NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Puruatanga Road, Martinborough

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Four people on a shared bicycle have been injured in a serious crash with a car in Martinborough.

    The collision happened on Puruatanga Road, between Regent Street and Todds Road, about 10.45am.

    At least one person is being flown to hospital with critical injuries. Three others have serious injuries.

    The driver of the vehicle is uninjured and is being spoken to by Police. 

    The Serious Crash Unit has been notified and the road will likely remain closed for some time. Members of the public are advised to avoid the area.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Dakota HHS supports oral health through education, preventive screening, services and child health coverage

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    February is nationally designated as Children’s Dental Health Month. In observance, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) joins dental professionals, health care providers, educators and other partners in promoting good oral health to children, their parents and caregivers, teachers and others.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood in the U.S.1 More than half of children ages 6-8 years have had a cavity in at least one of their baby teeth.2

    The Oral Health Program in HHS supports children’s dental health through prevention, education and SEAL!ND – a school-based sealant program. This program uses public health dental hygienists, private practice dental professionals and Federally Qualified Health Centers to provide oral health education, dental screenings, sealants and fluoride varnish treatments to thousands of children across the state.

    During the 2023-2024 school year, SEAL!ND was able to provide screenings for 3,070 students, apply 5,006 fluoride varnish applications, protect 8,531 teeth with dental sealants and make 1,817 referrals for further oral health treatment.

    “Schools are an ideal place to reach children, teachers and caregivers,” said Toni Hruby, HHS oral health prevention coordinator. “Through collaboration with external partners, we are able to expand our reach and serve more children.”

    Within HHS, North Dakota Medicaid also supports children’s dental health. North Dakota Medicaid’s Health Tracks benefit pays for dental care including exams, cleanings, x-rays, sealants and fluoride treatment for enrolled children. There are no copays for qualifying families. For more information about Health Tracks, visit hhs.nd.gov/health-tracks.

    HHS encourages North Dakotans of all ages to care for their smiles by following these tips: 

    • Brush teeth at least twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste
    • Floss teeth daily
    • Eat a balanced diet
    • Drink tap water and limit sugary drinks and snacks
    • Avoid using cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and electronic nicotine or vaping products
    • Replace toothbrushes every three to four months and after an illness
    • Talk to a dentist about fluoride varnish and sealants for children to prevent cavities

    In addition to daily dental care at home, HHS also encourages North Dakotans to schedule an annual checkup with a dentist. Learn more about oral health and the HHS Oral Health Program at hhs.nd.gov/health/oral-health-program. To apply for North Dakota Medicaid, visit hhs.nd.gov/applyforhelp.

    SOURCE: (1) Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). GBD Compare Data Visualization. Seattle, WA: IHME, University of Washington. 2020. Accessed October 17, 2023.

    SOURCE: (2) Lin M, Griffin SO, Gooch BF, et al. Oral health surveillance report: trends in dental caries and sealants, tooth retention, and edentulism, United States : 1999–2004 to 2011–2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2019.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: CarePilot and Community Hospital Corporation Forge Strategic Partnership Following Successful Pilot of Ambient AI Technology

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. and PLANO, Texas, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CarePilot, a leader in AI-driven medical documentation for community healthcare, today announced a new strategic partnership with Plano, TX based Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) following a successful pilot of CarePilot’s ambient AI technology in several CHC facilities. Under this partnership, CHC plans to deploy and distribute CarePilot’s AI scribe solution across their managed and affiliated hospitals nationwide.

    • CarePilot’s ambient AI technology transforms spoken clinical conversations into comprehensive, structured documentation, enabling clinicians to focus on delivering patient care rather than on administrative tasks. This partnership is expected to streamline clinical workflows and ultimately enhance the patient experience throughout CHC’s extensive network.

    “We’re excited to work with CarePilot to bring AI to community health care and improve the experience for our patients and providers,” said Joe Ford, Regional Vice President of Information Technology at CHC.

    CHC is renowned for its support of community-based hospitals nationwide. The organization is either directly responsible for or supports the day-to-day operations of 23 hospitals across the country.  Additionally, CHC Consulting, CHC IT management, Telecom and Supply chain programs extend its influence to over 200 network hospitals. This broad reach positions CHC as a pivotal force in enhancing community health care delivery across diverse regions. By integrating CarePilot’s AI solution, the partnership aims to reduce administrative burdens on clinicians, optimize clinical documentation, and foster more meaningful interactions between healthcare providers and their patients.

    “We’re committed to bringing cutting-edge technology to rural and community hospitals. Our collaboration with CarePilot and their ambient AI platform is a testament to that commitment. By automating documentation in ambulatory, ED, and inpatient settings, and ensuring seamless compatibility with various EHRs, we’re not only improving operational efficiency, but also making this advanced technology accessible to our dedicated healthcare professionals, ultimately driving better patient outcomes in the communities we serve.”

    About CarePilot
    CarePilot is at the forefront of AI-driven documentation solutions for community healthcare. Its cutting-edge AI scribe technology converts clinical conversations into detailed clinical notes, reducing the administrative burden on providers and allowing them to focus on what truly matters—patient care. Designed for seamless integration into existing clinical workflows, CarePilot’s solution is transforming the landscape of clinical documentation across community health settings.

    About CHC Community Hospital Corporation
    Community Hospital Corporation owns, manages and consults with hospitals through CHC Hospitals, CHC Consulting and CHC ContinueCARE with the purpose to collaborate with partners and bring innovative solutions to support the vibrancy and accessibility of community healthcare. Based in Plano, Texas, CHC provides the resources and experience community hospitals need to improve quality outcomes, patient satisfaction and financial performance.

    For more information, please visit www.carepilot.com or www.chc.com.

    CONTACT:
    Joseph Tutuera, CEO
    sales@carepilot.com
    6550 Sprint Parkway
    Suite 200
    Overland Park, Kansas, 66211, USA

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tiny splendid peacock spiders have the fastest known jump among their kin – new study

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ajay Narendra, Associate Professor of Insect Neuroethology, Macquarie University

    Pranav Joshi

    Jumping spiders – one of the largest spider families – get their name from the extraordinary jumps they make to hunt prey, to navigate and also to evade predators.

    Male jumping spiders also jump to escape from cannibalistic females and competing males. So they are under tremendous pressure to jump efficiently and rapidly.

    We studied the jumping abilities of miniature male and female Australian peacock spiders. We found that the males – incredibly light creatures, weighing just 2 milligrams – have the highest acceleration among any known jumping spider.

    Our study is the first to explore and identify differences in how male and female jumping spiders undertake their impressive jumps. It’s now published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

    A male Australian splendid peacock spider.
    Pranav Joshi

    Unique hydraulics

    Jumping is an energetically “expensive” movement strategy. To perform it, animals have to launch themselves from a surface by coordinating the movement of numerous body parts.

    Some invertebrates, like ants, jump with the help of their muscles. Others, like fleas, use energy stored in internal structures that are rapidly released to trigger a leap.

    Jumping spiders are different – they use a unique semi-hydraulic system. They don’t have muscles to extend their legs and power the jumps. Instead, they extend their legs by increasing the pressure of the haemolymph (fluid analogous to blood in invertebrates) in their legs, which triggers the jump.

    Peacock spiders are well known for the elaborate courtship display males carry out to court females. It has captured the attention of biologists and non-scientific audiences alike. The display includes extending and waving their third pair of legs and opening the colourful flap-like extensions on the abdomen.

    The quantitative description of jumping movements, known as jump kinematics, has only been conducted for four of the 6,000+ jumping spider species known worldwide. On top of this, scientists have never investigated differences in jump dynamics in male and female spiders.

    Because male and female peacock spiders differ strongly in size from each other, they present a unique opportunity to identify sex-specific differences in jump kinematics.

    Spiders on campus

    We studied the Australian splendid peacock spider (Maratus splendens) found both on the Macquarie University campus in Sydney and in the surrounding area.

    The females weighed more than twice as much as males, and the heaviest female was 6.6 times heavier than the lightest male. We scanned male and female specimens using micro-computed tomography and carried out a 3D reconstruction to determine the centre of mass of each sex.

    Micro CT reconstruction of the male of the Australian splendid peacock spider with centre of mass highlighted by a circle.
    Ajay Narendra

    We then filmed the jumps of male and female spiders using a high-speed camera, and tracked the animals’ centre of mass during each jump. From this, we measured a suite of kinematic measures, including jump take-off angle, acceleration, and g-force.

    We found that these lighter male peacock spiders have a distinct jump choreography and kinematics compared to the heavier females.

    High, fast and steep

    We discovered that the splendid peacock spiders accelerated at 127.8 m/s² – more than twice as fast as the previous highest known acceleration in jumping spiders.

    This rapid acceleration may have evolved to escape from predators or to track and capture fast-moving prey in their natural environments.

    Though the lighter males accelerated faster, after controlling for body mass we found that acceleration in males was slower compared to females. Males and females experienced accelerations equivalent to 13.03 times and 12.5 times the force of gravity, respectively.

    Interestingly, the jumps of males were at a steeper angle than those of females, which is likely an adaptation to rapidly escape from females and other males.

    A question that remained was which of the four pairs of legs powered this rapid jump. To figure this out, we tracked multiple joints on all of the spiders’ legs throughout the jump.

    We found that the joint on the third pair of legs had an extremely acute angle before jumping, and rapidly changed to something like a straight angle after attaining maximum acceleration. Our results show that it’s the third pair of legs that propels the splendid peacock spider into its impressive jumps.

    Ajay Narendra receives funding from Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Tiny splendid peacock spiders have the fastest known jump among their kin – new study – https://theconversation.com/tiny-splendid-peacock-spiders-have-the-fastest-known-jump-among-their-kin-new-study-247241

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Inflation is heating up again, putting pressure on Trump to cool it on tariffs

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jason Reed, Associate Teaching Professor of Finance, University of Notre Dame

    Inflation is building again; but the housing industry may find it harder to do so as a result of Trump tariffs. Win McNamee/Getty Images

    Inflation figures released on Feb. 12, 2025, will come as a disappointment to Americans who hoped President Donald Trump would be true to his word on bringing down prices “on Day One.” It will also put pressure on the new administration to be wary of policies that may heat up inflation – and that includes tariffs.

    The consumer price index, which measures the change in prices paid by consumers for a representative basket of goods and services, rose unexpectedly from December to January by 0.5%. It means consumers are paying around 3% more on item prices than they were a year ago.

    Economists had been expecting the pace of inflation to slow in January.

    The news isn’t good for anyone concerned. It means inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s long-run target of 2% – making it harder for the central bank to cut rates at its next meeting on March 19. At its last meeting, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee kept its benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 4.25-4.50%.

    Following the release of the latest inflation data, markets have a stronger conviction that the Fed will again hold rates steady when it meets in March.

    It also means more pain for consumers. Higher interest rates set by the Fed play a large role in determining rates for mortgages, credit cards and auto loans. If January’s rate of inflation were to continue throughout 2025, consumers would see a painful 6.2% annualized inflation rate.

    And although it would be churlish to link the latest jump in inflation to an administration just weeks old, it does put into focus the current slate of Trump economic policies. Economists have long warned that imposing tariffs on imports and cutting taxes does little to curb inflation – rather, they may contribute to faster price increases.

    Already, China has been hit by a 10% tariff on all products. Trump has also proposed a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, and he mulled imposing new tariffs on Canada and Mexico – two of the United States’ largest trading partners.

    I believe that if these wide-ranging tariffs come into effect, the Federal Reserve will have no choice but to keep rates elevated for the remainder of 2025.

    Revving up for higher car costs

    One of the largest drivers of inflation in January was rent increases, which accounted for nearly 30% of all items increase. Rents jumped 4.6% from a year earlier.

    If Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports, like lumber, take effect, Americans can expect continued price increases in the homebuilding sector. Supply and demand imbalances remain a key driver for higher prices, so fewer houses being built due to higher materials cost will likely lead to higher rents.

    Consumers saw better news on new vehicle prices, which remained flat over the month and showed slight declines from a year ago.

    This is even as demand for new cars increased 2.5% over 2024. In January 2025, the number of new vehicles sold topped the same month a year earlier for the fifth month in a row.

    But as with homebuilding, any tariffs on the import of car parts or materials will impact the auto industry. Carmakers may have breathed an immediate breath of relief when Trump delayed new tariffs on Canada and Mexico. But if deals aren’t reached by the March 1 deadline, industry analysts expect immediate impacts on top sellers.

    And any higher cost of new cars will have a knock-on effect on used cars, which saw prices jump 2.2% in January – it’s largest increase since May 2023.

    Increased prices are no yoke! (groan)

    Of course, not all inflationary pressures are in the purview of government.

    The transportation sector, which includes insurance and parking fees, increased by 8% over the year. Insurance prices soared almost 12%, on the back of last year’s 20.6% increase in prices, while parking fees increased by almost 5% as a result of more expensive repairs and more dangerous driving behaviors.

    Meanwhile, with bird flu continuing to spread, egg prices rose a shocking 15.2% in January, and are 53% more expensive than at this time last year.

    All in all, voters who cited inflation as the main reason they were backing Trump may be feeling a little uneasy – the administration is only a few weeks old, but for one reason or other, Americans are experiencing ever higher prices with little relief in sight.

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

    – ref. Inflation is heating up again, putting pressure on Trump to cool it on tariffs – https://theconversation.com/inflation-is-heating-up-again-putting-pressure-on-trump-to-cool-it-on-tariffs-249815

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Five best articles in Russian for 12.02.2025

    MIL Analysis : Here are the top five Russian language articles published today. The analysis consists of five articles that are prioritized at the moment.

    Today’s analysis shows economic productivity and the hot topic of cybersecurity of citizens from fraudsters.

    Rosneft is expanding contactless fuel payment and has already introduced this system at gas stations in Khakassia. The Moscow subway held the first training sessions with guide dogs this year, 12 future service dogs started their training. Also, free cyber sports tournaments will be held in Moscow, in which everyone can take part.

    You can read one of the articles below.

    1. Financial news: February 14 at 15:00 will be held a press conference on the results of the meeting of the Board of Directors on monetary policy.

    The event will be attended by the Chairman of the Bank of Russia Elvira Nabiullina and Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia Alexei Zabotkin.

    Elvira Nabiullina will make a statement on monetary policy and medium-term forecast.

    2. Financial news: Interview with German Zubarev “Komsomolskaya Pravda”.

    “Safe accounts” to save money does not exist

    One hundred million rubles. That’s how much financial fraudsters swindle from Russians every day. And this is only official data. Last year, the law that will allow to limit the losses started to work. Cellular operators block suspicious numbers, banks suspend payments and freeze accounts. But criminals still find the keys to our piggy banks.

    3. “Rosneft” introduced contactless fuel payment services at its filling stations in Khakassia.

    “Rosneft continued joint work with the Yandex Fueling Service to expand the geography of contactless fuel payment. The service became available at all Rosneft filling stations in the Republic of Khakassia. It is already possible to refuel a car using the mobile application at 95% of the network’s stations in almost all regions where the Company operates.

    4. Moscow Metro held the first classes with guide dogs this year.

    Moscow Metro

    The Moscow Metro held the first training sessions with guide dogs this year, with 12 future service dogs starting their training.

    Since 2014, more than 400 guide dogs have been trained in the subway under the guidance of inspectors from the Passenger Mobility Center and specialists from the Guide Dog Training School of the All-Russian Society for the Blind.

    5. “Moscow cybersport”: free online tournaments begin in the capital.

    Free online cybersport tournaments are starting in Moscow. During 2025 at least 135 online competitions will be held on the cybermos.ru platform. The first meetings are scheduled for February 14-16.

    Learn more about MIL’s content and data services by visiting milnz.co.nz.

    Regards MIL!

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Four charged over alleged aggravated armed robbery at Perth

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Four charged over alleged aggravated armed robbery at Perth

    Thursday, 13 February 2025 – 10:17 am.

    Four people have been charged over a targeted armed robbery at Perth.
    Police received a call from the victim of the alleged robbery on Tuesday evening after four people known to him forced their way into his residence.
    The victim was physically assaulted by one offender who was in possession of a baseball bat, but not seriously injured.
    The alleged offenders then left the scene with the victim’s vehicle, wallet and phone and a large amount of his property.
    Police quickly responded, and located the stolen vehicle a short time later at a Newnham residence.
    Four people – including a 32 Newnham woman, 29 year old Westbury man, 35 year old Newnham man, and 20 year old Launceston man, were located with the vehicle and arrested by police.
    All four have been charged with aggravated armed robbery and motor vehicle stealing and appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court yesterday.
    They are due to appear again on March 11.
    Police would like to reassure the public this was a targeted incident involving people known to each other and there was no threat to the wider community.
    Investigations are ongoing.
    Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Perryton Coach Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of Teenage Student

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    A Perryton ISD coach who sexually abused a 15-year-old student was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Cole Underwood, 29, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2024 and indicted later that same month. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to 30 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. 

    According to court documents, Perryton ISD’s superintendent reached out to law enforcement in May 2024 to report a possible inappropriate relationship between Mr. Underwood and a female student. According to the superintendent, surveillance video allegedly showed Mr. Underwood meeting with the girl alone after hours, despite being given a specific directive not to be alone with her.

    Agents reviewed the footage and observed Mr. Underwood propping an exterior door open and then shutting off lights. Approximately 15 minutes later, the girl entered the darkened building through the propped door and walked into Mr. Underwood’s office.

    In interviews with law enforcement, the child said Mr. Underwood had sex with her in his office more than a dozen times between February and May.

    She said that after she added him as a contact on Snapchat, he established a personal friendship with her, and even invited her to his office to confide in him. She said that Mr. Underwood began messaging her in a flirtatious and sexual manner in December, and eventually used Snapchat to arrange sexual encounters.

    A search of the girl’s cell phone revealed multiple late-night conversations – some lasting more than six hours – between her and Mr. Underwood, who allegedly occasionally referred to the child as “wifey” and told her he loved her.

    At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the student detailed how the situation escalated from the defendant acting as a confidant during a stressful period to isolating her and continually pressuring her for sex:

    “I had no idea that he was slowly in the process of grooming me, I genuinely thought that he actually cared about me,” she said in a victim impact statement. “I didn’t know how to stop it… He convinced me to shut everyone out. I felt like I seriously had no one but him.”

    “I hope if there is a girl out there who is going through what I have been through, she has the chance to hear my story to know it’s okay to speak up. There are people who want to help,” she bravely added. “Just because you have one bad chapter does not mean your story is over.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Amarillo Resident Agency, the Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Office, and the Perryton Police Department conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Perryton Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Rapids Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegally Possessing Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Bradly Rosenthal, 42, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to nine years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing two loaded firearms as a felon.

    Rosenthal sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant three times in February 2024. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement received a report of suspected drug activity at a car wash located in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Officers responded to the car wash where they encountered Rosenthal. After a K9 alerted to the presence of illicit substances, law enforcement searched Rosenthal’s vehicle and found 266 grams of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, a Taser, $2,000, and drug distribution paraphernalia. Rosenthal is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.

    At sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern at Rosenthal’s “repeated serious crimes,” which include prior drug trafficking and firearms offenses, and his continued “endangerment of others.”

    The charges against Rosenthal were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force and the Wisconsin Rapids and Nekoosa Police Departments. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Remington and Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case.

    This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: THE ANNOUNCEMENT on the holding of the extraordinary general meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    THE ANNOUNCEMENT
    on the holding of the extraordinary general meeting

    of a joint stock company:

    ZTS Sabinov, a. s., registered seat: Hollého 27, 083 30 Sabinov, ID No.: 00 590 797, registered in the Commercial Register of the District Court of Prešov, Sec.: Sa, Ins. No.: 76/P
    (hereinafter referred to as the “Company“)

    The Board of Directors of the Company, in accordance with § 184 et seq. of Act No. 513/1991 Coll., the Commercial Code, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the “Commercial Code“), convenes

    EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
    OF THE COMPANY,

    to be held on 19.03.2025 at 08:00 a.m. at the registered seat of the Company, at Hollého 27, 083 30 Sabinov, with the following agenda:

    1. opening of the Extraordinary General Meeting and election of its bodies (chairman, recorder, verifiers of the minutes and scrutineers);
    1. deciding on changes to the Articles of Association of the Company;
    1. deciding on the termination of trading with all shares of the Company on the Bratislava Stock Market and on the fact that the Company ceases to be a public joint stock company and becomes a private joint stock company;
    1. deciding on the conversion of the type and form of all shares of the Company from book-entry bearer shares to registered paper shares;
    1. deciding on the approval of the process of conversion of all shares of the Company and the issuance of new shares;
    1. deciding according to § 161a of the Commercial Code;
    1. deciding on changes to the Articles of Association of the Company effective as of the date of the announcement of the mandatory takeover bid for the shares of the Company;
    1. closing.

    Registration and presentation of shareholders will take place at the premises of the Company from 07:00 a.m. to 07:55 a.m., personally arranged by authorized persons of the Company. Registration and presentation will close five (5) minutes prior to the commencement of the Extraordinary General Meeting.
    The decisive date for exercising the shareholder’s rights under Section 180(1) of the Commercial Code in the case of shares of a public joint-stock company is the third day preceding the date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, i.e. 16.03.2025.
    The person attending the Extraordinary General Meeting shall be required to prove their identity at the time of registration and presentation. In the case of the personal attendance of a person who is a shareholder:

    1. natural person shall present their valid identity document at the time of presentation and registration;
    1. legal entity shall hand over the original or an officially certified copy of a up to date extract from the commercial register or from a similar register, not older than 90 days, to the person in charge of the presentation and registration of shareholders; if the shareholder (legal entity) is not registered in such a register, the original or an officially certified copy of a up to date proof of the legal personality of such entity shall be handed over, including a document certifying who is authorized to act on behalf of the legal entity; at the same time, the natural person acting on behalf of the shareholder (legal entity) shall present their valid identity document;

    Shareholder may participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting represented by an authorized representative on the basis of a written power of attorney with the officially verified signature of the shareholder. In the case of a shareholder being represented by a representative, the representative shall:

    – shall hand over the original of the written power of attorney with the officially verified signature of the shareholder or an officially verified copy thereof at the time of registration and presentation to the authorized person of the Company;

    – shall hand over the original or an officially certified copy of the documents to be presented or handed over by the shareholder to prove the identity of the shareholder (except for the identity document to be presented) and the circumstances relating to the proceedings and the subject matter of the Extraordinary General Meeting;

    – shall present their valid identification document at the time of presentation and registration;
    Provided that the shareholder, holder of bearer shares, established, as a security covering the respective expenses, a pledge over at least one share of the company pursuant to Section 184(3) of the Commercial Code, shall have the right to request sending a copy of the draft amendment of the Articles of Association of the Company at his own expense and risk to the address given by them. The shareholder shall have the right to request information and explanations at the Extraordinary General Meeting that are relevant to the subject matter thereof. The Board of Directors is obliged to provide the shareholder with the information in writing no later than 15 days after the Extraordinary General Meeting.

    The Board of Directors of the Company, in accordance with Section 184(6) of the Commercial Code, hereby notifies the shareholders of the substance of the proposed changes to the Articles of Association of the Company, which changes are to be subject to decision in accordance with items 2. and 7. of the proposed agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting:

    • establishment of the shareholders’ right to decide on the conversion of the form of shares of the Joint Stock Company (agenda item 2);
    • change in the details of the type and form of the shares as a result of the conversion of the shares of the Company (agenda item 7);
    • establishing the obligation of the Company to keep a list of shareholders holding registered shares (agenda item 7);
    • regulation of the rights and obligations of shareholders holding registered paper shares in accordance with the provisions of the Commercial Code (agenda item 7);

    Information for Shareholders of the Company:

    • shareholder has the right to attend and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. The number of votes of a shareholder corresponds to the ratio of the nominal value of his shares to the amount of the share capital of the Company, whereby one vote shall be cast for every EUR 16.00 of the nominal value of the shareholder’s shares;
    • shareholder attends the extraordinary general meeting at his own expense;
    • shareholder has the right to request information and explanations at the Extraordinary General Meeting concerning the Company’s affairs or the affairs of persons controlled by the Company, which matters are related to the subject matter of the Extraordinary General Meeting, and the shareholder is obliged to exercise this right no later than the decisive date specified in this announcement, i.e. no later than 16.03.2025;
    • shareholder has the right to request copies of the draft Articles of Association or to have them sent to the address provided by the shareholder at the shareholder’s own expense and risk;
    • at the request of a shareholder or shareholders holding shares with a nominal value of at least 5% of the share capital, the Board of Directors shall include the matter specified by them in the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting. The Extraordinary General Meeting shall be obliged to discuss the matter in such a case. The request for the addition to the agenda must be supported by reasons or be accompanied by a draft resolution of the extraordinary general meeting, otherwise the extraordinary general meeting may not take such a request into consideration; if the request for the addition of the matter to the agenda of Extraordinary General Meeting is received after the publication of the announcement of the Extraordinary General Meeting, the Board of Directors shall send or publish the addition to the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting in the manner prescribed by law and specified in the Articles of Association for convening Extraordinary General Meetings at least 10 days before the Extraordinary General Meeting, i.e. no later than on 09.03.2025; if such publication of the addition to the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting is not possible, the specified matter may be included in the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting only in the presence and with the consent of all shareholders of the Company; the Board of Directors shall be obliged to send or publish the notification of the addition to the agenda within 10 days before the Extraordinary General Meeting in each case if it is received by the shareholder or shareholders holding shares with a nominal value of at least 5% of the share capital not later than 20 days before the Extraordinary General Meeting, i.e. not later than 27.02.2025;
    • shareholder may participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting represented by an authorized representative on the basis of a written power of attorney with the officially verified signature of the shareholder, a specimen of which is attached as Annex 1 to this announcement; the original of the written power of attorney or an officially verified copy thereof shall be handed over by the authorized representative to the persons in charge of the registration and presentation of the shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting no later than the beginning of the Extraordinary General Meeting, which persons shall present the power of attorney to the recorder of the Extraordinary General Meeting; the original of the written power of attorney or a certified copy thereof may be substituted by the verification of the ordinary copy of the written power of attorney by the recorder of the Extraordinary General Meeting – the verification by the recorder of the Extraordinary General Meeting shall be carried out on the basis of the presentation of the original of the document and its ordinary copy, while the verification of the ordinary copy shall be marked thereon and shall be retained for the purposes of the records of the Company; the original of the document shall be returned to the person who presented it;
    • Company accepts shareholder’s notices of appointment, change or revocation of a power of attorney, accompanied by documents proving the indicated legal facts (i) in person at the registered office of the Company, (ii) by means of paper delivery to the registered office of the Company, alternatively (iii) by electronic means in favor of the e-mail address: griad@ztssabinov.sk; the authorized person is obliged to present the original officially certified written power of attorney at the time of registration and presentation of the shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting;
    • if a shareholder has granted a written power of attorney to more than one person to exercise the voting rights attached to the same shares at a single extraordinary general meeting, the Company shall enable to vote to that representative who has been entered the earliest in the list of attendees at the extraordinary general meeting;
    • if several shareholders have granted a written power of attorney for representation to one representative, the latter may vote separately for each shareholder duly represented at the Extraordinary General Meeting;
    • shareholder may grant a written power of attorney to a member of the Supervisory Board of the Company exclusively stipulating the specific instructions for voting on each resolution or item on the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting on which the member of the Supervisory Board, as representative, is appointed to vote on behalf of the shareholder;
    • shareholder’s voting and participation in the Extraordinary General Meeting cannot be carried out by means of postal services prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting, nor by electronic means, as such voting or participation in the Extraordinary General Meeting is not provided for in the Articles of Association of the Company;
    • Company shall make available to shareholders on the Company’s website www.ztssabinov.sk (electronically) at least 30 days prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting:
    • full text of all documents to be discussed in the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting;
    • total number of shares and voting rights attached to the shares as of the date of publication of the announcement of the Extraordinary General Meeting;
    • draft resolutions, if any, of the Extraordinary General Meeting according to the individual items on the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting and the opinion of the Board of Directors on each item on the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting for which no draft resolution is submitted;
    • specimen of the written power of attorney form that may be used for the voting of representatives;
    • full texts of the documents (in particular the draft Articles of Association) and drafts of any resolutions of the Extraordinary General Meeting to be discussed at the Extraordinary General Meeting are made available to shareholders in hard copy form for inspection at the registered office of the Company within 30 days prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting, on working days between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.;
    • Company publishes information pursuant to a special regulation by means of the Internet, on its website at www.ztssabinov.sk ;

    SAMPLE POWER OF ATTORNEY
    for representation at the Extraordinary General Meeting

    POWER OF ATTORNEY

    The undersigned Principal

    Full name/Business name: ………………………………
    Address / Registered office: …………………………….
    Date of birth / Company ID: ……………………………
    Registered in     1: …………………………………………….
    Acting through1: …………………………………………..

    as the owner of ………. dematerialized shares of the issuer ZTS Sabinov, a. s., with its registered office at Hollého 27, 083 30 Sabinov, Company ID: 00 590 797, registered in the Commercial Register of the District Court Prešov, Section: Sa, Insert No.: 76/P, in bearer form, ISIN: ……………………………., with a nominal value of 16 EUR per share.

    (hereinafter referred to as the “Principal“),

    hereby authorizes

    the Authorized Representative
    Full name/Business name: ……………………………….
    Address/Registered office: ……………………………….
    Date of birth/Company ID: ……………………………….
    Registered in1: ……………………………………………..
    Acting through1: ……………………………………………
    (hereinafter referred to as the “Authorized Representative”)

    to represent the Principal at the Extraordinary General Meeting of ZTS Sabinov, a. s., with its registered office at Hollého 27, 083 30 Sabinov, Company ID: 00 590 797, registered in the Commercial Register of the District Court Prešov, Section: Sa, Insert No.: 76/P (hereinafter referred to as the “Company“), which will be held on March 19, 2025, at 08:00 AM at the registered office of the Company (hereinafter referred to as the “Extraordinary General Meeting“), in accordance with the provisions of Section 31 et seq. of the Civil Code, and within the agreed scope of authorization.

    The Authorized Representative is entitled to exercise all rights and fulfill all obligations at the Extraordinary General Meeting, which are granted to the Principal as a shareholder of the Company under the legal framework of the Slovak Republic and the Articles of Association of the Company. In particular, but not exclusively, the Authorized Representative is entitled to vote, submit proposals, and request information on behalf and in the name of the Principal.

    I hereby grant this power of attorney in relation to the shares owned by the Principal as a shareholder of the Company, which are registered on the following securities accounts2:

    1. Securities account number:…………, number of shares owned by the Principal and registered on the specified securities account: ………………;
    2. Securities account number: ………, number of shares owned by the Principal and registered on the specified securities account: ……………;
    3. Securities account number: …………………, number of shares owned by the Principal and registered on the specified securities account: ………………;

    If this power of attorney is granted to an Authorized Representative who is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Company, the Authorized Representative is entitled to exercise all rights at the Extraordinary General Meeting, which the legal system of the Slovak Republic and the Articles of Association of the Company grant to the Principal as a shareholder of the Company, under the following conditions3:

    • For agenda item(s) no. ……………….., the Authorized Representative is obliged to vote in favor;
    • For agenda item(s) no. ……………….., the Authorized Representative is obliged to vote against;
    • For agenda item(s) no. ……………….., the Authorized Representative is obliged to abstain from voting.

    This power of attorney is granted for the duration of the Extraordinary General Meeting.

    By signing this document, the Authorized Representative unconditionally confirms that they have been acquainted with the Articles of Association of the Company by the Principal and are aware of their obligations arising from this power of attorney.

    The Authorized Representative is not entitled to delegate this authorization to another person (prohibition of substitution).

    This power of attorney shall be governed by the legal system of the Slovak Republic.

    On behalf of the Principal:
    In __________________, on __________.2025

    full name / business name:  

     
    position1:  

     
    signature:  

     

     

     

    (officially certified signature)

     

     

     

    On behalf of the Authorized Representative:
    In __________________, on __________.2025

    full name / business name:  

     
    position1:  

     
    signature:  

     

     

     

    (officially certified signature)

     

     

     

    ZTS Sabinov, a. s. accepts notifications regarding the granting of power of attorney, changes to an already granted power of attorney, and revocation of power of attorney also via email at griad@ztssabinov.sk in PDF document format.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: $TOCKHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Continues To Investigate The Merger – ENFN, VCSA, ACCD, AVAV

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm by ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating:

    • Enfusion, Inc. (NYSE: ENFN), relating to the proposed merger with Clearwater Analytics. Under the terms of the agreement, Enfusion shareholders will receive $5.85 per share in cash and $5.40 per share in Clearwater Class A Common Stock.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/enfusion-inc-enfn/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • Vacasa, Inc. (NASDAQ: VCSA), relating to the proposed merger with Casago. Under the terms of the agreement, Casago will acquire all outstanding shares of Vacasa held by public stockholders at a price of $5.02 per share.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/vacasa-inc-vcsa/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • Accolade, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACCD), relating to the proposed merger with Transcarent. Under the terms of the agreement, Transcarent will acquire Accolade for $7.03 per share in cash.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/accolade-inc-accd/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), relating to the proposed merger with BlueHalo LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, AeroVironment shareholders will own approximately 60.5% of the combined company.

    ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for April 1, 2025.

    Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/aerovironment-inc-avav/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    NOT ALL LAW FIRMS ARE THE SAME. Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

    1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?
    2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?
    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in any of the above listed companies and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
    Juan Monteverde, Esq.
    MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC
    The Empire State Building
    350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740
    New York, NY 10118
    United States of America
    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
    Tel: (212) 971-1341

    Attorney Advertising. (C) 2024 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com).  Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH1B Telephone Road upgrade work set to begin

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Construction is set to start next week on an upgrade to the rail crossing on State Highway 1B Telephone Road, east of Hamilton, which will reopen to traffic by the middle of the year, Minister of Transport Chris Bishop says.
    “Economic growth and productivity are a priority for the Government, and I’m pleased this upgrade work is finally getting underway to enable the road to reopen to vehicles and freight,” Mr Bishop says.
    “The package of improvements being delivered will see the road level raised, and new escape lanes built. The road surface will be raised by up to 410mm over a distance of 90 metres on Telephone Road north of the rail crossing and on Telephone Road/Holland Road/Marshmeadow Road south of the rail crossing.
    “Escape lanes built on the north side of Holland Road, will ensure longer vehicles heading south do not stack across the rail line as they wait to turn into Holland Road. For vehicles travelling east on Holland Road and wanting to turn left into Telephone Road, the escape lane provides a safe place to wait if access to Telephone Road is blocked by a train.
    “Safety at the intersection will also be improved with more line marking and signage, including new electronic warning signs when a train is approaching.  
    “As part of the upgrade involves raising the road level, from Wednesday 19 February the intersection of Telephone Road, Holland Road and Marshmeadow Road will be closed to all traffic until the end of construction. This is expected to take around 3 months. 
    “I appreciate the patience of the local community, and strong advocacy of local MP Tim Van de Molen, to bring us to this important milestone. I also want to thank NZTA, KiwiRail, and Waikato District Council for their work to find a pragmatic and cost-effective solution. I look forward to this work being completed as soon as possible, so we get traffic moving over the rail crossing once again.”
    Notes to Editor:

    The rail crossing on SH1B Telephone Road was previously considered one of the most dangerous in New Zealand. The crossing was not level, resulting in low vehicles scraping rail and, in April 2022, dislodging a section of track. The distance between the rail and the intersection was also short, resulting in a high collision risk as cars wait to turn onto Holland Road. Both of these risks are being addressed in this work, enabling a safe reopening of the crossing. 
    As a result of an incident in April 2022 KiwiRail and NZTA decided to immediately close the rail crossing until it could satisfy the safety requirements to reopen. Since then, SH1B traffic has been required to detour along Holland Road, Waverley Road and Seddon Road, adding approximately 10 minutes to through journeys. 
    Following the closure, NZTA commissioned a detailed report on the future options for the crossing from consultants WSP. The report explored a range of options from low-cost interventions such as barrier arms, limited access to light vehicles and judder bars, to more complex options that involved significant engineering work to reconfigure the rail crossing and adjacent intersection.  
    NZTA remained committed to investigating practical and affordable solutions to allow the Telephone Road railway crossing to reopen and continued to work with KiwiRail. This led to the new design which met requirements to allow the rail crossing to reopen.  
    Another important factor in the new design meeting safety requirements is the reduction in traffic volumes, particularly the lower number of trucks, using SH1B following the completion of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Household spending flat in January as Aussies take a break after stronger fourth quarter – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    Spending stalled at 153.4 in January, following a strong sales spending to finish 2024.

    The monthly CommBank Household Spending Insights (HSI) Index was flat in January, unchanged at 153.4, as consumers took a breather from opening their wallets following sale activity in the final months of 2024.  

    Modest spending increases were seen across six of the 12 spending categories, with the most notable uplifts seen in spending on Motor vehicles (+1.5 per cent), Insurance (+1.2 per cent), and Health (+1.0 per cent).  

    The biggest spending falls in January were in Education (-1.8 per cent), driven by reduced spending on universities, Hospitality (-1.0 per cent) and Household Goods (-0.9 per cent).

    “The flat January HSI result was somewhat expected following the spike in spending we saw in the last three months of 2024 off the back of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day sales. Essentials made up the three highest spending categories in the month as consumers pulled back on discretionary spending,” CBA Senior Economist Belinda Allen said.

    “We expect the RBA to lower interest rates at their first meeting of the year next week which will help provide a boost to consumer spending over the coming months. We anticipate a total of 100 basis points of monetary policy easing throughout 2025 to drive an improvement in the consumer spending pulse.”

    On an annual basis, homeowners with a mortgage (+3.0 per cent) have surprisingly seen a larger increase in spending compared to those who own their home outright (+2.8 per cent), while renters continue to lag (+2.0 per cent).

    “The increase in spending by those with a mortgage can be attributed to the fact that not only are this cohort likely at a stage of life where they’re spending on essential items, they’re still dedicating a significant share of their wallet to recreation and entertainment,” Belinda Allen concluded.

    The CommBank HSI index tracks month-on-month data at a macro level and is based on de-identified payments data from approximately 7 million CBA customers, comprising roughly 30 per cent of all Australian consumer transactions.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Pens Op-Ed in The Hill: RFK Jr. is the Health Revolution America Needs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. penned an op-ed in The Hill highlighting how President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is the right man to lead the health revolution that America needs to become healthy again.

    You may click HERE or on the image above to read Senator Marshall’s full op-ed. 
    Highlights from Senator Marshall’s op-ed include: 
    “For decades, American health outcomes have declined as we continue to throw money at the problem. It’s safe to say that what we are doing is not working. Our healthcare system has devolved into “sick care” — treating the disease as opposed to preventing it.”
    “I don’t agree with Kennedy on everything, but no one agrees with their colleagues 100 percent of the time. Even in my medical practice, doctors debated treatment decisions. That’s how science works — through questioning, reviewing and challenging available scientific studies and utilizing some common sense that comes with years of experience from medical practice.”
    “Kennedy and I agree that we should always scrutinize medical interventions to ensure they are necessary, safe and effective. This means holding the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accountable for studying the risks, benefits, efficacy and side effects of vaccines — just as we do for all other drugs. Parents and doctors should have clear, unbiased data to make informed decisions together.”
    “Just as Trump was elected because Americans wanted a disruptor, I believe Kennedy is the disruptor our healthcare system needs. He will turn NIH, CDC, Medicare and Medicaid away from their disease-treatment mindset and toward prevention. This is not complicated. It’s common sense.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Scott, Colleagues, File Bicameral Amicus Brief – Medina v. Planned Parenthood

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) joined Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Congressman Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) in filing an “amicus curiae” (or “friend of the Court”) brief in the case of Medina v. Planned Parenthood. The brief supports South Carolina’s determination that Planned Parenthood does not qualify to receive Medicaid funding. The South Carolina Republicans were joined by 14 other senators and 76 other members of the House of Representatives.
    “The purpose of Medicaid is to provide essential healthcare services to parents and children in underserved communities where access to quality medical care can be limited,” said Senator Tim Scott. “Using taxpayer dollars to fund abortion not only diverts resources away from Medicaid’s mission, but undermines the intent of both the law and the program itself. I’m proud to join my colleagues from South Carolina in standing up for the right to life and against this government overreach.”
    “As a pro-life state, South Carolina taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the abortion industry,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “I am grateful for the support of members of the South Carolina delegation and the many other members of Congress who recognize the importance of this case and are standing with South Carolina as we defend our values.”
    “Most Americans oppose their hard-earned tax dollars being used to subsidize abortion,” said Senator Lindsey Graham. “I am honored to join my South Carolina Republican colleagues and lend our voices to Governor Henry McMaster’s effort to make sure Medicaid funding cannot be used by Planned Parenthood in South Carolina in any fashion.”
    “Private parties like Planned Parenthood have no right to undermine congressional intent by forcing states to say that Planned Parenthood is a qualified Medicaid provider,” said Rep. Norman. “South Carolina has every right to determine what qualifies and disqualifies Medicaid healthcare providers operating within our state. That was precisely the intent of Congress. My hope is the Court will see this lawsuit for what it truly is: a misguided attempt to undermine that authority.”
    Background Under federal law and guidance, states administer Medicaid plans, including deciding which medical providers qualify to receive payments for certain services. In 2018, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster ordered the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to deem abortion clinics unqualified to receive Medicaid funding based on their far Planned Parenthood’s largest federal funding source, providing $1.5 billion in reimbursements nationwide over three years. 
    Following South Carolina’s determination, Planned Parenthood and one of its clients sued the DHHS Director in federal court claiming a right to force DHHS to reverse that decision. There have been four appeals, each of which Members have supported with similar briefs. 
    This brief has the support of Alliance Defending Freedom, Americans United for Life, Catholic Vote, Family Research Council, Students for Life, and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
    The full text of the brief can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Announces Legislation To Lower The Cost Of Prescription Drugs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    High Drug Prices Can Force New Yorkers Who Rely On Prescription Drugs To Cut Pills In Half Or Skip Doses Entirely; Legislation Would Help Ensure Life-Saving Medication Is Affordable For All

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, held a virtual press conference announcing the Capping Prescription Costs Act, legislation that would cap the annual out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families with private insurance.

    “As President Trump rolls back initiatives to make health care more affordable for working families, I am proud to be introducing this legislation to address the astronomical cost of prescription drugs,” said Senator Gillibrand. “No American should ever have to risk their health by skipping refills or rationing life-saving medication because they can’t afford it. This legislation is a commonsense measure that would be life-changing for older adults and the millions of Americans with chronic conditions and disabilities, and I am determined to get it passed.”

    Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) cosponsor this legislation.

    Throughout her time in Congress, Gillibrand has fought to lower the cost of prescription drugs. In 2022, she helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped Medicare patients’ out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 per year; empowered Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices; and regulated price increases by drug companies. She is an original cosponsor of the Medicare for All Act, which would provide every American with prescription drug coverage. In 2023, she joined a bipartisan push to lower out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs by limiting the use of harmful “copay accumulators,” which prevent copay assistance from counting toward a patient’s deductible or out-of-pocket maximum and make it harder for patients to afford their medications.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Whitehorse — Repeat offender arrested and charged with numerous property related offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Whitehorse RCMP have charged an individual with multiple charges, including break and enter of three downtown Whitehorse businesses.

    On February 3, 2025 Whitehorse RCMP located Christopher Schafer in possession of a stolen vehicle. Mr. Schafer was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property over $5000 and fail to comply with a probation order. He was held in custody for court February 3, 2025, and was released from custody.

    Between February 4 and February 6, 2025, Whitehorse RCMP responded to four separate calls for service related to incidents of break and enter, mischief under $5000, and uttering threats. Evidence gathered from the scenes led police in identifying a suspect.

    On February 8, 2025, RCMP arrested Christopher Schafer. Mr. Schafer appeared in court on February 12, 2025 and has been remanded until February 26, 2025. He has been charged with the following offences:

    • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000
    • Possession of break-in instruments with intent to be used (3 counts)
    • Possession of weapon for a dangerous purpose
    • Uttering threats to cause bodily harm (2 counts)
    • Fail to comply with a probation order (5 counts)
    • Disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence (3 counts)
    • Break and enter to business (3 counts)
    • Mischief under $5000

    If you were a witness to a crime or have information about any crimes, please contact the RCMP at 867-667-5555.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Partners Value Investments Inc. Announces Normal Course Issuer Bids

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Partners Value Investments Inc. (the “Corporation”) (TSXV: PVF.WT. PVF.PR.V), a subsidiary of Partners Value Investments L.P. announced today that it has received approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”) for normal course issuer bids (the “Bids”) to purchase up to 1,396,407 of its share purchase warrants (the “Warrants”), representing approximately 5% of its currently outstanding Warrants; and to purchase up to 3,533,558 of its Class A preferred shares, series 1 (the “Preferred Shares”), representing approximately 5% of its currently outstanding Preferred Shares. The Bids will be effective from February 14, 2025 to February 13, 2026, or such earlier date that the Corporation completes its purchases.

    Purchases by the Corporation pursuant to the Bids will be made by its designated broker, RBC Capital Markets, through the facilities of the Exchange, other designated exchanges and alternative trading systems in Canada. The price which the Corporation will pay for any Warrants or Preferred Shares purchased will be the market price of the Warrants and Preferred Shares at the time of acquisition. Any Warrants and Preferred Shares acquired through the Bids will be cancelled. As of January 31, 2025, there were 27,928,149 Warrants and 70,671,137 Preferred Shares outstanding.

    The Corporation believes that, from time to time, the market price of the Warrants and Preferred Shares may not adequately reflect their value. In such circumstances, the Corporation believes that its outstanding Warrants and Preferred Shares may represent an appropriate and desirable use of its available funds.

    In connection with the Bids, the Corporation will enter into an automatic purchase plan with its designated broker on February 13, 2025. The automatic purchase plan will allow for the purchase of Warrants and Preferred Shares when the Corporation would not ordinarily be active in the market due to its own internal trading blackout periods, insider trading rules or otherwise. Outside of these periods, Warrants and Preferred Shares will be repurchased in accordance with management’s discretion and in compliance with applicable law.

    For further information, contact Investor Relations at ir@pvii.ca or 416‐643-7621.

    Note: This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities regulations. Expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking information and forward-looking statements.

    Although the Corporation believes that its anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond its control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to: the financial performance of Brookfield Corporation and Brookfield Asset Management Ltd., the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors; the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchanges rates; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including dispositions; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation; changes in tax laws, catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or pandemics/epidemics; the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in the Partnership’s documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada.

    The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Corporation’s forward-looking statements and information, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, the Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stats NZ information release: Electronic card transactions: January 2025

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Electronic card transactions: January 2025 – 13 February 2025 – The electronic card transactions (ECT) series cover debit, credit, and charge card transactions with New Zealand-based merchants. The series can be used to indicate changes in consumer spending and economic activity.

    Key facts

    All figures are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.

    Values are at the national level and are not adjusted for price changes.

    January 2025 month

    Changes in the value of electronic card transactions for the January 2025 month (compared with December 2024) were:

    • spending in the retail industries decreased 1.6 percent ($103 million)
    • spending in the core retail industries decreased 1.5 percent ($86 million).

    Files:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Aiming a Laser at a Sheriff’s Helicopter

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    FRESNO, Calif. — Jesse Torres-Alonso, 35, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2023, Torres struck a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One) 12 times with a dangerously bright green laser beam. The laser strikes interfered with the pilot’s ability to see and avoid other aircraft and effectively monitor the aircraft instrument panel. Law enforcement officers were able to locate and seize the laser device, which bore a prominent warning label, stating, “DANGER,” and warned against shining the light in the eyes.

    In the year that Torres committed this offense, the Federal Aviation Administration received 13,304 reports of laser strikes from pilots, marking a 41% increase over the 9,457 reported during 2022 and setting a record for the growing hazard.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

    Torres is scheduled for sentencing on May 20, 2025, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Torres faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pair admit stealing ski boat from St. Mary Lake property on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS — A man and a woman today admitted they stole a ski boat and trailer from property on St. Mary Lake on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendants, Tiffany Rae Morris, 37, of Shelby, and Levi Jacques Carl Johnson, 44, of Kevin, each pleaded guilty in separate hearings to theft within Indian Country. Morris and Johnson face a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 25. The defendants were released pending further proceedings.

    In court documents, the government alleged that on June 9, 2024, Morris and Johnson stole a ski boat and trailer from the property of the victim, identified as John Doe. The property is on St. Mary Lake on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Doe reported the theft to law enforcement and posted about it on Facebook. An investigation identified Morris and Johnson as potential suspects, based on video surveillance. The following day, a landowner in the Cut Bank area notified law enforcement that a boat had been abandoned on his property and that he thought it was the stolen boat. John Doe responded to the scene and identified his boat. The boat’s identifying decals had been removed. In interviews with law enforcement, Morris and Johnson admitted to stealing the boat. After the theft was circulated on Facebook, the defendants wanted to return the boat but were afraid of being apprehended and abandoned it in the field. Johnson reported that the decals came off when he power-washed the boat. The boat was a 2007 Ski-doo Challenger 180, valued at more than $1,000.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Fentanyl and Heroin Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODERICK PARKER (“PARKER”), age 54, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced February 6, 2025 to (9) nine months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

    PARKER previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, quantities of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846.

    Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents started investigating PARKER, and other co-conspirators in October 2019 as narcotics distributors in the New Orleans area. The investigation revealed that PARKER was regularly supplied with 25 to 50 heroin and fentanyl pills, and PARKER subsequently distributed those narcotics to his own customers. 

    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. 

    The Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office led the investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Torrington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER JESUS CONSTANZO, 22, of Torrington, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to an offense stemming from his sexual exploitation of three different minors, including kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, enticement and sexual assault of another 16-year-old girl, and production of child pornography involving a 17-year-old girl.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 2, 2021, at approximately 7:27 a.m., Constanzo and a 16-year-old female arrived by car at the U.S. Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, Vermont.  Just prior to their arrival, officials at the St-Armand/Philipsburg Border Crossing in Canada had refused Constanzo and the minor victim entry into Canada.  After U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers separated Constanzo from the minor victim, the victim reported that she met Constanzo the night before at Stillwater Pond State Park in Torrington.  Constanzo then sexually assaulted the minor victim, forced her into the trunk of the minor victim’s car, restrained her with a shoelace, and began driving.  At some point during the night, Constanzo removed the minor victim from the trunk and sexually assaulted her again.  As they neared the Canadian border, Constanzo had the minor victim sit in the front passenger seat of the car.  Constanzo instructed her to “act normal” and “go along with the story.”  Constanzo then told Canadian Border Services Agency officials that the minor victim was his sister and they intended to go into Canada for four days to visit friends.  However, due to their lack of COVID tests, Constanzo and the minor victim were denied entry into Canada.  Costanzo was arrested by CBP on December 2, 2021.

    In July 2021, Costanzo used SnapChat to coerce a 16-year-old female to go to an abandoned warehouse in Torrington to record herself having sex with Constanzo, and, posing as two fictitious individuals on SnapChat, he threatened to kill the minor victim and kill her boyfriend if she did not comply.  At the warehouse, Constanzo sexually assaulted the minor victim at knifepoint.

    Also in July 2021, Costanzo used his iPhone to record sexually explicit Facetime videos of a 17-year-old female. 

    Costanzo pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and, as part of his plea agreement, admitted his conduct against all three victims.  Costanzo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on May 7, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. 

    Costanzo has been detained since his arrest.

    State charges against Costanzo are pending.

    This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vermont State Police, and the Torrington Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Neeraj N. Patel.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the State’s Attorney for the Litchfield Judicial District for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.

    This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Make America Healthy Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor as the Senate prepares to vote on the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
    Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.
    Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:
    “The Senate will soon vote on the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
    “America needs to be healthier. I’m a doctor. I’ve worked with patients for over 20 years as a surgeon in Wyoming.
    “The problem is, our nation faces a chronic disease epidemic. Chronic diseases include diabetes, cancer, and obesity.
    “Chronic diseases are so widespread that managing them accounts for 90 percent of federal health care spending. And we spend a lot of our Gross National Product on health care.
    “Nearly 3 in 5 American adults and 1 in 4 American children are impacted by this. Our health care system tries to address this problem. Yet by incentivizing procedures over prevention, it often fails to address it effectively and economically.
    “As a result, Americans are becoming less healthy. We need to put America on a path to good health.
    “President Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to do just that. Mr. Kennedy will bring a fresh set of eyes and ideas to important debates surrounding public health.
    “Mr. Kennedy will be a voice for the vast number of Americans who were failed by the previous administration.
    “The previous administration silenced reasoned debate. Mr. Kennedy will deliver accountability and transparency.
    “For Americans, that means more choices and better information. It means healthy foods and healthy competition for patients. It means lower costs and higher quality care. It means increased access to care. Access is so critical to my home state of Wyoming, with our many rural and frontier communities.
    “It means honest, unbiased, and trustworthy scientific research that is both innovative and accountable to the American people.
    “That is Mr. Kennedy’s bold vision to revitalize America’s bill of health.
    “Mr. Kennedy is clear about his mission. That mission is, as he told the Finance Committee, ‘to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America healthy again.’
    “Apparently, that’s not enough for Senate Democrats.
    “Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada was dismissive. At our Finance Committee hearing, I heard her say to Mr. Kennedy: ‘So that’s the only reason why you’re at HHS? To address this one issue.’
    “Respectfully, addressing chronic disease is the key issue when you’re talking about healthcare.
    “Mr. Kennedy testified before two Senate Committees as part of his confirmation. He responded to rigorous questions from both Republicans and Democrats. He answered those questions with candor and clarity.
    “He told the Senate HELP Committee that his leadership approach will be collaborative. He pledged to ‘empower the scientists to do their jobs’ – not to impose ‘preordained opinions on anybody at HHS.’
    “Mr. Kennedy was also clear that he supports vaccines.
    “He told the Finance Committee, ‘I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking either of those vaccines.’
    “The Senate has every reason to take him at his word.
    “Mr. Kennedy is a bold choice. He is pro-health, pro-vaccine, and pro transparency. He is the right choice to make America healthy again.
    “I look forward to confirming him.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Tackle Nursing Shortage

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Train More Nurses Act to address the nursing shortage affecting communities across the nation. This bipartisan bill will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a review of nursing grant programs to find ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, especially those in underserved areas. It will also increase pathways for Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses.
    Nevada is experiencing a dire shortage of medical professionals. A recent analysis found that Nevada is one of the states with the least amount of nurses per capita. According to the University of Nevada Reno’s Nevada Health Workforce Research Center, it would take over 3,000 additional registered nurses for the state to catch up to the national average.
    “As Nevada continues to face a shortage of nurses and doctors, it’s becoming more difficult for hardworking families to get the medical care they need,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m introducing this bipartisan bill to help increase the number of nurses in our state and improve Nevadans’ access to high-quality health care.”
    “In the midst of a growing demand for medical treatments and services, health care providers across Maine continue to face a significant shortage of nurses. One challenge in growing the nursing workforce to meet this demand is the limited supply of nursing faculty available to increase student enrollment and train the next generation of nurses,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would identify strategies to close the faculty gap and expand our nursing workforce, ultimately improving access to care.”
    “By investing in nursing education and creating clear pathways to employment, we can ensure that registered nurses are well-prepared to meet the demand, and that patients receive the high-quality care they deserve,” said Melodie Osborn, Chief Nursing Executive for Renown Health. “At Renown Health (Reno, NV), we’ve seen first-hand the positive impact of supporting nursing students through scholarships, apprenticeships, loan repayment, preceptorships, and advanced simulation education. Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system. We are so grateful to Senators Rosen and Collins for moving forward this bill to invest in nursing education, which is crucial to be able to have more qualified and compassionate nursing care for you and your family.”
    Senator Rosen is working to address Nevada’s health care professional shortage and improve medical care access in the state. Senators Rosen and Collins’ bipartisan Maximizing Health Outcomes through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for (MOBILE) Health Care Act was signed into law in 2022 to allow community health centers to use federal funds to establish new mobile health care units to increase access to health care services in rural and underserved communities. Last year, Senator Rosen pushed for more medical residency slots to be awarded to Nevada to help tackle the physician shortage. She also helped introduce the bipartisan Medical Student Education Authorization Act to address the doctor shortage by expanding the Medical Student Education Program and introduced a package of bipartisan bills aimed at addressing the shortage of doctors and dentists in Nevada and across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Helps Introduce Legislation to Ensure the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation Receive the $5 Million They’re Owed

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined her colleagues Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Jim Risch (R-ID) to reintroduce the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act. This legislation will allow the Tribes to finally collect over $5 million in interest they are owed for their 2009 water rights settlement.
    “The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation deserve the millions of dollars in interest they are owed,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure they finally receive this payment after a nearly twenty year delay.”
    “It is absurd that the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation have had to go nearly two decades without millions of dollars in interest they are owed,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My commonsense, bipartisan legislation fixes this years-old oversight and secures funding that these Tribes deserve.”
    “This much-needed fix takes the next step in upholding the federal government’s full interest terms of the 2009 settlement with the Duck Valley reservation,” said Senator Crapo.  “The Senate unanimously advanced the measure in the last Congress and must do so again expeditiously.  The House should follow suit so we can correct this error as soon as possible.”
    “The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes’ water rights settlement mistakenly excluded interest payments, unjustly cutting these communities short,” said Senator Risch. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to correct this error and provide the Tribes the proper interest they are owed.”
    Senator Rosen has been working to support Tribal communities in Nevada with the resources they need. Earlier this year, she announced more than $700,000 to improve transportation for Tribal communities in Nevada. Last year, she helped secure more than $5 million to improve water infrastructure for Tribal communities in Nevada. Senator Rosen also joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues to request more funding for Tribal law enforcement programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: On Senate Floor, Rosen Announces Opposition to Confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services 

    US Senate News:

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

    Watch Senator Rosen’s Full Remarks HERE.
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) took to the Senate floor to oppose the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. In her remarks, Senator Rosen highlighted Mr. Kennedy’s lack of qualifications and history of spreading dangerous public health conspiracies.
    Below are excerpts of Senator Rosen’s floor remarks:
    Today, we’re here to discuss President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 
    If confirmed, Mr. Kennedy would be in charge of a department with power to, well, regulate the food we eat, the medicines we take, and the vaccines we depend upon.
    He would oversee agencies that provide health care to almost 170 million Americans – including hundreds of thousands of Nevadans who are on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
    I’m here today to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as our next Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
    Confirming him would have disastrous consequences for our public health, for seniors who rely on Medicare, for our families who get their health care through Medicaid.
    Well, let’s start out with his lack – his lack – of qualifications.
    Well, Mr. Kennedy – he’s never worked in health care or federal government. He’s probably best known for his skepticism of vaccines and spreading dangerous conspiracies and outright lies. 
    Mr. Kennedy’s history of promoting anti-vaccine misinformation – it’s well-documented and deeply troubling. 
    Vaccines have saved millions of lives throughout history, and they remain one of the most effective tools we have to protect public health. 
    Yet, Mr. Kennedy has spent years promoting debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, cancer, allergies, and autoimmune diseases. 
    He’s spread lies about vaccine safety, making people fearful and increasing rates of unvaccinated people, which put all of us – all of us – at risk.
    […]
    But his problematic views are just the start. During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Kennedy was also asked about his understanding of Medicare and Medicaid. Just asked if he knew about it.
    Well, he struggled – struggled I mind you – to remember which program covered older and disabled Americans, struggled to remember which program provided for low-income people. 
    This is Medicare and Medicaid, not something that’s so brand new that even Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shouldn’t know what it is. Because Medicare and Medicaid are not mere government programs. 
    They are a lifeline for millions of Americans, including our seniors, our parents, our grandparents, people with disabilities, families in need – including half of all children – and around forty percent of all babies born in this country.
    Why would we trust someone with the future of Medicare and Medicaid when he doesn’t even understand the basics of the system he would oversee? 
    […]
    You know, Mr. President, the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services – it is one of profound responsibility. 
    And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has undermined the very foundations of our public health system.
    Mr. Kennedy’s vision for the future of our health care system, well, he wants to undermine Medicare and Medicaid, he wants to slash cancer research funding, he wants to push dangerous public health conspiracies. These are visions and these are things I cannot support. No one should support.
    We all want a healthier future for America — one that both prevents diseases and where we can think about curing diseases, where we can do preventative medicine, curative medicine, where we can have that hope for folks whose mother gets lung cancer in the future that she might live, or leukemia in the future, that their brother might live. 
    Mine didn’t, but I hope that they didn’t die in vain because research goes on and will help others. And I want us to be able to cure diseases for the ones that we love.
    And so that is why I cannot in good conscience support Mr. Kennedy’s nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
    The stakes couldn’t be higher. Our very lives — the lives of our loved ones — they may just depend on it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Consumer NZ warns of car rental company’s questionable practices

    Source: Consumer NZ

    A recent investigation reveals how autoUnion pressures customers into paying large bonds to cover the excess on an insurance policy some believe is dodgy.

    Chris Schulz, senior investigative journalist at Consumer NZ, is warning those looking for an affordable car hire option in Auckland or Christchurch to avoid car rental company autoUnion. Despite alluringly cheap daily rates, Schulz believes autoUnion’s cheap deals could end up costing a fortune.

    Consumer initially received a tip-off from an autoUnion customer, Jesse Ashwell, about the car rental company’s potentially fraudulent practices.

    “Ashwell bought insurance online when she first booked her car, but when she turned up at the car yard, she was asked to pay a $3,000 bond to cover the insurance excess on an additional ‘basic cover’ insurance policy.

    “She didn’t receive a copy of an insurance policy document or any information about autoUnion’s insurance provider – despite requesting it,” says Schulz.

    Ashwell says: “I refused to pay a $3,000 bond so it took two and a half hours to sort out the rental. When I finally got to the car, I found a dirty, smelly Toyota Aqua.”  

    “The car broke down on the third day of hire. Ashwell was accused of filling it up with the wrong petrol (which she denies and has a receipt to prove) and her credit card was charged over $1500 to cover the damage autoUnion alleged she’d caused” says Schulz.

    “We’re concerned autoUnion is targeting people looking for a super-cheap rental car, charging them a hefty bond to cover their insurance excess and then finding a reason to hold onto that bond.”

    A spokesperson for autoUnion explained it is a budget rental car company and admitted it had had issues with some customers being confused by the company’s insurance policies – especially if they’d already paid for insurance when booking through a third-party company. But the spokesperson said autoUnion would never attempt to scam people in this way.  

    But Schulz believes autoUnion is up to no good and likely to be breaking the law.  

    He urges others looking to hire a cheap rental car to avoid autoUnion at all costs.

    “It’s understandable that people will be tempted when a rental car is that cheap – but, in the case of autoUnion, it’s not worth it.

    “Ashwell was pressured to buy an additional insurance product that we haven’t seen any evidence exists, accused of something she’s confident she didn’t do and then charged for alleged damage.  

    “AutoUnion’s behaviour is unacceptable and we’re concerned others may have been stung by similar charges.”

    If you’ve had a similar experience to Ashwell, please share your story with us at playfair@consumer.org.nz.  

    “We want to get to the bottom of what’s going on with autoUnion, and if necessary, shut down this practice.”

    Tips for renting a car

    Check to see if the company is registered with the Rental Vehicle Association

    Read reviews and check the terms and conditions of any deal before entering into a contract. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

    Book directly through the rental company’s website.

    Car hirers should be up front about their insurance policies and provider’s details.

    If you’re asked to pay a bond, make sure you know what the bond covers and read the terms and conditions thoroughly.

    Notes

    You can read more details about Consumer’s investigation into auto-Union on its website: Is an Auckland car rental company profiting from ‘fake’ insurance? ( https://consumernz.cmail20.com/t/i-l-fikwx-ijjdkdttjk-j/ )

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Waller, Reflections on a Maturing Stablecoin Market

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

    Thank you for inviting me to speak today about stablecoins, an important innovation for the crypto ecosystem with the potential to improve retail and cross-border payments.1 A little over three years ago, I outlined my views on the benefits and risks of stablecoins.2 I can think of no better place than this conference to discuss the maturing stablecoin market and examine potential challenges that could impede stablecoins from reaching their full potential.
    For the purposes of this speech, I define stablecoins as a type of digital asset designed to maintain a stable value relative to a national currency and backed at least one-to-one with safe and liquid assets. Specifically, a pool of assets is held in reserve so that stablecoins can be redeemed for traditional currency in a timely fashion.
    Stablecoins—as with any means of payment—must demonstrate 1) a clear use case and 2) a clear commercial case to be economically viable. These terms are often conflated, but they are different, and both are necessary. Having a use case is how you attract consumers and businesses, while a business model is necessary for issuers of stablecoins to continue operating. As private sector innovators look to expand on the use cases of stablecoins and seek to achieve scale, what might emerge as challenges or roadblocks? This is a question I will explore today, including from a public sector perspective. Of course, as a policymaker, I am not here to endorse any of these use cases or business models, and what follows is not advice or recommendations. Rather, I am discussing them to underscore the varied ecosystem that policymakers must understand.
    I will begin by explaining some of the use cases of stablecoins, including those that are well established and those that are still emerging. The primary use of stablecoins is as a safe crypto store of value. In the early days of crypto trading, buying and selling crypto meant trading one crypto-asset for another crypto-asset. As we have seen, crypto prices can fluctuate substantially, which means crypto-assets that are not anchored as stablecoins suffer from price risk. All financial markets crave the existence of a safe, low-risk asset which allows traders to move out of risky positions into safe ones where the safe asset price is known and stable. The beauty of financial innovation is that if a market demands such an asset, someone will figure out how to supply it. Thus, stablecoins were born.
    A stablecoin’s value is tied to a national fiat currency, with the U.S. dollar being the fiat currency of choice for most stablecoins. In this sense, stablecoins are synthetic dollars. In our everyday life, the dollar serves as a medium of exchange and a unit of account. By their tie to the dollar, stablecoins are the medium of exchange and unit of account in the crypto ecosystem.
    But how does one trade a “real” dollar for a “synthetic” dollar, like a stablecoin? Exchanges already allowed agents to move in and out of the crypto ecosystem but doing so took time and money. Stablecoins provided a marketplace solution to this problem—a means to represent dollars on exchanges so that transactions could be carried out more quickly and efficiently. Currently, stablecoins are involved in over 80 percent of trading volume on major centralized crypto exchanges.3
    A second stablecoin use case is providing a means to access and hold U.S. dollars. Today, around 99 percent of stablecoin market capitalization is denominated in U.S. dollars, and the vast majority of digital asset trades are priced in U.S. dollars.4 This is no surprise given the primacy of the U.S. dollar in global finance and trade, and I believe that stablecoins have the potential to maintain and extend the role of the dollar internationally.5 U.S. dollar stablecoins could be particularly appealing to those in high inflation countries or to those without easy or affordable access to dollar cash or banking services.
    A third use case is cross-border payments. For example, we are hearing increased industry focus on the “stablecoin sandwich” model of cross-border payments, in which fiat currency in one country is converted first into a U.S. dollar stablecoin, then that stablecoin is transferred to another individual, and then finally the stablecoin is converted back into the local fiat currency at its destination. This has the potential to reduce the complexity of a series of correspondent banking networks, improving transparency, cost, and timeliness. As this use case develops, it is critical that market participants implement all anti-money laundering and relevant consumer safeguards.
    The last use case I will describe is in retail payments. At present, stablecoin use for retail payments is very limited. However, I am seeing a lot of new, private sector entrants looking to find ways to support the use of stablecoins for retail payments. For example, firms that provide point-of-sale technology are acquiring innovative fintechs or developing their own capabilities to accept stablecoins for retail purchases. This provides consumers with yet another option. Firms are also looking to incorporate stablecoins—and crypto more broadly—into peer-to-peer payment apps.
    It remains to be seen whether stablecoins will scale for retail payment use cases. Such an evolution would require both a substantial number of consumers to shift their preferences toward using stablecoins and a significant number of businesses to make necessary investments to receive payments via stablecoins. We know that consumer retail payments behavior is sticky, and when behavior does change, it generally happens over a long period. If retail payments use cases do increase, it would probably take years to have a significant impact. That said, if stablecoins reduce transaction fees or allow merchants to attract customers, then merchants could have an incentive to accept them. Ultimately, the market will sort out whether consumers and businesses have the incentives to use stablecoins in this way.
    In addition to stablecoins having clear cut use cases, issuers must have a viable business model. To cite one famous example, Red Lobster’s endless shrimp deal was popular with customers, but it did not turn out to be a sustainable model for the restaurant chain. Let me describe what I think are the incentives for stablecoin issuers, but I am here today to learn more.
    To date, most stablecoin issuers appear to generate revenue primarily by earning higher returns on their reserve assets than they incur in expenses. They issue a zero-interest liability and use the proceeds to acquire interest earning assets, thereby profiting from the spread. As with bank deposits, the interest rate environment will have a significant effect on the profitability of firms issuing stablecoins. Higher interest rates generally mean higher rates of return on reserve assets, which generates revenue for the issuer. However, higher interest rates also have the potential to make non-interest bearing assets less attractive for consumers to hold. That said, users who hold stablecoins as an accessible, safe store of U.S. dollar denominated value may not be particularly sensitive to the interest rate environment, a phenomenon we already see today with some holders of physical U.S. dollars.
    An additional way stablecoin issuers can generate revenue is through fees. This could include charging minting and burning fees, which occur when a customer acquires a new stablecoin for a real dollar or wants to redeem it for real dollars. This is very much like the foreign exchange market in fiat currencies that most of us are familiar with. Alternatively, as occurs with most payments firms, the issuer could earn money from transaction fees.
    Finally, stablecoin issuers may use stablecoins as part of a broader strategy to attract customers to whom they may sell other products and services. In that case, stablecoins could be seen as a “loss leader” to entice customers to use other products or services offered by the stablecoin issuer that are much more profitable.
    With the exception of the last example, the viability of the other business models will depend on the ability of stablecoins to scale as a means of payment and on how consumers and businesses respond. For example, if the stablecoin issuer decides to pass through interest earnings on its assets, that will make the stablecoin more attractive, but it will reduce the profits from issuing a stablecoin. The smaller the interest rate spread, the more important scale becomes. For the fee-based models, free entry into this space will drive down fees as it does in any other market, which will reduce the revenue from issuing a stablecoin.
    Within this market, scale is important for achieving certain use cases as well as satisfying certain business models. For example, stablecoins are unlikely to become a viable option for retail payments if consumers question whether stablecoins will be widely accepted as a means of payment, while stablecoin issuers cannot generate significant revenue from interest on backing assets or fees without scale. I call this the “Field of Dreams” problem—if you build it, will they come?
    With all of that in mind, let’s now dive into some of the potential challenges or roadblocks that will need to be overcome for stablecoins to achieve their full potential.
    The first theme I will explore is one that I have discussed in the past—the safety and soundness of stablecoins and the need for a clear regulatory regime for stablecoins in the United States.6 Stablecoins are forms of private money and, like any form of private money, are subject to run risk, and we have seen “depegs” of some stablecoins in recent years. Additionally, all payment systems face risk of failure, and stablecoins are subject to clearing, settlement, and other payment system risks as well. At the same time, it is important to note that the risks faced by stablecoin issuers are not the same risks faced by banks. The stablecoin market would benefit from a U.S. regulatory and supervisory framework that addresses stablecoin risks directly, fully, and narrowly. This framework should allow both non-banks and banks to issue regulated stablecoins and should consider the effects of regulation on the payments landscape, including competing payment instruments.
    I want to reiterate that I think it is important that U.S. legislation makes provision for the supervision and regulation of stablecoin issuers that is proportionate to the risks they pose, without stifling their innovative potential while the marketplace is still developing. I believe in the power of the private sector to develop solutions that benefit businesses and consumers, with the job of the public sector to create a fair set of rules for market participants to operate within, including guardrails that ensure safety for consumers and the financial system as a whole. Having a level of certainty is important for businesses looking to invest in new products and services as well as for consumer confidence and assurance.
    Fragmentation is the next theme I’ll explore, first from a technical perspective. Currently, several popular blockchain networks are designed as distinct from one another. Firms looking to scale across blockchains are seeking technical solutions to achieve cross-chain interoperability. Will this ultimately prove efficient, especially in a world with multiple stablecoin providers operating within potentially different combinations of blockchain networks? Or will there be multiple, competing ecosystems, for example where one stablecoin dominates on certain blockchains, and another stablecoin dominates on others? Alternatively, a stablecoin market featuring a high degree of interoperability could support a variety of stablecoin issuers and blockchain networks, providing consumers a choice in stablecoins and technologies. It is not yet clear how these dynamics will ultimately impact business models and use cases for stablecoins, but it is an issue that bears watching as firms work to scale and mature their businesses.
    Fragmentation around the use and acceptance of stablecoins will also act as an impediment to scaling and will impact how stablecoin use cases develop. As I noted, stablecoins will prove useful as a means of payment insofar as holders of a specific stablecoin expect that others will accept them. The more people will accept a stablecoin, the more convenient a stablecoin will be. For the retail payment use case, how easy will it be for me as a consumer to pay with stablecoins at the point of sale, either in-person or online? From the merchant perspective, what incentives will firms have to accept stablecoins? Similarly, for cross-border payments, how widely will different firms (and their banking partners) transact in stablecoins? And, more broadly, could stablecoins have the potential to recreate and potentially exacerbate the current challenges associated with correspondent banking, further fragmenting the marketplace? Or could stablecoins mature in such a way to change the market structure of cross-border payments?
    Fragmentation in regulation also has the potential to hold stablecoins back from reaching their full potential. As I already discussed, the stablecoin market does not have a clear regulatory framework in the United States. While there have been efforts to develop some international standards, the emergence of different global stablecoin regulatory regimes creates the potential for conflicting regulation domestically and internationally.7 This regulatory fragmentation could make it difficult for U.S. dollar stablecoin issuers to operate at a global scale. And as I have noted, scale is vital for any means of payment to achieve its full potential.
    For example, under Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, stablecoin issuers can earn interest on their reserve assets as a business model, whereas other regulatory models being discussed would require reserves for stablecoins deemed systemically important to be held as non-interest-bearing central bank deposits, limiting stablecoin issuers into a specific business model. Domestically, state regulators have been key players in the development of the stablecoin market, and several states are in the process of developing state laws or finalizing new regulations related to stablecoin issuance. There is a risk that state regulations may conflict, which could prevent the use of the same stablecoin across all states and reduce stablecoin scalability. As with the United States’ dual banking system, a complementary framework with state and federal regulators working together can allow innovation to flourish while achieving some of the benefits of scale that come with a harmonized set of market rules.
    Different regulatory regimes are also creating separate reserve asset and redemption requirements for stablecoin issuers—a further potential regulatory regime fragmentation. In Europe, non-systemic stablecoin issuers are required to hold a minimum of 30 percent of their backing assets in bank deposits, and regulators have further proposed concentration limits per bank.8 This differs from the requirements of some U.S. state-regulated issuers.9 To operate at a global scale, stablecoin issuers would therefore have to issue the same stablecoin under multiple regimes with separate reserve asset and redemption requirements. Will this be efficient and ultimately prove workable if the number of regulatory regimes domestically and internationally continue to grow? Will we expect a stablecoin issuer to rebalance its reserves when a stablecoin is transferred between users in different countries or U.S. states? Creating consistency at the federal level could allow federal authorities to negotiate with foreign counterparts to ensure global regulations serve the interests of U.S. consumers and businesses and allow the U.S. to be a regulation setter for an asset class primarily denominated in our national unit of account.
    In conclusion, my hope is that the stablecoin market will grow or diminish on the merits of their benefits to consumers and the broader economy. For the private sector, that means continuing to develop innovative solutions that fit a market need while building sustainable business models. And for the public sector, it means setting clear and targeted legal and regulatory frameworks and coordinating those frameworks across states and national boundaries to enable private sector innovation at a global scale.
    Thank you.

    1. Thank you to Marc Rodriguez, Alex Sproveri, Sonja Danburg, and David Mills of the Federal Reserve Board for their assistance in preparing this text. The views expressed here are my own and not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Reserve Board. Return to text
    2. See Christopher J. Waller, “Reflections on Stablecoins and Payments Innovations” (speech at “Planning for Surprises, Learning from Crises” 2021 Financial Stability Conference, Cleveland, OH, November 17, 2021). Return to text
    3. See “Share of Trade Volume by Pair Denomination,” The Block, last modified February 10, 2025, https://www.theblock.co/data/crypto-markets/spot/share-of-trade-volume-by-pair-denomination. Return to text
    4. See “DefiLlama-Defi Dashboard,” https://defillama.com/. Return to text
    5. See Christopher J. Waller, “The Dollar’s International Role” (speech at “Climate, Currency, and Central Banking,” Nassau, BS, February 15, 2024). Return to text
    6. See Chrisopher J. Waller, “Reflections on Stablecoins and Payments Innovations.” Return to text
    7. See Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures and Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, Application of the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures to stablecoin arrangements (PDF) (Basel: Bank for International Settlements, July 2022). Return to text
    8. See Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on markets in crypto-assets, and amending Regulations (EU) No 1093/2010 and (EU) No 1095/2010 and Directives 2013/36/EU and (EU) 2019/1937. See European Banking Authority, Draft Regulatory Technical Standards to specify the highly liquid financial instruments with minimal market risk, credit risk and concentration risk under Article 38(5) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (PDF) (Paris: European Banking Authority, June 2024) and European Banking Authority, Draft Regulatory Technical Standards to further specify the liquidity requirements of the reserve of assets under Article 36(4) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (PDF) (Paris: European Banking Authority, June 2024). Return to text
    9. For example, see “Virtual Currency Guidance,” New York State Department of Financial Services, last modified June 8. Return to text

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Stats NZ information release: Electronic card transactions: January 2025

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Electronic card transactions: January 2025 – 13 February 2025 – The electronic card transactions (ECT) series cover debit, credit, and charge card transactions with New Zealand-based merchants. The series can be used to indicate changes in consumer spending and economic activity.

    Key facts

    All figures are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.

    Values are at the national level and are not adjusted for price changes.

    January 2025 month

    Changes in the value of electronic card transactions for the January 2025 month (compared with December 2024) were:

    • spending in the retail industries decreased 1.6 percent ($103 million)
    • spending in the core retail industries decreased 1.5 percent ($86 million).

    Files:

     

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