity”, “total combined revenue”, and “total debt”. We also use supplementary financial measures such as “gross profit margin” and “total net working capital (excluding cash and current portion of long-term debt)” in our MD&A. Each non-GAAP financial measure used in this press release is defined under “Financial Measures” in our Management’s Discussion and Analysis filed on EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or on the CSA website at www.sedarplus.ca and on our company website at www.nacg.ca.

    Reconciliation of total reported revenue to total combined revenue
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024     2023(ii)     2024       2023(ii)  
    Revenue from wholly-owned entities per financial statements   $ 305,590     $ 328,282     $ 1,165,787     $ 964,680  
    Share of revenue from investments in affiliates and joint ventures     134,348       169,662       517,137       686,299  
    Elimination of joint venture subcontract revenue     (67,200 )     (92,522 )     (267,595 )     (369,891 )
    Total combined revenue(i)   $ 372,738     $ 405,422     $ 1,415,329     $ 1,281,088  

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
    (ii)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    Reconciliation of reported gross profit to combined gross profit
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024   2023(ii)     2024   2023(ii)
    Gross profit from wholly-owned entities per financial statements   $ 41,991   $ 65,620   $ 210,048   $ 154,833
    Share of gross profit from investments in affiliates and joint ventures     12,283     8,670     49,455     49,638
    Combined gross profit(i)   $ 54,274   $ 74,290   $ 259,503   $ 204,471

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
    (ii)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    Reconciliation of net income to adjusted net earnings, adjusted EBIT and adjusted EBITDA
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net income   $ 4,808     $ 17,646     $ 44,085     $ 63,141  
    Adjustments:                
    Stock-based compensation expense (benefit)     5,625       (496 )     8,706       15,828  
    Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment     126       1,470       767       1,659  
    Write-down on assets held for sale     —       —       4,181       —  
    Change in fair value of contingent obligation from adjustments to estimates     9,464       —       36,049       —  
    (Gain) loss on derivative financial instruments     (4,797 )     916       (3,952 )     (6,063 )
    Equity investment (gain) loss on derivative financial instruments     (201 )     (713 )     2,633       (1,362 )
    Equity investment restructuring costs     —       —       4,517       —  
    Loss on equity investment customer bankruptcy claim settlement     —       —       —       759  
    Loss on extinguishment of customer claim     8,866       —       8,866       —  
    Post-acquisition asset relocation and integration costs     10,111       —       10,111       —  
    Acquisition costs     —       5,934       —       7,095  
    Tax effect of the above items     (7,197 )     (1,589 )     (16,169 )     (5,829 )
    Adjusted net earnings(i)   $ 26,805     $ 23,168     $ 99,794     $ 75,228  
    Adjustments:                
    Tax effect of the above items     7,197       1,589       16,169       5,829  
    Interest expense, net     14,401       14,007       59,340       36,948  
    Equity investment EBIT(i)(iii)     5,076       1,622       12,228       24,929  
    Equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures(iii)     (5,754 )     (2,236 )     (15,299 )     (25,199 )
    Change in fair value of contingent obligations     4,797       4,681       17,157       4,681  
    Income tax expense     (375 )     10,930       15,950       22,822  
    Adjusted EBIT(i)   $ 52,147     $ 53,761     $ 205,339     $ 145,238  
    Adjustments:                
    Depreciation and amortization     45,093       42,277       167,937       132,516  
    Write-down on assets held for sale     —       —       (4,181 )     —  
    Equity investment depreciation and amortization(i)     6,474       5,098       21,163       19,209  
    Adjusted EBITDA(i)   $ 103,714     $ 101,136     $ 390,258     $ 296,963  
    Adjusted EBITDA margin(i)(ii)     27.8 %     24.9 %     27.6 %     23.2 %

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
    (ii)Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated using adjusted EBITDA over total combined revenue.
    (iii)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    Reconciliation of equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures to equity investment EBIT
        Three months ended   Year ended
        December 31,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands)     2024     2023(ii)     2024       2023(ii)  
    Equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures   $ 5,754     $ 2,236     $ 15,299     $ 25,199  
    Adjustments:                
    Gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment     (237 )     (22 )     (595 )     (57 )
    Interest expense (income), net     460       (268 )     (877 )     (1,183 )
    Income tax (recovery) expense     (901 )     (324 )     (1,599 )     970  
    Equity investment EBIT(i)   $ 5,076     $ 1,622     $ 12,228     $ 24,929  

    (i) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”
    (ii)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    About the Company

    North American Construction Group Ltd. is a premier provider of heavy civil construction and mining services in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. For over 70 years, NACG has provided services to the mining, resource and infrastructure construction markets.

    For further information contact:

    Jason Veenstra, CPA, CA
    Chief Financial Officer
    North American Construction Group Ltd.
    (780) 960.7171
    ir@nacg.ca
    www.nacg.ca

    Consolidated Balance SheetsAs at December 31
    (Expressed in thousands of Canadian Dollars)
          2024       2023  
    Assets        
    Current assets        
    Cash   $ 77,875     $ 88,614  
    Accounts receivable     166,070       97,855  
    Contract assets     4,135       35,027  
    Inventories     74,081       64,962  
    Prepaid expenses and deposits     7,676       7,402  
    Assets held for sale     683       1,340  
          330,520       295,200  
    Property, plant and equipment     1,246,584       1,142,946  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     12,722       12,782  
    Investments in affiliates and joint ventures     84,692       81,435  
    Intangible assets     9,901       6,971  
    Other assets     9,845       7,144  
    Total assets   $ 1,694,264     $ 1,546,478  
    Liabilities and shareholders’ equity        
    Current liabilities        
    Accounts payable   $ 110,750     $ 146,190  
    Accrued liabilities     77,908       72,225  
    Contract liabilities     1,944       59  
    Current portion of long-term debt     84,194       81,306  
    Current portion of contingent obligations     39,290       22,501  
    Current portion of operating lease liabilities     1,771       1,742  
          315,857       324,023  
    Long-term debt     719,399       611,313  
    Contingent obligations     88,576       93,356  
    Operating lease liabilities     11,441       11,307  
    Other long-term obligations     44,711       41,001  
    Deferred tax liabilities     125,378       108,824  
          1,305,362       1,189,824  
    Shareholders’ equity        
    Common shares (authorized – unlimited number of voting common shares; issued and outstanding – December 31, 2024 – 27,704,450 (December 31, 2023 – 27,827,282))     228,961       229,455  
    Treasury shares (December 31, 2024 – 1,000,328 (December 31, 2023 – 1,090,187))     (15,913 )     (16,165 )
    Additional paid-in capital     20,819       20,739  
    Retained earnings     156,125       123,032  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (1,090 )     (407 )
    Shareholders’ equity     388,902       356,654  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 1,694,264     $ 1,546,478  
    Consolidated Statements of Operations and
    Comprehensive Income
    For the years ended December 31
    (Expressed in thousands of Canadian Dollars, except per share amounts)
          2024       2023(i)  
    Revenue   $ 1,165,787     $ 964,680  
    Cost of sales     789,056       678,528  
    Depreciation     166,683       131,319  
    Gross profit     210,048       154,833  
    General and administrative expenses     55,951       56,844  
    Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment     767       1,659  
    Operating income     153,330       96,330  
    Equity earnings in affiliates and joint ventures     (15,299 )     (25,199 )
    Interest expense, net     59,340       36,948  
    Change in fair value of contingent obligations     53,206       4,681  
    Gain on derivative financial instruments     (3,952 )     (6,063 )
    Income before income taxes     60,035       85,963  
    Current income tax (benefit) expense     (3,280 )     6,841  
    Deferred income tax expense     19,230       15,981  
    Net income     44,085       63,141  
    Other comprehensive income        
    Unrealized foreign currency translation loss     683       713  
    Comprehensive income   $ 43,402     $ 62,428  
             
    Per share information        
    Basic net income per share   $ 1.65     $ 2.38  
    Diluted net income per share   $ 1.52     $ 2.09  

    (i)The prior year amounts are adjusted to reflect a change in presentation. See “Accounting Estimates, Pronouncements and Measures”.

    The MIL Network –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Commerce Committee Passes Two Bipartisan Bills Led by Peters to Bolster Domestic Semiconductor Supply Chains and Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee passed two bipartisan bills authored by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) that aim to bolster domestic semiconductor supply chains and strengthen U.S. manufacturing policy.    
    “To support manufacturers in Michigan and throughout the United States, we need our industry partners, economic developers, and lawmakers reading from the same playbook,” said Senator Peters. “These bipartisan bills would help build a coordinated effort to attract new investments in our manufacturing sector, create good-paying jobs, and reduce our reliance on foreign adversaries for the semiconductor technologies that help power our economy.” 
    Peters’ Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act – which he introduced with U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rick Scott (R-FL) – would help to strengthen federal efforts to expand domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips. The bill would direct the U.S. Department of Commerce’s SelectUSA program, in collaboration with other federal agencies and state economic development organizations, to develop strategies that would attract investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturers and supply chains. Peters’ bill – which previously passed the Senate with unanimous support – would help address the ongoing global shortage of semiconductor technologies that has disrupted a range of industries in recent years including manufacturers and automakers in Michigan.    
    “We appreciate Senator Peters’ continued commitment to strengthening our national security and economic resilience by building up the semiconductor industry and supply chain here in America,” said Quentin Messer, Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “As technology evolves and integrates further into every aspect of our lives, this industry remains poised for growth. Senator Peters’ understands that it is imperative we continue to collaborate in a bipartisan manner at the state, regional, and federal level on behalf of American workers, and especially future generations of innovative Michiganders.”  
    “American Automakers are grateful to Senator Peters for his leadership on this bipartisan legislation, which will boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and strengthen our nation’s supply chains,” said Governor Matt Blunt, President of the American Automotive Policy Council. “This legislation is vital for U.S. automakers and their supplier partners, helping to foster economic growth throughout the U.S. auto sector.”    
    The committee also passed Peters’ National Manufacturing Advisory Council for the 21st Century Act, which would establish a National Manufacturing Advisory Council within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Advisory Council would bring together leaders in manufacturing, labor, and education to advise both Congress and the Secretary of Commerce on how best to ensure the United States remains the top destination globally for investment in manufacturing. It would serve as a bridge between the manufacturing sector and federal government to improve communication and collaboration, and better support the industry and its workforce. The bill – which he introduced with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) – passed the Senate with unanimous support last Congress.    
    “This initiative, the National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act, is designed to improve the resources and support for our nation’s small and medium-size manufacturers, which are a truly vital driver of our economy. I applaud Senator Peters for his steadfast, unwavering commitment to American manufacturing,” said Ingrid Tighe, President of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, the Michigan representative of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).   
    “We applaud Senator Gary Peters for introducing this bill to improve the federal government’s planning and coordination of efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing,” said Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. “Recent supply chain disruptions have made clear that it is time for the United States to shore up its critical manufacturing capabilities, which will not only better prepare us for the next crisis but also create jobs and boost the economy. This increased coordination between the many programs designed to support our manufacturers and their workers is an important step towards rebuilding our industrial base. We are grateful to Senator Peters for his efforts to bolster American manufacturing.”   
    “The Association of Equipment Manufacturers applauds Senator Gary Peters and Senator Marsha Blackburn for their continued leadership on behalf of the manufacturing sector and for introducing legislation that will prioritize a national strategy focused on ensuring American manufacturing policy can rapidly respond to changes in the global marketplace,” said Kip Eideberg, AEM Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations. “Our economic prosperity and national security depend on a strong manufacturing sector, and establishing a National Manufacturing Advisory Council will help unleash innovation and mobilize a comprehensive, coordinated, and competent national effort in support of the manufacturing sector and its workforce.”     
    “We commend Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for introducing legislation to establish a National Manufacturing Advisory Council,” said Ana Meuwissen, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association. “This council will be a forum for manufacturers and other key stakeholders to provide input to the Department of Commerce (DOC) on important long-range issues such as workforce, supply chain, technology, and defense industrial base. The NMAC legislation would also foster better coordination of federal manufacturing policy in the DOC and across the federal government. When this legislation is enacted, it will be an asset to assist in retaining U.S. competitiveness in critical manufacturing sectors like motor vehicle parts.”     
    Peters has made expanding domestic manufacturing and strengthening U.S. supply chains a top priority. Peters helped craft and pass into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which includes a provision Peters secured funding to support the domestic production of mature semiconductor technologies and ensure that projects supporting critical manufacturing industries, such as the auto industry, are given priority status. This funding was in addition to $50 billion already in the bill to incentivize the production of semiconductors of all kinds in the U.S. – for a total of $52 billion.   
    The CHIPS and Science Act also included Peters’ bipartisan Investing in Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing Act, which ensures federal incentives to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing include U.S. suppliers that produce the materials and manufacturing equipment that enable semiconductor manufacturing. Peters’ provision directly supports Michigan manufacturers like Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) in Hemlock, Michigan which was recently awarded up to $325 million in CHIPS and Science Act funding to build a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The project will allow the company to expand production of hyper-pure polysilicon needed to manufacture semiconductor chips and is expected to create 180 good-paying manufacturing jobs, as well as thousands of construction jobs, in Michigan.        
    Peters additionally supported and helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which will strengthen domestic manufacturing, onshore our supply chains, combat the climate crisis and create millions of American jobs.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Robbery at Busboys and Poets Nets a Maryland Man a 84-Month Federal Prison Sentence

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Isaiah Chase, 27, of Silver Spring, MD, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for participating in a gunpoint robbery at Busboys and Poets, a café and bookstore, in the 400 block of K Street, NW.

                The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Chase pleaded guilty on August 5, 2024, to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton, who in addition to the 84-month sentence, ordered Chase to serve five years of supervised release.

                According to court documents, Chase was one of multiple conspirators who worked with an employee at Busboys and Poets to rob the business on February 6, 2022. The employee instructed Chase to come to the establishment at around 9:30 p.m. and to enter when a specific person was visible at the front of the establishment.

                Chase and two of the other conspirators, wearing dark clothing, masks, and hoodies, entered the establishment as the staff was cleaning up for the night. Inside, each of the three individuals brandished firearms and pointed them at employees. The conspirators demanded money but received none. Instead they took keys to the business and fled in a vehicle.

                On November 4, 2022, law enforcement arrested Chase at his apartment in Silver Spring, MD. During a search of his residence, agents recovered a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun with a magazine and 24 rounds of ammunition; a loaded .556 caliber machine gun capable of being fired fully automatically with a magazine containing 49 rounds of ammunition; a loaded .556 caliber AM-15 rifle with a magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition; a .40 caliber magazine containing 9 rounds of ammunition; and 2 bags of marijuana intended for distribution.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and MPD’s Carjacking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel and Matthew Kinskey.

    22cr349

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Cedar Rapids Homicide Suspect

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Cedar Rapids, IA – U.S. Marshals today arrested a man in Nevada who is wanted on several charges in Iowa. 

    Donnie Danell White, 51, is wanted in connection to a deceased individual found in southwest Cedar Rapids. White is wanted in Linn County on charges of murder in the first-degree and nonconsensual termination of pregnancy.     

    On March 14 investigators with the Cedar Rapids Police Department contacted the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force requesting assistance in the location and apprehension of White. Task Force officers began to follow up on leads throughout Cedar Rapids and developed information indicating White had fled the state following the murder.  Officials began coordinating with the U.S. Marshals Nevada Violent Offender Task Force. 

    Officers with the Nevada Violent Offender Task Force today narrowed their search to an area in the 2900 block of West Washington Avenue in Las Vegas.  U.S. Marshals approached the suspect shortly after 3 p.m. and White eventually surrendered to the Nevada Violent Offender Task Force.  White was arrested without incident and transported for processing.  He will remain in custody until extradition to Iowa.

    The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. Nationwide, 60 local task forces are dedicated to violent crime reduction by locating and apprehending wanted criminals. These task forces also serve as the central point for agencies to share information on fugitive matters. The Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is comprised of officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Waterloo Police Department, Marion Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Department of Corrections.

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Court Sentences Hino Motors Ltd., a Toyota Subsidiary, and Imposes Over $1.6B in Penalties for Emissions Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Note: View plea agreement here. View criminal information here.

    Today, U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Goldsmith for the Eastern District of Michigan accepted Hino Motors, Ltd.’s guilty plea to a one-count criminal information charging it with having engaged in a multi-year criminal conspiracy to defraud both the U.S. government and American consumers and illicitly smuggle goods into the country. Judge Goldsmith also sentenced Hino, a Toyota subsidiary, to pay a criminal fine of $521.76 million, serve a five-year term of probation — during which it is prohibited from importing any diesel engines it has manufactured into the United States — and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program and reporting structure. The court also entered a $1.087 billion forfeiture money judgment against the company.

    According to court records, between 2010 and 2019, Hino Motors, Ltd. engineers submitted and caused to be submitted false applications for engine certification approvals in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Hino Motors, Ltd. engineers regularly altered emission test data, conducted tests improperly and fabricated data without conducting any underlying tests. The engineers also submitted fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data, which resulted in false fuel consumption values being calculated for its engines, and failed to disclose software functions that could adversely affect engines’ emission control systems. As a result of the fraud, Hino Motors, Ltd. imported and sold over 105,000 non-conforming engines between 2010 and 2022. These engines were primarily installed in heavy-duty trucks manufactured and sold by Hino nationwide.

    “Hino unlawfully imported over 105,000 engines that did not comply with U.S. emissions standards and lied about what it was doing. Hino’s criminal conduct gave it an unfair business advantage over other law-abiding companies, including American companies, and generated over $1 billion in gross proceeds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are committed to upholding the rule of law by prosecuting fraud and enforcing our Clean Air Act emissions standards.”

    “Our office is steadfast in its commitment to holding corporate actors accountable when they lie to government regulators, illicitly smuggle goods into our county, and then fraudulently sell those goods to American consumers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck for the Eastern District of Michigan.

    “Hino falsely certified compliance with the Clean Air Act so that it could profit off Americans by sending illegal, polluting engines into the United States,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s plea and sentencing demonstrates that companies who intentionally evade our nation’s environmental laws, including by fabricating data to feign compliance with those laws, deserve punishment and will be held criminally accountable.”

    “By pleading guilty, Hino Motors, Ltd. has admitted to orchestrating a deliberate and years-long fraud scheme that put profit over principle,” said Acting Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division “It doesn’t matter how complex the scheme is, the FBI is committed to holding individuals and organizations responsible for their actions.”

    Special agents of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and FBI’s Detroit Field Office investigated the criminal case.

    Senior Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind for the Eastern District of Michigan handled the criminal prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gjon Juncaj handled the criminal forfeiture matters. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Capito Talks Economic Development, Broadband in Grant and Hampshire Counties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    PETERSBURG/MOOREFIELD, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, made stops in Petersburg, W.Va. and Moorefield, W.Va. to meet with community leaders and business professionals to discuss economic development opportunities and efforts to expand broadband access across West Virginia.

    First, Senator Capito traveled to Petersburg, W.Va. to meet with county commissioners, community leaders, and other business professionals to discuss Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) awards Senator Capito secured for the area and how they will benefit Grant County. Specifically, Senator Capito secured two Fiscal Year (FY) 24 CDS awards that will support a new Ambulance Headquarters and a trail.

    “When I began the process of congressionally directed spending, I did so in consultation with leaders like those on the county commission and local businesses here in Grant County. That’s because those on the ground know better than anyone else the needs of their communities,” Senator Capito said. “I was proud to secure the resources needed to construct a new Ambulance headquarters in Mt. Storm, which will help save lives, while serving the citizens of northern Grant County. I was just as proud to secure funding needed to expand a trail in the area that will enhance outdoor recreation, boost tourism, and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Both of these projects will go a long way in enhancing the quality of life for residents in the area, and I look forward to seeing them come to fruition.”

    “We are honored to assist Grant County in bringing reliable emergency response services closer to the Mount Storm area,” Callie Dayton, Clearway’s West Virginia-based External Affairs Manager, said. “This partnership was made possible thanks to the tremendous and insightful feedback that we received from area residents, landowners, and public service officials on the community’s most pressing needs. Clearway has been invested in West Virginia for more than a decade and we could not be more grateful for the support that we have received from the people of Grant and Mineral counties. We are eager to extend that investment and help keep West Virginia on the forefront of American-made power.”

    In the afternoon, Senator Capito traveled to Moorefield, W.Va. where she visited Hardy Telecommunications to discuss efforts to expand broadband accessibility across West Virginia.

    “Expanding broadband access is critical to West Virginia’s growth, and I appreciate the opportunity to meet with Hardy Telecommunications to discuss their efforts to better connect our communities,” Senator Capito said. “Reliable internet is essential for education, healthcare, and economic development, and I remain committed to supporting the investments needed to close the digital divide and ensure every West Virginian has access to high-speed broadband.”

    Photos from today’s visits are below:

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) attends a press conference about funding projects in Grant County, W.Va. on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) attends a press conference about funding projects in Grant County, W.Va. on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Sisters, aunties, daughters and mothers to celebrate Myers Park  

    Source: Auckland Council

    HER festival is hosting a celebration of Myers Park.

    Bring your daughters, mothers, aunties and female friends! Sparkling with new light projections, art, birdsong, dancing, inspiration and 344 trees (24 newly planted), the park is the venue for Into the Night on Saturday 5 April from 4pm until 10.30pm.

    With enhanced park lighting and acclaimed artwork Waimahara already uplifting the park, HER festival director Ella Mizrahi will weave further light and sound elements through the park, creating a nature haven for women to gather and hear music.

    Ella Mizrahi says this is the second Into the Night event for HER festival.

    “Expect amazing mother-daughter performances, mind blowing projection-mapped buildings, sound installations and an amazing line up of DJs. Bring your mum, bring your daughter. See you there!” she says.

    DJ Mittzy.

    In collaboration with ZAP Productions, Into the Night will showcase a diverse line-up of female musicians across genres – collaborating with local artists, supporting the creative sector and stimulating the local economy. 

    Promoted as five days of education, arts and inspiration, HER runs from 2 to 6 April with venues including Q Theatre, Basement Theatre and Myers Park.

    Councillor Julie Fairey welcomes HER festival to Myers Park.

    “I’m glad we are showcasing Myers Park with a friendly evening event for anyone who identifies as female, as the upgrade at the northern end of the park focused on safety as a priority. 

    “I remember being in the park late at night in the early 2000s and it was dark and scary to be in, particularly as a woman. The underpass has gone from being a disused rundown space to a place of light and beauty, with a connection to mana whenua. This end of Myers Park has not only become safer, it has become an ideal venue option for festivals like this, allowing more women to start to reclaim this public space,” she says. 

    Myers Park.

    Auckland Council Head of Arts and Culture Emily Trent says: “I’m thrilled to see the HER festival taking place in the newly upgraded Myers Park.

    “The space has been beautifully transformed, creating a renewed sense of safety and wellbeing. I encourage women in Tāmaki Makaurau to join us for an inspiring evening of dance and art in the park – a wonderful experience for festival goers,” she says.

    Auckland Council is joining Creative NZ to help fund this alcohol-free event with support from the city centre targeted rate.

    The big picture

    Waitematā Local Board, Auckland Council, and the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel have a keen interest in enhancing the visitor experience in Myers Park; making it a place all people and communities can enjoy and use in safety.

    The renewal of the northern end of the park – including boardwalk, wetland gardens, a new stairway from Queen Steet and a redeveloped underpass entry / exit – completes the redevelopment of Myers Park which was supported by the city centre targeted rate.

    Watch a video about the transformation here and learn more about the climate resilience aspects of the Myers Park upgrade here.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Canadian philanthropist announces $4m donation to endow NZ scholarships – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    A $4 million donation from Canadian philanthropist John McCall MacBain has boosted a major scholarship programme for exceptional postgraduate students with the potential to be future leaders for New Zealand. It will ensure the programme can continue long-term, potentially forever.

    The endowed donation was announced at the launch of the 2025 Kupe Leadership Scholarship programme, held at the University of Auckland on 19 March.

    Established in 2018 with funding from the McCall MacBain Foundation, the programme aims to shape future leaders across many disciplines and fields. Students come from universities throughout New Zealand and are selected for their academic excellence and leadership potential.  The scholarships, for postgraduate study at the University of Auckland, provide $22,000 in financial support and a comprehensive mentoring programme, matching students with prominent leaders in their fields.

    So far, 111 students have participated in the programme, 35 funded by the McCall MacBain Foundation, with a further 76 funded by various donors who have each funded one or more scholars.

    Past scholars of the programme have gone on to roles across a wide cross section of careers and to further study. Three have since been awarded prestigious Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University, with one awarded a Gates Fellowship to Cambridge University.

    “The vision for the programme was to create something truly exceptional, that would emulate the finest programmes on the world stage,” says John McCall MacBain. “It was to ignite a new generation of visionary leaders, driven to shape a better future for New Zealand and the world through bold action, community impact and transformative leadership. As the seventh cohort is being celebrated, I am so proud of how the programme has grown and excited to announce the next stage in our commitment to its growth.”

    With the announcement of the new gift, the McCall MacBain Foundation has committed more than $6.5 million to the Kupe Leadership Scholarship programme. The new funding will mean five of the scholarships awarded each year will be fully funded in perpetuity. This is in addition to the funding from the McCall MacBain Foundation and from donors in New Zealand for year-by-year use. Up to 20 scholarships are awarded each year, with the ultimate goal to have ten of them funded in perpetuity.
     
    “We are deeply grateful to the McCall MacBain Foundation for its ongoing and exceptional commitment,” says University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater.  “The Foundation was an important part of the inspiration and the impetus for the programme from the beginning. Its announcement of endowment funding is transformative, giving the programme a permanence and making it an asset for New Zealand forever.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: At Lowell Town Hall, Warren Lays Out Three Ways She’s Fighting Back Against Trump, Musk’s Dangerous Government Takeover

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 19, 2025
    Video of Remarks (YouTube)
    Boston, MA – At a town hall in Lowell, MA on Tuesday, March 18th, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) laid out her strategy to fight Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s dangerous government takeover hurting Massachusetts families and invited neighbors from Lowell to join her in the fight. 
    Transcript: Senator Warren’s Opening Remarks Town Hall in Lowell, MAMarch 18, 2025 
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: It is so good to see all of you. So, look, I’ve got to start out in a pretty hard place. And that is: our country is under assault right now, assault from within.   
    Donald Trump ran for office, promising on Day One to lower costs for American families. He repeated that over and over and over — ran ads on it, talked about it at every rally, said that one thing he could promise: on Day One, he’d lower costs for American families. 
    After he got elected, the very first interview he gave, he said that was why he won, because he made that promise to lower costs for American families. Are your costs any lower? 
    Audience: No! 
    Senator Warren: No, in fact, look at what Donald Trump has been doing since he was sworn in. Here we are going into the third month. Oh, Lord. Going into the third month and what is he doing? He’s trying to end entire agencies in government. 
    We’ve got the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – woohoo! The cop on the beat so you don’t get cheated on your credit card, on your mortgage, on your car loan, just tried to sweep that completely off the books. Elon Musk tried to kill the CFPB — just take them out. Take them out. 
    The Department of Education, there for our little children, there for people trying to get a college diploma, there to make sure that a good public education is available for all of our kids — and they’re trying to take them out.  
    And as co-president Musk comes through with his chainsaw, he’s getting rid of the “fat” that we don’t need in government. You know, like the nuclear scientists that take care of fissionable material. Getting rid of air traffic controllers, who keep us safe while we’re on airplanes. Getting rid of the people who do the testing to make sure that we can drink the water and breathe the air. Getting rid of the people who inspect food that comes from foreign countries to make sure that we can safely eat it. That’s what he thinks is cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. 
    And understand, they don’t stop there. They also were out trying to cut off our future – end the money that goes into medical research, into scientific research. End the money that goes into higher education. End the money that goes into building the very foundations of our future. That’s what they’re trying to do and they’re throwing it up. They’re throwing up tons of it, every minute.  
    People say to me, “I can’t keep up. I can’t keep up with the headlines. There’s too much going on every day.” Understand this: that is exactly the plan. That is the plan. Because their hope is if you feel overwhelmed, if you can’t keep up with every piece of it, that you will simply cover up your head, give up, and let them do whatever they want. Well, I have to say to them: Not on my watch. Not on my watch. 
    So you look at the list of things they’ve done, and it may feel random to you. It’s like what? And they’re over here doing what? I didn’t even know that thing existed and they did what? There’s a whole lot of that going on, but again, that’s the hope. When you’ve got a really ugly plan that nobody much likes – Democrats don’t like it, Independents don’t like it, and the majority of Republicans don’t like it, you’ve got to find a way to ram it through, with nobody seeing it until it’s too late. 
    So what are they really doing with all those cuts? What is that chainsaw really about? Why shut down these departments? Why take down money that we invest in pediatric cancer research? I’ll tell you what it’s really for. What the Republicans in Congress and Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to do is they want to have a $4.7 trillion giveaway to a handful of billionaires and billionaire corporations, paid for on the backs of seniors, veterans, public workers, little kids, and we are here to say no to them. No.  
    So this is really important: the next time you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, the next time you’re thinking, “I’m not sure I’m following this next piece,” stop and say to yourself, “Oh wait, that is the plan. That is the plan. And we are the people who are fighting back.”  
    Here’s why I’m here tonight: I want to tell you three things I’m doing – and you know I come with an ask – I’m going to ask you to do three things, and then we’re going to do some questions, I want to hear from you, and want to talk about other things going on.  
    So what are we doing? What am I trying to do? I’ll tell you what I’m doing. I’m doubling down on the Constitution of the United States of America. 
    I’m putting my chips on the table and let’s just remember — Constitutional Law 101, three parts to government. It is the job of Congress to write the laws and enact the laws. That’s our job. It is the job of the administration to administer those laws, to carry them out faithfully. And it is the job of the courts to go after the administration and hold them accountable if they fail to follow the law.  
    So, Part One for me right now, for a whole lot of folks, is we’re taking Donald Trump and Elon Musk to court. Not once, not twice, we are in over a hundred lawsuits now. And they’re not through, because understand this: what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing is illegal. They are violating the law. We’ve just got to say it right out loud. 
    And listen, for any of you who run into your buddies who may have voted for Donald Trump because they thought he was going to lower prices – they say, “Well, he got elected.” Yeah, he got elected, and Republicans control the House and the Senate. If they want to change the law, the Constitution tells us how to do it. You start in Congress, you write new laws, then the administration can administer those laws. But no unelected guy with a chainsaw gets to come out here and shut down agencies and fire people that are working on behalf of the American people. 
    So that’s Part One. We are in court. And the early decisions – look, they’re not all perfect, not every case is going to line up the right way, but it’s looking hopeful. The courts are doing what they should be doing. They’re calling people out who are not following the law. And the latest sign is it’s moving all the way up to Elon Musk by name. So Part One. 
    Alright, Part Two: job in Congress. Go back to what I was talking about earlier. All the noise, all the sand in the gears, all the terrible things they’re trying to do, underlying all that is trying to hand over our government to the billionaires, to a handful of billionaires and billionaire corporations. This is going to be the fight over taxes, and that may sound boring – it is not. It is fundamentally who this government works for. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, a handful of billionaires who stood up there on the podium when Donald Trump was sworn in, they say that the United States’ people, the people of this country, should give them $4.7 trillion in giveaways and make everyone else pay for it. Because that is their vision of America. An America that works even better for the billionaires and even worse for everyone else.  
    I am a Democrat, and what it means to be a Democrat is every one of those guys needs to pay their fair share and we need to invest in Americans. So this fight is the big fight, and this is the fight in front of us. This is the one coming up right away. So that’s going to be the second thing. We’re going to be in this fight everywhere we possibly can.      
    Part Three is I’m doing everything I can, along with others, to help raise a movement. Ultimately, we’ve got the courts, we’ve got Congress, but real power in this nation is the American people. Real power is here, right here in Lowell, Massachusetts. Real power are the people who continue to pay attention, the people who continue to reach out, the people who continue to make their voices heard. 
    That’s why so much of this fight is trying to get people just to give up. Trying to overwhelm them so they’ll just cover up their heads. Trying to say it’s all too complicated, trying to do it all with the emojis, and let’s do this, make fun of people, let’s try to take them down. Because they want you to give up. Because you are the true source of power. 
    So last week, I was not here in Massachusetts, I was in Texas. Bernie is in Iowa. Where was Tim Walz — we’ve got a bunch of people out — Wisconsin, that’s exactly right. But that’s the idea, we’ve got to raise it, we’ve got to raise it together. So those are three things that I’m working on, trying to get all of my friends in the Senate and friends everywhere to work on.
    But I’m here to ask you to be part of this as well. And here are my three asks for you: the first one is tell the stories. We build a grassroots movement one blade of grass at a time. And you can say cut federal employees and it may sound like cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. But when you talk about that you have a child in a pediatric cancer trial that is supported by federal dollars, and taking those federal dollars away can threaten that child’s life, that’s a story that everybody else in America needs to hear. 
    When you’re ready to talk about your neighbor down the street who is trying hard to be able to live independently — serious accident has got to have some home health care — and Elon Musk, the richest man on this planet, thinks that the way we save money is we tell that person, “You don’t get a home health aide, you have to move into a nursing home. That’s all that’s going to be available for you.” And then turns around it says to people who are in nursing homes, there’s not going to be enough support for you. I don’t know what the plan is there. We’re just going to set people out on the corners? Tell those stories. Tell them real. Tell them from your family, tell them from your neighbors, tell them from your cousins, but tell those stories. That’s number one. It is the best possible way to meet people where they are and get them to understand the importance of this fight. 
    Second part: do not underestimate the power of organization. Have I got some Indivisibles here? Power of organization. Any other groups that we’ve got in here? How about unions? Have we got anybody that works with unions? I don’t have to persuade you about the power of organization, right? 
    Organization, but I mean this in every way you can magnify your voice. You got a Facebook group? That’s organization. You got a bunch of friends you went to school with 22 years ago and you still keep in touch? That’s organization. And if some of them don’t live in Massachusetts, that’s even better organization, because this is how we keep moving these stories out. We’re going to push these stories out the door. And organizing keeps us going. So that’s the second part. One voice is loud, but two voices are more than twice as loud, so lots of organization. 
    Third point: take care of yourself. We’ve got to do some self-care and some care for each other. So there’s a reason on the airplane that they always do the little thing about adjust your own mask before trying to help anyone else. You’ve got to keep breathing oxygen.
    You’ve got to stay in this fight. And there are a lot of ways that we can do this, each of us will find our own. I have a very large golden retriever. He might be a little too large. Bruce, however, always just describes him as he’s large-boned. He does like spaghetti, though. Patting a Golden Retriever is part of health. 
    I do a lot of self care in this, and I want to say this for all of you, it also fits with the point about telling stories and organization. If you’ve got more people in the fight with you. You’ve got more people to keep you going when you’re kind of in the down part of this to remind you of the good parts. 
    We have a rule in our office, and that is when anything good happens – and I get it, kind of few and far between sometimes – but when something good happens, when we get a good court decision that comes down, when we see an agency where somebody stands up and says, “Well, I’m just going to have to fire me then, because I’m not leaving without you.” We pass that around and we all stop and feel good about it for a minute, reminding each other that we are in this fight together. 
    So three things I’m working on, three things I’m asking you to work on, because now we get down to the bottom part of this, and that is: this is hard. I never thought our nation would face something like this. An unelected billionaire with a chainsaw is making decisions to get rid of thousands of people that we count on every day to keep this country going.
    I never thought I would be at a time when a President of the United States would be saying, “Yeah, recession, it worked out fine.” I never thought I would be in a place where the Republicans in Congress would be so spineless. But despite all of that, despite what we are up against, despite it all, I am fundamentally optimistic and I am optimistic for this reason. I know what it means to fight a righteous fight.
    This is a righteous fight, and we are in this together. There is no one I would rather fight alongside, but the good people of Lowell, Massachusetts, of all of Massachusetts, and of the United States of America.
    Thank you. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2023 Article IV Consultation with El Salvador

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    March 19, 2025

    Washington, DC: On March 20, 2023, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with El Salvador.

    Despite a series of adverse external shocks, the Salvadoran economy has fared relatively well to date, and is estimated to have grown by 2.8 percent in 2022. Annual inflation jumped to 7¼ percent, mainly due to high global food prices while fuel price inflation was moderated by large subsidies. Vulnerabilities mounted, with international reserves falling below 2 months of imports. In the context of limited financing options, the fiscal deficit narrowed to 2½ percent of GDP, but fiscal policy is expected to turn expansionary in 2023. Under current policies, public debt is on an unsustainable path. 

    The economy is expected to grow by 2.4 percent in 2023, but the outlook is fragile, given the macroeconomic imbalances and a less favorable international environment. A comprehensive and credible policy package is urgently needed to put public debt on a firmly declining path and strengthen macroeconomic and financial stability.

    Over a year after the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender, its use has been minimal but risks for financial and market integrity, financial stability, and consumer protection remain and need to be addressed. 

    Executive Board Assessment[2]

    Executive Directors noted the strong post‑pandemic recovery supported by the authorities’ timely responses to shocks and the improved security situation. Pointing to the fragile outlook amid rising risks and vulnerabilities, Directors urged the authorities to adopt a comprehensive plan to address macroeconomic imbalances, including unsustainable public debt and limited reserve coverage, along with structural reforms to support stronger, inclusive growth.

    Directors welcomed recent fiscal efforts but underscored the urgent need for an ambitious fiscal consolidation plan, based on greater revenue mobilization and efficiency of spending, including better targeting energy subsidies and social safety nets and rightsizing the wage bill. This is critical to put public debt on a firm downward trajectory and allow a gradual return to international capital markets. Restoring and upgrading the Fiscal Responsibility Law would also improve the transparency and credibility of fiscal policy. Directors stressed the importance of ensuring the sustainability of the pension system to limit contingent liabilities.

    Directors noted that the banking system remains healthy but cautioned against rising exposures to the sovereign and the erosion of liquidity buffers. They called for raising banks’ reserve requirements, enacting promptly the Financial Stability Bill, closing regulatory gaps, and continuing to implement the 2020 Safeguards Assessment recommendations.

    Directors underscored the importance of narrowing the scope of the Bitcoin law and removing Bitcoin’s legal tender status. They noted that while Bitcoin has had a minimal impact on financial inclusion, high risks to financial integrity and stability, fiscal sustainability, and consumer protection persist. Directors urged that Bitcoin transactions be transparently disclosed, together with the financial statements of public companies operating in the Bitcoin ecosystem. They also called on the authorities to carefully weigh the implications of the new crypto assets legislation and avoid expanding government exposure to Bitcoin.

    Directors stressed the importance of structural reforms to strengthen governance, the investment climate and productivity. They called for continued efforts to strengthen fiscal transparency, public procurement, AML/CFT legislation, and the independence of the judicial system. Directors also stressed the importance of enhancing human capital, infrastructure, and climate resilience, as well as continuing to upgrade the statistical framework.

    El Salvador: Selected Economic Indicators

    I. Social Indicators

     

    Per capita income (U.S. dollars, 2021)

    4,408

     

    Population (million, 2021)

    6.5

     

    Percent of pop. below poverty line (2021)

    24.6

     

    Gini index (2019)

     

    39

     
                     

    II. Economic Indicators (percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)

     
     
               

    Proj.

     

    2018

    2019

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

     
                     

    Income and Prices

                   

    Real GDP growth (percent)

    2.4

    2.4

    -8.2

    10.3

    2.8

    2.4

    1.9

     

    Consumer price inflation (average, percent)

    1.1

    0.1

    -0.4

    3.5

    7.2

    4.1

    2.1

     

    Terms of trade (percent change)

    -3.9

    1.7

    4.8

    -7.6

    -1.6

    5.0

    0.7

     

    Sovereign bond spread (basis points)

    424

    453

    760

    837

    1,485

    …

    …

     
                     

    Money and Credit

                   

    Credit to the private sector

    57.3

    59.1

    66.3

    61.8

    63.1

    61.2

    60.0

     

    Broad money

    54.8

    59.1

    70.4

    61.5

    58.5

    58.5

    60.5

     

    Interest rate (time deposits, percent)

    4.2

    4.3

    4.1

    3.9

    …

    …

    …

     
                     

    External Sector

                   

    Current account balance 

    -3.3

    -0.4

    0.8

    -5.1

    -8.3

    -5.4

    -5.3

     

    Trade balance

    -21.7

    -21.2

    -21.0

    -28.6

    -31.4

    -27.5

    -27.4

     

    Transfers (net)

    20.6

    21.0

    24.4

    25.9

    24.0

    22.9

    22.4

     

    Foreign direct investment

    -3.2

    -2.4

    -1.1

    -1.1

    -0.2

    -1.6

    -2.2

     

    Gross international reserves (mill. of US$)

    3,569

    4,446

    3,083

    3,426

    2,440

    2,798

    3,382

     
                     

    Nonfinancial Public Sector

                   

    Overall balance

    -2.7

    -3.1

    -8.2

    -5.6

    -2.5

    -3.4

    -3.4

     

    Primary balance

    0.9

    0.6

    -3.8

    -1.1

    2.2

    0.3

    0.4

     

    Of which: tax revenue

    18.0

    17.7

    18.5

    20.1

    20.3

    19.0

    19.0

     

    Public sector debt 1/

    70.4

    71.3

    89.4

    82.4

    77.2

    76.1

    78.3

     
                     

    National Savings and Investment

                   

    Gross domestic investment

    18.4

    18.3

    18.9

    22.2

    20.7

    19.8

    19.4

     

    Private sector 2/

    15.7

    15.9

    16.9

    19.6

    18.8

    17.4

    17.1

     

    National savings

    15.1

    17.9

    19.8

    17.1

    12.4

    14.5

    14.2

     

    Private sector

    14.7

    18.0

    25.4

    19.5

    12.8

    14.9

    14.9

     
                     

    Net Foreign Assets of the Financial System

                   

    Millions of U.S. dollars

    2,655

    3,372

    3,618

    3,022

    1,114

    1,227

    1,400

     
                     

    Memorandum Items

                   

    Nominal GDP (billions of US$)

    26.0

    26.9

    24.6

    28.7

    31.6

    33.7

    35.1

     
                     

    Sources: Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, Ministry of Finance, and IMF staff estimates.

     

    1/ Gross debt of the nonfinancial public sector.

     

    2/ Includes inventories.

     

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

    [2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summing up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/03/19/pr25069-el-salvador-imf-executive-board-concludes-2023-article-iv-consultation-with-el-salvador

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Westport to Issue Q4 and Full Year 2024 Financial Results on March 31, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (TSX: WPRT / Nasdaq: WPRT) (“Westport” or “The Company”) announces that the Company will release 2024 financial results on Monday, March 31, 2025, before market open. A conference call and webcast to discuss the financial results and other corporate developments will be held on the same day: Monday, March 31, 2025.

    Time: 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. PT)
    Call Link: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BId6a8762a91a74ab1b129f33836d3db21
    Webcast: https://investors.wfsinc.com

    Participants may register up to 60 minutes before the event by clicking on the call link and completing the online registration form. Upon registration, the user will receive dial-in info and a unique PIN, along with an email confirming the details.

    The webcast will be archived on Westport’s website and a replay will be available at https://investors.wfsinc.com.

    About Westport Fuel Systems
    At Westport Fuel Systems, we are driving innovation to power a cleaner tomorrow. We are a leading supplier of advanced fuel delivery components and systems for clean, low-carbon fuels such as natural gas, renewable natural gas, propane, and hydrogen to the global transportation industry. Our technology delivers the performance and fuel efficiency required by transportation applications and the environmental benefits that address climate change and urban air quality challenges. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with operations in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, we serve our customers in approximately 70 countries with leading global transportation brands. At Westport Fuel Systems, we think ahead. For more information, visit www.wfsinc.com.

    Investor Inquiries:
    Investor Relations
    T: +1 604-718-2046
    E: invest@wfsinc.com

    The MIL Network –

    March 20, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: STMicroelectronics announces resignation of a member of Supervisory Board

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STMicroelectronics announces resignation of a member of Supervisory Board

    Amsterdam, March 19, 2025 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, announces that Maurizio Tamagnini is resigning from ST’s Supervisory Board, effective immediately.

    Maurizio Tamagnini was first elected to ST’s Supervisory Board in 2014 and served as Chairman and Vice-Chairman during his tenure. He was Vice-Chairman since 2023.

    Nicolas Dufourcq, Chairman of ST’s Supervisory Board, expressed his thanks to Maurizio Tamagnini on behalf of the Supervisory Board for his long-term support.
                    

    About STMicroelectronics
    At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com.

    For further information, please contact:

    INVESTOR RELATIONS:
    Jérôme Ramel
    EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
    Tel: +41 22 929 59 20
    jerome.ramel@st.com

    MEDIA RELATIONS:
    Alexis Breton
    Corporate External Communications
    Tel: + 33 6 59 16 79 08
    alexis.breton@st.com

    Attachment

    • C3322C – ST Supervisory Board – March 19 2025 – FINAL FOR PUBLICATION

    The MIL Network –

    March 20, 2025
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