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Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Smith Joins Entire WA Delegation in Letter Urging President Trump to Reconsider Denial of WA State’s Request for a Disaster Declaration for November “Bomb Cyclone”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

    Severe storms resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure, parks, cultural sites, schools, public buildings, and more, resulting in over $34 million dollars in damages across six counties

     

    Letter comes following denial of initial request, WA delegation urges President Trump to reconsider and approve WA state’s pending appeal

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Congressmen Adam Smith (D, WA-09) joined Washington’s entire Congressional delegation– U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse, (R, WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10)—in sending a letter last night to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the devastating windstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides caused by a bomb cyclone that struck Washington state in November 2024.

    “As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay,” the bipartisan, bicameral group of Members wrote.

    “From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone,” the Members wrote.

    “Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.”

    “We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need,” the Members concluded.

    Previously, the full group of Members urged President Biden to grant the request for a Major Disaster Declaration in January.

    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

    Dear Mr. President:

    We are writing to express our serious disappointment and growing concern regarding the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the devastating bomb cyclone that struck between November 17 and November 25, 2024. As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay.

    From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone.

    Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter. We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smith, Casten Demand DOJ Investigation Into Trump Crypto Dinner

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressmen Adam Smith (WA-09) and Sean Casten (IL-06) led 35 House Democrats in a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Public Integrity Section demanding DOJ immediately launch an investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s offer for top investors in his cryptocurrency token, $TRUMP, to join him at a private dinner violates federal bribery laws or the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution.
     
    “We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote. “This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.”
     
    Days before the start of his second term, President Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin. Its price quickly peaked at $75, before crashing and causing $2 billion in investor losses. In April, President Trump announced plans to invite $TRUMP’s top 220 investors to a private dinner, resulting in a 60% surge in price as investors rushed to accumulate enough value to qualify for a seat at the dinner. 
     
    The Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since $TRUMP was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement. Multiple investors have explicitly stated that they hoped to purchase influence with the president. 
     
    “U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns,” the lawmakers continued. “However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.”
     
    In addition, a Bloomberg investigation found that the majority of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. The top spot is held by Justin Sun, a Chinese crypto entrepreneur who faced an SEC lawsuit alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his blockchain platform. This Trump Administration notably paused the legal action after Sun invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures, the World Liberty Project. 
     
    The Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8) prohibits any federal government official, including the President, from accepting any benefit from a foreign government without the consent of Congress. It is critical that the DOJ conducts a nonpartisan investigation of President Trump’s private dinner.
     
    A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.
     
    Dear Acting Chief Sullivan:
     
    We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025. This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.
     
    On April 23, 2025, a website connected to the Trump family, gettrumpmemes.com, announced that the top 220 investors in the $TRUMP memecoin would be invited to a gala dinner with President Trump on May 22, 2025, located at his golf course outside of Washington D.C. The top 25 buyers would get face time with the President at “an ultra-exclusive private VIP” reception before the dinner, as well as a “special” V.I.P. tour of the White House. And the top four investors would receive a limited-edition Trump-branded watch.
     
    President Trump promoted the event on social media as the “most EXCLUSIVE INVITATION in the world,” causing the price of the memecoin to surge more than 60 percent as investors rushed to accumulate enough coins to qualify for a dinner seat. Overall, the Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since the memecoin was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
     
    Investors spent more than $145 million on $TRUMP tokens over the duration of this contest, with some stating explicitly that they hoped to purchase influence with President Trump. For example, GD Culture Group, a small technology company that facilitates e-commerce for other businesses and brands on TikTok, recently announced plans to purchase $300 million worth of $TRUMP coins. And in the company’s own words, its Chinese subsidiary may be subject to “[intervention] or influence” by the Chinese government. GD Culture Group’s announcement came just days after President Trump indicated that he’d “be willing” to delay the statutorily required ban on TikTok in the U.S. past its June 19, 2025, deadline. Freight Technologies, a Houston-based company that specializes in U.S.-Mexico-Canada cross-border shipping, was even more direct about why it planned to purchase $20 million worth of President Trump’s memecoin: to help the company “advocate for fair, balanced, and free trade between Mexico and U.S.,” the company’s CEO said in a statement. After the contest closed, at least 34 of the top 220 investors sold most of their memecoin holdings, further confirming that the $TRUMP memecoin is not a worthwhile investment, but rather a vehicle to buy influence with the Trump Administration.
     
    The $TRUMP memecoin website displays a leaderboard of the winners whose identities remain largely unknown due to the anonymity of digital wallets. However, a Bloomberg analysis found that 19 of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. Notably, an account named “Sun” held the top spot and owned more than $18 million worth of the memecoin on May 12, 2025, when the contest ended. Investigations into this account have traced it back to Justin Sun, a Chinese billionaire who has privately touted his ties to the Chinese government and founded a blockchain network often used to finance illicit activities. Since March 2023, Sun has been facing a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his platform. This legal action was notably paused by the Trump administration after he invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures. In what appears to be a quid pro quo move, Sun then invested an additional $45 million into President Trump’s World Liberty Project, while simultaneously increasing his holdings of the $TRUMP memecoin.
     
    Former Republican lawmakers, President Trump’s former aides, and cryptocurrency industry leaders recognize these national security risks and the opportunity for corruption. Charles Dent, the former chairman of the House Ethics Committee, recently stated that “ foreign entities and governments obviously want to curry favor with the president. This is completely out of bounds and raises all sorts of ethical, legal and constitutional issues that must be addressed.” Additionally, Anthony Scaramucci, a former official in the Trump administration, characterized President Trump’s memecoin as representing “Idi Amin level corruption.” Furthermore, Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, emphasized that politician-backed coins “are vehicles for unlimited political bribery, including from foreign nation states.”
     
    U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns. However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.
     
    The Public Integrity Section was established in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and exists to ensure that the Department of Justice conducts fair and thorough investigations into corruption by government officials at all levels, without regard to those officials’ political views or allegiances.
     
    We therefore urge you to launch an immediate inquiry to determine whether this dinner event violates the federal bribery statute or the foreign emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. If the Department of Justice concludes that it does, we ask that you set aside political considerations and pursue action to uphold public integrity and the rule of law.
     
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
     
    Sincerely,
     
    ###
     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Defence Secretary oral statement on Diego Garcia

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Oral statement to Parliament

    Defence Secretary oral statement on Diego Garcia

    Oral statement from the Defence Secretary John Healey on Diego Garcia.

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the Diego Garcia Military Base. 

    For more than 50 years, the joint UK-US military base in Diego Garcia has been a launchpad to: 

    … defeat terrorists… 

    … prevent threats to our nation… 

    … and protect our economic security. 

    This base keeps Britain secure at home and strong abroad. 

    This afternoon, the Prime Minister has signed a Treaty with Prime Minister Ramgoolam of Mauritius which guarantees full continued UK control of Diego Garcia for the next 99 years and beyond. 

    I pay tribute to the UK’s negotiators… 

    … to the FCDO and MOD teams who supported them… 

    … and to the Mauritian officials who worked for two and a half years with the last government and this, to reach this agreement.   

    The Foreign Secretary has laid in the House today… 

    … the full Treaty text and his formal exchange of letters with the Foreign Minister of Mauritius that confirm the agreement and the financial arrangements between our two countries. 

    A Bill will be introduced soon to implement the Treaty. 

    There has been a great deal of misinformation about this Treaty [political content removed] – but the simple truth Mr Speaker, is that our national security rests on securing a deal that protects the operational sovereignty of this vital military installation. 

    By signing this Treaty – on our terms – my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister, has ensured the UK retains full control of Diego Garcia, throughout the next century and beyond. 

    It is a deal struck in the national interest… 

    … a deal that makes Britons today and generations to come, safer and more secure. 

    Mr Speaker, the importance of Diego Garcia cannot be overstated. 

    Some of the operations on our joint UK-US base are in the public domain.   

    Most – by necessity – are not.  

    But all the work conducted from Diego Garcia plays a crucial role in protecting: 

    … our nation … 

    … our Armed Forces … 

    … and our trade routes. 

    Mr Speaker, Diego Garcia is unique. 

    We do things there, that we simply could not do anywhere else.  

    Its airfield allows for strike operations and rapid deployments to the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia… 

    … its deepwater port supports missions from nuclear-powered submarines to our Carrier Strike Group… 

    … it hosts surveillance stations which disrupt terrorist attacks, protect satellites and provide global intelligence capabilities… 

    … and it projects UK-US military power into the Indo-Pacific to reinforce regional stability and security. 

    Mr Speaker, America is our closest security ally. 

    And continued use of this base is fundamental to maintaining the special strength of that relationship. 

    In fact, Diego Garcia is our nation’s most significant contribution to the UK-US security partnership that has kept us safe for nearly eighty years 

    As I have said, this is a joint military base and almost every operation conducted from it is done in partnership with the US. 

    This is why, this Treaty has the full-throated support from the US: 

    Secretary of State – Marco Rubio – has said: 

    This agreement secures the long term stable and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia, which is critical to regional and global security.  

    And President Trump described the deal as “very long term” and “very strong”. 

    Mr Speaker, Diego Garcia also strengthens Britain’s economic security.  

    Over one-third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of global oil shipments is transported through the Indian Ocean.  

    Our constant presence in these waters serves to safeguard trade routes, keeping the price of food and energy for Britons down here at home. 

    Diego Garcia is also the permanent location of critical Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban treaty monitoring equipment… 

    … a network that watches every moment of every day for evidence of nuclear testing to hold nuclear – and any would-be, nuclear powers – to account. 

    Diego Garcia is one of just four locations in the world to operate ground station antennas for the Global Positioning System… 

    … which everyone from astronauts, to motorists, to our military, rely on to navigate. 

    Mr Speaker, the loss of the Diego Garcia military base would now be unthinkable. 

    Yet, without action, without this deal, within weeks we could face losing legal rulings… 

    … and within just a few years the base would become inoperable. 

    Some have suggested simply ignoring international legal decisions. 

    But this is not just about international law.  

    This is about the direct impact of law on our ability to operate the base. 

    Rulings against us would mean we would be unable to prevent hostile nations setting up installations around Diego Garcia, on the outer islands or carrying out joint exercises near the base. 

    No deal means we could not guarantee the safe berth of our subs…  

    … patrol the waters around the base… 

    … control the airspace directly above…  

    … or protect the integrity of our communications systems. 

    Such developments would deeply damage the security interests of the UK and our allies. 

    It would be a dereliction of our first duty of government. 

    Agreeing this Treaty now – on our terms – means the UK retains full control over Diego Garcia. Now and for the next century. 

    We’ve laid before the house the full treaty and associated costings. 

    The [political content removed] frontbench – will see how we have toughened the terms of the deal they were doing so it does more now to guarantee the UK’s national security and national interests. 

    At a cost of less than 0.2 per cent of the annual defence budget, we have secured unrestricted access to and use of the base… 

    … as well as control over movement of all persons and goods on the base, and control of all communication and electronic systems. 

    Nothing can be built within a 24 nautical mile buffer zone without our say so. 

    We have secured an effective veto on all development in the Chagos archipelago.  

    And a strict ban will be imposed on foreign security forces operating on the outer islands.  

    All provisions that were not there in the draft agreement, that had been negotiated by the [political content removed] before the election.

    Mr Speaker, anyone who would abandon this deal, would abandon this base. They would weaken the security of the British people, and they would weaken the strength of the British Armed Forces 

    But… in signing this deal, a British flag will fly over the Diego Garcia base well into the next century… 

    … the relationship with our closest security ally will be strengthened… 

    … and our capacity to deter our adversaries and defend UK interests is secured for generations to come. 

    And as the world becomes more dangerous, Diego Garcia becomes more important. 

    This government will never compromise on our national security.  

    And with this deal, we’ve made Britain more secure at home and stronger abroad.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: NOAA’s 2025 hurricane forecast warns of a busy season – a storm scientist explains why and what meteorologists are watching

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Colin Zarzycki, Associate Professor of Meteorology and Climate Dynamics, Penn State

    U.S. forecasters are expecting an above-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, with 13 to 19 named storms, and 6 to 10 of those becoming hurricanes.

    Every year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other forecasters release preseason outlooks for the Atlantic’s hurricane season, which runs June 1 through November 30.

    So, how do they know what’s likely to happen months in the future?

    I’m an atmospheric scientist who studies extreme weather. Let’s take a look at what Atlantic hurricane forecasts are based on and why those forecasts can shift during the season.

    What goes into a seasonal forecast

    Think of the preseason hurricane forecast as the 30,000-foot view: It can’t predict if or when a storm will hit a particular location, but it can offer insight into how many storms are likely to form throughout the entire Atlantic, and how active the season overall might be.

    These outlooks rely heavily on two large-scale climate factors.

    The first is the sea surface temperature in areas where tropical cyclones tend to form and grow. Hurricanes draw their energy from warm ocean water. So when the Atlantic is unusually warm, as it has been in recent years, it provides more fuel for storms to form and intensify.

    Once water temperatures are 79 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius), hurricanes can form. Most of the Gulf was above that by late May 2025.
    NOAA/NESDIS

    The second key ingredient that meteorologists have their eye on is the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, which forecasters refer to as ENSO. ENSO is a climate cycle that shifts every few years between three main phases: El Niño, La Niña, and a neutral space that lives somewhere in between.

    During El Niño, winds over the Atlantic high up in the troposphere – roughly 25,000 to 40,000 feet – strengthen and can disrupt storms and hurricanes. La Niña, on the other hand, tends to reduce these winds, making it easier for storms to form and grow. When you look over the historical hurricane record, La Niña years have tended to be busier than their El Niño counterparts, as we saw from 2020 through 2023.

    We’re in the neutral phase as the 2025 hurricane season begins, and probably will be for at least a few more months. That means upper-level winds aren’t particularly hostile to hurricanes, but they’re not exactly rolling out the red carpet either.

    At the same time, sea surface temperatures are running warmer than the 30-year average, but not quite at the record-breaking levels seen in some recent seasons.

    Taken together, these conditions point to a moderately above-average hurricane season.

    It’s important to emphasize that these factors merely load the dice, tilting the odds toward more or fewer storms, but not guaranteeing an outcome. A host of other variables influence whether a storm actually forms, how strong it becomes, and whether it ever threatens land.

    The smaller influences forecasters can’t see yet

    Once hurricane season is underway, forecasters start paying close attention to shorter-term influences.

    These subseasonal factors evolve quickly enough that they don’t shape the entire season. However, they can noticeably raise or lower the chances for storms developing in the coming two to four weeks.

    One factor is dust lofted from the Sahara Desert by strong winds and carried from east to west across the Atlantic.

    These dust plumes tend to suppress hurricanes by drying out the atmosphere and reducing sunlight that reaches the ocean surface. Dust outbreaks are next-to-impossible to predict months in advance, but satellite observations of growing plumes can give forecasters a heads-up a couple weeks before the dust reaches the primary hurricane development region off the coast of Africa.

    Dust blowing in from the Sahara Desert can tamp down hurricane activities by shading the ocean over the main development region for hurricanes and drying out the atmosphere, just off the African coast. This plume spread over 2,000 miles in June 2020.
    NASA

    Another key ingredient that doesn’t go into seasonal forecasts but becomes important during the season are African easterly waves. These “waves” are clusters of thunderstorms that roll off the West African coast, tracking from east to west across the ocean. Most major storms in the Atlantic basin, especially in the peak months of August and September, can trace their origins back to one of these waves.

    Forecasters monitor strong waves as they begin their westward journey across the Atlantic, knowing they can provide some insight about potential risks to U.S. interests one to two weeks in advance.

    Also in this subseasonal mix is the Madden–Julian Oscillation. The MJO is a wave-like pulse of atmospheric activity that moves slowly around the tropics every 30 to 60 days. When the MJO is active over the Atlantic, it enhances the formation of thunderstorms associated with hurricanes. In its suppressed phase, storm activity tends to die down. The MJO doesn’t guarantee storms – or a lack of them – but it turns up or down the odds. Its phase and position can be tracked two or three weeks in advance.

    Lastly, forecasters will talk about the Loop Current, a deep river of warm water that flows from the Caribbean into the Gulf of Mexico.

    When storms pass over the Loop Current or its warm eddies, they can rapidly intensify because they are drawing energy from not just the warm surface water but from warm water that’s tens of meters deep. The Loop Current has helped power several historic Gulf storms, including Hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and Ida in 2021.

    The Loop Current stretched well into the Gulf in May 2022. The scale, in meters, shows the maximum depth at which temperatures were 78 F (26 C) or greater.
    Nick Shay/University of Miami, CC BY-ND

    But the Loop Current is always shifting. Its strength and location in early summer may look very different by late August or September.

    Combined, these subseasonal signals help forecasters fine-tune their outlooks as the season unfolds.

    Where hurricanes form shifts over the months

    Where storms are most likely to form and make landfall also changes as the pages of the calendar turn.

    In early summer, the Gulf of Mexico warms up faster than the open Atlantic, making it a notable hotspot for early-season tropical storm development, especially in June and July. The Texas coast, Louisiana, and the Florida Panhandle often face a higher early-season risk than locations along the Eastern seaboard.

    These are generally the busiest areas during each month of hurricane season, but that doesn’t mean hurricanes won’t make landfall elsewhere.
    NOAA

    By August and September, the season reaches its peak. This is when those waves moving off the coast of Africa become a primary source of storm activity. These long-track storms are sometimes called “Cape Verde hurricanes” because they originate near the Cape Verde Islands off the African coast. While many stay over open water, others can gather steam and track toward the Caribbean, Florida or the Carolinas.

    Later in the hurricane season, storms are more likely to form in the western Atlantic or Caribbean, where waters are still warm and upper-level winds remain favorable. These late-season systems have a higher probability of following atypical paths, as Sandy did in 2012 when it struck the New York City region and Milton did in 2024 before making landfall in Florida.

    At the end of the day, the safest way to think about hurricane season is this: If you live along the coast, don’t let your guard down. Areas susceptible to hurricanes are never totally immune from hurricanes, and it only takes one to make it a dangerous – and unforgettable – season.

    Colin Zarzycki’s research lab receives funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    – ref. NOAA’s 2025 hurricane forecast warns of a busy season – a storm scientist explains why and what meteorologists are watching – https://theconversation.com/noaas-2025-hurricane-forecast-warns-of-a-busy-season-a-storm-scientist-explains-why-and-what-meteorologists-are-watching-257223

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Oxford Park Income Fund, Inc. Announces April Net Asset Value and Declaration of Distributions for the Months Ending July, August, and September 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GREENWICH, Conn., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oxford Park Income Fund, Inc. (“Oxford Park”, “the Fund”, “our”) announced today the following financial results and related information:

    • On May 15, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Fund declared the following distributions on our common shares of beneficial interest as follows:
    Month Ending Record Date Payment Date Amount Per Share
    July 31, 2025 July 23, 2025 July 31, 2025 $0.30
    August 31, 2025 August 22, 2025 August 29, 2025 $0.30
    September 30, 2025 September 22, 2025 September 30, 2025 $0.30
           
    • The unaudited Net Asset Value (“NAV”) per share as of April 30, 2025, stood at:
    Class A: Net asset value, per share $24.98
    Class I: Net asset value, per share $24.97
    Class L: Net asset value, per share $24.82
       

    The fair value of the Fund’s portfolio investments may be materially impacted after April 30, 2025, by circumstances and events that are not yet known. To the extent the Fund’s portfolio investments are impacted by market volatility in the U.S. or worldwide, the Fund may experience a material impact on its future net investment income, the fair value of its portfolio investments, its financial condition and the financial condition of its portfolio investments. Investing in our securities involves a number of significant risks. For a discussion of the additional risks applicable to an investment in our securities, please refer to the section titled “Risks” in our prospectus and any subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as applicable.

    The financial data included in this press release has been prepared by, and is the responsibility of, Oxford Park Income Fund, Inc.’s management. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has not audited, reviewed, compiled, or applied agreed-upon procedures with respect to the financial data. Accordingly, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP does not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto.

    About Oxford Park Income Fund, Inc.

    The Fund is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company, that continuously offers its common shares and is operated as a “tender offer fund”. The Fund currently seeks to achieve its investment objective of maximizing risk-adjusted total returns as the Fund identifies opportunities in the CLO market through its network of broker-dealers, agent banks, and collateral managers. The Fund primarily invests in debt and equity tranches of CLO vehicles. The Fund’s investment strategy may also include warehouse facilities, which are financing structures intended to aggregate loans that may be used to form the basis of a CLO vehicle.

    Disclaimer

    There is no assurance that the Fund will continue to declare distributions or that they will continue at these rates. Distributions may be comprised of any combination of net investment income and/or net capital gain, and, if the Fund distributes an amount in excess of net investment income and net capital gains, a portion of such distribution will constitute a return of capital. A return of capital distribution may reduce the amount of investable funds. The ultimate tax character of the Fund’s earnings cannot be determined until tax returns are prepared after the end of the fiscal year. The information provided is based on estimates available as of April 30, 2025. Shareholders should know that return of capital will reduce the tax basis of their shares and potentially increase the taxable gain, if any, upon disposition of their shares.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates” and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements. These factors are identified from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect subsequent events, except as may be required by law.

    Securities Disclosure

    This press release is provided for informational purposes only, does not constitute an offer to sell securities of the Fund and is not a prospectus. Such offering is only made by the Fund’s prospectus, which includes details as to the Fund’s offering and other material information. Securities offered through Skyway Capital Markets, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC. Skyway Capital Markets, LLC and Oxford Funds, LLC are not affiliated. Investing in the Fund involves risk of loss of some or all principal invested. Speak to your tax professional prior to investing. This is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to purchase any security. Please refer to the prospectus for additional information about the Fund. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

    Contact:
    Bruce Rubin
    203-983-5280

    The MIL Network –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Public input sought as Massey Tunnel replacement progresses

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The public is invited to learn more and provide feedback about the replacement for the George Massey Tunnel and how environmental impacts during construction will be managed now that the application for the project’s environmental assessment certificate has been submitted.

    To ensure construction of the new tunnel begins as soon as possible, construction-level project design is underway now.

    People are invited to provide feedback to the Environmental Assessment Office on the application to ensure it includes all the studies and information required to assess the potential positive and negative impacts of the project. The public comment period runs from May 22, 2025, until June 23, 2025.

    The new toll-free tunnel will include three travel lanes and one dedicated transit lane in each direction, improving travel times for transit and drivers along Highway 99. When complete, it is expected that drivers will travel at speeds of approximately 80 km/h along the corridor, compared to 30 km/h today. The tunnel will also include a dedicated multi-use pathway that will allow walking and cycling across the river at this location for the first time.

    In advance of the new eight-lane tunnel’s construction, corridor improvements continue along Highway 99. These include replacement of the Steveston Highway Crossing with a new five-lane interchange. The first half of the new interchange is open to vehicles, with the second half under construction. The new interchange will be completed later in 2025.

    The Province has also started preliminary work to expand Highway 99 between Westminster Highway and Steveston Highway, with the placement of preload complete.

    People can learn more about the project and the environmental assessment process by attending a public open house:

    Wednesday, June 4, 2025
    Delta Hotels Vancouver Delta/Cascadia Casino and Conference Centre
    6005 Highway 17A
    Delta
    4-8 p.m.

    Thursday, June 5, 2025
    UBC Boathouse
    7277 River Rd.
    Richmond
    4-8 p.m.

    Project team members and Environmental Assessment Office staff will be available at the sessions to provide information and answer questions about the project and the environmental assessment process. Feedback can be provided online here: https://engage.eao.gov.bc.ca/FraserTunnel-AR.

    Learn More:

    For more information on environmental assessments, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/environmental-assessments

    For more information on the Fraser River Tunnel assessment, visit: https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/620aa098fd30c700220f2805/project-details

    For more information on the Highway 99 Tunnel Program, visit: www.highway99tunnel.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Canoncito Man Sentenced for Role in 2022 Fatal Assault

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Canoncito man was sentenced to three years’ probation for his role in the violent 2022 assault that led to the death of John Doe.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, on May 27, 2022, Landen Toledo, 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, along with Cole Ray Shorty, confronted John Doe at his residence to retrieve Shorty’s backpack. During the confrontation, John Doe exited his vehicle with a baseball bat. Toledo grabbed John Doe by the wrists, threw him to the ground, and kicked him in the stomach several times, causing him to drop the bat. Shorty then struck John Doe on the head with the bat. John Doe was left unconscious at the scene and later died from blunt head trauma.

    Shorty pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 72 months in prison.

    Toledo pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

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

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mary Dorcey: queer Irish poet illuminates a form of sexuality even the law has overlooked

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Reid, PhD Candidate in Irish literature, University of Limerick

    Ezhova Mariia/Shutterstock

    It’s the tenth anniversary of the marriage referendum in Ireland on May 22. The first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote, Ireland has transformed itself from a conservative stronghold to a liberal state. This transformation could not have occurred without the important contributions of activists like Mary Dorcey, one of Ireland’s most significant LGBTQ+ writers.

    Dorcey began her political activism in the 1970s, having returned to Ireland after living in France and England. Having met other queer people abroad, Dorcey was struck by the repression that characterised Irish life: “The word ‘homosexual’ was not spoken or written in Ireland before the 1970s. The word ‘gay’ didn’t exist.”

    Determined to break through the silence, Dorcey became a founding member of various activist groups, including the Sexual Liberation Movement at Trinity College Dublin.

    One of Dorcey’s most prominent displays of early activism occurred at the Women’s Week conference at University College Dublin, where she substituted for an absentee speaker. Frustrated by the erasure of homosexuality from Irish life, Dorcey took the stage, quoting the American feminist slogan “if feminism is the theory, lesbianism is the practice”.

    Mary Dorcey discusses the controversy around her statement at Women’s Week.

    A headline appeared on the front page of the Irish Times the following day. It read: “Self-confessed lesbian denounces heterosexuality as sadomasochism.” While the headline caused ruptures at home, Dorcey remained an advocate of queer rights. “I wasn’t going to make any apologies,” she told the Museum of Literature Ireland. “It was their problem if they couldn’t see how beautiful we were.”

    Dorcey’s unwavering commitment to breaking the silence surrounding queerness is clearly displayed in her first poetry collection, Kindling (1982). Poems like Night, for example, are explicit in their bold use of homosexual imagery:

    I ask you then what am I to do with all these memories

    heavy and full?

    Hold them, quiet, between my two hands,

    as I would if I could again

    your hard breasts?

    The collection made waves, with even members of the queer community commenting on its outspokenness. Dorcey has discussed how her unflinching portrayal of homosexuality worried many community members – did her candidness threaten to expose them?

    Despite this, her activist tendencies prevailed, recognising the power of literature to shock readers into sociopolitical awareness, as expressed in poems like Deliberately Personal.

    Deliberately Personal, read by Mary Dorcey.

    One of Dorcey’s most important literary contributions is her short story collection A Noise from the Woodshed (1989). The collection debuted a year after her former Sexual Liberation Movement comrade David Norris’s landmark victory at the European Court of Human Rights, which required Ireland to decriminalise homosexual activity between men.

    Lesbianism was never explicitly illegal in Ireland under its adoption of British legal codes, which feared that writing it into law would introduce otherwise “respectable” women to its existence.

    Dorcey’s overtly lesbian stories are therefore groundbreaking. They depict autonomous women unafraid to voice their lesbian desires. Much of her work responds to the main concerns of the “decriminalisation era”, resulting in a charged critique of traditional Irish life.

    For example, the title story of A Noise from the Woodshed follows a group of lesbians refusing domestic duties to bask in the sensuality of a rural Irish landscape. The collection won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature a year after its publication.

    Writing desire

    Seven years after Norris’s win, a 1995 referendum signalled further shifts in Irish society. Succeeding by only a whisper, the legalisation of divorce reflected the further weakening influence of the Catholic church, making way for alternative family structures.

    Although Dorcey’s Biography of Desire doesn’t address the referendum directly, its story touches on many of the same issues. The 1997 novel follows the growing relationship between Katherine and Nina. Katherine has left her husband and children to start a new life with Nina.

    While Katherine chooses to only separate from her husband, she is fearful that a judge will grant him full custody of their children because of her lesbian relationship. “Can there be any doubt which of us would be considered the more respectable parent by the law?” she wonders.

    In this regard, the novel anticipates many of the issues that would emerge during the 2015 referendum.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Biography of Desire also marks an early exploration of bisexuality in Irish literature, with Katherine and Nina’s intense affair leading critics to position the book as one of the first erotic novels in Irish history.

    Dorcey’s commitment to voicing the fluid possibilities of queerness continues with Katerine’s suggestion: “We ought to be bisexual all of us … Men would learn to surrender themselves to pleasures … and women would learn to please themselves … instead of waiting passively.”

    The novel, however, should not be taken as a simplistic disavowal of heterosexuality, but rather aligned with Dorcey’s mission to explore the universality of human love, life and experience.

    While Dorcey is no longer making such a ruckus at public gatherings, she continues to publish, with her influence on queer Irish literature voiced by the likes of Irish Canadian novelist Emma Donoghue and affirmed by her admittance to the prestigious Irish organisation of artists, the Aosdána in 2010.

    Her most recent poetry collection, Life Holds its Breath (2022), testifies to her talents as a writer, and concludes with the poem Banshee, which reflects on her activist days: “We are the women our mothers / warned us about.”

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

    – ref. Mary Dorcey: queer Irish poet illuminates a form of sexuality even the law has overlooked – https://theconversation.com/mary-dorcey-queer-irish-poet-illuminates-a-form-of-sexuality-even-the-law-has-overlooked-256750

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta, Governor Newsom Slam U.S. Senate’s Illegal Efforts to Stop California’s Clean Vehicle Policies

    Source: US State of California

    Thursday, May 22, 2025

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

    SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that the state will file a lawsuit as Republicans in the U.S. Senate target California’s clean vehicles program.

    “With these votes, Senate Republicans are bending the knee to President Trump once again,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The weaponization of the Congressional Review Act to attack California’s waivers is just another part of the continuous, partisan campaign against California’s efforts to protect the public and the planet from harmful pollution. As we have said before, this reckless misuse of the Congressional Review Act is unlawful, and California will not stand idly by. We need to hold the line on strong emissions standards and keep the waivers in place, and we will sue to defend California’s waivers.”

    “This Senate vote is illegal,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Republicans went around their own parliamentarian to defy decades of precedent. We won’t stand by as Trump Republicans make America smoggy again — undoing work that goes back to the days of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan — all while ceding our economic future to China. We’re going to fight this unconstitutional attack on California in court.”

    Background

    Under the direction of President Trump, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transmitted three California waivers – for the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII), Omnibus and Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations – to Congress as rules subject to Congressional Review Act (CRA) procedures. Earlier in the month, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives illegally used the CRA to attempt to undo these waivers, which authorize California’s clean cars and trucks regulations. This move breaks with decades of bipartisan recognition that these waivers are not “rules” subject to the CRA and directly contradicts the determinations of the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office and Senate Parliamentarian, both of whom concluded that the CRA’s process does not apply to California’s waivers.

    The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set federal emission standards for air pollutants from new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines that cause or contribute to air pollution and endanger public health or welfare. Under the Clean Air Act, California may adopt emission requirements independent from EPA’s regulations, and EPA is required to waive preemption for those requirements, absent certain limited circumstances not present here.

    For more than 50 years, California has exercised its right under the Clean Air Act to pursue solutions that address the persistent air pollution challenges that our state faces.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Firearm Offenses

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

    CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for kidnapping three drivers and sexually assaulting two of them at gunpoint.

    ANDREW ANANIA, 29, kidnapped an Uber driver on March 8, 2021, in Darien, Ill.  Anania showed the driver a gun and forced her to drive to Chicago and park in alleys, where he sexually assaulted her before fleeing on foot.  On March 10, 2021, Anania and another man, WALTER MORAN, kidnapped a woman who was on her way to work in Cicero, Ill.  Anania pointed a gun at the driver and instructed her to drive to Chicago, where Moran exchanged gunfire with others on the street.  The pair eventually released the victim and took her car.  A jury earlier this year convicted Anania on kidnapping, carjacking, and firearm charges in connection with those incidents.

    Anania pleaded guilty prior to trial to another kidnapping and carjacking.  That incident occurred on Feb. 27, 2021, in Chicago, when Anania got in a vehicle with the driver, claimed he had a gun, and sexually assaulted her.  The woman escaped when the car stopped at an intersection.  Anania fled in the vehicle and crashed it a short time later.

    Anania committed all of the offenses while awaiting trial in a separate, unrelated federal firearm case not assigned to the sentencing judge in this matter.  Anania had been released on bond in that case after multiple court hearings at which the government repeatedly sought pre-trial detention.

    U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the 50-year prison sentence during a hearing on May 13, 2025, in federal court in Chicago.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Cicero, Ill. Police Department, Darien, Ill. Police Department, Summit, Ill. Police Department, Stickney, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cornelius Vandenberg, Megan Donohue, and Hayley Altabef.

    Moran, of Cicero, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping and carjacking charges.  Judge Chang sentenced Moran in April to 15 years and eight months in federal prison.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Judge Sentences Chicago Street Gang Member to 34 Years in Prison for Murdering a Man and Threatening a Witness

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

    CHICAGO — A member of a violent Chicago street gang has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for murdering a man to maintain and increase his position in the gang.

    DIONTAE HARPER, 25, of Chicago, admitted in a plea agreement that he murdered Paul Harris on May 13, 2020.  Harper and another man fired multiple shots at Harris as he sat in a vehicle at a gas station in the 8600 block of South Halsted Street in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Harper stated in the plea agreement that he committed the murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang, a criminal organization based on the South Side of Chicago whose members engaged in violent crimes and trafficked narcotics.

    While Harper was detained in law enforcement custody earlier this year, he made threatening statements directed toward a witness.

    Harper pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, causing Harris’s death.  U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah imposed the 34-year prison sentence during a hearing on May 8, 2025, in federal court in Chicago.

    Harper’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju, and Matthew Moyer.

    Two other individuals – the other shooter of Harris and the getaway driver – pleaded guilty to committing murder in aid of racketeering and are awaiting sentencing.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bowling Green, Kentucky Man Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay $40,000 in Restitution for Odometer Tampering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green man was sentenced yesterday to 1 year and 6 months in federal prison, and was ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution, for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit odometer tampering, and four counts of odometer tampering.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Porter of the U.S. Department of Transportation made the announcement.

    “Let this case serve notice to like-minded fraudsters that taking advantage of our citizens comes at a cost – federal prison and large fines,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett.  

    Randy Huff, 59, owner of South Side Auto Sales in Bowling Green and Huff’s Auto Sales in Beaver Dam, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit odometer tampering, and four counts of odometer tampering. According to court documents, between June 2018 and January 2023, Huff, aided and abetted by an employee, devised a scheme to defraud buyers of used cars by fraudulently reducing the mileage shown on the odometers of vehicles sold at his used car lots. In the scheme, Huff purchased high mileage vehicles at auction, then directed his employees to replace the vehicles’ odometers with ones showing lower mileage. Buyers were not informed of the odometer replacements.

    Huff was also ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution.

    On March 11, 2025, an employee at South Side Auto Sales, Donnie Wilson, 51, also of Bowling Green, was sentenced to probation for a term of 3 years, and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit odometer tampering, and four counts of odometer tampering.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Department of Transportation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell of the Louisville Office, prosecuted the case.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually and has established a special hotline to handle odometer fraud complaints. Individuals with information related to odometer tampering should call (800) 424-9393, or email odometerfraud@dot.gov.

    More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website, https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/odometer-fraud.

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    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Prohibited Person

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant possessed firearm and ammunition while engaging in drug trafficking activity

    Baltimore, Maryland – Brandon Carroll, 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

    According to the guilty plea, on April 25, 2023, BPD officers observed Carroll engaging in multiple hand-to-hand drug exchanges. When an arrest team approached Carroll, he attempted to flee on a dirt bike but fell.  Law enforcement then took him into custody.

    While searching Carroll, officers recovered 32 gelcaps — containing a mixture of fentanyl and oxycodone pills — and a key to a nearby Hyundai vehicle. After officers found the vehicle, a trained K-9 detected the presence of narcotics inside.

    A search of the vehicle yielded a Beretta Nano 9mm pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition; 35 additional rounds of 9mm ammunition; and a Smith & Wesson magazine for a .40 caliber handgun. Additionally, law enforcement discovered 844 units of a fentanyl mixture packaged for distribution; eight units of cocaine packaged for distribution; 14 Suboxone strips; two digital scales with white residue; two plastic bags of packaging material; $2,443 in cash; and mail that belonged to Carroll and the vehicle’s registered owner. Due to a prior felony conviction, Carroll is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

    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.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James O’Donohue who prosecuted the case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: WA Delegation Urges President Trump to Reconsider Denial of WA State’s Request for a Disaster Declaration for November “Bomb Cyclone”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    Severe storms resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure, parks, cultural sites, schools, public buildings, and more, resulting in over $34 million dollars in damages across six counties

    Letter comes following denial of initial request, WA delegation urges President Trump to reconsider and approve WA state’s pending appeal

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse, (R, WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10) SENT a letter last night to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the devastating windstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides caused by a bomb cyclone that struck Washington state in November 2024.

    “As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay,” the bipartisan, bicameral group of Members wrote.

    “From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone,” the Members wrote.

    “Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.”

    “We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need,” the Members concluded.

    Previously, the full group of Members—led by Senator Murray—urged President Biden to grant the request for a Major Disaster Declaration in January.

    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

    Dear Mr. President:

    We are writing to express our serious disappointment and growing concern regarding the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the devastating bomb cyclone that struck between November 17 and November 25, 2024. As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay.

    From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone.

    Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter. We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need.

    Sincerely,

    Issues: Environment, Housing, Transportation, & Infrastructure

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: House of Representatives Passes One Big Beautiful Bill; James Votes Yes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John James (Michigan 10th District)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Representative John James (MI-10) voted yes. The passage of this bill signifies a critical step in codifying President Donald Trump’s America First Agenda.

    Rep. James issued the following statement regarding the bill passage:

    “In November, the American people gave Donald Trump and Republicans a mandate to secure the border, lower costs, fuel economic growth, and put America First. The One Big Beautiful bill restores fiscal responsibility to Washington while safeguarding vital programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. It strengthens border security, including at our Northern border, and fosters a pro-growth, pro-family economy that prioritizes working-class Americans. This is a huge win for Michigan and the entire country. President Trump and House Republicans are delivering on our promises to usher in a new American Golden Age where all Americans can thrive.”

    Specifically, the One Big Beautiful Bill:

    • Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent – protecting the average taxpayer from a 22 percent tax hike.
    • Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, and provides additional tax relief for seniors by allowing middle- and low-income seniors to deduct an additional $4,000.
    • Locks in and boosts the doubled Child Tax Credit for more than 40 million families and provides additional tax relief for American families.
    • Strengthens Medicaid for children, expectant mothers, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly, while stopping illegal immigrants, deceased beneficiaries, and ineligible recipients from draining Medicaid funds.
    • Requires colleges to have skin in the game by paying a portion of their students’ unpaid loans based on how much of a return on investment the degree provided.
    • Requires that to be eligible for SNAP, an individual must be a U.S. Citizen or green card holder, ending taxpayer funded subsidies for mass migration.
    • Appropriates $46.5 billion for construction of border barriers through September 2029, as well as $5 billion for CBP facilities and checkpoints on the southern, northern and maritime borders and $813 million for border patrol vehicles.
    • Includes $4.1 billion to hire and train additional CBP and other personnel.


    The legislation is endorsed by over     1000 businesses and organizations, including National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), National Taxpayers Union, 60 Plus Association, and Concerned Veterans for America. To read more about the bill, click here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: John James’ Legislation to Overturn Biden’s California Clean Trucks Rule Passes United States Senate

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John James (Michigan 10th District)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States Senate passed Representative John James’ (MI-10) Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the Biden Administration’s approval of California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule. This CRA passed the House of Representatives in April 2025 and will now move to President Trump’s desk. 

    James’ legislation would cancel an overreaching and impractical rule that would mandate truck makers to only sell zero-emission trucks which would increase vehicle prices for consumers, increase costs and manufacturing complexities for automakers, and convolute the regulatory environment. If left unchecked, California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule could replicate to other states, forcing costly transitions to electric trucks, inflating goods prices, and disproportionately burdening working families and truckers nationwide.

    James issued the following statement following the passage of the CRA in the Senate:

    “I’ve always said, Michigan is not afraid of the future, but we demand to be a part of it. This is not the United States of California; California has no right to dictate what Michigan or the rest of the country does. The passage of this bill through the Senate moves us closer towards giving Michigan a seat at the table, marking a historic win for American automakers, autoworkers, small businesses, truckers, and consumers alike. Republicans are working hard to implement President Trump’s America First agenda, and the first step is repealing the rules and waivers that fueled Bideninflation. I look forward to President Trump signing this critical legislation into law.”

    To read more about James’ CRA, click here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 22 May 2025 News release Health system at breaking point as hostilities further intensify in Gaza, WHO warns

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Israel’s intensified military operations continue to threaten an already weakened health system, amidst worsening mass population displacement and acute shortages of food, water, medical supplies, fuel and shelter. 

    Four major hospitals in Gaza (Kamal Adwan Hospital, Indonesia Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and European Gaza Hospital) have had to suspend medical services in the past week due to their proximity to hostilities or evacuation zones, and attacks. WHO has recorded 28 attacks on health care in Gaza during this period and 697 attacks since October 2023.

    Only 19 of Gaza Strip’s 36 hospitals remain operational, including one hospital providing basic care for the remaining patients still inside the hospital, and are struggling under severe supply shortages, lack of health workers, persistent insecurity, and a surge of casualties, all while staff work in impossible conditions. Of the 19 hospitals, 12 provide a variety of health services, while the rest are only able to provide basic emergency care. At least 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed.

    The increased hostilities and new evacuation orders issued across northern and southern Gaza in the past two days threaten to push even more health facilities out of service. This includes 1 hospital, 11 primary care centres, and 13 medical points within the evacuation zones, and an additional 5 hospitals, 1 field hospital, 9 primary care centres, and 23 medical points within 1000 metres of those zones. 

    North Gaza has been stripped of nearly all health care. Al-Awda Hospital is only minimally functional, serving as a trauma stabilization point. It faces an imminent risk of closure due to ongoing insecurity and restricted access. The hospital’s third floor was reportedly attacked on Wednesday, injuring a staff member. Hostilities in the area also damaged the water tank and pipeline. Today, the hospital was attacked again. The third and fourth floors were reportedly hit, injuring two health workers. Patient triage tents, including one provided by WHO, caught fire, which also burned all medical supplies in the warehouse and destroyed vehicles in the basement. A WHO mission attempting to reach the hospital today was impeded.

    The Indonesian Hospital is out of service due to continued military presence since 18 May, making it inaccessible. Yesterday, a WHO mission to the hospital was forced to abort due to the security situation after waiting nearly four hours for clearance to proceed. WHO team had planned to deliver food and water to patients, assess their conditions, and identify critical equipment for transfer. WHO tried to reach the hospital again today, but the mission was impeded.

    Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had the only centre to treat patients with severe acute malnutrition in North Gaza, went out of service on 20 May after intense hostilities in its vicinity, forcing patients to evacuate or be discharged prematurely. 

    In southern Gaza, Nasser Medical Complex, Al-Amal, and Al-Aqsa hospitals are overwhelmed by a surge of injured people, worsened by a new wave of displacement to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. The European Gaza Hospital remains out of service following an attack on 13 May, cutting off vital services including neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment – all unavailable elsewhere in Gaza.

    Currently, across the Gaza Strip, only 2000 hospital beds remain available, for a population of over 2 million people, grossly insufficient to meet the current needs. Of these, at least 40 beds are at risk of being lost as they are in hospitals within newly declared evacuation zones, while an additional 850 could be lost if conditions deteriorate at facilities near these zones.

    Continued hostilities and military presence inhibit patients from accessing care, obstruct staff from providing care, and prevent WHO and partners from resupplying hospitals.

    With each hospital forced out of service, patients lose access to health care, and WHO and partners’ efforts, to sustain Gaza’s health system are undone. The destruction is systematic. Hospitals are rehabilitated and resupplied, only to be exposed to hostilities or attacked again. This destructive cycle must end.

    Amid constant fear and insecurity, health workers, including those from national and international emergency medical teams, continue delivering urgent care in Gaza. WHO salutes their courage and commitment.

    WHO calls for the active protection of health care. Hospitals must never be militarized or targeted.

    WHO calls for aid at scale to be allowed into Gaza through all possible routes, and for unimpeded humanitarian access to reach people wherever they are. Echoing the United Nations’ Relief Chief, WHO reiterates that the UN and its partners have a clear, principled and effective plan to deliver aid with safeguards against diversion, a system that has worked and must be enabled to continue.  

    WHO calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end to the killing. But his insistence that any agreement would have to address the “root causes” of the war is a clear indication that he hasn’t rowed back from his original maximalist war aims. To whit: no Nato membership, a Kremlin-friendly government in Kyiv, ownership of Crimea and control – preferably annexation – of the four provinces of Ukraine presently under Russian occupation.

    Meanwhile his great ally Dmitry Medvedev continues to insist that there are at present no Ukrainian officials who legitimately qualify as partners for negotiation. The Russian national security council secretary claims that Ukraine is a “failed state” whose leaders’ lack of legitimacy, meanwhile, raise “serious questions” about who Russia can conclude any agreement with.

    So when Donald Trump said this week after a two-hour chat with Putin that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire, it’s not clear who he thought the Russian president was planning to talk to if, as Putin and his cronies insist, Zelensky and his team are not legitimate. And, from what he had to say about his recent phone call with Putin, it appears that Trump has his eyes more on the sorts of deals that might be done with Russia once this is all cleared up.

    As he posted on his Truth Social platform after talking with Putin: “Russia wants to do largescale [sic] TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over, and I agree. There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED.”

    Accordingly, he has backed away from his previous willingness to join Europe in imposing fresh sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile Russia continues to hammer Ukraine both on the battlefield and via ever larger drone and missiles attacks against its civilian population.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    The real clue to Trump’s attitude, writes Stefan Wolff, is the order of phone calls on Monday. Before settling down to talk with Putin, the US president put in a call to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Reporting back on the call, Zelensky said he had urged Trump that he mustn’t make any decisions about Ukraine “without us”. Having subsequently spoken at length with Putin, Trump emerged saying in his Truth Social post that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations” towards a ceasefire and an end to the war.

    The state of the conflict in Ukraine, May 21 2025.
    Institute for the Study of War

    But Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham who has written regularly here about the conflict, believes that the fact that Trump added the conditions for peace “will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be” suggests he is indeed planning to abandon his peacemaking ambitions. The whole deal was taking far longer than the 24 hours he boasted of during the election campaign last year.

    Where this leaves Europe is unclear, writes Wolff. If it can no longer rely on Washington as a security partner (and the signs aren’t good), then this will require a substantial rethink. Indeed there are signs, with the UK’s recent agreement over security and defence, that minds are increasingly focused on a more self-reliant future. In turn, this has implications for US security. If Europe is compelled to rethink its security relationship with the US it could cut both ways as Washington pivots to face an increasingly aggressive China.



    Read more:
    After another call with Putin, it looks like Trump has abandoned efforts to mediate peace in Ukraine

    Of course, it should have been clear to all concerned not to take Putin at face value over his apparent willingness to talk peace with Zelensky when he failed to turn up to talks in Istanbul at the end of last week. As Natasha Lindstaedt writes here, none of the main players attended the talks, despite plans for Putin, Zelensky and Trump to all meet face-to-face.

    Lindstaedt, an expert in international relations at the University of Essex, describes what for all the world seemed like a bizarre game of bluff – certainly as far as Putin and Trump are concerned. All three leaders had promised to be there, but in the end they all sent intermediaries with the result that nothing of any consequence was agreed. Trump’s aides insisted that if Putin attended he would be there. Then the US president said the reason that Putin hadn’t turned up was because he knew Trump wasn’t going to be there.

    “It’s certainly hard to take peace talks seriously when there is an awkward back-and-forth just about who is going to attend,” Lindstaedt concludes. “And while Trump thinks peace is only possible through bilateral meetings between himself and Putin, it’s clear he can’t even influence Putin to show up to peace talks that the Russian president himself suggested.”



    Read more:
    Putin is testing how far he can push Trump by not turning up for Istanbul talks

    Pie in the sky?

    The US president, meanwhile, has announced plans for an ambitious missile defence system to be called “Golden Dome”. It’s a next-generation system, says Trump, “capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”.

    The plan, for which US$25 billion (£18.6 billion) has been set aside in the US president’s “one big beautiful bill”, presently before the US Congress, calls for a network of surveillance satellites complemented by a separate fleet of offensive satellites that would shoot down offensive missiles soon after lift-off. Trump has estimated this will cost US$175 billion and will be completed by the end of his current four-year term. But other estimates are that it will be much more expensive and take far longer to complete.

    “There has never been anything like this”, the US president said. And indeed there hasn’t, writes Matthew Powell, an expert in air power from the University of Portsmouth. In fact, Powell is deeply sceptical that the technology to enable such an ambitious defence system exists at present. He points to Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, which became known by critics, with their tongues in their cheeks, as “Star Wars”, which never really got any further than the drawing board.

    It did, however, have the effect of signalling to the Kremlin and the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, that the sky would be the limit in terms of US willingness to push the boundaries of defence spending. Powell believes it significantly changed the calculations when it came to the feasibility of continuing the nuclear arms race and may have been responsible for the end of the cold war.



    Read more:
    Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan

    Incidentally, the US president’s funding bill scraped through the House of Representatives with 215 votes for and 214 against. In addition to setting aside funds for Golden Dome, the bill, which in its current form adds trillions of dollars to the US debt, has been described by Democrat critics as a “tax scam”. A statement from Democrat leaders said: “This fight is just beginning, and House Democrats will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the GOP Tax Scam is buried deep in the ground, never to rise again.”

    But how much stomach do the Democrats have for the fight? They’ve had a pretty terrible few months since the election. Their approval rating in March was at 29%, the worst since polling began in 1992. Fernando Pizarro, a lecturer in journalism at City St Georges, University of London, who has several Emmys under his belt for his work on US politics, has cast his eye over some of the leading Democrats who he thinks will spearhead the opposition to the Republicans over the next few years and identifies a few players who could vie for the presidential nomination in 2028.



    Read more:
    The top Democrats leading the fight against Trump’s agenda

    Gaza: situation increasingly desperate

    Meanwhile, after 11 weeks of Israeli blockade of aid to the people of Gaza, limited deliveries have now recommenced in the face of pressure from both the US and increasingly outspoken interventions from the likes of the UK, France and Canada.

    But despite reports that up to 100 trucks are now being allowed into the Gaza Strip, human rights agencies and aid organisations have said that there is a desperate threat of widespread starvation unless the amount of food, fuel and medicine getting through increases exponentially. And fast.

    There is talk of a US-administered programme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which could be up and running by the end of May and could accelerate the delivery of vital supplies to the civilian population while ensuring it does not does not get into the hands of militants or black marketeers.

    But this scheme has its critics, write Sarah Schiffling and Liz Breen, experts in humanitarian logistics and health service operations at Hanken School of Economics and the University of Bradford respectively. They point to a number of flaws, including the plan to concentrate the secure distribution points in southern and central Gaza, forcing large numbers of people to travel considerable distances for supplies.

    The GHF plan also calls for aid distribution to be coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces, which humanitarian organisations says is a “humanitarian cover for a military strategy of control and dispossession”.

    Schiffling and Breen point out that humanitarian organisations have 160,000 pallets of supplies and almost 9,000 aid trucks ready to be dispatched across the border “as soon as Israel allows it”. Whether Israel will allow it is, of course, another question entirely.



    Read more:
    Israel allows a ‘limited’ amount of aid back into Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is desperate

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-its-clear-right-now-there-are-no-serious-plans-for-peace-257388

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SOUTH BEND – Antonio Curiel, 44 years old, of San Ysedro, California, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Curiel was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.

    According to documents in the case, in March 2024, Curiel was transporting more than 18 kilograms of cocaine from California to the East Coast in a vehicle when he was stopped by law enforcement in Northern Indiana. Curiel admitted he was being paid for his transportation services, and this was not the first time making such a trip. 

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory with assistance from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: One Hundred Eighty-Nine Arrested in Immigration Crackdown Under the ‘Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful’ Initiative

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

    Authorities Made Arrests as Part of Coordinated Effort to Restore Order and Uphold Immigration Laws.

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Jr. joined with other federal law enforcement leaders to announce today that as a result of a joint federal law enforcement initiative, authorities arrested 189 individuals following a joint federal immigration-related enforcement operation in the District of Columbia over the past week.

    As part of the operation, authorities apprehended 189 illegal aliens during an enhanced targeted immigration enforcement operation focusing on egregious criminal alien offenders operating in and around Washington, D.C., May 6–9.

    “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and this administration’s focus on law and order, these arrests represent a major step forward in making Washington, D.C., safer for legal citizens and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “These arrests make clear that violating our nation’s immigration laws will not be ignored.”

    “The District of Columbia is exponentially safer today because of countless hours of investigative work and dedication to duty displayed by ICE Washington, D.C., and our law enforcement partners,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C., Field Office Director Russell Hott. “Working with our partner agencies, ICE officers and agents arrested 189 illegal aliens and removed them from the streets of our Nation’s Capital. Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in the city of Washington, D.C. Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid. I commend the efforts of everyone involved, as all were truly committed to the success of this operation. ICE Washington, D.C., remains dedicated to our mission of prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing criminal offenders from our Nation’s Capital and surrounding communities.”

    Among those arrested during the enhanced targeted operation include the following:

    • A 47-year-old illegally present Guatemalan alien whose criminal history includes drug possession, illegal reentry, aggravated assault, trespassing, disorderly conduct, and sexual assault. His current criminal charges include unlawful reentry of a previously deported alien, disorderly conduct, lewd acts, possession of a controlled substance, sex abuse, assault with a dangerous weapon, and possessing an open container. Additionally, he has numerous gang-affiliated tattoos on his arms, legs, and chest.

    • A 25-year-old illegally present Guatemalan alien whose criminal history includes threat to kidnap, attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, threats to bodily harm, and simple assault. He is currently charged with alien present without admission or parole.

    • A 30-year-old illegally present Salvadoran alien whose criminal history includes simple assault, driving while intoxicated, brandishing a machete, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. He is currently charged with alien present without admission or parole.

    • A 36-year-old illegally present Mexican alien whose criminal history includes misdemeanor larceny, misdemeanor indecent exposure, possession of an open container, simple assault, theft, unlawful entry, and possession of a prohibited weapon (knife). He is currently charged with alien present without admission or parole.

    This law enforcement activity is part of President Donald Trump’s Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Executive Order. The Executive Order directs a coordinated federal effort to reduce crime, enhance public safety, and restore pride in the nation’s capital through targeted enforcement, improved policing, and strategic partnerships. It also calls for the beautification of public spaces, stricter enforcement of quality-of-life laws, and the removal of graffiti and encampments on federal lands to ensure D.C. remains clean, secure, and reflective of America’s strength and heritage.

    Participating agencies include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Virginia Department of Corrections; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; and U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    All charges are merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: ECN Capital Announces Annual Meeting Voting Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ECN Capital Corp. (TSX: ECN) (“ECN Capital” or the “Corporation”) confirmed today that the eight nominees listed in its management information circular (the “Circular”) dated April 22, 2025 were elected as directors at today’s annual meeting of the holders of common shares (“Common Shares”) and mandatory convertible preferred shares, Series E (“Series E Shares”) of ECN Capital (the “Meeting”). There were 210,980,127 Common Shares and 27,450,000 Series E Shares represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting (representing approximately 77.19% of the votes attached to the outstanding shares of ECN Capital). The holders of Common Shares and Series E Shares voted together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote at the Meeting. The voting results for the Meeting held earlier today by virtual meeting are set out below.

    At the Meeting, the following eight individuals nominated to serve as directors of ECN Capital’s board of directors (the “Board”) were elected by ballot. Proxies and votes received at the Meeting were as follows:

        For Withheld  
      William Lovatt 99.97% 0.03%  
      Steven Hudson 99.97% 0.03%  
      Paul Stoyan 99.97% 0.03%  
      David Morris 99.97% 0.03%  
      Carol E. Goldman 99.98% 0.02%  
      Karen Martin 99.94% 0.06%  
      Tawn Kelley 98.02% 1.98%  
      Tarun Mehta 99.97% 0.03%  

    At the Meeting, the following resolutions as set out in the Circular were passed as ordinary resolutions of ECN Capital’s shareholders by ballot. Proxies and votes received at the Meeting were as follows:

      Resolutions For Withheld  
      Re-appointment of Auditors 99.87% 0.13%  
        For Against  
      Say-on-Pay Advisory Vote 99.31% 0.69%  
      Option Plan Resolution (as defined in the Circular) 86.58% 13.42%  
      DSU Plan Resolution (as defined in the Circular) 86.82% 13.18%  
      Unit Plan Resolution (as defined in the Circular) 86.82% 13.18%  

    The results of these matters considered at the Meeting are reported in the Report of Voting Results as filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.com) on May 22, 2025.

    Tarun Mehta Elected to ECN Capital’s Board

    ECN Capital is pleased to welcome Tarun Mehta to the Board following his election at the Meeting. Mr. Mehta is a former senior executive officer of Truist Financial Corporation (“Truist”) and worked closely with ECN Capital in connection with our ownership in and subsequent sale of Service Finance Company (“Service Finance”). ECN Capital sold Service Finance to Truist in December 2021 for approximately US$2 billion and distributed substantially all of the after-tax proceeds to shareholders of the Corporation in the form of a special distribution of C$7.50 per share.

    Mr. Mehta was most recently the Head of Strategy, Transformation & Corporate Development of Truist, one of the top 10 largest banks in the United States, with businesses in retail banking, corporate and investment banking, commercial banking and wealth management. Mr. Mehta has extensive experience in investment banking, assisting financial institutions with debt and equity capital raises, asset-backed security transactions and mergers & acquisitions. Mr. Mehta also has a strong background in corporate strategy and enterprise transformation, with experience developing and implementing the long-term enterprise strategic plan for Truist. He was a member of the Operating Council of Truist. Mr. Mehta will be appointed Chair of the Credit & Risk Committee, replacing David Morris.

    About ECN Capital Corp.

    With managed assets of US$6.9 billion, ECN Capital is a leading provider of business services to North American based banks, credit unions, life insurance companies, pension funds and institutional investors (collectively, our “Partners”). ECN Capital originates, manages and advises on credit assets on behalf of its Partners, specifically consumer (manufactured housing and recreational vehicle and marine) loans and commercial (inventory finance and rental) loans. Our Partners are seeking high quality assets to match with their deposits, term insurance or other liabilities. These services are offered through two operating segments: (i) Manufactured Housing Finance, and (ii) Recreational Vehicles and Marine Finance.

    Contact

    Katherine Moradiellos
    561-631-8739
    kmoradiellos@ecncapitalcorp.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Council drives forward with fleet management action plan

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Highland Council has today updated members of the Communities and Place Committee on its Fleet Action Plan supplied to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland.

    The action plan was developed following an independent audit of the Council’s fleet operations and addresses a number of improvements being made in relation to compliance and control processes and monitoring of heavy goods vehicles.

    Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, Councillor Graham MacKenzie, said: “Our large fleet plays a key role in service provision for our communities and maintaining a legally safe and compliant fleet of vehicles is essential. I welcome the opportunity to further enhance the fleet operation within Highland Council as we continue to review the way we manage the fleet and look to continuously improve as we move into a completely digital operation.”

    Priority items in the action plan included reviewing the structure and process for control and compliance of drivers and licences, increasing team resource and training, improvements in ongoing vehicle monitoring and maintenance check processes and introducing new process efficiencies.

    Vice-Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, Councillor Hugh Morrison, said: “Our improvement plans are significant and show our ambition to be a leading fleet service in Scotland. We aim to restructure the fleet service to enhance resources across the whole operation, invest via the Highland Delivery Plan into new and upgraded depots and workshops, and move to a completely digital operation from drivers checks through to digital inspection forms.”

    22 May 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Waterbury Man Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Violent Carjacking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL McCANN-ORTIZ, also known as “Bando,” 24, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 95 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent carjacking.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 18, 2023, two all-terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) were stolen from a Waterbury residence.  After the theft, McCann-Ortiz and others mistakenly identified an individual (“Victim 1”) who they incorrectly believed was involved in the theft.  Later that night, Victim 1’s friend, (“Victim 2”), picked up Victim 1 from work and drove him home.  As they arrived at Victim 1’s residence, three vehicles followed them and surrounded the victims.  McCann-Ortiz and his associates, one of whom carried an assault-style rifle, exited the vehicles and approached the victims.  McCann-Ortiz and his associates demanded the return of the stolen ATVs, threatened to harm both victims, and physically assaulted them.

    Specifically, McCann-Ortiz repeatedly threatened to kill the victims, and punched and kicked one victim, causing serious bodily injury.

    McCann-Ortiz and his associates then stole Victim 2’s vehicle, which was owned by Victim 2’s relative, and other items and cash belonging to the victims.  McCann-Ortiz and his associates continued to harass the victims in the following days.

    McCann-Ortiz has been detained since his arrest on unrelated state charges on July 10, 2023.  On February 27, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury.

    This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Largo Man Charged With Bomb Hoax At FBI Tampa Field Office

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces a criminal complaint charging Nicki Wayne Goodman (49, Largo) with conveying false information to perpetuate a hoax. If convicted on all counts, Goodman faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Goodman made his initial appearance in federal court today, in Tampa, and was ordered detained.

    According to the criminal complaint, in the early morning of May 20, 2025, the FBI Tampa Field Office discovered a suspicious black backpack placed outside the main security gate, along with a cardboard sign that identified federal agents by name and a YouTube account belonging to Goodman. The sign also stated, among other things, “My name is Nicki Goodman” and “ABolish Government,” and displayed racial epithets. Agents also discovered several other cardboard signs with messages placed nearby the main entrance gate. Surveillance footage from the previous night revealed that Goodman had placed the bag and signs outside the security gate.

    Once the backpack was discovered, a large law enforcement response for public safety was initiated, including the deployment of the Tampa Police Department’s bomb squad and patrol units, and Tampa Fire Rescue engines and ambulances. The public safety response resulted in the closure of the public roadways near the incident, denied access to public businesses, and the shutdown of FBI’s Tampa Field Office for approximately five hours. No explosive materials were found in the backpack.

    While first responders were on scene, Goodman posted a short video from nearby, depicting multiple emergency vehicles and personnel in the background. In the video Goodman stated: “see all the way down that street right there? Guess that’s cause of me. (inaudible) I uh the FBI office right down the road there. Look at that shit. That’s crazy huh? Wrote a few notes. Found a bag..” and “they got the SWAT team. They got the look like they got a bomb squad or something going on there.”

    A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Tampa Police Department and Tampa Fire Rescue. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.

    MIL Security OSI –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU Fact Sheets – Road traffic and safety provisions – 22-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The establishment of a European road safety area has been one of the EU’s long-standing objectives since 2010. While each Member State has the power to make its own decisions related to certain aspects of road traffic and safety provisions, the EU also carries out work in this field and has been focusing its measures on vehicle conditions, the transport of dangerous goods and road safety in general.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Update – Serious Crash at Blackwood

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A motorcycle rider has been seriously injured in a crash at Blackwood this afternoon.

    Just after 3.30pm on Thursday 22 May, police were called to Shepherds Hill Road after reports of a collision between a truck and motorcycle.

    The rider, a 46-year-old man from Blackwood, sustained serious injuries in the crash and rushed to hospital. He remains in a critical condition.

    The truck driver, a 38-year-old man from Holden Hill, was not injured.

    Traffic was blocked for westbound traffic from the Blackwood roundabout for several hours but reopened about 9.15pm.

    Major Crash Investigators attended the scene to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.

    Anyone who witnessed the crash and hasn’t yet spoken to police is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    ​

    MIL OSI News –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: TransUnion Analysis Uncovers Surprising Truth: Inflation-Adjusted Debt Growth Much Smaller Over the Last Five Years

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As consumers grapple with rising costs and high interest rates, recent studies have revealed an increased reliance on credit products to help make ends meet. Despite the seemingly rapid growth in balances, a new analysis by TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) uncovers a more complex reality.

    According to TransUnion’s newly released Q1 2025 Credit Industry Insights Report (CIIR) total consumer balances have steadily increased over recent years. Total balances in nominal dollar terms (before adjusting for inflation) across all consumer credit products rose from $14.1 trillion in Q1 2020 to $18.0 trillion in Q1 2025, approximately 28%. The cumulative Consumer Price Index increase over that same time period, as measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, was nearly 24%. When adjusted for inflation, total balance growth in real dollar terms is more modest, amounting to $0.5 trillion over the five-year period, an increase of closer to 3%.

    The analysis also revealed that inflation-adjusted balances for consumers actually declined in real dollar terms across the majority of credit risk tiers from 2020 to 2025. This decrease was most pronounced in the prime risk tier, which saw a 14% drop in balances after adjusting for inflation. In contrast, super prime consumers experienced an 18% growth in balances over the same period. Much of the increase for super prime borrowers was attributed to higher mortgage balances. The only other risk tier to see an inflation-adjusted increase over the period was subprime at 1.9%.

    “Our latest analysis reveals a picture of credit usage that goes beyond simply an increase in total balances,” said Jason Laky, executive vice president and head of financial services at TransUnion. “When we account for the recent period of higher inflation, the rise in balances suggests that consumers in most risk tiers are not over-extended. In fact, many consumers experienced significant income gains since 2019, which have enabled most borrowers to effectively manage their debt levels.”

    Total Inflation-Adjusted Balances Across All Accounts Have Declined Across The Majority of Risk Tiers Since 2019
      % nominal dollar change 2020 to 2025 % real dollar change for 2020 to 2025 –
    inflation adjusted
    Super prime 46.5% 18.2%
    Prime plus 9.4% -11.7%
    Prime 7.2% -13.5%
    Near prime 11.6% -9.9%
    Subprime 26.2% 1.9%


    Source: TransUnion U.S. Consumer Credit Database

    “These findings challenge the idea that consumers are simply accumulating credit card debt. Instead, they highlight how balances reflect the current economic reality,” said Michele Raneri, vice president and head of U.S. research and consulting at TransUnion. “It’s understandable that only subprime consumers have experienced an inflation-adjusted increase in real credit card average balances, as this demographic has likely felt the impact of higher costs most acutely. But for other risk tiers of borrowers, their card balance growth has been less than the rate of inflation, indicating that many consumers may have further borrowing capacity.”

    To learn more about the latest consumer credit trends, register for the Q1 2025 Quarterly Credit Industry Insights Report webinar. Read on for more specific insights about credit cards, personal loans, auto loans and mortgages.

    Serious consumer-level credit card delinquencies decline YoY for second consecutive quarter

    Q1 2025 CIIR Credit Card Summary

    The first quarter of 2025 reflected credit card trends indicating a return to equilibrium, similar to those observed towards the end of 2024. Notably, consumer-level delinquencies of 90+ days past due decreased for the second consecutive quarter, dropping by 12 basis points year-over-year (YoY) to 2.43%. This marks the first consecutive quarters of YoY delinquency decline since 2020, during the height of the pandemic. In Q4 2024, total originations volume experienced a slight YoY increase of 0.1%. Although modest, this represents the first YoY growth in six quarters. Subprime originations saw a YoY growth of 2.9% in Q4 2024, the first in eight quarters, while super prime originations grew by 5.3% for the second consecutive quarter. Despite the uptick in originations, credit line amounts on new cards continue to trend downward. The average credit line on new accounts decreased slightly by 0.3% YoY in Q4 2024, with growth in super prime lines offsetting smaller lines in prime and below.

    Instant Analysis

    “We continue to observe signs that serious delinquencies may have peaked, with consumers managing their credit card usage more effectively. The year-over-year decline in 90+ days past due delinquencies, along with slower balance growth and stable utilization rates, indicates emerging market stability. We anticipate further declines in serious delinquencies in the coming quarters, primarily due to lenders’ intentional management of credit lines and cardholder risk profiles.”

    – Paul Siegfried, senior vice president and credit card business leader at TransUnion

    Q1 2025 Credit Card Trends

    Credit Card Lending Metric
    (Bankcard)    		 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Q1 2022

    Number of Credit Cards
    (Bankcards)    		 563.0 million 543.1 million 523.2 million 490.0 million
    Borrower-Level Delinquency
    Rate (90+ DPD)    		 2.43% 2.55% 2.26% 1.62%
    Total Credit Card Balances $1.07 Trillion $1.02 Trillion $917 billion $769 billion

    Average Debt Per Borrower    		 $6,371 $6,218 $5,733 $5,026
    Number of Consumers
    Carrying a Balance    		 172.0 million 169.0 million 165.3 million 158.9 million
    Prior Quarter Originations* 19.4 million 19.3 million 20.6 million 21.2 million
    Average New Account Credit
    Lines*    		 $5,612 $5,628 $5,421 $4,634


    *Note: Originations are viewed one quarter in arrears to account for reporting lag.
    Click here for a Q1 2025 credit card industry infographic. For more credit card industry information, click here for episodes of Extra Credit: A Card and Banking Podcast by TransUnion.

    Shift to less risky borrowers drives decline in unsecured personal loan delinquency in Q1 2025

    Q1 2025 CIIR Unsecured Personal Loan Summary

    In Q4 2024, unsecured personal loan originations hit a new high of 6.3 million, a 26% increase over Q4 2023, driven by all risk tiers, especially super prime, with 29% growth YoY. This led to a 17% YoY growth in total new account balances to $34 billion. Total balances for Q1 2025 only grew for above prime tiers, reaching $253 billion, a 3% increase over the prior year. A record 24.6 million consumers had balances, a 5% increase YoY, but average balances per consumer only grew for above prime tiers. Lenders expanded their borrower base but maintained cautious exposure, leading to a 7% decrease in average new account balances for Q4 2024, the fifth consecutive quarter of decline. Subprime delinquencies fell to 14.0% in Q1 2025 from 15.6% last year, while other risk tiers saw increases. The overall borrower-level delinquency rate declined to 3.49% in Q1 2025 from 3.75% last year, thanks to a balanced lending mix.

    Instant Analysis

    “The unsecured personal loan market has not only rebounded but also expanded, setting new records in loan volumes and balances. Growth is evident across all credit risk tiers, with super prime borrowers leading in year-over-year growth in the most recent quarter. Lenders appear to be limiting loan amounts for individual consumers, even as the aggregate borrower-level delinquency rate continues to decline. Increased competition and demand in the lowest risk credit tiers, along with advances in risk management practices, are now resulting in lower delinquency rates. These factors should support sustained growth, even in a challenging macroeconomic environment.“

    – Josh Turnbull, senior vice president and consumer lending business leader at TransUnion

    Q1 2025 Unsecured Personal Loan Trends
    Personal Loan Metric Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Q1 2022
    Total Balances $253 billion $245 billion $225 billion $178 billion
    Number of Unsecured
    Personal Loans    		 29.8 million 28.1 million 26.9 million 23.9 million
    Number of Consumers with
    Unsecured Personal Loans    		 24.6 million 23.5 million 22.4 million 20.4 million
    Borrower-Level Delinquency
    Rate (60+ DPD)    		 3.49% 3.75% 3.91% 3.25%
    Average Debt Per Borrower $11,631 $11,829 $11,281 $9,896
    Average Account Balance $8,496 $8,737 $8,356 $7,448
    Prior Quarter Originations* 6.3 million 5.0 million 5.2 million 5.7 million


    *Note: Originations are viewed one quarter in arrears to account for reporting lag.
    Click here for additional unsecured personal loan industry metrics. Click here for a Q1 2025 unsecured personal loan industry infographic.

    Mortgage originations see YoY growth as delinquencies tick up

    Q1 2025 CIIR Mortgage Loan Summary

    Another sign that the previously sluggish mortgage originations market is beginning to rebound is that mortgage originations saw a YoY increase of 30.2% in Q4 2024, reaching 1.2 million, with 78% of those being purchase originations. The 15.4% YoY growth in purchase originations marks its first annual increase since Q2 2021. Origination volumes remain low compared to historical norms. Home equity originations rose 11% YoY, marking the third consecutive quarter of YoY increases. Meanwhile, 60+ days past due (DPD) account-level delinquencies ticked up YoY in Q1 2025 for the 12th consecutive quarter, reaching 1.44%. This represents a growth of 21 basis points YoY in Q1 2025, though the rate remains relatively low compared to historical levels. As home prices continue to climb, the average amount of new mortgage loans has followed suit, increasing by nearly $40,000 YoY to $366,443 in Q4 2024.

    Instant Analysis

    “Due to the anticipated impacts of announced tariffs on near-term inflation, mortgage rates are expected to remain elevated above 6% in the next quarter. Without a significant decrease in mortgage rates, origination activity for both purchases and refinances is likely to remain subdued. Although the upward trend in mortgage delinquencies continues, the levels remain below long-term averages, and far below historical highs during the Great Financial Crisis, but still warrant close monitoring.”

    – Satyan Merchant, senior vice president, automotive and mortgage business leader at TransUnion

    Q1 2025 Mortgage Trends
    Mortgage Lending
    Metric    		 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Q1 2022
    Number of Mortgage
    Loans

    53.6 million

    53.2 million

    52.9 million

    51.5 million
    Consumer-Level
    Delinquency Rate
    (60+ DPD)    		 1.36% 1.14% 0.90% 0.80%
    Prior Quarter
    Originations*    		 1.2 million 0.9 million 1.0 million 2.9 million
    Average Loan
    Amounts
    of New Mortgage
    Loans*    		 $366,443 $327,102 $327,050 $315,661
    Average Balance per
    Consumer    		 $266,843 $260,745 $253,514 $241,203
    Total Balances of All
    Mortgage Loans    		 $12.5 trillion $12.1 trillion $11.8 trillion $10.9 trillion


    * O    riginations are viewed one quarter in arrears to account for reporting lag.
    Click here for additional mortgage industry metrics. Click here for a Q1 2025 mortgage industry infographic.

    Auto originations trend up ahead of tariffs

    Q1 2025 CIIR Auto Loan Summary

    Auto loan originations in Q4 2024 reached 6.2 million, representing an 8% YoY growth. This growth was observed across all risk tiers, with super prime leading at 15.7% YoY growth. The increase was largely driven by Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in late 2024, rising inventories, and the return of incentives. New vehicles made up 47% of those financed in Q4 2024, as compared to 53% used, the highest Q4 share for new vehicles since pre-pandemic times. Leasing share continued to approach pre-pandemic levels, rising to 26% in Q1 2025. The 60+ DPD delinquency rate increased by 5 basis points YoY in Q1 2025 to 1.38%. This rate exceeds the peak delinquency rate of 1.33% observed in Q1 2009, although the rate of growth has recently slowed. Overall, new vehicle loan vintages continue to show consistent performance compared to pre-pandemic periods (2018/2019). However, when broken down by risk tiers, recent new vehicle vintages have elevated delinquency levels, particularly for prime and below tiers.

    Instant Analysis

    “There have been positive signs of recovery and momentum across all tiers, not just super prime. The return of incentives has provided a tailwind to vehicle sales and financing. Nevertheless, some of this progress may reverse if the recently announced trade policies are implemented long-term, as they could further impact affordability. Despite this, we expect Q1 2025 originations to increase, as many consumers likely tried to secure a new vehicle before the tariffs were implemented.”

    – Satyan Merchant, senior vice president, automotive and mortgage business leader at TransUnion

    Q1 2025 Auto Loan Trends

    Auto Lending Metric    		 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Q1 2023 Q1 2022

    Total Auto Loan Accounts    		 80.0 million 80.1 million 80.1 million 80.5 million

    Prior Quarter Originations    1    		 6.2 million 5.8 million 5.8 million 6.5 million
    Average Monthly Payment
    NEW    2    		 $759 $746 $741 $657
    Average Monthly Payment
    USED    2    		 $526 $521 $521 $509
    Average Balance per
    Consumer    		 $24,413 $24,035 $23,214 $21,606
    Average Amount Financed on
    New Auto Loans    2    		 $42,877 $41,222 $41,539 $40,184
    Average Amount Financed on
    Used Auto Loans    2    		 $26,494 $25,655 $26,260 $27,995
    Consumer-Level Delinquency
    Rate (60+ DPD)    		 1.56% 1.50% 1.34% 1.09%


    1    Note: Originations are viewed one quarter in arrears to account for reporting lag.
    2Data from S&P Global Mobility AutoCreditInsight, Q1 2025 data only for January and February.
    Click here for additional auto industry metrics. Click here for a Q1 2025 auto industry infographic.

    For more information about the report, please register for the Q1 2025 Credit Industry Insight Report webinar.

    About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

    TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.

    http://www.transunion.com/business

    Contact Dave Blumberg
      TransUnion
    E-mail dblumberg@transunion.com
    Telephone 312-972-6646

    The MIL Network –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Fusion Fuel Announces Over $2.7 Million in New Contracts and Substantial Utility Growth through Al Shola Gas

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBLIN, Ireland, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via IBN – Fusion Fuel Green PLC (Nasdaq: HTOO) (“Fusion Fuel” or the “Company”), a leading provider of full-service energy engineering, advisory, and utility solutions, today announced that its majority-owned operating subsidiary, Al Shola Al Modea Gas Distribution LLC (“Al Shola Gas”), has secured an estimated $2.7 million in new engineering contracts since the beginning of March 2025, and, since the beginning of January 2025, has added more than 1,800 residential service contracts and two commercial service contracts to its portfolio for estimated recurring revenue of more than $0.9 million. The Company also provided an update on Al Shola Gas’ bulk LPG supply.

    Overview of New Contracts – Engineering Projects

    Since March 2025, Al Shola Gas has signed contracts for design, supply, installation, maintenance, and operations with an estimated total value of approximately $2.7 million.

    “The award of these market-leading contracts exemplifies Al Shola Gas’s capability to undertake and execute the industry’s most exemplary and demanding projects. We continue to expand our operations as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) benefits from increased migration and construction sector growth,” added Al Shola Gas, Managing Director, Sanjeeb Safir.

    Overview of New Contracts – Residential Utilities

    Since the commencement of the current year, Al Shola Gas has signed contracts for the supply and maintenance of LPG utility solutions for over 1,800 new apartments situated in 16 buildings throughout Dubai, UAE. The anticipated annual recurring revenue generated from the new contracts is projected to be approximately $0.9 million. Consequently, with the incorporation of these new contracts, the current billings for utility solutions rendered by Al Shola Gas will increase to encompass over 12,000 customers.

    Overview of New Contracts – Commercial Utilities

    Furthermore, since the beginning of 2025, Al Shola Gas has signed commercial LPG supply and maintenance contracts for two food and beverage facilities in Dubai. With the addition of these properties, Al Shola Gas now manages monthly billing for over 170 food and beverage outlets.

    Overview of Bulk LPG Supply

    Bulk LPG supplied by Al Shola Gas to its current customers has consistently exceeded 600 MT monthly. Bulk LPG supply has been organically growing at a rate of 10 to 20 MT per month. With new bobtail trucks purchased and expected to join the Al Shola Gas fleet in the coming months, the company expects to reach 800 MT per month in bulk LPG supply by the end of the year.

    “Al Shola Gas continues to deliver impressive operational results and commercial traction,” said John-Paul Backwell, CEO of Fusion Fuel. “These new contracts reflect the market’s trust in our capabilities and contribute meaningful value to our long-term revenue base through project and recurring utility income.”

    About Fusion Fuel Green PLC

    Fusion Fuel Green PLC (NASDAQ: HTOO) is an emerging leader in the energy services sector, offering a comprehensive suite of energy supply, distribution, and engineering and advisory solutions through its Al Shola Gas and BrightHy brands. Al Shola Gas provides full-service industrial gas solutions, including the design, supply, and maintenance of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) systems, as well as the transport and distribution of LPG to a broad range of customers across commercial, industrial, and residential sectors. BrightHy, the Company’s newly launched hydrogen solutions platform, delivers innovative engineering and advisory services enabling decarbonization across hard-to-abate industries.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target”, “may”, “intend”, “predict”, “should”, “would”, “predict”, “potential”, “seem”, “future”, “outlook” or other similar expressions (or negative versions of such words or expressions) that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Fusion Fuel has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations, are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate, and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, those set forth in Fusion Fuel’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 9, 2025, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements.

    Wire Service Contact:
    IBN
    Austin, Texas
    www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com
    512.354.7000 Office
    Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: NorthStrive Biosciences Announces Completion of Phase I Strategic Review for EL-22 Targeting Muscle Loss Associated with GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs and Age-Related Sarcopenia

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northstrive Biosciences Inc. (“Northstrive”), a subsidiary of PMGC Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) (the “Company,” “PMGC,” “we,” or “our”), today announced the completion of a Phase I strategic research and literature synthesis for EL-22 (formerly BLS-M22), its first-in-class oral myostatin-engineered probiotic. The analysis, conducted in collaboration with Yuva Biosciences and supported by AI-based scientific review technology from Yuva Biosciences’ MitoNova™, provided valuable insights into EL-22’s proposed mechanism of action and will help guide further exploration into its potential to address critical unmet needs in muscle-wasting conditions, including GLP-1-associated atrophy and age-related sarcopenia.

    EL-22 is leveraging a myostatin-engineered probiotic approach to address obesity’s pressing issue of preserving muscle while on weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists. The oral biologic is designed to induce a targeted immune response against myostatin, a key negative regulator of muscle growth. Unlike traditional injectable antibodies, EL-22 leverages genetically engineered Lactobacillus casei to stimulate the gut immune system, offering a convenient, patient-friendly oral delivery method with potential safety and efficacy advantages.

    Key Highlights from the Report:

    • Strong Preclinical Rationale: Synthesized findings from published peer-reviewed literature, highlight noteworthy effects of EL-22 in mdx mice on antibody production, serum CK, body weight, motor function, and muscle histology.
    • Unique Oral Vaccine Approach: EL-22 is distinct from the more common systemic administration of antibodies or gene therapy vectors. Utilizing Lactobacillus casei as a delivery vehicle to stimulate mucosal and systemic immunity against myostatin is a novel immunological strategy for a muscle-wasting disorder.
    • Targeting GLP-1-Associated Muscle Loss: With the rapid expansion of GLP-1 receptor agonists in obesity and diabetes, EL-22 is well-positioned to address the growing concern of associated muscle loss. The company is prioritizing this indication for its next clinical development milestone.
    • Strategic Next Steps: NorthStrive intends to launch a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial targeting GLP-1 users and begin regulatory engagement to advance EL-22 toward an IND filing in the United States.

    About Northstrive Biosciences Inc.

    Northstrive Biosciences Inc., a PMGC Holdings Inc. company, is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and acquisition of cutting-edge aesthetic medicines. Northstrive’s lead asset, EL-22, leverages an engineered probiotic approach to address obesity’s pressing issue of preserving muscle while on weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists. For more information, please visit www.northstrivebio.com.

    About Yuva Biosciences, Inc.

    Yuva Biosciences is a longevity company harnessing the cutting edge of mitochondrial science to address the root cause of aging. By partnering with consumer brands and biotech innovators, Yuva Biosciences develops solutions for aging-related concerns including hair loss, skin wrinkles, and several other conditions driven by a decline in mitochondrial function. The company is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. For more information, please visit www.yuvabio.com.

    About PMGC Holdings Inc.

    PMGC Holdings Inc. is a diversified holding company that manages and grows its portfolio through strategic acquisitions, investments, and development across various industries. Currently, our portfolio consists of three wholly owned subsidiaries: Northstrive Biosciences Inc., PMGC Research Inc., and PMGC Capital LLC. We are committed to exploring opportunities in multiple sectors to maximize growth and value. For more information, please visit https://www.pmgcholdings.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words such as “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “potential,” “would” and “future” or similar expressions such as “look forward” are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, activities of regulators and future regulations and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. These and other risks are described more fully in PMGC’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2025, and its other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

    IR Contact:

    IR@pmgcholdings.com

    The MIL Network –

    May 27, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Punitive criminal libel charge against Samoan journalist draws flurry of criticism

    Pacific Media Watch

    A punitive defamation charge filed against one of Samoa’s most experienced and trusted journalists last week has sparked a flurry of criticism over abuse of power and misuse of a law that has long been heavily criticised as outdated.

    Talamua Online senior journalist Lagi Keresoma, who is also president of the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS), was charged with one count of defamation under Section 117A of Samoa’s Crimes Act 2013 on May 18.

    She was elected in 2021 as the first woman to hold the presidency.

    The charge followed an article she had published more than two weeks earlier on May 1 alleging that a former police officer had appealed to Samoa’s Head of State to have charges against him withdrawn.

    The accused was charged with “allegedly forging the signature of the complainant as guarantor to secure a $200,000 loan from the Samoa National Provident Fund”. He denies the allegation.

    It was reported that the complainant was another senior police officer.

    Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo reportedly said the officer had filed a complaint over the May 1 article, claiming its contents were false and amounted to defamation.

    Criminal libel removed, then restored
    The criminal libel law was removed by the Samoan government in 2013, but was revived four years later in 2017. It was claimed at the time that it was needed to deal with issues triggered by social media.

    JAWS immediately defended their president, saying it stood in “full solidarity” with Keresoma and calling for an immediate repeal of the law.

    The association said the provision was a “troubling development for press freedom in Samoa” and added that it “should not be used to silence journalists and discourage investigative reporting”.

    “It is deeply concerning that a journalist of Lagi Keresoma’s integrity and professionalism is being prosecuted under a law that has long been criticised for its negative effect on press freedom,” said the association.

    Talamua Online senior journalist Lagi Keresoma . . . charged with criminal defamation over a report earlier this month. Image: Samoa Observer

    Keresoma told Talamua Online she had been summoned twice to the police station and the police suggested that she apologise publicly and to the complainant and the complaint would be withdrawn.

    However, she said: “To apologise is an admission that the story is wrong, so after speaking to my lawyer and my editor, it was decided to have the police file their charges, but no apology from my end.”

    Her lawyer also contacted the police investigating officer informing that her client was not making a statement but to prepare the charges against her.

    Keresoma was summoned to the police headquarters on Saturday and Sunday and the charges were only finalised on Monday morning before she was released.

    She is due to appear in court next month.

    Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, the JAWS gender spokesperson with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), said in a statement Keresoma was a veteran Samoan journalist with “decades of service” to the public and media.

    ‘Outdated and controversial provision’
     “Her arrest under this outdated and controversial provision raises serious concerns about the misuse of legal tools to silence independent journalism. The action appears heavy-handed and disproportionate, and risks being perceived as an abuse of power to suppress public scrutiny and dissent,” Lagipoiva said.

    “The United Nations Human Rights Committee and UN Special Rapporteurs, particularly the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, have repeatedly called for defamation to be treated as a civil matter, not a criminal one.

    “The continued application of criminal defamation in Samoa contradicts international standards and poses a chilling threat to press freedom, particularly for women journalists who already face systemic risks and intimidation.”

    Pacific Media Watch notes: “This is a disturbing development in Pacific media freedom trends. Clearly it is a clumsy attempt to intimidate and silence in-depth investigation and reporting on Pacific governance.

    “For years, Samoa has been a beacon for media freedom in the region, but it has fared badly in the latest World Press Freedom Index and this incident involving alleged criminal libel, a crime that should have been struck from the statutes years ago, is not going to help Samoa’s standing.

    “Journalism is not a crime.”

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    May 27, 2025
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