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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta and 14 Attorneys General Issue Joint Statement on Protecting Access to Gender-Affirming Care

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Wednesday, February 5, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND – Attorney General Bonta today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general to reaffirm their commitment to protecting access to gender-affirming care in the face of the Trump Administration’s recent Executive Order. The coalition released the following statement:  

    “As state attorneys general, we stand firmly in support of healthcare policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people. Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms. Gender-affirming care is essential, life-saving medical treatment that supports individuals in living as their authentic selves.  

    The Trump Administration’s recent Executive Order is wrong on the science and the law. Despite what the Trump Administration has suggested, there is no connection between “female genital mutilation” and gender-affirming care, and no federal law makes gender-affirming care unlawful. President Trump cannot change that by Executive Order.  

    Last week, attorneys general secured a critical win from a federal court that directed the federal government to resume funding that had been frozen by the Trump Administration. In response to the Court’s Order, the Department of Justice has sent a notice stating that “federal agencies cannot pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate any awards or obligations on the basis of the OMB memo, or on the basis of the President’s recently issued Executive Orders.” This means that federal funding to institutions that provide gender-affirming care continues to be available, irrespective of President Trump’s recent Executive Order. If the federal administration takes additional action to impede this critical funding, we will not hesitate to take further legal action. 

    State attorneys general will continue to enforce state laws that provide access to gender-affirming care, in states where such enforcement authority exists, and we will challenge any unlawful effort by the Trump Administration to restrict access to it in our jurisdictions.” 

    Joining Attorney General Bonta in issuing this statement are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why is Trump’s preferential treatment of Russia shifting? Because there’s nothing in it for him

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    When Donald Trump assumed power in the United States for a second time, it was initially assumed that it didn’t bode well for Ukraine.

    During his first term, Trump maintained questionable connections to Russia. Furthermore, his claim that he would end the Russia-Ukraine conflict in a day — with Russia still occupying much of Ukraine — led many analysts to believe that any such policy would favour the Russians.



    Read more:
    Can Trump deliver on his promise to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

    These fears, at least so far, have not come to pass. In Trump’s inaugural address, many of the items he highlighted on the campaign trail figured prominently.

    Noticeably absent, however, was Ukraine. When it comes to Trump’s “America First,” philosophy, Ukraine and Russia have seemingly lost significance.

    Strategy of distraction

    Trump, with his bombastic nature, dominates the media cycle. His proclamations, social media statements threats and insults occur with such regularity that it’s difficult for anyone to keep pace.

    Just as one news item comes into focus, a new comment or ultimatum overtakes it.

    In many ways, this works to Trump’s advantage. People can be too distracted by the latest outlandish statement to pay close attention as Trump pursues his ambitious domestic policy goals. Lost in the media turmoil of Trump’s executive orders, tariff threats and heightened deportation campaign has been a shift on Russia and Ukraine.

    Ukraine, for Trump, is a secondary concern. His priorities, first and foremost, are domestic and aimed at remaking America.

    As such, rather than being driven by any foreign policy goals, Trump’s engagement with Ukraine and Russia will be determined by how he perceives he can benefit domestically in return. His calculations, in this regard, appear to have shifted.

    Complicated relationship with Ukraine

    Trump’s relationship with Ukraine during his first term was, to put it mildly, difficult. His infatuation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and Russia’s open disdain for Ukraine, caused him to largely ignore the country.

    When he did pay attention to Ukraine, it was as part of an effort to acquire information to damage his presumed political rival, former president Joe Biden. This effort resulted in Trump withholding aid from Ukraine unless it acquiesced to his demands.

    Trump’s position on Ukraine, however, has shifted over time. His antagonistic relationship with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has seemingly improved.

    While there are still tension points, most notably when Zelenskyy visited Pennsylvania during the U.S. presidential election campaign, Trump has moderated his comments on his Ukrainian counterpart. Ukraine’s purchase of American equipment and ammunition, furthermore, supports Trump’s focus on domestic production.

    Lastly, Trump has expressed interest in accessing Ukraine’s rare earth metals. China currently dominates the rare earth metal market, which puts the U.S. at a disadvantage due to the minerals’ importance for future technological innovation. That means Trump has a stake in Ukraine’s future.

    These developments don’t mean the relationship is perfect. Instead, Trump is unlikely to be a burden to Ukraine, and this development is in part due to his declining view of Putin.

    Trump/Putin relationship

    The initial assumption of many analysts when Trump came to power again was that he would immediately favour Putin. The close relationship between the two is well-documented, and has been open to considerable speculation as to why Trump courted such favour with Putin in his first term.

    Trump, however, has upped his rhetoric against Russia since assuming the presidency. First, he threatened Putin with additional economic sanctions. Second, he stated that he would like OPEC to increase oil production and therefore inhibit Russia’s war effort by undermining its primary source of revenue.

    Why the pivot? It likely goes to the core foundation of Trump’s persona: he likes winners. Regardless of the ultimate outcome of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia and Putin have displayed considerable weakness in execution during the war. The Russian military, once feared globally, has largely proven to be a paper tiger.

    While Russia still has several advantages in the war, it is only doing so by leveraging its future. According to Trump, Russia is in “big trouble” in terms of its economic woes. Trump is not alone in this view. Analysts, as well as perhaps Putin himself, recognize the serious challenges facing the Russian economy.

    It’s not just economically that Russia has leveraged its future. To avoid straining the Russian people, Putin has reached a deal with North Korea, which is providing soldiers for the war against Ukraine.



    Read more:
    Amid the West’s wavering aid to Ukraine, North Korea backs Russia in a mutually beneficial move

    Furthermore, Russia has deepened ties with Iran in exchange for Iranian drones.

    What Putin has provided North Korea and Iran in exchange for these soldiers is unclear. That said, Russia can only provide any technological exchanges for these soldiers and drones one time, as once shared, the same technology cannot be part of other arrangements. This reality limits Russia’s influence in the years ahead.

    The new art of the deal?

    Trump, almost certainly, wants to make a peace deal on Ukraine. It would burnish his reputation as a statesman while simultaneously demonstrating American strength and influence to the world at a minimal cost to the U.S.

    The terms of that deal, however, have shifted in the face of Russian weakness.

    That’s why it’s not surprising that the mercurial Trump has pivoted his stance on Russia. Until Russia can display the strength that Trump thought it possessed, he’s unlikely to do the Russians any favours in the future.

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

    – ref. Why is Trump’s preferential treatment of Russia shifting? Because there’s nothing in it for him – https://theconversation.com/why-is-trumps-preferential-treatment-of-russia-shifting-because-theres-nothing-in-it-for-him-248365

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM District 142’s First-Ever Young Workers Summit Educates, Empowers Next Generation of Union Leaders

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    Over 25 members from IAM District 142 recently convened at the district’s headquarters in Phoenix for its first-ever Young Workers Summit. All members in attendance were 35 or younger, representing the next generation of leaders who will step into more prominent leadership roles as they progress in their union careers.

    “This incredibly successful summit, which pulled together young members from across the country, inspired activism and encouraged involvement in the union,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “Young workers are the future of the labor movement and we will continue to invest in building their confidence and skills to carry on our legacy.”

    District 142 Organizing Director Zachary Coker conceived the idea for the Young Workers Summit last year after realizing the need to get young people interested in and excited about unionism.

    “Creating space for youth is so important for securing the future of our union. These young people are hungry for knowledge, full of energy, and have so much to offer our organization,” said Coker. “Seeing their fresh faces come together, build solidarity, and leave the district ready to take the next steps in their IAM journey was so exciting. The Air Transport Territory and District 142’s commitment to creating youth structures within the IAM is another testament to why IAM Union is the most powerful airline union in the country.”

    District 142 officers and staff, including President and Directing General Chair John Coveny, Secretary-Treasurer Joe Shultz, Education Director Al Melendez, Legislative Director Sean Holland, EAP Director Paul Shultz, Safety Director Brian Szolodko, Director of Communications Todd Day, and General Chairs Ken Coley, Carrie Lessley, and Jeff James, joined Brother Coker in speaking and giving presentations to participants.

    “This is very important to not only myself but to the union movement as a whole. If we don’t start educating the people behind us to continue to grow the union, the union will disappear,” said Coveny. “We need the strength of all our members, and we especially need the strength of the youth to make this movement continue to grow the way it has over the past thirty-five years that I’ve been involved in it and the years before that. Without our youth, we wither away.”

    IAM International representatives and leadership, including Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen and Chief of Staff Edison Fraser, Women’s and Young Workers Director Julie Freitchen, and instructor Dee Colbert from the IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center, were also on hand to meet and talk to the young workers.

    Plans are in place to make the Young Workers Summit an annual event, focusing on preparing these bright and enthusiastic young Sisters and Brothers to replace senior leaders when they retire.

    “We would like to thank all of our amazing participants who demonstrated their leadership skills by taking the initiative to come to Phoenix and learn more about our union and its many opportunities for advancement and education,” said Coveny. “We also thank IAM International and the Air Transport Territory for fully supporting this endeavor and providing our participants with educational materials and the tools and resources they will need to further their union careers. We can’t wait to do this again!”

    Share and Follow:

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta and 13 Attorneys General Issue Joint Statement on Protecting Access to Gender-Affirming Care

    Source: US State of California

    Tuesday, February 4, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND – Attorney General Bonta today joined a coalition of 13 attorneys general to reaffirm their commitment to protecting access to gender-affirming care in the face of the Trump Administration’s recent Executive Order. The coalition released the following statement:  

    “As state attorneys general, we stand firmly in support of healthcare policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people. Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms. Gender-affirming care is essential, life-saving medical treatment that supports individuals in living as their authentic selves.  

    The Trump Administration’s recent Executive Order is wrong on the science and the law. Despite what the Trump Administration has suggested, there is no connection between “female genital mutilation” and gender-affirming care, and no federal law makes gender-affirming care unlawful. President Trump cannot change that by Executive Order.  

    Last week, attorneys general secured a critical win from a federal court that directed the federal government to resume funding that had been frozen by the Trump Administration. In response to the Court’s Order, the Department of Justice has sent a notice stating that “federal agencies cannot pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate any awards or obligations on the basis of the OMB memo, or on the basis of the President’s recently issued Executive Orders.” This means that federal funding to institutions that provide gender-affirming care continues to be available, irrespective of President Trump’s recent Executive Order. If the federal administration takes additional action to impede this critical funding, we will not hesitate to take further legal action. 

    State attorneys general will continue to enforce state laws that provide access to gender-affirming care, in states where such enforcement authority exists, and we will challenge any unlawful effort by the Trump Administration to restrict access to it in our jurisdictions.” 

    Joining Attorney General Bonta in issuing this statement are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island and Vermont.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Invesco Ltd: Form 8.3 – PRS REIT, The; Public dealing disclosure

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1. KEY INFORMATION  
       
    (a) Full name of discloser: Invesco Ltd.  
    (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
    The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		    
    (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
    Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 PRS REIT plc, The  
    (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:    
    (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:
    For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 04.02.2025  
    (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
    If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A  
       
    2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE  
       
    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.  
    (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)  
       
    Class of relevant security: 1p ordinary GB00BF01NH51  
      Interests Short Positions  
      Number % Number %  
    (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 71,586,793 13.03      
    (2) Cash-settled derivatives:          
    (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:          
      Total 71,586,793 13.03      
       
       
    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    		  
       
       
    (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)  
       
    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:    
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:    
       
    3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE  
       
    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    		  
    (a) Purchases and sales  
       
    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit  
    1p ordinary GB00BF01NH51 Purchase 13,563 1.08 GBP  
       
    (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions  
       
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit  
               
       
    (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)
     
    (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying
     
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
                   
       
    (ii) Exercise  
       
    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit  
               
       
    (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)  
                 
    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)  
             
       
    4. OTHER INFORMATION  
       
    (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements  
       
    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”    		  
    None  
       
    (b) Agreements, arrangements, or understandings relating to options or derivatives  
       
    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”    		  
    None  
       
    (c) Attachments  
       
    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO  
       
    Date of disclosure 05.02.2025  
    Contact name Philippa Holmes  
    Telephone number +441491417447  
       

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: GCM Grosvenor Expands Insurance Solutions Group with the Hire of Joe Metzger as Managing Director

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GCM Grosvenor (Nasdaq: GCMG), a leading global alternative asset management solutions provider, is pleased to announce that Joe Metzger has joined the firm as a Managing Director in its Insurance Solutions Group, as the firm continues to expand its capabilities to meet the insurance industry’s unique investment needs.

    Mr. Metzger brings nearly two decades of financial services and insurance industry experience, including prior roles at Guardian Life and TIAA-CREF. He has a distinguished track record at the intersection of insurance and alternative investments, including sourcing, structuring, and executing transactions between insurance carriers and alternative asset managers.

    “We are excited to welcome Joe to our team,” said Michael Sacks, Chairman and CEO of GCM Grosvenor. “His extensive experience and proven success in unlocking value for insurers will be instrumental in advancing our capabilities and providing partnership opportunities that can meet the unique needs of our insurance clients.”

    GCM Grosvenor’s Insurance Solutions Group offers customized and turnkey alternative investment solutions tailored to the unique needs of global insurance companies. The team employs a broad range of innovative strategies to deliver capital-efficient products and opportunities.

    For more information about GCM Grosvenor and its Insurance Solutions Group, please visit www.gcmgrosvenor.com/insurance-solutions.

    About GCM Grosvenor

    GCM Grosvenor (Nasdaq: GCMG) is a global alternative asset management solutions provider with approximately $80 billion in assets under management across private equity, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and absolute return investment strategies. The firm has specialized in alternatives for more than 50 years and is dedicated to delivering value for clients by leveraging its cross-asset class and flexible investment platform. GCM Grosvenor’s experienced team of approximately 550 professionals serves a global client base of institutional and individual investors. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney. For more information, visit: gcmgrosvenor.com.

    Media Contact

    Tom Johnson and Abigail Ruck
    H/Advisors Abernathy (on behalf of GCM Grosvenor)
    tom.johnson@h-advisors.global / abigail.ruck@h-advisors.global

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: E Ink to Showcase 75” E Ink Kaleido™ 3 Outdoor Large Area Color Signage at Integrated Systems Europe 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BILLERICA, Mass., Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — E Ink (8069.TWO), the originator, pioneer, and global commercial leader in ePaper technology, today announced they will be showing their largest color signage offering to date, a 75” E Ink Kaleido™ 3 Outdoor, at the Integrated Systems Europe 2025 (ISE) show in Barcelona starting February 4. Attendees of ISE can experience the 75” display at the Fira Barcelona from February 4 through February 7 in the Samsung Electronics booth (#3F500), LG Electronics booth (#3K100), the DynaScan booth (#3C700) and the Agile Display Solutions booth (#4A500).

    “As more countries look to reduce their carbon footprint and increase the sustainability of their communities, the benefits of an E Ink display, with its low power consumption and non-light pollution characteristics, can bring real change to indoor and outdoor DOOH signage,” said Dr. F.Y. Gan, President of E Ink. “Our largest E Ink Kaleido display to date offers a compelling solution to address the need for a dynamic display that also provides environmental solutions.”

    The 75” E Ink Kaleido 3 Outdoor display offers print-color ePaper designed specifically for Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising signage market, and it is suitable for outdoor use in varying temperature ranges. It offers dynamic color display capabilities, poster-like visual quality, and a low-carbon and eco-friendly display solution.

    E Ink Kaleido Outdoor 3 is based on print-color ePaper technology and utilizes an RGB color filter array on black and white electronic paper film to create a warm and colorful display, offering 4,096 colors and clear text, providing a comfortable and non-irritating color digital content viewing experience with a visual impact close to that of color printed paper signage. E Ink Kaleido 3 Outdoor’s operating temperature range is between -15°C to 65°C, which allows it to operate in extremely cold or hot areas without the need for expensive, high-energy-consuming heating or cooling devices, reducing additional power consumption.

    Many European countries are facing an energy crisis and new regulations have been put in place to limit the operating hours of digital signage. However, E Ink Kaleido 3 Outdoor uses very little power, and can even run on renewable energy from solar panels, without relying on electricity from the grid. That means it can replace energy-hungry digital signage and conform to the new restrictions. When used for outdoor information displays, E Ink Kaleido 3 Outdoor color ePaper allows for quick and easy updates of information. It’s much more functional and environmentally friendly than traditional paper posters and display boards.

    E Ink adheres to its commitment to sustainable development by leveraging its unique PESG framework to provide low-carbon display solutions, contributing to the realization of a net-zero society. According to FTSE Russell’s assessment, 99.9% of E Ink’s product sales revenue qualifies as green revenue. Additionally, Moody’s Ratings has issued a Second Party Opinion (SPO) on E Ink’s green loans, confirming their compliance with the Green Loan Principles (2023) and assigning a high sustainability score of “SQS2 Very Good,” recognizing the exceptional environmental contributions and international standards compliance of E Ink’s ePaper products.

    E Ink is dedicated to providing energy-efficient, light-pollution-free, eco-friendly, and visually beneficial products for smart cities and broader communities. Research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health highlights that ePaper, operating without self-lighting and emitting no blue light, does not harm human eyes, and provides up to three times better eye health compared to LCD displays. Furthermore, ePaper is the first display technology globally to receive certification from the International Dark-Sky Association. Compared to paper and LCD displays, ePaper offers significant energy savings and low-carbon benefits. For example, ePaper used in smart bus stop signage, powered by solar energy systems, enables 100% renewable energy usage without requiring connection to the power grid, making it an ideal solution for achieving global net-zero carbon goals.

    About E Ink
    E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TWO), based on technology from MIT’s Media Lab, provides an ideal display medium for applications spanning eReaders and eNotes, retail, home, hospital, transportation, logistics, and more, enabling customers to put displays in locations previously impossible. E Ink’s electrophoretic display products make it the worldwide leader for ePaper. Its low power displays enable customers to reach their sustainability goals, and E Ink has pledged using 100% renewable energy in 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. E Ink has been recognized for their efforts by receiving, validation from Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and is listed in both the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Indexes. Listed in Taiwan’s Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world’s largest supplier of ePaper displays. For more information please visit www.eink.com. E Ink. We Make Surfaces Smart and Green.

    Contacts
    V2 Communications on behalf of E Ink
    eink@v2comms.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83d1ff0d-018c-459d-87fe-b2295ec0050e

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Industry and Municipal Leaders Unite to Fast-Track Cleantech Adoption Across Canada

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Foresight Canada is proud to announce the formation of the Cleantech Adoption Platform Advisory Board, a key initiative aimed at accelerating the deployment of vetted sustainable technologies across Canadian municipalities and organizations. The advisory board will provide strategic guidance to Cleantech Adoption Platform, which is set to launch later this year, ensuring that Canadian innovators, and public and private sector leaders, can connect more effectively to drive measurable impact.

    Joining the advisory board are exceptional individuals from across Canada, each bringing their unique expertise in CAP’s initial focus sectors: Built Environment, Energy Generation and Storage, Water Tech, Transportation, and Waste Management. These leaders understand the complexities of integrating cleantech solutions into industrial and municipal operations, and will play a critical role in identifying and overcoming adoption barriers. Their strategic guidance will be invaluable as the platform expands to include additional sectors and end-users.

    The Cleantech Adoption Platform Advisory Board

    • Adrian Dirassar (Senior Legal Counsel)
    • Bofa Udisi (Project Manager, City of Toronto; Founder, AlphaCor Sustainability Solutions)
    • Samantha Agtarap (Program Manager, powerNEXT, Foresight Canada; Councillor, Port Moody City Council)
    • Todd Burns (CEO, Cypher Environmental)

    Bridging the Gap Between Innovators and End-Users

    Cleantech adoption faces two key challenges: innovators need buyers, and buyers need streamlined access to proven solutions. Foresight Canada recognizes the urgency of fostering these connections to ensure that high-impact cleantech innovations reach the market faster. The Cleantech Adoption Platform serves as a centralized hub designed to simplify and de-risk solution sourcing for industrial and municipal buyers.

    Buyers will gain access to a curated selection of ready-to-deploy cleantech solutions, commercial products, and completed pilots (TRL 8+). The platform provides a structured, data-backed approach to accelerating procurement and adoption.

    Key Features of the Cleantech Adoption Platform

    The platform offers a holistic experience for both public and private sector buyers, providing invaluable tools and resources to facilitate adoption, including:

    • Comprehensive technology database of products and solutions with detailed specifications
    • Case studies and success stories showcasing real-world impact
    • Technology roadmaps and business cases to support procurement decisions
    • Self-guided learning modules and peer-to-peer engagement for decision-makers
    • Validated assessments, including LCAs, test results, and other evaluation tools
    • Matchmaking tools and support to streamline connections between buyers and innovators

    A Secure, Buyer-Focused Platform

    Listing a solution is entirely free for all cleantech ventures. The platform operates within a secure, gated environment, ensuring that solution details are visible only to serious buyers—helping innovators get their solutions into the hands of those ready to make a meaningful impact.

    Scaling Canada’s Cleantech Leadership

    By bringing together a network of expert advisors and launching a dedicated platform, Foresight Canada is creating a more efficient, transparent, and scalable pathway for cleantech adoption. This initiative will help public and private sectors identify and integrate high-impact sustainable solutions, while providing innovators with a direct route to commercialization.

    With industry-driven insights and a data-backed approach, the Cleantech Adoption Platform is positioned to:

    • Strengthen Canada’s economic resilience
    • Accelerate emissions reductions
    • Solidify Canada’s leadership in global cleantech deployment.

    Market-Ready Solutions

    Multiple top cleantech solutions have joined the Cleantech Adoption Platform, including:

    Quotes

    “I’m thrilled to see the Cleantech Adoption Platform starting to gain some momentum. Speaking as the CEO and founder of an innovative cleantech company, one of the greatest hurdles to creating adoption is education of the end user that more environmentally friendly, cost-effective solutions do in fact exist, and to get these new technologies specified in procurement contracts. The Cleantech Adoption Platform will address both of these challenges, to not only support the growth of the Canadian economy through a growing cleantech sector, but also allow communities all across Canada to meet their carbon reduction and net zero goals at a much faster pace.” — Todd Burns, CEO, Cypher Environmental

    “The Cleantech Adoption Platform is a game-changer in bridging the gap between innovative climate solutions and real-world implementation. I’m excited to support this initiative in accelerating the adoption of vetted technologies that will help us hasten our journey towards net zero.” — Bofa Udisi, Project Manager, City of Toronto; Founder, AlphaCor Sustainability Solutions

    “The Cleantech Adoption Platform, guided by its Advisory Board, represents a major set of tools and resources with the potential to reshape Canada’s economic landscape. By streamlining access to vetted technologies, we’re helping industries and municipalities reduce costs, improve efficiency, and stay competitive in a low-carbon world. Connecting innovators with serious buyers will drive investment, accelerate commercialization, and strengthen Canada’s overall domestic market.” — Jeanette Jackson, CEO, Foresight Canada

    “We are grateful to the exceptional leaders joining the Cleantech Adoption Platform Advisory Board, whose expertise and insights will be instrumental in breaking down barriers to cleantech adoption. By bringing together industry and municipal experts with deep sector knowledge and real-world implementation experience, this board will help accelerate the deployment of Canada’s top climate solutions, driving meaningful impact where it matters most.” — Joseph Mosca, Senior Program Manager, Cleantech Adoption Platform

    About Foresight Canada

    ​​Foresight Canada helps the world do more with less, sustainably. As Canada’s largest cleantech innovation and adoption accelerator, they connect public and private sectors to the world’s best clean technologies, de-risking and simplifying the adoption of innovative solutions that improve productivity, profitability, and economic competitiveness, all while addressing today’s most urgent climate challenges.

    Contact:
    Heather Kingdon
    Manager, Communications
    hkingdon@foresightcac.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Manufacture the impossible: SAEKI raises $6.7M to transform large-scale manufacturing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Zurich, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With global supply chains facing mounting pressures and costs continuing to rise, manufacturing is at a critical juncture. Industries like aerospace, automotive, and construction face long lead times and high costs for large-format components, relying heavily on fragmented supply chains and labor-intensive processes. Today, manufacturing automation business SAEKI announced a $6.7M funding round to address these challenges through its innovative approach to digital manufacturing.

    The seed round was led by Lightbird with participation from Founderful, 2100VC, Danobat, and multiple high-profile business angels.

    The SAEKI team.

    Unlike traditional manufacturers who rely on manual processes, SAEKI combines large-scale additive manufacturing with precision CNC machining in a unified production system. This hybrid approach enables the company to deliver precision-engineered components in days rather than weeks, while maintaining the highest quality standards through automated inspection processes. By incorporating automated quality assurance, the company ensures every part meets stringent industry standards, enabling faster delivery times and improved cost efficiency for large-format components.

    The 3D Robot Printer in action

    SAEKI is also announcing the launch of its breakthrough instant quoting platform, enabling customers to upload designs, configure requirements, and receive immediate pricing for precision-engineered parts. By eliminating traditional quoting bottlenecks, SAEKI has reduced the procurement cycle from days to minutes.

    “There’s an exponential and widening divide between what we can design and what we can actually build,” commented Andrea Perissinotto, co-founder and CEO of SAEKI. “While engineers can now use AI to create hundreds of optimized designs, legacy manufacturing simply can’t deliver these components cost-effectively. By automating the entire process, from quoting to final inspection, to make these advanced designs manufacturable at scale. Our mission at SAEKI is to make manufacturing faster, more efficient, and more reliable. By integrating additive manufacturing with CNC machining and quality assurance, we’re giving industries the tools they need to innovate without constraints. This isn’t just about making parts; it’s about reshaping the way industries approach production. This is a defining moment for European manufacturing as we set out to build a future with fully autonomous factories”.

    SAEKI’s origins are deeply rooted in hands-on manufacturing experience. The company’s CEO Andrea Perissinotto began his journey in his uncle’s workshop, where he witnessed firsthand how traditional production relied heavily on scarce, highly skilled craftsmen with decades of experience. “We saw an opportunity to integrate advanced manufacturing technologies to overcome these limitations and scale production efficiently,” said Andrea Perissinotto. “The existing processes demand decades of experience and are incredibly hard to scale. With AI and robotics, we’re now able to abstract and automate these skills”

    SAEKI founders: (L to R) Oliver Harley, Matthias Leschok and Andrea Perissinotto.

    SAEKI was founded by Andrea Perissinotto (CEO), Oliver Harley (CTO) and Dr. Matthias Leschok (COO), during their studies at ETH Zürich. The trio identified a unique opportunity to bring industrial-scale efficiency to large-format additive manufacturing and CNC machining, making the process faster and more cost-effective.

    SAEKI’s technology-driven approach not only reduces waste and shortens lead times, but also helps reshore critical manufacturing capabilities to Europe. Moreover, by minimizing reliance on overseas suppliers, the company aligns with broader industry trends toward sustainability and supply-chain resilience.

    The opportunity for SAEKI and the entire industry is immense. In meetings, one of the largest Swiss construction groups said the country would need another 3-4 SAEKIs to meet the potential demand for their formwork products. While a global automotive manufacturer noted that using SAEKI’s 3D-printed composite tooling shaved 2 weeks off of their production schedule. The sheer speed of delivery, 1 week vs 6 weeks from traditional suppliers, presented a significant opportunity. 

     “The company’s focus on large-format manufacturing is particularly timely, as sectors like aerospace and construction face increasing demand for complex, high-performance parts”, said Thomas Meier, Partner at Lightbird. “Global supply chains are under pressure, with rising costs and delays becoming the norm. We believe that SAEKI’s ability to deliver high-quality components quickly and reliably sets a new standard for the industry.”

    The investment will accelerate SAEKI’s development of autonomous factories that integrate quoting, 3D printing, machining, and inspection into a seamless process. “We share SAEKI’s vision of European dynamism and strengthening Switzerland’s manufacturing position,” said Alex Stöckl, Partner at Founderful. “Their interdisciplinary team has shown remarkable progress, demonstrating the potential to reshape industrial production.”

    Ends

    Media images can be found here. 

    About SAEKI
    Founded at ETH Zürich, SAEKI combines cutting-edge manufacturing technologies with deep industry expertise to deliver on-demand solutions for large-scale components. By streamlining production processes and ensuring the highest quality standards, SAEKI is reshaping the manufacturing landscape and enabling industries to innovate without limits.

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Zero Hash expands stablecoin offerings with addition of Ripple USD (RLUSD)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zero Hash, the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform, today announced it has expanded its stablecoin support by integrating Ripple USD (RLUSD), a new regulated stablecoin issued by Ripple. This integration allows Zero Hash customers to access RLUSD on both the XRP Ledger and Ethereum networks.

    Zero Hash’s API and SDK infrastructure now supports over 65 digital assets, including 5 stablecoins, across multiple chains, reinforcing its position as the comprehensive solution for platforms seeking to design and build new ways to store, exchange and move value globally. RLUSD is now part of Zero Hash’s stablecoin engine, powering leading FinTechs and start ups across:

    • Payments
      • Remittances
      • Payins
      • Payouts
      • Account Funding
      • Tokenization payment rails
      • AI agent payments
    • Trading
      • Swaps
      • Onramp / offramp
      • Custody
      • Deposits and withdrawals
    • Treasury

    “The addition of RLUSD to our ecosystem demonstrates Zero Hash’s commitment to providing our customers with access to the most innovative and regulated stablecoin technologies,” said Edward Woodford, Founder and CEO at Zero Hash. “Zero Hash now offers RLUSD to all partners who can seamlessly embed through our API and SDK. Zero Hash offers the tech stack that powers use cases spanning payouts including Stripe, on-ramping including Shift4 and tokenization payment rails including Franklin Templeton.”

    RLUSD is designed to meet the growing demand for a reliable, compliant stablecoin in the digital asset space. Key features1 of RLUSD include: (i) One-to-one backing with US dollars held in reserve; (ii) issuance by a New York State-regulated trust company; (iii) Monthly reserve attestations by an independent certified public accountant; and, (iv) native issuance on both the XRP Ledger and Ethereum networks.

    1Ripple USD

    About Zero Hash

    Zero Hash is the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure provider that seamlessly connects fiat, crypto and stablecoins in one platform, enabling a better way to move and transfer value globally.

    Through its embeddable infrastructure, start-ups, enterprises and Fortune 500 companies build a diverse range of use cases: cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization, wallets and on and off-ramps.

    Zero Hash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

    Zero Hash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 US jurisdictions. Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. In Canada, Zero Hash LLC is registered as a Money Service Business with FINTRAC.

    Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered with AUSTRAC as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider, with DCE registered provider number DCE100804170-001. This registration enables Zero Hash to offer its crypto services in Australia. Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered on the New Zealand register of financial service providers, with Financial Service Provider (FSP) number FSP1004503. A FSP in New Zealand is a registration and does not mean that Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is licensed by a New Zealand regulator to provide crypto services. Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd.’s registration on the New Zealand register of financial service providers does not mean that Zero Hash Australia is subject to active regulation or oversight by a New Zealand regulator. Zero Hash Europe B.V. is registered as a Virtual Asset Services Provider (VASP) registration by the Dutch Central Bank (Relation number: R193684). Zero Hash Europe Sp. Zoo is registered as a VASP by the Tax Administration Chamber of Poland in Katowice (Registration number RDWW – 1212).

    Connect with Zero Hash

    Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Medium

    Zero Hash Contact
    Shaun O’keeffe
    (855) 744-7333
    media@zerohash.com

    Zero Hash Disclosures

    Zero Hash services and product offerings, including the availability of certain chains/networks for supported stabletoken and crypto assets, may not be available in all jurisdictions. Zero Hash accounts are not subject to FDIC or SIPC protections, or any such equivalent protections that may exist outside of the US. Zero Hash’s technical support and enablement of any asset is not an endorsement of such asset and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any crypto asset. The value of any cryptocurrency, including digital assets pegged to fiat currency, commodities, or any other asset, may go to zero. Zero Hash is not registered with the SEC or FINRA. Zero Hash does not provide any securities services and is not a custodian of securities, including security tokens, on behalf of customers.

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Isle of Wight joins government’s fast-track devolution programme 5 February 2025 Isle of Wight joins government’s fast-track devolution priority programme

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    The Isle of Wight has been included in the government’s fast-track plans for devolution.

    The Isle of Wight Council, alongside Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, and Southampton City Council, received confirmation today (Wednesday) that their joint expression of interest in the government’s devolution priority programme has been accepted.

    This acceptance marks a pivotal step towards the creation of a new mayoral strategic authority, aiming to transfer power and funding from Whitehall to the Solent and Hampshire region while enabling local councils to collaborate on strategic, region-wide issues.

    The mayoral strategic authority will not replace local councils, but rather work closely with local authorities in the region to develop and deliver their plans with most of its focus on responsibilities which are currently held by Whitehall.

    Councillor Phil Jordan, Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, said: “Currently, central government and Whitehall departments make some key strategic decisions about policy and funding for the Island and the wider area.

    “Devolution would shift more of these policy-making powers and additional funding to local authorities such as the Isle of Wight Council.

    “This change is expected to provide greater local control over vital areas such as major transport infrastructure, and health services, giving residents more power to shape the things that are important to them and ensuring robust local accountability.”

    As part of devolution proposals, a mayor would, subject to agreement and approval, be elected in the spring of 2026 to head up the new strategic combined authority. The mayor would promote the interests of the wider region to central government with the aim of driving local economic growth.

    The government is due to launch a public consultation in the spring to gather residents’ views on the plans. Any devolution deal would then undergo scrutiny and approval by Isle of Wight councillors.

    To facilitate devolution, the government has agreed to defer this year’s Isle of Wight Council elections by 12 months. However, this postponement is contingent on the necessary legislative changes being laid down and approved.

    The government has not yet confirmed arrangements in relation to town, parish, and community council elections.

    Councillor Jordan added: “Given the pressing deadlines, this decision by government is understandable and provides us with the necessary time and capacity to focus intently on this critical work.

    “By collaborating across political parties and engaging with local communities, we can ensure we secure the best possible outcomes for our residents.”

    He added: “The devolution proposal is incredibly promising, with the potential to deliver significant advantages to local residents and businesses.

    “It offers a unique opportunity to tailor decisions to local needs and priorities. This would enable us to shape our own future while potentially attracting significant funding to improve quality of life and promote business growth.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan Nationals Charged for Alleged Possession of Firearms Following IH-35 Road Rage Complaint

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WACO, Texas – Two Guatemalan nationals were arrested in Waco on criminal charges related to their alleged aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm as undocumented noncitizens.

    According to court documents, Anderson Morales-Calderon and Ever Morales-Calderon were subjected to a traffic stop on Jan. 24, by officers from the Troy Police Department (TPD) and Lorena Police Department (LPD) as response to a road rage complaint called into 911. The 911 caller alleged that an individual pointed a rifle at a semi-truck on IH-35. During the traffic stop, officers observed two air rifles and one .22 rifle in plain view in the back seat and on the back floorboard of the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that both Anderson and Ever Morales-Calderon were unlawfully present in the United States.

    The two defendants were in federal court in Austin Tuesday for their initial appearances. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are investigating the case with the assistance of the TPD and LPD.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Mass influxes of wounded patients arrive at hospitals across Sudan as “war on people” continues

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • MSF teams have responded to mass casualty events in three areas in Sudan in the last few days.
    • These deplorable attacks on people show how little respect is being given towards civilian life.
    • We are urging the warring parties to protect civilian life.

    Port Sudan – Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in three different parts of Sudan – Khartoum, North Darfur, and South Darfur states – treated mass influxes of war-wounded patients in the last few days. The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues, with little respect shown for civilian life.

    On 4 February in Nyala, South Darfur, 21 injured patients were brought to the MSF-supported Nyala Teaching hospital after airstrikes by the SAF hit a peanut oil factory, with reports of 25 people killed. On 3 February, airstrikes hit residential areas of Nyala, destroying civilian houses. The airstrikes took place in the afternoon when many people were around. Thirty-two people were reportedly killed and dozens injured, with many patients brought to the Nyala Teaching hospital.

    An MSF doctor was working in the hospital when the airstrikes took place.

    “The bombing was near the hospital. We felt the building shaking. Once I went to the emergency room the situation was horrible,” they say. “Blood was everywhere, some patients were suffering from fractures, some had limbs amputated. While I was going around the ER, I saw two children. One was four years old; the other was two years old. Their aunt told us that this child had lost three of her siblings and her mother had died, and only her older brother and father survived because they were at work.”

    Civilians have also been killed in El Fasher, North Darfur state, the scene of fierce clashes in recent months. Over the last few days MSF teams have been treating wounded civilians in Zamzam camp after escalating heavy fighting between the RSF and SAF and their Joint Forces allies resulted in scores of casualties. On 2 February, the MSF field hospital in Zamzam camp received 21 wounded patients, more than half of whom were children, who had been injured while fleeing Shagra, a village in El Fasher locality.

    MSF’s field hospital in Zamzam is for paediatric and maternal healthcare and not equipped to handle trauma injuries requiring surgery. The only remaining surgical services were a few kilometres away, yet people were unable to use the road between Zamzam and El Fasher due to the ongoing fighting and shifting frontlines.

    Patients in critical condition were trapped in Zamzam camp with no access to lifesaving care. Four patients were among the wounded who passed away, five patients were successfully referred to El Fasher on 3 February, where Saudi hospital remains somewhat functional despite relentless attacks, with a recent bombing of the facility on 24 January reportedly killing 70 people.

    Thousands of people fleeing from Shagra have arrived in Zamzam in recent days, leaving everything behind in desperate search of safety. They have told our teams of horrific violence in the area. About 60 families from Shagra also reached Tawila, where MSF runs an emergency programme providing emergency, nutritional, paediatric, and maternal healthcare. They told MSF teams that people were robbed and attacked as they fled along the road.  

    Violence has also intensified in Khartoum state since the beginning of February. On 4 February, during RSF shelling of Omdurman there were explosions within 100 metres of the MSF-supported Al Nao hospital. The Ministry of Health reported that 38 people were injured and six people were killed, including a volunteer from the Al Nao initiative, in which people volunteer to assist in running the hospital.

    This is the second time medics working at the hospital have responded to a mass influx of wounded patients in recent days. On 1 February, an RSF attack on a market on killed 54 people, according to the Ministry of Health. Since the war in Sudan started Al Nao hospital has been hit by explosions three times; in August 2023, October 2023 and June 2024.

    “The violence that the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces are inflicting on civilians right across Sudan is tragic and appalling,” says Ozan Agbas, MSF’s emergency manager. “The violence continues ruining lives, making it harder for people to access healthcare and putting healthcare workers at risk. We urge the warring parties to protect civilian life and spare them from this war on people.”

    You could also be interested in

     

    Conflict in Sudan

    MSF renews call for immediate action to prevent death and starvation in Sudan

    Press Release 3 Feb 2025

     

    Conflict in Sudan

    Sudan: MSF condemns Omdurman market attack

    Statement 1 Feb 2025

     

    Conflict in Sudan

    MSF denounces violent attacks leading to suspension of activities at key Khartoum hospital

    Press Release 10 Jan 2025

    MIL OSI NGO –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mississippi Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Federal Prison After Being Convicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

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

          JONESBORO—Robert Wilburn, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 100 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Lee P. Rudofsky.

          On March 15, 2022, deputies from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office responded to a vehicle that was stopped on the side of the road. Deputies located Wilburn asleep behind the wheel of the vehicle. While attempting to wake Wilburn, deputies noticed the smell of intoxicants and marijuana in the vehicle. After repeated attempts, deputies were finally able to wake Wilburn, whose speech was incoherent. Deputies removed Wilburn from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs. During a search of Wilburn’s vehicle, deputies located in plain view next to the center console a Glock 43, 9mm firearm that contained a loaded magazine and one round in the chamber. In the center console, deputies located a box of 9mm ammunition that matched the ammunition found inside of the firearm. Deputies also located a second magazine in the glovebox. Deputies found an open beer can in the center cup holder that was cold to the touch and a small amount of marijuana in the pocket of the driver’s side door.

          On February 9, 2023, Wilburn, 32, of Inverness, Mississippi, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On August 21, 2024, a jury found Wilburn guilty after a two-day jury trial conducted in the Jonesboro federal courthouse.

          Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Wilburn to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

          The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin O’Leary and Katie Hinojosa.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: President and CEO Dana Erickson Announces New Structure to Senior Leadership Team at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EAGAN, Minn., Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dana Erickson, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), has announced a revised structure and a new addition to her senior leadership team. The changes have two established Blue Cross senior team members, Chris Fanning and Carey Smith, taking on expanded responsibilities in their respective fields of market portfolio growth and technology. Additionally, accomplished healthcare leader David Im is joining the organization as Chief Operating Officer.

    “These changes to our senior leadership team build upon Blue Cross’ market-leading strengths while creating new opportunities to grow in ways that will further sharpen our customer focus,” said Erickson. “As an organization, Blue Cross has been a champion of providing affordable and accessible healthcare for more than 90 years. The depth of talent, experience and vision across our leaders have us in a great position to continue our journey to a century of serving Minnesota.”

    Details behind changes to the Blue Cross senior leadership team include the following:

    Chris Fanning, Chief Growth Officer

    Fanning joined Blue Cross in 2020 to lead the company’s portfolio of health plans across commercial market clients based in Minnesota, with members located in all 50 states. Now as Chief Growth Officer, Fanning will lead plans and identify opportunities for additional membership across all lines of business, including innovative health plan company Coupe Health.

    In his expanded role as Chief Growth Officer, Fanning has accountability for client and membership retention, acquisition and financial performance for both commercial and government markets within the state (including Medicare and Medicaid), as well as Minnesota-based membership within the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Plan. His extensive experience in healthcare includes sales and marketing leadership positions at major health insurers based in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Michigan.

    Carey Smith, President of Xcelerate Health

    Smith, who has been a member of the Blue Cross senior leadership team since 2022, will focus on developing and implementing technology products and services as president of a newly established business unit called Xcelerate Health. Currently in the early stages of development, Xcelerate Health will be structured and staffed to drive innovation and enhanced capabilities across the healthcare market. At the same time, Smith will continue to have strategic oversight of Blue Cross’ technology architecture and integration under the title of Chief Technology and Innovation Officer.

    For more than three decades, Smith has built and delivered modernized and proficient IT solutions that drove transformational change at numerous companies across the insurance, financial services, and manufacturing industries. He first worked for Blue Cross from 2012 to 2017 as an information technology (IT) leader.

    David Im, Chief Operating Officer

    David Im is joining Blue Cross as the newest member of Dana Erickson’s senior leadership team. Starting on February 10, Im will be responsible for operational direction and systems oversight of claims, customer service, clinical operations, vendor management, payment integrity, and provider operations.

    Im has more than two decades of strategic and operational leadership experience in healthcare. Prior to joining Blue Cross, he was with Centene Corporation in the role of Corporate Vice President of Business Operations, overseeing enrollment, eligibility, member billing, and fulfillment services for 26 million members. His career path also includes tenures at Integra ServiceConnect, Magellan Health, OptumHealth, and Boston Scientific.

    Im is a graduate of West Point and served 11 years in the U.S. Army and Minnesota National Guard in various leadership positions, attaining the rank of Major. He spent a total of 40 months on operational and training deployments overseas.

    About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
    For more than 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. Our more than 2.5 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION:                                                
    Jim McManus | 651.662.2882
    Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
    Jim.McManus@bluecrossmn.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Annual general meeting of Ringkjøbing Landbobank A/S

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nasdaq Copenhagen
    London Stock Exchange
    Euronext Dublin
    Other stakeholders

    Date        5 February 2025

    Annual general meeting of Ringkjøbing Landbobank A/S

    The bank will hold its annual general meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 5 March 2025 at the ROFI Centre, Kirkevej 26, Rindum, 6950 Ringkøbing, Denmark.

    Agenda as per the bank’s articles of association:

    1. Election of chairperson

    The board of directors proposes that Allan Østergaard Sørensen, attorney-at-law, chair the general meeting.

    2. The board’s report on the bank’s activities in the previous year

    The board of directors proposes that the board’s report on the bank’s activities in the previous year be adopted.

    3. Presentation of the annual report for approval

    The board of directors proposes that the annual report for 2024 be approved.

    Further reference is made to the published annual report for 2024.

    4. Decision on allocation of profit or covering of loss under the approved annual report

    The board of directors proposes that the distribution of profit be approved.

    Further reference is made to the published annual report for 2024.

    5. Consultative vote on the remuneration report

    The board of directors proposes that the remuneration report for 2024 be approved.

    Further reference is made to the published remuneration report for 2024.

    6. Approval of the remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year

    The shareholders’ committee and the board of directors propose that the remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year be approved.

    Further reference is made to the full proposals.

    7. Remuneration policy

    The board of directors proposes that the updated remuneration policy be approved.

    Further reference is made to the full proposals.

    8. Election of members to the shareholders’ committee

    In accordance with the decision made by the bank’s annual general meeting held on 28 February 2024, the following members of the shareholders’ committee, whose terms of office end in 2025 and 2026, are resigning: Mette Bundgaard, Per Lykkegaard Christensen, Ole Kirkegård Erlandsen, Thomas Sindberg Hansen, Tonny Hansen, Kim Jacobsen, Morten Jensen, Kasper Lykke Kjeldsen, Lotte Littau Kjærgaard, Niels Erik Burgdorf Madsen, Martin Krogh Pedersen, Poul Kjær Poulsgaard, Kristian Skannerup, Allan Østergaard Sørensen, Jørgen Kolle Sørensen, Sten Uggerhøj, Lasse Svoldgaard Vesterby and Christina Ørskov.

    In addition, Lars Møller and Yvonne Skagen must retire from the shareholders’ committee due to the age requirement in the articles of association.

    The shareholders’ committee and the board of directors propose re-election of the following members, whose terms of office end in 2025 and 2026:

    • Mette Bundgaard, police superintendent, No, born 1966
    • Per Lykkegaard Christensen, farmer, Hjallerup, born 1959
    • Ole Kirkegård Erlandsen, butcher, Snejbjerg, born 1962
    • Thomas Sindberg Hansen, grocer, Kloster, born 1978
    • Tonny Hansen, former college principal, Ringkøbing, born 1958
    • Kim Jacobsen, manager, Aalborg, born 1969
    • Morten Jensen, attorney-at-law (Supreme Court), Dronninglund, born 1961
    • Kasper Lykke Kjeldsen, timber merchant, Højbjerg, born 1981
    • Lotte Littau Kjærgaard, manager, Holstebro, born 1969
    • Niels Erik Burgdorf Madsen, manager, Ølgod, born 1959
    • Martin Krogh Pedersen, CEO, Ringkøbing, born 1967
    • Poul Kjær Poulsgaard, farmer, Madum, born 1974
    • Kristian Skannerup, manufacturer, Tim, born 1959
    • Allan Østergaard Sørensen, attorney-at-law (High Court), Ringkøbing, born 1982
    • Jørgen Kolle Sørensen, sales representative and branch manager, Hvide Sande, born 1970
    • Sten Uggerhøj, car dealer, Frederikshavn, born 1959
    • Lasse Svoldgaard Vesterby, manager, Ringkøbing, born 1978
    • Christina Ørskov, manager, Gærum, born 1969

    The shareholders’ committee and the board of directors propose the following for election:

    • Rasmus Alstrup, farmer, Videbæk, born 1985
    • Rikke Ahnfeldt Kjær, CFO, Gistrup, born 1980
    • Pia Stevnhøj Sommer, sales director, Lind, born 1979

    In recruiting and proposing candidates for the shareholders’ committee (election and re-election), the committee and board of directors have focused on ensuring a diverse committee membership in terms of business experience, professional qualifications and expertise, gender, age etc.

    9. Election of one or more auditors

    In accordance with the audit committee’s recommendation, the shareholders’ committee and the board of directors propose that PricewaterhouseCoopers, Statsautoriseret Revisionspartner-selskab be re-elected as external auditor and sustainability auditor.

    Further reference is made to the full proposals.

    10. Authorisation for the board of directors to permit the bank to acquire its own shares

    The board of directors proposes that it be granted authorisation to permit the bank to acquire its own shares, in accordance with current legislation, until the next annual general meeting, to a total nominal value of ten percent (10%) of the share capital, such that the shares can be acquired at current market price plus or minus ten percent (+/-10%) at the time of acquisition. 
    Further reference is made to the full proposals.

    11. Any proposals from the board of directors, the shareholders’ committee or shareholders

    11.a. Proposed amendments to the articles of association

    The shareholders’ committee and the board of directors propose the following amendments to the articles of association:

    Art. 2a-2b:
    It is proposed that the authorisations in articles 2a and 2b be extended to 4 March 2030.
    If the proposal is approved, the wording of articles 2a and 2b of the bank’s articles of association will be changed to the following:

    Art. 2a:
    “The general meeting has decided to authorise the board of directors to increase the share capital in one or more rounds by up to nom. DKK 5,341,347 with right of pre-emption for the bank’s existing shareholders. The capital increase shall be fully paid up in cash. The capital increase may be below the market price. This authorisation shall apply until 4 March 2030.”

    Art. 2b:
    “The general meeting has decided to authorise the board of directors to increase the share capital in one or more rounds by up to nom. DKK 2,670,673 without right of pre-emption for the bank’s existing shareholders. The capital increase may be by cash payment or contribution of an existing company or specific asset values corresponding to the value of the shares issued. The capital increase shall be fully paid up at the market price ascertained by the board of directors. This authorisation shall apply until 4 March 2030.”

    The background to the proposal is that the board of directors wants to ensure continued flexibility regarding the granting of authorisations to the board of directors.

    The proposed amendments to the articles of association are also given in the full proposals to which we refer and which are available on the bank’s website, www.landbobanken.com.

    11.b. Proposal to reduce the bank’s share capital by nom. DKK 1,315,042 by cancellation of its own shares

    The board of directors proposes a reduction in the bank’s share capital from nom. DKK 26,706,739 to nom. DKK 25,391,697 by cancellation of 1,315,042 nom. DKK 1 shares from the bank’s holding of its own shares of a nominal value of DKK 1,315,042.

    Please note that, in accordance with section 188(1) of the Danish Companies Act, the purpose of the reduction in the bank’s share capital is payment to shareholders. The amount of the reduction has been used as payment to shareholders for shares acquired by the bank under the authorisation previously granted to the board of directors by the general meeting.

    The share capital will consequently be reduced by nom. DKK 1,315,042 and the bank’s holding of its own shares will be reduced by 1,315,042 nom. DKK 1 shares. Please note that, in accordance with section 188(2) of the Danish Companies Act, the shares in question were acquired for a total sum of DKK 1,524,948,149. This means that, apart from the reduction in nominal capital, DKK 1,523,633,107 has been paid to shareholders.

    The purpose of the board of directors’ proposed reduction of the share capital is to maintain flexibility in the bank’s capital structure.

    If the proposal is adopted, the following changes will be made to articles 2, 2a, 2b and 2c of the articles of association:
    Art. 2: The amount of “26,706,739” will be changed to “25,391,697”, Art. 2a: The amount of “5,341,347” will be changed to “5,078,339”, Art. 2b: The amount of “2,670,673” will be changed to “2,539,169”, and Art. 2c: The amount of “5,341,347” will be changed to “5,078,339”.

    11.c. Proposed authorisation for the board of directors or its appointee

    The board of directors proposes that the board of directors, or its appointee, be authorised to report the decisions which have been adopted at the general meeting for registration and to make such changes to the documents submitted to the Danish Business Authority as the Authority may require or find appropriate in connection with registration of the decisions of the general meeting.

    11.d. Proposal from a shareholder

    Proposal from shareholder Poul Aksel Andersen, Hobro:

    Reason for the proposal:
    The minutes of the 2024 annual general meeting state that: “In recruiting and proposing candidates for the shareholders’ committee (election and re-election), the committee and board of directors have focused on ensuring a diverse committee membership in terms of business experience, professional qualifications and expertise, gender, age etc.”

    Despite this, it is evident from the minutes that all of the elected members of the shareholders’ committee in 2024 were in leading positions. The shareholders’ committee is therefore hardly representative of the bank’s shareholders or customers in terms of business experience, professional qualifications or expertise.

    Proposal:
    It is proposed, that Ringkjøbing Landbobank’s work of recruiting and proposing of candidates in the future should focus on making the composition of the shareholders’ committee representative of the bank’s shareholders and customers; that the bank should make the process of admitting committee members transparent for all shareholders who might be interested in joining the shareholders’ committee; and that the bank’s work should focus specifically on ensuring that at least 25% of the members of the shareholders’ committee are employees without responsibilities for managing other staff.

    The board of directors’ recommendation regarding the proposal:

    The members of the bank’s board of directors are elected by the shareholders’ committee. Six of the eight current board members elected by the shareholders’ committee came from the membership of the shareholders’ committee. The shareholders’ committee is thus a recruitment channel for the board of directors. It is relevant, therefore, that the members of the shareholders’ committee possess the right competences for onward recruitment to the board of directors. In addition, the authorities nowadays impose a number of requirements on serving members of boards of directors of financial undertakings, including in relation to their competences, and there are also requirements regarding the collective competences of the plenary board of directors.

    The board of directors, the board of directors’ nomination committee and the shareholders’ committee are already working to promote diversity in the shareholders’ committee.

    The board of directors does not consider it appropriate to tie the board of directors’ nomination committee, the board of directors and the shareholders’ committee to a specific framework in future recruitment processes for nominations of candidates to the shareholders’ committee.

    For the above reasons, the board of directors does not support the proposal.

    Validity requirements for resolutions

    The proposals under items 11.a. and 11.b. of the agenda require adoption by at least two-thirds (2/3) both of votes cast and of the share capital with voting rights represented at the general meeting. Other proposals can be adopted by simple majority vote, except item 5 on the agenda which is a consultative vote.

    Amount of share capital and the shareholders’ voting rights and date of registration – the right to attend and vote at the general meeting

    Please note that the amount of the share capital is nom. DKK 26,706,739 consisting of 26,706,739 nom. DKK 1 shares.

    As for shareholders’ voting rights, each share of nom. DKK 1 carries one (1) vote when the share is recorded in the company’s share register, or when the shareholder has reported and documented their right. However, a shareholder may cast no more than 3,000 votes.

    The right to attend and vote at the general meeting may only be exercised by shareholders who, by 11:59 p.m. on the date of registration, Wednesday, 26 February 2025, are listed as shareholders in the register of shareholders or have submitted a request to the bank, which the bank has received by that deadline, for inclusion in the register of shareholders.

    Registration for the general meeting, questions and admission cards

    Registration for the general meeting can be made

    • by contacting Euronext Securities A/S by phone +45 4358 8866 or email to CPH-investor@euronext.com or
    • by contacting one of the bank’s branches.

    In accordance with the bank’s articles of association, the deadline for registering for the general meeting is 11:59 p.m. on Friday 28 February 2025, after which admission cards for the general meeting can no longer be ordered.

    Shareholders or proxies may be accompanied by an adviser, provided the adviser’s attendance has been notified on time.

    Shareholders may ask questions in writing about the agenda items or the bank’s position in general, to be answered at the general meeting. Questions may be sent by letter to Ringkjøbing Landbobank A/S, for the attention of: General Management, Torvet 1, 6950 Ringkøbing, Denmark, or by email to regnskab@landbobanken.dk.

    Voting

    Shareholders may attend and vote in person or by proxy at the general meeting. Postal voting is also possible before the general meeting.

    Shareholders may grant proxy to the bank’s board of directors or a third party by 11:59 p.m. on Friday 28 February 2025. The proxy may be issued electronically on InvestorPortal at Euronext Securities, via the bank’s website www.landbobanken.com or in writing on a proxy form which is available from the bank’s branches.

    If a written proxy is used, it must be completed and signed, and received at the bank by the above deadline, i.e. 11:59 p.m. on Friday 28 February 2025.

    The proxy may be sent by post for the attention of: Accounts Department, Ringkjøbing Landbobank A/S, Torvet 1, 6950 Ringkøbing, Denmark, by email to regnskab@landbobanken.dk or by fax to +45 7624 4913.

    Shareholders may also send a postal vote before the general meeting.

    Postal votes may be cast electronically on InvestorPortal at Euronext Securities, via the bank’s website www.landbobanken.com or in writing on a postal vote form which is available from the bank’s branches.

    If a postal vote is cast, the ballot paper must be returned for the attention of: Accounts Department, Ringkjøbing Landbobank A/S, Torvet 1, 6950 Ringkøbing, Denmark, by email to regnskab@landbobanken.dk or by fax to +45 7624 4913.

    Electronic postal votes must be cast by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 4 March 2025, by which time a postal ballot paper must also be received by the bank.

    Exercising financial rights

    Ringkjøbing Landbobank’s shareholders can choose Ringkjøbing Landbobank A/S as the account-holding institution for the purpose of exercising the financial rights through Ringkjøbing Landbobank A/S.

    Further information

    The annual report, agenda and full proposals with the proposed amendments to the articles of association, the remuneration report, other documents under section 99(1) of the Danish Companies Act and information on the collection and processing of personal data in connection with the annual general meeting will be published on the bank’s website www.landbobanken.com and made available for inspection by shareholders on Wednesday, 5 February 2025.

    Recording and webcast

    The general meeting will be recorded and the recording will subsequently be uploaded to the bank’s website, www.landbobanken.com.

    The general meeting will also be webcast via the bank’s website, www.landbobanken.com and can be viewed by everyone. It will not be possible to ask questions or vote via the webcast.

    Personal data

    For details on the bank’s processing of personal data in respect of general meetings, please see Ringkjøbing Landbobank’s privacy policy for shareholders etc., which is available on the bank’s website, www.landbobanken.com.

    Dividend

    Any dividend is expected to be available in shareholders’ return accounts on 10 March 2025.

    Yours sincerely

    Ringkjøbing Landbobank

    On behalf of the board of directors

    Martin Krogh Pedersen
    Chair of the board of directors

    Attachment

    • Indkaldelse ordinær generalforsamling 2025 – EN endelig

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Firms which took customers’ deposits but didn’t fit their kitchens are shut down following phoenix concerns

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Insolvency Service investigations found the Manchester-based companies took upfront payments from more than 20 customers, but there is no evidence they installed the kitchens as promised

    • Customers complained they did not receive the kitchens they had paid deposits for to Smart Choice Kitchens Limited and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited  

    • A phoenix company, Connect Kitchens Limited, was suspected of being set up to continue the same operation 

    • The three companies, connected by a shared director, were shut down in court following investigations by the Insolvency Service 

    A group of linked kitchen design and fitting companies based in Manchester have been shut down after taking upfront payments from more than 20 customers for products they did not provide. 

    Smart Choice Kitchens Limited, Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited, and Connect Kitchens Limited were all wound-up at a hearing of the High Court in Manchester on Tuesday 4 February following an investigation by the Insolvency Service into their business practices which also identified a pattern of phoenixism. 

    The companies encouraged customers to make payments before the kitchens were delivered and installed. 

    They then failed to supply the kitchens and customers were left unable to obtain refunds. 

    A total of 21 customers complained to Action Fraud about the actions of Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms. Combined, the complainants had paid deposits of more than £50,000 to the two companies. 

    The victims all said that after paying a deposit, they were then falsely informed that the companies had gone into liquidation, or “went bankrupt”. 

    Insolvency Service investigators were also concerned that Connect Kitchens was acting as a successor company to Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms, putting consumers at risk of losing further sums of money due to phoenixism. 

    David Hope, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Our investigations into Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms concluded that they were taking money from customers for kitchens they never had any intention of fitting. The victims found out about the companies through Facebook or Google and were then treated in very similar ways, losing hundreds if not thousands of pounds. 

    We were concerned that Connect Kitchens was a phoenix company created to continue the same operation. Our concerns only increased when our investigations uncovered three previous companies run by the same director and her associate, all of which appeared to use the same objectionable and dishonest trading practices. 

    Phoenix companies being set up with the sole purpose of causing clear financial harm to the public will not be tolerated by the Insolvency Service. 

    Stopping these companies from trading will protect potential future victims, disrupt suspected fraudulent activity, and act as a deterrent to others considering a similar business model.

    Smart Choice Kitchens, Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms, and Connect Kitchens were all established between November 2022 and July 2023. 

    The three companies shared a director, known as Toni Amana or Toni Amana Warrington. 

    Connect Kitchens appointed a second director in October 2024 but Warrington remained the sole person with significant control over the company. 

    Warrington and a known associate of hers were directors of three other companies which operated a similar business model to Smart Choice Kitchens, Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms, and Connect Kitchens. 

    Those three companies, Your Style Kitchens Ltd, Your Style Kitchens & Bathrooms Ltd, and Designer Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited, all stopped trading and were struck-off the Companies House register in August 2023, October 2023, and January 2024. 

    Bank statements obtained by the Insolvency Service for Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms revealed that the majority of payments were made to Warrington’s associate. 

    Warrington also failed to co-operate with the Insolvency Service’s investigations. 

    No accounting records were produced for any of the three companies and both Smart Choice Kitchens and Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms did not file accounts at Companies House on time.  

    The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of Smart Choice Kitchens Limited, Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited, and Connect Kitchens Limited. 

    All enquiries concerning the affairs of the three companies should be made to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ. Email: piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk. 

    Further information 

    • Smart Choice Kitchens Limited (company number 14705893) 

    • Empire Kitchens and Bathrooms Limited (company number 14465268) 

    • Connect Kitchens Limited (company number 15023857) 

    • The Insolvency Service can investigate complaints about corporate abuse by live companies. This may include serious misconduct, fraud, scams or dishonest practice in the way the company operates. Further information on our live investigations can be found here 

    • Information on phoenix companies and the role of the Insolvency Service can be found here 

    • Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available here.

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    Published 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Community Council election period begins

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    The Notice of Election to community councils in Edinburgh has been published today (February 5).

    Community councils are groups of elected local residents who care about their communities. These councils play an important role in the democratic process and act in the interests of their local areas.

    The nomination period runs from tomorrow (6 February) until 27 February. This is when you can nominate yourself to stand for election as a community councillor.

    An election will only be held in a community council area if there are more people nominated than places on the community council. Should this be necessary the election date will be 27 March.

    The new community council term will start on 28 March and will last four years. The next community council elections are planned for 2029 though this may be subject to change.

    Find out more about community councils and how to stand for election on our website along with the full text of the Notice of Election. 

    Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said:

    Community councils remain an integral part of the social and democratic fabric of our city. In my experience as a ward councillor, I truly value my relationship with community councils and the excellent work that they do.

    From campaigning on key local issues, to organising meetings, chairing debates, liaising with local and national representatives and much more – the life of a community councillor in the Capital is never ordinary.

    This is an excellent opportunity to take a lead in your local area and make your community a better place. I’d encourage all residents to consider standing as a community councillor. Edinburgh draws its strength from its citizens, and we need their views and ideas to move forward together.

    Secretary of Edinburgh Association of Community Councils, Ken Robertson said:

    You have a community council voice in city life, by right. Don’t step to the side and stay silent.

    Published: February 5th 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Improving support for people who want to go smokefree

    Source: City of Coventry

    If you currently or have previously smoked tobacco products, we would love to hear from you!

    We want to understand how we can best support people who want to quit smoking. Your feedback will help us develop better resources and support to help residents lead healthier, smokefree lives.

    The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. All responses will remain confidential and will only be used to improve services.

    Access the survey.

    This survey is being carried out for Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council by independent researchers, Social Engine. Everyone who completes the survey can also enter our prize draw with the chance to win a £250 shopping voucher or one of five runners-up vouchers of £50. Winners will be drawn at random after the survey closes on Friday 21 February. Terms and conditions of the prize draw are here: T-Cs – Smoke Free Generation – Survey 2025.

    Thank you for sharing your experiences.

    Also, please share this with your friends and family, whether they may have successfully stopped smoking or still smoke now.

    Published: Wednesday, 5th February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Air Pollution Worsened COVID-19 Mortality, Especially in Vulnerable Communities

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, statistics emerged showing significant discrepancies in mortality by county.

    Shinsuke Tanaka, assistant professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, wanted to use his expertise in environmental and health economics to help understand what was at the root of this puzzle.

    “I wanted to understand what could explain that spatial heterogeneity of Covid’s impacts,” Tanaka says.

    Tanaka published a paper in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management showing that counties with more days of downwind pollution from power plants had higher COVID-19 mortality rates. This impact was more pronounced in under-resourced communities.

    When Tanaka began his research during the 2020 lockdown, there had been a few studies looking at the links between short-term (daily or monthly) exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 mortality. But very few had considered the impacts of long-term air pollution exposure.

    Tanaka looked at the impacts of air pollution on counties within 20 miles of fossil-fueled power plants. He determined this was an appropriate radius based on readings from EPA air pollution monitors showing that air pollutants travelled downwind about that far before dissipating.

    Then, Tanaka calculated what percentage of days in a 10-year period before the pandemic a given county in the contiguous U.S. was downwind of power plant pollution.

    “That gives me a measure of long-term exposure to pollution for each county before Covid started,” Tanaka says.

    Tanaka found that counties with an average downwind frequency of 13.5% had 28% more COVID-19 deaths within the first week of April 2020 compared to upwind counties the same distance from a plant.

    Tanaka extended his research until the third mortality peak in January 2021. He found the cumulative mortality rate was 45% higher for communities that were more frequently downwind.

    Tanaka’s findings also demonstrated that these impacts were greater in counties with higher poverty rates, lower health insurance coverage, and lower education levels.

    “That indicates that disadvantaged communities and counties faced even greater burdens of pollution from these power plants during the pandemic,” Tanaka says.

    Such underlying disparities mean people in these communities are more likely to have underlying health conditions and less access to health care when they get sick.

    Other studies on links between air pollution and health have struggled to separate air pollution from other potentially confounding variables. By focusing on downwind patterns, an essentially random natural event, Tanaka was able to isolate air pollution as a variable.

    “This method allowed me to isolate the impact of pollution exposure more effectively,” Tanaka says.

    By demonstrating a method that can successfully isolate long-term air pollution exposure from confounding variables, Tanaka’s study paves the way for more research on other health outcomes.

    “COVID-19 is, of course, a very specific mortality, and I expect to see more studies on the impact of long-term air pollution exposure on various other health outcomes.”

    Research such as Tanaka’s demonstrates that the significant public health costs of fossil fuels will remain critical to public policy discussions.

    “It will be very important to understand which power plants are having greater impacts, and what plants should be closed,” Tanaka says. “Those discussions should continue.”

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on  Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Defense Program Funds Study of Cranial Regeneration

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Biomedical engineering researchers at UConn Health believe there might be a way to use ultrasound to compel the body to regrow cranial tissue.

    Yusuf Khan, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery, and Dr. David Hersh, associate professor of neurosurgery, have been studying whether some principles of bone development in children could apply to bone healing in adults who’ve had part of their skull removed and replaced.

    A decompressive craniectomy (left) is performed to accommodate intracranial swelling by removing a large portion of the skull. When the swelling resolves, a cranioplasty (right) is performed to replace the missing bone, often with the original bone flap that had been removed during the first surgery. (Images provided by David Hersh)

    They recently were awarded a two-year grant totaling $435,000 through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program, part of the Department of Defense.

    A decompressive craniectomy, or the removal of a portion of the skull, is a potentially life-saving intervention for when a patient suffers from brain edema, or severe swelling, such as when there has been a traumatic brain injury. The procedure gives the swelling brain more space, relieving pressure and lowering the risk of herniation, which can be fatal.

    Hersh, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Connecticut Children’s who performs craniectomies on select patients with certain conditions, notes that after the follow-up cranioplasty, which is when the portion of skull that had been removed is then reattached, that piece of bone can have problems reintegrating with the remainder of the skull. In some cases, the bone gets resorbed, meaning it instead starts to shrink and get absorbed by the body.

    “You end up being left with big gaps in the bone, which can leave the underlying brain at risk,” Hersh says. “And then the patient needs even more surgeries to provide appropriate coverage, which might involve a synthetic replacement.”

    Dr. David Hersh (left), UConn School of Medicine associate professor of neurosurgery and pediatric neurosurgeon at Connecticut Children’s, speaks with Yusuf Khan, associate program director of the UConn School of Medicine’s Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Graduate Program, in Khan’s lab at UConn Health. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

    Original bone has many biological and other advantages over synthetic materials, such as metals or hard plastics, and trying to eliminate or reduce the need for synthetics is one of the tenets of regenerative engineering.

    In 2019, Hersh started collaborating with Khan, who had been studying therapeutic ultrasound and how it facilitates fracture repair. Hersh had prior experience using therapeutic ultrasound for neurosurgical applications such as for blood brain barrier opening.

    “David came to me with a very specific pediatric problem that he wanted to try to solve,” Khan says. “This grant really grew from the original pediatric application, but, through us working together over the years, we realized the potential for adults, too. And the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program is an ideal funder for a project like this because of the type of battlefield injuries that soldiers unfortunately experience.”

    The focus is on the dura, the thin layer of tissue that encloses the brain, and whether low-intensity ultrasound can provide a physical force that the cells can sense, possibly stimulating cranial bone regeneration.

    “We think that there’s something unique about those dural cells in that they respond to physical forces, just like bone cells do,” Khan says. “We’ve seen interesting responses by dural cells from young animals that are exposed to ultrasound, and we’re now going to explore whether skeletally mature cells act the same way. We plan to add stem cells to the defect site to study how they communicate with dural cells and whether this can stimulate new bone formation.”

    Hannah Anderson is a 2025 Ph.D. candidate in The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering. Yusuf Khan is her mentor. (Photo by Chris DeFrancesco)

    Khan likens it to how certain fractures actually benefit from weight-bearing during the healing process.

    Hersh says the body already provides an encouraging clue.

    “Our hypothesis is based on what people have learned about normal development –the skull grows in response to the underlying dura releasing signals that then stimulate bone formation,” Hersh says. “We think that happens as a result of the brain itself growing when we’re young and applying mechanical strain to the dura, which then signals to the bone above it. So, our aim is to recreate that natural process to facilitate bone healing in a way that’s similar to the original bone development.”

    While studying this issue may have utility for wounded warriors, its potential applications may extend far beyond that. Examples include patients undergoing a decompressive craniectomy and subsequent cranioplasty for reasons unrelated to combat, including in the setting of civilian traumatic brain injury and certain severe types of stroke.

    “This collaboration on regenerating cranial bone is so important for the future of our wounded warriors,” says Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, the founder and director of the Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering. “It is also beneficial to any mature patient with a traumatic brain injury. Congratulations to Dr. Khan and Dr. Hersh for securing funding to continue their life-altering research.”

    The UConn School of Medicine’s Dr. David Hersh (left) and Yusuf Khan are studying how ultrasound may help the body regrow skull bone, funded through a grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

    Khan is the associate program director of the UConn School of Medicine’s Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Graduate Program and a member of the Laurencin Institute.

    “This is a great example of the power of academic interdisciplinary medicine, where a talented surgeon brought a clinical problem to an engaged and creative scientist-engineer to work towards the betterment of patient care,” says Dr. Isaac Moss, chair of UConn Health’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “When I connected Drs. Hersh and Khan five years ago, it was clear that these two faculty members would form a great partnership and it’s great to see fruits from this collaboration.”

    Dr. Ketan Bulsara, chair of UConn Health’s Department of Neurosurgery, agrees.

    “The interdepartmental collaboration between Dr. Hersh from neurosurgery and Dr. Khan from orthopedic surgery is just another example of our symbiotic clinical and research excellence that has the potential to transform patient care through our tripartite mission,” Bulsara says. “I congratulate them both on receiving this prestigious grant, and congratulate Dr. Jonathan Martin also for leading our exemplary pediatric neurosurgery team at Connecticut Children’s.”

    Martin, a professor of surgery and pediatrics, directs Connecticut Children’s Division of Neurosurgery and holds its Paul M. Kanev Chair of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

    “We have been privileged to partner with the UConn Health Department of Neurosurgery through the neurosurgery residency program, which has also expanded our access to new clinical and research partners,” Martin says. “The collaboration between Connecticut Children’s and UConn Health has accelerated the ability of exceptional faculty like Dr. Hersh to pursue answers to difficult questions that will benefit patients well beyond Connecticut and Western New England.”

    The grant starts Feb. 1. While the research is in its very early stages, Khan says when the time comes, the work in the lab will be easily translatable.

    “To me, this represents the best version of a clinician-research collaboration, where there is a clinical need looking for a solution, and there is a research solution looking for the ideal clinical application,” he says. “This demonstrates the power of and the need for clinician-scientist collaborations.”

    The work was supported by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs endorsed by the Department of Defense, in the amount of $435,465.00, through the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program under Award No. HT9425-25-1-0053. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs or the Department of Defense.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hospital Payment Program and Medical Debt Relief Initiative Approved for Another Year

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Hospital Payment Program and Medical Debt Relief Initiative Approved for Another Year

    Hospital Payment Program and Medical Debt Relief Initiative Approved for Another Year
    hejones1
    Tue, 02/04/2025 – 17:05

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services received approval from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services to continue the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP) that makes hospital incentives for the state’s medical debt relief initiative possible. The first two years were approved in July 2024. This new approval supports the state’s work to relieve more than $4 billion and a decade’s worth of medical debt for nearly 2 million low-and middle-income North Carolinians and prevent accumulation of new debt going forward.

    “Carrying medical debt for too many people is like carrying a financial anvil. North Carolina’s medical debt relief initiative is giving these folks a clean credit slate,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I am pleased that CMS has approved this initiative for another year so we can continue to create a stronger health care system and healthier North Carolina for every person.”

    In its third year, for services provided to Medicaid managed care enrollees from July 2025 to June 2026, the HASP program will include nearly $6.5 billion in gross revenue if all North Carolina hospitals continue to participate in the medical debt relief initiative. Importantly, HASP dollars are not being used to implement medical debt relief for consumers. Rather, hospitals are required to relieve medical debt deemed uncollectable and adopt certain charity care policies as a condition of eligibility to receive enhanced HASP payments.

    North Carolina’s program is the first in the nation to leverage Medicaid state directed payment authority to encourage hospitals to both relieve historical medical debt and adopt forward-looking protections to prevent the accumulation of debt.

    “North Carolina’s innovative medical debt relief plan ensures people with low-income are protected from harmful debt collection practices and financial ruin,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “This program is a win-win for North Carolina so that people can receive the care they need without fear of costly medical debt while supporting financial sustainability for hospitals.”

    Last year, all 99 acute care hospitals in the state signed on to participate. In addition to mitigating medical debt, hospitals are also required to implement more robust and standardized financial assistance policies and eliminate reporting of medical debt to credit agencies.

    More than 20 million Americans had outstanding medical debt in 2021. Among those experiencing health care-related debt nationally, more than 40 percent have fully or nearly exhausted personal savings or taken on credit card debt to cover their medical debts. Other than income and job loss, medical expenses are the highest contributor to personal bankruptcy in the United States. The ultimate impact is significant harm to patients – eight in 10 people with medical debt have deferred needed medical care due to the expense.

    Research shows that medical debt relief is a highly bi-partisan issue with strong support from Democratic and Republican leaders. Polling shows 80% of people want their state and federal elected officials to pass policies to reduce health care costs. Medical debt relief is an initiative leadership can use to significantly improve the lives of their constituents.

    People who are eligible do not need to take any action to have their medical debt relieved. Hospitals are working with Undue Medical Debt to notify patients directly if they meet the eligibility requirements. For more information about HASP and North Carolina’s Medical Debt Relief Incentive Program, please see the FAQ and Toolkit for other states interested in implementing similar programs.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte recibió la aprobación de los Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (CMS, por sus siglas en inglés) para continuar el Programa de Acceso y Estabilización de la Atención Médica (HASP) que hace posible los incentivos hospitalarios para la iniciativa estatal de alivio de la deuda médica. Los dos primeros años fueron aprobados en julio de 2024. Esta nueva aprobación respalda el trabajo del estado para aliviar más de $4 mil millones y una década de deuda médica para casi 2 millones de habitantes de Carolina del Norte de bajos y medianos ingresos y evitar la acumulación de nueva deuda en el futuro.

    “Llevar deudas médicas para demasiadas personas es como llevar un yunque financiero. La iniciativa de alivio de la deuda médica de Carolina del Norte está dando a estas personas un borrón y cuenta nueva”, dijo el gobernador Josh Stein. “Me complace que los CMS hayan aprobado esta iniciativa por un año más para que podamos continuar creando un sistema de atención médica más sólido y una Carolina del Norte más saludable para cada persona”.

    En su tercer año, para los servicios prestados a los afiliados a la atención administrada de Medicaid desde julio de 2025 hasta junio de 2026, el programa HASP incluirá casi $6.5 mil millones en ingresos brutos si todos los hospitales de Carolina del Norte continúan participando en la iniciativa de alivio de la deuda médica. Es importante destacar que los dólares de HASP no se están utilizando para implementar el alivio de la deuda médica para los consumidores. Más bien, los hospitales están obligados a aliviar la deuda médica considerada incobrable y adoptar ciertas políticas de atención de caridad como condición de elegibilidad para recibir pagos HASP mejorados.

    El programa de Carolina del Norte es el primero en la nación en aprovechar la autoridad de pago dirigida por el estado de Medicaid para alentar a los hospitales a aliviar la deuda médica histórica y adoptar protecciones para evitar la acumulación de deuda.

    “El innovador plan de alivio de la deuda médica de Carolina del Norte garantiza que las personas con bajos ingresos estén protegidas de las prácticas dañinas de cobro de deudas y la ruina financiera”, dijo el secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte, Dev Sangvai. “Este programa es beneficioso para Carolina del Norte para que las personas puedan recibir la atención que necesitan sin temor a una deuda médica costosa y al mismo tiempo apoyar la sostenibilidad financiera de los hospitales”.

    El año pasado, los 99 hospitales de cuidados intensivos del estado se inscribieron para participar. Además de mitigar la deuda médica, los hospitales también deben implementar políticas de asistencia financiera más sólidas y estandarizadas y eliminar la notificación de la deuda médica a las agencias de crédito.

    Más de 20 millones de estadounidenses tenían deudas médicas pendientes en 2021. Entre las personas que experimentan deudas relacionadas con la atención médica a nivel nacional, más del 40 por ciento han agotado por completo o casi por completo sus ahorros personales o se han endeudado con tarjetas de crédito para pagar sus deudas médicas. Aparte de los ingresos y la pérdida de empleo, los gastos médicos son el mayor contribuyente a la bancarrota personal en los Estados Unidos. El impacto final es un gran daño para los pacientes: ocho de cada diez personas con deudas médicas han diferido la atención médica necesaria debido al gasto.

    La investigación muestra que el alivio de la deuda médica es un tema altamente bipartidista con un fuerte apoyo de los líderes demócratas y republicanos. Las encuestas muestran que el 80% de las personas quieren que sus funcionarios electos estatales y federales aprueben políticas para reducir los costos de atención médica. El alivio de la deuda médica es una iniciativa que el liderazgo puede utilizar para mejorar significativamente las vidas de sus constituyentes.

    Las personas que son elegibles no necesitan tomar ninguna medida para que se les alivie su deuda médica. Los hospitales están trabajando con Undue Medical Debt para notificar directamente a los pacientes si cumplen con los requisitos de elegibilidad. Para obtener más información sobre HASP y el Programa de Incentivos para el Alivio de Deudas Médicas de Carolina del Norte, consulte las Preguntas frecuentes y el Kit de herramientas para otros estados interesados en implementar programas similares.  

    Feb 5, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Rumble Announces Final Results of its Tender Offer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONGBOAT KEY, Fla, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rumble (NASDAQ:RUM) (“Rumble” or the “Company”), the video-sharing platform and cloud services provider, announced today the final results of its tender offer to purchase up to 70,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), at a purchase price of $7.50 per share, in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest, representing an aggregate purchase price of $525 million. The tender offer expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 4, 2025.

    Based on the final count by the depositary for the tender offer, 70,061,168 shares of common stock were validly and successfully tendered and not properly withdrawn.

    Pursuant to the terms of the tender offer, Rumble has accepted for purchase 70,000,000 shares of common stock on a pro-rata basis, except for tenders of odd lots, which will be accepted in full, for a total cost of $525 million, excluding fees and expenses related to the tender offer. The proration factor for the tender offer, after giving effect to the priority of the odd lots, was 0.9991284. The depositary will promptly pay for the shares accepted for purchase and will return all other shares tendered and not purchased.

    The tender offer was undertaken pursuant to the terms of the previously announced Transaction Agreement between Rumble and Tether Investments Limited, dated December 20, 2024. Of the 70,061,168 shares of common stock that were validly tendered and not properly withdrawn, 70,000,000 shares were tendered by certain existing stockholders of Rumble, including certain executive officers and directors of Rumble (or affiliates thereof), who had entered into separate tender and support agreements with the Company on December 20, 2024, pursuant to which such supporting stockholders agreed, among other things, to tender a minimum of 70,000,000 shares in the tender offer on the same terms and conditions as other stockholders of the Company, including with respect to the purchase price of $7.50 per share and the applicable proration provisions.

    Stockholders who have questions or would like additional information about the tender offer may contact the information agent for the tender offer, Georgeson LLC, at (833) 880-2584 (toll free) or by email at RumbleOffer@Georgeson.com. The dealer manager for the tender offer was Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.

    ABOUT RUMBLE

    Rumble is a high-growth video platform and cloud services provider that is creating an independent infrastructure. Rumble’s mission is to restore the internet to its roots by making it free and open once again. For more information, visit: corp.rumble.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and include, for example, statements regarding our expectations or beliefs regarding our proposed transaction with Tether. Certain of these forward-looking statements can be identified by using words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “targets,” “expects,” “endeavors,” “forecasts,” “well underway,” “could,” “will,” “may,” “future,” “likely,” “on track to deliver,” “on a trajectory,” “continues to,” “looks forward to,” “is primed to,” “plans,” “projects,” “assumes,” “should” or other similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and our actual results could differ materially from future results expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are based on our current beliefs and expectations of our management as of the date of this release. These statements are not guarantees or indicative of future performance. Important assumptions and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forward-looking statements include uncertainties as to the timing of the transactions; uncertainties as to the percentage of shares of Rumble stock tendered, and the resulting proration factor, in the offer; the possibility that various closing conditions for the transactions may not be satisfied or waived; the risk that we may be unable to derive additional benefits from the relationship with Tether, including increased advertising revenue, cloud revenue, and expansion into cryptocurrency payments; the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the transactions may result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; risks inherent with our increasing affiliation with crypto assets, including volatility; as well as regulatory and reputational risks; the risks of implementing a new treasury diversification strategy; our ability to grow and manage future growth profitably over time, maintain relationships with customers, compete within our industry and retain key employees; the possibility that we may be adversely impacted by economic, business, and/or competitive factors; our limited operating history makes it difficult to evaluate our business and prospects; our recent and rapid growth may not be indicative of future performance; we may not continue to grow or maintain our active user base, and may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability; risks relating to our ability to attract new advertisers, or the potential loss of existing advertisers or the reduction of or failure by existing advertisers to maintain or increase their advertising budgets; Rumble Cloud, our recently launched cloud services business, may not achieve success and, as a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected; negative media campaigns may adversely impact our financial performance, results of operations, and relationships with our business partners, including content creators and advertisers; spam activity, including inauthentic and fraudulent user activity, if undetected, may contribute, from time to time, to some amount of overstatement of our performance indicators; we collect, store, and process large amounts of user video content and personal information of our users and subscribers and, if our security measures are breached, our sites and applications may be perceived as not being secure, traffic and advertisers may curtail or stop viewing our content or using our services, our business and operating results could be harmed, and we could face governmental investigations and legal claims from users and subscribers; we may fail to comply with applicable privacy laws; we are subject to cybersecurity risks and interruptions or failures in our information technology systems and, notwithstanding our efforts to enhance our protection from such risks, a cyber incident could occur and result in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss; we may be found to have infringed on the intellectual property of others, which could expose us to substantial losses or restrict our operations; we may face liability for hosting a variety of tortious or unlawful materials uploaded by third parties, notwithstanding the liability protections of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996; we may face negative publicity for removing, or declining to remove, certain content, regardless of whether such content violated any law; paid endorsements by our content creators may expose us to regulatory risk, liability, and compliance costs, and, as a result, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations; our traffic growth, engagement, and monetization depend upon effective operation within and compatibility with operating systems, networks, devices, web browsers and standards, including mobile operating systems, networks, and standards that we do not control; our business depends on continued and unimpeded access to our content and services on the internet and, if we or those who engage with our content experience disruptions in internet service, or if internet service providers are able to block, degrade or charge for access to our content and services, we could incur additional expenses and the loss of traffic and advertisers; we face significant market competition, and if we are unable to compete effectively with our competitors for traffic and advertising spend, our business and operating results could be harmed; we rely on data from third parties to calculate certain of our performance metrics and real or perceived inaccuracies in such metrics may harm our reputation and negatively affect our business; changes to our existing content and services could fail to attract traffic and advertisers or fail to generate revenue; we derive the majority of our revenue from advertising and the failure to attract new advertisers, the loss of existing advertisers, or the reduction of or failure by existing advertisers to maintain or increase their advertising budgets would adversely affect our business; we depend on third-party vendors, including internet service providers, advertising networks, and data centers, to provide core services; hosting and delivery costs may increase unexpectedly; we have offered and intend to continue to offer incentives, including economic incentives, to content creators to join our platform, and these arrangements may involve fixed payment obligations that are not contingent on actual revenue or performance metrics generated by the applicable content creator but rather are based on our modeled financial projections for that creator, which if not satisfied may adversely impact our financial performance, results of operations and liquidity; we may be unable to develop or maintain effective internal controls; potential diversion of management’s attention and consumption of resources as a result of acquisitions of other companies and success in integrating and otherwise achieving the benefits of recent and potential acquisitions; we may fail to maintain adequate operational and financial resources or raise additional capital or generate sufficient cash flows; changes in tax rates, changes in tax treatment of companies engaged in e-commerce, the adoption of new tax legislation, or exposure to additional tax liabilities may adversely impact our financial results; compliance obligations imposed by new privacy laws, laws regulating social media platforms and online speech in certain jurisdictions in which we operate, or industry practices may adversely affect our business; and those additional risks, uncertainties and factors described in more detail under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). We do not intend, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation, to update any of our forward-looking statements after the issuance of this release to reflect any future events or circumstances. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Rumble on Social Media Investors and others should note that we announce material financial and operational information to our investors using our investor relations website (investors.rumble.com), press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. We also intend to use certain social media accounts as a means of disclosing information about us and our services and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD: the @rumblevideo X (formerly Twitter) account (x.com/rumblevideo), the @gamingonrumble X (formerly Twitter) account (x.com/gamingonrumble), the @rumble TRUTH Social account (truthsocial.com/@rumble), the @chrispavlovski X (formerly Twitter) account (x.com/chrispavlovski), and the @chris TRUTH Social account (truthsocial.com/@chris), which Chris Pavlovski, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, also uses as a means for personal communications and observations. The information we post through these social media channels may be deemed material. Accordingly, investors should monitor these social media channels in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. The social media channels that we intend to use as a means of disclosing the information described above may be updated from time to time as listed on our investor relations website.

    For investor inquiries, please contact:

    Rumble IR

    Shannon Devine
    MZ Group, MZ North America
    203-741-8811
    rumble@mzgroup.us    

    Rumble PR
    press@rumble.com

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Phunware Mobile Hospitality Solution Deployed at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Phunware Technology for Location-Based Services and Enhanced Connectivity Providing Guests Seamless, Property-Wide Navigation

    Integrated Solutions for Data-Driven Insights and Location Based Services to Boost Efficiency, Revenue, and Guest Satisfaction

    AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Phunware, Inc. (“Phunware” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PHUN), a leader in enterprise cloud solutions for mobile applications, announced today that JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is deploying its enhanced Smart Hospitality Solution. The app will provide JW Marriott Desert Ridge guests using iOS and Android operating systems with real time navigation capabilities across 950 guest rooms and meeting space as well as the amenities including: AquaRidge WaterPark, Revive Spa, multiple restaurants, golf club and other features at this Marriott resort property.

    JW Marriott Desert Ridge chose Phunware to develop the resort property app based on experience and capabilities developing mobile solutions that enhance guest experiences across complex facilities.

    “Working with Phunware enables us to provide guests the tools to navigate and discover everything the property has to offer,” said Christa Wood, Director of Marketing at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. “Our new mobile app showcases amenities and seasonal activities throughout the year, ensuring guest enjoyment and engagement with our resort.”

    Phunware’s enhanced Smart Hospitality Solution perfectly aligns with Marriott’s requirements for mobile-first guest experiences by enabling resort guests to access features such as:

    • On-Property Navigation
      Navigate seamlessly throughout the resort with step-by-step directions. Guests can easily locate rooms, event venues, dining options, pools, and other amenities. This feature enhances the guest experience by eliminating the stress of finding their way around large properties.
    • Dining Reservations
      Explore and reserve exceptional dining options at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge, from the inventive Southwestern flavors of Tía Carmen to the Asian-inspired creations at Kembara, or the refined atmosphere of Meritage, an Urban Tavern by the golf course.
    • Cabana and Experience Bookings
      Conveniently book poolside cabanas to relax by the water and participate in resort-hosted events and activities, such as family-friendly experiences, fitness classes, or entertainment nights.
    • Spa and Golf Reservations
      Effortlessly schedule spa treatments, including massages, facials, body treatments, and salon services, through the app. Guests can also reserve tee times at the resort golf course, making it simple to plan a relaxing or active day.

    “Technology has become a cornerstone of modern hospitality and forward-looking companies are providing the seamless, personalized mobile-first experiences that guests expect,” said Stephen Chen, CEO of Phunware. “JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is a perfect example of how personalized, easy-to-use digital interfaces will help luxury hotels, resorts and other large complex facilities exceed guest and other user expectations. For example, mobile hospitality solutions allow guests to check in, unlock their rooms, order room service and book activities — all from their smartphones.”

    Click here to learn more about how Phunware’s mobile experience platform unifies the guest experience in hospitality.

    About JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

    Set on 316 acres of sweeping Sonoran Desert, JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa features 950 rooms with dramatic desert and mountain views among lush grounds and gardens. The elements of fire, water, earth, and sky are woven into the resort experience, amenities, and decor. Arizona’s largest luxury resort offers Marriott’s first Revive Spa, a fitness center and movement studio, seven dining outlets, 240,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, and the exclusive Griffin Club. The AAA Four Diamond resort also boasts four acres of elaborately landscaped waterways, including five pools, a 1,600-foot Lazy River and three unique multi-story waterslides that opened in summer 2023. A destination for the active, the expansive resort offers ample opportunity to explore the outdoors and delight in 330+ days of sunshine a year, with on-site amenities such as 17 pickleball courts, three tennis courts, 36 holes of championship golf at Wildfire Golf Club, and bike rentals, along with convenient access to nearby hiking and fitness trails.

    About Phunware

    Phunware, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHUN) is an enterprise software company specializing in mobile app solutions with integrated intelligent capabilities. We provide businesses with the tools to create, implement, and manage custom mobile applications, analytics, digital advertising, and location-based services. Phunware is transforming mobile engagement by delivering scalable, personalized, and data-driven mobile app experiences.

    Phunware’s mission is to achieve unparalleled connectivity and monetization through the widespread adoption of Phunware mobile technologies, leveraging brands, consumers, partners, digital asset holders, and market participants. Phunware is poised to expand its software products and services audience through its new Generative AI platform, utilize and monetize its patents and other intellectual property, and reintroduce its digital asset ecosystem for existing holders and new market participants.

    For more information on Phunware, please visit www.phunware.com. To better understand and leverage generative AI and Phunware’s mobile app technologies, visit ai.phunware.com.

    Safe Harbor / Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, Phunware is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the adoption and impact of emerging technologies and their use across mobile engagement platforms.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

    By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Chris Tyson, Executive Vice President
    MZ Group – MZ North America
    949-491-8235
    PHUN@mzgroup.us
    www.mzgroup.us

    Phunware Media Contact:

    Joe McGurk, Managing Director
    917-259-6895
    PHUN@mzgroup.us

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why does Mark Zuckerberg want more ‘masculine energy’ in the corporate world? The patriarchy is still in charge

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ashley Morgan, Masculinities Scholar, Cardiff Metropolitan University

    Fabrizio Canneti/Shutterstock

    Out of Mark Zuckerberg’s three-hour interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast, one comment stood out to me. The Meta CEO said that large companies needed more “masculine energy”, because the corporate world was becoming “culturally neutered”.

    “I think having a culture that celebrates the aggression a bit more has its own merits that are really positive,” he told Rogan. After the interview, numerous commentators rushed to accuse the Meta CEO of toxic masculinity, and of having a “toxic revamp”.

    Zuckerberg has previously discussed his love of martial arts and butchering his own meat – anecdotes that can be seen to promote a view of masculinity steeped in archaic rhetoric about male aggression and strength.

    Toxic masculinity is generally defined as “the constellation of socially regressive male traits that serve to foster domination, the devaluation of women, homophobia and wanton violence”. This definition was used to describe men in prison by psychiatrist Terry Kupers in 2005, but he also argued that these traits were present in the male population at large.

    Yet arguably, Zuckerberg’s comment is reflective of a certain form of patriarchy rather than simply toxic masculinity.

    In a patriarchy, men’s power over women is the norm, embedded in the cultural and economic systems that men have built and in which they thrive, and from which women are frequently excluded. Many academics, myself included, have been at pains to define toxic masculinity as distinctive from patriarchy – not all qualities associated with male power (think leadership, strength) are necessarily “toxic”.

    Indeed, research has shown that in many circles, masculinity has become more inclusive of different views of “how to be a man”. But Zuckerberg’s comments show that a specific view of masculinity as aggressive still holds power in the most influential spaces. As a result, the distinction between toxic masculinity and patriarchy becomes blurred.

    How patriarchy harms men and women

    In a patriarchy, even if only a few men are in charge, all men benefit from the unequal treatment of women, which is known as the patriarchal dividend. Even if some men are not obviously powerful, they will benefit from things like certain jobs or university courses being more male-orientated.

    Patriarchy has a long history, and as men began wars and fought for domination, ideas about differences between men and women became more pronounced. These ideas are reflected today in gender stereotypes, like the view that women are more caring and nurturing, and men are naturally violent and aggressive.

    These norms, which are perpetuated by parents and society from birth, harm men as well as women, for example by communicating to boys that they must be aggressive and cannot share their emotions. It also makes things more difficult for people of all genders who challenge norms of gender and sexuality.

    They also create a smokescreen around what men and women are “good at” in terms of the workplace. That there are more men in the tech industry doesn’t mean that men are better at technologically sophisticated work than women are. It’s simply that men have greater opportunities than women do.

    This is arguably evident in statistics that show women are vastly underrepresented in computing, maths and IT roles. By saying that companies need more “aggression” and “masculine energy”, Zuckerberg sends an even stronger message that women aren’t welcome.



    Read more:
    Mark Zuckerberg thinks workplaces need to ‘man up’ − here’s why that’s bad for all employees, no matter their gender

    Threats to patriarchy

    It is difficult to argue that Zuckerberg’s business has been “neutered”, when Meta made a net profit of US$62 billion (£50 billion) in 2024. But this is a compelling narrative to men who feel that their position at the top might be under threat.

    One of the things that men who benefit from patriarchy fear is losing power. This is reflected in recent political trends. In the US, this fear has been abated by Donald Trump winning the election, while displaying traditionally strong-man practices of misogyny, entitlement and wealth.

    This might further explain why in the UK, self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate claims he is interested in running for prime minister. In many cases, whoever is in power sets the tone for what brand of patriarchy is considered dominant.



    Read more:
    Trump represents a specific type of masculinity – and it’s dangerous for women

    Much of this is part of a backlash to the apparent gains women have made. A recent survey of young people in the UK found that 45% of male respondents aged 13 to 27 said “we have gone so far in promoting women’s equality that we are discriminating against men”.

    Indeed, Zuckerberg commented to Rogan that the world had “swung culturally” to a view that “masculinity is toxic and we have to get rid of it completely”. I would argue that it’s not about getting rid of masculinity, but about recognising that there can be more than one way of being a man.

    Patriarchy is a hegemonic system, meaning that men being in a more powerful position than women is accepted by both as “the natural order of things”. It is also bolstered by views on race and ability that hold white, rich, able-bodied men at the top. That this is socially valued in US politics today is evident in who was given pride of place at Trump’s inauguration: Zuckerberg and his fellow “broligarchs” Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

    But what figures like Zuckerberg should remember is that a rigid view of masculinity and “masculine energy” is harmful to men as well, despite the ways in which they benefit from patriarchy. It is known to lead to shutting down emotions in men and even suicide. Not to mention that hypermasculine energy can have a negative effect on workplaces, including leading to burnout and bullying.

    Zuckerberg himself took paternity leave after the birth of his first daughter. He must know that it is possible for masculinity to be composed of things other than aggression – but perhaps he needs reminding.

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

    – ref. Why does Mark Zuckerberg want more ‘masculine energy’ in the corporate world? The patriarchy is still in charge – https://theconversation.com/why-does-mark-zuckerberg-want-more-masculine-energy-in-the-corporate-world-the-patriarchy-is-still-in-charge-248600

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Clegg Construction start refurbishment work on £23m new Specialist Education School

    Source: City of Coventry

    Construction workers with Cllr Dr Kindy Sandhu and officers from Coventry City Council in front of the Woodlands development.

    The development of a new facility at the former Woodlands School will provide specially designed and much-needed additional space for pupils at Woodfield School.

    Contractor, Clegg Construction, known for their design and construction excellence, have commenced the redevelopment works.

    As part of the £23 million project Clegg will creating outdoor play facilities, such as play areas and an outdoor forest school to enhance the specialist teaching spaces to support the needs of the pupils. They will also be carrying out the internal refurbishment of the seven original buildings and provision of a new carpark.

    Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said: “Every child in the city deserves to have the best education they possibly can, and this new facility is going to offer that. The new design will provide the best possible learning experiences moving forward.”

    “It’s really exciting that Clegg will soon be making a start on the construction work at the site. It’s going to be a huge asset for the pupils once it’s all finished and I’m looking forward to seeing the development work progress”.

    Michael Sims, managing director at Clegg Construction, said: “Clegg has wide experience of delivering new and refurbished educational facilities and we are extremely proud to have been appointed to redevelop, reconfigure, and repurpose this site. The team at Clegg Construction is looking forward to starting work on this project, alongside our delivery partners.”

    The new school is due to be completed in 2026.

    To keep up to date with the latest news, sign up for our Your Coventry email newsletter or follow the Council on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

    Published: Wednesday, 5th February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “The staff shortage is here to stay”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Also, preference is given to employees of generations Y and Z by companies that focus on consumers of younger generations, for example, fashion retail, coffee shops, sports clubs, Kozhevnikova lists. “If we are talking about more serious industries (medicine, energy, transport, public administration, construction, science, education), then the main criteria for choosing candidates are professional competencies, experience and a responsible attitude to work, so these industries have a positive attitude towards generation X,” she explains.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, December and Annual 2024

    Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

    The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $98.4 billion in December, up $19.5 billion from $78.9 billion in November, revised.

    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Deficit
    Deficit: $98.4 Billion  +24.7%°
    Exports: $266.5 Billion  –2.6%°
    Imports: $364.9 Billion  +3.5%°

    Next release: Thursday, March 6, 2025

    (°) Statistical significance is not applicable or not measurable. Data adjusted for seasonality but not price changes

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, February 5, 2025

    Exports, Imports, and Balance (exhibit 1)

    December exports were $266.5 billion, $7.1 billion less than November exports. December imports were $364.9 billion, $12.4 billion more than November imports.

    The December increase in the goods and services deficit reflected an increase in the goods deficit of $18.9 billion to $123.0 billion and a decrease in the services surplus of $0.6 billion to $24.5 billion.

    For 2024, the goods and services deficit increased $133.5 billion, or 17.0 percent, from 2023. Exports increased $119.8 billion or 3.9 percent. Imports increased $253.3 billion or 6.6 percent.

    Three-Month Moving Averages (exhibit 2)

    The average goods and services deficit increased $4.7 billion to $83.8 billion for the three months ending in December.

    • Average exports decreased $1.2 billion to $268.8 billion in December.
    • Average imports increased $3.5 billion to $352.7 billion in December.

    Year-over-year, the average goods and services deficit increased $19.2 billion from the three months ending in December 2023.

    • Average exports increased $9.8 billion from December 2023.
    • Average imports increased $29.0 billion from December 2023.

    Exports (exhibits 3, 6, and 7)

    Exports of goods decreased $7.5 billion to $170.2 billion in December.

      Exports of goods on a Census basis decreased $6.7 billion.

    • Consumer goods decreased $1.8 billion.
      • Pharmaceutical preparations decreased $1.4 billion.
    • Industrial supplies and materials decreased $1.8 billion.
      • Crude oil decreased $0.9 billion.
      • Other petroleum products decreased $0.3 billion.
      • Other precious metals decreased $0.3 billion.
      • Fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides decreased $0.3 billion.
    • Capital goods decreased $1.4 billion.
      • Computers decreased $0.9 billion.
      • Civilian aircraft increased $1.4 billion.
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines decreased $0.9 billion.
      • Trucks, buses, and special purpose vehicles decreased $0.4 billion.
      • Other automotive parts and accessories decreased $0.3 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments decreased $0.8 billion.

    Exports of services increased $0.4 billion to $96.3 billion in December.

    • Travel increased $0.3 billion.
    • Financial services increased $0.1 billion.

    Imports (exhibits 4, 6, and 8)

    Imports of goods increased $11.4 billion to $293.1 billion in December.

      Imports of goods on a Census basis increased $11.3 billion.

    • Industrial supplies and materials increased $10.8 billion.
      • Finished metal shapes increased $9.2 billion.
      • Nonmonetary gold increased $1.0 billion.
    • Consumer goods increased $2.2 billion.
      • Toys, games, and sporting goods increased $0.8 billion.
      • Cell phones and other household goods increased $0.8 billion.
    • Capital goods increased $1.3 billion.
      • Computers increased $1.2 billion.
      • Computer accessories increased $0.9 billion.
      • Civilian aircraft decreased $1.1 billion.
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines decreased $2.2 billion.
      • Passenger cars decreased $1.6 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments increased $0.1 billion.

    Imports of services increased $1.0 billion to $71.8 billion in December.

    • Transport increased $0.5 billion.
    • Travel increased $0.3 billion.

    Real Goods in 2017 Dollars – Census Basis (exhibit 11)

    The real goods deficit increased $14.9 billion, or 15.4 percent, to $111.9 billion in December, compared to a 17.3 percent increase in the nominal deficit.

    • Real exports of goods decreased $5.4 billion, or 3.7 percent, to $141.9 billion, compared to a 3.8 percent decrease in nominal exports.
    • Real imports of goods increased $9.5 billion, or 3.9 percent, to $253.8 billion, compared to a 4.0 percent increase in nominal imports.

    Revisions

    In addition to revisions to source data for the November statistics, the seasonally adjusted goods data were revised for January through November so that the totals of the seasonally adjusted months equal the annual totals.

    Revisions to November exports

    • Exports of goods were revised up $0.1 billion.
    • Exports of services were revised up $0.1 billion.

    Revisions to November imports

    • Imports of goods were revised up $0.8 billion.
    • Imports of services were revised up $0.1 billion.

    Goods by Selected Countries and Areas: Monthly – Census Basis (exhibit 19)

    The December figures show surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Netherlands ($5.0), South and Central America ($3.5), United Kingdom ($2.3), Hong Kong ($0.7), Brazil ($0.4), Saudi Arabia ($0.4), Belgium ($0.3), and Australia ($0.2). Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China ($25.3), European Union ($20.4), Mexico ($15.2), Switzerland ($13.0), Vietnam ($11.4), Canada ($7.9), Germany ($7.6), Taiwan ($6.9), Ireland ($6.2), South Korea ($5.6), Japan ($5.5), India ($4.9), Italy ($4.1), Malaysia ($2.5), France ($1.1), Israel ($0.8), and Singapore ($0.4).

    • The deficit with Switzerland increased $9.1 billion to $13.0 billion in December. Exports decreased $0.7 billion to $1.2 billion and imports increased $8.4 billion to $14.2 billion.
    • The deficit with Canada increased $2.9 billion to $7.9 billion in December. Exports decreased $0.4 billion to $29.1 billion and imports increased $2.5 billion to $37.0 billion.
    • The deficit with Ireland decreased $3.1 billion to $6.2 billion in December. Exports decreased $0.1 billion to $1.2 billion and imports decreased $3.2 billion to $7.5 billion.

    Annual Summary for 2024

    Exports, Imports, and Balance (exhibit 1)

    For 2024, the goods and services deficit was $918.4 billion, up $133.5 billion from $784.9 billion in 2023. Exports were $3,191.6 billion, up $119.8 billion from 2023. Imports were $4,110.0 billion, up $253.3 billion from 2023.

    The 2024 increase in the goods and services deficit reflected an increase in the goods deficit of $148.5 billion, or 14.0 percent, to $1,211.7 billion and an increase in the services surplus of $14.9 billion, or 5.4 percent, to $293.3 billion.

    The goods and services deficit was 3.1 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product in 2024, up from 2.8 percent in 2023.

    Exports (exhibits 3, 6, and 7)

    Exports of goods increased $38.6 billion to $2,083.8 billion in 2024.

      Exports of goods on a Census basis increased $47.1 billion.

    • Capital goods increased $40.2 billion.
      • Computer accessories increased $11.3 billion.
      • Civilian aircraft engines increased $8.7 billion.
      • Computers increased $8.2 billion.
      • Semiconductors increased $8.1 billion.
    • Other goods increased $17.9 billion. (See the “Notice” for more information.)
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines decreased $10.8 billion.
      • Other automotive parts and accessories decreased $4.3 billion.
      • Passenger cars decreased $4.0 billion.
      • Trucks, buses, and special purpose vehicles decreased $3.0 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments decreased $8.5 billion.

    Exports of services increased $81.2 billion to $1,107.8 billion in 2024.

    • Travel increased $26.3 billion.
    • Other business services increased $16.0 billion.
    • Telecommunications, computer, and information services increased $11.9 billion.
    • Financial services increased $11.6 billion.

    Imports (exhibits 4, 6, and 8)

    Imports of goods increased $187.1 billion to $3,295.6 billion in 2024.

      Imports of goods on a Census basis increased $187.2 billion.

    • Capital goods increased $103.3 billion.
      • Computer accessories increased $33.5 billion.
      • Computers increased $28.3 billion.
      • Semiconductors increased $9.4 billion.
      • Other industrial machinery increased $9.0 billion.
    • Consumer goods increased $48.4 billion.
      • Pharmaceutical preparations increased $43.6 billion.
    • Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines increased $16.1 billion.
      • Passenger cars increased $10.0 billion.
      • Other automotive parts and accessories increased $4.8 billion.
    • Foods, feeds, and beverages increased $15.9 billion.
      • Meat products increased $3.5 billion.
      • Fruits, frozen juices increased $2.3 billion.
      • Bakery products increased $2.2 billion.
      • Other foods increased $2.0 billion.
      • Vegetables increased $1.7 billion.

      Net balance of payments adjustments decreased $0.2 billion.

    Imports of services increased $66.2 billion to $814.4 billion in 2024.

    • Travel increased $19.2 billion.
    • Charges for the use of intellectual property increased $12.2 billion.
    • Transport increased $11.7 billion.
    • Insurance services increased $11.5 billion.

    Real Goods in 2017 Dollars – Census Basis (exhibit 11)

    The real goods deficit increased $98.8 billion, or 9.6 percent, to $1,132.4 billion in 2024, compared to a 13.2 percent increase in the nominal deficit.

    • Real exports of goods increased $41.7 billion, or 2.5 percent, to $1,737.8 billion, compared to a 2.3 percent increase in nominal exports.
    • Real imports of goods increased $140.5 billion, or 5.1 percent, to $2,870.2 billion, compared to a 6.1 percent increase in nominal imports.

    Goods by Selected Countries and Areas – Census Basis (exhibits 14 and 14a)

    The 2024 figures show surpluses, in billions of dollars, with Netherlands ($55.5), South and Central America ($47.3), Hong Kong ($21.9), Australia ($17.9), and United Kingdom ($11.9). Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China ($295.4), European Union ($235.6), Mexico ($171.8), Vietnam ($123.5), Ireland ($86.7), Germany ($84.8), Taiwan ($73.9), Japan ($68.5), South Korea ($66.0), Canada ($63.3), India ($45.7), Thailand ($45.6), Italy ($44.0), Switzerland ($38.5), Malaysia ($24.8), Indonesia ($17.9), France ($16.4), Austria ($13.1), and Sweden ($9.8).

    • The deficit with the European Union increased $26.9 billion to $235.6 billion in 2024. Exports increased $2.6 billion to $370.2 billion and imports increased $29.4 billion to $605.8 billion.
    • The deficit with Taiwan increased $26.1 billion to $73.9 billion in 2024. Exports increased $2.4 billion to $42.3 billion and imports increased $28.5 billion to $116.3 billion.
    • The surplus with the Netherlands increased $12.7 billion to $55.5 billion in 2024. Exports increased $8.3 billion to $89.6 billion and imports decreased $4.4 billion to $34.1 billion.

    All statistics referenced are seasonally adjusted; statistics are on a balance of payments basis unless otherwise specified. Additional statistics, including not seasonally adjusted statistics and details for goods on a Census basis, are available in exhibits 1-20b of this release. For information on data sources, definitions, and revision procedures, see the explanatory notes in this release. The full release can be found at www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/index.html or www.bea.gov/data/intl-trade-investment/international-trade-goods-and-services. The full schedule is available in the Census Bureau’s Economic Briefing Room at www.census.gov/economic-indicators/ or on BEA’s website at www.bea.gov/news/schedule.

    Next release: March 6, 2025, at 8:30 a.m EST
    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, January 2025

    Notice

    Impact of Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Release of CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM)

    The CBSA introduced a new accounting system (CARM) on October 21, 2024. As a result, importers in Canada have experienced delays in filing shipment information. These delays affected the compilation of statistics on U.S. exports of goods to Canada for September through December 2024, which are derived from data compiled by Canada through the United States – Canada Data Exchange. A dollar estimate of the filing backlog is included in estimates for late receipts and, following the Census Bureau’s customary practice for late receipt estimates, is included in the export end-use category “Other goods” as well as in exports to Canada. This estimate will be replaced with the actual transactions reported by the Harmonized System classification in June 2025 with the release of “U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, Annual Revision.” Until then, please refer to the supplemental spreadsheet “CARM Exports to Canada Corrections,” which provides a breakdown of the late receipts by 1-digit end-use category. This spreadsheet will be updated as late export transactions are received to reflect reassignments from the initial “Other goods” category to the appropriate 1-digit end-use category.

    If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division, International Trade Macro Analysis Branch, on 800-549-0595, option 4, or at eid.international.trade.data@census.gov or BEA, Balance of Payments Division, at InternationalAccounts@bea.gov.

    Upcoming Changes to the Real (Chained-Dollar) Series

    Effective with the release of the February 2025 statistics on April 3, 2025, the Census Bureau will continue to use the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes to calculate the chained-dollar series (exhibits 10 and 11). The BLS will be implementing changes to the indexes with the release of the February 2025 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes on March 18, 2025. The changes to the indexes could impact the chained-dollar values. Please refer to the BLS notice for additional information on the Upcoming Change to Data Source for Import and Export Price Indexes: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Census Bureau, Economic Statistical Methods Division, International Trade Statistical Methods Branch, on 301-763-3080.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harbour Grace — Driver flees from Harbour Grace RCMP, arrested after colliding with police car

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Twenty-eight-year-old Geoffrey Parsons from Bay Roberts fled from police in Carbonear and was arrested overnight by Harbour Grace RCMP after colliding with a police car on February 4, 2025.

    Shortly after 2:00 a.m. yesterday, Harbour Grace RCMP attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in Carbonear. The driver failed to stop for police and fled towards Tilton. A spike belt was deployed but was unsuccessful as the driver doubled back and struck the police car. The suspected vehicle further fled and was located behind a nearby business in Tilton.

    Police located and arrested the driver, Geoffrey Parsons, after a search of the area. He attended court yesterday and remains in custody to appear in court again today in relation to the following charges: resisting arrest, flight from police (two counts), dangerous driving (two counts), assault with a weapon (two counts), and mischief causing damage over $5,000.

    No one was injured during this incident. The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 6, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [ALLIANCE PHARMA PLC – 04 02 2025] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 ALLIANCE PHARMA PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 04 FEBRUARY 2025
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 1p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 12,260,907 2.2682    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 12,260,907 2.2682    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    1p ORDINARY SALE 7,167 61.2111p
    1p ORDINARY PURCHASE 7,167 61.297p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 05 FEBRUARY 2025
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

    February 6, 2025
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