NewzIntel.com

Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH1B Telephone Road rail crossing to reopen next week

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    The rail crossing on State Highway 1B Telephone Road, east of Hamilton, is set to reopen to traffic next week, more than 3 years after it was closed.

    The signals and barriers at the crossing are in the final stages of KiwiRail’s testing and commissioning process. Pending final approval, the crossing is expected to open Wednesday afternoon, 30 July.  

    “This is a big milestone for the Puketaha community who have been living with the lengthy detour,” says Andrew Corkill, Director of Regional Relationships for Waikato/Bay of Plenty at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). 

    “It’s been a long process to reopen this rail crossing and we’d like to thank the community, Waikato District Council and KiwiRail who have all worked constructively with NZTA to get us to this point.”   

    Since early 2025, work has been ongoing at the crossing to address the 2 main safety concerns which led to the rail crossing being closed in April 2022.  

    The first was the height of the rail tracks above the road on either side of the crossing, which led to low vehicles hitting and dislodging sections of the rail track; the second was the short distance from the crossing to the intersection with Holland Road.  

    To mitigate these, the road height has been raised by up to 410mm for a distance of 90 metres either side of the rail crossing and escape lanes have been built on Holland Road to ensure that vehicles can clear the rail crossing while the train is approaching. 

    Siva Sivapakkiam, KiwiRail’s Acting Chief Infrastructure Officer says; “We are pleased to see the SH1B Telephone Road rail crossing open again, and safer than before with newly installed active safety protection. This is a good outcome for the community, and we thank everyone for their patience. This has not been a straightforward project, but strong collaboration with NZTA and others has led to this good result.”

    New signals and barriers have been installed at the rail crossing and additional warning signs for approaching trains have been installed on SH1B Telephone Road and at the Holland Road intersection.

    Background 

    The rail crossing on SH1B Telephone Road was previously considered one of the most dangerous in New Zealand.

    As a result of an incident in April 2022 KiwiRail and NZTA decided to immediately close the rail crossing until it could safely reopen.

    Following the closure, NZTA commissioned a detailed report on the future options for the crossing from consultants WSP. The report explored a range of options from low-cost interventions such as barrier arms, limited access to light vehicles and judder bars, to more complex options that involved significant engineering work to reconfigure the rail crossing and adjacent intersection.

    NZTA remained committed to investigating practical and affordable solutions to allow the SH1B Telephone Road rail crossing to reopen and continued to work with KiwiRail. This led to the new design which met KiwiRail requirements to allow the rail crossing to reopen.

    Another important factor in the new design meeting safety requirements is the reduction in traffic volumes, particularly the lower number of trucks, using SH1B following the completion of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Clamping down on overdue court fines

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is trialling new technology which will help clamp and seize cars of people evading paying court fines, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. 

    “If you haven’t paid your court fines, you may soon find yourself walking home or needing a lift.

    “Bailiffs are now trialling handheld devices which scan the number plates of parked cars, and determine whether the owners have overdue court fines or reparations. 

    “If they do, the car may be clamped or towed away. It’s that simple. 

    “This is first being trialled throughout streets nationwide, and will be present at some breath testing stations this weekend alongside police.  

    “We promised to find new effective ways to force people to pay their court fines. That’s exactly what we’re delivering. We know wheel clamping is already a successful enforcement tool and we want to build on that.

    “Those who have suffered emotional harm or have had their property lost or damaged by an offender’s actions should not be left out of pocket.  

    “Victims are our priority, and their needs underpin all our work to restore law and order, which we know is working.   

    “There’s been a long-standing slackness when it comes to bringing in fines and I’ve given very strong instructions to the Ministry of Justice to find ways to collect them.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal crash at Merseylea

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Fatal crash at Merseylea

    Friday, 25 July 2025 – 8:25 am.

    Sadly, a man has died following a crash at Merseylea overnight.
    Police and emergency services were called to the scene about 3am, after a cement truck crashed while travelling along Railton Road.
    Initial inquiries indicate the prime mover was travelling in a north westerly direction, approaching a slight bend, when it has veered off the road and crashed into a bank.
    Members of the public stopped and contacted emergency services.
    Medical attention was provided to the truck driver and his passenger, but sadly the passenger died at the scene.
    The driver was taken to the Launceston General Hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
    The crash is under investigation and anyone with information or relevant dash cam footage, is asked to contact police on 131 444 and quote ESCAD 21-25072025.
    Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of both men. A report will be prepared for the coroner.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, 28 Senators Call on Administration to Conduct Independent, U.S.-Led Investigation into Death of American Citizen in West Bank

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and 27 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi calling on the Administration to conduct an independent investigation into the death of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, an American citizen recently killed near the West Bank town of Sinjil. The Senators point to the repeated lack of accountability in the deaths of other American citizens killed in the West Bank since January 2022, including Shireen Abu Akleh, Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee. Given that, the Senators also ask for an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of these six other Americans.
    The Senators wrote, “We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The United States Government has failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other five American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee – killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.” 
    “Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and an inability to secure justice by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to incidents where civilians have been killed in the West Bank, including Americans,” they continued. 
    The Senators noted, “The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths.”  
    “It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank,” the Senators closed. 
    In addition to Sen. Warner, the letter was signed by Senators Van Hollen, Murray, Kaine, Durbin, Reed, Shaheen, Schatz, Merkley, Sanders, Warren, Cantwell, Welch, Smith, Baldwin, Markey, Warnock, Lujan, Ossoff, Kim, Heinrich, Duckworth, Klobuchar, Whitehouse, Hirono, Booker, Alsobrooks, Blunt Rochester, and Murphy. 
    The full text of the letter is available here and below.
    Dear Secretary Rubio and Attorney General Bondi, 
    We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The United States Government has failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other five American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee – killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.
    Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and an inability to secure justice by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to incidents where civilians have been killed in the West Bank, including Americans.
    Saifullah Kamel Musallet, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Florida, was visiting family in the West Bank when he was beaten to death by extremist Israeli settlers during a settler attack on the town of Sinjil. Reports indicate that ambulances could not reach the injured for more than two hours, with eyewitness accounts stating that settlers and Israeli forces impeded ambulance access. In April of this year, a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey, Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, was also killed in the West Bank. Amer was reportedly shot at the entrance to Turmus Ayya by Israeli security forces. Reports suggest that Amer was shot a total of 11 times and two other Americans were also shot in the incident. 
    Last year, three other U.S. citizens were killed in the West Bank, including two teenagers. Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour were both 17-year-old U.S. citizens visiting their families in the West Bank when they were shot and killed in separate incidents. In both cases they were shot in the head while they were traveling in vehicles. The third U.S. citizen killed in the West Bank last year was Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American citizen raised in Seattle who, according to reports, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier from a distance of 200 meters. 
    The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths.
    It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank.
    We respectfully ask for a response within two weeks.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to systematic review and meta-analysis of long-term air pollution exposure and dementia

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A systematic review and meta analysis published in Lancet Planetary Health looks at long-term air pollution exposure and dementia incidence.

    Dr Mark Dallas, Associate Professor in Cellular Neuroscience, University of Reading, said:

    “While air pollution joined dementia’s 14 modifiable risk factors in 2024, the specific culprits remain unclear. This new research examined existing data and identified three main culprits: tiny particles from car exhaust, nitrogen dioxide from vehicles and power plants, and black carbon from diesel engines. These findings strengthen the evidence that we can protect brain health through cleaner policies targeting diesel pollution and better city planning. However, we still need to understand exactly how these pollutants damage the brain and increase the diversity in dementia research participants. This will help us learn more about how air pollution affects different types of dementia and whether some communities face higher risks than others.”

     

    Dr Tom Russ, Reader in Old Age Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, said:

    “This high quality article summarises the evidence in this rapidly-expanding area up to October 2023. This article improves on many previous reviews but is subject to similar limitations because of the way this research is often conducted; this reflects the quality of the studies it summarises rather than any shortcomings of this specific article. The review includes articles which examine the association of exposure to air pollution for at least one year (described as ‘long-term’ exposure) with the emergence of dementia diagnosed by a doctor. It includes more studies than any previous article and because of the large number of studies included, the authors can be more accurate in their estimate of the size of the effect of dementia – for instance, their data suggest that the risk of dementia resulting from exposure to air pollution would be 9% lower in Edinburgh compared to London.

    “It is helpful to see the effects of different pollutants examined – though the authors acknowledges that these pollutants may, in fact, interact with each other in having their harmful effects. This speaks to an area this article cannot deal with – if exposure to air pollution does indeed increase the risk of someone developing dementia, what is the mechanism by which this happens? This question has not yet been addressed – in contrast to air pollution and the cardiovascular system where we have a clear mechanistic understanding of the effects of air pollution exposure on the body through experiments where people are exposed to controlled levels of air pollution. We need a similar body of research focused on the brain.

    “The authors try to examine air pollution in relation to different subtypes of dementia – an important area – but because this is often poorly recorded in medical records, they were not able to really tackle this. Most of the time, dementia is simply recorded as ‘dementia’ rather than the specific diagnosis (e.g., Alzheimer dementia, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies). A further complication is that around half of people with dementia never receive a diagnosis and so don’t appear in medical records.

    “One limitation of all the studies included in the review is that they estimate the amount of air pollution exposure based on someone’s home address. This is not the most accurate measure of air pollution exposure but I am not aware of any studies which have done this any other way, though a better approach is sorely needed.

    “Finally, since we know that many conditions which result in dementia have their origins decades before the emergence of symptoms, studies really need to look at truly long-term air pollution exposure – much longer than one year. Researching this is challenging because few long-term studies have people’s home addresses from their whole lives and measurement or modelling of air pollution levels is rare before the 1990s.

    “This article answers the question of whether air pollution exposure is associated with dementia better than previous work, but we still need better research to clarify how and why air pollution might be bad for the brain. Dementia remains a public health priority but air pollution is just one of several important risk factors and stopping smoking, controlling diabetes, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol in mid-life (amongst other things) are crucial for individuals who want to reduce their own risk of dementia, as well as minimising exposure to air pollution.”

    Dr Ian Mudway, Associate Professor of Environmental Toxicology and Visiting Professor for Environmental Health, Gresham College, Imperial College London, said:

    “This aligns very closely with previous attempts to examine the association between air pollution and dementia. I worked on this back in 2019, and at that time, given the available evidence, we concluded it was too premature to perform a meta-analysis. There were simply too many inconsistencies between studies, particularly concerning exposure assessment.

    “While I believe the evidence base has improved since then, inherent challenges remain in linking long-term air pollution changes to dementia incidence due to the decades-long prodromal period of the disease. It raises the crucial question: “How far back must we look to capture the relevant long-term exposures impacting brain health?”

    “Additionally, as the authors acknowledge, distinguishing between vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease purely from medical records remains quite difficult, despite their efforts.

    “The robust associations observed for NO2, black carbon/PM2.5 absorbance, and PM2.5 itself suggest that the effect is related to both local-scale traffic emissions and more regional particulate matter sources. Overall, this paper strongly supports the contention outlined in the Lancet Commission’s dementia reviews that air pollution is a significant and modifiable risk factor for dementia, and addressing it would substantially improve brain health.”

    Prof Roy Harrison FRS, Professor of Environmental Health, University of Birmingham, said:

    “This combined analysis of 51 previously conducted independent studies gives a clear signal that the risk of developing dementia is strongly influenced by air pollution exposure.  This finding is consistent with other research showing associations between a number of measures of brain function and air pollution, and is particularly important given the devastating impacts of dementia both upon individuals and their families, and society as a whole.  It adds to our ever-increasing knowledge of the many diverse harmful effects of air pollution upon health and strengthens the case for firm action to further improve air quality.

    Dr Samuel Cai, Lecturer in Environmental Epidemiology, University of Leicester, said:

    “The press release is accurate, although it could also be mentioned that studies included in this meta-analysis are quite heterogeneous.

    “This is a comprehensive and timely review, including latest primary studies published over the last few years. The conclusion was generally backed by the data presented.

    “Air pollution was only recently identified as a new risk factor for dementia in a Lancet-commissioned research. At the time, evidence for the harmful effects of PM2.5  on dementia seems to be more certain, but evidence  for other pollutants is less conclusive. This review has significantly strengthened the current knowledge base, reporting that PM2.5, NO2 and soot are all adversely linked to dementia development, based on some of most recent publications.

    “This is a systematic review and meta-analysis, and therefore consideration of confounders are usually not applicable in this type of articles. There are two more limitations which may worth further investigation. First, in the studies included in this review, did the effects of air pollution on dementia incidence have been adjusted for other environmental exposures such as greenspace and traffic noise? These two exposures may interact with air pollution in a complex way, and therefore may affect the risk posed by air pollution leading to dementia onset?

    “Second, it is not very clear, at which life stage that air pollution exposure is relatively more important in triggering dementia?  There is some evidence that late-life air pollution exposures seem to be more relevant to dementia incidence, as compared to mid-life or early-life. I think the current evidence pool is still weak on this question, but certainly a direction warranting more research.

    “The implications mentioned by the authors are correct. Air pollution needs to be formally recognised as a risk factor for dementia in clinical practices, and that societal-wide policy actions are needed to tackle air pollution, particularly that from traffic in UK cities and towns, to protect brain health as UK population is ageing.”

     

    Prof Barbara Maher FRS, Professor of Environmental Magnetism, Lancaster University, said:

    “This is another meticulous and large study (~30 million people over 4 continents), which reviews and analyses other painstaking studies, attesting to the damage being done to our brains by breathing in air pollution particles. While this study links outdoor PM2.5 (fine particles less than 2.5 micrometres diameter) with increased dementia incidence, this might represent just the tip of the iceberg. Air pollution contains huge numbers of ultrafine particles (

    “It’s now 9 years since our discovery of huge numbers of traffic-derived, metal-rich nanoparticles inside the frontal cortex of human brains…anywhere between 900 million and 40 billion particles in a gramme of brain tissue. Similar particles have been found directly associated with the amyloid plaques typical of Alzheimer’s disease. And the likely health impacts of exposure to such small, toxic particles don’t end with the brain. They have now been found in human blood, heart, placenta, kidney, bone joints…the body has no effective defense against the ultrafine particle cocktails we generate outdoors, especially from traffic, and indoors, for example, in heating our homes using stoves.

    “What’s more, of course, the nanoparticle ‘mix’ varies from place to place and city to city, so the full scale of the dementia/air pollution pandemic will only become more obvious when epidemiological studies take particle composition, as well as ultrafine size, into account.”

    Dr Isolde Radford, Senior Policy Manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:    
      
    “Air pollution is not just an environmental issue – it’s a serious and growing threat to our brain health. If no one were exposed to air pollution, there would be three fewer cases of dementia for every 100 people who develop it now. This rigorous review adds to mounting evidence that exposure to air pollution – from traffic fumes to wood burners – increases the risk of developing dementia.  
      
    “But poor air quality doesn’t affect all communities equally. As this analysis highlights, marginalised groups are often exposed to higher levels of pollution, yet remain underrepresented in research. Future studies must reflect the full diversity of society – because those most at risk could stand to benefit the most from action.  
     
    “What’s still unclear is exactly how air pollution affects the brain. There are several biological pathways that could explain the link, and to prevent dementia in the future, we need to deepen our understanding of these mechanisms.  
     
    “Air pollution is one of the major modifiable risk factors for dementia – but it’s not something individuals can solve alone. That’s where government leadership is vital. While the 10-Year Health Plan acknowledges the health harms of air pollution, far more needs to be done to tackle this invisible threat. Alzheimer’s Research UK is calling for a bold, cross-government approach to health prevention — one that brings together departments beyond health, including DEFRA, to take coordinated action on the drivers of dementia risk.  
     
    “The UK is still working to meet the World Health Organization’s air pollution limits by 2040 – but that timeline simply isn’t good enough. We have the evidence and the means to reach these targets by 2030. Doing so could help prevent thousands more people from developing dementia. The Government must act now to set stronger, health-based air quality targets – ones that protect our brains as well as our lungs.”

    ‘Long-term air pollution exposure and incident dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis’ by Clare B Best Rogowski et al. was published in The Lancet Planetary Health at 23:30 UK time on Thursday 24th July. 

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(25)00118-4

    Declared interests

    Dr Mark Dallas: Dr Dallas receives research funding from the Medical Research Council and Carbon Monoxide Research Trust.

    Dr Tom Russ: I don’t have any conflicts as such but am active in research in this area.

    Prof Roy Harrison: Roy Harrison is a member of the Defra Air Quality Expert Group and the DHSC Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. He has research funding from UKRI, Defra and the European Union Horizon Programme.

    Dr Samuel Cai: I do not have any conflict of interest to declare.

    Prof Barbara Maher: None to declare

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vitaly Savelyev held a meeting on the implementation of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway construction project

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Vitaly Savelyev held a meeting on the implementation of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway construction project

    July 24, 2025

    Vitaly Savelyev held a meeting on the implementation of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway construction project

    July 24, 2025

    Vitaly Savelyev held a meeting on the implementation of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway construction project

    July 24, 2025

    Meeting on the implementation of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway construction project. General Director – Chairman of the Board of JSC Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov

    July 24, 2025

    Meeting on the implementation of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway construction project. Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin

    July 24, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Vitaly Savelyev held a meeting on the implementation of the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway construction project

    The meeting participants discussed issues related to the continuation of work on the design of the route, as well as the progress of production of the high-speed train, including options for the interior design of the cars and their technical equipment, the supply of parts and components for the first series of trains.

    Key factors in making decisions regarding the selection of parts and finishing elements are related to compliance with deadlines and technical requirements for the train. Delivery of 43 high-speed electric trains is planned until 2030. Until the end of 2028, 28 trains will be operated on the route with a gradual increase in their number in accordance with the supply agreement.

    The maximum speed of the train will reach 400 km/h, and the operating speed will be up to 360 km/h.

    The new highway will reduce travel time between the cities to 2 hours 15 minutes. It is expected that the passenger flow on the route will be at least 23 million people by the end of 2030.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Volcano Watch — Ancient volcanoes are critical to our modern world, and our future

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. 

    The Ha‘akulamanu trail within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park passes through the Sulphur Banks area, where long-term degassing near Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) has altered the basalt to colorful minerals including yellow sulfur, white gypsum, and reddish-brown hematite. USGS photo by C. Sealing.

    Volcanoes act as windows into the deep Earth. They help us understand the formation of our planet and others like it in the solar system. Living on or near an active volcano can be both beneficial, due to their rich soils and tourism appeal, but they also pose hazards to the communities around them. For this reason, we need to understand what drives volcanic eruptions and monitor volcanoes to keep communities safe. 

    Long after magma has stopped rising through the crust and the last eruption at a volcano has ceased, another process takes places in volcanic systems deep underground. Fluids begin to percolate through the system—they flow through the old magma reservoirs, the dykes and sills, buried lava flows and hydrothermal systems—transporting elements and chemically altering the surrounding rocks. Unlike the geologically short and violent lives of volcanoes, the formation of mineral systems is a slow, quiet process that can take millions of years. 

    According to the Energy Act of 2020, “critical minerals” are those minerals, elements, substances, or materials designated as critical because they serve an essential function for energy technology and have a high risk of supply chain disruption. The list of critical minerals includes elements like lithium, nickel, magnesium, platinum, iridium, and rare earth elements, among others. These elements have become important for our everyday lives, and are used in everything from solar panels, batteries, vehicles, power plants, medical devices, to smartphones.

    More than half of the world’s critical mineral resources formed in ancient volcanic systems. When exploring for mineral resources, your location within the volcanic system will determine the type of ore bodies you’d expect to find. 

    For instance, deep in the volcanic system, minerals like chromium, titanium, vanadium, and platinum-group elements are found in layered intrusive rocks that were once bodies of magma that never made it to the surface.

    The most abundant source of rare earth elements are strange magmas called carbonatites that are found at the edges of ancient continents and in ancient rift systems within continents. In other volcanic systems, like submarine volcanoes, magmatic-hydrothermal systems yield minerals like copper, lead, zinc, and gold.

    The richest mineral deposits are often found in the oldest volcanic rocks. They’ve been weathered down, eroded, and buried, while fluids have moved through continuously altering the rocks themselves. You probably wouldn’t recognize them as old volcanic systems without a geology degree—and even then, it’s hard!

    As geologists, we use observations of our modern world to help us understand the formations of the past. Studying recent and active volcanic systems—where they form, how they’re shaped inside, what magmas they produce, and how they interact with the surrounding environment—allows us to better understand and explore for these ancient, mineral-bearing systems that power the modern and future world.  So, next time you visit a national park with volcanoes like Kīlauea or Yellowstone, imagine you are hiking on what could be a future ore deposit millions of years from now.

    Volcano Activity Updates

    Kīlauea has been erupting episodically within the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is WATCH.

    Episode 29 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater occurred on July 20, with approximately 13 hours of fountaining from predominantly the north vent. Summit region inflation since the end of episode 29, along with persistent tremor, suggests that another episode is possible and could start July 31 or later. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are elevated in the summit region during active eruption episodes. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.

    One earthquake was reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.1 earthquake 1 km (0 mi) S of Kealakekua at 9 km (5 mi) depth on July 21 at 9:07 p.m. HST.

    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

    Please visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Press Briefing Transcript: Julie Kozack, Director, Communications Department, July 24, 2025

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    July 24, 2025

    SPEAKER:  Ms. Julie Kozack, Director of the Communications Department, IMF

    MS. KOZACK: Good morning, and welcome to the IMF Press Briefing. It is wonderful to see all of you, both those of you here in person and colleagues online as well. I’m Julie Kozack, Director of the Communications Department at the IMF. As usual, this briefing is embargoed until 11 A.M. Eastern Time in the United States. I’ll start with a few announcements and then I’ll take your questions in person on Webex and via the Press Center.
    First, we will be releasing our flagship publication, the World Economic Outlook Update, next Tuesday, July 29th. The report will offer fresh insights into the current global economic trends and external imbalances.
    For your planning purposes, our Executive Board will be in recess from August 4th through the 15th, and we will notify you in due course on the date of our next press briefing.
    And with that, I will now open the floor for your questions. For those connecting virtually, please turn on both your camera and microphone when speaking, and the floor is opened.

    QUESTIONER: Just wanted to ask you about the tariff situation that’s unfolding at the moment, given the recent trade deals that the U.S. has struck with its key trading partners, including Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, just recently. The European Union is under negotiations that’s coming to fruition soon. It looks like the consensus is kind of around a 15 to 20% tariff rate in that range, that the US is, sort of agreeing with its partners for. And I just wanted to know if the IMF views that as an acceptable rate? Whether this would be detrimental to the global economy. I know we have the WEO coming out in a few days. Just wanted to get your take on what’s unfolding right now.

    MS. KOZACK: Let us see if there’s any other questions on this topic before I answer. If anyone online wants to come in on this topic, please let us know.
    So let me start with where we are. Since April, when we think about the global economy, we see activity indicators that reflect a complex backdrop shaped by trade tensions. We also saw that in the first quarter of the year, the data showed some front-loading of exports and imports ahead of, at that time, what was expected tariff increases. The more recent data points to trade diversion and to some unwinding of the front-loading. And at the same time, we are seeing some trade deals. Some have lowered tariffs. And at the same time, there’s also been some deals or some, not deals, but we have seen increases in tariffs, for example, on steel, aluminum, and copper. So, our team is assessing all of this information as it is coming in. And they will put together a comprehensive picture, which we will talk about in the WEO next week.

    I would also just remind that when we released our WEO in April, we talked about a period of very high uncertainty. And at that time, we had in our WEO a reference forecast, right? And that reflected the fact that we were in an uncertain environment where there were many different paths forward. For example, we had an effective tariff rate of the U.S. of about 25 percent based on April 2nd announcements. That effective tariff rate for the U.S. declined to 14 percent based on the pause of April 9th. And of course, one of the important factors for assessing the impact of the deals on the U.S. economy and the global economy will be what is the new effective tariff rate that will prevail.
    So, all of that work is ongoing, and we will have a full assessment next week in the WEO.

    QUESTIONER: So, would the 15 to 20 percent rate be higher than what we saw in the April WEO?

    MS. KOZACK: I think the way I would answer that is to simply say that we are looking at all the deals in April, and we had an effective rate around 14 percent. There, of course, has been movement since April. There have been deals. There have been some reductions in some tariff rates. There have been increases in other tariff rates. So, the team is going to have to put together that comprehensive assessment to determine what would be the new effective tariff rate that would prevail. And then, we would be in a position to compare it to what we had based on the April 2 announcement, what we had based on the April 9 pause, and then where we are today.
    And another very important factor will be what is the overall impact on uncertainty, right? We have talked about being in a very highly uncertain environment. So, of course, we will be looking at that closely as well.

    QUESTIONER: The president of Ukraine recently signed a law that regulates the anti-corruption bodies in the country. How does the IMF view this law, and how can this impact IMF Ukraine cooperation moving forward? And secondly, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Ukraine is facing a significant budget shortfall and is likely seeking a new IMF loan. What is the IMF’s assessment of the possibility of launching a new program?

    MS. KOZACK: Any other questions on Ukraine?

    QUESTIONER: I just wanted to follow up on whether, despite the moves by the Ukrainian government, can the IMF land to Ukraine?

    MS. KOZACK: Are there questions online on Ukraine? On Ukraine, let me just step back and remind kind of where we are with Ukraine.
    On June 30th, the IMF Board completed the Eighth Review of the EFF program and that enabled a disbursement of half a billion U.S. dollars. And that brought total disbursements under the program to U.S. $10.6 billion. Ukraine’s economy remains resilient. The authorities met, and this was reported as part of the Eighth Review, all of the end-March and continuous quantitative performance criteria; they met the prior action that was required for that review, and they also met two structural benchmarks.
    With respect to the specific questions, on the first question that you had, the enacted law, as we see it, neutralizes the effectiveness of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions. And from our perspective, that would be very problematic for macroeconomic stability and growth in Ukraine. Stepping back a bit, you know, the establishment and the development of independent institutions to detect and prosecute corruption cases has been central to the IMF’s engagement with Ukraine over the past 10 years. And these institutions have contributed to an improvement in governance in Ukraine over that period.
    Why is this important for Ukraine? From our perspective, Ukraine needs a robust anti-corruption architecture. And that will help level the playing field, improve the business climate, and attract private investment into Ukraine. And it’s a central piece of Ukraine’s reform agenda. So, from our perspective, safeguarding the independence of anti-corruption institutions remains a critical policy priority.
    We do take note of the government’s intention to introduce a new bill to restore the independence of the anti-corruption institutions.
    So, what I can say now is that in the coming weeks, the IMF Staff and the authorities are expected to intensify discussions about the 2026 budget and s to do an assessment of Ukraine’s financing needs, both for 2026 and over the medium term. They will be intensifying discussions to put together that comprehensive picture. That work is essential for the current program and any future potential engagement that we would have with Ukraine.

    QUESTIONER: If it finishes, what was the Staff assessment of the First Review of the agreement with Argentina and when would the Board’s definition be? And following the report on external reserves published this week, I think it was on Monday, does the IMF’s concerns continue?

    QUESTIONER: Has the Board already met to evaluate the First Review? And do you know if Argentina has requested a waiver? And how does the IMF assess the recent rate in this area, action rate and interest rates? And what are the causes of this change in monetary and exchange rate policy? Thank you.

    QUESTIONER: Yes, to add up to what was asked if there are any concerns regarding the impact of the exchange rates on inflation as well? And also, if the concerns remain regarding the weak external position for Argentina.

    QUESTIONER: President Milei has already confirmed that, for fiscal reasons, he will veto the laws recently passed by the Congress to increase pensions, extend the pension moratorium and declare an emergency disability. So, then has this intention being talked with the IMF previously or what is the IMF position on this matter?

    MS. KOZACK: On Argentina, here is what I can share today. So first, I want to mention that discussions on the First Review, which many of you have mentioned, are very advanced at this stage. And the next step in these discussions will be to reach a Staff-Level Agreement between the authorities and Staff. And we believe that that can happen very shortly. After the Staff-Level Agreement is reached, then Staff will present the documents to the Executive Board for their approval and consideration.
    What I can also add, and we have talked about that before here, is that the program has been off to a strong start. It has been underpinned by the continued implementation of tight macroeconomic policies, including a strong fiscal anchor and a tight monetary policy stance. The transition to a more flexible exchange rate regime has been smooth. Disinflation has resumed. And Argentina has reassessed international capital markets earlier than had been initially anticipated under the program.
    Given that our Staff and the authorities are very engaged in these discussions, which again are at an advanced stage, I’m not going to provide any further details now. We will give space for them to bring those discussions to a conclusion, and then we will, of course, communicate once those discussions have come to a conclusion. And again, we do think that a Staff-Level agreement could happen very, very shortly.

    QUESTIONER: Will the Board meeting be before, and start the holiday recess, or after? Because we are talking about 15 days, if not.

    MS. KOZACK: So right now, I don’t have any further details to share with you, but certainly once a Staff-Level Agreement is reached, we will be communicating, including the potential timing for formal Board discussion.

    QUESTIONER: Can you please kindly update us on the current status of the discussion between the IMF and the Republic of Senegal regarding the temporarily suspended disbursements? Especially with the Annual Meetings approaching in October in Washington, is there a realistic prospect of finalizing the matter before then? This is the first question.
    The second one, following the recent meeting between His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and Mrs. Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, could you kindly also share some insight into the key topics discussed? What were the main points of their exchange, particularly in regard to economic and financial cooperation?

    MS. KOZACK: Any other questions on Senegal Online? Does anyone want to come in on Senegal?

    QUESTIONER: I have a follow-up because investors have been expecting the Board to consider the waiver by September. Is that timeline realistic? And the government also said it shared everything in its findings for reconciliation with the IMF. Does the Fund feel it has everything it needs in order to make the decision on the waiver?

    QUESTIONER: Have you received the report done by Mazars? And, is it enough to conclude the misreporting, and can we have maybe a time for the Board? And then, when can we expect also a new program?

    MS. KOZACK: So, let me turn to these questions.
    I’ll start by saying that the IMF remains closely engaged with Senegal. And as part of this process, as was noted, First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath met with President Bassirou Faye during his visit to Washington, D.C. on July 9th. Our First Deputy Managing Director (FDMD), Gopinath, emphasized the IMF’s continued support, as Senegal works to resolve the misreporting matter. And the President reaffirmed his government’s strong commitment to transparency and reform.

    What I can also share is that an IMF Staff team will visit Dakar. The mission is tentatively planned for later in August. The purpose of the mission is going to be to discuss the steps needed to bring the misreporting case to our Executive Board. And the team will also use the opportunity to initiate discussions on the contours of a new IMF-supported program for Senegal. We are also working closely with the authorities to design the corrective actions aimed at addressing the root causes of the misreporting and, of course, to strengthen capacity development in Senegal.

    With respect to the questions on the report by Mazars, what I can share there is that we have received a preliminary debt inventory that has been prepared by Forvis Mazars. Our IMF Staff are currently reviewing that report and all the information in detail. The preliminary assessment in the report is broadly aligned with expectations, and the final validation is ongoing. And I will leave it at that on Senegal. That is what I can share for now.

    QUESTIONER: My question is on Japan. Last week, the upper house election in Japan was over, but still unclear on the composition of a new government. And what is it you are recommending? But almost all parties pledged fiscal — expansionary fiscal policies, from providing cash to reduction of consumption tax. And what is your recommendation to the new government, especially on fiscal policy, given the power of debt in Japan? And my second question is on monetary policy of Federal Reserve next week. And should the Federal Reserve cut interest rates preemptively under the circumstance of huge pressure from President Donald Trump.

    MS. KOZACK: Let us start with Japan. So maybe let me just step back a little bit to give an overview of how we assessed the Japanese economy in our April WEO.
    So, at that time, we expected growth to strengthen in Japan, and we expected inflation to converge to the Bank of Japan’s 2 percent target by 2027. Growth was projected to accelerate from 0.2 percent in 2024 to 0.6 percent this year. At the same time, and as has been the case for quite some time, Japan continues to have high levels of public debt. And because of that, our advice for Japan is for a clear fiscal consolidation plan to offset pressures from rising interest payments and also from aging-related spending. And because of this advice, we assess that Japan has limited fiscal space, again because of high public debt and these future spending needs.

    In the near term, our advice to Japan is that given this limited fiscal space, it is essential that any response to shocks, any fiscal response to shocks, is both temporary and also targeted. And by targeted, I mean targeted toward vulnerable households and firms that may be most affected by shocks. Generalized subsidies and tax cuts, in our view, should be avoided. And that is because they are not targeted to the most vulnerable, and they are not an efficient use of Japan’s limited fiscal space.

    And then, on your second question, what I can say about the U.S. economy is that the U.S. economy has proven to be resilient in the past few years. It is something that we have been talking about for quite some time. But we do see high-frequency data that indicate moderating domestic demand and low consumer and business sentiment in the U.S. In addition, and as we mentioned before, there was a strong front-loading of imports into the U.S. in the first quarter. And that, in anticipation of tariffs, and that led to an important drag on growth in the first quarter. At the same time, in the U.S., labor markets remain resilient, and the unemployment rate remains relatively low.

    With respect to inflation, we do see inflation on a path towards the Fed’s 2 percent target, but it is subject to upside risks. And that means that the Fed’s task is complex given the very highly uncertain economic environment. So the Fed will need to take into account both policies undertaken by the U.S. administration, as well as incoming data in, and of course, data on potential wage pressures as it comes to thinking about, you know, the extent of rate decisions and the timing of any rate decisions going forward.

    QUESTIONER: On Argentina, can the IMF confirm that there was a meeting on Tuesday between the Board and Staff regarding the first program review? And I know you said you wouldn’t be able to divulge much details, but I’m going to ask it anyway. When should you expect Argentina’s $2 billion disbursement?

    MS. KOZACK: So, on the first question, all I can say on this is that it’s not unusual for IMF Staff to informally brief the Executive Board on a broad range of issues. And on the timing of the disbursement, as I already indicated, we will provide more information on the timing for a formal Board meeting only once a Staff-Level Agreement has been reached. And that formal Board meeting would indicate the time when any disbursement would be made available to the Argentine authorities.

    QUESTIONER: First, let me say on behalf of my colleague from the U.S., around the world, as well as in Africa, to say thank you to Gita for everything that she has done. Our engagements with African journalists, especially. So that’s part of what I wanted to say, thank you to her. I know she’s leaving.
    And my question now goes to if you can provide updates on African nations. And I have two specific questions, one on Malawi and one on South Africa. The recent reports on Malawi said the country is facing macroeconomic challenges. I know in 2020 they received the completed HIPC program. Could you provide any updates on whether the country has reached out for any assistance regarding HIPC? Whether they qualify for another Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) program to help them? We know in the past year, they’ve experienced floods, droughts, and natural issues that have affected the economy. I was wondering if the IMF is providing any assistance to them.
    The other question is on South Africa. We see growing tension between South Africa and the U.S. So, can you talk about if there’s any economic implication? South Africa is the largest economic in. Africa is also seen as a gateway to the continent. What are the macroeconomic issues, implications for the South African Development Community region (SADC), and also for the continent as a whole?

    MS. KOZACK: With respect to Malawi, what I can say is we completed the Article IV Consultation with Malawi just yesterday, July 22nd, 2025, or two days ago. So that was the 2025 Article IV Consultation that has been completed. And of course, there will be a lot of rich discussion of the state of the Malawian economy in that report. With respect to your more specific question on HIPC, what I can say is that Malawi completed the HIPC process in 2006. And at that time, Malawi secured U.S. $3.1 billion of debt relief through the HIPC Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative or otherwise known as MDRI. Since 2006, our assessment is that public debt in Malawi has returned to unsustainable levels. Total public debt is reached 88 percent of GDP at the end of 2024. And the interest bill on public debt is estimated to approach about 7 percent of GDP, which is quite high.

    We continue to urge the authorities to take decisive steps to restore public debt sustainability. Completing an external debt Restructuring and addressing the high cost of domestic borrowing are both essential to do this. And of course, strengthening public debt management and securing concessional financing will also be critical. So again, Malawi already completed the HIPC process in 2006.

    And then, on South Africa. What I can say about South Africa, I can talk a bit about how we see the outlook for South Africa, the economic outlook. So right now, based on the April WEO, we see the current economic outlook for South Africa as subdued. We projected growth in April at 1 percent for this year and 1.3 percent for next year. Uncertainty, including related to global trade policies, is weighing on activity in South Africa. And that it’s causing firms and households to delay their investment decisions and also consumption decisions.

    And I would also refer you to the April REO, Regional Economic Outlook, for Africa, and that includes some estimates on the impact of uncertainty and financial conditions on the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
    And finally, we of course continue to assess developments in South Africa, and we’ll be providing an update in the July WEO.

    QUESTIONER: I just had two follow-up questions. One was on your comments about the Fed. As you know, the tension between the Trump administration and the Fed, particularly Chair Powell, has been increasing lately. The President is going to go tour the Fed building that’s being renovated. It is a subject of controversy. Given that the IMF has been a stalwart defender of Central Bank independence, should any of this lead to Chair Powell’s replacement or his resignation? Just wondering, what kind of signal that would send to financial markets, to other countries, what kind of precedent would that set? And secondly, regarding First Deputy Managing Director Gopinath’s departure, can you walk us through the process for choosing a replacement for her?
    Traditionally, this has been a position that the U.S. has had a very strong hand in choosing. It has typically been an American. Do you expect the U.S. Treasury Department, for example, to basically recommend a candidate to the Managing Director?

    MS. KOZACK: On your first question for quite some time, the IMF has consistently advocated for Central Bank independence. And we’ve said it’s critical to ensuring that Central Banks are able to achieve their mandated objectives, such as low and stable inflation. And as we have seen through the disinflation process that has been taking place over the last few years, the credibility of Central Banks around the world has been instrumental in anchoring inflation expectations and in bringing down inflation across, you know, across the world. And across many countries in the world. And it is also important that independence, of course, it must coexist with clear accountability to the public.
    And on the question about the process, on Gita Gopinath’s decision to return to Harvard, maybe just to step back to say that on July 21st, you know, the Managing Director announced that Gita Gopinath, our First Deputy Managing Director, would be leaving the Fund at the end of August to return to Harvard University. She will be the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics.

    And for your background, Ms. Gopinath joined the Fund in January 2019 as the first female Chief Economist of the Fund. And she was promoted to First Deputy Managing Director in January of 2022. I can add that this was a personal decision for Ms. Gopinath. She will return to her roots in academia, where she will continue to push the research frontier in international finance and macroeconomics. And she will also be training the next generation of economists.
    With respect to the selection of process and how the process works, the Managing Director selects and appoints the First Managing Director and the three Deputy Managing Directors of the Fund. The appointment is subject to approval by the Fund’s Executive Board. And in making the selection, the Managing Director consults with the Executive Board regarding the type of qualifications that, in the view of the Executive Board, a First Deputy Managing Director or a Deputy Managing Director should possess.

    QUESTIONER: My first question is regarding Sri Lanka. When can we expect the next review for the IMF-supported program? And secondly, given the uncertainties and risks that are currently opposing the economy for Sri Lanka, is there any decision or any exploration by the IMF to revisit some of the targets that have been implemented in the program that was given to Sri Lanka?

    QUESTIONER: I would like to know that now Sri Lanka has already finished four reviews, and now we are heading for the fifth one. What is the overall view of the IMF? That Sri Lanka’s performance, how we perform during these four reviews? And what are the expectations for the next review in brief? Thank you very much.

    MS. KOZACK: I have a question here that came in through the Press center on Sri Lanka. The question is what is the status of the IMF review of Sri Lanka’s program, an assessment of the macroeconomic outlook as well as the status of the review of the current mission that is visiting Sri Lanka. So, let me go ahead and take these. So, stepping back, on July 1st, the IMF’s Executive Board completed the Fourth Review under the EFF arrangement with Sri Lanka. This provided the country with U.S. $350 million to support its economic policies and reforms, and it brought total IMF financial support to U.S. $1.74 billion.

    What I can add is that Sri Lanka’s ambitious reform agenda continues to deliver commendable outcomes. Inflation remains low, revenue collection is improving and reserves, international reserves, continue to accumulate for the country. The post-crisis growth rebound to 5 percent in 2024 is quite remarkable. The revenue-to-GDP ratio improved from 8.2 percent in 2022 to 13.5 percent in 2024. The debt restructuring is nearly complete. And program performance has been generally strong overall, and the government remains committed to program objectives.

    What I can also add is that although the economic outlook remains positive for Sri Lanka, global trade policy and uncertainties do pose risks. And so, as the team moves forward to the Fifth Review, which we expect will be held in the fall, they will, of course, be looking at the overall and making an overall assessment of Sri Lanka’s economy. You know, including any implications from trade tensions or uncertainty. And of course, that will be — they will take that into account in discussions with the authorities on policies, and all of the program matters as part of the Fifth Review.

    QUESTIONER: Hi Julie. Thank you for taking my question. I have two questions, one on Syria and one on Egypt. So today there was the Saudi Syrian Investment Forum in Damascus, and it was said that in addition to the Saudi investments in support that there will be some global support on this. And the IFC was mentioned as well. So, what’s the IMF’s call on this, given that we have one of the G20 countries pledging this huge amount of investments in support? And how will the IMF contribute in this? That’s on Syria.

    And on Egypt, a few weeks ago in our press briefing here, it was mentioned that the two reviews, the Fifth and the Sixth, will be done together in the fall. Can we say that this is going to be in fall after the Annual Meeting, after the WEO report is published for the — for the region and for the global? And what, what is the main factor that we’re looking at here that would ultimately change the way it’s viewed, how Egypt’s economy is viewed in light of all the recent developments?

    MS. KOZACK: On Syria, what I can say is, and as we discussed here before, an IMF staff team did visit Syria from June 1st through 5th, and that was the first visit since 2009. The team was there to assess economic and financial conditions in Syria and to discuss with the authorities their economic policy and capacity building priorities, ultimately to support the recovery of the Syrian economy. With your specific question, what I can say there is that we have mentioned that Syria will need substantial international assistance to support the authorities’ efforts to rehabilitate the economy, meet urgent humanitarian needs, and rebuild essential institutions and infrastructure. And this not only includes concessional financial support, but it also extends to capacity development. And here, the IMF is committed to supporting Syria in its recovery efforts. The IMF Staff is working in coordination with other partners to develop a detailed roadmap for policy and capacity building priorities for some of the key economic institutions. So that’s kind of within our mandate, and that includes the Finance Ministry, the Central Bank, and the Statistics Agency.

    With respect to Egypt, what I can say on Egypt is that the IMF Staff conducted a mission to Cairo in May 2025. The mission noted continued progress under Egypt’s macroeconomic reform program, including improvements in inflation and foreign exchange reserves. However, additional time was needed to finalize key policy measures, particularly those related to reducing the state’s footprint in the economy by advancing the implementation of the state ownership policy and leveling the playing field for businesses. To allow for this continued work, the Fifth and Sixth Reviews under the EFF will be combined, and they are expected to be completed in the fall. Our team remains committed to supporting Egypt in advancing reforms to strengthen resilience and foster inclusive and private sector led growth.

    MS. KOZACK: Coming back to the Press Center, I have a question that has come in on Ghana. It says Ghana’s Finance Minister is presenting the mid-year budget today, following a first half marked by notable improvements in key economic indicators. However, concerns are rising about potential new fiscal slippages, and that could undermine gains in inflation control, currency stability, and overall recovery. Does the IMF share these concerns? And second question, what is your view on the role of monetary policy at this point, especially as the Bank of Ghana prepares to review its policy stance?

    Again, stepping back, on July 7th, the IMF’s Executive Board completed the Fourth Review of Ghana’s ECF arrangement. And after Board approval, Ghana received about U.S. $367 million, bringing total support to around U.S. $2.3 billion since May 2023.
    With respect to the budget here, I can say that the IMF has welcomed the government’s corrective actions, including a strong 2025 budget and an audit of payables to quantify and address the pre-election fiscal slippages. The authorities have recently implemented changes to their public financial management and public procurement acts, and this helps improve the overall fiscal responsibility framework in Ghana. And the authorities have also adopted a strategy to address issues in the energy sector. I can add that the mid-year budget review is fully in line with the parameters and objectives of the IMF-supported program.

    And with respect to the question on monetary policy, what I can say is that Ghana has made good progress since the beginning of the program in reducing inflation. Inflation was extremely high at the end of 2022 at 54 percent. It has now come down substantially to 14 percent at end June 2025. Going forward, it will be important for monetary policy to remain sufficiently tight, consistent with bringing inflation down to the Bank of Ghana’s target range, which is 8 percent plus or minus 2 percentage points.

    QUESTIONER: I’m going to ask about digital assets. One very specifically. There’s this controversy with El Salvador that is going around and around, but the government says they’re still buying Bitcoin, and it seems that the IMF is saying they are just moving things around between wallets. And I wanted you to address that. Also, with the passage here in the U.S. of the GENIUS Act, I guess, what does the IMF, what do they think the impacts of this sort of increasing legitimization of digital assets in the U.S. is going to be in terms of other economies, in terms of the ability to implement monetary policy? I just wonder if you have any comment on that. Thank you very much for taking the question.

    QUESTIONER: I have a question, specifically on El Salvador. How does the IMF assess the country’s continued Bitcoin accumulation in the context of the fiscal and transparency standards embedded in the Extended Fund Facility, the $1.4 billion program that was agreed last December? To what extent could this strategy complicate monitoring or risk management of this program?

    MS. KOZACK: So, on El Salvador, I’ll start with El Salvador and then Matthew, I’ll get to your question on the GENIUS Act. So again, stepping back. So, on June 27th, the IMF Executive Board completed El Salvador’s annual Article IV Consultation and concluded the First Review of the EFF that enabled El Salvador to have access to U.S. $118 million. And so far, $231 million has been disbursed under the EFF program that was approved in February.
    Program performance has been solid in El Salvador. The economy has continued to expand as macroeconomic imbalances are being addressed. The key fiscal and reserve targets were met at the time of the review with margins. And substantial progress continues with the ambitious reform agenda in the areas of governance, transparency, and financial resilience.
    And risks from Bitcoin continue to be mitigated. Regarding the questions on Bitcoin, I don’t have much new to say other than as we have stated in the past, the total amount of Bitcoin held across government-owned wallets remains unchanged, and that is consistent with El Salvador’s program commitments. The accumulation of Bitcoin by the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Fund is consistent with program conditionality. And the increases in the Bitcoin Reserve Fund relate to movements across various government-owned wallets.
    And on your second question on the GENIUS Act, let me get to this one. Let me just step back for a moment, and then I’ll kind of come directly to the GENIUS Act.

    So, first, the GENIUS Act covers stablecoins, and stablecoins are a key type of privately issued crypto asset that aims to maintain a stable value. They do bring potential benefits, including cheaper and faster cross-border payments, increased financial inclusion, and greater portfolio diversification. So those are some of the potential benefits. There are operational risks, of course, associated with stablecoins if they are not properly regulated under an appropriate policy framework.

    Now, turning to the GENIUS Act. The GENIUS Act provides a comprehensive foundation for financial innovation and deepening. And that is balanced with consideration of consumer protection and market integrity goals and a clear identification of the institutional framework for oversight.
    Now, with respect to the kind of implications of the GENIUS Act, we, of course, are continuing to very actively monitor developments of stablecoins. We are assessing the potential implications of the GENIUS Act. And for us at the IMF, what is going to be especially important are going to be the implications for the international monetary system and the potential for spillovers to other jurisdictions. So that’s work that is ongoing, and our teams are making those assessments at this time.

    QUESTIONER: Any update on UAE economy outlook for GCC region and oil economy in general?

    MS. KOZACK: What I can share on UAE and the GCC in general, and I’ll be — and, of course, next week as part of the WEO update, we will, of course, be providing an update for the GCC region.
    So, starting with the UAE. Near-term growth in the UAE has been strong, and it is expected to remain healthy at over 4 percent in 2025. That was the assessment at the time of the April WEO. What we are seeing is robust growth in the non-hydrocarbon activity, and it is boosted by tourism, construction, public expenditure, and financial services. So those are the drivers of growth. Oil production is also increasing faster than expected, given the reversal of oil production cuts. And the UAE economy has demonstrated resilience to lower oil prices and increased oil price volatility this year.

    Now, turning to the GCC, what I can say for the GCC is that despite oil production cuts, GCC growth is estimated to have rebounded to 1.4 percent in 2024. And our projection at the time of the April WEO was that it will increase further to 3.3 percent in 2025. Non-hydrocarbon output growth is expected to remain strong, supported by rapid investment, construction, and accelerated reforms to diversify the GCC economies.
    Inflation remains low in the GCC, and our policy advice is for fiscal policy to remain prudent while strengthening fiscal reform implementation. And of course, we encourage policymakers in the region to continue reforms to support economic diversification. And as I noted, we will be providing an update of this assessment as part of the WEO update.
    And with that, I’m going to bring this Press Briefing to a close. Thank you all for your participation today.

    As a reminder, this briefing is embargoed until 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time in the United States. A transcript will be made available later on our website, IMF.org. Should you have any clarifications or additional queries, please do reach out to my colleagues via media@imf.org.

    This concludes our Press Briefing. I wish everyone a wonderful day, and I look forward to seeing you all next time.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

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

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Torres FY26 Community Projects $21 Million to California’s 35th Congressional District

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    July 24, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced the inclusion of 15 Community Project Funding requests in the House Appropriations Committee funding bills for Fiscal Year 2026. The bills including these projects have all been considered at the subcommittee level, and most have passed through the full Appropriations Committee and now advance to the House floor for consideration.  If fully funded, these locally driven proposals would bring more than $21,772,000 in federal resources directly to communities across California’s 35th Congressional District.

    “As a senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am proud to advocate for strategic federal investments that reflect the real needs of our region—from clean water and safer streets to affordable housing and economic development,” said Congresswoman Torres. “Every one of these projects was developed in close partnership with our local governments, schools, and nonprofits. They will improve public safety, support small businesses, enhance critical infrastructure, and uplift the people of the Inland Empire.”

    Project Include: 

    Autism Society Inland Empire’s Law Enforcement Training Initiative – $1,031,000

    Provides training and resources for law enforcement to foster safer interactions with community members with a condition or disability that may impact communication or require additional accommodations or awareness during an interaction in several cities in the 35th District.

    Chino Basin Advanced Water Purification Demonstration Facility – $1,092,000

    First-of-its-kind water purification facility to increase water quality and long-term resilience.

    Chino Benson Emergency Power Generator Project – $1,092,000

    Backup power to ensure continued water delivery in Chino during outages.

    Chino Valley Innovation Center – $2,000,000

    Establishes a local entrepreneurship hub to support business growth and job creation.

    City of Montclair Fire Department Tractor Tiller Truck – $850,000

    Funds a high-maneuverability fire truck to enhance emergency response.

    City of Upland Campus Avenue Storm Drain Improvement – $1,092,000

    Upgrades storm drain system to prevent flooding and protect homes, schools, and businesses.

    Cypress Grove Supportive Housing – $2,000,000

    Supports the construction of permanent housing to address local homelessness in Fontana.

    Eastvale Library and Innovation Center – $3,100,000

    Expands access to information, education, and community programming.

    Los Serranos Flood Protection Project – $1,092,000

    Installs storm drain system to mitigate flood risk in Chino Hills.

    Merrill Center Crisis Stabilization Unit Rehabilitation – $1,100,000

    Rehabilitates critical behavioral health facilities to support those in crisis in Ontario.

    Monte Vista Water District Pipeline Replacement Project –$1,092,000

    Replaces aging pipeline infrastructure in Montclair to prevent leaks and improve water flow.

    Ontario-Montclair School District’s Safer Schools Initiative – $1,031,000

    Improves school safety infrastructure in collaboration with local law enforcement.

    Ontario Section 219 Recycled Water Expansion Project – $3,200,000

    Constructs 13 miles of new infrastructure to deliver recycled water to public landscapes.

    The Hub on Holt: Space for Entrepreneurship, Creation, and Innovation – $1,000,000

    Revitalizes a blighted corridor to support small businesses and community engagement in Ontario.

    Vista Verde II Affordable Housing Development – $1,000,000

    Adds affordable housing and promotes economic growth through construction jobs in Ontario.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Crash at Wingfield

    Source: New South Wales – News

    The Port River Expressway has reopened after an overnight crash.

    The single vehicle collision occurred on the Port River Expressway at Wingfield about 2.45am on Friday 25 July.

    A car hit a light pole on the median strip and ended up in a ditch.

    The driver, a 32-year-old Elizabeth North man, was extricated from the wrecked car by emergency services and taken to hospital with serious injuries.

    His passenger, a 21-year-old Elizabeth Downs woman, also sustained injuries and was taken to hospital.

    The road was closed until 5am but has since reopened.

    The car was towed from the scene.

    Investigations into the crash are continuing.

    Anyone who witnessed the collision or has any dashcam footage is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    191115

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Passenger car production in Russia fell by 2 percent in January-June

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Moscow, July 24 (Xinhua) — Russia produced 326,000 passenger cars in the first half of 2025, down 2.1 percent from the same period a year earlier, the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation published on Thursday.

    In June, 45 thousand passenger cars were produced in Russia. This is 28.2 percent less than in June 2024.

    In the first half of 2025, the country saw a 23.9 percent reduction in truck production. During this period, 68.8 thousand units were produced in Russia. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Disaster Assistance Available for Those Impacted by Rowena Fire

    Source: US State of Oregon

    elp is now available for those recovering from the Rowena Fire. At the request of Governor Tina Kotek, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved an Administrative Disaster Declaration, opening the door for low-interest federal loans to assist impacted residents and business owners.

    If the fire damaged your home, business, property, or vehicle, you may be eligible for an SBA disaster loan to help with repairs or replacement. These loans are available to small businesses, homeowners, and renters.

    Starting Friday, July 18, SBA representatives will be on-site at the Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) in The Dalles to offer personal, one-on-one assistance. They can answer questions, explain the loan process, and help you complete your application.

    The DLOC is located at The Gloria Center, 2505 W. Seventh St., The Dalles, and is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

    To learn more or apply online, visit www.sba.gov/disaster

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Action against ATM fraud in Romania and UK stopped by joint investigation team with Eurojust support

    Source: Eurojust

    Authorities in Romania and the United Kingdom have taken concerted action to block criminals who illegally withdrew cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) on a large scale. By using specialised computer programs and devices, the Romanian criminal network managed to steal an estimated EUR 580 000. The criminal group was also involved in other types of payment and card fraud. 

    During an operation in Romania, two suspects were identified and brought in for questioning. In the UK, prosecutions have already been initiated against eight members of the group, following an action day in December 2024.

    © DIICOT Poliția Română

    Eurojust supported a joint investigation team of the Romanian and British authorities, which investigated the case. The Agency also assisted with the preparation of the action day in Romania. Europol provided data analysis support, in addition to sending an analyst to Romania and organising meetings to prepare for the operations on the ground.

    The criminal network was formed last year in the Romanian city of Bacău, mainly consisting of family members and friends. They adopted a derogatory term aimed at the police as their so-called trademark, which they used on social media, on custom license plates and on clothes they wore.

    Most of the money was stolen in the UK by pretending to take money from an ATM with a bank card, removing the screen of the ATM and then cancelling the transaction. This allowed them to reach into the ATM itself and take all the cash inside, before ending the transaction.

    The criminals also counterfeited public transport cards, which they distributed across the UK with the help of individuals of Turkish origin. Furthermore, they committed card fraud by using software that identifies card numbers and then generates illicit income through fraudulent payments.

    The proceeds of the criminal activities were invested in luxury cars, jewellery, real estate and expensive holidays. The gang members being prosecuted in the UK and those brought in for questioning in Romania are suspected of cyber fraud, membership of an organised crime group, money laundering and forgery of payment instruments. 

    During the action day in Romania, a total of 18 places were searched and real estate, vehicles electronic devices and cash were seized. 

    The operations against the criminal network were carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

    • Romania: Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) – Bacău Regional Service; Romanian Police – Anti Cybercrime Service of Bacău County Organised Crime Brigade
    • United Kingdom: Crown Prosecution Service; Eastern Regional Special Operations Unit

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: STMicroelectronics to strengthen position in sensors with acquisition of NXP’s MEMS sensors business

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PR N°C3350C

    STMicroelectronics to strengthen position in sensors
    with acquisition of NXP’s MEMS sensors business

    • ST enters into agreement for acquisition of NXP’s MEMS sensor business for a purchase price of up to US$950 million in cash, including US$900 million upfront and US$50 million subject to the achievement of technical milestones
    • The MEMS businesses of ST and NXP are strongly complementary in terms of technology and product portfolio, with the combined product offering to be well balanced across automotive, industrial and consumer end markets
    • NXP’s MEMS Business generated revenue of about US$300 million in calendar year 2024 with gross and operating margins significantly accretive for ST
    • All-cash transaction to be financed from existing liquidity and expected to be accretive to ST Earnings Per Share from completion

    Geneva, Switzerland, July 24, 2025 — STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, is strengthening its global sensors capabilities with the planned acquisition of NXP Semiconductors’ (NASDAQ: NXPI) MEMS sensors business, focused on automotive safety products as well as sensors for industrial applications. The transaction will complement and expand ST’s leading MEMS sensors technology and product portfolio, unlocking new opportunities for development across automotive, industrial and consumer applications.

    “The planned acquisition is a great strategic fit for ST,” says Marco Cassis, President, Analog, Power & Discrete, MEMS and Sensors Group of STMicroelectronics. “Together with ST’s existing MEMS portfolio, these highly complementary technologies and customer relationships, focused on automotive safety and industrial technologies, will strengthen our position in sensors across key segments in automotive, industrial and consumer applications. By leveraging our IDM model, with technology R&D, product design and advanced manufacturing, we will better serve all our customers worldwide.”

    “NXP is a leading supplier of automotive MEMS based motion and pressure sensors, with a long history of strong customer adoption,” said Jens Hinrichsen, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Analog and Automotive Embedded Systems of NXP. “However, after careful portfolio review the company has decided the business does not fit into its long-term strategic direction. We have agreed with STMicroelectronics that the product line will fit ideally into ST’s portfolio, manufacturing footprint and strategic roadmap. We are gratified that the MEMS sensor team will have an excellent home and long-term future at ST.”

    The MEMS sensors portfolio to be acquired by ST primarily targets automotive safety sensors, both passive (airbags) and active (vehicle dynamics), as well as monitoring sensors (TPMS1, engine management, convenience, and security). It also includes pressure sensors and accelerometers for industrial applications. ST is well-positioned to leverage strong, established customer relationships with automotive Tier1s with its innovation roadmap in a rapidly expanding MEMS automotive market. MEMS technologies increasingly enable advanced functionalities for safety, electrification, automation, and connected vehicles, paving the way for future revenue growth.

    MEMS inertial sensors in Automotive are expected to grow at a faster pace than the broader MEMS market. The business to be acquired generated about 300m$ revenues in 2024 with gross and operating margin both significantly accretive for ST. It is also expected to be accretive to ST Earnings Per Share from completion.

    The planned acquisition will enhance ST’s MEMS technology, product R&D capabilities and roadmap, with leading IP, technology and products for automotive safety applications and highly skilled R&D teams. The expanded business will take advantage of ST’s Integrated Device Manufacturer model for MEMS, which involves every stage of MEMS development, from design and manufacturing to testing and packaging, enabling faster innovation cycles and greater flexibility for customization.

    STMicroelectronics and NXP have entered into a definitive transaction agreement for a purchase price of up to US$950 million in cash, including US$900 million upfront and US$50 million subject to the achievement of technical milestones. The transaction which will be financed with existing liquidity is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in H1 2026.

    Forward-looking Information

    Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 or Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended) that are based on management’s current views and assumptions, and are conditioned upon and also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated by such statements due to, among other factors: 

    • changes in global trade policies, including the adoption and expansion of tariffs and trade barriers, that could affect the macro-economic environment and may directly or indirectly adversely impact the demand for our products;
    • uncertain macro-economic and industry trends (such as inflation and fluctuations in supply chains), which may impact production capacity and end-market demand for our products;
    • customer demand that differs from projections which may require us to undertake transformation measures that may not be successful in realizing the expected benefits in full or at all;
    • the ability to design, manufacture and sell innovative products in a rapidly changing technological environment;
    • changes in economic, social, public health, labor, political, or infrastructure conditions in the locations where we, our customers, or our suppliers operate, including as a result of macro-economic or regional events, geopolitical and military conflicts, social unrest, labor actions, or terrorist activities;
    • unanticipated events or circumstances, which may impact our ability to execute our plans and/or meet the objectives of our R&D and manufacturing programs, which benefit from public funding;
    • financial difficulties with any of our major distributors or significant curtailment of purchases by key customers;
    • the loading, product mix, and manufacturing performance of our production facilities and/or our required volume to fulfill capacity reserved with suppliers or third-party manufacturing providers;
    • availability and costs of equipment, raw materials, utilities, third-party manufacturing services and technology, or other supplies required by our operations (including increasing costs resulting from inflation);
    • the functionalities and performance of our IT systems, which are subject to cybersecurity threats and which support our critical operational activities including manufacturing, finance and sales, and any breaches of our IT systems or those of our customers, suppliers, partners and providers of third-party licensed technology;
    • theft, loss, or misuse of personal data about our employees, customers, or other third parties, and breaches of data privacy legislation;
    • the impact of IP claims by our competitors or other third parties, and our ability to obtain required licenses on reasonable terms and conditions;
    • changes in our overall tax position as a result of changes in tax rules, new or revised legislation, the outcome of tax audits or changes in international tax treaties which may impact our results of operations as well as our ability to accurately estimate tax credits, benefits, deductions and provisions and to realize deferred tax assets;
    • variations in the foreign exchange markets and, more particularly, the U.S. dollar exchange rate as compared to the Euro and the other major currencies we use for our operations;
    • the outcome of ongoing litigation as well as the impact of any new litigation to which we may become a defendant;
    • product liability or warranty claims, claims based on epidemic or delivery failure, or other claims relating to our products, or recalls by our customers for products containing our parts;
    • natural events such as severe weather, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcano eruptions or other acts of nature, the effects of climate change, health risks and epidemics or pandemics in locations where we, our customers or our suppliers operate;
    • increased regulation and initiatives in our industry, including those concerning climate change and sustainability matters and our goal to become carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027;
    • epidemics or pandemics, which may negatively impact the global economy in a significant manner for an extended period of time, and could also materially adversely affect our business and operating results;
    • industry changes resulting from vertical and horizontal consolidation among our suppliers, competitors, and customers;
    • the ability to successfully ramp up new programs that could be impacted by factors beyond our control, including the availability of critical third-party components and performance of subcontractors in line with our expectations; and
    • individual customer use of certain products, which may differ from the anticipated uses of such products and result in differences in performance, including energy consumption, may lead to a failure to achieve our disclosed emission-reduction goals, adverse legal action or additional research costs.

    Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results and performance of our business to differ materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements. Certain forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “believes”, “expects”, “may”, “are expected to”, “should”, “would be”, “seeks” or “anticipates” or similar expressions or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.

    Some of these risk factors are set forth and are discussed in more detail in “Item 3. Key Information — Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 27, 2025. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this press release as anticipated, believed or expected. We do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
    Unfavorable changes in the above or other factors listed under “Item 3. Key Information — Risk Factors” from time to time in our Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings, could have a material adverse effect on our business and/or financial condition.

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

    For further information, please contact:

    INVESTOR RELATIONS
    Jérôme Ramel
    EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication
    Tel: +41.22.929.59.20
    jerome.ramel@st.com

    MEDIA RELATIONS
    Alexis Breton
    Group VP Corporate External Communications
    Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08
    alexis.breton@st.com

    1 Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Midland States Bancorp, Inc. Announces 2025 Second Quarter Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EFFINGHAM, Ill., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Midland States Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: MSBI) (the “Company”) today reported net income available to common shareholders of $9.8 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to net income available to common shareholders of $23.5 million, or $1.06 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024.

    This also compares to a net loss of $143.2 million, or $6.58 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, which included impairment of goodwill of $154.0 million.

    2025 Second Quarter Results

    • Net income available to common shareholders of $9.8 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025
    • Adjusted earnings of $9.8 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, compared to $10.8 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, in prior quarter
    • Pre-provision net revenue of $32.2 million, or $1.48 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025 compared to $27.0 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025
    • Net interest margin of 3.56%, compared to 3.49% in prior quarter
    • Nonperforming assets to total assets of 1.56%, compared to 2.08% in prior quarter
    • Total capital to risk-weighted assets of 14.50% and common equity tier 1 capital of 9.02%

    Discussion of Outlook; President & Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey G. Ludwig:

    “Second quarter marked a notable step in returning Midland to a more normalized operating environment, with progress on several strategic initiatives ranging from growing our community bank to further improving our credit quality. Capital levels increased quarter-over-quarter, and we continue to target growing our common equity tier 1 capital ratio to our target of 10.0%.

    During the quarter, we had limited new substandard or nonperforming loans identified, and importantly saw our non-performing assets decrease to $111 million, or 1.56% of total assets, versus $151 million, or 2.08% of total assets in the first quarter. After quarter-end, the bank successfully exited two larger non-performing relationships in July totaling $29 million, which all else equal would bring our non-performing asset ratio down another 41 basis points. Tighter underwriting standards in our equipment finance and specialty finance portfolios have already begun to meaningfully reduce our exposure to these higher-risk portfolios. In addition, we completed the previously announced sale of our GreenSky loans in April further improving our capital and liquidity.

    Profitability trends were also favorable in the second quarter, with net interest margin expanding 7 basis points to 3.56%, pre-provision net revenue growing to $32.2 million, and strong contribution from our wealth management platform. We expect further improvement in profitability over the balance of 2025.”

    Key Points for Second Quarter and Outlook

    Acceleration of Credit Clean-up; Tightened Underwriting Standards

    • Substandard accruing loans and nonperforming loans decreased to $58.5 million and $109.5 million at June 30, 2025, respectively. No significant new substandard or nonperforming loans were identified during the quarter.
    • Net charge-offs were $29.9 million for the quarter, including:
      • $13.9 million of charge-offs in our specialty finance portfolio, of which $10.2 million was specifically reserved for in a prior quarter
      • $4.7 million of fully reimbursed charge-offs related to our third party lending programs
      • $3.9 million of charge-offs in our equipment finance portfolio as we continue to see credit issues primarily in the trucking industry
    • Provision for credit losses on loans was $17.4 million for the second quarter of 2025, primarily as a result of continued trends in the equipment finance portfolio.
    • Allowance for credit losses on loans was $92.7 million, or 1.83% of total loans.

    The table below summarizes certain information regarding the Company’s loan portfolio asset quality as of June 30, 2025.

        As of and for the Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands)   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Asset Quality                    
    Loans 30-89 days past due   $ 40,959     $ 48,221     $ 43,681     $ 55,329     $ 54,045  
    Nonperforming loans     109,512       145,690       150,907       114,556       112,124  
    Nonperforming assets     111,174       151,264       157,409       126,771       123,774  
    Substandard accruing loans     58,478       77,620       84,058       167,549       135,555  
    Net charge-offs     29,854       16,878       112,776       22,302       13,883  
    Loans 30-89 days past due to total loans     0.81 %     0.96 %     0.85 %     0.97 %     0.93 %
    Nonperforming loans to total loans     2.16 %     2.90 %     2.92 %     2.00 %     1.92 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets     1.56 %     2.08 %     2.10 %     1.65 %     1.61 %
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans     1.83 %     2.10 %     2.15 %     2.64 %     2.67 %
    Allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans     84.64 %     72.19 %     73.69 %     131.87 %     138.63 %
    Net charge-offs to average loans     2.34 %     1.35 %     7.94 %     1.53 %     0.94 %
                                             

    Solid Growth Trends in Community Bank & Wealth Management

    • Total loans at June 30, 2025 were $5.06 billion, an increase of $46.6 million from March 31, 2025. Key changes in the loan portfolio were as follows:
      • Loans originated by our Community Bank increased $58.9 million, or 1.8%, from March 31, 2025. Pipelines remain strong and we continued to add to our sales teams in the second quarter.
      • Non-core loans originated through third-party programs increased $212.8 million from March 31, 2025, as a result of the financing of the sale of the GreenSky portfolio.
      • We continue to pursue an intentional decrease in our Specialty Finance loan portfolio, as we tighten credit standards. Balances in this loan portfolio decreased $173.3 million during the quarter.
      • Equipment finance portfolio balances declined $51.8 million during the quarter as we continue to reduce the overall balances in this unit and tighten underwriting standards.
    • Total deposits were $5.95 billion at June 30, 2025, an increase of $10.5 million from March 31, 2025. The increase in deposits reflects the following:
      • Commercial and public fund deposits increased $70.5 million and $127.8 million, respectively, in the quarter.
      • Noninterest-bearing deposits decreased $16.5 million in the quarter.
      • Retail and servicing deposits decreased $34.7 million and $56.9 million, respectively, in the quarter.
      • Brokered deposits, including both money market and time deposits, decreased by $109.4 million.
      • Servicing deposits decreased $284.4 million in July 2025 due to the acquisition of one of our servicing customers, expected to positively impact future margin.
    • Wealth Management revenue totaled $7.4 million in the second quarter of 2025. Assets under administration were $4.18 billion at June 30, 2025. The Company added three new sales positions in the second quarter of 2025 and continues to experience strong pipelines.

    Net Interest Margin

    • Net interest margin was 3.56%, up 7 basis points compared to the first quarter, and we saw a continued decline in the cost of funding. Rate cuts enacted by the Federal Reserve Bank in late 2024 continue to result in a lower cost of deposits for the Company, which fell to 2.19% in the second quarter of 2025.

    The following table summarizes certain factors affecting the Company’s net interest margin for the second quarter of 2025.

        For the Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands)   June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024
    Interest-earning assets   Average
    Balance    		   Interest &
    Fees    		   Yield/
    Rate    		   Average
    Balance    		   Interest &
    Fees    		   Yield/
    Rate    		   Average
    Balance    		   Interest &
    Fees    		   Yield/
    Rate
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 67,326   $ 716   4.27 %   $ 68,671   $ 718   4.24 %   $ 65,250   $ 875   5.40 %
    Investment securities(1)     1,367,180     17,164   5.04       1,311,887     15,517   4.80       1,098,452     12,805   4.69  
    Loans(1)(2)     5,123,558     79,240   6.20       5,057,394     78,118   6.26       5,915,523     92,581   6.29  
    Loans held for sale     44,642     377   3.39       326,348     4,563   5.67       4,910     84   6.84  
    Nonmarketable equity securities     38,803     694   7.17       35,614     647   7.37       44,216     963   8.76  
    Total interest-earning assets     6,641,509     98,191   5.93       6,799,914     99,563   5.94       7,128,351     107,308   6.05  
    Noninterest-earning assets     513,801             667,940             669,370        
    Total assets   $ 7,155,310           $ 7,467,854           $ 7,797,721        
                                         
    Interest-Bearing Liabilities                                    
    Interest-bearing deposits   $ 4,845,609   $ 32,290   2.67 %   $ 5,074,007   $ 34,615   2.77 %   $ 5,101,365   $ 39,476   3.11 %
    Short-term borrowings     60,117     573   3.82       73,767     700   3.85       30,449     308   4.07  
    FHLB advances & other borrowings     363,505     3,766   4.16       299,578     3,163   4.28       500,758     5,836   4.69  
    Subordinated debt     77,757     1,394   7.19       77,752     1,387   7.23       93,090     1,265   5.47  
    Trust preferred debentures     51,439     1,206   9.40       51,283     1,200   9.49       50,921     1,358   10.73  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     5,398,427     39,229   2.91       5,576,387     41,065   2.99       5,776,583     48,243   3.36  
    Noninterest-bearing deposits     1,075,945             1,052,181             1,132,451        
    Other noninterest-bearing liabilities     108,819             123,613             104,841        
    Shareholders’ equity     572,119             715,673             783,846        
    Total liabilities and shareholder’s equity   $ 7,155,310           $ 7,467,854           $ 7,797,721        
                                         
    Net Interest Margin       $ 58,962   3.56 %       $ 58,498   3.49 %       $ 59,065   3.33 %
                                         
    Cost of Deposits           2.19 %           2.29 %           2.55 %

    (1) Interest income and average rates for tax-exempt loans and investment securities are presented on a tax-equivalent basis, assuming a federal income tax rate of 21%. Tax-equivalent adjustments totaled $0.3 million, $0.2 million and $0.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively.

    (2) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans. Interest income on loans includes amortization of deferred loan fees, net of deferred loan costs.


    Trends in Noninterest Income and Expense

    • Noninterest income was $23.5 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $17.8 million for the first quarter of 2025. Noninterest income for the second quarter of 2025 included credit enhancement income of $3.8 million, primarily related to an increase in charge-offs in our third-party loan origination and servicing program which were fully reimbursed by our program sponsor.
    • Noninterest expense was $50.0 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $203.0 million for the first quarter of 2025, which included goodwill impairment of $154.0 million. The Company continues to experience higher levels of professional services, legal fees and other expenses related to loan collections and the restatement of our financial statements.

    Second Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

        As of and for the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
          2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Return on average assets     0.67 %     (7.66 )%     (1.59 )%     1.05 %     1.33 %
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets(1)     1.81 %     1.47 %     1.83 %     2.21 %     2.07 %
    Net interest margin     3.56 %     3.49 %     3.34 %     3.34 %     3.33 %
    Efficiency ratio (1)     60.60 %     64.29 %     62.31 %     53.61 %     55.79 %
    Noninterest expense to average assets     2.80 %     11.02 %     3.04 %     2.56 %     2.62 %
    Net charge-offs to average loans     2.34 %     1.35 %     7.94 %     1.53 %     0.94 %
    Tangible book value per share at period end (1)   $ 20.68     $ 20.54     $ 19.83     $ 22.70     $ 21.07  
    Diluted earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.44     $ (6.58 )   $ (1.52 )   $ 0.83     $ 1.06  
    Common shares outstanding at period end     21,515,138       21,503,036       21,494,485       21,393,905       21,377,215  
    Trust assets under administration   $ 4,181,180     $ 4,101,414     $ 4,153,080     $ 4,268,539     $ 3,996,175  

    (1) Non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to page 10 for a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measures.


    Capital

    At June 30, 2025, Midland States Bank and the Company exceeded all regulatory capital requirements under Basel III, and Midland States Bank met the qualifications to be a ‘‘well-capitalized’’ financial institution, as summarized in the following table:

      As of June 30, 2025
      Midland States Bank   Midland States
    Bancorp, Inc.    		   Minimum Regulatory
    Requirements     (2)
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets 13.74%   14.50%   10.50%
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 12.49%   12.07%   8.50%
    Common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 12.49%   9.02%   7.00%
    Tier 1 leverage ratio 9.93%   9.59%   4.00%
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (1) N/A   6.27%   N/A

    (1) A non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to page 10 for a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure.
    (2) Includes the capital conservation buffer of 2.5%, as applicable.


    About Midland States Bancorp, Inc.

    Midland States Bancorp, Inc. is a community-based financial holding company headquartered in Effingham, Illinois, and is the sole shareholder of Midland States Bank. As of June 30, 2025, the Company had total assets of approximately $7.11 billion, and its Wealth Management Group had assets under administration of approximately $4.18 billion. The Company provides a full range of commercial and consumer banking products and services and business equipment financing, merchant credit card services, trust and investment management, insurance and financial planning services. For additional information, visit https://www.midlandsb.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/midland-states-bank.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Some of the financial measures included in this press release are not measures of financial performance recognized in accordance with GAAP.

    These non-GAAP financial measures include “Pre-provision net revenue,” “Pre-provision net revenue per diluted share,” “Pre-provision net revenue to average assets,” “Efficiency ratio,” “Tangible common equity to tangible assets,” and “Tangible book value per share.” The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the Company’s funding profile and profitability. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for any analysis based on GAAP financial measures. Not all companies use the same calculation of these measures; therefore, the measures in this press release may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures as presented by other companies.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Readers should note that in addition to the historical information contained herein, this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meanings of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including but not limited to statements about the Company’s plans, objectives, future performance, goals and future earnings levels, including currently anticipated levels of noninterest income and operating expenses. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including changes in interest rates and other general economic, business and political conditions; the impact of federal trade policy, inflation, increased deposit volatility and potential regulatory developments; changes in the financial markets; changes in business plans as circumstances warrant; changes to U.S. tax laws, regulations and guidance; and other risks detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers should note that the forward-looking statements included in this press release are not a guarantee of future events, and that actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “will,” “propose,” “may,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” or similar terminology. Any forward-looking statements presented herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

    CONTACTS:
    Jeffrey G. Ludwig, President and CEO, at jludwig@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321
    Eric T. Lemke, Chief Financial Officer, at elemke@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321

     
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited)
                         
        As of
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Assets                    
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 176,587     $ 102,006     $ 114,766     $ 121,873     $ 124,646  
    Investment securities     1,354,652       1,368,405       1,212,366       1,216,795       1,099,654  
    Loans     5,064,695       5,018,053       5,167,574       5,728,237       5,829,057  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     (92,690 )     (105,176 )     (111,204 )     (151,067 )     (155,443 )
    Total loans, net     4,972,005       4,912,877       5,056,370       5,577,170       5,673,614  
    Loans held for sale     7,899       287,821       344,947       8,001       5,555  
    Premises and equipment, net     86,240       86,719       85,710       84,672       83,040  
    Other real estate owned     393       4,183       4,941       8,646       8,304  
    Loan servicing rights, at lower of cost or fair value     16,720       17,278       17,842       18,400       18,902  
    Goodwill     7,927       7,927       161,904       161,904       161,904  
    Other intangible assets, net     10,362       11,189       12,100       13,052       14,003  
    Company-owned life insurance     214,392       212,336       211,168       209,193       207,211  
    Credit enhancement asset     5,800       5,615       16,804       20,633       18,202  
    Other assets     254,901       268,448       267,891       263,850       293,039  
    Total assets   $ 7,107,878     $ 7,284,804     $ 7,506,809     $ 7,704,189     $ 7,708,074  
                         
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                    
    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits   $ 1,074,212     $ 1,090,707     $ 1,055,564     $ 1,050,617     $ 1,108,521  
    Interest-bearing deposits     4,872,707       4,845,727       5,141,679       5,206,219       5,009,502  
    Total deposits     5,946,919       5,936,434       6,197,243       6,256,836       6,118,023  
    Short-term borrowings     8,654       40,224       87,499       13,849       7,208  
    FHLB advances and other borrowings     345,000       498,000       258,000       425,000       600,000  
    Subordinated debt     77,759       77,754       77,749       82,744       91,656  
    Trust preferred debentures     51,518       51,358       51,205       51,058       50,921  
    Other liabilities     104,323       109,597       124,266       103,481       103,487  
    Total liabilities     6,534,173       6,713,367       6,795,962       6,932,968       6,971,295  
    Total shareholders’ equity     573,705       571,437       710,847       771,221       736,779  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 7,107,878     $ 7,284,804     $ 7,506,809     $ 7,704,189     $ 7,708,074  
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited) (continued)
                         
        For the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)    2025     2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Net interest income:                    
    Interest income   $ 97,924   $ 99,355     $ 104,470     $ 108,994     $ 107,138  
    Interest expense     39,229     41,065       45,900       49,884       48,243  
    Net interest income     58,695     58,290       58,570       59,110       58,895  
    Provision for credit losses:                    
    Provision for credit losses on loans     17,369     10,850       74,183       17,925       8,482  
    Recapture of credit losses on unfunded commitments     —     —       —       —       (200 )
    Total provision for credit losses     17,369     10,850       74,183       17,925       8,282  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses     41,326     47,440       (15,613 )     41,185       50,613  
    Noninterest income:                    
    Wealth management revenue     7,379     7,350       7,660       7,104       6,801  
    Service charges on deposit accounts     3,351     3,305       3,506       3,411       3,121  
    Interchange revenue     3,463     3,151       3,528       3,506       3,563  
    Residential mortgage banking revenue     756     676       637       697       557  
    Income on company-owned life insurance     2,068     2,334       1,975       1,981       1,925  
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     —     —       (34 )     (44 )     (152 )
    Credit enhancement income (loss)     3,848     (578 )     15,810       14,206       14,328  
    Other income     2,669     1,525       2,289       2,684       1,841  
    Total noninterest income     23,534     17,763       35,371       33,545       31,984  
    Noninterest expense:                    
    Salaries and employee benefits     25,685     26,416       22,283       24,382       22,872  
    Occupancy and equipment     4,166     4,498       4,286       4,393       3,964  
    Data processing     7,035     6,919       7,278       6,955       7,205  
    Professional services     2,792     2,741       1,580       1,744       2,243  
    Impairment on goodwill     —     153,977       —       —       —  
    Amortization of intangible assets     827     911       952       951       1,016  
    Impairment on leased assets and surrendered assets     —     —       7,601       —       —  
    FDIC insurance     1,422     1,463       1,383       1,402       1,219  
    Other expense     8,065     6,080       13,336       9,937       12,265  
    Total noninterest expense     49,992     203,005       58,699       49,764       50,784  
    Income (loss) before income taxes     14,868     (137,802 )     (38,941 )     24,966       31,813  
    Income tax expense (benefit)     2,844     3,172       (8,172 )     4,535       6,094  
    Net income (loss)     12,024     (140,974 )     (30,769 )     20,431       25,719  
    Preferred stock dividends     2,228     2,228       2,228       2,229       2,228  
    Net income (loss) available to common shareholders   $ 9,796   $ (143,202 )   $ (32,997 )   $ 18,202     $ 23,491  
                         
    Basic earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.44   $ (6.58 )   $ (1.52 )   $ 0.83     $ 1.06  
    Diluted earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.44   $ (6.58 )   $ (1.52 )   $ 0.83     $ 1.06  
    Weighted average common shares outstanding     21,820,190     21,795,570       21,748,428       21,675,818       21,731,195  
    Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding     21,820,190     21,795,570       21,753,711       21,678,242       21,734,849  
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited)(continued)
                         
        As of
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands)    2025    2025    2024    2024    2024
    Loan Portfolio Mix                    
    Commercial loans   $ 1,178,792   $ 879,286   $ 934,847   $ 879,590   $ 955,667
    Equipment finance loans     364,526     390,276     416,970     442,552     461,409
    Equipment finance leases     347,155     373,168     391,390     417,531     428,659
    Commercial FHA warehouse lines     1,068     —     8,004     50,198     —
    Total commercial loans and leases     1,891,541     1,642,730     1,751,211     1,789,871     1,845,735
    Commercial real estate     2,412,761     2,592,325     2,591,664     2,510,472     2,421,505
    Construction and land development     258,729     264,966     299,842     422,253     476,528
    Residential real estate     361,261     373,095     380,557     378,658     378,393
    Consumer     140,403     144,937     144,300     626,983     706,896
    Total loans   $ 5,064,695   $ 5,018,053   $ 5,167,574   $ 5,728,237   $ 5,829,057
                         
    Loan Portfolio Segment                    
    Regions                    
    Eastern   $ 901,848   $ 897,792   $ 899,611   $ 902,993   $ 884,343
    Northern     753,590     747,028     714,562     730,752     724,782
    Southern     778,124     711,787     720,188     694,810     699,893
    St. Louis     884,685     902,743     868,190     850,327     825,291
    Total Community Bank     3,318,247     3,259,350     3,202,551     3,178,882     3,134,309
    Specialty finance     701,244     874,567     1,038,238     1,018,961     1,107,508
    Equipment finance     711,681     763,444     808,359     860,083     890,068
    Non-core loan program and other(1)     333,523     120,692     118,426     670,311     697,172
    Total loans   $ 5,064,695   $ 5,018,053   $ 5,167,574   $ 5,728,237   $ 5,829,057
                         
    Deposit Portfolio Mix                    
    Noninterest-bearing demand   $ 1,074,212   $ 1,090,707   $ 1,055,564   $ 1,050,617   $ 1,108,521
    Interest-bearing:                    
    Checking     2,180,717     2,161,282     2,378,256     2,389,970     2,343,533
    Money market     1,216,357     1,154,403     1,173,630     1,187,139     1,143,668
    Savings     511,470     522,663     507,305     510,260     538,462
    Time     818,813     818,732     822,981     849,413     852,415
    Brokered time     145,350     188,647     259,507     269,437     131,424
    Total deposits   $ 5,946,919   $ 5,936,434   $ 6,197,243   $ 6,256,836   $ 6,118,023
                         
    Deposit Portfolio by Channel                    
    Retail   $ 2,811,838   $ 2,846,494   $ 2,749,650   $ 2,695,077   $ 2,742,494
    Commercial     1,145,369     1,074,837     1,209,815     1,218,657     1,217,068
    Public Funds     618,172     490,374     505,912     574,704     568,889
    Wealth & Trust     304,626     301,251     340,615     332,242     298,659
    Servicing     785,659     842,567     896,436     958,662     931,892
    Brokered Deposits     248,707     358,063     473,451     390,558     238,708
    Other     32,548     22,848     21,364     86,936     120,313
    Total deposits   $ 5,946,919   $ 5,936,434   $ 6,197,243   $ 6,256,836   $ 6,118,023

    (1) Non-core loan programs refer to loan portfolios originated through third parties or capital markets, including loans to finance the sale of the GreenSky portfolio.

     
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (unaudited)
                         
    Adjusted Earnings Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands, expect per share data)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Income (loss) before income tax (benefit) expense – GAAP   $ 14,868     $ (137,802 )   $ (38,941 )   $ 24,966     $ 31,813  
    Adjustments to noninterest income:                    
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     —       —       34       44       152  
    Loss (gain) on repurchase of subordinated debt     —       —       13       (77 )     (167 )
    Total adjustments to noninterest income     —       —       47       (33 )     (15 )
    Adjustments to noninterest expense:                    
    Impairment on goodwill     —       (153,977 )     —       —       —  
    Total adjustments to noninterest expense     —       (153,977 )     —       —       —  
    Adjusted earnings (loss) pre tax – non-GAAP     14,868       16,175       (38,894 )     24,933       31,798  
    Adjusted earnings (loss) tax (benefit) expense     2,844       3,172       (8,159 )     4,526       6,090  
    Adjusted earnings (loss) – non-GAAP     12,024       13,003       (30,735 )     20,407       25,708  
    Preferred stock dividends     2,228       2,228       2,228       2,229       2,228  
    Adjusted earnings (loss) available to common shareholders   $ 9,796     $ 10,775     $ (32,963 )   $ 18,178     $ 23,480  
    Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.44     $ 0.49     $ (1.52 )   $ 0.82     $ 1.06  
                         
    Pre-Provision Net Revenue Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Income (loss) before income taxes   $ 14,868     $ (137,802 )   $ (38,941 )   $ 24,966     $ 31,813  
    Provision for credit losses     17,369       10,850       74,183       17,925       8,282  
    Impairment on goodwill     —       153,977       —       —       —  
    Pre-provision net revenue   $ 32,237     $ 27,025     $ 35,242     $ 42,891     $ 40,095  
    Pre-provision net revenue per diluted share   $ 1.48     $ 1.24     $ 1.62     $ 1.98     $ 1.84  
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets     1.81 %     1.47 %     1.83 %     2.21 %     2.07 %
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (unaudited)
                         
    Efficiency Ratio Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Noninterest expense – GAAP   $ 49,992     $ 203,005     $ 58,699     $ 49,764     $ 50,784  
    Impairment on goodwill     —       (153,977 )     —       —       —  
    Adjusted noninterest expense   $ 49,992     $ 49,028     $ 58,699     $ 49,764     $ 50,784  
                         
    Net interest income – GAAP   $ 58,695     $ 58,290     $ 58,570     $ 59,110     $ 58,895  
    Effect of tax-exempt income     267       208       220       205       170  
    Adjusted net interest income     58,962       58,498       58,790       59,315       59,065  
                         
    Noninterest income – GAAP     23,534       17,763       35,371       33,545       31,984  
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     —       —       34       44       152  
    Loss (gain) on repurchase of subordinated debt     —       —       13       (77 )     (167 )
    Adjusted noninterest income     23,534       17,763       35,418       33,512       31,969  
                         
    Adjusted total revenue   $ 82,496     $ 76,261     $ 94,208     $ 92,827     $ 91,034  
                         
    Efficiency ratio     60.60 %     64.29 %     62.31 %     53.61 %     55.79 %
    Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets Ratio and Tangible Book Value Per Share
                         
        As of
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Shareholders’ Equity to Tangible Common Equity                        
    Total shareholders’ equity—GAAP   $ 573,705     $ 571,437     $ 710,847     $ 771,221     $ 736,779  
    Adjustments:                    
    Preferred Stock     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )
    Goodwill     (7,927 )     (7,927 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )
    Other intangible assets, net     (10,362 )     (11,189 )     (12,100 )     (13,052 )     (14,003 )
    Tangible common equity     444,868       441,773       426,295       485,717       450,324  
                         
    Total Assets to Tangible Assets:                    
    Total assets—GAAP   $ 7,107,878     $ 7,284,804     $ 7,506,809     $ 7,704,189     $ 7,708,074  
    Adjustments:                    
    Goodwill     (7,927 )     (7,927 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )
    Other intangible assets, net     (10,362 )     (11,189 )     (12,100 )     (13,052 )     (14,003 )
    Tangible assets   $ 7,089,589     $ 7,265,688     $ 7,332,805     $ 7,529,233     $ 7,532,167  
                         
    Common Shares Outstanding     21,515,138       21,503,036       21,494,485       21,393,905       21,377,215  
                         
    Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets     6.27 %     6.08 %     5.81 %     6.45 %     5.98 %
    Tangible Book Value Per Share   $ 20.68     $ 20.54     $ 19.83     $ 22.70     $ 21.07  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Midland States Bancorp, Inc. Announces 2025 Second Quarter Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EFFINGHAM, Ill., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Midland States Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: MSBI) (the “Company”) today reported net income available to common shareholders of $9.8 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to net income available to common shareholders of $23.5 million, or $1.06 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024.

    This also compares to a net loss of $143.2 million, or $6.58 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, which included impairment of goodwill of $154.0 million.

    2025 Second Quarter Results

    • Net income available to common shareholders of $9.8 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025
    • Adjusted earnings of $9.8 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, compared to $10.8 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, in prior quarter
    • Pre-provision net revenue of $32.2 million, or $1.48 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025 compared to $27.0 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025
    • Net interest margin of 3.56%, compared to 3.49% in prior quarter
    • Nonperforming assets to total assets of 1.56%, compared to 2.08% in prior quarter
    • Total capital to risk-weighted assets of 14.50% and common equity tier 1 capital of 9.02%

    Discussion of Outlook; President & Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey G. Ludwig:

    “Second quarter marked a notable step in returning Midland to a more normalized operating environment, with progress on several strategic initiatives ranging from growing our community bank to further improving our credit quality. Capital levels increased quarter-over-quarter, and we continue to target growing our common equity tier 1 capital ratio to our target of 10.0%.

    During the quarter, we had limited new substandard or nonperforming loans identified, and importantly saw our non-performing assets decrease to $111 million, or 1.56% of total assets, versus $151 million, or 2.08% of total assets in the first quarter. After quarter-end, the bank successfully exited two larger non-performing relationships in July totaling $29 million, which all else equal would bring our non-performing asset ratio down another 41 basis points. Tighter underwriting standards in our equipment finance and specialty finance portfolios have already begun to meaningfully reduce our exposure to these higher-risk portfolios. In addition, we completed the previously announced sale of our GreenSky loans in April further improving our capital and liquidity.

    Profitability trends were also favorable in the second quarter, with net interest margin expanding 7 basis points to 3.56%, pre-provision net revenue growing to $32.2 million, and strong contribution from our wealth management platform. We expect further improvement in profitability over the balance of 2025.”

    Key Points for Second Quarter and Outlook

    Acceleration of Credit Clean-up; Tightened Underwriting Standards

    • Substandard accruing loans and nonperforming loans decreased to $58.5 million and $109.5 million at June 30, 2025, respectively. No significant new substandard or nonperforming loans were identified during the quarter.
    • Net charge-offs were $29.9 million for the quarter, including:
      • $13.9 million of charge-offs in our specialty finance portfolio, of which $10.2 million was specifically reserved for in a prior quarter
      • $4.7 million of fully reimbursed charge-offs related to our third party lending programs
      • $3.9 million of charge-offs in our equipment finance portfolio as we continue to see credit issues primarily in the trucking industry
    • Provision for credit losses on loans was $17.4 million for the second quarter of 2025, primarily as a result of continued trends in the equipment finance portfolio.
    • Allowance for credit losses on loans was $92.7 million, or 1.83% of total loans.

    The table below summarizes certain information regarding the Company’s loan portfolio asset quality as of June 30, 2025.

        As of and for the Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands)   June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
        2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Asset Quality                    
    Loans 30-89 days past due   $ 40,959     $ 48,221     $ 43,681     $ 55,329     $ 54,045  
    Nonperforming loans     109,512       145,690       150,907       114,556       112,124  
    Nonperforming assets     111,174       151,264       157,409       126,771       123,774  
    Substandard accruing loans     58,478       77,620       84,058       167,549       135,555  
    Net charge-offs     29,854       16,878       112,776       22,302       13,883  
    Loans 30-89 days past due to total loans     0.81 %     0.96 %     0.85 %     0.97 %     0.93 %
    Nonperforming loans to total loans     2.16 %     2.90 %     2.92 %     2.00 %     1.92 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets     1.56 %     2.08 %     2.10 %     1.65 %     1.61 %
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans     1.83 %     2.10 %     2.15 %     2.64 %     2.67 %
    Allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans     84.64 %     72.19 %     73.69 %     131.87 %     138.63 %
    Net charge-offs to average loans     2.34 %     1.35 %     7.94 %     1.53 %     0.94 %
                                             

    Solid Growth Trends in Community Bank & Wealth Management

    • Total loans at June 30, 2025 were $5.06 billion, an increase of $46.6 million from March 31, 2025. Key changes in the loan portfolio were as follows:
      • Loans originated by our Community Bank increased $58.9 million, or 1.8%, from March 31, 2025. Pipelines remain strong and we continued to add to our sales teams in the second quarter.
      • Non-core loans originated through third-party programs increased $212.8 million from March 31, 2025, as a result of the financing of the sale of the GreenSky portfolio.
      • We continue to pursue an intentional decrease in our Specialty Finance loan portfolio, as we tighten credit standards. Balances in this loan portfolio decreased $173.3 million during the quarter.
      • Equipment finance portfolio balances declined $51.8 million during the quarter as we continue to reduce the overall balances in this unit and tighten underwriting standards.
    • Total deposits were $5.95 billion at June 30, 2025, an increase of $10.5 million from March 31, 2025. The increase in deposits reflects the following:
      • Commercial and public fund deposits increased $70.5 million and $127.8 million, respectively, in the quarter.
      • Noninterest-bearing deposits decreased $16.5 million in the quarter.
      • Retail and servicing deposits decreased $34.7 million and $56.9 million, respectively, in the quarter.
      • Brokered deposits, including both money market and time deposits, decreased by $109.4 million.
      • Servicing deposits decreased $284.4 million in July 2025 due to the acquisition of one of our servicing customers, expected to positively impact future margin.
    • Wealth Management revenue totaled $7.4 million in the second quarter of 2025. Assets under administration were $4.18 billion at June 30, 2025. The Company added three new sales positions in the second quarter of 2025 and continues to experience strong pipelines.

    Net Interest Margin

    • Net interest margin was 3.56%, up 7 basis points compared to the first quarter, and we saw a continued decline in the cost of funding. Rate cuts enacted by the Federal Reserve Bank in late 2024 continue to result in a lower cost of deposits for the Company, which fell to 2.19% in the second quarter of 2025.

    The following table summarizes certain factors affecting the Company’s net interest margin for the second quarter of 2025.

        For the Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands)   June 30, 2025   March 31, 2025   June 30, 2024
    Interest-earning assets   Average
    Balance    		   Interest &
    Fees    		   Yield/
    Rate    		   Average
    Balance    		   Interest &
    Fees    		   Yield/
    Rate    		   Average
    Balance    		   Interest &
    Fees    		   Yield/
    Rate
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 67,326   $ 716   4.27 %   $ 68,671   $ 718   4.24 %   $ 65,250   $ 875   5.40 %
    Investment securities(1)     1,367,180     17,164   5.04       1,311,887     15,517   4.80       1,098,452     12,805   4.69  
    Loans(1)(2)     5,123,558     79,240   6.20       5,057,394     78,118   6.26       5,915,523     92,581   6.29  
    Loans held for sale     44,642     377   3.39       326,348     4,563   5.67       4,910     84   6.84  
    Nonmarketable equity securities     38,803     694   7.17       35,614     647   7.37       44,216     963   8.76  
    Total interest-earning assets     6,641,509     98,191   5.93       6,799,914     99,563   5.94       7,128,351     107,308   6.05  
    Noninterest-earning assets     513,801             667,940             669,370        
    Total assets   $ 7,155,310           $ 7,467,854           $ 7,797,721        
                                         
    Interest-Bearing Liabilities                                    
    Interest-bearing deposits   $ 4,845,609   $ 32,290   2.67 %   $ 5,074,007   $ 34,615   2.77 %   $ 5,101,365   $ 39,476   3.11 %
    Short-term borrowings     60,117     573   3.82       73,767     700   3.85       30,449     308   4.07  
    FHLB advances & other borrowings     363,505     3,766   4.16       299,578     3,163   4.28       500,758     5,836   4.69  
    Subordinated debt     77,757     1,394   7.19       77,752     1,387   7.23       93,090     1,265   5.47  
    Trust preferred debentures     51,439     1,206   9.40       51,283     1,200   9.49       50,921     1,358   10.73  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     5,398,427     39,229   2.91       5,576,387     41,065   2.99       5,776,583     48,243   3.36  
    Noninterest-bearing deposits     1,075,945             1,052,181             1,132,451        
    Other noninterest-bearing liabilities     108,819             123,613             104,841        
    Shareholders’ equity     572,119             715,673             783,846        
    Total liabilities and shareholder’s equity   $ 7,155,310           $ 7,467,854           $ 7,797,721        
                                         
    Net Interest Margin       $ 58,962   3.56 %       $ 58,498   3.49 %       $ 59,065   3.33 %
                                         
    Cost of Deposits           2.19 %           2.29 %           2.55 %

    (1) Interest income and average rates for tax-exempt loans and investment securities are presented on a tax-equivalent basis, assuming a federal income tax rate of 21%. Tax-equivalent adjustments totaled $0.3 million, $0.2 million and $0.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively.

    (2) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans. Interest income on loans includes amortization of deferred loan fees, net of deferred loan costs.


    Trends in Noninterest Income and Expense

    • Noninterest income was $23.5 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $17.8 million for the first quarter of 2025. Noninterest income for the second quarter of 2025 included credit enhancement income of $3.8 million, primarily related to an increase in charge-offs in our third-party loan origination and servicing program which were fully reimbursed by our program sponsor.
    • Noninterest expense was $50.0 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to $203.0 million for the first quarter of 2025, which included goodwill impairment of $154.0 million. The Company continues to experience higher levels of professional services, legal fees and other expenses related to loan collections and the restatement of our financial statements.

    Second Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

        As of and for the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
          2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Return on average assets     0.67 %     (7.66 )%     (1.59 )%     1.05 %     1.33 %
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets(1)     1.81 %     1.47 %     1.83 %     2.21 %     2.07 %
    Net interest margin     3.56 %     3.49 %     3.34 %     3.34 %     3.33 %
    Efficiency ratio (1)     60.60 %     64.29 %     62.31 %     53.61 %     55.79 %
    Noninterest expense to average assets     2.80 %     11.02 %     3.04 %     2.56 %     2.62 %
    Net charge-offs to average loans     2.34 %     1.35 %     7.94 %     1.53 %     0.94 %
    Tangible book value per share at period end (1)   $ 20.68     $ 20.54     $ 19.83     $ 22.70     $ 21.07  
    Diluted earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.44     $ (6.58 )   $ (1.52 )   $ 0.83     $ 1.06  
    Common shares outstanding at period end     21,515,138       21,503,036       21,494,485       21,393,905       21,377,215  
    Trust assets under administration   $ 4,181,180     $ 4,101,414     $ 4,153,080     $ 4,268,539     $ 3,996,175  

    (1) Non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to page 10 for a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measures.


    Capital

    At June 30, 2025, Midland States Bank and the Company exceeded all regulatory capital requirements under Basel III, and Midland States Bank met the qualifications to be a ‘‘well-capitalized’’ financial institution, as summarized in the following table:

      As of June 30, 2025
      Midland States Bank   Midland States
    Bancorp, Inc.    		   Minimum Regulatory
    Requirements     (2)
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets 13.74%   14.50%   10.50%
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 12.49%   12.07%   8.50%
    Common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 12.49%   9.02%   7.00%
    Tier 1 leverage ratio 9.93%   9.59%   4.00%
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (1) N/A   6.27%   N/A

    (1) A non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to page 10 for a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure.
    (2) Includes the capital conservation buffer of 2.5%, as applicable.


    About Midland States Bancorp, Inc.

    Midland States Bancorp, Inc. is a community-based financial holding company headquartered in Effingham, Illinois, and is the sole shareholder of Midland States Bank. As of June 30, 2025, the Company had total assets of approximately $7.11 billion, and its Wealth Management Group had assets under administration of approximately $4.18 billion. The Company provides a full range of commercial and consumer banking products and services and business equipment financing, merchant credit card services, trust and investment management, insurance and financial planning services. For additional information, visit https://www.midlandsb.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/midland-states-bank.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Some of the financial measures included in this press release are not measures of financial performance recognized in accordance with GAAP.

    These non-GAAP financial measures include “Pre-provision net revenue,” “Pre-provision net revenue per diluted share,” “Pre-provision net revenue to average assets,” “Efficiency ratio,” “Tangible common equity to tangible assets,” and “Tangible book value per share.” The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the Company’s funding profile and profitability. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for any analysis based on GAAP financial measures. Not all companies use the same calculation of these measures; therefore, the measures in this press release may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures as presented by other companies.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Readers should note that in addition to the historical information contained herein, this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meanings of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including but not limited to statements about the Company’s plans, objectives, future performance, goals and future earnings levels, including currently anticipated levels of noninterest income and operating expenses. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including changes in interest rates and other general economic, business and political conditions; the impact of federal trade policy, inflation, increased deposit volatility and potential regulatory developments; changes in the financial markets; changes in business plans as circumstances warrant; changes to U.S. tax laws, regulations and guidance; and other risks detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers should note that the forward-looking statements included in this press release are not a guarantee of future events, and that actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “will,” “propose,” “may,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” or similar terminology. Any forward-looking statements presented herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

    CONTACTS:
    Jeffrey G. Ludwig, President and CEO, at jludwig@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321
    Eric T. Lemke, Chief Financial Officer, at elemke@midlandsb.com or (217) 342-7321

     
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited)
                         
        As of
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Assets                    
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 176,587     $ 102,006     $ 114,766     $ 121,873     $ 124,646  
    Investment securities     1,354,652       1,368,405       1,212,366       1,216,795       1,099,654  
    Loans     5,064,695       5,018,053       5,167,574       5,728,237       5,829,057  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     (92,690 )     (105,176 )     (111,204 )     (151,067 )     (155,443 )
    Total loans, net     4,972,005       4,912,877       5,056,370       5,577,170       5,673,614  
    Loans held for sale     7,899       287,821       344,947       8,001       5,555  
    Premises and equipment, net     86,240       86,719       85,710       84,672       83,040  
    Other real estate owned     393       4,183       4,941       8,646       8,304  
    Loan servicing rights, at lower of cost or fair value     16,720       17,278       17,842       18,400       18,902  
    Goodwill     7,927       7,927       161,904       161,904       161,904  
    Other intangible assets, net     10,362       11,189       12,100       13,052       14,003  
    Company-owned life insurance     214,392       212,336       211,168       209,193       207,211  
    Credit enhancement asset     5,800       5,615       16,804       20,633       18,202  
    Other assets     254,901       268,448       267,891       263,850       293,039  
    Total assets   $ 7,107,878     $ 7,284,804     $ 7,506,809     $ 7,704,189     $ 7,708,074  
                         
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                    
    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits   $ 1,074,212     $ 1,090,707     $ 1,055,564     $ 1,050,617     $ 1,108,521  
    Interest-bearing deposits     4,872,707       4,845,727       5,141,679       5,206,219       5,009,502  
    Total deposits     5,946,919       5,936,434       6,197,243       6,256,836       6,118,023  
    Short-term borrowings     8,654       40,224       87,499       13,849       7,208  
    FHLB advances and other borrowings     345,000       498,000       258,000       425,000       600,000  
    Subordinated debt     77,759       77,754       77,749       82,744       91,656  
    Trust preferred debentures     51,518       51,358       51,205       51,058       50,921  
    Other liabilities     104,323       109,597       124,266       103,481       103,487  
    Total liabilities     6,534,173       6,713,367       6,795,962       6,932,968       6,971,295  
    Total shareholders’ equity     573,705       571,437       710,847       771,221       736,779  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 7,107,878     $ 7,284,804     $ 7,506,809     $ 7,704,189     $ 7,708,074  
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited) (continued)
                         
        For the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)    2025     2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Net interest income:                    
    Interest income   $ 97,924   $ 99,355     $ 104,470     $ 108,994     $ 107,138  
    Interest expense     39,229     41,065       45,900       49,884       48,243  
    Net interest income     58,695     58,290       58,570       59,110       58,895  
    Provision for credit losses:                    
    Provision for credit losses on loans     17,369     10,850       74,183       17,925       8,482  
    Recapture of credit losses on unfunded commitments     —     —       —       —       (200 )
    Total provision for credit losses     17,369     10,850       74,183       17,925       8,282  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses     41,326     47,440       (15,613 )     41,185       50,613  
    Noninterest income:                    
    Wealth management revenue     7,379     7,350       7,660       7,104       6,801  
    Service charges on deposit accounts     3,351     3,305       3,506       3,411       3,121  
    Interchange revenue     3,463     3,151       3,528       3,506       3,563  
    Residential mortgage banking revenue     756     676       637       697       557  
    Income on company-owned life insurance     2,068     2,334       1,975       1,981       1,925  
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     —     —       (34 )     (44 )     (152 )
    Credit enhancement income (loss)     3,848     (578 )     15,810       14,206       14,328  
    Other income     2,669     1,525       2,289       2,684       1,841  
    Total noninterest income     23,534     17,763       35,371       33,545       31,984  
    Noninterest expense:                    
    Salaries and employee benefits     25,685     26,416       22,283       24,382       22,872  
    Occupancy and equipment     4,166     4,498       4,286       4,393       3,964  
    Data processing     7,035     6,919       7,278       6,955       7,205  
    Professional services     2,792     2,741       1,580       1,744       2,243  
    Impairment on goodwill     —     153,977       —       —       —  
    Amortization of intangible assets     827     911       952       951       1,016  
    Impairment on leased assets and surrendered assets     —     —       7,601       —       —  
    FDIC insurance     1,422     1,463       1,383       1,402       1,219  
    Other expense     8,065     6,080       13,336       9,937       12,265  
    Total noninterest expense     49,992     203,005       58,699       49,764       50,784  
    Income (loss) before income taxes     14,868     (137,802 )     (38,941 )     24,966       31,813  
    Income tax expense (benefit)     2,844     3,172       (8,172 )     4,535       6,094  
    Net income (loss)     12,024     (140,974 )     (30,769 )     20,431       25,719  
    Preferred stock dividends     2,228     2,228       2,228       2,229       2,228  
    Net income (loss) available to common shareholders   $ 9,796   $ (143,202 )   $ (32,997 )   $ 18,202     $ 23,491  
                         
    Basic earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.44   $ (6.58 )   $ (1.52 )   $ 0.83     $ 1.06  
    Diluted earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.44   $ (6.58 )   $ (1.52 )   $ 0.83     $ 1.06  
    Weighted average common shares outstanding     21,820,190     21,795,570       21,748,428       21,675,818       21,731,195  
    Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding     21,820,190     21,795,570       21,753,711       21,678,242       21,734,849  
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL SUMMARY (unaudited)(continued)
                         
        As of
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands)    2025    2025    2024    2024    2024
    Loan Portfolio Mix                    
    Commercial loans   $ 1,178,792   $ 879,286   $ 934,847   $ 879,590   $ 955,667
    Equipment finance loans     364,526     390,276     416,970     442,552     461,409
    Equipment finance leases     347,155     373,168     391,390     417,531     428,659
    Commercial FHA warehouse lines     1,068     —     8,004     50,198     —
    Total commercial loans and leases     1,891,541     1,642,730     1,751,211     1,789,871     1,845,735
    Commercial real estate     2,412,761     2,592,325     2,591,664     2,510,472     2,421,505
    Construction and land development     258,729     264,966     299,842     422,253     476,528
    Residential real estate     361,261     373,095     380,557     378,658     378,393
    Consumer     140,403     144,937     144,300     626,983     706,896
    Total loans   $ 5,064,695   $ 5,018,053   $ 5,167,574   $ 5,728,237   $ 5,829,057
                         
    Loan Portfolio Segment                    
    Regions                    
    Eastern   $ 901,848   $ 897,792   $ 899,611   $ 902,993   $ 884,343
    Northern     753,590     747,028     714,562     730,752     724,782
    Southern     778,124     711,787     720,188     694,810     699,893
    St. Louis     884,685     902,743     868,190     850,327     825,291
    Total Community Bank     3,318,247     3,259,350     3,202,551     3,178,882     3,134,309
    Specialty finance     701,244     874,567     1,038,238     1,018,961     1,107,508
    Equipment finance     711,681     763,444     808,359     860,083     890,068
    Non-core loan program and other(1)     333,523     120,692     118,426     670,311     697,172
    Total loans   $ 5,064,695   $ 5,018,053   $ 5,167,574   $ 5,728,237   $ 5,829,057
                         
    Deposit Portfolio Mix                    
    Noninterest-bearing demand   $ 1,074,212   $ 1,090,707   $ 1,055,564   $ 1,050,617   $ 1,108,521
    Interest-bearing:                    
    Checking     2,180,717     2,161,282     2,378,256     2,389,970     2,343,533
    Money market     1,216,357     1,154,403     1,173,630     1,187,139     1,143,668
    Savings     511,470     522,663     507,305     510,260     538,462
    Time     818,813     818,732     822,981     849,413     852,415
    Brokered time     145,350     188,647     259,507     269,437     131,424
    Total deposits   $ 5,946,919   $ 5,936,434   $ 6,197,243   $ 6,256,836   $ 6,118,023
                         
    Deposit Portfolio by Channel                    
    Retail   $ 2,811,838   $ 2,846,494   $ 2,749,650   $ 2,695,077   $ 2,742,494
    Commercial     1,145,369     1,074,837     1,209,815     1,218,657     1,217,068
    Public Funds     618,172     490,374     505,912     574,704     568,889
    Wealth & Trust     304,626     301,251     340,615     332,242     298,659
    Servicing     785,659     842,567     896,436     958,662     931,892
    Brokered Deposits     248,707     358,063     473,451     390,558     238,708
    Other     32,548     22,848     21,364     86,936     120,313
    Total deposits   $ 5,946,919   $ 5,936,434   $ 6,197,243   $ 6,256,836   $ 6,118,023

    (1) Non-core loan programs refer to loan portfolios originated through third parties or capital markets, including loans to finance the sale of the GreenSky portfolio.

     
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (unaudited)
                         
    Adjusted Earnings Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands, expect per share data)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Income (loss) before income tax (benefit) expense – GAAP   $ 14,868     $ (137,802 )   $ (38,941 )   $ 24,966     $ 31,813  
    Adjustments to noninterest income:                    
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     —       —       34       44       152  
    Loss (gain) on repurchase of subordinated debt     —       —       13       (77 )     (167 )
    Total adjustments to noninterest income     —       —       47       (33 )     (15 )
    Adjustments to noninterest expense:                    
    Impairment on goodwill     —       (153,977 )     —       —       —  
    Total adjustments to noninterest expense     —       (153,977 )     —       —       —  
    Adjusted earnings (loss) pre tax – non-GAAP     14,868       16,175       (38,894 )     24,933       31,798  
    Adjusted earnings (loss) tax (benefit) expense     2,844       3,172       (8,159 )     4,526       6,090  
    Adjusted earnings (loss) – non-GAAP     12,024       13,003       (30,735 )     20,407       25,708  
    Preferred stock dividends     2,228       2,228       2,228       2,229       2,228  
    Adjusted earnings (loss) available to common shareholders   $ 9,796     $ 10,775     $ (32,963 )   $ 18,178     $ 23,480  
    Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.44     $ 0.49     $ (1.52 )   $ 0.82     $ 1.06  
                         
    Pre-Provision Net Revenue Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Income (loss) before income taxes   $ 14,868     $ (137,802 )   $ (38,941 )   $ 24,966     $ 31,813  
    Provision for credit losses     17,369       10,850       74,183       17,925       8,282  
    Impairment on goodwill     —       153,977       —       —       —  
    Pre-provision net revenue   $ 32,237     $ 27,025     $ 35,242     $ 42,891     $ 40,095  
    Pre-provision net revenue per diluted share   $ 1.48     $ 1.24     $ 1.62     $ 1.98     $ 1.84  
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets     1.81 %     1.47 %     1.83 %     2.21 %     2.07 %
    MIDLAND STATES BANCORP, INC.
    RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (unaudited)
                         
    Efficiency Ratio Reconciliation
                         
        For the Three Months Ended
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Noninterest expense – GAAP   $ 49,992     $ 203,005     $ 58,699     $ 49,764     $ 50,784  
    Impairment on goodwill     —       (153,977 )     —       —       —  
    Adjusted noninterest expense   $ 49,992     $ 49,028     $ 58,699     $ 49,764     $ 50,784  
                         
    Net interest income – GAAP   $ 58,695     $ 58,290     $ 58,570     $ 59,110     $ 58,895  
    Effect of tax-exempt income     267       208       220       205       170  
    Adjusted net interest income     58,962       58,498       58,790       59,315       59,065  
                         
    Noninterest income – GAAP     23,534       17,763       35,371       33,545       31,984  
    Loss on sales of investment securities, net     —       —       34       44       152  
    Loss (gain) on repurchase of subordinated debt     —       —       13       (77 )     (167 )
    Adjusted noninterest income     23,534       17,763       35,418       33,512       31,969  
                         
    Adjusted total revenue   $ 82,496     $ 76,261     $ 94,208     $ 92,827     $ 91,034  
                         
    Efficiency ratio     60.60 %     64.29 %     62.31 %     53.61 %     55.79 %
    Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets Ratio and Tangible Book Value Per Share
                         
        As of
        June 30,   March 31,   December 31,   September 30,   June 30,
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)     2025       2025       2024       2024       2024  
    Shareholders’ Equity to Tangible Common Equity                        
    Total shareholders’ equity—GAAP   $ 573,705     $ 571,437     $ 710,847     $ 771,221     $ 736,779  
    Adjustments:                    
    Preferred Stock     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )     (110,548 )
    Goodwill     (7,927 )     (7,927 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )
    Other intangible assets, net     (10,362 )     (11,189 )     (12,100 )     (13,052 )     (14,003 )
    Tangible common equity     444,868       441,773       426,295       485,717       450,324  
                         
    Total Assets to Tangible Assets:                    
    Total assets—GAAP   $ 7,107,878     $ 7,284,804     $ 7,506,809     $ 7,704,189     $ 7,708,074  
    Adjustments:                    
    Goodwill     (7,927 )     (7,927 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )     (161,904 )
    Other intangible assets, net     (10,362 )     (11,189 )     (12,100 )     (13,052 )     (14,003 )
    Tangible assets   $ 7,089,589     $ 7,265,688     $ 7,332,805     $ 7,529,233     $ 7,532,167  
                         
    Common Shares Outstanding     21,515,138       21,503,036       21,494,485       21,393,905       21,377,215  
                         
    Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets     6.27 %     6.08 %     5.81 %     6.45 %     5.98 %
    Tangible Book Value Per Share   $ 20.68     $ 20.54     $ 19.83     $ 22.70     $ 21.07  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: XAI Madison Equity Premium Income Fund Will Host its Q2 2025 Quarterly Webinar on August 7, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XAI Madison Equity Premium Income Fund (NYSE: MCN) (the “Fund”) today announced that it plans to host the Fund’s Quarterly Webinar on August 7, 2025 at 11:00 am (Eastern Time). Jared Hagen, Vice President at XA Investments (“XAI”) will moderate the Q&A style webinar with Kimberly Flynn, President at XAI, and Ray Di Bernardo, Portfolio Manager at Madison Investments.

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

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

    Dial: (312)-626-6799 or (646)-558-8656 or (267)-831-0333 or (720)-928-9299 or (213)-338-8477
    Webinar ID: 818 2684 2773

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

    The Fund’s primary investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and gains, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The Fund pursues its investment objectives by investing in a portfolio consisting primarily of high quality, large and mid-capitalization stocks that are, in the view of the Fund’s Investment sub-adviser, selling at a reasonable price in relation to their long-term earnings growth rates. The Fund will, on an ongoing and consistent basis, sell covered call options on its portfolio stocks to seek to generate current earnings from option premiums. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The Fund’s common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MCN.

    About XA Investments

    XA Investments LLC (“XAI”) is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in 2016. XAI serves as the investment adviser for two listed closed-end funds and an interval closed-end fund, respectively the XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust, the XAI Madison Equity Premium Income Fund, and the Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund. In addition to investment advisory services, the firm also provides investment fund structuring and consulting services focused on registered closed-end funds to meet institutional client needs. XAI offers custom product build and consulting services, including product development and market research, marketing and fund management. XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. For more information, please visit www.xainvestments.com.

    About XMS Capital Partners

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

    About Madison Investments

    Madison Investments (Madison) is an independent investment management firm based in Madison, Wisconsin. The firm was founded in 1974, has approximately $28 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025, and is recognized as one of the nation’s top investment firms. The firm has managed covered call strategies for over 20 years through various market cycles. Madison offers domestic fixed income, U.S. and international equity, covered call, multi-asset, insurance, and credit union investment management strategies. For more information, please visit www.madisonfunds.com.

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

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

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

             
    NOT FDIC INSURED        NO BANK GUARANTEE    MAY LOSE VALUE
             
        Paralel Distributors, LLC – Distributor    
             

    Media Contact:

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

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Credit Acceptance Announces Timing of Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Release and Webcast

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Southfield, Michigan, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Credit Acceptance Corporation (Nasdaq: CACC) (referred to as the “Company”, “Credit Acceptance”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) announced today that we expect to issue a news release with our second quarter 2025 earnings on Thursday, July 31, 2025, after the market closes. A webcast is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss second quarter 2025 earnings.  

    Conference Call and Webcast Information:
    Date: Thursday, July 31, 2025
    Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

    Telephone Access: 

    Only persons accessing the webcast by telephone will be able to pose questions to the presenters during the webcast. To participate by telephone, you must pre-register using the following link:

    https://register.vevent.com/register/BIdf2e1302737241fd92014eec2b76a62f

    or through the link posted on the “Investor Relations” section of our website at ir.creditacceptance.com. Upon registering you will be provided with the dial-in number and a unique PIN to access the webcast by telephone.

    Webcast Access:
    The webcast can also be accessed live by visiting the “Investor Relations” section of our website at ir.creditacceptance.com.

    Additionally, a replay and transcript of the webcast will be archived in the “Investor Relations” section of our website.

    Description of Credit Acceptance Corporation

    We make vehicle ownership possible by providing innovative financing solutions that enable automobile dealers to sell vehicles to consumers regardless of their credit history. Our financing programs are offered through a nationwide network of automobile dealers who benefit from sales of vehicles to consumers who otherwise could not obtain financing; from repeat and referral sales generated by these same customers; and from sales to customers responding to advertisements for our financing programs, but who actually end up qualifying for traditional financing.

    Without our financing programs, consumers are often unable to purchase vehicles or they purchase unreliable ones. Further, as we report to the three national credit reporting agencies, an important ancillary benefit of our programs is that we provide consumers with an opportunity to improve their lives by improving their credit score and move on to more traditional sources of financing. Credit Acceptance is publicly traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol CACC. For more information, visit creditacceptance.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Social leasing schemes and used vehicles – E-002996/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002996/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Majdouline Sbai (Verts/ALE)

    In its communication of 5 March 2025 entitled ‘Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector’ (COM(2025)0095), the Commission declared that social leasing schemes ‘can support affordable clean mobility for less advantaged consumers, while giving a direct boost to zero-emission vehicles sales’. In its recommendation of 22 May 2025 on transport poverty, the Commission recognised the need to establish social leasing schemes for both new and second-hand zero-emission vehicles. Yet it did not really detail how second-hand zero-emission vehicles could be included in these social leasing schemes.

    Given the large stocks of used vehicles currently present in the Member States and the opportunity to make them more accessible to vulnerable groups by including them in social leasing schemes:

    • 1.has the Commission already conducted impact studies on the inclusion of used vehicles in social leasing schemes, and would it be willing to share the results?
    • 2.what would be the Commission’s recommendations on how precisely to include them in the social leasing schemes?
    • 3.does the Commission envisage any EU legislation on the matter to avoid fragmentation of the EU single market and promote the inclusion of both EU new and used electric vehicles in social leasing schemes?

    Submitted: 18.7.2025

    Last updated: 24 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Supervisor of Camden County Jail Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation in the Assault of Pretrial Detainee

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A former deputy sheriff and Jail Corporal with the Camden County Sheriff’s Office was sentenced today to 16 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting a pretrial detainee, identified by the initials J.H.

    Ryan Robert Biegel, 27, of Kingsland, Georgia, pleaded guilty before the Honorable Lisa G. Wood on January 28 to one count of using unreasonable force against the detainee. According to the plea agreement, on September 3, 2022, Biegel and two other correctional officers entered a holding cell in which J.H. was being detained. Upon entering the cell, two other correctional officers restrained J.H.’s arms and pushed him against a wall. Biegel admitted that he punched J.H. five times in the back of the head, which he knew was not reasonable or necessary to accomplish a legitimate law enforcement purpose, and then struck J.H. in the head and body an additional twenty-two times with his fists and knees.

    The FBI Brunswick RA Field Office investigated the matter along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. Kirkland for the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2024: Minister Ellis

    “I am pleased to see Statistics Canada’s 2024 police-reported crime statistics show significant improvement in Alberta. Our province achieved a nine per cent decrease in both crime severity and overall crime rate – more than double the national decline of four per cent. These strong results show that Alberta is on the right track.

    “While there is still more work to do to keep Albertans and their property safe, these results reflect the outstanding efforts of law enforcement officers across the province. I want to thank all the police services operating across Alberta for their commitment to protecting our communities. Their work, combined with strategic provincial investments in public safety, community engagement and crime prevention is delivering clear, measurable results for Albertans.

    “For instance, Statistics Canada reports that property crime and vehicle theft in Alberta dropped by eight and nine per cent respectively in 2024, continuing a broader downward trend.

    “Our year-over-year figures are encouraging and so are those illustrating long-term trends. Alberta has seen a significantly lower increase in crime severity compared to the rest of the country and recorded the lowest increase in crime rate among all provinces – six times lower than the national average.

    “While these short- and long-term trends are cause for optimism, Alberta’s government remains firmly committed to improving the safety and security of our communities through comprehensive action. While police services across the province are working hard to serve their communities, specialized units within the Alberta Sheriffs continue to augment and support their work, closing drug houses, apprehending fugitives and bolstering surveillance and officer presence in rural areas.

    “The province’s strong support for the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams is also helping disrupt organized and serious crime across the province. It’s clear that officer presence matters, and investments in front-line policing are helping address social disorder and improve public safety in our urban centres. 

    “However, these local successes stand in stark contrast to the ongoing inaction from the federal government whose policies have broken the bail system, allowing violent repeat offenders back on our streets, contributing to a national increase in crime. Alberta continues to call on Ottawa to reverse its harmful policy decisions that have made it harder for police to do their jobs and easier for offenders to reoffend.

    “I look forward to continuing our productive partnerships with police services across the province to maintain these positive provincial trends. People deserve communities in which they can live, work and raise a family in peace and security. While this recent data shows that things are moving in the right direction, we won’t take our eye off the ball. Alberta’s government will continue to do whatever it takes to improve public safety, reduce crime and foster safer streets and neighbourhoods for all Albertans.”

    Related news

    • New chief, next step for municipal policing option (July 2, 2025)
    • Expanding municipal police service options (April 7, 2025)
    • Tackling catalytic converter and scrap metal theft (April 7, 2025)
    • Helping rural municipalities with policing costs (Nov. 6, 2024)
    • Alberta Sheriffs help bring fugitives to justice (Sept. 17, 2024)
    • More boots on the ground to fight rural crime (July 18, 2024)
    • More boots on the ground in Calgary and Edmonton (Apr. 11, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kelly, Morelle, Langworthy, Houlahan lead bipartisan effort to squash the invasive Spotted Lanternfly

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R, PA-16), Joe Morelle (D, NY-25), Chrissy Houlahan (D, PA-06), and Nick Langworthy (R, NY-23) introduced bipartisan legislation to stop the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive species that poses a significant threat to the American agricultural economy.

    “Agriculture plays a vital role in Pennsylvania’s economy, especially in my district which is home to many family farms and agricultural businesses,” said Rep. Kelly. “In Pennsylvania alone, the Spotted Lanternfly could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damage and eliminate thousands of agricultural jobs. We must protect our farmers and harvesters from this invasive and dangerous threat.”

    “It’s hard to visit the Finger Lakes without enjoying our amazing vineyards and orchards, but sadly, they’re under serious threat from the Spotted Lanternfly,” said Congressman Morelle. “My legislation would provide additional support for both local and national organizations committed to fighting back against this invasive, destructive pest. I’m grateful to Representatives Kelly, Houlahan, and Langworthy for joining me in supporting this critical bill, and I hope to see it passed and signed into law soon.”

    “Across our community, I hear time and again about how devastating these pests can be. Whether you’re a farmer, a homeowner, or just someone who enjoys the delicious produce grown by our community’s farmers, the invasive Spotted Lanternfly poses a serious problem,” said Rep. Houlahan. “I’m glad to join this bipartisan group of leaders who are once again stepping up to unlock new research funding on eradicating these insects. I was thrilled to see this legislation included last year in both the House and Senate drafts of the Farm Bill and remain optimistic that this year, we will be able to push this legislation forward to deliver these badly needed funds.”

    “The Spotted Lanternfly infestation continues to wreak havoc across Western New York and the Southern Tier, especially devastating our grape crops,” said Congressman Langworthy. “Year after year, this invasive pest inflicts severe damage, threatening not only our crops but the livelihoods of hardworking farmers and the very future of our agricultural communities. This crisis can no longer be ignored. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to safeguard our crops, protect our local farmers’ livelihoods, and preserve the future of our agricultural communities.”

    BACKGROUND

    The Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act designates the Spotted Lanternfly as a high-priority research and extension initiative under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This designation authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive grants available for research projects related to the mitigation of this invasive species so we can find creative solutions to stop the spread before Pennsylvania’s cash crops are further decimated.

    How you can help stop the spread:

    • Learn how to identify the Spotted Lanternfly.
    • Inspect outdoor items such as firewood, vehicles, and furniture for egg masses.
    • If you visit other states with Spotted Lanternfly, be sure to check all equipment and gear before leaving and scrape off any egg masses.
    • Report sightings by completing this form.
    • If you see a Spotted Lanternfly, kill it immediately by stepping on it or crushing it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Supervisor of Camden County Jail Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation in the Assault of Pretrial Detainee

    Source: US State of California

    A former deputy sheriff and Jail Corporal with the Camden County Sheriff’s Office was sentenced today to 16 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting a pretrial detainee, identified by the initials J.H.

    Ryan Robert Biegel, 27, of Kingsland, Georgia, pleaded guilty before the Honorable Lisa G. Wood on January 28 to one count of using unreasonable force against the detainee. According to the plea agreement, on September 3, 2022, Biegel and two other correctional officers entered a holding cell in which J.H. was being detained. Upon entering the cell, two other correctional officers restrained J.H.’s arms and pushed him against a wall. Biegel admitted that he punched J.H. five times in the back of the head, which he knew was not reasonable or necessary to accomplish a legitimate law enforcement purpose, and then struck J.H. in the head and body an additional twenty-two times with his fists and knees.

    The FBI Brunswick RA Field Office investigated the matter along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. Kirkland for the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SEE visits Shenzhen to learn more about charging infrastructure (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, and officials of the Environment and Ecology Bureau visited Shenzhen today (July 24) to learn more about its charging infrastructure.
     
         Mr Tse first visited Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co, Ltd to learn more about the company’s latest developments on supercharging, energy storage, automatic charging for electric vehicles (EV), and the latest carbon reduction solutions offered to the market.
     
         Mr Tse then visited the Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality to exchange views with officials of the Commission and representatives of new energy enterprises to better understand the latest developments of charging infrastructure in Shenzhen. Mr Tse expressed that Shenzhen’s latest developments and successful experiences in EV charging facilities provide valuable references for Hong Kong and inspire new ideas for the future development of Hong Kong’s charging facilities. He also expressed the hope that Hong Kong and Shenzhen will continue to strengthen exchanges and co-operation to jointly promote ecological civilisation construction and regional green and low-carbon development in the Greater Bay Area.
     
         In the afternoon, Mr Tse visited the Lianhuashan Supercharging Station. This site integrates photovoltaic storage supercharging and vehicle-to-grid technology in one public supercharging demonstration station, with a maximum charging power of up to 600 kilowatts and supports high-power reverse discharge back to the grid.
     
         Mr Tse also visited the government car park at the Futian District Committee Compound. The project is a demonstration point that combines solar power generation, power storage and supercharging services. Integrating intelligent low-carbon technology, high-energy efficiency and architectural aesthetics, it is equipped with a liquid-cooled supercharging system and an intelligent energy storage system, generating an annual average solar power output of 500 000 kilowatt hours.
    　　
    Mr Tse returned to Hong Kong this evening.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Response from the Environment and Ecology Bureau on judicial review judgment on transgender people using FEHD public toilets

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    A spokesperson for the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) stated that regarding the judgment handed down by the Court of First Instance yesterday (July 23) on the judicial review concerning the provisions related to segregation of the sexes under the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulation (Cap. 132BL), the Government is carefully studying the judgment and seeking legal advice, and is considering lodging an appeal. At present, members of the public must continue to enter public toilets according to the principle of segregation of the sexes to avoid contravening the relevant laws.

    The spokesperson for the EEB said, “The establishment of sex-segregated public toilets under the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulation aims to protect the privacy and safety of the public when using public toilets, and to reflect social norms and expectations. This arrangement has been widely accepted by society.”

    Currently, public toilets under the purview of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) are categorised into sex-segregated public toilets and gender neutral public toilets. Sex-segregated toilets follow the segregation of the sexes under the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulation. At the same time, gender-neutral toilets are available near about half of all sex-segregated toilets , including “Accessible Toilets” or “Unisex Toilets”, which are available for use by all members of the public, including transgender individuals.

    In this judicial review, the Court of First Instance ordered that the provisions related to segregation of the sexes under the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulation shall be struck down, and suspended the execution of the order for 12 months to allow the Government time to address the matter of transgender individuals with gender identity disorder using FEHD public toilets. As indicated above, the Government is carefully studying the judgment and seeking legal advice, and is considering lodging an appeal.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shiprock Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Deadly Drunk Driving Crash

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for causing a deadly drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation reservation that resulted in two deaths and serious injuries.

    According to court documents, on December 1, 2023, Brian Gonnie, 45, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol on Highway 64 in Shiprock, New Mexico. He was traveling at approximately 86 mph in a 35-mph zone when he crossed into the oncoming lane and struck another vehicle head-on. The crash claimed the lives of Gonnie’s passenger and the driver of the other vehicle. A passenger in the struck vehicle sustained life-altering injuries, including multiple fractures and required extensive surgery.

    Gonnie’s blood alcohol concentration was measured at .267%, with numerous empty alcohol containers found in his vehicle. During an interview with FBI agents, Gonnie admitted to drinking and driving the night of the crash.

    Gonnie subsequently pled to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault. Upon his release, Gonnie will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    This case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets Somaliland Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adam  

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-07-22
    President Lai meets cross-party Irish Oireachtas delegation
    On the morning of July 22, President Lai Ching-te met with a cross-party delegation from the Oireachtas (parliament) of Ireland. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan and Ireland are both guardians of the values of freedom and democracy. He indicated that Taiwan will continue to take action and show the world that it is a trustworthy democratic partner that can contribute to the international community, saying that we look forward to building an even closer partnership with Ireland as we work together for the well-being of our peoples and for global democracy, peace, and prosperity. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Deputy Speaker John McGuinness is a dear friend of Taiwan who also chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association. Thanks to his efforts over the years, support for Taiwan has grown stronger in the Oireachtas. I thank him and all of our guests for traveling such a long way to demonstrate support for Taiwan and open more doors for exchanges and cooperation. Europe is Taiwan’s third largest trading partner and largest source of foreign investment. Ireland is a European stronghold for technology and innovative industries. Just like Taiwan, Ireland is an export-oriented economy. Our industrial structures are highly complementary. We hope that Taiwan’s electronics manufacturing and machinery industries can explore deeper cooperation with Ireland’s ICT software and biopharmaceutical fields, creating win-win outcomes. In May, the Irish government launched its National Semiconductor Strategy, outlining a vision to become a global semiconductor hub. Taiwan is home to the world’s most critical semiconductor ecosystem, and our own industrial development closely parallels that of Ireland. Moreover, we aspire to build non-red technological supply chains with democratic partners. I believe that going forward, Taiwan and Ireland can bolster collaboration so as to upgrade the competitiveness of our respective semiconductor industries. Together, we can help build a values-based economic system for democracies. I was delighted to receive congratulations from Deputy Speaker McGuinness on my election. Taiwan and Ireland are both guardians of the values of freedom and democracy. This visit from our guests further attests to our common beliefs. As authoritarianism continues to expand, Taiwan will continue to take action and show the world that it is a trustworthy democratic partner that can contribute to the international community. We look forward to building an even closer partnership with Ireland as we work together for the well-being of our peoples and for global democracy, peace, and prosperity. Deputy Speaker McGuinness then delivered remarks, stating that he has been to Taiwan on many occasions and that it is a great honor to join President Lai and his staff at the Presidential Office. He said that Ireland has continued to build its strong relationship with Taiwan based on our democratic values and the interests that we have in trade throughout the world, strengthening this relationship based on culture, education, and more. Noting that he served with many other diplomats from Taiwan, he said all had the same goal, which was to further the interests of the Ireland-Taiwan friendship and to ensure that it grows and prospers. The deputy speaker then extended to President Lai the delegation’s best wishes for his term in office, stating that they commit to the same values as the previous friendship groups that have been visiting Taiwan. He went on to say that some members of the group are newly elected, representing the next generation of the association, and that they are committed to working together with Taiwan to stand strong in the defense of democracy. Deputy Speaker McGuinness also noted that the father of Deputy Ken O’Flynn, one of the delegation members, played an important role as a former chairman of the association, remarking that it is good to see such continuity taking place. Deputy Speaker McGuiness said that he believes the world is facing huge challenges and uncertainty in terms of our markets and trade with one another. He said we have to watch for what the United States will do next and be conscious of what China is doing, emphasizing that the European Union stands strong in the center of this, while Ireland plays a huge role in the context of democracy, trade, and the betterment of all things for the citizens that they represent. The deputy speaker then stated that while we focus on the development of AI that is extremely important for all of us, we can work together to ensure that we control AI rather than AI controlling us. He also remarked that we cannot lose sight of our traditional trading means, saying that we have to keep all of our trade together, expand on that trade, and then take on the new technologies that come before us. Deputy Speaker McGuinness concluded his remarks by thanking President Lai for receiving the delegation, stating that they commit to their continuation of support for Taiwan and for democracy. Also in attendance were Deputies Malcolm Byrne and Barry Ward, and Senator Teresa Costello.

    Details
    2025-07-22
    President Lai meets official delegation from European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield
    On the morning of July 22, President Lai Ching-te met with an official delegation from the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS). In remarks, President Lai thanked the committee for choosing to visit Taiwan for its first trip to Asia, demonstrating the close ties between Taiwan and Europe. President Lai emphasized that Taiwan, standing at the very frontline of the democratic world, is determined to protect democracy, peace, and prosperity worldwide. He expressed hope that we can share our experiences with Europe to foster even more resilient societies. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Firstly, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to your delegation, which marks another official visit from the European Parliament. The Special Committee on the EUDS aims to strengthen societal resilience and counter disinformation and hybrid threats. Having been constituted at the beginning of this year, the committee has chosen to visit Taiwan for its first trip to Asia, demonstrating the close ties between Taiwan and Europe and the unlimited possibilities for deepening cooperation on issues of concern. I am also delighted to see many old friends of Taiwan gathered here today. I deeply appreciate your longstanding support for Taiwan. Taiwan and the European Union enjoy close trade and economic relations and share the values of freedom and democracy. However, in recent years, we have both been subjected to information manipulation and infiltration by foreign forces that seek to interfere in democratic elections, foment division in our societies, and shake people’s faith in democracy. Taiwan not only faces an onslaught of disinformation, but also is the target of gray-zone aggression. That is why, after taking office, I established the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee at the Presidential Office, with myself as convener. The committee is a platform that integrates domestic affairs, national defense, foreign affairs, cybersecurity, and civil resources. It aims to strengthen the capability of Taiwan’s society to defend itself against new forms of threat, pinpoint external and internal vulnerabilities, and bolster overall resilience and security. The efforts that democracies make are not for opposing anyone else; they are for safeguarding the way of life that we cherish – just as Europe has endeavored to promote diversity and human rights. The Taiwanese people firmly believe that when our society is united and people trust one another, we will be able to withstand any form of authoritarian aggression. Taiwan stands at the very frontline of the democratic world. We are determined to protect democracy, peace, and prosperity worldwide. We also hope to share our experiences with Europe and deepen cooperation in such fields as cybersecurity, media literacy, and societal resilience. Thank you once again for visiting Taiwan. Your presence further strengthens the foundations of Taiwan-Europe relations. Let us continue to work together to uphold freedom and democracy and foster even more resilient societies. EUDS Special Committee Chair Nathalie Loiseau then delivered remarks, saying that the delegation has members from different countries, including France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Belgium, and different political parties, but that they have in common their desire for stronger relations between the EU and Taiwan. Committee Chair Loiseau stated that the EU and Taiwan, having many things in common, should work more together. She noted that we have strong trade relations, strong investments on both sides, and strong cultural relations, while we are also facing very similar challenges and threats. She said that we are democracies living in a world where autocracies want to weaken and divide democracies. She added that we also face external information manipulation, cyberattacks, sabotage, attempts to capture elites, and every single gray-zone activity that aims to divide and weaken us. Committee Chair Loiseau pointed out another commonality, that we have never threatened our neighbors. She said that we want to live in peace and we care about our people; we want to defend ourselves, not to attack others. We are not being threatened because of what we do, she emphasized, but because of what we are; and thus there is no reason for not working more together to face these threats and attacks. Committee Chair Loiseau said that Taiwan has valuable experience and good practices in the area of societal resilience, and that they are interested in learning more about Taiwan’s whole-of-society approach. They in Europe are facing interference, she said, mainly from Russia, and they know that Russia inspires others. She added that they in the EU also have experience regulating social media in a way which combines freedom of expression and responsibility. In closing, the chair said that they are happy to have the opportunity to exchange views with President Lai and that the European Parliament will continue to strongly support relations between the EU and Taiwan. The delegation also included Members of the European Parliament Engin Eroglu, Tomáš Zdechovský, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Kathleen Van Brempt, and Markéta Gregorová.

    Details
    2025-07-17
    President Lai meets President of Guatemalan Congress Nery Abilio Ramos y Ramos  
    On the morning of July 17, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Nery Abilio Ramos y Ramos, the president of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala. In remarks, President Lai thanked Congress President Ramos and the Guatemalan Congress for their support for Taiwan, and noted that official diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Guatemala go back more than 90 years. As important partners in the global democratic community, the president said, the two nations will continue moving forward together in joint defense of the values of democracy and freedom, and will cooperate to promote regional and global prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:  I recall that when Congress President Ramos visited Taiwan in July last year, he put forward many ideas about how our countries could promote bilateral cooperation and exchanges. Now, a year later, he is leading another cross-party delegation from the Guatemalan Congress on a visit, demonstrating support for Taiwan and continuing to help deepen our diplomatic ties. In addition to extending a sincere welcome to the distinguished delegation members who have traveled so far to be here, I would also like to express our concern and condolences for everyone in Guatemala affected by the earthquake that struck earlier this month. We hope that the recovery effort is going smoothly. Official diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Guatemala go back more than 90 years. In such fields as healthcare, agriculture, education, and women’s empowerment, we have continually strengthened our cooperation to benefit our peoples. Just last month, Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo and the First Lady led a delegation on a state visit to Taiwan. President Arévalo and I signed a letter of intent for semiconductor cooperation, and also witnessed the signing of cooperation documents to establish a political consultation mechanism and continue to promote bilateral investment. This has laid an even sounder foundation for bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and will help enhance both countries’ international competitiveness. Taiwan is currently running a semiconductor vocational training program, helping Guatemala cultivate semiconductor talent and develop its tech industry, and demonstrating our determination to share experience with democratic partners. At the same time, we continue to assist Taiwanese businesses in their efforts to develop overseas markets with Guatemala as an important base, spurring industrial development in both countries and increasing economic and trade benefits. I want to thank Congress President Ramos and the Guatemalan Congress for their continued support for Taiwan’s international participation. Representing the Guatemalan Congress, Congress President Ramos has signed resolutions in support of Taiwan, and has also issued statements addressing China’s misinterpretation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. Taiwan and Guatemala, as important partners in the global democratic community, will continue moving forward together in joint defense of the values of democracy and freedom, and will cooperate to promote regional and global prosperity and development. Congress President Ramos then delivered remarks, first noting that the members of the delegation are not only from different parties, but also represent different classes, cultures, professions, and departments, which shows that the diplomatic ties between Guatemala and the Republic of China (Taiwan) are based on firm friendships at all levels and in all fields. Noting that this was his second time to visit Taiwan and meet with President Lai, Congress President Ramos thanked the government of Taiwan for its warm hospitality. With the international situation growing more complex by the day, he said, Guatemala highly values its longstanding friendship and cooperative ties with Taiwan, and hopes that both sides can continue to deepen their cooperation in such areas as the economy, technology, education, agriculture, and culture, and work together to spur sustainable development in each of our countries. Congress President Ramos said that the way the Taiwan government looks after the well-being of its people is an excellent model for how other countries should promote national development and social well-being. Accordingly, he said, the Guatemalan Congress has stood for justice and, for a second time, adopted a resolution backing Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly. Regarding President Arévalo’s state visit to Taiwan the previous month, Congress President Ramos commented that this high-level interaction has undoubtedly strengthened the diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Guatemala and led to more opportunities for cooperation. Congress President Ramos emphasized that democracy, freedom, and human rights are universal values that bind Taiwan and Guatemala together, and that he is confident the two countries’ diplomatic ties will continue to grow deeper. In closing, on behalf of the Republic of Guatemala, Congress President Ramos presented President Lai with a Chinese translation of the resolution that the Guatemalan Congress proposed to the UN in support of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, demonstrating the staunch bonds of friendship between the two countries. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Guatemala Ambassador Luis Raúl Estévez López.  

    Details
    2025-07-08
    President Lai meets delegation led by Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste of Republic of Haiti
    On the morning of July 8, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste of the Republic of Haiti and his wife. In remarks, President Lai noted that our two countries will soon mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations and that our exchanges have been fruitful in important areas such as public security, educational cooperation, and infrastructure. The president stated that Taiwan will continue to work together with Haiti to promote the development of medical and health care, food security, and construction that benefits people’s livelihoods. The president thanked Haiti for supporting Taiwan’s international participation and expressed hope that both countries will continue to support each other, deepen cooperation, and face various challenges together. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet and exchange ideas with Minister Jean-Baptiste, his wife, and our distinguished guests. Minister Jean-Baptiste is the highest-ranking official from Haiti to visit Taiwan since former President Jovenel Moïse visited in 2018, demonstrating the importance that the Haitian government attaches to our bilateral diplomatic ties. On behalf of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I extend a sincere welcome. Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between our two countries. Our bilateral exchanges have been fruitful in important areas such as public security, educational cooperation, and infrastructure. Over the past few years, Haiti has faced challenges in such areas as food supply and healthcare. Taiwan will continue to work together with Haiti through various cooperative programs to promote the development of medical and health care, food security, and construction that benefits people’s livelihoods. I want to thank the government of Haiti and Minister Jean-Baptiste for speaking out in support of Taiwan on the international stage for many years. Minister Jean-Baptiste’s personal letter to the World Health Organization Secretariat in May this year and Minister of Public Health and Population Bertrand Sinal’s public statement during the World Health Assembly both affirmed Taiwan’s efforts and contributions to global public health and supported Taiwan’s international participation, for which we are very grateful. I hope that Taiwan and Haiti will continue to support each other and deepen cooperation. I believe that Minister Jean-Baptiste’s visit will open up more opportunities for cooperation for both countries, helping Taiwan and Haiti face various challenges together. In closing, I once again offer a sincere welcome to the delegation led by Minister Jean-Baptiste, and ask him to convey greetings from Taiwan to Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and the members of the Transitional Presidential Council. Minister Jean-Baptiste then delivered remarks, saying that he is extremely honored to visit Taiwan and reaffirm the solid and friendly cooperative relationship based on mutual respect between the Republic of Haiti and the Republic of China (Taiwan), which will soon mark its 70th anniversary. He also brought greetings to President Lai from Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council and Prime Minister Fils-Aimé. Minister Jean-Baptiste emphasized that over the past few decades, despite the great geographical distance and developmental and cultural differences between our two countries, we have nevertheless established a firm friendship and demonstrated to the world the progress resulting from the mutual assistance and cooperation between our peoples. Minister Jean-Baptiste pointed out that our two countries cooperate closely in agriculture, health, education, and community development and have achieved concrete results. Taiwan’s voice, he said, is thus essential for the people of Haiti. He noted that Taiwan also plays an important role in peace and innovation and actively participates in global cooperative efforts. Pointing out that the world is currently facing significant challenges and that Haiti is experiencing its most difficult period in history, Minister Jean-Baptiste said that at this time, Taiwan and Haiti need to unite, help each other, and jointly think about how to move forward and deepen bilateral relations to benefit the peoples of both countries. Minister Jean-Baptiste said that he is pleased that throughout our solid and friendly diplomatic relationship, both countries have demonstrated mutual trust, mutual respect, and the values we jointly defend. He then stated his belief that Haiti and Taiwan will together create a cooperation model and future that are sincere, friendly, and sustainable. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Francilien Victorin of the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in Taiwan.

    Details
    2025-07-01
    President Lai meets delegation from 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum
    On the afternoon of July 1, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum (TIOF). In remarks, President Lai noted that the people of Taiwan will continue to work with democratic partners throughout the world in a maritime spirit of freedom and openness to contribute to ocean governance and jointly ensure maritime security. He expressed hope that their visit will help forge stronger friendships between Taiwan and international maritime partners, so that all can work together to spur shared maritime prosperity and sustainable development for the next generation. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I want to thank our guests for coming here to the Presidential Office. The 2025 TIOF will take place tomorrow and the day after, and I thank you all for making the long trip to Taiwan to attend the event and share your valuable insights and experiences. This year’s forum will focus on strategies for strengthening maritime security and pathways to achieving a sustainable blue economy. By attending this forum, our guests are highlighting their commitment to safeguarding the oceans, and beyond that, taking concrete action to demonstrate support for Taiwan. I once again offer deepest gratitude on behalf of the people of Taiwan. Taiwan holds a key position on the first island chain, is one of the world’s top 10 shipping nations, and accounts for close to 10 percent of global container shipping by volume. As such, Taiwan occupies a unique and important position in maritime strategy. For Taiwan, the ocean is more than just a basis for survival and development; it is also an important driver of national prosperity. In my inaugural address last year, I spoke of a threefold approach to further Taiwan’s development. One of these involves further developing our strengths as a maritime nation. Our government must actively help deepen our connections with the ocean, and must continue to promote green shipping, a sustainable fishing industry, marine renewable energy, and other forms of industrial transformation. It must also make use of marine technology and digital innovation to create a new paradigm that balances environmental, economic, and social inclusion concerns. This will help enhance Taiwan’s responsibilities and competitiveness as a maritime nation. Taiwan is surrounded by ocean, and our territorial waters are a natural protective barrier. However, continued gray-zone aggression from China creates serious threats and challenges to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Our government continues to invest resources to deal with increasingly complex maritime security issues. In addition to building coast guard patrol vessels, we must also step up efforts to build underwater, surface, and airborne unmanned vehicles and smart reconnaissance equipment, so as to demonstrate Taiwan’s determination to defend democracy and freedom and commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Oceans are Taiwan’s roots, and provide the channels by which we engage with the world. The people of Taiwan will continue to work with democratic partners throughout the world in a maritime spirit of freedom and openness to contribute to ocean governance and jointly ensure maritime security. The TIOF was first launched in 2020, and has now become an important platform for enhancement of cooperation between Taiwan and other countries. I hope that our distinguished guests will reap great benefits at this year’s forum, and further hope that this visit will help forge stronger friendships between Taiwan and international maritime partners, so that all can work together to spur shared maritime prosperity and sustainable development for the next generation. Chairman of The Washington Times Thomas McDevitt, a member of the delegation, then delivered remarks, noting first that July 4th, this Friday, is Independence Day in America. Independence is a sacred, powerful word which has great meaning in this part of the world, he said. Chairman McDevitt indicated that Taiwan has truly become a global beacon of democracy and a key partner for many nations. He then quoted President Lai’s 2024 inaugural address: “We will work together to combat disinformation, strengthen democratic resilience, address challenges, and allow Taiwan to become the MVP of the democratic world.” Chairman McDevitt went on to say that he appreciated the president’s speech with regard to his philosophical depth, sensitivity, and both moral and political clarity. He said that he was deeply moved by the speech, but within a few days of it, China responded with military activities and many threats. The chairman then emphasized that we are in a civilization crisis. Chairman McDevitt mentioned that President Lai has begun a series of 10 lectures, and remarked that they would help the world to understand the identity and the nature of Taiwan, as well as the situation we are in in the world. On behalf of all the delegation, Chairman McDevitt thanked the president for his leadership in dealing with these issues thoughtfully. Chairman McDevitt concluded with a line from the Old Testament which states that if the people have no vision, they will perish. He said that he believes Taiwan’s president has led the people of Taiwan, and the world, with a vision of how to navigate this great civilization crisis together. The delegation also included Members of the Japanese House of Representatives Kikawada Hitoshi, Aoyama Yamato, and Genma Kentaro, and Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom Gavin Williamson.

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
    In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine & Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Exempt Small Businesses from Trump Tariffs on Canada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and five of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Creating Access to Necessary American-Canadian Duty Adjustments (CANADA) Act, legislation that would exempt United States-owned small businesses from President Donald Trump’s senseless tariffs on Canada.

    “President Trump’s broad-based tariffs are causing economic chaos, uncertainty, and higher costs for families and businesses,” said Kaine. “I’ve heard from small businesses across Virginia about how Trump’s trade wars have forced them to make tough decisions about how they’ll continue to operate. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill with my colleagues to exempt small businesses from Trump’s tariffs on Canada, one of our closest allies and top trading partners.”

    President Trump has changed or modified his tariff proposals and policies dozens of times in his second term. These tariffs have been difficult to navigate for small businesses across the U.S., including in Virginia. In 2024, Canada was Virginia’s largest export market and accounted for 15 percent of Virginia exports. In Virginia in 2022, top goods exports to Canada included motor vehicles and transportation equipment, such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 56.1 percent of Southwest Virginia’s economic output is dependent on trade. Tariffs lead to supply chain disruptions, increased costs of goods and materials, smaller profits, and higher costs for consumers.

    Kaine has been a leading legislative voice in countering Trump’s senseless tariff policies. Earlier this year, Kaine successfully secured Senate passage of his legislation to undo Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. Kaine has since sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson demanding that he schedule a vote in the House of Representatives on his Senate-passed legislation. Kaine also introduced bipartisan legislation to repeal President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs that the White House announced on April 2. The bill received bipartisan support but narrowly failed. In May, Kaine traveled to Ottawa, Canada to meet with Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney, members of his cabinet, and Canadian business leaders to discuss Trump’s tariffs and to reinforce the importance of strong U.S.-Canada relations.

    In addition to Kaine and Welch, the legislation is cosponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Strong forestry partnership delivers for people

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    A forest tenure held by Lake Babine Nation is increasing by more than 2,000% through a partnership with the Province and a tenure transfer from West Fraser, marking a significant milestone in growing the Nation’s role in forestry.

    “This is real on-the-ground collaboration that gets things done for Lake Babine Nation, boosts the local economy and delivers for people across B.C.,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “It’s a powerful partnership – one that secures a steady fibre supply for West Fraser and helps produce world-class, made-in-B.C. wood products.”

    Through this partnership, the Lake Babine First Nations Woodland Licence is growing from approximately 5,600 hectares to encompass more than 126,000 hectares of Lake Babine Nation territory, bringing traditional values into forest management practices, over a forested area the size of about 311 Stanley Parks. The area of land available to harvest included in the licence is northeast of Smithers, near the Lake Babine Nation communities of Fort Babine (Wit’at) and Old Fort around the northern half of Lake Babine.

    “As stewards of our lands since time immemorial and still today, Lake Babine Nation has forever recognized the deep responsibility we hold in ensuring our forests are managed with ecological respect and generational sustainability,” said Chief Wilf Adam, Lake Babine Nation. “Forestry is not just an industry; its principles and mechanisms are woven into our identity, our traditions and our vision for the future. With the support of the Province, our new partnership with West Fraser will advance Lake Babine Nation toward prosperous new opportunities, along with the interconnected local economies within our area of influence. It’s a flexible agreement aimed at our great-grandchildren, through the health of our ecology and economy in balance.”

    Expanding Lake Babine Nation’s First Nations Woodland Licence was made possible through a partnership with West Fraser, serving as a model for business-to-business relationships that support long-term sustainability for the forestry sector, economic development for the communities that rely in it and reconciliation with First Nations.

    “I want to congratulate the Lake Babine Nation on what we have been able to build together,” said Sean McLaren, president and CEO, West Fraser. “This achievement would not have been possible without the leadership and the support of government. By recognizing the importance of fibre security and Indigenous partnerships, the Province is helping secure the future of the forest sector in Smithers – for our employees, contractors, local businesses and communities throughout the region.”

    The expanded tenure follows after a collaborative management agreement between Lake Babine Nation and BC Timber Sales, which ensured the continuity of BC Timber Sales operations and enhanced Lake Babine Nation’s stewardship over its territory. Lake Babine Nation established a forestry company called LBN Forestry to oversee its forestry operations. LBN Forestry is generating revenue, creating job opportunities for the community and supplying timber for local mills, together strengthening the local forestry economy.

    This milestone forest licence expansion represents a significant achievement in the implementation of Lake Babine Nation’s Foundation Agreement. The Foundation Agreement was finalized in 2020 and outlined a 20-year vision to implement Lake Babine Nation rights and title, including a vision to hold and manage a minimum of 250,000 cubic metres of forest tenure located on its territory.

    In 2021, the Province set a goal of 20% of the allowable annual cut being held by First Nations. Building upon this announcement, First Nations now hold approximately 20% of the allowable annual cut, through a mix of different types of tenures. The vision government put forward in the modernizing forestry policy intentions paper continues to guide work to evolve forestry policy.

    Quick Facts:

    • Nearly 212,000 cubic metres of allowable annual cut is being added to Lake Babine Nation’s First Nation Woodland Licence, bringing the new total to more than 230,000 cubic metres, or approximately 4,600 truckloads of logs per year.
    • The First Nation Woodland Licence covers approximately 10% of Lake Babine Nation’s territory.
    • The expanded First Nation Woodland Licence includes tenure contributed from West Fraser, building on two previous partnership agreements between the company and Lake Babine Nation.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about Lake Babine Nation, visit:
    https://www.lakebabine.com/

    To learn more about First Nations Woodland Licences, visit:
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/forest-tenures/timber-harvesting-rights/first-nations-woodland-licence

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Springfield Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

    Source: US FBI

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.

    Joseph Archer III, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 96 months in federal prison without parole.

    On Oct. 29, 2024, Archer pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    On June 29, 2023, officers with the Springfield Police Department attempted to stop a Toyota Camry that was being driven by Archer. Archer fled from officers, leading them on a vehicle pursuit. During the pursuit Archer crashed into an officer’s vehicle, disabling the police vehicle, and causing the officer to suffer minor injuries. As a result of that crash, Archer briefly lost control of his car before continuing to flee. The pursuit ended when Archer crashed the Camry into an outbuilding. Archer fled the scene of the crash on foot before the officers arrived. When officers searched the Camry, they located a stolen Taurus PT handgun. They also located a box of ammunition, fentanyl, methamphetamine, mail addressed to Archer, and his Missouri Department of Corrections ID in the glove box.

    Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Archer has prior felony convictions for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

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

    MIL Security OSI –