Category: Transport

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Te Awa Tārai – A career development guide for Allied Health – Hauora Haumi

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health

Career development is often conceptualised as a linear progression. In reality, career progression often takes a winding path, which both shapes and is shaped by its environment.

Te Awa Tārai acts as a guide through which individual professionals, educators, industries and organisations can recognise, value and invest in necessary skills for current and emerging hauora haumi – allied health career opportunities. This purposefully includes acknowledgement of cultural intelligence and expertise, lived experiences and mātauranga Māori, to safeguard the delivery of equitable, effective, safe and sustainable health services in Aotearoa.

Te Awa Tārai acknowledges the true diversity of the skill sets and career pathways which exist across hauora haumi – allied health professions. It provides support and guidance to allow people and organisations to best utilise, engage with and sustain this critical and highly skilled workforce.

This guidance document describes six broad development streams and identifies progressive development stages – riverbanks – for each stream. It accommodates the numerous existing career pathways available allied health professionals while allowing for emerging careers and pathways to be developed.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Repairs to the westbound I-82 Yakima River Bridge near Selah starts Feb. 21

Source: Washington State News 2

YAKIMA – The Washington State Department of Transportation has a plan to fix a damaged a section of the westbound Interstate 82 Yakima River Bridge near Selah. A semi-truck crashed into it on Jan. 28, 2025.

Work begins Friday, Feb. 21, to straighten bridge truss and repair guardrail. Crews are expected to finish the project in early March.

Detour route

Westbound traffic on I-82 toward Selah will be diverted to Selah Road (commonly known as the Selah bypass). Travelers continuing westbound toward Ellensburg will be able to cross over back to I-82 after the Twin Bridges. Signs will direct travelers through the detour. Plan for added travel time. Oversized loads are prohibited.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Long Island Investment Advisor Charged in Superseding Indictment With Attempted Obstruction of Justice, Bank Fraud Conspiracy, Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Money Laundering Conspiracy Charges

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Adam Kaplan Allegedly Attempted to Injure and Bribe Witnesses, Manufacture Evidence, Bribe Law Enforcement Officials, and Defraud Additional Victims

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, a superseding indictment was filed that added two counts against Adam Kaplan for attempted obstruction of justice in connection with a grand jury investigation in the Eastern District of New York and during his pretrial release on fraud charges. The superseding indictment also added additional charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud against Adam Kaplan for conduct, including while on pretrial release, as well as an additional charge of money laundering conspiracy against Adam Kaplan and Daniel Kaplan. In July 2023, Adam Kaplan and Daniel Kaplan, investment advisors with a financial services firm (Financial Services Firm), were charged in a 16-count indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, investment advisor fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud at least 50 victims of more than $5 million. The defendants, who are twin brothers, will be arraigned on the superseding indictment at a later date.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.

“As alleged in the superseding indictment, before his arrest, and while he was aware of a grand jury investigation into his crimes, Adam Kaplan attempted to threaten and injure victims and witnesses and bribe law enforcement,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “But his disregard for the law and court-ordered rules didn’t stop there, he also repeatedly and flagrantly violated his conditions of pretrial release. This Office will not tolerate attempts by defendants to undermine the criminal justice process and will prosecute them to the full extent of the law.”

Mr. Durham thanked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Chicago office, for its work on the case.

“Adam Kaplan allegedly ordered threats be made to his victims and attempted to bribe authorities to disrupt a federal investigation into the brothers’ misconduct,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “Kaplan’s alleged actions reflect remorselessness as he continued to make concerted efforts to protect his multimillion-dollar fraud scheme even following his initial arrest. The FBI will never tolerate individuals who prey upon populations for personal wealth, and then resort to extreme measures to conceal their egregious wrongdoings.”

As set forth in court filings and the underlying indictment, between May 2018 and November 2022, Adam Kaplan and Daniel Kaplan defrauded at least 50 clients of the Financial Services Firm, including some elderly and disabled victims, of at least $5 million. Between January 2023 and September 2024, Adam Kaplan and a co-conspirator defrauded additional individuals of approximately $1 million and also conspired to defraud a financial institution.

The superseding indictment charges that, between April 2023 and September 2024, while aware of a federal grand jury investigation into the brothers’ conduct, Adam Kaplan attempted to influence, obstruct and impede the underlying investigation, including through attempts to threaten, injure and pay off witnesses, and destroy evidence. Specifically, Adam Kaplan (i) ordered an associate to create a fake email from a victim so that Adam Kaplan could use the fake email as evidence at trial and to impeach that victim’s credibility; (ii) engaged in a months’ long fraudulent scheme to steal money from victims; and (iii) attempted to tamper with, threaten and pay off witnesses, including telling his associate that a victim needed “to fear,” that a victim should be “peeing blood / missing teeth and another visited / scared,” that a victim should be sent skull and crossbones imagery, and that his associate should “put [a victim’s] phone on fire . . . Seriously, please blow it up.” After his arrest, while on release on a multimillion-dollar bond, Adam Kaplan (i) attempted to bribe a Department of Justice official; (ii) continued his fraudulent schemes and continued to pay off witnesses; and (iii) committed credit card fraud. To perpetuate these crimes, Adam Kaplan used multiple burner phones to avoid detection and monitoring by law enforcement, used aliases, attempted to break into others’ email accounts and attempted to destroy evidence.

If you were a client of Adam Kaplan or Daniel Kaplan and would like to file a complaint, please visit www.iC3.gov. Please reference “Adam Kaplan” or “Daniel Kaplan” in your complaint.

The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Toporovsky and Paul Scotti are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson.

The Defendants:

ADAM S. KAPLAN
Age: 35
Great Neck, New York

DANIEL E. KAPLAN
Age: 35
Great Neck, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-293(S-1) (JMA)

MIL Security OSI –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Firearm Possession

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury convicted a San Antonio man Wednesday for one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dante Delray Vecera, 33, was found unresponsive in a locked and running vehicle blocking two lanes of traffic on the 410 frontage road. Police officers observed a bag containing white powder, a marijuana cigarette, and a bag of what appeared to be black tar heroin inside the vehicle. The officers provided Vecera with Narcan, fearing an overdose. While waiting for EMS to arrive on scene, officers looked for Vecera’s driver’s license in an attempt to identify him and located an unholstered pistol in the pocket of his pants. While removing the weapon, Vecera regained consciousness. He refused all field sobriety tests and was taken into custody after being medically cleared.

Prior to this arrest Vecera had been convicted of several violent felonies, including two prior Nevada convictions for burglary and coercion (sexually motivated), and a Texas conviction for violation of a protective order and assault. Vecera faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, San Antonio Police Department and the Castle Hills Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karina O’Daniel and Amy Hail are prosecuting the case.

This is a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Initiative case. VAWA was first enacted in 1994 as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. It initially focused on providing resources and training to improve the responses and policies of law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts, to support victim services, and to address crimes historically treated as private matters. Recognizing that domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking require a coordinated community response that extends beyond the justice system, Congress subsequently reauthorized VAWA, enhancing its policies and expanding grant funding streams, in 2000, 2005, 2013, and 2022. The Office on Violence Against Women has issued more than $11 billion in funding authorized by VAWA in its lifetime.

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MIL Security OSI –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Federal Indictments Charge Five Individuals With Unlawful Gun Possession
Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Five individuals have been charged in separate federal indictments this week for unlawful possession of firearms, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. One defendant is also facing a drug charge and a gun offense tied to drug trafficking.

The indictments are the result of an ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), to combat crime, reduce violence, and remove illegal firearms from the hands of prohibited individuals and convicted felons.

“Protecting communities across Western North Carolina is one of our highest priorities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron. “We will continue to enforce federal firearms laws and partner with law enforcement to remove illegal guns from our streets and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”

The five individuals indicted this week and the charges against them are:
- Jonathan Glendale Denton, 41, of Charlotte – charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Rex Allen Hawkins, 53, of Traphill, N.C. – charged with possession of firearms by a felon, including a shotgun, a rifle, and ammunition seized from his residence during a probation search.
- Mitchell Clydero Patterson, 37, of Spring Lake, N.C. – charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
- Anthony Dion Tribble, 27, of Charlotte – charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
- Timothy Demetrius Williams, 34, of Charlotte – charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a stolen firearm.
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

Federal law prohibits individuals from possessing a firearm if they fall into certain restricted categories, including convicted felons, fugitives from justice, illegal aliens, individuals convicted of domestic violence, and unlawful users of controlled substances. Additionally, it is illegal to possess a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime or a violent offense. Federal law also prohibits the straw purchase of a firearm, wherein a person who can lawfully purchase a firearm buys a gun, or attempts to do so, for a prohibited person. Federal law also requires that individuals who are engaged in the business of dealing in firearms be licensed by the ATF. For additional information and resources please visit www.atf.gov.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about PSN in the Western District, please visit our website.

MIL Security OSI –
February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Kershaw County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Offenses

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Cameron Jones, 26, of Camden, has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on April 1, 2022, an officer with the Camden Police Department was patrolling a local park due to recent violence in the area. When the officer approached the park, Cameron Jones began to run from the officer while holding his waistband. The officer chased Jones and saw Jones throw items into some bushes. The officer eventually caught Jones. While Jones was detained, officers with the Camden Police Department and Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office went back to the area where Jones threw items into the bushes and found a tan pistol with a drum magazine and 24.11 grams of cocaine. Additionally, Jones had over $3,700 in cash in his pockets. Further investigation revealed that Jones’ DNA was on the firearm and that he had previously posted pictures with the firearm on social media.

The court also heard information that on Dec. 19, 2023, FBI agents and officers with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office and Camden Police Department arrested Jones after he was indicted by a grand jury for his conduct on April 1, 2022. After his arrest, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant on his home and found, multiple handgun magazines, marijuana, methamphetamine, and 18 machine gun conversion devices (also known as Glock switches), and a magazine matching the firearm from April 1, 2022.

Jones has a prior conviction for distribution of cocaine which prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition and was a known member of a gang at the time of his arrest.

United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson sentenced Cameron Jones to 93 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

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

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, and the Camden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sanford are prosecuting the case.

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MIL Security OSI –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Inmate with Assaulting Detention Officer

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBUQUERQUE – A To’hajiilee man is facing a new charge for allegedly assaulting a federal detention officer at the Cibola County Correctional Facility while awaiting trial on another federal case.

According to court documents, on November 5, 2024, Antonio Chaco, 41, while in custody at the Cibola County Correctional Facility awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder and kidnapping resulting in death, assaulted a detention officer and employee of CoreCivic, Inc. The assault occurred while the detention officer was assisting the U.S. Marshals Service with the supervision of federal detainees. During the assault, Chaco struck, pinned down, and choked the officer.

If convicted, Chaco faces up to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Chaco is scheduled to stand trial for second-degree murder and kidnapping resulting in death on April 21, 2025. If convicted of those charges, Chaco faces life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and David Barnett, U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico, made the announcement today.

The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting both cases.

MIL Security OSI –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: PDS Gang Leader Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Possession

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Andre Alonte Willis, 33, of Washington, D.C., and a leader of the Push Dat Shit (PDS) street crew, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 240 months in prison on five felony convictions related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses in the District of Columbia.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

On September 12, 2024, a jury convicted Willis, also known as “Boogie,” of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana; conspiracy to use, carry, and possess firearms and machine guns in furtherance of drug trafficking; illegal possession and transfer of a machine gun; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Evidence at trial proved that Willis was a “big homie” in the D.C. street crew known as “Push Dat Shit” or “PDS,” and was the gang’s primary source of exotic strains of marijuana that he acquired from a variety of sources in California. FBI agents seized $150,000 in cash, along with a loaded handgun and marijuana packaged for distribution from Willis’ apartment when he was arrested.

PDS maintained gang territory on the 3300 – 3500 blocks of Wheeler Road, Southeast, and adjacent areas, and operated an open air drug market outside the Holiday Market. In approximately August 2018, PDS became allied with a neighboring street gang known as Jugg Gang, or “JG.” Between August 2018 and April 2023, members of the allied PDS/JG street crew sold drugs from Holiday Market and from “trap houses” that they maintained in apartment buildings surrounding that location.

As their drug business grew, PDS/JG became the target of drive-by shootings conducted by rival gangs – shootings they referred to as “spinning the block.” Beginning in approximately August 2019, a PDS/JG member began assembling and distributing fully automatic AR-Pistol assault rifles that he purchased as “kits” from online retailers. Such firearms are defined as “privately made firearms” by the ATF but are frequently referred to as “ghost guns” on the street. PDS/JG members used, carried, and possessed these “ghost gun” AR-Pistol machine guns in order to both defend their territory from rival gangs, but also to “spin the block” on rival gangs in order to deter and dissuade the rivals from entering PDS/JG territory. PDS/JG members “kept score” with rival gangs, and the points earned by “spinning the block” varied depending on the “importance” of the people that were injured or killed

In calculating Willis’ sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson included sentencing enhancements based on her finding that the conspiracy involved between 400 and 700 kilograms of marijuana, as well as her findings that Willis was a leader of more than five people in jointly-undertaken criminal conduct, and that he recklessly created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to others in the course of fleeing from the FBI to avoid arrest. Wills was also ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release after completing his prison sentence.

This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, and MPD. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Nelson and Justin Song and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Macechko.

MIL Security OSI –

February 21, 2025

MIL-OSI: Vicor Corporation Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ANDOVER, Mass., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vicor Corporation (NASDAQ: VICR) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024. These results will be discussed later today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, during management’s quarterly investor conference call. The details for the call are below.

Revenues for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024 totaled $96.2 million, a 3.8% increase from $92.7 million for the corresponding period a year ago, and a 3.2% sequential increase from $93.2 million in the third quarter of 2024.

Gross margin increased to $50.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $47.3 million for the corresponding period a year ago and increased from $45.7 million for the third quarter of 2024. Gross margin, as a percentage of revenue, increased to 52.4% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 51.1% for the corresponding period a year ago and 49.1% for the third quarter of 2024. Operating expenses increased to $41.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $40.0 million for the corresponding period a year ago, and increased sequentially from $40.4 million for the third quarter of 2024.

Net income for the fourth quarter was $10.2 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, compared to net income of $8.7 million or $0.19 per diluted share, for the corresponding period a year ago and net income of $11.6 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024.

Cash flow from operations totaled $10.1 million for the fourth quarter, compared to cash flow from operations of $21.5 million for the corresponding period a year ago, and cash flow from operations of $22.6 million in the third quarter of 2024. Capital expenditures for the fourth quarter totaled $1.7 million, compared to $7.2 million for the corresponding period a year ago and $8.5 million for the third quarter of 2024. Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024 increased 3.6% sequentially to approximately $277.3 million compared to approximately $267.6 million as of September 30, 2024.

Backlog for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024 totaled $155.5 million, a 3.3% decrease from $160.8 million for the corresponding period a year ago, and 3.3% sequential increase from $150.6 million at the end of the third quarter of 2024.

Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased 11.4% to $359.1 million, from $405.1 million for the prior year. Gross margin, as a percentage of revenue, increased to 51.2% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 50.6% for the prior year. Net income for 2024 was $6.1 million, or $0.14 per diluted share and 1.7% of revenues, compared to $53.6 million, or $1.19 per diluted share and 13.2% of revenue in the prior year. Cash flows from operations totaled $50.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a 31.8% decrease from cash flows from operations of $74.5 million for the prior year.

Commenting on fourth quarter performance, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Patrizio Vinciarelli stated: “Revenues and gross margins improved. Further margin improvements depend upon higher utilization of our ChiP fab and increased licensing income. These revenue and income streams are synergistic as our standard license provides royalty discounts commensurate to the Licensee’s annual purchases of Vicor modules. Licensing has been gaining traction with companies whose computing hardware is increasingly dependent on high density power system solutions pioneered and patented by Vicor, including NBMs. Avoiding infringement is the ethical choice, but hyper-scalers also want to avoid the risk of their computing hardware being excluded from importation into the United States. Patent infringement has severe consequences.”

“Perfecting our 2^nd generation, high density VPD for leading AI applications has taken longer than expected, with the fab out of a new ASIC raising the bar on the density and bandwidth of our current multipliers. 2^nd generation VPD will enable AI processors to set new standards for performance and power system efficiency. We are focused on completing development of a high density VPD system for a lead customer ahead of providing demo systems to processor chip companies and hyper-scalers.”

For more information on Vicor and its products, please visit the Company’s website at www.vicorpower.com.

Earnings Conference Call

Vicor will be holding its investor conference call today, Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Vicor encourages investors and analysts who intend to ask questions via the conference call to register with Notified, the service provider hosting the conference call. Those registering on Notified’s website will receive dial-in info and a unique PIN to join the call as well as an email confirmation with the details. Registration may be completed at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. on February 20, 2025. For those parties interested in listen-only mode, the conference call will be webcast via a link that will be posted on the Investor Relations page of Vicor’s website prior to the conference call. Please access the website at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to register and, if necessary, download and install any required software. For those who cannot participate in the live conference call, a webcast replay of the conference call will also be available on the Investor Relations page of Vicor’s website.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any statement in this press release that is not a statement of historical fact is a forward-looking statement, and, the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “assumes,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “continue,” “prospective,” “project,” and other similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also include statements regarding bookings, shipments, revenue, profitability, targeted markets, increase in manufacturing capacity and utilization thereof, future products and capital resources. These statements are based upon management’s current expectations and estimates as to the prospective events and circumstances that may or may not be within the company’s control and as to which there can be no assurance. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those economic, business, operational and financial considerations set forth in Vicor’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, under Part I, Item I — “Business,” under Part I, Item 1A — “Risk Factors,” under Part I, Item 3 — “Legal Proceedings,” and under Part II, Item 7 — “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The risk factors set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K may not be exhaustive. Therefore, the information contained in the Annual Report on Form 10-K should be read together with other reports and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including Forms 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K, which may supplement, modify, supersede or update those risk factors. Vicor does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.

Vicor Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets modular power components and complete power systems based upon a portfolio of patented technologies. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, Vicor sells its products to the power systems market, including enterprise and high performance computing, industrial equipment and automation, telecommunications and network infrastructure, vehicles and transportation, and aerospace and defense electronics.

For further information contact:

James F. Schmidt, Chief Financial Officer
Office: (978) 470-2900
Email: invrel@vicorpower.com

VICOR CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

(Thousands except for per share amounts)

QUARTER ENDED

YEAR ENDED

(Unaudited)

DEC 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Product revenue

80,392

85,524

312,463

389,187

Royalty revenue

15,774

7,128

46,595

15,872

Net revenues

96,166

92,652

359,058

405,059

Cost of product revenues

45,806

45,308

175,060

200,130

Gross margin

50,360

47,344

183,998

204,929

Operating expenses:

Selling, general and administrative

24,171

22,694

96,886

85,714

Research and development

16,984

17,301

68,922

67,857

Litigation-contingency expense

–

19,500

–

Total operating expenses

41,155

39,995

185,308

153,571

Income (loss) from operations

9,205

7,349

(1,310

)

51,358

Other income (expense), net

2,553

3,243

11,797

8,886

Income before income taxes

11,758

10,592

10,487

60,244

Less: Provision for income taxes

1,516

1,928

4,348

6,644

Consolidated net income

10,242

8,664

6,139

53,600

Less: Net (loss) income attributable to

noncontrolling interest

)

Net income attributable to

Vicor Corporation

10,246

8,668

6,129

53,595

Net income per share attributable

to Vicor Corporation:

Basic

0.23

0.19

0.14

1.21

Diluted

0.23

0.19

0.14

1.19

Shares outstanding:

Basic

45,161

44,455

44,912

44,320

Diluted

45,296

45,017

45,168

45,004

VICOR CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
(Thousands)


	DEC 31,			DEC 31,
		2024			2023
	(Unaudited)			(Unaudited)
Assets

Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	277,273		$	242,219
Accounts receivable, net		52,948			52,631
Inventories		106,032			106,579
Other current assets		26,781			18,937
Total current assets		463,034			420,366

Long-term deferred tax assets		261			296
Long-term investment, net		2,641			2,530
Property, plant and equipment, net		152,705			157,689
Other assets		22,477			14,006

Total assets	$	641,118		$	594,887

Liabilities and Equity

Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	8,737		$	12,100
Accrued compensation and benefits		10,852			11,227
Accrued expenses		6,589			5,093
Accrued litigation		26,888			6,500
Sales allowances		1,667			3,482
Short-term lease liabilities		1,716			1,864
Income taxes payable		59			746
Short-term deferred revenue and customer prepayments		5,312			3,157

Total current liabilities		61,820			44,169

Long-term deferred revenue		–			1,020
Long-term income taxes payable		3,387			2,228
Long-term lease liabilities		5,620			6,364
Total liabilities		70,827			53,781

Equity:
Vicor Corporation stockholders’ equity:
Capital stock		408,187			384,395
Retained earnings		302,803			296,674
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(1,495	)		(1,273	)
Treasury stock		(139,424	)		(138,927	)
Total Vicor Corporation stockholders’ equity		570,071			540,869
Noncontrolling interest		220			237
Total equity		570,291			541,106

Total liabilities and equity	$	641,118		$	594,887

The MIL Network –

February 21, 2025

MIL-OSI: CarGurus Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Q4’24 Marketplace revenue grew 15% YoY

Q4’24 International revenue grew 26% YoY and OEM Advertising revenue grew double-digit YoY

Q4’24 Consolidated GAAP Net Income of $45.9 million; Q4’24 Non-GAAP Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA of $76.4 million, up 25% YoY

BOSTON, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CarGurus, Inc. (Nasdaq: CARG), the No. 1 visited digital auto platform for shopping, buying, and selling new and used vehicles*, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024.

“We delivered exceptional results in 2024, with sustained revenue acceleration and significant margin expansion across geographies. Our Marketplace business achieved double-digit growth, driven by continued migration to premium tiers, strong OEM advertising demand, and growing adoption of our value-added products and services,” said Jason Trevisan, Chief Executive Officer at CarGurus. “Our relentless focus on product innovation and our ability to enhance dealers’ ROI throughout their workflow resulted in higher engagement and increased wallet share as dealers consolidate their investment with the highest-yielding online marketplaces. Looking ahead to 2025, we are excited about the opportunity to further consolidate our leadership position, leveraging our data-driven actionable insights and our unique ability to deliver dealer-specific competitive intelligence.”

Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Highlights

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31, 2024						December 31, 2024
	Results (in millions)			Variance from Prior Year			Results (in millions)			Variance from Prior Year
Revenue
Marketplace Revenue	$	210.2			15	%	$	796.6			14	%
Wholesale Revenue		9.9			(55	)%		51.2			(49	)%
Product Revenue		8.5			(55	)%		46.6			(60	)%
Total Revenue	$	228.5			2	%	$	894.4			(2	)%

Gross Profit ⁽¹⁾	$	199.0			18	%	$	738.9			13	%
% Margin		87	%	1,176 bps				83	%	1,136 bps

Operating Expenses ⁽²⁾	$	145.7			(23	)%	$	725.5			17	%

GAAP Consolidated Net Income ⁽³⁾	$	45.9		NM⁽⁵⁾			$	21.0			(5	)%
% Margin		20	%	NM⁽⁵⁾				2	%	(7) bps

Non-GAAP Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA ⁽⁴⁾	$	76.4			25	%	$	247.2			26	%
% Margin ⁽⁴⁾		33	%	602 bps				28	%	623 bps

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-Term Investments	$	304.2			(3	)%	$	304.2			(3	)%

_{^{(1) During the three months ended December 31, 2024, no impairment was recorded. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded a $9.9 million impairment-related charge in cost of revenue.}}
_{^{(2) During the three months ended December 31, 2024, no impairment was recorded. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded a $134.5 million impairment-related charge in operating expenses.}}
_{^{(3) During the three months ended December 31, 2024, no impairment was recorded. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded a $144.4 million impairment-related charge.}}
^{₍₄₎ _{For more information regarding our use of non-GAAP Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and other non-GAAP financial measures, please see the reconciliations of GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP financial measures and the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Business Metrics” below.}}
^{₍₅₎ _{Not meaningful.}}

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31, 2024						December 31, 2024
	Results			Variance from Prior Year			Results			Variance from Prior Year
Key Performance Indicators ⁽¹⁾
U.S. Paying Dealers ⁽²⁾		24,692			2	%		24,692			2	%
International Paying Dealers ⁽²⁾		7,318			11	%		7,318			11	%
Total Paying Dealers ⁽²⁾		32,010			3	%		32,010			3	%

U.S. QARSD ⁽²⁾	$	7,337			12	%	$	7,337			12	%
International QARSD ⁽²⁾	$	2,072			17	%	$	2,072			17	%
Consolidated QARSD ⁽²⁾	$	6,144			12	%	$	6,144			12	%

Transactions		7,066			(48	)%		34,395			(47	)%

U.S. Average Monthly Unique Users (in millions) ⁽³⁾		29.3		N/A⁽⁵⁾			N/A⁽⁵⁾			N/A⁽⁵⁾
U.S. Average Monthly Sessions (in millions) ⁽³⁾		74.6		N/A⁽⁵⁾			N/A⁽⁵⁾			N/A⁽⁵⁾

International Average Monthly Unique Users (in millions) ⁽³⁾		9.1		N/A⁽⁵⁾			N/A⁽⁵⁾			N/A⁽⁵⁾
International Average Monthly Sessions (in millions) ⁽³⁾		19.2		N/A⁽⁵⁾			N/A⁽⁵⁾			N/A⁽⁵⁾

Segment Reporting *(in millions)*
U.S. Marketplace Segment Revenue	$	193.4			15	%	$	733.7			13	%
U.S. Marketplace Segment Operating Income	$	56.1			30	%	$	182.7			43	%
Digital Wholesale Segment Revenue	$	18.3			(55	)%	$	97.8			(55	)%
Digital Wholesale Segment Operating Loss ⁽⁴⁾	$	(5.5	)	NM⁽⁶⁾			$	(179.3	)	NM⁽⁶⁾

_{^{(1) For more information regarding our use of Key Performance Indicators, please see the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Business Metrics” below.}}
_{^{(2) Metrics presented as of December 31, 2024.}}
_{^{(3) CarOffer website is excluded from the metrics presented for users and sessions.}}
_{^{(4) During the three months ended December 31, 2024, no impairment was recorded. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded a $144.4 million impairment-related charge.}}
_{^{(5) As a result of the change from Google Universal Analytics (“Google Analytics”) to Google Analytics 4 (“GA4”) on July 1, 2024, we are unable to provide comparable monthly unique users or monthly sessions information for this period. For more information regarding the change in methodology for monthly unique users or monthly sessions, please see the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Business Metrics” below.}}
_{^{(6) Not meaningful.}}

First Quarter 2025 Guidance

The table below provides CarGurus’ guidance, which is based on recent market trends, industry conditions, and management’s expectations and assumptions as of today.

	Guidance Metrics	Range
	Total revenue	$216 million to $236 million
	Marketplace revenue	$209 million to $214 million
	Non-GAAP Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA	$60 million to $68 million
	Non-GAAP EPS	$0.41 to $0.47

The first quarter 2025 non-GAAP EPS calculation assumes 107.0 million diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding.

The assumptions that are built into guidance for the first quarter 2025 regarding our pace of paid dealer acquisition, churn, and expansion activity for the relevant period are based on recent market trends and industry conditions. Guidance for the first quarter 2025 excludes macro-level industry issues that result in dealers and consumers materially changing their recent market trends or that cause us to enact measures to assist dealers. Guidance also excludes any potential impact of future foreign currency exchange gains or losses.

CarGurus has not reconciled its guidance of non-GAAP consolidated adjusted EBITDA to GAAP consolidated net income or non-GAAP EPS to GAAP EPS because reconciling items between such GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures, which include, as applicable, stock-based compensation, amortization of intangible assets, impairment, depreciation expenses, non-intangible amortization, transaction-related expenses, other income, net, the provision for income taxes, and income tax effects, cannot be reasonably predicted due to, as applicable, the timing, amount, valuation, and number of future employee equity awards and the uncertainty relating to the timing, frequency, and effect of acquisitions and the significance of the resulting transaction-related expenses, and therefore cannot be determined without unreasonable effort.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

CarGurus will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results and business outlook at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time today, February 20, 2025. To access the conference call, dial (877) 451-6152 for callers in the U.S. or Canada, or (201) 389-0879 for international callers. The webcast will be available live on the Investors section of CarGurus’ website at https://investors.cargurus.com.

An audio replay of the call will also be available to investors beginning at approximately 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time today, February 20, 2025, until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 6, 2025, by dialing (844) 512-2921 for callers in the U.S. or Canada, or (412) 317-6671 for international callers, and entering passcode 13750508. In addition, an archived webcast will be available on the Investors section of CarGurus’ website at https://investors.cargurus.com.

About CarGurus

CarGurus (Nasdaq: CARG) is a multinational, online automotive platform for buying and selling vehicles that is building upon its industry-leading listings marketplace with both digital retail solutions and the CarOffer online wholesale platform. The CarGurus platform gives consumers the confidence to purchase and/or sell a vehicle either online or in person, and it gives dealerships the power to accurately price, effectively market, instantly acquire, and quickly sell vehicles, all with a nationwide reach. The Company uses proprietary technology, search algorithms, and data analytics to bring trust, transparency, and competitive pricing to the automotive shopping experience. CarGurus is the most visited automotive shopping site in the U.S.*

CarGurus also operates online marketplaces under the CarGurus brand in Canada and the U.K. In the U.S. and the U.K., CarGurus also operates the Autolist and PistonHeads online marketplaces, respectively, as independent brands.

To learn more about CarGurus, visit www.cargurus.com, and for more information about CarOffer, visit www.caroffer.com.

*Source: Similarweb, Traffic Report (Cars.com, Autotrader, TrueCar, CARFAX Listings
(defined as CARFAX Total visits minus Vehicle History Reports traffic), Q4 2024, U.S.

CarGurus^® and Autolist^® are each a registered trademark of CarGurus, Inc., and CarOffer^® is a registered trademark of CarOffer, LLC. PistonHeads^® is a registered trademark of CarGurus Ireland Limited in the United Kingdom and the European Union. All other product names, trademarks, and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements. Other than statements of historical facts, all statements contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future financial and operating results; our first quarter 2025 financial and business performance, including guidance; our business and growth strategy and our plans to execute on our growth strategy; our ability to grow our business profitably and efficiently; our capital allocation and investment strategy; the attractiveness and value proposition of our current offerings and other product opportunities; our ability to maintain existing and acquire new customers; addressable opportunities; our expectation that we will continue to invest in growth initiatives; our ability to quickly make transformations necessary for our business to achieve long-term goals; and the impact of macro-level issues on our industry, business, and financial results, are forward-looking statements. The words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “guide,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “strive,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions and their negatives are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including risks related to our growth and our ability to grow our revenue; our relationships with dealers; competition in the markets in which we operate; market growth; our ability to innovate; our ability to realize benefits from our acquisitions and successfully implement the integration strategies in connection therewith; impairment of the carrying value of our goodwill, intangible assets, right-of-use assets, or other assets; increased inflation and interest rates, global supply chain challenges, and other macroeconomic issues; changes in our key personnel; natural disasters, epidemics, or pandemics; and our ability to operate in compliance with applicable laws as well as other risks and uncertainties as may be detailed from time to time in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, we operate in very competitive and rapidly changing environments. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance, achievements, or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Investor Contact:
Kirndeep Singh
Vice President, Head of Investor Relations
investors@cargurus.com

Media Contact:
Maggie Meluzio
Director, Public Relations and External Communications
pr@cargurus.com

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

	As of December 31,
	2024			2023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	304,193		$	291,363
Short-term investments		—			20,724
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $788 and $610, respectively		44,248			39,963
Inventory		338			331
Prepaid expenses, prepaid income taxes and other current assets		27,868			25,152
Deferred contract costs		12,523			11,095
Restricted cash		2,036			2,563
Total current assets		391,206			391,191
Property and equipment, net		130,010			83,370
Intangible assets, net		11,767			23,056
Goodwill		46,167			157,898
Operating lease right-of-use assets		121,484			169,682
Deferred tax assets		106,672			73,356
Deferred contract costs, net of current portion		13,196			12,998
Other non-current assets		4,034			7,376
Total assets	$	824,536		$	918,927
Liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	26,410		$	47,854
Accrued expenses, accrued income taxes and other current liabilities		35,975			33,718
Deferred revenue		21,661			21,322
Operating lease liabilities		9,005			12,284
Total current liabilities		93,051			115,178
Operating lease liabilities		183,739			182,106
Deferred tax liabilities		26			58
Other non–current liabilities		6,031			4,733
Total liabilities		282,847			302,075
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding		—			—
Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 89,002,571 and 92,175,243 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively		89			92
Class B common stock, $0.001 par value per share; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 14,986,745 and 15,999,173 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively		15			16
Additional paid–in capital		169,013			263,498
Retained earnings		375,119			354,147
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(2,547	)		(901	)
Total stockholders’ equity		541,689			616,852
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interest and stockholders’ equity	$	824,536		$	918,927

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Income Statements
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Revenue
Marketplace	$	210,194		$	182,250		$	796,599		$	698,236
Wholesale		9,850			22,035			51,201			100,908
Product		8,494			18,838			46,584			115,098
Total revenue		228,538			223,123			894,384			914,242
Cost of revenue⁽¹⁾
Marketplace		13,899			14,190			54,950			60,020
Wholesale⁽²⁾		7,068			22,286			54,340			90,066
Product		8,582			18,612			46,149			112,702
Total cost of revenue		29,549			55,088			155,439			262,788
Gross profit		198,989			168,035			738,945			651,454
Operating expenses:
Sales and marketing		76,448			73,827			322,249			304,070
Product, technology, and development		35,948			36,737			144,432			146,169
General and administrative		28,384			75,667			112,066			152,757
Impairment		—			—			134,501			—
Depreciation and amortization		4,931			4,069			12,285			15,831
Total operating expenses		145,711			190,300			725,533			618,827
Income (loss) from operations		53,278			(22,265	)		13,412			32,627
Other income, net:
Interest income		3,126			5,093			12,189			18,430
Other (expense) income, net		(1,066	)		782			(944	)		630
Total other income, net		2,060			5,875			11,245			19,060
Income (loss) before income taxes		55,338			(16,390	)		24,657			51,687
Provision for income taxes		9,457			6,213			3,685			29,634
Consolidated net income (loss)		45,881			(22,603	)		20,972			22,053
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest		—			(4,698	)		—			(14,889	)
Net income (loss) attributable to CarGurus, Inc.	$	45,881		$	(17,905	)	$	20,972		$	36,942
Deemed dividend on redemption of noncontrolling interest		—			5,838			—			5,838
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	$	45,881		$	(23,743	)	$	20,972		$	31,104
Net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic	$	0.44		$	(0.21	)	$	0.20		$	0.27
Diluted	$	0.43		$	(0.21	)	$	0.20		$	0.19
Weighted–average number of shares of common stock used in computing net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic		103,838,821			110,988,515			104,535,572			113,240,139
Diluted		106,116,888			110,988,515			106,263,886			114,188,834

_{^{(1) For the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 and for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, there was depreciation and amortization of $2,107, $8,692, $13,075, and $32,643, respectively, in cost of revenue.}}
_{^{(2) For the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, no impairment was recorded in cost of revenue. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we recorded impairment of $9,930 and $184, respectively in cost of revenue.}}

Unaudited Segment Revenue
(in thousands)

	Three Months Ended				Year Ended
	December 31,				December 31,
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Segment Revenue:
U.S. Marketplace	$	193,395	$	168,897	$	733,688	$	647,284
Digital Wholesale		18,344		40,872		97,785		216,005
Other		16,799		13,354		62,911		50,953
Total	$	228,538	$	223,123	$	894,384	$	914,242

Unaudited Segment Income (Loss) from Operations
(in thousands)

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Segment Income (Loss) from Operations:
U.S. Marketplace	$	56,068		$	43,281		$	182,738		$	127,724
Digital Wholesale		(5,500	)		(67,199	)		(179,315	)		(96,383	)
Other		2,710			1,653			9,989			1,286
Total	$	53,278		$	(22,265	)	$	13,412		$	32,627

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Operating Activities
Consolidated net income (loss)	$	45,881		$	(22,603	)	$	20,972		$	22,053
Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		7,038			12,761			25,360			48,474
Gain on sale of property and equipment		—			—			—			(460	)
Currency loss (gain) on foreign denominated transactions		1,205			(532	)		971			(283	)
Other non-cash (income) expense, net		—			(80	)		(816	)		88
Deferred taxes		13,996			(5,735	)		(33,348	)		(37,864	)
Provision for doubtful accounts		517			131			2,051			378
Stock-based compensation expense		15,658			19,968			62,272			63,737
Amortization of deferred financing costs		128			128			515			515
Amortization of deferred contract costs		3,734			3,188			13,975			11,817
Impairment		—			—			144,431			184
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		527			10,638			(4,866	)		10,975
Inventory		(261	)		(3,001	)		(112	)		1,958
Prepaid expenses, prepaid income taxes, and other assets		(8,720	)		(7,525	)		(1,627	)		(1,498	)
Deferred contract costs		(4,394	)		(4,752	)		(15,701	)		(18,440	)
Accounts payable		(15,433	)		903			(4,663	)		2,080
Accrued expenses, accrued income taxes, and other liabilities		6,465			(4,435	)		3,897			(3,419	)
Deferred revenue		(193	)		270			362			9,067
Lease obligations		9,589			3,172			41,821			15,165
Net cash provided by operating activities		75,737			2,496			255,494			124,527
Investing Activities
Purchases of property and equipment		(10,236	)		(15,515	)		(75,173	)		(24,563	)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment		—			—			—			460
Capitalization of website development costs		(3,462	)		(4,875	)		(18,776	)		(16,648	)
Purchases of short-term investments		—			(1,268	)		(494	)		(98,016	)
Sale of short-term investments		—			72,462			21,218			77,462
Advance payments to customers, net of collections		—			2,649			259			(259	)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(13,698	)		53,453			(72,966	)		(61,564	)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options		4,848			—			4,923			74
Payment of withholding taxes on net share settlements of restricted stock units		(7,500	)		(3,859	)		(24,891	)		(15,597	)
Repurchases of common stock		—			(101,115	)		(146,180	)		(208,524	)
Payment of excise taxes on repurchases of common stock		(1,584	)		—			(1,584	)		—
Payment of finance lease obligations		(19	)		(18	)		(75	)		(70	)
Payment of tax distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interest holders		—			—			—			(38	)
Acquisition of remaining interest in CarOffer, LLC		—			(25,014	)		—			(25,014	)
Change in gross advance payments received from third-party transaction processor		(118	)		48			(822	)		(4,475	)
Net cash used in financing activities		(4,373	)		(129,958	)		(168,629	)		(253,644	)
Impact of foreign currency on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash		(2,178	)		981			(1,596	)		475
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash		55,488			(73,028	)		12,303			(190,206	)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period		250,741			366,954			293,926			484,132
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period	$	306,229		$	293,926		$	306,229		$	293,926

Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP Consolidated Net Income (Loss) to Non-GAAP Consolidated Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders and GAAP Net Income (Loss) Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders to Non-GAAP Net Income Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders:
(in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
GAAP consolidated net income (loss)	$	45,881		$	(22,603	)	$	20,972		$	22,053
Stock-based compensation expense		15,658			14,071			62,492			57,913
Stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units⁽¹⁾		—			55,543			—			55,543
Amortization of intangible assets		507			7,513			3,655			30,062
Impairment⁽²⁾		—			—			144,431			184
Transaction-related expenses		421			1,044			1,536			1,044
Income tax effects and adjustments		(3,767	)		(16,807	)		(49,798	)		(27,489	)
Non-GAAP consolidated net income	$	58,700		$	38,761		$	183,288		$	139,310
Non-GAAP net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest		—			(456	)		—			(1,686	)
Non-GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders	$	58,700		$	39,217		$	183,288		$	140,996
GAAP net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic	$	0.44		$	(0.21	)	$	0.20		$	0.27
Diluted	$	0.43		$	(0.21	)	$	0.20		$	0.19
Non-GAAP net income per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic	$	0.57		$	0.35		$	1.75		$	1.25
Diluted	$	0.55		$	0.35		$	1.72		$	1.23
Shares used in GAAP and Non-GAAP per share calculations
Basic		103,839			110,989			104,536			113,240
Diluted		106,117			110,989			106,264			114,189

_{^{(1) CarOffer, LLC Units consist of CO Incentive Units, Subject Units (each as defined in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as of December 31, 2024, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 20, 2025), and payments made to noncontrolling interest holders.}^{(2) During the three months ended June 30, 2024, we updated the table to disclose impairment in Non-GAAP Consolidated Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders; the three months and year ended December 31, 2023 have been updated for comparison purposes.}}

Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss Attributable to Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest to Non-GAAP Net Loss Attributable to Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
(in thousands)

	Three Months Ended					Year Ended
	December 31,					December 31,
	2024		2023			2024		2023
GAAP net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	$	—	$	(4,698	)	$	—	$	(14,889	)
Stock-based compensation expense⁽¹⁾		—		144			—		783
Stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units ⁽¹⁾		—		2,249			—		2,249
Amortization of intangible assets⁽¹⁾		—		1,849			—		10,171
Non-GAAP net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	$	—	$	(456	)	$	—	$	(1,686	)

_{^{(1) These exclusions are adjusted to reflect the noncontrolling interest of 38% for the period prior to our acquisition of the remaining minority equity interests in CarOffer, LLC in December 2023 (the “2023 CarOffer Transaction”).}}

Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP Consolidated Net Income (Loss) to Non-GAAP Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA and GAAP Consolidated Net Income (Loss) Margin to Non-GAAP Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Margin
(in thousands)

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
GAAP consolidated net income (loss)	$	45,881		$	(22,603	)	$	20,972		$	22,053
Depreciation and amortization		7,038			12,761			25,360			48,474
Impairment		—			—			144,431			184
Stock-based compensation expense		15,658			14,071			62,492			57,913
Stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units		—			55,543			—			55,543
Transaction-related expenses		421			1,044			1,536			1,044
Other income, net		(2,060	)		(5,875	)		(11,245	)		(19,060	)
Provision for income taxes		9,457			6,213			3,685			29,634
Non-GAAP consolidated adjusted EBITDA		76,395			61,154			247,231			195,785
Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest		—			(303	)		—			83
Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA	$	76,395		$	61,457		$	247,231		$	195,702

GAAP consolidated net income (loss) margin		20	%		(10	)%		2	%		2	%
Non-GAAP consolidated adjusted EBITDA margin		33	%		27	%		28	%		21	%

Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss Attributable to Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest to Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA Attributable to Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
(in thousands)

	Three Months Ended					Year Ended
	December 31,					December 31,
	2024		2023			2024		2023
GAAP net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	$	—	$	(4,698	)	$	—	$	(14,889	)
Depreciation and amortization ⁽¹⁾		—		1,989			—		10,863
Impairment ⁽¹⁾		—		—			—		67
Stock-based compensation expense ⁽¹⁾		—		144			—		783
Stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units ⁽¹⁾		—		2,249			—		2,249
Other expense, net ⁽¹⁾		—		13			—		985
Provision for income taxes ⁽¹⁾		—		—			—		25
Adjusted EBITDA attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest	$	—	$	(303	)	$	—	$	83

^{_{(1) These exclusions are adjusted to reflect the noncontrolling interest of 38% for the period prior to the 2023 CarOffer Transaction.}}

Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP Gross Profit to Non-GAAP Gross Profit and GAAP Gross Profit Margin to Non-GAAP Gross Profit Margin
(in thousands, except percentages)

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Revenue	$	228,538		$	223,123		$	894,384		$	914,242
Cost of revenue		29,549			55,088			155,439			262,788
GAAP gross profit		198,989			168,035			738,945			651,454
Stock-based compensation expense included in Cost of revenue		105			186			492			699
Stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units included in Cost of revenue		—			1,671			—			1,671
Amortization of intangible assets included in Cost of revenue		—			5,250			875			21,016
Transaction-related expenses included in Cost of revenue		—			—			92			—
Impairment included in Cost of revenue ⁽¹⁾		—			—			9,930			184
Non-GAAP gross profit	$	199,094		$	175,142		$	750,334		$	675,024

GAAP gross profit margin		87	%		75	%		83	%		71	%
Non-GAAP gross profit margin		87	%		78	%		84	%		74	%

_{^{(1) During the three months ended June 30, 2024, we updated the table to disclose impairment in Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Non-GAAP Gross Profit Margin; the three months and year ended December 31, 2023 have been updated for comparison purposes.}}

Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP Expense to Non-GAAP Expense
(in thousands)

	Three Months Ended December 31, 2024
	GAAP expense		Stock-based compensation expense			Stock-Based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units			Amortization of intangible assets			Impairment ⁽²⁾			Transaction-related expenses			Non-GAAP expense
Cost of revenue	$	29,549	$	(105	)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	29,444
Sales and marketing		76,448		(3,035	)		—			—			—			(3	)		73,410
Product, technology, and development		35,948		(6,278	)		—			—			—			(283	)		29,387
General and administrative		28,384		(6,240	)		—			—			—			(135	)		22,009
Impairment		—		—			—			—			—			—			—
Depreciation & amortization		4,931		—			—			(507	)		—			—			4,424
Operating expenses⁽¹⁾	$	145,711	$	(15,553	)	$	—		$	(507	)	$	—		$	(421	)	$	129,230
Total cost of revenue and operating expenses	$	175,260	$	(15,658	)	$	—		$	(507	)	$	—		$	(421	)	$	158,674

	Three Months Ended December 31, 2023
	GAAP expense		Stock-based compensation expense			Stock-Based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units			Amortization of intangible assets			Impairment ⁽²⁾			Transaction-related expenses			Non-GAAP expense
Cost of revenue	$	55,088	$	(186	)	$	(1,671	)	$	(5,250	)	$	—		$	—		$	47,981
Sales and marketing		73,827		(2,701	)		(2,273	)		—			—			(1	)		68,852
Product, technology, and development		36,737		(5,408	)		(2,458	)		—			—			(3	)		28,868
General and administrative		75,667		(5,776	)		(49,141	)		—			—			(1,040	)		19,710
Impairment		—		—			—			—			—			—			—
Depreciation & amortization		4,069		—			—			(2,263	)		—			—			1,806
Operating expenses⁽¹⁾	$	190,300	$	(13,885	)	$	(53,872	)	$	(2,263	)	$	—		$	(1,044	)	$	119,236
Total cost of revenue and operating expenses	$	245,388	$	(14,071	)	$	(55,543	)	$	(7,513	)	$	—		$	(1,044	)	$	167,217

	Year Ended December 31, 2024
	GAAP expense		Stock-based compensation expense			Stock-Based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units			Amortization of intangible assets			Impairment ⁽²⁾			Transaction-related expenses			Non-GAAP expense
Cost of revenue	$	155,439	$	(492	)	$	—		$	(875	)	$	(9,930	)	$	(92	)	$	144,050
Sales and marketing		322,249		(12,176	)		—			—			—			(573	)		309,500
Product, technology, and development		144,432		(24,443	)		—			—			—			(346	)		119,643
General and administrative		112,066		(25,381	)		—			—			—			(525	)		86,160
Impairment		134,501		—			—			—			(134,501	)		—			—
Depreciation & amortization		12,285		—			—			(2,780	)		—			—			9,505
Operating expenses⁽¹⁾	$	725,533	$	(62,000	)	$	—		$	(2,780	)	$	(134,501	)	$	(1,444	)	$	524,808
Total cost of revenue and operating expenses	$	880,972	$	(62,492	)	$	—		$	(3,655	)	$	(144,431	)	$	(1,536	)	$	668,858

	Year Ended December 31, 2023
	GAAP expense		Stock-based compensation expense			Stock-Based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units			Amortization of intangible assets			Impairment ⁽²⁾			Transaction-related expenses			Non-GAAP expense
Cost of revenue	$	262,788	$	(699	)	$	(1,671	)	$	(21,016	)	$	(184	)	$	—		$	239,218
Sales and marketing		304,070		(11,437	)		(2,273	)		—			—			(1	)		290,359
Product, technology, and development		146,169		(23,476	)		(2,458	)		—			—			(3	)		120,232
General and administrative		152,757		(22,301	)		(49,141	)		—			—			(1,040	)		80,275
Impairment		—		—			—			—			—			—			—
Depreciation & amortization		15,831		—			—			(9,046	)		—			—			6,785
Operating expenses⁽¹⁾	$	618,827	$	(57,214	)	$	(53,872	)	$	(9,046	)	$	—		$	(1,044	)	$	497,651
Total cost of revenue and operating expenses	$	881,615	$	(57,913	)	$	(55,543	)	$	(30,062	)	$	(184	)	$	(1,044	)	$	736,869

_{^{(1) Operating expenses include sales and marketing, product, technology, and development, general and administrative, impairment, and depreciation & amortization.}^{(2) During the three months ended June 30, 2024, we updated the table above to disclose impairment in Non-GAAP Expense; the three months and year ended December 31, 2023 have been updated for comparison purposes.}}

Unaudited Reconciliation of GAAP Net Cash and Cash Equivalents Provided by Operating Activities to Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow
(in thousands)

	Three Months Ended						Year Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
GAAP net cash and cash equivalents provided by operating activities	$	75,737		$	2,496		$	255,494		$	124,527
Purchases of property and equipment		(10,236	)		(15,515	)		(75,173	)		(24,563	)
Capitalization of website development costs		(3,462	)		(4,875	)		(18,776	)		(16,648	)
Non-GAAP free cash flow	$	62,039		$	(17,894	)	$	161,545		$	83,316

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Business Metrics

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”), we provide investors with certain non-GAAP financial measures and other business metrics, which we believe are helpful to our investors. We use these non-GAAP financial measures and other business metrics for financial and operational decision-making purposes and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures and other business metrics provide useful information about our operating results, enhance the overall understanding of past financial performance and future prospects, and allow for greater transparency with respect to metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making.

The presentation of non-GAAP financial information and other business metrics is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. While our non-GAAP financial measures and other business metrics are an important tool for financial and operational decision-making and for evaluating our own operating results over different periods of time, we urge investors to review the reconciliation of these financial measures to the comparable GAAP financial measures included above, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.

While a reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to corresponding GAAP measures is not available on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort due to, as applicable, the timing, amount, valuation, and number of future employee equity awards and the uncertainty relating to the timing, frequency, and effect of acquisitions and the significance of the resulting transaction-related expenses, we have provided a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures and other business metrics to the nearest comparable GAAP measures in the accompanying financial statement tables included in this press release.

We monitor operating measures of certain non-GAAP items including non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP expense, non-GAAP consolidated net income, non-GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders, and non-GAAP net income per share attributable to common stockholders. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude the effect of stock-based compensation expense, stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units, amortization of intangible assets, impairments, and transaction related-expenses. Non-GAAP consolidated net income, non-GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders, and non-GAAP net income per share attributable to common stockholders also exclude certain income tax effects and adjustments. Non-GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders and non-GAAP net income per share attributable to common stockholders also exclude non-GAAP net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest. We define non-GAAP net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest as net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest, adjusted to exclude: stock-based compensation expense, stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units, and amortization of intangible assets. These exclusions are adjusted for redeemable noncontrolling interest, as applicable. Our calculations of non-GAAP net income per share attributable to common stockholders utilize applicable GAAP share counts as included in the accompanying financial statement tables included in this press release. In addition, we evaluate our non-GAAP gross profit in relation to our revenue. We refer to this as non-GAAP gross profit margin and define it as non-GAAP gross profit divided by total revenue. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about our operating results, enhance the overall understanding of past financial performance and future prospects, and allow for greater transparency with respect to metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making.

We define Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA as consolidated net income (loss), adjusted to exclude: depreciation and amortization, impairments, stock-based compensation expense, stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units, transaction-related expenses, other income, net, and provision for income taxes.

We define Adjusted EBITDA as Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA adjusted to exclude: Adjusted EBITDA attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest.

We define Adjusted EBITDA attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest as net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest, adjusted to exclude: depreciation and amortization, impairments, stock-based compensation expense, stock-based compensation expense for CarOffer, LLC Units, other expense, net, and provision for income taxes. These exclusions are adjusted for redeemable noncontrolling interest of 38% by taking the noncontrolling interest’s full financial results and multiplying each line item in the reconciliation by 38%. We note that we use 38%, versus 49%, to allocate the share of loss because it represents the portion attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interest. The 38% is exclusive of CO Incentive Units, Subject Units, and 2021 Incentive Units (as each term is defined in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 20, 2025), which are liability-classified awards that do not participate in the share of loss. Adjusted EBITDA attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest is reflective of the 2023 CarOffer Transaction. Following the 2023 CarOffer Transaction there was no redeemable noncontrolling interest as of December 1, 2023, and as a result, Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is equivalent to Adjusted EBITDA for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024.

In addition, we evaluate our Non-GAAP consolidated Adjusted EBITDA in relation to our revenue. We refer to this as Non-GAAP consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin and define it as Non-GAAP consolidated Adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue.

We have presented Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA margin because they are key measures used by our management and Board of Directors to understand and evaluate our operating performance, generate future operating plans, and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital. We believe Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA help identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the expenses that we exclude. Accordingly, we believe that Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects, and allowing for greater transparency with respect to key financial metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision making. We have presented Adjusted EBITDA attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest because it is used by our management to reconcile Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA to Adjusted EBITDA. It represents the portion of Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA that is attributable to our redeemable noncontrolling interest and enables an investor to gain a clearer understanding of the portion of Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA that is attributable to our redeemable noncontrolling interest. Adjusted EBITDA attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest is not intended to be reviewed on its own.

We define Free Cash Flow as cash flow from operations adjusted to include: purchases of property and equipment and capitalization of website development costs. We have presented Free Cash Flow because it is a measure of our financial performance that represents the cash that we are able to generate after expenditures required to maintain or expand our asset base.

We define a paying dealer as a dealer account with an active, paid marketplace subscription at the end of a defined period. The number of paying dealers we have is important to us and we believe it provides valuable information to investors because it is indicative of the value proposition of our marketplace products, as well as our sales and marketing success and opportunity, including our ability to retain paying dealers and develop new dealer relationships.

We define Quarterly Average Revenue per Subscribing Dealer (“QARSD”), which is measured at the end of a fiscal quarter, as the marketplace revenue primarily from subscriptions to our Listings packages and Real-time Performance Marketing, our digital advertising suite, and other digital add-on products during that trailing quarter divided by the average number of paying dealers in that marketplace during the quarter. We calculate the average number of paying dealers for a period by adding the number of paying dealers at the end of such period and the end of the prior period and dividing by two. This information is important to us, and we believe it provides useful information to investors, because we believe that our ability to grow QARSD is an indicator of the value proposition of our products and the return on investment that our paying dealers realize from our products. In addition, increases in QARSD, which we believe reflect the value of exposure to our engaged audience in relation to subscription cost, are driven in part by our ability to grow the volume of connections to our users and the quality of those connections, which result in increased opportunity to upsell package levels and cross-sell additional products to our paying dealers.

We define Transactions within the Digital Wholesale segment as the number of vehicles processed from car dealers, consumers, and other marketplaces through the CarOffer website within the defined period. Transactions consists of each unique vehicle (based on vehicle identification number) that reaches “sold and invoiced” status on the CarOffer website within the defined period, including vehicles sold to car dealers, vehicles sold at third-party auctions, vehicles ultimately sold to a different buyer, and vehicles that are returned to their owners without completion of a sale transaction. We exclude vehicles processed within CarOffer’s intra-group trading solution (Group Trade) from the definition of Transactions, and we only count any unique vehicle once even if it reaches sold status multiple times. The Digital Wholesale segment includes the purchase and sale of vehicles between dealers, or Dealer-to-Dealer transactions, and Sell My Car – Instant Max Cash Offer transactions. We view Transactions as a key business metric, and we believe it provides useful information to investors, because it provides insight into growth and revenue for the Digital Wholesale segment. Transactions drive a significant portion of Digital Wholesale segment revenue. We believe growth in Transactions demonstrates consumer and dealer utilization and our market share penetration in the Digital Wholesale segment.

Historically, we have used data from Google Analytics to measure two of our key business metrics: monthly unique users and monthly sessions. Effective July 1, 2024, GA4 replaced Google Analytics. The methodologies used in GA4 are different and not comparable to the methodologies used in Google Analytics. As discussed below, we also make certain adjustments to the GA4 data in order to improve the accuracy of the reported monthly unique users and monthly sessions. Due to the change in methodology, we are unable to provide comparable monthly unique user and monthly session information for prior periods, including any periods prior to June 30, 2024.

For each of our websites (excluding the CarOffer website), we define a monthly unique user as an individual who has visited any such website and taken a Visitor Action (as defined below) within a calendar month, based on data as measured by GA4. We calculate average monthly unique users as the sum of the monthly unique users of each of our websites in a defined period, divided by the number of months in that period. Effective July 1, 2024, we count a unique user the first time a computer or mobile device with a unique device identifier accesses any of our websites or application during a calendar month and takes an action on such website or in such application, such as performing a search, visiting vehicle detail pages, and connecting with a dealer, which we refer to as a Visitor Action. If an individual accesses a website or application using a different device within a given month, the first Visitor Action taken by each such device is counted as a separate unique user. If an individual uses multiple browsers on a single device and/or clears their cookies and returns to our website or application and takes a Visitor Action within a calendar month, each such Visitor Action is counted as a separate unique user. We eliminate any duplicate unique users that may arise when users visit a webview within our native application. We view our average monthly unique users as a key indicator of the quality of our user experience, the effectiveness of our advertising and traffic acquisition, and the strength of our brand awareness. Measuring unique users is important to us and we believe it provides useful information to our investors because our marketplace revenue depends, in part, on our ability to provide dealers with connections to our users and exposure to our marketplace audience. We define connections as interactions between consumers and dealers on our marketplace through phone calls, email, managed text and chat, and clicks to access the dealer’s website or map directions to the dealership.

We define monthly sessions as the number of distinct visits to our websites (excluding the CarOffer website) that include a Visitor Action that take place each month within a given time frame, as measured and defined by GA4. We calculate average monthly sessions as the sum of the monthly sessions in a defined period, divided by the number of months in that period. Effective July 1, 2024, a session is defined as beginning with the first Visitor Action from a computer or mobile device and ending at the earliest of when a user closes their browser window or after 30 minutes of inactivity. We eliminate any duplicate monthly sessions that may arise when users visit a webview within our native application. We believe that measuring the volume of sessions in a time period, when considered in conjunction with the number of unique users in that time period, is an important indicator to us of consumer satisfaction and engagement with our marketplace, and we believe it provides useful information to our investors because the more satisfied and engaged consumers we have, the more valuable our service is to dealers.

The MIL Network –

February 21, 2025

MIL-OSI: iRhythm Technologies Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: IRTC), a leading digital health care company focused on creating trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease, today reported financial results for the three months and full year ended December 31, 2024.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

Revenue of $164.3 million, a 24.0% increase compared to fourth quarter 2023
Gross margin of 70.0%, a 410-basis point increase compared to fourth quarter 2023
Net loss of $1.3 million, a $37.4 million improvement compared to fourth quarter 2023
Adjusted EBITDA of $19.3 million, a $16.9 million improvement compared to fourth quarter 2023
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $535.6 million at December 31, 2024, a $13.6 million increase from September 30, 2024

Full Year 2024 Financial Highlights

Revenue of $591.8 million, a 20.1% increase compared to full year 2023
Gross margin of 68.9%, a 160-basis point increase compared to full year 2023
Net loss of $113.3 million, a $10.1 million improvement compared to full year 2023
Adjusted EBITDA of $(7.7) million, a decline of $2.9 million compared to full year 2023

Recent Operational Highlights

Fourth quarter 2024 capped a year of progressively accelerating year-over-year volume growth every quarter, with full year 2024 revenue driven by sustained volume demand across all customer channels
Analysis of real-world claims data conducted by Eversana and presented at AHA in November 2024 suggested that early detection with arrhythmia monitoring devices could have the combined potential to help prevent serious outcomes like stroke and heart failure while also significantly reducing acute care utilization and related costs in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Upcoming data presentations at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session & Expo in Chicago, IL, from March 29 – 31, 2025

“Our fourth quarter capped a transformative year for iRhythm, marked by 24% revenue growth and significant operational achievements,” said Quentin Blackford, President and CEO of iRhythm. “We achieved record new account onboarding, with balanced volume contributions across multiple channels, particularly in risk-bearing, primary care settings where Zio’s value as a population health management tool has resonated strongly. Throughout 2024, we enhanced our quality systems, improved customer experience through EHR integration and innovative product launches, expanded into multiple international markets, and secured strategic technology licensing agreements to advance connected patient care. Our commitment to operational discipline has yielded positive cash flow for three consecutive quarters, while our extensive scientific publications have further validated our approach. Looking ahead, we remain focused on delivering a best-in-class quality system while creating shareholder value through our strategies of expanding our core U.S. market presence, accelerating international growth, advancing product innovation, and further advancing operational efficiencies. As we scale the Zio platform globally, we’re uniquely positioned to shape the future of healthcare while driving value for patients, physicians, health systems, and shareholders.”

Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results
Revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2024, increased 24.0% to $164.3 million, from $132.5 million during the same period in 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in the volume of Zio Services resulting from increased demand, partially offset by a slight decline in average selling price.

Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $115.1 million, up from $87.4 million during the same period in 2023, while gross margins were 70.0% as compared to 66.0% during the same period in 2023. The improvement in gross margin was primarily driven by operational efficiencies leading to lower costs per unit to serve a higher volume of patients compared to the prior year.

Operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $119.2 million, compared to $126.6 million for the same period in 2023 and $151.8 million in the third quarter of 2024. The fourth quarter of 2023 included $11.1 million of higher operating expenses due to an impairment charge for our right-of-use capitalized leased asset value of our San Francisco office. The decrease in operating expenses compared to the third quarter 2024 was due primarily to a $32.1 million charge in the third quarter of 2024 for in-process research and development charges related to technology license consideration.

Net loss for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $1.3 million, or a diluted loss of $0.04 per share, compared with net loss of $38.7 million, or a diluted loss of $1.26 per share, for the same period in 2023.

Full Year 2024 Financial Results
Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024, increased 20.1% to $591.8 million, from $492.7 million in 2023. The increase in revenue was primarily due to increased volume of Zio services provided as a result of increased demand.

Gross profit for the year was $407.5 million, up from $331.8 million in 2023, while gross margin was 68.9%, an improvement from 67.3% in 2023. The improvement in gross margin was primarily driven by operational efficiencies leading to lower costs per unit to serve a higher volume of patients compared to the prior year.

Operating expenses for the year were $523.0 million, an increase of 14.5% compared to 2023. The increase was mainly due to acquired IPR&D expenses related to license consideration, along with an increase in headcount-related costs and professional fees to support the growth in our business.

Net loss for 2024 was $113.3 million, or a diluted loss of $3.63 per share, compared with net loss of $123.4 million, or a diluted loss of $4.04 per share in 2023.

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $535.6 million as of December 31, 2024.

2025 Guidance
iRhythm projects revenue for the full year 2025 between $675 million to $685 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the full year 2025 is expected to range from approximately 7.0% to 8.0% of revenues.

Webcast and Conference Call Information
iRhythm’s management team will host a conference call today beginning at 1:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. ET. Investors interested in listening to the conference call may do so by accessing the live and archived webcast of the event, which will be available on the investors section of the Company’s website at investors.irhythmtech.com.

About iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
iRhythm is a leading digital health care company that creates trusted solutions that detect, predict, and prevent disease. Combining wearable biosensors and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms, iRhythm distills data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information. Through a relentless focus on patient care, iRhythm’s vision is to deliver better data, better insights, and better health for all.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We refer to certain financial measures that are not recognized under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in this press release, including adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net loss, adjusted net loss per share and adjusted operating expenses. We use these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. See the schedules attached to this press release for additional information and reconciliations of such non-GAAP financial measures. We have not reconciled our adjusted operating expenses and adjusted EBITDA estimates for full year 2025 because certain items that impact these figures are uncertain or out of our control and cannot be reasonably predicted. Accordingly, a reconciliation of adjusted operating expenses and adjusted EBITDA estimates is not available without unreasonable effort.

Adjusted EBITDA excludes non-cash operating charges for stock-based compensation expense, changes in fair value of strategic investments, impairment and restructuring charges, business transformation costs, and loss on extinguishment of debt. Business transformation costs include costs associated with professional services, employee termination and relocation, third-party merger and acquisition, integration, and other costs to augment and restructure the organization, inclusive of both outsourced and offshore resources.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. An investor can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words such as ‘anticipate’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘intend’, ‘will’, ‘project’, ‘plan’, ‘believe’, ‘target’ and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future actions or operating or financial performance. In particular these statements include statements regarding financial guidance, market opportunity, ability to penetrate the market, international market expansion, anticipated productivity and quality improvements, and expectations for growth. Such statements are based on current assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, include risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those on the Form 10-K expected to be filed on or about February 20, 2025. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and should not be unduly relied upon. iRhythm disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Investor Contact
Stephanie Zhadkevich
investors@irhythmtech.com

Media Contact
Kassandra Perry
irhythm@highwirepr.com

IRHYTHM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands, except par value)

	December 31,
		2024			2023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	419,597		$	36,173
Marketable securities		115,956			97,591
Accounts receivable, net		79,941			61,484
Inventory		14,039			13,973
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		16,286			21,591
Total current assets		645,819			230,812
Property and equipment, net		125,092			104,114
Operating lease right-of-use assets		47,564			49,317
Restricted cash		8,358			—
Goodwill		862			862
Long-term strategic investments		61,902			3,000
Other assets		41,852			45,039
Total assets	$	931,449		$	433,144
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	7,221		$	5,543
Accrued liabilities		84,900			83,362
Deferred revenue		2,932			3,306
Operating lease liabilities, current portion		15,867			15,159
Total current liabilities		110,920			107,370
Long-term senior convertible notes		646,443			—
Debt, noncurrent portion		—			34,950
Other noncurrent liabilities		8,579			1,012
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent portion		74,599			79,715
Total liabilities		840,541			223,047
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value – 5,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023		—			—
Common stock, $0.001 par value – 100,000 shares authorized; 31,621 shares issued and 31,392 shares outstanding at December 31, 2024, respectively; and 30,954 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2023		31			31
Additional paid-in capital		874,607			855,784
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		165			(112	)
Accumulated deficit		(758,895	)		(645,606	)
Treasury stock, at cost; 229 and 0 shares at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively		(25,000	)		—
Total stockholders’ equity		90,908			210,097
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	931,449		$	433,144

IRHYTHM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except per share data)

	(Unaudited) Three Months Ended December 31,						Year Ended December 31,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Revenue, net	$	164,325		$	132,511		$	591,839		$	492,681
Cost of revenue		49,257			45,085			184,308			160,875
Gross profit		115,068			87,426			407,531			331,806
Operating expenses:
Research and development		19,081			15,416			71,459			60,244
Acquired in-process research and development		302			—			32,371			—
Selling, general and administrative		99,768			100,114			418,565			385,645
Impairment and restructuring charges		—			11,078			641			11,078
Total operating expenses		119,151			126,608			523,036			456,967
Loss from operations		(4,083	)		(39,182	)		(115,505	)		(125,161	)
Interest and other income (expense), net:
Interest income		5,740			1,734			21,938			6,353
Interest expense		(3,320	)		(941	)		(12,821	)		(3,650	)
Loss on extinguishment of debt		—			—			(7,589	)		—
Other income (expense), net		481			(55	)		1,253			(198	)
Total interest and other income (expense), net		2,901			738			2,781			2,505
Loss before income taxes		(1,182	)		(38,444	)		(112,724	)		(122,656	)
Income tax provision		151			255			565			750
Net loss	$	(1,333	)	$	(38,699	)	$	(113,289	)	$	(123,406	)
Net loss per common share, basic and diluted	$	(0.04	)	$	(1.26	)	$	(3.63	)	$	(4.04	)
Weighted-average shares, basic and diluted		31,343			30,702			31,196			30,528

IRHYTHM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Year Ended December 31,
		2024			2023			2024			2023
Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation*
Net loss¹	$	(1,333	)	$	(38,699	)	$	(113,289	)	$	(123,406	)
Interest expense		3,320			941			12,821			3,650
Interest income		(5,740	)		(1,734	)		(21,938	)		(6,353	)
Changes in fair value of strategic investments		(843	)		—			(1,902	)		—
Income tax provision		151			255			565			750
Depreciation and amortization		5,289			4,914			20,715			16,348
Stock-based compensation		16,008			23,846			75,978			77,204
Impairment charges		—			11,078			641			11,078
Business transformation costs		2,416			1,772			11,072			15,866
Loss on extinguishment of debt		—			—			7,589			—
Adjusted EBITDA	$	19,268		$	2,373		$	(7,748	)	$	(4,863	)

*Certain numbers expressed may not sum due to rounding. ¹Net loss for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024, includes acquired in-process research and development expense of $0.3 million and $32.4 million, respectively.

Adjusted net income (loss) reconciliation*
Net loss, as reported¹	$	(1,333	)	$	(38,699	)	$	(113,289	)	$	(123,406	)
Impairment charges		—			11,078			641			11,078
Business transformation costs		2,416			1,772			11,072			15,866
Changes in fair value of strategic investments		(843	)		—			(1,902	)		—
Loss on extinguishment of debt		—			—			7,589			—
Adjusted net income (loss)	$	240		$	(25,849	)	$	(95,889	)	$	(96,462	)

Adjusted net income (loss) per share reconciliation:*
Diluted net loss per share, as reported¹	$	(0.04	)	$	(1.26	)	$	(3.63	)	$	(4.04	)
Impairment charges per share		—			0.36			0.02			0.36
Business transformation costs per share		0.08			0.06			0.35			0.52
Changes in fair value of strategic investments per share		(0.03	)		—			(0.06	)		—
Loss on extinguishment of debt per share		—			—			0.24			—
Adjusted diluted net income (loss) per share	$	0.01		$	(0.84	)	$	(3.08	)	$	(3.16	)

Weighted-average shares, basic		31,343			30,702			31,196			30,528
Weighted-average shares, diluted		31,710			30,702			31,196			30,528

Adjusted operating expenses reconciliation*
Operating expenses, as reported	$	119,151		$	126,608		$	523,036		$	456,967
Impairment charges		—			(11,078	)		(641	)		(11,078	)
Business transformation costs		(2,416	)		(1,772	)		(11,072	)		(15,866	)
Adjusted operating expenses	$	116,735		$	113,758		$	511,323		$	430,023

*Certain numbers expressed may not sum due to rounding. ¹Net loss for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024, includes acquired in-process research and development expense of $0.3 million and $32.4 million, respectively.

The MIL Network –

February 21, 2025

MIL-OSI: XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust Will Host Q4 2024 Quarterly Webinar on March 5, 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (NYSE: XFLT) (the “Trust”) today announced that it plans to host the Trust’s Quarterly Webinar on March 5, 2025 at 11:00 am (Eastern Time). Kevin Davis, Managing Director at XA Investments (“XAI”) will moderate the Q&A style webinar with Kimberly Flynn, President at XAI, and Lauren Law, Senior Portfolio Manager at Octagon Credit Investors.

TO JOIN VIA WEB: Please go to the Knowledge Bank section of xainvestments.com or click here to find the online registration link.

TO USE YOUR TELEPHONE: After joining via web, if you prefer to use your phone for audio, you must select that option and call in using a number below, based on your current location.

Dial: (312) 626-6799 or (267) 831-0333 or (646) 558-8656 or (213) 338-8477 or (720) 928-9299
Webinar ID: 829 2498 4014

REPLAY: A replay of the webinar will be available in the Knowledge Bank section of xainvestments.com.

The investment objective of the Trust is to seek attractive total return with an emphasis on income generation across multiple stages of the credit cycle. The Trust seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a dynamically managed portfolio of opportunities primarily within the private credit markets. Under normal market conditions, the Trust will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in floating rate credit instruments and other structured credit investments. There can be no assurance that the Trust will achieve its investment objective.

The Trust’s common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “XFLT,” and the Trust’s 6.50% Series 2026 Term Preferred Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “XFLTPRA.”

About XA Investments
XA Investments LLC (“XAI”) serves as the Trust’s investment adviser. XAI is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in April 2016. In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet institutional client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including development and market research, sales, marketing, fund management and administration. XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. XAI provides individual investors with access to institutional-caliber alternative managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com.

About XMS Capital Partners
XMS Capital Partners, LLC, established in 2006, is a global, independent, financial services firm providing M&A, corporate advisory and asset management services to clients. It has offices in Chicago, Boston and London. For more information, please visit www.xmscapital.com.

About Octagon Credit Investors
Octagon Credit Investors, LLC (“Octagon”) serves as the Trust’s investment sub-adviser. Octagon is a 25+ year old, $33.4B below-investment grade corporate credit investment adviser focused on leveraged loan, high yield bond and structured credit (collateralized loan obligation debt and equity) investments. Through fundamental credit analysis and active portfolio management, Octagon’s investment team identifies attractive relative value opportunities across below-investment grade asset classes, sectors and issuers. Octagon’s investment philosophy and methodology encourage and rely upon dynamic internal communication to manage portfolio risk. Over its history, the firm has applied a disciplined, repeatable and scalable approach in its effort to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for its investors. For more information, please visit www.octagoncredit.com.

XAI does not provide tax advice; please consult a professional tax advisor regarding your specific tax situation. Income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as the federal alternative minimum tax.

Investors should consider the investment objectives and policies, risk considerations, charges and expenses of the Trust carefully before investing. For more information on the Trust, please visit the Trust’s webpage at www.xainvestments.com.

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

NOT FDIC INSURED NO BANK GUARANTEE

Paralel Distributors, LLC – Distributor
MAY LOSE VALUE

Media Contact:

Kimberly Flynn, President
XA Investments LLC
Phone: 312-374-6931
Email: kflynn@xainvestments.com
www.xainvestments.com

The MIL Network –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: What to Know About Pneumonia as Pope Francis Is Hospitalized

Source: US State of Connecticut

So far, 2025 has been the winter of respiratory ailments, with influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) making up three-fourths of what some are referring to as the “quademic.” But one we haven’t heard relatively much about is pneumonia.

Dr. Mark Metersky is chief of UConn Health’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

“One in approximately five patients who develops pneumonia ends up in the hospital in this country,” says Dr. Mark Metersky, chief of UConn Health’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.

We’re hearing more about it now, with Pope Francis in an Italian hospital and reported to have bilateral pneumonia, meaning pneumonia in both lungs.

“Pneumonia is often on both sides, not always, but the more lobes that are involved, the more lung tissue that’s involved, the more serious it is, on average,” says Metersky, who is a coauthor of the American Thoracic Society’s guidelines for pneumonia diagnosis and treatment, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in 2019.

“Pneumonia itself refers to an infection of the lower respiratory tract – so, the lungs themselves – whereas typical viral respiratory organisms usually cause upper respiratory symptoms — so runny nose, congestion, sometimes sinusitis, sore throat, even a cough,” says Dr. Lisa Chirch, UConn Health infectious disease physician.

Dr. Lisa Chirch is an infectious diseases physician at UConn Health. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

Flu, RSV, COVID-19, and bronchitis can lead to pneumonia, as well as upper respiratory problems.

“There’s a ton of influenza circulating right now, and people with flu can then develop bacterial pneumonia on top of the viral infection, which puts them at higher risk,” Chirch says. “Lower respiratory tract infections more typically are caused by bacteria than are upper respiratory tract infections. There are certain bacteria that are often most problematic. Streptococcus pneumoniae, otherwise known as pneumococcus, which is vaccine preventable, is most common.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the pneumococcal vaccine for adults 50 and older, children younger than 5, and anyone considered at increased risk for pneumococcal disease. The vaccine is not seasonal and offers protection for several years. Chirch says there are nuances to the vaccine schedule because the pneumococcal vaccine is available in multiple versions.

“Depending on the timing of your last pneumococcal vaccine, you may be eligible to receive a newer one,” she says.

We also can protect ourselves from pneumonia by keeping current on other vaccinations, including influenza and RSV — ideally in the fall, though it’s still not too late for those to be helpful this winter and spring — and by following the CDC recommendations on COVID-19 vaccine.

Metersky published a paper in the journal Chest in 2012 showing that half the people who die within 30 days of being hospitalized with pneumonia die after leaving the hospital.

“Some of them are complications related to pneumonia, some of them are complications related to their underlying disease that made them at risk for pneumonia, so it’s a combination,” he says.

Other contributors to pneumonia risk include smoking, diabetes, alcohol use, opioid dependence, and benzodiazepine use (drugs similar to Valium).

For those dealing with bacterial pneumonia at home, especially an older person with other health problems, Chirch recommends monitoring closely for fever and other symptoms like worsening cough and difficulty breathing, at which point, hospitalization may be appropriate.

“Watch for high-grade fevers, chills, shortness of breath, feeling more winded just walking around the house, severe cough, chest pain, things like that,” she says. “From my perspective, probably the most concerning things would be difficulty breathing and high fever.”

Once in the hospital, “the mainstay is antibiotics and supportive care, so antibiotics, fluids, electrolytes, if they need it, oxygen, if they need it, a ventilator if they’re really severe, but the key thing is antibiotics,” Metersky says. “Unfortunately, many pneumonias are viral, and for most of these viruses, we don’t have any treatment. So, it’s really supporting them until they improve.”

Learn more about pulmonary medicine and critical care at UConn Health.

Learn more about UConn Health’s Infectious Diseases Division.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Signs of ‘Historic Progress’ towards Peace Emerge, Central African Republic’s Delegate Tells Security Council, Requesting Donor Support for 2025 Elections

Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

UN Official Notes Fragility in Border Areas despite Overall Security Improvement

The Central African Republic has made significant progress towards the 2025 elections, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country told the Security Council today, while also noting overall security improvements and persistent fragility in border areas.

Valentine Rugwabiza, Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), emphasized that the upcoming electoral cycle represents a historic opportunity to lay the foundation for decentralized governance. Recently, national authorities along with MINUSCA’s support were able to register 570,000 new voters and had opened the first-ever multiservice post at the country’s border with Chad.

However, despite this important progress, serious pockets of insecurity persist, particularly in areas where armed groups try to control mining sites and transhumance corridors, she continued. Implementation of the national border-management policy requires additional support as the conflict in Sudan also threatens to spill over. While welcoming the dissolution of 9 out of 14 armed groups who signed the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation six years ago, she also said that more needs to be done — in collaboration with regional partners — to facilitate the return of armed group leaders and ensure their disarmament.

On the human rights front, she urged the Government to launch the Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission, through the appointment of its new commissioners. “If left unaddressed, [human rights] crimes could undermine the hard-earned security gains and further erode social cohesion,” she warned. Paying tribute to a 29-year-old Tunisian peacekeeper recently killed in an ambush in Bamingui-Bangoran, she urged the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“We need your support to build a stronger and more inclusive economy in the Central African Republic,” said Portia Deya Abazene, President of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs of the Central African Republic, via video link. Despite the adoption of international conventions and a constitution guaranteeing equal rights, “harmful practices continue to hinder the progress of women in [Central African Republic]”, she said, highlighting the low representation of women in leadership positions. Women represent only 15.52 per cent of business owners in certain sectors and face constraints in accessing land, means of production, education, financing, markets and decent employment.

Women Key to Economic Development

Ms. Abazene’s organization provides a space for experience-sharing among women entrepreneurs at the local level, as well as training programmes in leadership, management, financial education and digital marketing. “The achievements of Central African women in entrepreneurship are the result of their determination and political will,” she underscored, calling for policies promoting female entrepreneurship and easier access to financing. “The Central African Republic will not reach its potential as long as more than 51 per cent of its population” — women — continue to be marginalized, she said.

Council members emphasized the need to address human rights violations in the country, urged its authorities to seize the opportunity to hold credible elections, and highlighted MINUSCA’s vital role in helping to expand State authority. Several speakers, however, offered differing views on the root causes of Bangui’s instability.

United States, United Kingdom, Russian Federation Trade Barbs

“It is clear that Kremlin-backed actors, purporting to be security partners, are undercutting Central African Republic’s authorities and undermining peace with the primary goal of stealing [Central African Republic] resources without contributing to its development,” said the representative of the United States. . “It is unacceptable that a member of this Council continues to disseminate disinformation that diminishes the credibility and effectiveness of MINUSCA,” he added, expressing serious concern over the violation of the Status of Forces Agreement, namely the blocking of MINUSCA fuel trucks.

The United Kingdom’s delegate said his country has information “that proxies directed by the Russian State have plans to interfere with [Central African Republic] elections, including through suppressing political voices and conducting disinformation campaigns to interfere in political debate”. They are acting without regard for the country’s sovereignty and jeopardizing the dedicated UN role, he said. Also highlighting reports of Wagner Ti Azande and other armed groups committing atrocities against civilians, he called on all actors to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international law.

The representative of the Russian Federation said that, given the considerable security improvements in the Central African Republic, it is “surprising” that the United States and United Kingdom continue “whipping the dead horse of their campaign to smear” her country. This campaign has run out of steam. Moscow remains committed to cooperating with Bangui to achieve lasting peace and security. As far as the security situation, she expressed concerns for the area bordering Sudan, which has become an “additional burden” of human rights concerns. Successful municipal elections in July will be a “milestone on the road to peaceful life” in the Central African Republic.

The representative of China, Council President for February, speaking in his national capacity, said the situation in the country “is good, in general”, with progress in enhancing governance capacity and consolidating political gains. MINUSCA must prioritize support for election preparations, he said, adding that the international community should avoid undue external interference.

Democratic, Inclusive, Fair Elections

The representative of Somalia, also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Sierra Leone, welcomed the inauguration of “the first-ever multiservice border post in the Central African Republic” built with MINUSCA’s support. Despite security, logistical and financial challenges — preparations towards local, legislative and presidential elections are progressing. Emphasizing the need for open and constructive dialogue between the Government and opposition parties, he also called for “concerted” efforts to ensure that all eligible citizens are registered to vote. “We wish to underline that the success of the local election process is essential for the strengthening of direct democracy, legitimacy, local development and the extension of State authority throughout the national territory,” he added.

Other speakers also said that the upcoming elections were a unique opportunity for the Central African Republic, with Panama’s delegate emphasizing that 2025 is a “pivotal year” for Bangui. “These will be the first local elections in more than three decades,” he said, urging the Government to guarantee that “these elections will be carried out in a peaceful environment”. Slovenia’s delegate said that, while local elections can signify a major step in the further decentralization of the country, they “will only be considered credible and democratic, if all eligible voters are able to register and cast their vote, including women, youth, minorities, internally displaced persons, returnees and refugees”.

Fear of Sudan Conflict Spillover

Joining others in expressing concern over the spillover of the conflict in Sudan, the representative of the Republic of Korea said that the presence of the Rapid Support Forces — a paramilitary group in Sudan — in the Central African Republic “only brings more risk to the already-fragile landscape”. Similarly, Greece’s representative said that recent gains in border-management policy “are undermined by the transiting of armed groups across the porous north-eastern region”.

Pakistan’s delegate noted that his country had contributed 1,300 troops to MINUSCA and expressed concern over the shortfall in funding. “As of 4 February, unpaid assessed contributions to the Special Account for MINUSCA amounted to $570.7 million,” he said. Other Council members also stressed the need to provide financial and material support for the Central African Republic, with France’s delegate noting that Paris has allocated €2 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Bangui’s upcoming elections, and €200,000 to enable the country’s Special Criminal Court to function. Peacebuilding “depends on progress achieved in combating impunity”, he stressed.

The representative of the Central African Republic, detailing his country’s “considerable progress in pursuing peace” since the signing of the 2019 peace agreement, reported that 9 of 14 armed groups have dissolved, 7,000 combatants have disarmed and demobilized, and 20,000 weapons of various calibres have been collected. “This is a sign of historic progress,” he stressed, while noting the “one major challenge” remaining — “the complete eradication of isolated armed groups, which continue to carry out atrocities against civilians”. To the armed groups that remain, he underscored: “The door for dialogue remains wide open.”

He went on to stress: “Insecurity directly threatens the democratic process that we intend to consolidate.” Noting that the crisis is Sudan is seriously impacting his own, he called on the international community to support Bangui’s forces; provide training, logistical and intelligence support; and strengthen MINUSCA’s mandate so the Mission can be more proactive in addressing security threats. And for the ongoing electoral process — “a fundamental pillar for stability and lasting peace” — he appealed for financial support amounting to $7 million. “By supporting this process, the international community will be directly contributing to peace and development in our country,” he said.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI: Bishop Street Underwriters Closes Acquisition of Landmark Underwriting

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK and LONDON, Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bishop Street Underwriters (“Bishop Street”), a RedBird Capital Partners portfolio company, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Landmark Underwriting (“Landmark”), a specialty-focused managing general agent (“MGA”) based in London. This deal continues Bishop Street’s rapid expansion, growing its investment footprint outside of North America for the first time, and further strengthening the capabilities of its platform. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

As a well-positioned high-growth MGA with an established panel of rated capacity partners, this deal brings Landmark’s specialized and dynamic team to the Bishop Street platform, in support of building a truly integrated global underwriting business. Landmark’s leadership team will remain intact with Sitki Gelmen as Group CEO, David Ratledge as Group MD and Deepti Janak as Group CFO, facilitating a seamless transition and incorporating the teams’ vision into the future growth of the platform across the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Landmark has served clients in the specialty (re)insurance market since 2017, offering a range of bespoke insurance solutions across various classes including Professional Indemnity, Property, Directors and Officers and General Liability. With the acquisition now complete, Landmark will build upon it’s established market presence and recent expansions into Marine and Political Risk products, with expansion planned across new classes and geographies.

“We’re thrilled to officially welcome Landmark Underwriting to the Bishop Street family,” said Chad Levine, CEO of Bishop Street. “We look forward to leveraging the team’s experience and strong industry relationships to enable the next chapter of international development for our platform. Landmark’s ability to adapt to client needs and attract the best underwriting talent will continue to fuel its growth, positioning the company as a leading MGA of choice in the global market and a complementary fit for the Bishop Street portfolio.”

Sitki Gelmen, Landmark Underwriting Group CEO and Co-Founder, said: “This is an exciting next phase for Landmark. We are focused on bringing specialty underwriting solutions to our partners, and through this partnership, we will amplify our ability to provide leading risk solutions to top broking houses worldwide. The combination of Bishop Street’s resources and our niche expertise will allow us to accelerate growth, expand our product offerings into complementary lines of business and deepen our presence in key markets.”

Mike Zabik, Partner of RedBird Capital, added, “Bishop Street’s growth strategy is predicated on leveraging a multi-jurisdictional footprint. Landmark’s strong presence in London and its expanding global presence are key levers for future growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions across key international markets.”

This addition marks the latest strategic move for Bishop Street, following recent key investments and acquisitions including Ethos Specialty’s Transactional Liability unit, Verve Services, Conifer Insurance Services and Ahoy!, as well as partnerships with companies like Skyward Specialty Insurance and Topsail Re.

About Bishop Street
Bishop Street Underwriters, a RedBird Capital portfolio company, seeks to partner with Managing General Agents (“MGAs”) as well as niche underwriting teams. Bishop Street aims to combine their best-in-class (re)insurance executive team’s vision with RedBird’s strong track record, expertise and network in the financial services sector to build a differentiated platform that is uniquely positioned to capitalize on secular growth tailwinds in the industry. For more information, please go to www.bishopstreetuw.com.

About Landmark Underwriting
Landmark Underwriting is a specialist, UK based MGA providing (re)insurance solutions to complex risks globally. Since 2017, Landmark has maintained relationships with all of the significant Insurance Broker markets. From its centre of operations in London, Landmark currently provides risk solutions across Professional Indemnity, General Liability, Directors and Officers, Property and Marine. The company continues to expand its underwriting and operational bandwidth in key territories, driving rapid growth.

About RedBird Capital Partners
RedBird Capital Partners is a private investment firm that builds high-growth companies with strategic capital solutions to founders and entrepreneurs. The firm currently manages $10 billion in assets on behalf of a global group of blue chip institutional and family office investors. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird integrates sophisticated private equity investing with a hands-on business building mandate that focuses on three core industry verticals – Financial Services, Sports and Media & Entertainment. Over his 30-year investment career, Cardinale has partnered with founders and entrepreneurs to build some of the most iconic growth companies in their respective industries. For more information, please go to www.redbirdcap.com.

Media Contacts
Bishop Street
Dan Gagnier
Gagnier Communications
redbird@gagnierfc.com
646.569.5897

The MIL Network –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Highlights Explosion of Online Child Sexual Abuse Material, Urges Action

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Today during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about protecting children online, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) highlighted the explosion of child sexual abuse material on the internet and urged immediate action to allow victims to hold Big Tech accountable.
“In 2023, there were 104 million images and videos of suspected child abuse material uploaded onto the internet, compared to 450,000 in 2004. So, 450,000 in 2004 to 104 million in the last full year for which we have data. Here’s another statistic, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the number of reports of child exploitation material went from one million, in 2014, to 36.2 million in 2023. In other words, it’s just an enormous explosion,” said Senator Hawley.
He continued, “It is past time that this Congress gave parents the ability to [sue Big Tech companies]… until Congress gives parents the ability to sue, nothing will change. These companies don’t care about fines, they don’t care about the regulations… what they fear are juries.”
[embedded content]
Watch the full exchange here, or click the video above.
Senator Hawley also pledged to reintroduce his Anti-CSAM legislation with Senator Durbin (D-Ill.), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced this legislation last Congress, but the bipartisan bill was eventually blocked on the Senate floor.
Senator Hawley has been a tireless advocate for legislation holding Big Tech accountable and protecting kids online. Last year, Senator Hawley pressed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about child exploitation on his social media platforms, urging Zuckerberg to stand up and apologize to the families of victims in the room.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 02.20.2025 Sen. Cruz, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, Meets with African Ambassadors

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, held a roundtable with ambassadors and representatives from Africa this week. The countries represented included: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Malawi, Ghana, Senegal, Djibouti, Madagascar, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Uganda, Gabon, Togo, Mozambique, Mauritania, and Ethiopia, as well as a Representative from the African Union.
Following the meeting, Sen. Cruz said, “I intend to use my chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy to ensure that America’s policy towards Africa is focused on advancing American national security interests across the continent, with an emphasis on countering China’s efforts to undermine those interests and conduct malign activities. The subcommittee will hold regular and multiple hearings on these and other issues.
“Right now, the Chinese Communist Party is pouring billions into its Belt and Road Initiative across Africa. These projects serve as a tool for the CCP to lock in crushing debt and undermine the sovereignty of countries across the continent.
“In this meeting, I also emphasized that national security is inextricably linked to energy, and the issue was raised by at least half of the ambassadors in the room. Economic prosperity hinges on access to reliable energy and critical resources. The United States has a unique opportunity to expand economic ties by fostering partnerships in energy, as well as in critical mineral and other resources, which will bring greater prosperity and a brighter future for Africans while strengthening America’s strategic position in the region.”
BACKGROUND
The Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with countries in Africa (except those, like the countries of North Africa, specifically covered by other subcommittees), as well as regional intergovernmental organizations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for health-related policy, including disease outbreak and response.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Welch Speaks on Kash Patel’s Willingness to Enable Trump’s Reckless Illegality Before Voting Against His Nomination: “He’s on a mission to wreck the FBI”

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) spoke on the Senate Floor before voting against Kash Patel, President Trump’s pick to serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Senator Welch expressed his opposition to Mr. Patel and raised concerns about Mr. Patel’s involvement and actions enabling President Trump’s firing spree of career FBI agents and officials, his unwillingness to stand up against President Trump’s demands, and his perpetuation of Trump’s Big Lie about the 2020 election.
“Mr. Patel is not the person to lead the FBI. And my hope is that all of us should consider what Mr. Patel will do. He’s going to use the power of the FBI to go after all those in government, those in the media, and those across the country he doesn’t agree with. He cannot serve as the next director of the FBI,” said Senator Welch.
Watch the Senator’s full remarks below:
Read key excerpts from Senator Welch’s remarks here:
“I believe that this country and Congress is in the midst of a slow-moving but rapidly accelerating constitutional crisis. This is real, and we can ignore it or see it. It began most visibly, of course, on January 6, 2021, when two norms of this republic—the peaceful transfer of power and the renunciation of violence to affect the outcome of a vote count and certification— were breached. And where many members of the House and Senate also voted against certifying the election of the person chosen by the people in their own states. The president continues to say that the election was stolen, and he has coached his nominees to embrace the Big Lie.
“The first month of the Trump Administration has shown a contempt for the Constitution; an acceptance of lawlessness that is dangerous to the future of our republic. President Trump’s election denialism was only an early sign of his disregard for the norms and requirements of the Constitution. Now, empowered in a second term by a Congress and a Judiciary which refused to assert their independence, Mr. Trump has enacted executive order after executive order to dismantle our institutions. He doesn’t have the authority to do what he’s doing.”
■■■
“It is my view that this administration is showing maximum contempt for core constitutional values, including, most importantly, the separation of powers. This is not about what the president’s agenda is. This is about his disregard about the limits that apply to each branch of government. And we have a dilemma. There are many in Congress that are fully in support of President Trump’s policies. That’s his right to pursue them, any member’s right to support them.
“But it has to be that we accept our unique responsibility—each of the 100 U.S. Senators—that we have to guarantee that in pursuit of those policies, it is done within constitutional boundaries. That is the glue that has held this country together through thick and thin for nearly 250 years. You know, this is not just talk about civic aspiration. It’s a recognition that the separation of powers, that the system of checks and balances—we’re custodians of that, each of us here—that the concept of the executive’s ambition should be matched with the ambition of the legislature. That’s what’s held us together through the turmoil of our own history.”
■■■
“I’m voting against Mr. Patel, primarily, but not exclusively, because he’s clearly an instrument in [Trump’s] effort to continue eroding the precepts of the Constitution on separation of powers. And I urge all my fellow Senators, Republican and Democrat, to embrace the responsibility we have to assert our responsibility and authority as a coequal branch…
“I’m regarding what President Trump has been doing in his first month in office as an illegal rampage—it’s a rampage of illegality. He’s showing a contempt for Congress and a contempt for the United States Judiciary. Mr. Patel has signed onto that agenda. He isn’t just someone who will be forced to participate in the president’s campaign of retribution, he’s an active participant. He’s got his ‘enemies list.’ We know this because his own words said what the FBI—’what was the FBI doing planning January 6 for a year?’ No basis for that, other than to set up the attack on the good men and women of the FBI.”
■■■
This morning, Senator Welch joined Senate Judiciary Democrats outside of the FBI Headquarters building in Washington, D.C. to call on their Republican colleagues to block the nomination of Mr. Patel on the Senate Floor.
Senator Welch has expressed reservations about Mr. Patel’s nomination in the Senate Judiciary Committee. During Mr. Patel’s confirmation hearing, Senator Welch grilled the nominee about his refusal to acknowledge that President Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election and stressed the importance of combatting any attempt to weaponize the Justice Department and the FBI under the Trump Administration. Last week, Senator Welch reacted to reports that Mr. Patel has been personally involved in the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to target and fire career FBI agents and officials. Under oath, Mr. Patel told Senator Welch he had no recollection of the purge at the FBI.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Spotlights Dangerous Cuts to Medicaid in Presser Addressing Washington Politicians’ Proposed Tax Bill

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Spotlights Dangerous Cuts to Medicaid in Presser Addressing Washington Politicians’ Proposed Tax Bill

On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Reverend Warnock addressed the impact of proposed Republican cuts to Medicaid on ordinary Georgians
The press conference came hours after President Trump endorsed the House Republican budget plan, which includes scathing cuts to Medicaid and other programs that hard working Georgians rely on
Senator Reverend Warnock has long championed Medicaid protections and closing the health care coverage gap
Senator Reverend Warnock: “This is backward, it’s not only immoral it’s impractical, we’re making the American workforce sicker and weaker, […] we’ve got to straighten out this mess and center to the people”

Above: Senator Reverend Warnock during the Hands Off Medicaid press conference
Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) outlined the dire impacts of potential Medicaid cuts on ordinary Georgians. The Senator pushed back on cuts to Medicaid and other key programs proposed by Washington politicians in the recent budget plan.
The proposed plans potentially set up deep cuts to Medicaid, threatening to shut down more rural hospitals, and rip away healthcare from some of the nation’s most vulnerable communities, including thousands of Georgia seniors and children.
“A budget is more than a fiscal document. It is also a moral document. Show me your budget and I’ll show you who you think matters, who’s in and who’s out, who you think is expendable, where your priorities are,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
This is backward, it’s not only immoral it’s impractical, we’re making the American workforce sicker and weaker, […] we’ve got to straighten out this mess and center to the people,” Senator Reverend Warnock concluded.
The press conference was hosted by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and also included U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH). The press conference is part of the Health Care Strike Team, created by Senate Democrats to push back on Republicans’ reconciliation efforts.
Senator Warnock has long championed efforts to expand affordable health care access, starting with his advocacy to close the health care coverage gap in Georgia. In addition to pushing for solutions to close the coverage gap, Senator Warnock led a delegation of Georgia lawmakers in urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide tools to Medicaid non-expansion states like Georgia to help them protect health care access for Medicaid enrollees who lose eligibility after the end of the public health emergency declaration.
Watch Senator Warnock’s remarks HERE.
Below full remarks from Senator Warnock at press conference:
“A budget is more than a fiscal document. It is also a moral document. Show me your budget and I’ll show you who you think matters, who’s in and who’s out, who you think is expendable, where your priorities are.”
“As we take stock of what Washington Republicans are trying to do now, this budget, if it were an EKG (electrocardiogram), would suggest that Washington Republicans have a heart problem and that they are in need of moral surgery.”
“The consequences of the actions that they are trying to take in this moment hits into the lives of ordinary people. I think too often those of us who work in this space and those who cover us, sort of cover the politicians. And when the politics becomes about the politicians, we lose site of where and how this actually matters for ordinary people. What they’re trying to do is both immoral and impractical. I have been working in this health care fight for years, long before I decided to run for the United States Senate, I was fighting for health care in Georgia.”
“I remember when we passed the Affordable Care Act, how glad I was that that happened and I went into the Georgia Capitol and staged to sit-in in the governor’s office because that governor, and the next governor, and the governor after that have all refused to expand Medicaid in Georgia. It suggested that politicians have a heart problem.”
“Jesus said, ‘Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ Dr. King, who pastored the church where I now serve, said that ‘Of all the injustices, inequality in health care is the most shocking and the most inhumane.’”
“They are busy trying to pass a tax cut for the wealthiest people in America, billionaires and millionaires, and they’re doing it on the backs of ordinary people. This cannot stand.”
“We will continue to hold unaccountable and we encourage all of our constituents to hold them accountable. And because I’ve been focused on this issue, glad now to serve on the finance committee under the great Ron Wyden and we’ll be focused on these issues. I got arrested in Georgia trying to get healthcare for folks. Staging a sit-in and in the governor’s office. In fact, I got arrested in this Capitol in 2017 when they were trying to do the same thing, pass the $2 trillion dollar tax cut at the expense of the poor and the farm bill at the expense of the children’s health care program, but I decided to move from being an agitator to a legislator, but we got to keep on agitating, even if it’s inside of these halls.”
“When I came to the Senate, I talked to all of my colleagues here in the Democratic Caucus and they agreed with me that we needed to provide Georgia and other non-expansion states some more incentives to expand. Remember, we got 14.2 billion for the non-expansion states to expand, $2 billion just for Georgia alone. You know what Georgia did? Georgia left that money on the table and left over 600,000 Georgians in the healthcare coverage gap.”
“Some got the message, North Carolina took those incentives and they expanded, a purple state, Kentucky expanded. Now they’re trying to go after these incentives. They want to go after the tax credits that will allow people to get health care and this has consequences on the lives of ordinary people. We’ve seen a dozen hospitals in Georgia close over the last decade, and those hospitals could be opened with paying customers if they could get access to Medicaid.”
“When I think about this, I often think about Heather Payne, who is a traveling nurse from Dalton, Georgia. Georgia has a health care program, if you want to call it that. That has not enrolled 10,000 people yet. Heather Payne is one of those people stuck in the gap. That’s why my colleagues pointed out, very often we talk about Medicaid expansion, we’re talking about the working poor, people who work every single day. Heather Payne is a traveling nurse who was taking care of patients even during COVID, and then because she was a traveling nurse, some days she had health care, sometimes she didn’t have health care. She wasn’t poor enough to get conventional Medicaid and the programs that she was eligible for would cost between 500 and $1,000 a month, it was too much.”
“One day she realized that something was happening in her body. She knew something wasn’t right, but she didn’t have enough money to see what it was, and finally, she saved enough money of her own cash to finally go and see a neurologist. And the neurologist said, you’ve actually had a series of mini-strokes that require additional care. And so here she is, she needs additional care, but she doesn’t have health care. And so she’s literally caught up in the gap between the refusal of a state of Georgia to expand Medicaid and these onerous work requirements in states like Georgia. She’s sick, too sick to work, and she’s being asked to prove that she can work, or that she is working, so that she can get health care.”
“Why’d they give Elon Musk and people like him a tax cut? Let me put this in perspective, in closing, and nobody believes a Baptist preacher when he says ‘In closing’, I was proud that we got $14 billion to help these states to expand Medicaid. Elon Musk has got $18 billion in incentives from our federal government. And he’s the one who’s telling us that the rest of us need to tighten our belts.”
“This is backwards, it’s not only immoral it’s and impractical, we’re making the American workforce sicker and weaker, which I think ultimately is a national security issue, and so we’ve got a straighten out this mess and center to the people. People like Heather Payne, who’s waiting right in this very moment to get the health care she deserves.”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Virginia & North Carolina Senators Urge Swift Distribution of Public Lands Funding Following Hurricane Helene

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Thom Tillis and Ted Budd (both R-NC) today wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, urging them to expeditiously allocate funding appropriated by Congress for public lands in Virginia and North Carolina that were ravaged by Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Helene devasted communities across North Carolina, Virginia, and large swaths of the Southeast in September 2024. Historic flooding and high winds resulted in over a hundred deaths, damaged and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, and decimated critical regional infrastructure. Additionally, the storm caused unprecedented damage to public lands in western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia that are essential drivers of economic activity for many communities. The American Relief Act of 2025 contained robust funding to address natural disaster-related damage to public lands across the U.S., including $6.4 billion for the U.S. Forest Service and $2.3 billion for the National Park Service.

Wrote the senators, “Public lands managed by USDA and DOI are crucial economic engines for communities throughout western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia. For example, the National Park Service’s (NPS) most visited unit, the Blue Ridge Parkway, which spans 469 miles across the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia, supports the economies of dozens of communities in our states. In 2023, 16.7 million visitors spent nearly $1.4 billion in communities surrounding the Parkway, which supported over 19,000 jobs. Helene decimated the Blue Ridge Parkway resulting in indefinite closures along large portions of the roadway and damage to many trails, historical sites, and recreational areas. The recovery effort for the Parkway will be one of the most significant and expensive infrastructure projects in the park’s history, and its success will be essential for the dozens of gateway communities that rely on the Parkway.”

Added the lawmakers, “In addition to National Park Service managed property, many of our communities in Southwest Virginia and western North Carolina contain U.S. Forest Service lands that were decimated by Hurricane Helene. This includes the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia, the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and North Carolina, and the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in western North Carolina. These lands attract millions of visitors each year who contribute millions more in visitor spending that sustains countless small businesses and gateway communities.”

The senators also singled out the damage sustained by the Virginia Creeper Trail, writing, “Perhaps no Forest Service asset in the country suffered more damage from Hurricane Helene than the Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34-mile recreational trail that is co-managed by the Forest Service and the towns of Damascus and Abingdon in Southwest Virginia. The storm obliterated 18 miles of the Creeper Trail from Damascus to Whitetop, Virginia, destroying 18 trestles and washing away extended segments of the trail itself. The Creeper Trail is the most significant driver of economic activity in Damascus and one of the significant tourism destinations in the entire region. The trail attracts more then 200,000 visitors annually, supporting local bike shops, restaurants, and lodging. In all, the Creeper Trail contributes nearly $13 million annually in tourism spending to the region’s economy. A prolonged closure of the trail could have devasting consequences for Damascus and the entire region. It is critical that USDA and the Forest Service move quickly to allocate appropriated funding to rebuild the Creeper Trail to ensure Damascus and other localities that depend on the trail can fully recovery from Helene.”

Concluded the senators, “As our states continue to rebuild from Hurricane Helene, it is critical that this supplemental funding is deployed to our public lands swiftly to ensure a timely rebuild of these assets that our communities depend on.”

A full copy of the letter is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Schatz: Instead Of Addressing Rising Prices, Air Safety Issues, And New Disease Outbreaks, Trump And Republicans Want To Cut Taxes For Billionaires And Make You Pay For It

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

WASHINGTON – Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) underscored President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ efforts to cut taxes for billionaires, while making working families foot the bill as they struggle with soaring prices, persistent air safety concerns, and growing threats to public health.

“The price of eggs has gone up by 15%, which is the single biggest monthly increase in ten years. Price of coffee is up 25% since the start of the year, and everything from gas to housing to car insurance is getting more expensive. But I don’t want people to worry because Republicans are on it. Donald Trump knows that the main thing people elected him to do is to lower prices. And rest assured, he is working day and night to fix it. Everybody knows that the best way to lower costs for individual Americans is to cut taxes for billionaires. Everybody knows that. If eggs are eight bucks where you’re living, obviously cut tax for billionaires. If coffee is increasingly expensive, cut taxes for billionaires. That is the very first thing that Republicans in the new Congress have decided to do is cut taxes for the richest people to ever exist,” said Senator Schatz.

Schatz continued, “People are dying because of the flu and the bird flu. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Airplanes are falling out of the sky. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. People are losing their homes and wildfires and losses in Los Angeles and floods in Kentucky. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Families can’t afford their health care or housing, no matter how hard they work. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Kids are falling behind in school with a third of a third of eighth graders lacking basic reading skills. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Trump is illegally cutting funding for pediatric cancer research and disease prevention. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Thousands of National Park Service workers fired. I know what we should do. Why don’t we shovel a bunch of money to a bunch of billionaires? Millions of people. Millions of people are on the verge of starvation, disease and death because Trump suddenly and illegally suspended one of our primary arms of foreign policy, USAID. What is their solution? Not to exert any pressure on the State Department or the OMB. Or the President himself. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires.”

“Their solution to every problem, big or small, domestic or global, complex or simple, is to cut taxes for billionaires,” Schatz concluded.

Video of his complete remarks is available here.

The full text of Senator Schatz’s remarks, as delivered, is below.

The price of just about everything is going up right now. Anyone that has been to the grocery store in the past few weeks now knows how hard it is to find a dozen eggs since the President was inaugurated.

The price of eggs has gone up by 15%, which is the single biggest monthly increase in ten years. Price of coffee is up 25% since the start of the year, and everything from gas to housing to car insurance is getting more expensive. But I don’t want people to worry because Republicans are on it. Donald Trump knows that the main thing people elected him to do is to lower prices.

And rest assured, he is working day and night to fix it. Everybody knows that the best way to lower costs for individual Americans is to cut taxes for billionaires. Everybody knows that. If eggs are eight bucks where you’re living, obviously cut tax for billionaires. If coffee is increasingly expensive, cut taxes for billionaires. That is the very first thing that Republicans in the new Congress have decided to do is cut taxes for the richest people to ever exist.

And they’re going to do it by making regular people pay. Now, that might sound like a partisan accusation. And of course, on some level it is. But if you’re sitting at home listening to the chatter about one big, beautiful bill or two bills and you’re wondering what it all means, here’s what they are doing. They want to cut taxes for billionaires to the tune of about $4.5 trillion, $4.5 trillion.

And because they already blew up the federal deficit in 2017, and because there are some House Republicans and maybe some Senate Republicans who won’t vote for a package that increases the deficit, they actually need to find some savings elsewhere. It is very hard to find $4.5 trillion worth of savings. So what are they doing? They’re having to cut programs and services that help people on a daily basis.

Hundreds of billions of dollars from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, subsidies and food assistance. They’re slashing funding for cancer research and disaster recovery and schools and national parks and VA clinics. They are laying off thousands of employees at federal agencies, one third of whom are veterans. And to be clear, this is not for the holy grail of efficiency.

Food is rotting at the dock. Medicine is rotting. The National Park Service is already backed up. Normally takes one minute to get into a national park, and a lot of places are. It’s not even. It’s like cold outside, taking 90 minutes to get into national parks. That’s not efficiency. They’re laying off probationary people. But let’s be clear what probationary means.

It does mean new hires. It also means anybody who’s getting a promotion, someone who has performed well. The United States government says, “You’re so good. We want you to do something even more important”. So then you get put into this probationary category, and then you get laid off. Why? Why? Because they need to find $4.5 trillion worth of savings.

That’s what’s going on. As we speak, there are multiple outbreaks of diseases and illness within the United States. We’re in the middle of the worst flu season in a decade. 13,000 Americans dead. Norovirus cases have skyrocketed by 340% this winter, and there have been 68 cases of the bird flu nationwide. Not to mention that if you can find eggs at all, there’s sometimes 8 or $10 for a dozen.

In Texas, 58 people, mostly children, have gotten measles. And that’s to say nothing of the Ebola and Marburg virus in eastern Africa. But don’t worry, Trump is on it. And by on it, I mean he’s laying off the very people who are responding to these crises. We learned yesterday that after DOJ’s fired officials at the Department of Agriculture who were working on containing the bird flu, they had to quickly backtrack to try to rehire them.

Sometimes they don’t have these people’s email addresses. Sorry. Would you please come back? I don’t know how to find you. This is not efficiency. This is an arson job. So they can generate savings so they can shovel $4.5 trillion to the people on that stage at inauguration. That’s what this is. We are less than two months into the year, and we’ve already had four major deadly aviation disasters, including one right here in Washington over the Potomac and Trump is firing hundreds of FAA employees.

People who have jobs like maintenance mechanic, information specialist, safety assistant. They actually asked a bunch of air traffic controllers to quit. We’re short air traffic controllers. We’ve been short air traffic controllers for 6 or 7 years. As a matter of fact, when I was the chairman of the relevant committee, we worked on a bipartisan basis to put a lot of a lot of money behind hiring more air traffic controllers.

Now, you can be a conservative and think the government should be smaller, or you can be a liberal and think the government should be bigger. I assume nobody thinks we should lay off air traffic controllers.

And if we’re going to do that, it be it should be because something else even more urgent than air traffic control is at stake. But let’s understand what’s at stake. What’s at stake is $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest people to ever walk this planet. We are less than a month away from the March 14th funding deadline to keep the government open, and we don’t even have topline numbers yet alone, let alone full committee bills.

We are nowhere near a defense bill, but the only thing that Republicans are focused on right now immediately, urgently is cutting taxes for billionaires. People are dying because of the flu and the bird flu. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Airplanes are falling out of the sky. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. People are losing their homes and wildfires and losses in Los Angeles and floods in Kentucky.

Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Families can’t afford their health care or housing, no matter how hard they work. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Kids are falling behind in school with a third of a third of eighth graders lacking basic reading skills. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Trump is illegally cutting funding for pediatric cancer research and disease prevention. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires.

Thousands of National Park Service workers fired. I know what we should do. Why don’t we shovel a bunch of money to a bunch of billionaires? Millions of people. Millions of people are on the verge of starvation, disease and death because Trump suddenly and illegally suspended one of our primary arms of foreign policy, USAID. What is their solution? Not to exert any pressure on the State Department or the OMB.

Or the President himself. Let’s cut taxes for billionaires. Anything and everything comes down to this. Why? Because it’s the main thing they think about. There are so many smart people on the other side of the aisle, so many people who have accomplished so much in their careers. And they are lighting it on fire for this man.

The solution to every problem, big or small, domestic or global, complex or simple, is to cut taxes for billionaires. This is their project. This is their reason for being. Whatever else has motivated them to run for office in the first place? This is the first thing they’re doing. Instead of a bunch of other stuff.

It doesn’t have to be like this. You can be a Republican.

And give them their cabinet and their judges and justices. But my God, stand up for this place. Why would you run for office and then just remove your frontal lobe?

And do whatever this man thinks. It doesn’t matter how much harm comes to your hospitals or your schools or your roads, or the one third of federal workers who are veterans. The solution always is to cut taxes for billionaires. I yield the floor.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Durbin: Kash Patel’s Record Shows He Is A Dangerous, Inexperienced, & Dishonest Trump Loyalist Who Is Not Qualified To Serve As Next FBI Director

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

February 20, 2025

In a speech on the Senate floor shortly before the vote on his nomination, Durbin summarizes Kash Patel’s disqualifying behavior

WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered his closing argument against the nomination of Kash Patel to serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In his remarks delivered shortly before the vote on Patel’s nomination, Durbin underscored Patel’s extremism, his blind loyalty to President Trump, his dangerous support of January 6 insurrectionists, and his history of peddling lies about the federal government.

“If Senate Republicans confirm Mr. Patel, I believe they will come to regret this vote, probably sooner rather than later. I, for one, am convinced that Mr. Patel has neither the experience, the judgment, nor the temperament to lead this… criminal investigative agency [FBI],” Durbin began. “Let me be clear. This is not a partisan issue. During my time in the Senate, I have voted for four FBI Director nominations before this one. Each one was a Republican, and I voted for them, nevertheless.”

“I oppose Mr. Patel because he is dangerously, politically extreme. He has repeatedly expressed his intention to use our nation’s most important law enforcement agency to retaliate against his political enemies,” Durbin said.

Durbin then began to lay out his justification for opposing Patel’s nomination and warned his Republican colleagues about the potential consequences of allowing an unqualified extremist to lead the nation’s top law enforcement agency. Durbin first pointed to the credible whistleblower allegations that detailed Patel’s direct involvement in the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI.

“The Director is the only political appointment at the FBI. Congress took steps to ensure that this position remains as apolitical as possible by providing for a single term of 10 years for a director and subjecting the appointment to the advice and consent of the Senate… But as we have seen for weeks now, the Trump Administration’s purge of the FBI is a political exercise that has spread to career officials,” Durbin said. “This purge has dramatically weakened the FBI’s ability to combat national security threats and has made Americans less safe. Senior leaders with collectively hundreds of years of experience have been forced out, creating a leadership vacuum.”

Thousands of FBI agents now fear for their jobs because they were assigned to work on cases related to the January 6 insurrection or President Trump’s long list of legal infractions. Whistleblowers have come forward with evidence that Patel, as a private citizen, called for these agents to be fired—which Patel denied vehemently despite being under oath during his nomination hearing. Further, these career agents now fear for their own and their families’ safety as January 6 insurrections continue to make credible, serious, and public threats against them.

“I have heard directly from FBI agents who now fear for their safety and the safety of their families. To understand why, let me tell you about a January 6 rioter named Edward Kelley. Mr. Kelley was convicted of assaulting law enforcement during the attack on the U.S. Capitol… and he was given a full and unconditional pardon by Donald Trump. But Mr. Kelley has also been convicted in his home state of Tennessee of conspiracy to murder the FBI agents who investigated his role in the January 6 attack. Now he is arguing that President Trump’s blanket pardon should cover his attempt to kill FBI agents,” Durbin said.

“When asked about the possible firings of career FBI officials at his confirmation hearing, Mr. Patel, under oath, said, ‘I don’t know what’s going on right now’ at the FBI. That’s not true. Thanks to multiple brave whistleblowers, we now know that Mr. Patel likely committed perjury in making that statement,” Durbin said. “Even before being confirmed as the FBI Director, Mr. Patel is already directing the ongoing purge of honorable career public servants despite his status as a private citizen.”

Durbin offered several more examples of Patel’s consistent dishonesty, including the string of lies his told during his own confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“At his hearing, Mr. Patel implausibly told me that he could not recall Stew Peters, a man who has been identified as an antisemitic Holocaust denier… This is simply not true, considering that Mr. Patel appeared on Mr. Peters’s podcast eight times. Eight times, and he couldn’t recall the man’s name. And, Mr. Peters has since revealed that he and Mr. Patel directly communicate via their personal cell phones ‘constantly,’” Durbin said.

As Durbin noted in his remarks, Patel continually offered unequivocal support to insurrectionists, producing a recording of January 6 rioters singing in order to raise money. Under oath at his nomination hearing, Patel testified that he was not involved in the project despite being quoted saying, “We got this idea to record the January 6 prisoners who recite the national anthem every night from the D.C. prison… Then we took that to studio… So we mastered and digitized that.”

“Mr. Patel also claimed he ‘didn’t have anything to do with’ the recording of the so-called January 6 Prison Choir, which includes at least six rioters who violently assaulted police officers,” Durbin said. “Mr. Patel has called these violent January 6 rioters ‘political prisoners.’ That includes Guy Reffitt, who was sentenced to 87 months in prison for his role in the January 6 assault.”

“Mr. Reffitt brought a gun to the Capitol on January 6… Mr. Reffitt’s 19-year-old son, Jackson, turned him in to law enforcement after the attack, despite Reffitt’s threats to shoot Jackson and his sister,” Durbin said. “Mr. Reffitt received a full and unconditional pardon from President Trump. Guess where he was on January 30 of this year? Back at the Capitol complex, at Mr. Patel’s confirmation hearing.”

Durbin then pointed to those who have warned against the nomination of Patel to serve as FBI director, including many of President Trump’s former appointees.

“Consider who is warning us about Mr. Patel: former Trump officials who know him, like Attorney General Barr, CIA Director Haspel, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and National Security Advisor John Bolton… All Republican appointees. Mr. Patel has left a long trail of grievances, lashing out at anyone who is not completely aligned with him. He calls Democrats ‘vindictive, evil, [and] vicious,’ and repeatedly attacks Republican Senators who don’t toe the MAGA line,” Durbin said.

“I have read Mr. Patel’s book, Government Gangsters. It includes an enemies list of 60 names, ‘members of the deep state’ in the words of Kash Patel, which includes distinguished public servants from both political parties. What do they all have in common? From Attorneys General Bill Barr and Merrick Garland to former FBI Directors Bob Mueller and Chris Wray, they all have had the misfortune of crossing paths with the vindictive Patel,” Durbin said.

Durbin underscored his final point, reiterating that Patel aims to dismantle the FBI from the inside out.

“Mr. Patel claims he respects law enforcement, but his words and actions demonstrate his disdain for the FBI. He has said that on day one, he plans to ‘shut down’ the FBI headquarters. And he has falsely claimed that the FBI ‘was planning January 6 for a year,’ beforehand. There is no truth to that statement,” Durbin said.

Durbin concluded by emphasizing that Patel will serve as a dangerous, influenceable lackey for President Trump and tarnish the reputation of an independent FBI.

“Mr. Patel’s record demonstrates that he is dangerous, inexperienced, and dishonest. He should not and cannot serve as an effective FBI Director. Mr. Patel has been crystal clear that he plans on using the FBI’s vast surveillance and investigative authority to ‘come after’ the President’s enemies,” Durbin said.

“It is shocking that my Republican colleagues are willing to support Mr. Patel, despite the serious threat he poses to our national security. I’m sorry to say that I believe they will quickly come to regret this vote,” Durbin concluded.

To view Durbin’s questions to Patel in his confirmation hearing click here and here.

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.

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MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Judiciary Democrats Slam DOJ Decision To Replace Apolitical Ethics Official With Inexperienced Political Appointees

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

February 20, 2025

SJC Democrats to Bondi, Bove: “Your sworn testimony misled Congress and the American people and eliminated a critical safeguard against corruption within the Department.”

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in an oversight letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, criticizing Department of Justice (DOJ) officials’ reported decision to replace a high-ranking career official handling sensitive ethics matters with two inexperienced political appointees.

The decision is a dramatic departure from practice under previous Democratic and Republican administrations. Additionally, the removal is in direct conflict with promises Bondi made to Congress and the American people during her confirmation hearing and may allow Bondi to participate in cases where she otherwise may have been told to recuse due to conflicts of interest.

The Senators begin by voicing their strong objection, writing: “We write to strongly object to your alarming decision to grant decision-making authority regarding sensitive ethics and personnel issues—responsibilities long assigned to a senior career Department of Justice (DOJ) official—to two inexperienced political appointees. This decision is a dramatic departure from practice under previous Democratic and Republican administrations, where a senior DOJ career official had decision-making responsibilities on matters related to ethics, employee discipline, whistleblower complaints, and information provided to inspectors general and Congress. Previous administrations did not consider granting these responsibilities to political appointees for good reason; politicizing this role is profoundly dangerous to the integrity of the Department and threatens the employees who work there.”

The Senators continue by underscoring the direct conflicts between this removal and Bondi’s testimony to Congress, writing: “This new directive is in direct conflict with promises you made, under oath, to Congress and the American people in your confirmation hearing. When Ranking Member Durbin asked you about your many potential conflicts of interest as a former lobbyist—including your representation of foreign regimes like Qatar, corporate giants like Amazon and Uber, and the private prison company, the GEO Group—you responded that, to avoid conflicts, you ‘would consult with the career ethics officials within the Department and make the appropriate decision’ (emphasis added). In your written responses to senators’ questions after your confirmation hearing, you again pledged that you would consult with career ethics officials to avoid conflicts of interest. By transferring responsibilities for ethics decisions from a senior career ethics official to political appointees, you have coincidentally removed the appropriate career ethics official with whom you promised to consult.”

The Senators further highlight Bondi’s misleading testimony to Congress and the American people in light of this removal, writing: “Business leaders from wealthy corporations were reportedly optimistic upon President Trump’s announcement that he intended to nominate you as Attorney General, and, without a serious check on your decision-making regarding corporate interests, we are concerned that you will fail to hold companies accountable. Already, on February 5, you signed a memo disbanding Task Force KleptoCapture, which coordinated the investigation of certain companies for illegal exports and money laundering, and announced steps to scale back efforts to enforce laws related to foreign lobbying transparency and bribes of foreign officials. And now, important decisions on ethical questions related to companies that you have lobbied on behalf of—businesses with an extraordinary reach that impact millions of American consumers—will be made by political aides who report to you.”

The Senators conclude with a series of oversight requests—including a copy of the delegation order and related records—for information to be produced to the Committee.

For a PDF copy of the letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, click here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 55 Years Ago: Preps for Apollo 13 and 14, Apollo 12 Crew on World Tour

Source: NASA

With two months to go before flight, the Apollo 13 prime crew of James Lovell, Thomas Mattingly, Fred Haise, and backups John Young, John Swigert, and Charles Duke continued to train for the 10-day mission planned to land in the Fra Mauro highlands region of the Moon. Engineers continued to prepare the Saturn V rocket and spacecraft at the launch pad for the April 11, 1970, liftoff and completed the Flight Readiness Test of the vehicle. All six astronauts spent many hours in flight simulators training while the Moon walkers practiced landing the Lunar Module and rehearsed their planned Moon walks. The crew for the next Moon landing mission, Apollo 14, participated in a geology field trip as part of their training for the flight then planned for October 1970. Meanwhile, NASA released Apollo 12 lunar samples to scientists and the Apollo 12 crew set off on a Presidential world goodwill tour.
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, engineers completed the Flight Readiness Test of the Apollo 13 Saturn V on Feb. 26. The test ensured that all systems are flight ready and compatible with ground support equipment, and the astronauts simulated portions of the countdown and powered flight. Successful completion of the readiness test cleared the way for a countdown dress rehearsal at the end of March.

One of the greatest challenges astronauts faced during a lunar mission entailed completing a safe landing on the lunar surface. In addition to time spent in simulators, Apollo mission commanders and their backups trained for the final few hundred feet of the descent using the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle at Ellington Air Force Base near the Manned Spacecraft Center, now NASA’s Johnson Space Center, in Houston. Bell Aerosystems of Buffalo, New York, built the trainer for NASA to simulate the flying characteristics of the Lunar Module. Lovell and Young completed several flights in February 1970. Due to scheduling constraints with the trainer, lunar module pilots trained for their role in the landing using the Lunar Landing Research Facility at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Haise and Duke completed training sessions at the Langley facility in February.

The astronauts trained for moonwalks with parabolic flights aboard NASA’s KC-135 aircraft that simulated the low lunar gravity, practicing their ladder descent to the surface. On the ground, they rehearsed the moonwalks, setting up the American flag and the large S-band communications antenna, and collecting lunar samples. Engineers improved their spacesuits to make the expected longer spacewalks more comfortable for the crew members by installing eight-ounce bags of water inside the helmets for hydration.

During their 35 hours on the Moon’s surface, Lovell and Haise planned to conduct two four-hour spacewalks to set up the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP), a suite of four investigations designed to collect data about the lunar environment after the astronauts’ departure, and to conduct geologic explorations of the landing site. The four experiments included the:

Charged Particle Lunar Environment Experiment designed to measure the flexes of charged particles

Cold Cathode Gauge Experiment designed to measure the pressure of the lunar atmosphere

Heat Flow Experiment designed to make thermal measurements of the lunar subsurface

Passive Seismic Experiment designed to measure any moonquakes, either naturally occurring or caused by artificial means

As an additional investigation, the astronauts planned to deploy and retrieve the Solar Wind Composition experiment, a sheet of aluminum foil to collect particles from the solar wind for analysis by scientists back on Earth after about 20 hours of exposure on the lunar surface.

With one lunar mission just two months away, NASA continued preparations for the following flight, Apollo 14, then scheduled for October 1970 with a landing targeted for the Littrow region of the Moon, an area scientists believed to be of volcanic origin. Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell and their backups Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and Joe Engle learned spacecraft systems in the simulators. Accompanied by a team of geologists led by Richard Jahns, Shepard, Mitchell, Cernan, and Engle participated in a geology expedition to the Pinacate Mountain Range in northern Mexico Feb. 14-18, 1970. The astronauts practiced using the Modular Equipment Transporter, a two-wheeled conveyance to transport tools and samples on the lunar surface.

On Feb. 13, 1970, NASA began releasing Apollo 12 lunar samples to 139 U.S. and 54 international scientists in 16 countries, a total of 28.6 pounds of material. On Feb. 16, Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad, Richard Gordon, and Alan Bean, accompanied by their wives and NASA and State Department officials, departed Houston’s Ellington Air Force Base for their 38-day Bullseye Presidential Goodwill World Tour. They first traveled to Latin America, making stops in Venezuela, Peru, Chile, and Panama before continuing on to Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The groundbreaking science and discoveries made during Apollo missions has pushed NASA to explore the Moon more than ever before through the Artemis program. Apollo astronauts set up mirror arrays, or “retroreflectors,” on the Moon to accurately reflect laser light beamed at them from Earth with minimal scattering or diffusion. Retroreflectors are mirrors that reflect the incoming light back in the same incoming direction. Calculating the time required for the beams to bounce back allowed scientists to precisely measure the Moon’s shape and distance from Earth, both of which are directly affected by Earth’s gravitational pull. More than 50 years later, on the cusp of NASA’s crewed Artemis missions to the Moon, lunar research still leverages data from those Apollo-era retroreflectors.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NASA Invites Media to Simulated Mars Habitat Before Next Mission

Source: NASA

Media are invited to visit NASA’s simulated Mars habitat on Monday, March 10, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The simulation will help prepare humanity for future missions to the Red Planet.
This is the second of three missions as part of NASA’s CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog), set to begin in May 2025 when volunteer crew members enter the 3D printed habitat to live and work for a year.
During the mission, crew members will carry out different types of mission activities, including simulated “marswalks,” robotic operations, habitat maintenance, personal hygiene, exercise, and crop growth. Crew also will face planned environmental stressors such as resource limitations, isolation, and equipment failure.
The in-person media event includes an opportunity to speak with subject matter experts and capture b-roll and photos inside the habitat. Crew members will arrive for training at a later date and will not be available at this event.
To attend the event, U.S. media must request accreditation by 5 p.m. CDT Monday, March 3, and international media by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24, via the NASA Johnson newsroom at: 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@nasa.gov. Media accreditation will be limited due to limited space inside the habitat. Confirmed media will receive additional details on how to participate.
For more information about CHAPEA, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/chapea
-end-
Cindy Anderson / James GannonHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600cindy.anderson@nasa.gov / james.h.gannon@nasa.gov
Kelsey SpiveyJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111kelsey.m.spivey@nasa.gov
Victoria SegoviaJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111victoria.segovia@nasa.gov

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: In Memoriam: Berrien Moore III [1941–2024]

Source: NASA

Berrien Moore III, Dean of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences at the University of Oklahoma (OU), director of the National Weather Center in Norman, OK, and Vice President for Weather and Climate Programs, died on December 17, 2024. Berrien earned an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina in 1963 and a doctorate degree from the University of Virginia in 1969. After graduating, he taught mathematics at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and became tenured in 1976.
In 1987, Berrien became director of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (ISEOS) at UNH. NASA chose ISEOS to be one of the 24 founding members of the “Working Prototype Federation” of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) in 1998. Still active more than 25 years later, ESIP is now a thriving nonprofit entity funded by cooperative agreements with NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Geological Survey, which brings together interdisciplinary collaborations (among over 170 partners) to share technical knowledge and engage with data users.
Berrien left UNH in 2008, to serve as the founding Executive Director of Climate Central, a think-tank based in Princeton, NJ, which is dedicated to providing objective and understandable information about climate change
Berrien moved to OU in 2010. Given his diverse academic, research, and career experience in global carbon cycle, biogeochemistry, remote sensing, environmental and space policy, and mathematics, Berrien was a natural choice to become the architect and principal investigator for the Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory (GeoCARB), a proposed NASA Earth Venture Mission that would have monitored plant health and vegetation stress throughout the Americas from geostationary orbit, probing natural sources, sinks, and exchange processes that control carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane in the atmosphere. While the mission was ultimately cancelled, the lessons learned are being applied to similar current and future Earth observing endeavors, e,g, NASA’s ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) mission.
Berrien served on and chaired numerous government-affiliated scientific committees throughout his career. From 1995–1998 he served on the National Research Council’s Committee on Global Change Research, which produced the landmark report, “Global Environment Change: Research Pathways for the Next Decade.” In 2011, he was an author on the National Research Council’s (NRC) decadal survey, “Earth Science and Applications from Space: A Community Assessment and Strategies for the Future.”
Berrien participated on international scientific committees as well. From 1998–2002, he was the chair of the Science Committee of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP). He was also a lead author within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Third Assessment Report, which was released in 2001.
Berrien served in several roles specific to NASA, including as a committee member and later chair of the organization’s Space and Earth Science Advisory Committee. He served as Chair of the Earth Observing System (EOS) Payload Advisory Committee, member and Chair of NASA’s Earth Science and Applications Committee, and member of the NASA Advisory Council. He was also active at NOAA, having chaired the agency’s Research Review Team and served on the Research and Development Portfolio Review Team for NOAA’s Science Advisory Board.
Berrien received NASA’s highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Medal, for outstanding service and the NOAA Administrator’s Recognition Award. He also received the 2007 Dryden Lectureship in Research Medal from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and was honored for his contributions to the IPCC when the organization received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: A Snapshot of Trump’s First Month: Making America Safe Again

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: A Snapshot of Trump’s First Month: Making America Safe Again

em>“President Trump said from the start: criminal illegals have no place in our homeland. He is keeping his promise.” – Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem
WASHINGTON – In a single month, President Trump and Secretary Noem have made massive strides to address the crisis at the southern border and remove violent criminal aliens from American communities. This is just the beginning of the golden age of America. PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT:

On day one, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and restarted construction of the border wall.
President Trump instantly reinstated “Remain in Mexico” and ended catch and release.
The Trump administration has empowered our brave men and women in ICE, Border Patrol, and Coast Guard to use common sense to do their jobs effectively.
DHS has repealed Biden Era rules that allowed criminal aliens to hide from law enforcement in places like schools and churches to avoid arrest.
DHS returned to using the term “illegal alien” to use statutory language and stop political correctness from hindering law enforcement.
ICE arrests of criminal aliens have doubled and arrests of fugitives at large has tripled.
Daily border encounters have plunged 93% since President Trump took office.
To fulfill President Trump’s promise to carry out mass deportations, the administration is detaining illegal aliens, including violent criminals, at Guantanamo Bay.
President Trump designated international cartels and other criminal gangs, such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act which mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.
President Trump stopped the broad abuse of humanitarian parole and returned the program to a case-by-case basis.
Secretary Noem ended the previous administration’s extension of Venezuelan Temporary Protected Status.
DHS froze all grants to non-profit organizations that facilitate illegal immigration.
DHS deputized the Texas National Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, members of the State Department and the IRS to help with immigration operations.
Secretary Noem clawed back $80 million that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to put illegal aliens up in luxury New York City hotels.

Bottom Line: Since President Trump was inaugurated, he’s made it clear there is a new sheriff in town. The President and Secretary Noem will continue fighting every day to secure our borders and keep American communities safe.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: In Memoriam: Jeff Dozier [1944–2024]

Source: NASA

Jeff Dozier, an environmental scientist, snow hydrologist, researcher, academic – and former Earth Observing System Project Scientist – died on November 17, 2024. Jeff’s research focused on snow hydrology and biogeochemistry in mountain environments and addressed the role of stored and melting snow in the hydrologic cycle as well as the economic and social impact on water resources. In these efforts, he embraced remote sensing with satellites to measure snow properties and energy balance. He was a Project Scientist with the Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System, contributing to the design and management of very large information systems that would impact spatial modeling and environmental informatics.
Jeff served as the second EOS Project Scientist from 1990–1992. During that time, he worked with the NASA science community to – in his own words – “accomplish the goals of EOS, the most important of which is to develop the capability to predict or assess plausible environmental changes – both natural and human-induced – that will occur in the future. Meeting this challenge for the next decade to century requires the integration of knowledge from the traditional disciplines and information from many different sources into a coherent view of the Earth system. EOS is the largest project in the history of NASA and arguably the most important national and international scientific mission of the next two decades.”
Jeff’s work alongside Michael Matson, was featured in a 2019 NASA Earth Science news article: “NASA Tracks Wildfires From Above to Aid Firefighters Below.” While working at NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service building in Camp Springs, MD, the pair detected methane fires in the Persian Gulf using the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument on the NOAA-6 satellite – marking the first time that such a small fire had been seen from space. Jeff went on to develop a mathematical method to distinguish small fires from other sources of heat, which become the foundation for nearly all subsequent satellite fire-detection algorithms.
At the time of his death, Jeff was Principal Investigator of a NASA-funded project with the objective of testing whether data from the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission could be used to help refine the estimate for the snowpack melting rate. In the 2024 Earth Science news article, “NASA’s EMIT Will Explore Diverse Science Questions on Extended Mission,” Jeff indicated that EMIT’s ability to ‘see’ well into the infrared (IR) spectrum of light is key to his group’s efforts because ice is “pretty absorptive at near-IR and shortwave-IR wavelengths.” The results from this research will help inform water management decisions in states, such as California, where meltwater makes up the majority of the agricultural water supply.
Jeff earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree from California State University, Hayward (now California State University, East Bay) and a Master’s of Science degree and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He spent his career teaching at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he was named the founding Dean of the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB in 1994. As the Dean, he recruited renowned faculty and developed one of the top environmental programs in the country. After his role as Dean, Jeff returned as a professor at Bren, educating the next generation of Earth scientists.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Beware of Illegally Marketed Diabetes Treatments, Fraudulent Pharmacies
Source: US Food and Drug Administration

Español

As the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to grow, an increasing number of products marketed under the guise of “dietary supplements” or “over-the-counter drugs” promising to prevent, treat, and even cure diabetes are being sold illegally.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises consumers not to use such products – for many reasons. For example, they may contain harmful ingredients or no active ingredients at all. They may also be improperly marketed as nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs or dietary supplements when they have hidden prescription drugs in the product.

These products carry an additional risk if they cause people to delay or discontinue effective treatments for diabetes.

More than 38 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and almost 1-in-4 adults don’t know they have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, approximately 96 million adults have pre-diabetes, meaning they have higher than normal blood sugar levels and can reduce their risks of developing diabetes through lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise.

People with diabetes are at a greater risk for developing serious health complications, including:
- Death
- Heart disease
- Chronic kidney disease,
- Nerve damage,
- Foot health,
- Oral health,
- Hearing loss,
- Vision loss,
- Mental health
A Far-Reaching Problem

Products that promise an easy fix might be tempting, but you are gambling with your health if you choose an unapproved, unregulated, or fraudulent product.

Diabetes is a chronic disease but is generally manageable. You can lower your risk for developing complications by following treatments prescribed by health care professionals, carefully monitoring blood sugar levels, and sticking to an appropriate diet and exercise program.

Unfortunately, “snake-oil peddlers” still prey on people with chronic or incurable diseases, such as diabetes.

Bogus products for diabetes are particularly troubling because there are effective options available to help manage this serious disease rather than risk exposing patients to unapproved or dangerous products.

One way to tell if a diabetes product is unsafe or ineffective is if it is marketed as a nonprescription product or dietary supplement.

FDA-approved diabetes drugs are only available by prescription. Additionally, there are no dietary supplements that treat or cure diabetes. In fact, the FDA requires dietary supplement products to be labeled with a disclaimer saying the product is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” You can read more about how to identify fraudulent products at 6 Tip-offs to Rip-offs: Don’t Fall for Health Fraud Scams.

To protect the public health, the FDA investigates consumer complaints and monitors the marketplace for fraudulent products, including those promising to treat diabetes and its complications.

Unapproved Diabetes Drugs

The FDA issues warning letters to various companies marketing products for diabetes in violation of federal law. These products are often marketed as:
- Dietary supplements
- Alternative medicines
- Over-the-counter or nonprescription drugs
- Homeopathic products
In September 2021, the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to 10 companies for illegally selling dietary supplements claiming to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent diabetes.

FDA laboratories find some “all-natural” diabetes products contain hidden active ingredients found in approved prescription drugs used to treat diabetes. You may ask, what the harm is if the products contain these undeclared active ingredients? Don’t be fooled, these are illegal products and can be dangerous.

If consumers, and their health care professionals, are unaware of the actual active ingredients in the products they are taking, these products may interact in dangerous ways with other medications. One possible complication: patients may end up taking a larger combined dose of the diabetic drugs than they intended. This may cause a significant and unsafe drop in blood sugar levels, a condition known as hypoglycemia.

Fraudulent Pharmacies

The FDA also monitors the internet for illegal marketing of prescription drugs or potentially unsafe products by fraudulent online pharmacies.

Buying medicines from unsafe online pharmacies may put consumers at risk. These websites often sell unapproved, counterfeit, or otherwise unsafe medicines outside of safeguards followed by licensed pharmacies. The products sold, while being passed off as authentic or effective, may contain the wrong ingredients, contain too little, too much, or no active ingredient at all, or contain other harmful ingredients.

Additionally, consumers cannot be certain the manufacturing or handling of these drugs follows U.S. laws or meets other necessary safeguards, such as storing the medicine at the right temperature, which is extremely important for diabetes medicine, such as insulin, to ensure it doesn’t lose or have decreased effectiveness.

Visit BeSafeRx for more information about the potential dangers of buying drugs from unsafe websites, tips for purchasing medicines online safely and how to report unlawful sales.

The FDA maintains a list of Internet Pharmacy Warning Letters issued to companies for:
- Selling illegally marketed products
- Selling counterfeit drugs
- Offering prescription drugs without a prescription
- Offering prescription drugs without adequate directions for safe use
- Offering prescription drugs without FDA-required consumer warnings about the serious health risks associated with the prescription drug
Identifying Legitimate Online Pharmacies

To help ensure you select a safe, licensed online pharmacy, look for one that requires you to have a valid prescription to purchase prescription drugs, provides a physical business address in the U.S., is licensed by a state pharmacy board, and provides a state-licensed pharmacist to answer your questions. You can find your state’s pharmacy board using the FDA’s Locate a State-Licensed Online Pharmacy webpage.

Talk to your health care professional if you have any questions about your diabetes treatment or if a specific online pharmacy is safe to use.

How to Report

If you believe you have found a website that may be illegally selling human drugs, dietary supplements, or other medical products, we encourage you to submit the information through the Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet available on the FDA website.

Health care professionals and consumers should report any problems or reactions—often referred to as potential adverse reactions—to FDA’s MedWatch program at www.fda.gov/Medwatch/report.htm. Or, you can call 800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088), send a fax to 800-FDA-0178, or mail FDA form 3500 (available on the MedWatch “Download Forms” page) to the address on the pre-addressed form.

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MIL OSI USA News –
February 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NASA Stennis Teams Install New Production RS-25 Engine for Upcoming Hot Fire

Source: NASA

NASA marked a key milestone Feb. 18 with installation of RS-25 engine No. E20001, the first new production engine to help power the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on future Artemis missions to the Moon.
The engine, built by lead SLS engines contractor L3Harris (formerly Aerojet Rocketdyne), was installed on the Fred Haise Test Stand in preparation for acceptance testing next month. It represents the first of 24 new flight engines being built for missions, beginning with Artemis V.

The NASA Stennis test team will conduct a full-duration, 500-second hot fire, providing critical performance data to certify the engine for use on a future mission. During missions to the Moon, RS-25 engines fire for about 500 seconds and up to the 111% power level to help launch SLS, with the Orion spacecraft, into orbit.
The engine arrived at the test stand from the L3Harris Engine Assembly Facility on the engine transport trailer before being lifted onto the vertical engine installer (VEI) on the west side deck. After rolling the engine into the stand, the team used the VEI to raise and secure it in place.
The upcoming acceptance test follows two certification test series that helped verify the new engine production process and components meet all performance requirements. Four RS-25 engines help launch SLS, producing up to 2 million pounds of combined thrust.
All RS-25 engines for Artemis missions are tested and proven flightworthy at NASA Stennis prior to use. RS-25 tests are conducted by a team of operators from NASA, L3Harris, and Syncom Space Services, prime contractor for site facilities and operations.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 21, 2025

Category: Transport

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A Far-Reaching Problem

Unapproved Diabetes Drugs

Fraudulent Pharmacies

Identifying Legitimate Online Pharmacies

How to Report