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Category: Vehicles

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Interview] Staying Cool Without Refrigerants: How Samsung Is Pioneering Next-Generation Peltier Cooling

    Source: Samsung

    On June 28, Samsung Electronics, together with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), published a paper on next-generation Peltier cooling technology in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications.
     
    The team successfully developed a high-efficiency thin-film semiconductor Peltier device  using nano-engineering technology and demonstrated refrigerant-free cooling, highlighting the potential to deliver outstanding performance without conventional refrigerants.
     
    Previously in 2024, Samsung Electronics opened a new chapter in refrigeration technology through the launch of the Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator, which combines Peltier devices with high-efficiency compressors. Much like a hybrid vehicle, this system intelligently switches between the two cooling methods depending on what best suits the situation.
     
    While the Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator marked a major step forward, the new thin-film Peltier technology developed with Johns Hopkins APL represents a leap into the future.  How will this newly unveiled innovation be applied to home appliances, and how will it shape the cooling technology of tomorrow? To find out, Samsung Newsroom spoke with Sungjin Jung from Samsung Research, who has led the technology’s development, and Hajin Jeong from the DA (Digital Appliances) Business at Samsung Electronics, who is working to integrate it into Samsung’s next-generation refrigerators.
     
    ▲ (From left) Hajin Jeong from the Refrigerator Platform Lab of Samsung Electronics’ DA Business and Sungjin Jung from Samsung Research’s Life Solutions Team
     
     
    Precise Temperature Control With Semiconductor Devices? Understanding the Principles Behind Peltier Cooling Technology
    Conventional refrigerators operate using vapor compression technology. In this system, refrigerant gas is compressed into a liquid and then repeatedly evaporated to absorb and release heat, thereby lowering the internal temperature. While this widely used cooling method has proven effective, the use of refrigerants raises environmental concerns, and there are limitations in reducing power consumption — making it a challenge to carry this approach into the future and adapt it to evolving needs. Additionally, the bulky compressors and complex mechanical components inherent in this system place constraints on refrigerator design.
     
    In contrast, Peltier cooling technology takes a different approach. As a semiconductor-based method that uses electricity to transfer heat, Peltier cooling utilizes the Peltier effect, in which an electric current passing through both ends of a Peltier device  causes one side to absorb heat while the other side releases it.
     
    ▲The Peltier effect
     
    Utilizing the Peltier effect, the surface that absorbs heat and cools can be placed inside the refrigerator, while the surface that releases the absorbed heat can be positioned outside — effectively lowering the internal temperature. The greatest advantage of this method is its precise control of heat flow using only electricity. In addition, its simple structure compared to refrigerant-based mechanical systems allows for greater flexibility in refrigerator design.
     
     
    Advancing Peltier Technology and Expanding Possibilities Through Global Collaboration
    In early 2023, Samsung Electronics ramped up cross-organizational collaboration — bringing together the DA Business, Samsung Research and Global Technology Research — to commercialize Peltier cooling technology and enhance its performance. The DA Business primarily focused on Peltier-technology-based product development, leading to the launch of the Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator in early 2024. Samsung Research and Global Technology Research, meanwhile, drove technological advancement by developing high-performance Peltier devices with improved output and durability.
     
    Around the same time, Samsung Research also initiated global collaboration efforts to pursue breakthroughs in fundamental technologies. In late 2023, it partnered with Johns Hopkins APL in the United States eventually launching an eight-month-long full-scale joint research project in April the following year.
     
    The core objective of this joint research was to leverage Johns Hopkins University’s nano-thin-film Peltier device technology to boost the output of conventional milliwatt-class Peltier devices to several tens of watts, paving the way for a high-efficiency thin-film Peltier system suitable for integration into home appliances.
     
    ▲ Researchers from Samsung Research and Johns Hopkins APL (left); the high-efficiency thin-film Peltier device they co-developed (right)
     
    Over the course of the project, Samsung Electronics particularly demonstrated strengths in system design and packaging technology. As Peltier cooling involves simultaneous heat absorption and heat generation occur simultaneously on opposite sides of the device, performance can drop sharply if the temperature difference between the two sides is not minimized. During the process of applying the nano-thin-film Peltier devices — structured differently compared to conventional ones — directly to refrigerators, challenges such as increased contact thermal resistance, which hindered heat transfer, or unstable performance arose. As a result, packaging solutions that enable efficient heat transfer on both sides of the Peltier device became one of the core components in developing a high-efficiency Peltier cooling system.
     
     
    “We designed a new packaging method to become the world’s first to apply nano-thin-film Peltier devices to refrigerators.”
    – Sungjin Jung, Samsung Research, Samsung Electronics
     
    ▲ Sungjin Jung from Samsung Research
     
    “Through simulations and iterative testing, we identified the root causes of the issues and designed new thermal interface materials (TIM) and assembly techniques to enable efficient heat transfer,” Jung explained.
     
    This newly developed next-generation thin-film Peltier device boasts a cooling efficiency approximately 75% higher than conventional devices. By minimizing heat loss on each side of the Peltier device, the joint research demonstrated the potential for developing high-efficiency cooling appliances using the new technology.
     
     
    Bringing Peltier Cooling Technology Into Everyday Life
    With Samsung Research and Johns Hopkins APL having developed the next-generation Peltier cooling technology, it was now the DA Business’s turn to translate this technology into consumer products.
     
     
    “With this next-generation Peltier cooling technology, we plan to introduce an even more advanced hybrid refrigerator.”
    – Hajin Jeong, DA Business, Samsung Electronics
     
    ▲ Hajin Jeong from the DA Business
     
    In the Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator Samsung launched in 2024, the compressor operates under normal conditions such as routine storage and retrieval, while the Peltier device activates alongside the compressor during high-load situations — like when storing large amounts of groceries or placing hot food inside — thereby enhancing both cooling performance and energy efficiency. Additionally, when defrosting frost inside the cooling unit, the Peltier device remains active, minimizing internal temperature fluctuations during the process.
     
    ▲ In the Samsung Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator, a Peltier device is mounted at the top of the interior, while an AI Inverter Compressor is installed at the bottom.
     
    In sections where both cooling mechanisms operate simultaneously, optimal efficiency hinged on the layout design. “Since the compressor is located at the lower rear, we redesigned the interior structure to position the Peltier device at the top, where it wouldn’t be affected by heat interference,” explained Jeong.
     
    As a result, the refrigerator reduced power consumption by as much as 30% compared to the top grade of Korea’s energy efficiency rating labeling system,1 while also significantly improving its ability to maintain a stable internal temperature.
     
    The DA Business’ vision for hybrid refrigeration continues to evolve. Currently available only in select markets such as Korea, the U.S. and Europe, the company is accelerating joint development with Samsung Research to create models that can operate reliably even in hot and humid tropical regions such as India.
     
    With the application of Samsung’s next-generation Peltier cooling technology, the hybrid refrigerators of tomorrow are expected to deliver even greater cooling performance and energy efficiency. “Integrating this next-generation Peltier cooling technology into our existing hybrid refrigerators will enable more precise temperature control and further reduce power consumption,” said Jeong.
     
     
    Toward a Fully Refrigerant-Free Future
    Peltier cooling is also a technology for a better planet. Refrigerants commonly used in refrigerators can damage the ozone layer and contribute to global warming if released, prompting increasingly strict regulations in the U.S. and Europe. Against this backdrop, Peltier cooling technology is gaining recognition as a versatile, energy-efficient solution.
     
    Samsung Electronics has set a medium- to long-term goal of going beyond hybrid structures to develop a fully refrigerant-free refrigerator powered solely by Peltier cooling technology.
     
    “There’s still considerable research ahead before we can create a fully refrigerant-free refrigerator,” said Sungjin Jung . “Moving forward, we plan to unlock new possibilities in Peltier cooling by integrating other cutting-edge technologies such as AI, semiconductor processing and 3D printing into our work.”
     
    “The DA Business and Samsung Research are working in lockstep from a product development standpoint to perfect this next-generation technology and fast-track its commercialization,” added Hajin Jeong.
     
    ▲ (From left) Sungjin Jung and Hajin Jeong
     
    Samsung Electronics remains committed to not only innovating home appliances, but also transforming  the very paradigm of cooling technology. The future of refrigeration is being shaped by next-generation Peltier cooling — and the evolution is only just beginning.
     
     
    1 Based on the energy efficiency rating of the 2024 Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator model RF91DB90LE**, as registered with the Korea Energy Agency. Compared against the minimum threshold for Grade 1 under the KEA’s energy efficiency rating labeling system.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Ute crushed by tree at Williamstown

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Emergency services worked quickly to free a driver after a tree fell on a ute at Williamstown this morning.

    Just before 11.30am on Tuesday 8 July, a gum tree came down on top of a ute driving along Warren Road, Williamstown.

    Members of the public, with a grader and chainsaws, assisted emergency crews to remove the tree from the roof of the ute and free the trapped driver and dog from the vehicle.

    The driver was taken to hospital by ambulance in a serious condition.  The dog appears to have escaped injury and is being cared for.

    Emergency services then worked to clear the road.

    Police thank the members of the public and local volunteers for their assistance in this matter.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: NIO’s firefly brand taps HERE Technologies to power smart, connected EV journeys

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • firefly will use HERE’s high-quality map data in global markets to enhance advanced driver assistance and safety functions, including Intelligent Speed Assistance within the European Union.
    • Through its partnership with Telenav Inc., HERE provides firefly users with seamless in-car navigation, including real-time traffic updates, for a software-defined vehicle experience.

    Shanghai – HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform, is proud to announce its collaboration with NIO’s latest car brand, firefly. HERE is providing firefly with high-quality map data and location services used to enhance the electric vehicle (EV) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The collaboration is focused on improving the safety, efficiency and overall driving experience of firefly’s intelligent EVs.

    firefly is NIO’s newest sub-brand, designed to bring premium EV technology to a broader audience with a focus on urban mobility, smart connectivity and safety. firefly will utilize the rich details within HERE global maps, including connected navigation and ADAS. Additionally, firefly will leverage HERE’s speed limit data, incorporating fresh speed limit information to support the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) requirement across the European Union.

    Additionally, through HERE’s partnership with Telenav Inc., firefly will integrate a suite of HERE location services—enhancing digital cockpit and navigation experiences tailored for EVs, including real-time traffic insights.

    Chris Chen, Vice President of NIO Global Business Development said, “To bring firefly to Europe, we needed to collaborate with a partner who understands the complexities of global mobility. HERE is a trusted partner, providing us with the high-quality, automotive-grade location technology required to meet international safety and regulatory standards. With HERE’s expertise, we can ensure that firefly drivers experience the same seamless and intelligent mobility solutions, no matter where they are.”

    A pioneer and a leading company in the global smart EV market, NIO has rapidly expanded its footprint, delivering over 42,094 vehicles worldwide in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 40.1% year-on-year increase1 from the same period in 2024. With a strong presence in China and Europe, NIO continues to push the boundaries of intelligent electric mobility. The launch of firefly is set to accelerate this momentum, expanding NIO’s reach to a new segment of EV consumers.

    Deon Newman, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific at HERE Technologies said, “HERE is proud to support NIO in expanding its ecosystem with firefly. As Chinese EV brands scale their global presence, HERE is committed to equipping them with the AI-powered location intelligence solutions that set the global standard for automotive-grade live maps. Our collaboration with NIO underscores our dedication to enabling Chinese automakers in their export ambitions while delivering world-class driving experiences.”

    As HERE strengthens its presence in the Chinese automotive sector, this partnership highlights the company’s role in powering next-generation mobility solutions for global EV leaders.

    Media contacts

    firefly

    press@firefly.world

    HERE Technologies

    Vanessa Lee
    +65 9188 6199

    Vanessa.lee@here.com

    About firefly
    firefly is NIO’s answer to the global compact electric car market, further expanding NIO’s portfolio to drive growth efficiently. A sub-brand of NIO, firefly was officially launched in December 2024 and is to NIO a symbol of innovation and sophistication in a smaller package, building on NIO’s decade-long expertise in the premium electric vehicle market. Its first model, the ‘firefly’ – sharing the name of the brand itself, is a small, smart, high-end electric car with a key focus on design, safety, space, intelligence and energy efficiency for active urban lifestyle users. Sales will start in China in April 2025 before expanding to global markets. Learn more at www.firefly.world and on Instagram: firefly.car.

    About NIO
    NIO is a global smart electric vehicle company founded in November 2014. Dedicated to shaping a sustainable and brighter future together by providing high-performance smart electric vehicles and exceptional user experiences, NIO is the first car company listed on the NYSE, HKEX and SGX. NIO currently has three major brands under its umbrella: NIO, ONVO and firefly.

    Ten years into establishment, NIO is now one of the leading companies in the global premium smart electric vehicle market, committed to fostering its own research and development capabilities for core technologies. As of the end of September 2024, the company had filed for and obtained over 9,500 patents. Additionally, NIO has developed NIO Full Stack, a collection of 12 technology domains.

    NIO has R&D and manufacturing facilities in Shanghai, Hefei, Beijing, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, San Jose, Munich, Oxford, Berlin, Budapest, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. The company has also established sales and service networks in China, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and the UAE.

    NIO Inc. currently offers eight premium smart electric vehicle models under the NIO brand and recently launched its first model under the ONVO brand as well as its first model under the firefly brand. As of November 30, 2024, NIO Inc. had delivered a total of 640,426 vehicles, leading the premium BEV segment priced above RMB 300,000. Learn more at nio.com.

    About HERE Technologies
    HERE has been a pioneer in mapping and location technology for 40 years. Today, HERE’s location platform is recognized as the most complete in the industry, powering location-based products, services and custom maps for organizations and enterprises across the globe. From autonomous driving and seamless logistics to new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy. Find out how HERE is moving the world forward at here.com. 

    1 NIO Inc. Reports Unaudited First Quarter 2025 Financial Results | NIO Inc.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xunke checkpoint imported frozen fish products from Russia for the first time

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — As a refrigerated truck smoothly entered the Xunke Port, the border crossing witnessed a historic moment: the first 12 tons of frozen Russian chum salmon cleared customs. The event marks the first time chilled fish products have been imported into Xunke County, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, marking a major step in the high-quality development of border trade with Russia.

    According to local newspaper Heilongjiang Daily, during the import of this batch of chum salmon, Xunke Customs provided support services at all stages, helping enterprises understand the procedures for importing fish. The entire process, from product registration and permit processing to customs declaration and cargo inspection, was completed efficiently with the assistance of customs officers, ensuring prompt and proper clearance of the products.

    The imported chum salmon will be sent to the Imported Chilled Fishery Products Processing Park in Xunke County. After deep processing, the products will be put on the market in more diversified forms, increasing the added value and expanding the industrial chain in trade.

    This year, Xunke County has been actively implementing the “Interaction between the checkpoint and the industrial zone” initiative, accelerating the formation of coordinated logistics between the border checkpoint and rear processing sites. The construction of the fish processing park in the economic development zone is progressing smoothly. The launch of the park will create a solid foundation for processing and increasing the added value of products.

    The successful clearance of the first batch of fish products at customs has become a living embodiment of the deepening of trade and economic cooperation between Xunke and Russia. As the processing park is put into operation, the county’s competitiveness in trade with Russia will steadily increase, making a sustainable contribution to the high-quality development of the regional economy. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Poland reinstates checkpoints on borders with Germany, Lithuania

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

    Border control personnel inspect a freight truck at a checkpoint near the Poland-Lithuania border in Suwalki, Poland, July 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Poland reinstated checkpoints along its borders with Germany and Lithuania on Monday to curb illegal migration and reinforce national security, authorities said.

    According to the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, the government has designated 52 checkpoints along the German border and 13 along the Lithuanian border.

    The checks will remain in effect for 30 days, until Aug. 5, and be carried out by the Border Guard with support from police and Territorial Defense Force soldiers, said the ministry.

    Konrad Szwed, a spokesman for the Board Guard, told the Polish Press Agency that inspections will be conducted randomly, with priority given to vans and vehicles carrying multiple passengers, as well as cars with tinted windows.

    “Let’s remember that this won’t be the type of border control we had before joining the Schengen zone — there won’t be any barriers or fences,” Szwed said. “Cars will pass through, and checks will only be conducted selectively based on our risk analysis. If a vehicle is stopped, the driver’s and passengers’ documents will be checked, as well as the trunk.”

    A nationwide alert has been issued to inform citizens of the new checks and encourage cooperation, Minister of the Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak said during a press conference in Swiecko, a town on the Polish-German border.

    “We want to minimize the inconvenience to citizens, including businesspeople and everyone who benefits from good cross-border cooperation. I also count on cooperation from local governments,” Siemoniak said.

    In October 2023, Germany introduced border control with Poland as part of broader efforts to curb illegal migration. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump announces 25-40 pct tariffs on 14 countries

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

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt showcases U.S. President Donald Trump’s letter to the Japanese prime minister during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday on social media that 25-percent tariffs will be imposed on imports from Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), respectively, beginning Aug. 1.

    In his letters addressed to the leaders of the two countries, Trump said the new tariffs will be separate from all other sectoral tariffs.

    Later on, he announced that similar letters were sent to the leaders of 12 other countries, namely Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Myanmar, Laos, Tunisia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Cambodia, and Thailand, informing them that tariffs ranging 25 percent to 40 percent will be charged starting next month.

    The tariffs rate on Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Tunisia will be 25 percent, and it will be 30 percent for South Africa and BiH. Indonesia will face a tariffs rate of 32 percent, and Bangladesh and Serbia will see 35 percent. Tariffs rate on Cambodia and Thailand will be 36 percent, and for Laos and Myanmar it will be as high as 40 percent.

    In the almost identical letters, Trump asked leaders of these countries to understand that the tariffs rates number “is far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity we have with your Country.”

    Trump warned that if these countries raise their tariffs in response, the United States will increase its tariffs by the same amount.

    He said that there will be no tariff if these countries or their companies decide to build or manufacture products within the United States, and that “in fact, we will do everything possible to get approvals quickly, professionally, and routinely — In other words, in a matter of weeks.”

    He also said that “if you wish to open your heretofore closed Trading Markets to the United States, and eliminate your Tariff, and Non Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers, we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.”

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday afternoon that Trump plans to issue an executive order to extend the pause on “reciprocal tariffs” from July 9 to Aug. 1.

    “So, the reciprocal tariff rate or these new rates that will be provided in this correspondence to these foreign leaders will be going out the door within the next month or deals will be made,” said Leavitt.

    On Wednesday, Trump said that the United States had struck a trade deal with Vietnam that includes a 20-percent tariff on the Southeast Asian country’s exports to the United States.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Texas floods raise doubts over US weather warnings, response levels

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

    As the desperate search continues for survivors of the flash floods in Central Texas, concerns have already been raised about the shortcomings of the United States’ weather warning service and the response of local authorities.

    The death toll stood at 82 late on Sunday, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott saying that 41 people were unaccounted for across the state, adding that more people could be missing, local media reported.

    In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, said Sheriff Larry Leitha, who pledged to keep searching until “everybody is found”.

    The flash floods happened in a region where the natural beauty of rivers, lakes and hills has made it a popular destination for summer vacations. The Guadalupe River bank area had attracted many visitors for the long Fourth of July weekend.

    However, before daybreak on Friday destructive, fast-moving waters rose rapidly on the river in only 45 minutes, washing away homes and vehicles.

    Questions are growing about whether enough warnings were issued in an area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made.

    Families were allowed to look around Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river where 10 girls and a counselor were still unaccounted for, on Sunday morning.

    One girl was seen walking out of a building carrying a large bell. A woman and a teenage girl, both wearing rubber waders, briefly went inside one of the cabins, which stood next to a pile of soaked mattresses, a storage trunk and clothes. At one point, the pair doubled over, sobbing before they embraced.

    Father’s sacrifice

    Several of those who died in the floods have already been praised by loved ones for their heroism.

    Julian Ryan, 27, died trying to save his mother, his fiancee Christina Wilson, and the couple’s two young children, according to local media reports.

    Wilson told a Houston television station the water came to the front step of their trailer home near the river in Ingram before dawn on Friday and rose fast. Their mattress began to float. The door was stuck shut and Ryan broke a window with his arm for the family to escape. However, he suffered serious cuts from the broken glasses and soon bled to death.

    “He had lost so much blood and knew he wasn’t going to make it,” Wilson said. “He said, ‘I love you. I’m so sorry.’ In minutes, he was gone. He died trying to save us.”

    Camp Mystic director Dick Eastland, 70, died while trying to rescue campers during the catastrophic flooding, according to a tribute shared by his grandson on Instagram on Saturday.

    “If he wasn’t going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way — saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,” George Eastland wrote. “That’s the kind of man my grandfather was. He was a husband, father, grandfather, and a mentor to thousands of young women.”

    A Camp Mystic employee, Glenn Juenke, told CNN Eastland died “remaining a true hero until the very end”.

    Almost a century old and founded in 1926, Camp Mystic had been run by Dick and Tweety Eastland since 1974 and can host up to 700 children.

    In Kerrville, Tivy High School boys soccer coach Reece Zunker and his wife Paula died in the flood, according to a Facebook post. Their two young children were missing.

    The Guadalupe River Heart O’ the Hills Camp announced on its website that its director and co-owner Jane Ragsdale was killed in the flood. Luckily no children were at the camp at the time.

    Two sisters from Dallas, Blair and Brooke Harber, 11 and 13 respectively, were staying with their grandparents in a cabin along the Guadalupe River, which was washed away by the flood. The sisters were confirmed dead and their grandparents were missing, according to The New York Times.

    Too late, inaccurate

    The National Weather Service first issued a forecast on Thursday afternoon that heavy rain was coming and flooding was possible. It predicted 127 to 177 millimeters of rain.

    The flood warning was issued at 1:14 am on Friday when most people were asleep. It triggered Wireless Emergency Alerts which sent notifications to all the mobile phones in the emergency area.

    However, it’s a feature that mobile phone users can disable and parts of the Hill Country lack good mobile phone reception.

    The rain began to fall around midnight, but actual rainfall far exceeded the forecast. Some local weather stations recorded 305 mm of rainfall by sunrise on Independence Day, local meteorologists said.

    The water level rose rapidly. The water gauge in a section of the Guadalupe River gauge where it forks recorded a 6.7-meter rise in only two hours, Bob Fogarty, a meteorologist at the NWS Austin/San Antonio office said.

    In Kerrville, the water level rose from 0.3 meters to 10.3 meters between 2 am and 7 am on Friday.

    Fogarty said the alert was updated nine times throughout Friday. The most serious warning came at 4:03 am when NWS issued a flood emergency, warning of an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation “and urging “immediate evacuations”.

    The riverbank overflow occurred about three hours after the first flood warning, with the strong torrent washing away cabins and vehicles.

    Some meteorologists said local authorities are partially responsible for the devastating consequences of the floods.

    “The heartbreaking catastrophe that occurred in Central Texas is a tragedy of the worst sort because it appears evacuations and other proactive measures could have been undertaken to reduce the risk of fatalities had the organizers of impacted camps and local officials heeded the warnings of the government and private weather sources, including AccuWeather,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter wrote in a statement on Saturday morning.

    Local officials blamed the NWS for inadequate weather information. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management pointed to NWS forecasts that projected up to 152 mm of rain. “It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” Kidd said.

    Facing questions on why officials didn’t organize evacuations, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said: “We didn’t know this flooding was coming. Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming.”

    Kelly said they deal with floods frequently and locals know the area as “flash flood valley”. However, Kerr County doesn’t have a flood warning system in place. Kelly said the county considered implementing one a few years ago, but the plan was put aside due to the cost.

    Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice told the media that the suddenness and intensity of the flood caught city officials flat-footed.

    “This happened very quickly over a very short amount of time that could not be predicted,” Rice said,”… things like this happen in a very strategic, very isolated area and when those two things converge you have what happened today.”

    Staff shortage at NWS

    The unexpectedness of the flood has led many to question whether the understaffed NWS has contributed to the tragedy.

    Its ability to help the entire country prepare for natural disasters was also questioned due to funding cuts under the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill which was passed the day before July 4.

    Federal funding cuts made earlier by the Department of Government Efficiency led to staff cuts in the NWS, which the service says has resulted in many of its local offices being understaffed.

    Its mission statement is to: “Provide weather, water and climate data, forecasts, warnings, and impact-based decision support services for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy.”

    Accurate weather warnings are the key to “give every individual a fighting chance to survive nature’s worst”, it adds.

    Since President Donald Trump took office, almost 600 people have left the NWS, equivalent to the total number of employees who left the service in the past 15 years.

    Many of those who left were seasoned meteorologists with experience in dealing with a variety of weather scenarios. Experts had previously warned that the service had already been crippled due to its large number of vacant positions and sudden departure of senior staff.

    The NWS Austin/San Antonio Office, which oversees flood-devastated Kerr County, is currently short six staff members. A senior hydrologist, staff forecaster and meteorologist in charge were missing, according to the NWS website.

    While no one at the NWS has explained the big gap between the forecast and actual rainfall, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the administration, saying that it’s hard to accurately predict rainfall.

    Noem argued that the technology was “ancient” and that the Trump administration is working to upgrade it.

    “We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that’s why we’re working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected (for) far too long,” Noem said at a Saturday news conference.

    Houston has a problem

    Jason Walls, a Houston resident, told China Daily the tragedy unfolding in Central Texas had made him worried about his own safety in Houston.

    “We are in the hurricane season right now. I can’t imagine how many people would die from an inaccurate weather forecast and inadequate warning because we are much more populated than Central Texas. I am very concerned,” Walls said.

    He’s aware that the NWS Houston/Galveston Office has a serious staff shortage with 11 positions out of 25 vacant. The departures happened after a number of experienced meteorologists left due to the DOGE cuts.

    The vacancies include meteorologist-incharge, warning coordination meteorologist, science and operations officer, and port meteorological officer. In addition, four meteorologists, including two senior positions, are also vacant.

    Meteorologist Jeff Masters, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane hunter, earlier told the Texas Tribune that most of the roles won’t be able to be filled in time for the 2025 hurricane season.

    “This was done very inefficiently,” Masters told the newspaper. “First, all of the probationary employees were fired, then incentives were given to get the most experienced managers out through early retirement. Now they’re trying to do some rehiring, and then it’s just not being done very efficiently.”

    Masters said that the local offices across the country have lost critical institutional knowledge and expertise. Nationwide, reduced staff numbers have meant fewer weather balloon launches, therefore fewer data critical to accurate storm modeling is available.

    Currently, the Houston office is being helped by members from other NWS locations, and a meteorologist in Oklahoma is helping as an acting meteorologist-incharge for Houston.

    “Look at what happened in Kerr County when the NWS local office is without a warning coordination meteorologist,” Walls said. “We are in a worse situation in Houston — we don’t have a warning coordinator, we don’t have one in charge, we are missing almost half of very critical positions. How can we be ready for any weather disaster in the coming months?”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Aggregate and Quarry Sector – Natural sand still required

    Source: Aggregate and Quarry Association of NZ

    Manufactured sand is currently only able to meet a fraction of New Zealand’s need for sand and naturally-sourced supplies will be required for many years, says the Aggregate and Quarry Association.
    AQA CEO Wayne Scott says currently manufactured sand is only meeting between 5 and 10% of New Zealand’s demand for sand, most of it going into concrete production.
    “There is no way manufactured sand can replace the need for natural sand in concrete. It will likely form an increasing percentage of supply but it comes at considerable extra cost and like any economic activity, its own environmental consequences.”
    He says most sand manufactured in New Zealand would need to be made from virgin rock or stone as the crusher dust created from making aggregate is used in road construction.
    “That means a lot of energy either from electricity or diesel. If the sand has to be transported any distance, that further adds to environmental and economic costs.”
    Wayne Scott says natural sand is sourced from coastal and river extraction or quarries, which all have their opponents.
    He says coastal-sourced sand is contentious in New Zealand but in places such as England, which have similar environmental protections, it provides 20% of supply.
    “Most of the sand on coastlines comes from rivers and is replenished.”
    Until recently, half of Auckland’s sand needs came from its north coast, barged into the city. With this supply now reduced by two-thirds as a result of an Environment Court decision, many more trucks are on the region’s roads.
    Some of the alternative sand is river-sourced, which again can have its opponents.
    “Yet removing sand and gravel from rivers is a flood-protection measure which deluged residents, most recently in Tasman, urge their councils to do.”
    Wayne Scott says like many rock quarries, resource consent applications to extract sand from a quarry are often opposed by nearby neighbours.
    “Councils have to weigh up those voices against the need for a critical resource for the growth of their districts. They certainly shouldn’t believe another solution is at hand.”
    He says while manufactured sand will likely develop its current market of 5-10% of New Zealand’s sand requirements, it is no magic bullet.
    “We will need a strong supply of naturally-sourced sand for many years yet.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Road closed, SH29 Karapiro

    Source: New Zealand Police

    A two-vehicle crash has closed State Highway 29 at the intersection of Totman Road/Taotaoroa Road, karapiro.

    The crash occurred at about 1pm today.

    Emergency services are on scene and ambulance staff are treating two people for serious injuries and another person for a minor injury.

    The road will be closed for some time while the vehicles are cleared.

    Motorists are advised to avoid the area if at all possible.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Available to Texas Small Businesses, Residents, and Private Nonprofits Impacted by July Storms and Flooding

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In response to the disaster declaration issued by President Donald J. Trump on July 6, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest rate federal disaster loans to Texas small businesses, residents, and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding beginning July 2.

    The disaster declaration covers the primary Texas county of Kerr which is eligible for both physical disaster loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the SBA. Small businesses and most PNP organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA EIDLs: Bandera, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kimble, and Real.

    “As we pray for those impacted by the devastating flooding in Texas, as well as our first responders, the SBA is mobilizing to provide critical on-the-ground resources necessary for recovery,” said Kelly Loeffler, SBA Administrator. “As a result of President Trump’s immediate disaster declaration, the agency is now offering physical and economic injury disaster loans in Texas Hill Country. We are working closely with our state, local, and federal partners, and are committed to delivering robust relief and support as recovery begins in the days and months ahead.”

    Businesses and PNP’s are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

    “One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades to reduce the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, Associate Administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s mitigation loans.”

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Interest rates can be as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for PNPs and 2.813% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    As soon as the Federal-State Disaster Recovery Centers open in the affected area, SBA will provide one-on-one assistance to disaster loan applicants. Additional information and details on the location of disaster recovery centers is available by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Sept. 4, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is April 6, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arrests, firearms seized following road rage incident

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Dargaville Police have made arrests and seized firearms following a road rage incident in the Kaipara district.

    An investigation has been underway since the incident occurred on the evening of 25 June in Mahuta.

    “Residents encountered dirt bikes doing burnouts and being disruptive,” Whangārei-Kaipara Area Commander Inspector Maria Nordstrom says.

    “A dispute occurred between some residents and riders when they were asked to leave the area and these requests were ignored.”

    Initially both groups went their separate ways, however Inspector Nordstrom says the incident escalated when the group returned to the area.

    “Two people arrived at the driveway of a property and were allegedly carrying firearms at the time.”

    No firearms were discharged, but Police were contacted and attended the scene.

    Inspector Nordstrom says enquiries resulted in five search warrants being carried out last week.

    “Dargaville Police were assisted by their district colleagues, with members from the Offender Prevention Team, CIB and a detector dog assisting with the operation,” she says.

    Four addresses and one vehicle were searched on Wednesday.

    “Three people were arrested, with three firearms also being seized as part of our enquiries,” Inspector Nordstrom says.

    “Those firearms included a shotgun and two rifles.”

    A 36-year-old man has since appeared in the Whangārei District Court on a charge of intentional damage and a firearms offence.

    He has been remanded in custody to reappear on 28 July.

    A 32-year-old woman also appeared in court on a charge of behaving threateningly.

    Meanwhile, a 43-year-old man is due to appear in the same court next week on two driving offences.

    “Our investigation is continuing into the events of 25 June, so this is by no means over,” Inspector Nordstrom says.

    “There is no place for violence or intimidation in our community, and if this does occur expect Police to be paying you a visit.”

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Future leaders build resilience in 72-hour national design-athon – BRANZ

    Source: BRANZ

    8 July 2025 – Future leaders build resilience in 72-hour national design-athon
    Some of New Zealand’s brightest students have competed in a 72-hour ‘design-athon’ event to create resilient housing that can withstand multiple disasters.
    The BRANZ (Building Research Association of New Zealand) event called ArchEngBuild featured 40 final-year students from across the country in architecture, engineering, construction management, landscape architecture, and sustainable engineering.
    The students met for the first time at the University of Auckland and were split into ten teams to compete for the $12,000 cash prize.
    This year’s brief was to design a resilient, sustainable and affordable community building concept that safeguards people from hazards like flooding, earthquakes, fire and high winds. It also needed to be adaptable to different family needs and quickly reinstated if disaster struck.
    The hypothetical site for the development was at the bottom of the Auckland Domain, an area hit hard by the Auckland Anniversary flooding in 2023.
    Flood-resilience was a strong feature of the winning team’s design which included water retention ponds and timber buildings on stilts. However, it was the focus on community that stood out for the judges.
    The winners developed a housing concept called Rauhītia, which means to gather, shelter and care for collectively.
    The largely modular design featured a mixture of townhouses, apartments and standalone homes as well as a community facility and childcare centre to encourage multigenerational living and togetherness.
    The winning students are:
    Enoch Shi, University of Auckland architecture student
    Beatrice Hong, Otago Polytechnic, construction management
    Bella Mercardo – Victoria University of Wellington, sustainable engineering
    Shivam Bansal University of Auckland, structural engineering
    The winners were announced by BRANZ Board Chair Nigel Smith at a prizegiving event at the University of Auckland.
    “This event wasn’t just about meeting a brief-it was about reimagining the future of resilience in our built environment.
    “The competition challenged students to work collaboratively to push the boundaries of what’s possible in designing buildings that don’t just withstand disaster, but adapt and thrive in the face of New Zealand’s unique environmental challenges.
    “This focus is critical-not for some distant future, but for projects that urgently demand fresh thinking today,” said Nigel Smith.
    Architecture student Enoch Shi contributed the winning result to strong teamwork and a clear focus on community at the core of their concept.
    “When we started the project, we asked ourselves – what does resilience mean to us? It can mean different things, but for us it really meant creating communities that protect and serve each other. Research shows the communities that are more bonded together are much more prepared in the face of disaster,” Enoch said.
    The judges were impressed by the strong interdisciplinary collaboration under intense time-pressure pressure.
    “The main theme this year was resilience. It was about building for hazards, but the winning team understood that it is about community at its heart. Their project provided a great base for a diverse population and a healthy community a mixture of housing technologies like medium density and townhouses,” said Ferdinand Oswald, Senior Lecturer of Architectural Technology, University of Auckland.
    Overall, the judges were impressed with all of the students’ optimism and creativity in solving some of today’s biggest challenges – including resilience, sustainability and affordability in our buildings.
    These are key focus areas for BRANZ through its independent research and testing to support better buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand.
    “These students are going to change the building industry,” said BRANZ Chief Executive Claire Falck.
    “They are hitting the real world with the right attitude and focus on collaboration and innovation to overcome the significant challenges facing our industry and communities.”
    BRANZ is proud to fund ArchEngBuild, through the Building Research Levy, along with industry sponsorship from:
    Concrete New Zealand,
    Metals New Zealand,
    the Timber Design Society,
    Southbase,
    And, new sponsors this year: The Sustainable Steel Council
    The 2025 judging panel included:
    Ferdinand Oswald – Senior Lecturer of Architectural Technology at The University of Auckland
    Craig Hopkins – CEO of Generation Homes
    Ana Petrovic – Senior Structural Engineer at AECOM
    Anne Carrington – Senior Associate with Warren & Mahoney Architects, and
    Andrew Norriss – Landscape Architect Director – HoneStudio
    BRANZ is committed to a future where all New Zealanders can live in safe, healthy and sustainable homes. Find out more: branz.co.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Driver arrested after crashing stolen car at Athol Park

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man was arrested after failing to stop for police in a stolen car at Athol Park overnight.

    About 3.15am on Tuesday 8 July, police tried to pull over a vehicle on Athol Street, Athol Park, however, the driver refused to stop.

    In the brief pursuit, the Holden SUV reached speeds of up to 120 km/h in the 50 km/h zone before trying to turn and colliding with a kerb on Glenroy Street, rendering the car undriveable.

    The driver ran a short distance before being caught in Lavinia Street and arrested.

    Police checks confirmed the Holden had been reported stolen from Salisbury Plain yesterday.

    The 35-year-old Salisbury Park man was charged with illegal use, theft, drive dangerously to evade police, exceed speed and drive disqualified.

    He did not apply for bail and will appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court today.

    The stolen vehicle was towed from the scene for forensic examination.

    CO TBA

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Weekend travel alert: Multiple highway closures across the greater Puget Sound, July 11-14

    Source: Washington State News 2

    WSDOT asking public to be aware, plan ahead and avoid areas if possible

    KING COUNTY – The first major weekend of summer highway construction is scheduled to begin Friday night, July 11, and continue through Monday morning, July 14. Travelers should plan ahead and try to avoid the closure areas if possible. 

    The Washington State Department of Transportation will complete complex construction and maintenance work during the weekend and is urging travelers to plan ahead, as multiple closures will affect key corridors across the greater Puget Sound including:

    WSDOT is coordinating with partners and activating its Emergency Operations Center to help keep traffic moving, but travelers also will need to change their plans or routes during the closures.

    What to expect

    Travelers should prepare for delays throughout the weekend. 

    With multiple full closures on I-405, I-5 and SR 167, detour routes will carry higher-than-normal traffic volumes and are likely to experience significant backups as people move to and through the region.

    Travelers are encouraged to plan ahead, allow extra time, take transit, delay non-essential trips and stay informed throughout the weekend. WSDOT knows any closure is disruptive but there is no “good weekend” for closures, and all of these projects are needed to improve travels long-term.

    Travelers are encouraged to “Know Before You Go” by checking travel times on the Travel Center map, WSDOT mobile app and following the agency’s social media accounts.

    Closure details

    Southbound I-405 in Kirkland will be closed from Northeast 124th Street to Northeast 70th Place from 11 p.m. Friday, July 11, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 14. Crews will pave southbound I-405. A signed detour route will be in place.

    The following ramps will be closed:

    • Northeast 116th Street on-ramp to southbound I-405
    • Northeast 85th Street on-ramp to southbound I-405
    • Southbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast 85th Street 

    Northbound I-405 in Renton will be closed from SR 169 (Exit 4) to Sunset Boulevard Northeast from 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 11, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 14. Crews will install drainage and replace overhead sign structures and pavement panels. A signed detour route will be in place.

    The following ramps will be closed:

    • SR 169 on-ramp to northbound I-405
    • Northbound I-405 off-ramp to Sunset Boulevard Northeast (Exit 5)
    • The northbound SR 167 direct connector ramp to northbound I-405

    Southbound I-5 through downtown Seattle will close from 11 p.m. Friday night, July 11, until 6 a.m. Saturday, July 12, near the Convention Center. All southbound traffic will use the express lanes, which will remain open overnight through early Saturday morning.

    People traveling overnight Friday, July 11, in Seattle should expect all southbound I-5 mainline lanes to close from the Stewart Street off-ramp to the Spring Street on-ramp (milepost 167 to 165). All vehicles using southbound I-5 will need to exit at Stewart Street or use the southbound I-5 express lanes to detour around the closure.

    Southbound I-5 ramp closures will include:

    • Eastbound Mercer Street on-ramp
    • Yale Avenue/Howell Street on-ramp
    • Union Street off-ramp
    • James Street off-ramp

    During the closure, WSDOT maintenance crews will conduct fire system testing under the Seattle Convention Center.

    Westbound I-90 off-ramp to southbound Rainier Ave South will be closed from 9 a.m. Friday, July 11, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 14, while SDOT crews install raised crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps and rapid flashing beacons.

    Northbound I-5 off-ramp to Northeast 130th Street will be closed from 11 p.m.  Friday, July 11, until July 28. Eastbound Northeast 130th Street over I-5 also will be closed until Aug. 25. This work is part of the Sound Transit Pinehurst Station construction and the Lynwood Link Extension project.

    Southbound SR 167 in Kent will be closed from SR 516/Willis Street to South 277th Street from 11:59 p.m., Friday, July 11, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 14. Crews will replace bridge joints and resurface the Green River bridge. A signed detour route will be in place.

    The following ramps will be closed:

    • Willis Street on-ramp to southbound I-405
    • Southbound I-405 off-ramp to South 277th Street

    Emergency Operations Center 

    To support the traveling public and ensure coordinated response to any emerging issues, WSDOT will activate its regional Emergency Operations Center during the weekend closure. This enables close coordination with the Washington State Patrol, local jurisdictions and transit providers, and ensures that real time travel information is available to the public via the WSDOT Travel Center, mobile app and social media channels. 

    The work requires dry weather and may be rescheduled. 

    Looking ahead to another big weekend

    The roadwork isn’t done when the weekend ends. A major closure of northbound I-5 over the Ship Canal Bridge will begin Friday, July 18. This also will require coordination and travelers seeking alternate routes, delaying trips and expecting delays.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Weekend travel alert: Multiple highway closures across the greater Puget Sound, July 11-14

    Source: Washington State News 2

    WSDOT asking public to be aware, plan ahead and avoid areas if possible

    KING COUNTY – The first major weekend of summer highway construction is scheduled to begin Friday night, July 11, and continue through Monday morning, July 14. Travelers should plan ahead and try to avoid the closure areas if possible. 

    The Washington State Department of Transportation will complete complex construction and maintenance work during the weekend and is urging travelers to plan ahead, as multiple closures will affect key corridors across the greater Puget Sound including:

    WSDOT is coordinating with partners and activating its Emergency Operations Center to help keep traffic moving, but travelers also will need to change their plans or routes during the closures.

    What to expect

    Travelers should prepare for delays throughout the weekend. 

    With multiple full closures on I-405, I-5 and SR 167, detour routes will carry higher-than-normal traffic volumes and are likely to experience significant backups as people move to and through the region.

    Travelers are encouraged to plan ahead, allow extra time, take transit, delay non-essential trips and stay informed throughout the weekend. WSDOT knows any closure is disruptive but there is no “good weekend” for closures, and all of these projects are needed to improve travels long-term.

    Travelers are encouraged to “Know Before You Go” by checking travel times on the Travel Center map, WSDOT mobile app and following the agency’s social media accounts.

    Closure details

    Southbound I-405 in Kirkland will be closed from Northeast 124th Street to Northeast 70th Place from 11 p.m. Friday, July 11, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 14. Crews will pave southbound I-405. A signed detour route will be in place.

    The following ramps will be closed:

    • Northeast 116th Street on-ramp to southbound I-405
    • Northeast 85th Street on-ramp to southbound I-405
    • Southbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast 85th Street 

    Northbound I-405 in Renton will be closed from SR 169 (Exit 4) to Sunset Boulevard Northeast from 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 11, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 14. Crews will install drainage and replace overhead sign structures and pavement panels. A signed detour route will be in place.

    The following ramps will be closed:

    • SR 169 on-ramp to northbound I-405
    • Northbound I-405 off-ramp to Sunset Boulevard Northeast (Exit 5)
    • The northbound SR 167 direct connector ramp to northbound I-405

    Southbound I-5 through downtown Seattle will close from 11 p.m. Friday night, July 11, until 6 a.m. Saturday, July 12, near the Convention Center. All southbound traffic will use the express lanes, which will remain open overnight through early Saturday morning.

    People traveling overnight Friday, July 11, in Seattle should expect all southbound I-5 mainline lanes to close from the Stewart Street off-ramp to the Spring Street on-ramp (milepost 167 to 165). All vehicles using southbound I-5 will need to exit at Stewart Street or use the southbound I-5 express lanes to detour around the closure.

    Southbound I-5 ramp closures will include:

    • Eastbound Mercer Street on-ramp
    • Yale Avenue/Howell Street on-ramp
    • Union Street off-ramp
    • James Street off-ramp

    During the closure, WSDOT maintenance crews will conduct fire system testing under the Seattle Convention Center.

    Westbound I-90 off-ramp to southbound Rainier Ave South will be closed from 9 a.m. Friday, July 11, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 14, while SDOT crews install raised crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps and rapid flashing beacons.

    Northbound I-5 off-ramp to Northeast 130th Street will be closed from 11 p.m.  Friday, July 11, until July 28. Eastbound Northeast 130th Street over I-5 also will be closed until Aug. 25. This work is part of the Sound Transit Pinehurst Station construction and the Lynwood Link Extension project.

    Southbound SR 167 in Kent will be closed from SR 516/Willis Street to South 277th Street from 11:59 p.m., Friday, July 11, to 4 a.m. Monday, July 14. Crews will replace bridge joints and resurface the Green River bridge. A signed detour route will be in place.

    The following ramps will be closed:

    • Willis Street on-ramp to southbound I-405
    • Southbound I-405 off-ramp to South 277th Street

    Emergency Operations Center 

    To support the traveling public and ensure coordinated response to any emerging issues, WSDOT will activate its regional Emergency Operations Center during the weekend closure. This enables close coordination with the Washington State Patrol, local jurisdictions and transit providers, and ensures that real time travel information is available to the public via the WSDOT Travel Center, mobile app and social media channels. 

    The work requires dry weather and may be rescheduled. 

    Looking ahead to another big weekend

    The roadwork isn’t done when the weekend ends. A major closure of northbound I-5 over the Ship Canal Bridge will begin Friday, July 18. This also will require coordination and travelers seeking alternate routes, delaying trips and expecting delays.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pettersen Announces 15 Local Projects to Expand Child Care Access, Prevent Wildfires, Upgrade Infrastructure

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    Rep. Pettersen Announces 15 Local Projects to Expand Child Care Access, Prevent Wildfires, Upgrade Infrastructure

    Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) announced she has requested millions of dollars in federal funding for 15 community projects across Colorado’s 7th Congressional District. Pettersen’s projects include efforts to expand access to affordable child care, bolster wildfire prevention efforts, upgrade critical water infrastructure, and more. 

    “At a time when the Trump administration continues to make life more expensive for hardworking families and rip funding away from essential services, I’m working on projects that will address our community’s needs – like expanding access to affordable child care and ensuring every family has a safe place to live,” said Pettersen. “These projects will make a positive difference in the lives of people throughout Colorado’s 7th Congressional District from Lakewood to Salida and everywhere in between. I’ll keep fighting throughout the appropriations process to secure the funds to support these community-driven initiatives.”

    The Community Project Funding allows members of Congress to submit funding requests for initiatives based in their districts. Though each member can submit up to 15 requests, no request is guaranteed. The projects championed by the Office of Representative Pettersen are as follows, in no particular order: 

    • Bright Start Early Learning: $1,985,096 to help build a new childcare facility in Lake County. 
    • Colorado Department of Corrections: $1,500,000 to help rehabilitate a closed childcare facility in Cañon City.
    • Boys & Girls Club of Chaffee County: $1,285,200 to help fund the construction of a new Boys Girls Club facility to provide after-school and summer programs for kids in Buena Vista.
    • Town of Cripple Creek: $1,300,000 to fund the construction of a new childcare facility in Cripple Creek. 
    • Teller County Government: $4,000,000 to expand wastewater capacity and move treatment infrastructure so that it is no longer located in a designated floodplain to help protect the facility from flood damage. 
    • Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control: $5,000,000 to fund a program researching satellite data to help detect wildfires sooner and respond quicker. 
    • Town of Alma: $3,000,000 to replace the town’s ineffective wastewater treatment lagoons with a new mechanical treatment facility to enhance local water quality, protect ecosystems, and mitigate contaminating drinking water. 
    • City of Arvada: $14,809,239 to improve a sanitary sewer interceptor to ensure drinking water is not contaminated and protect public health. 
    • Jefferson County Parks and Conservation: $1,000,000 to create a fuel break buffer on either side of roadways to decrease risk of wildfires and increase safety on emergency and evacuation routes. 
    • Chaffee County Sheriff: $1,000,000 to support the costs of construction to fully retrofit a newly purchased property into a Sheriff headquarters and command center, which will house the core of their law enforcement operations, interrogation, armory, evidence storage, records, and response vehicles.
    • Porchlight, A Family Justice Center: $848,749 to expand Porchlight’s ability to serve survivors of domestic violence by covering rental expenses for a large facility and the salaries of a Bilingual Navigator and an Operations Coordinator for one year. 
    • City of Lakewood: $1,000,000 to facilitate the creation of a community hub providing government resources and services to low-income households at risk of homelessness.
    • City and County of Broomfield: $1,800,000 to construct safety improvements around Birch Elementary School to add ADA ramps and curb extensions.
    • City of Lakewood: $2,202,416 for the Colfax Safety Project to enhance safety along the corridor, including: sidewalks, improved pedestrian crossings, amenities, medians, traffic signals, enhanced bus facilities, access control, lighting, and landscaping.
    • Foothills Regional Funding: $2,000,000 to help create affordable housing for seniors and families in the Wheat Ridge and Arvada communities.

    Find more information about Pettersen’s projects by clicking here.

    ###

    To access downloadable, high-quality photos, click here. To stay up-to-date on what Pettersen is doing in Congress, follow her on Twitter here, Facebook here, or Instagram here. Residents can also sign-up for her e-newsletter subscription here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Urges Court to Halt Unconstitutional ICE Raids in Los Angeles

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 17 other attorneys general in supporting the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) lawsuit challenging the federal government’s use of unlawful immigration enforcement tactics in Los Angeles, California. In an amicus brief filed today in Perdomo v. Noem, Attorney General James and the coalition urge the court to grant a temporary restraining order halting the raids, which have upended the community, harmed local economies, and undermined public trust in law enforcement.

    “In Los Angeles and nationwide, we are seeing immigration enforcement officers deploy dystopian tactics that are deeply harmful,” said Attorney General James. “No one should fear being questioned, detained, or deported by unidentified masked agents while taking their child to school, going to work, or attending church. These mass raids are tearing families apart, threatening public safety, and turning once-lively neighborhoods into ghost towns. Federal agents are sowing fear in entire communities, which is why we are urging the court to intervene and stop these unconstitutional raids at once.”

    In the brief, Attorney General James and the coalition detail how the federal government’s current immigration enforcement efforts have “shattered the rhythms of everyday life” in Los Angeles. In recent months, masked agents conducting unannounced and unmarked operations in neighborhoods, churches, schools, and local businesses have left people afraid to leave their homes. Residents, including U.S. citizens, have been unlawfully detained, questioned, and harassed, often without any reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. Local businesses have closed and farmers markets have shut down due to fear of enforcement. Hospitals and health clinics report soaring appointment cancellation rates, which presents alarming concerns for public health. Students are skipping school and graduation ceremonies, days that are supposed to be among the most joyous of their lives. Houses of worship have also seen a dramatic decline in attendance.

    The attorneys general highlight the long history of discriminatory and militarized immigration enforcement campaigns in California, including “Operation Wetback,” a 1954 mass deportation campaign that took its name from an ethnic slur, as well as the La Placita raids during the Great Depression. The attorneys general note that at the time, Mexican farmworkers were indiscriminately blamed for job shortages and shrinking public benefits, and ultimately, the campaign resulted in the deportation of nearly two million Mexican Americans, more than half of whom were U.S. citizens, without due process. Families were separated, and many children never again saw their parents. Historians and scholars have widely condemned these discriminatory raids as inhumane terror campaigns.

    Attorney General James and the coalition draw parallels between those shameful chapters of American history and the current actions under the Trump administration, which seemingly prioritize maximizing the quantity of arrests over the right to due process. They highlight the president’s past remarks, in which he praised “Operation Wetback” as an enforcement model and hailed the Eisenhower administration for setting the record for deportations, a record he said his administration would break. The attorneys general emphasize that the administration’s recent immigration raids, including in Los Angeles, appear to bear many of the same hallmarks as the earlier mass deportation efforts that are now shameful chapters of American history.

    The attorneys general argue that the federal government’s conduct creates confusion and fear that also directly impedes local law enforcement. Numerous incidents have been reported in which plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents driving unmarked vehicles were mistaken for criminals, leading to false reports of kidnappings and assaults. This, too, erodes the culture of trust between immigrant communities and the police. ICE’s secretive approach has even led to a rise in copycat crimes in which masked perpetrators imitate ICE agents in order to abduct or harass others.

    In their filing, Attorney General James and the coalition emphasize that while the ACLU’s lawsuit is specifically focused on ICE enforcement tactics in Los Angeles, the federal government has been engaging in widespread raids in cities throughout the country, including New York. Arrests at immigration courts in Manhattan and on farms upstate have contributed to a culture of fear for many immigrant New Yorkers. The attorneys general are asking the court to immediately intervene and stop the unlawful immigration enforcement tactics in Los Angeles, arguing that the culture of fear that these raids have created permeates well beyond city and state borders and has had an overwhelming chilling effect on communities nationwide.

    The attorneys general are supporting the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order, in which they argue ICE is not stopping people based on any reasonable, individualized suspicion, and instead is engaging in racial profiling. 

    Joining Attorney General James in filing this brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Trump unveils 25% tariffs on goods from Japan, South Korea in letters to leaders

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump said on Monday the U.S. would impose a 25% tariff on imports from Japan and South Korea beginning Aug. 1 as he unveiled the first two of an expected 12 letters to trading partners outlining the new levies they face.

    “If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge,” Trump said in letters to the leaders of the two Asian countries, which he posted on his Truth Social platform.

    Later, Trump also announced the U.S. will impose 25% tariffs on Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30% on South Africa and 40% on Laos and Myanmar.

    The rate for South Korea is the same as Trump initially announced on April 2, while the rate for Japan is 1 point higher than first announced. A week later, he capped all of the so-called reciprocal tariffs at 10% until July 9 to allow for negotiations. Only two agreements have so far been reached, with Britain and Vietnam.

    There was no immediate response from the Japanese or South Korean embassies on the announcement.

    About12 countries will receive letters from Trump, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing without identifying them. She said Trump would sign an executive order on Monday formally delaying the July 9 deadline to August 1.

    “There will be additional letters in the coming days,” Leavitt said, adding that “we are close” on some deals.

    The European Union will not be receiving a letter setting out higher tariffs, EU sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.

    U.S. stocks fell in response, the latest market ruction since Trump unleashed a global trade war on his return to office in January. His moves have repeatedly whipsawed financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to protect their economies.

    U.S. stocks were driven to near bear-market territory by his cascade of tariff announcements through the early spring but quickly rebounded to record highs in the weeks after he put the stiffest levies on hold on April 9.

    The S&P 500 on Monday was down nearly 1%, its biggest drop in three weeks. U.S.-listed shares of Japanese automotive companies fell, with Toyota Motor down 4.1% at mid-afternoon trading and Honda Motor off by 3.8%. The dollar surged against both the Japanese yen and the South Korean won.

    U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier on Monday he expected several trade announcements to be made in the next 48 hours, adding that his inbox was full of last-ditch offers from countries to clinch a tariff deal by the deadline.

    Bessent did not say which countries could get deals and what they might contain. Trump has kept much of the world guessing on the outcome of months of talks with countries hoping to avoid the hefty tariff hikes he has threatened.

    Countries have scrambled to hammer out deals before the Wednesday deadline. South Korea and Indonesia dispatched representatives to Washington, while Thailand submitted a new trade proposal offering zero tariffs on many U.S. goods.

    “We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals,” Bessent said in an interview with CNBC. “So it’s going to be a busy couple of days.”

    BRICS THREAT

    For its part, the European Union still aims to reach a trade deal by July 9 after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a “good exchange,” a Commission spokesperson said.

    It was not clear, however, whether there had been a meaningful breakthrough in talks to stave off tariff hikes on the United States’ largest trading partner.

    Adding to the pressure, Trump threatened to impose a 17% tariff on EU food and agriculture exports, it emerged last week.

    Trump had said on Sunday the U.S. was close to finalizing several trade pacts and would notify other countries by July 9 of higher tariff rates. He said they would not take effect until Aug. 1, a three-week reprieve.

    He also put members of the developing nations’ BRICS group in his sights as its leaders met in Brazil, threatening an additional 10% tariff on any BRICS countries aligning themselves with “anti-American” policies.

    The new 10% tariff will be imposed on individual countries if they take anti-American policy actions, a source familiar with the matter said.

    The BRICS group comprises Brazil, Russia, India and China and South Africa along with recent joiners Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

    Trump’s comments hit the South African rand.

    EU SEEKS EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO TRUMP

    The EU has been torn over whether to push for a quick and light trade deal or back its own economic clout in trying to negotiate a better outcome. It had already dropped hopes for a comprehensive trade agreement before the July deadline.

    “We want to reach a deal with the U.S. We want to avoid tariffs,” the spokesperson said at a daily briefing.

    Without a preliminary agreement, broad U.S. tariffs on most imports would rise from their current 10% to the rates set out by Trump on April 2. In the EU’s case, that would be 20%.

    Von der Leyen also held talks with the leaders of Germany, France and Italy at the weekend, Germany said. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has repeatedly stressed the need for a quick deal to protect industries vulnerable to tariffs ranging from cars to pharmaceuticals.

    The German spokesperson said the parties should allow themselves “another 24 or 48 hours to come to a decision.”

    Germany’s Mercedes-Benz MBGn.DEsaid on Monday its second-quarter unit sales of cars and vans had fallen 9%, blaming tariffs.

    Russia said BRICS was “a group of countries that share common approaches and a common world view on how to cooperate, based on their own interests.”

    “And this cooperation within BRICS has never been and will never be directed against any third countries,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI: Electrify Expo Returns to Marymoor Park July 12–13 with Top EV Brands, New Tech and the First Public Lucid Gravity Demos

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Two ticket options available, with general admission starting at $20 and kids 5 and under free
    • Festival runs June 21-22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; tickets available online and in person

    SEATTLE, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electrify Expo, North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, is returning to the Pacific Northwest this summer with its signature blend of innovation, thrills, and family-friendly fun. Taking over more than one million square feet at Marymoor Park, the festival will feature hands-on demo experiences with the latest in EVs, plug-in hybrids, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards and more. Unique for Seattle, Lucid will bring a fleet of its brand-new Lucid Gravity SUV, available for public demos for the first time – an experience previously exclusive to reservation holders.

    Washington continues to lead electrification efforts, ranking third in the nation for EV market share according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. As of 2024, the state is home to 223,995 registered electric vehicles – a 35% jump from 2023 and a 254% increase over the past five years. The Seattle metro area remains the epicenter, with more than 113,000 EVs on the road in King County supported by one of the country’s most expansive public charging networks.

    “Seattle’s tech-savvy, environmentally conscious community makes it one of the most exciting markets for EV adoption right now,” said BJ Birtwell, CEO and founder of Electrify Expo. “We’re seeing growing interest from curious consumers who want to experience EVs firsthand before taking the leap. Electrify Expo delivers that lightbulb moment by offering exciting experiences for attendees to discover the benefits of going electric.”

    Popular Attractions for Seattle:

    • For the first time ever, Lucid will offer consumer demo drives of its Gravity SUV. Following the vehicle’s Seattle debut at last year’s Electrify Expo event, attendees will now have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of Lucid’s luxury three-row electric SUV.
    • Tesla will offer extended EV test drives via Electrify Expos’ Weekender program where attendees can take their EV of choice home and experience how it fits in their everyday life.
    • The Electric Freestyle Motocross Stunt Zone will feature X Games Gold Medalist Destin Cantrell and his freestyle MX team, who will jump and soar with electric dirt bikes in thrilling live performances at select times over the weekend.
    • The Pivotal Helix, an eVTOL personal aircraft, will make its Seattle debut and be on display for attendees to experience the future of transportation with SoFly.
    • Attendees can experience the latest in electric mobility with hands-on demos of cutting-edge e-bikes and high-speed electric bikes from leading brands.
    • Get behind the wheel of the latest electric vehicles—models not yet available in dealer showrooms—on real on-road test tracks for an unparalleled hands-on experience.

    Ride and Drive experiences are the cornerstone of Electrify Expo. Thrilling, real-world demo rides take places on Marymoor Park property and head out into the city of Redmond to give attendees fun behind-the-wheel experiences in the most popular EV brands like:

    • Lucid
    • Ford
    • Lexus
    • Tesla
    • Porsche
    • Toyota
    • Kia

    Explore the hottest e-bikes, e-scooters, e-motorcycles and other rideables on the market, including:

    • ONYX Motors
    • Can-Am
    • P-51 Bikes
    • E-Z-GO
    • GoTrax
    • Terra Bikes
    • Dryft
    • AIMA
    • Ghostcat

    Electrify Expo’s gates will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, 2025, with the full day of festivities concluding at 5 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase in person and online.

    For the 2025 Seattle festival, Electrify Expo will offer two ticket options to suit every attendee’s needs:

    • General Admission ($20): Full-day access to all festival zones and demo courses from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    • Power Pack ($99): Includes early entry at 9 a.m., VIP lounge access, exclusive priority lanes for demo rides and dedicated entry for a premium all-day experience.

    Media interested in attending may request credentials by emailing ee@skyya.com. Companies interested in exhibiting at the 2025 Electrify Expo locations can visit https://www.electrifyexpo.com/partner-registration.

    About Electrify Expo
    Electrify Expo is North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, where consumers come to shop and experience all things electric. The festival showcases the industry’s leading brands and exciting startups through hands-on activations, demos and experiences spanning EVs, micromobility, solar energy, charging solutions, powersports, automotive aftermarket, and connected home technology, providing attendees with immersive learning opportunities and memorable interactions. From high-powered demo courses to engaging education zones, Electrify Expo offers a unique festival vibe for consumers to reshape what they think they know about EVs. In 2025, Electrify Expo’s nationwide tour will visit Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. To stay up to date on the latest news and announcements from Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

    Media Contact
    Skyya PR
    ee@skyya.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e855db0b-5112-46af-98a2-4caad869eaf4

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Enovix Declares Shareholder Warrant Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FREMONT, Calif., July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enovix Corporation (Nasdaq: ENVX) (“Company” or “Enovix”), a global high-performance battery company, today announced a special dividend in the form of warrants to holders of the Company’s common stock as of July 17, 2025 (the “Record Date”). Each stockholder of record as of the Record Date will receive one (1) warrant for every seven (7) shares of common stock held, rounded down to the nearest whole number. In addition, holders of the Company’s 3.00% convertible senior notes due 2028 (“Convertible Notes”) as of the Record Date will receive warrants on a pass-through basis, as provided under the indenture governing the Convertible Notes.

    The Company expects to distribute the warrants to stockholders and other eligible recipients on or about July 21, 2025 (the “Distribution Date”). The warrants will be issued without any action required by the Company’s stockholders or noteholders as of the Record Date and without any payment of cash or other consideration.

    Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $8.75 per share. The warrants may be exercised only for cash. Following the Distribution Date, the warrants are expected to be listed and trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker ENVXW.

    The transaction provides Enovix the opportunity to raise up to $253.8 million of gross proceeds with equity issued at an approximate 12% premium to the trailing 60-day volume-weighted average price (“VWAP”) of our common stock as of July 3, 2025, despite the attractive price to shareholders. Management thus intends the dividend to be an attractive source of financing due to the combination of immediate shareholder value delivered, the Company’s flexibility given frictionless execution, and ability to issue equity in a very cost-efficient manner.

    This announcement follows the Company’s launch earlier today of the AI-1™ platform, its first Artificial Intelligence Class™ batteries for the next generation of smartphones that require significantly higher total energy storage and power to perform AI functions locally.

    • “This dividend is designed to give our shareholders meaningful flexibility immediate gain and liquidity without dilution and with no obligation to act,” said Ryan Benton, Enovix CFO. “We’re well funded today, but if exercised, the proceeds could support scale-up of Fab2, accelerate customer ramps, and advance our strategic priorities. It’s a thoughtful way to strengthen our balance sheet – and simultaneously reward our current shareholders.”
    • T.J. Rodgers, Chairman of Enovix, said, “I’ve worked with Brendan Dyson on convertible debentures for over 30 years, including some of the early work on the now-common call spreads at maturity. In this case, we instructed him to make the deal to investors that was not only immediately accretive, but also a long-term ‘must have’ portfolio addition – and he did just that.”

    Details of Warrant Distribution

    Stockholders will receive one (1) warrant for each seven (7) shares of common stock held as of the Record Date of July 17, 2025, rounded down to the nearest whole number for any fractional warrant. As an example, a stockholder who owns 1,000 shares of common stock would receive 142 warrants, and a stockholder who owns 7,000 shares of common stock would receive 1,000 warrants.

    Holders of the Convertible Notes as of the Record Date will also receive warrants based on the same ratio in the manner determined by the indenture governing the Convertible Notes. As an example, holders of each $1,000 face amount of Convertible Notes will receive 9.1543 warrants, rounded down to the nearest whole number for any fractional warrant.

    After the Distribution Date, warrant holders may exercise their warrants for cash as specified under the terms of the warrant agreement that we expect to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) by the Distribution Date.
    The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on October 1, 2026, unless the “Early Expiration Price Condition” is met, in which case the expiration will be accelerated.

    The Early Expiration Price Condition will be deemed satisfied if, during any period of twenty (20) out of thirty (30) consecutive trading days, the VWAP of the common stock equals or exceeds $10.50 (the “Early Expiration Trigger Price”) whether or not consecutive (such final day, the “Early Expiration Price Condition Date”). If this condition is met, the warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Business Day immediately following the Early Expiration Price Condition Date or such other date as the Company may elect in accordance with the warrant agreement.

    The Company will host a live conference call to discuss this announcement today at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET. To join the call, participants must use the following link to register: https://enovix-special-investor-conference-call-july-2025.open-exchange.net/ A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document regarding this warrant dividend distribution will be made available on the Investor Relations section of Enovix’s website at https://ir.enovix.com.

    If the Early Expiration Price Condition occurs, Enovix will make a public announcement to that effect which will include the corresponding warrant expiration date.

    Transaction Advisors

    B. Dyson Capital Advisors is serving as exclusive advisor to the Company on the structuring and distribution of the warrants.

    TD Cowen is acting as financial advisor to the Company, with Canaccord Genuity, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., and William Blair & Company supporting as additional capital markets advisors.

    About Enovix Corporation

    Enovix is a leader in advancing lithium-ion battery technology with its proprietary 3D cell architecture designed to deliver higher energy density and improved safety. The Company’s breakthrough silicon-anode batteries are engineered to power a wide range of devices from wearable electronics and mobile communications to industrial and electric vehicle applications. Enovix’s technology enables longer battery life and faster charging, supporting the growing global demand for high-performance energy storage. Enovix holds a robust portfolio of issued and pending patents covering its core battery design, manufacturing process, and system integration innovations. For more information, visit https://www.enovix.com.

    No Offer or Solicitation

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

    The issuance of the warrants has not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as the distribution of a warrant for no consideration does not constitute a sale of a security under Section 2(a)(3) of the Securities Act. A Form 8-A registration statement and prospectus supplement describing the terms of the warrants will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Holders should read the prospectus supplement carefully, including the Risk Factors section included and incorporated by reference therein. This press release contains a general summary of the warrants. Please read the warrant agreement when it becomes available as it will contain important information about the terms of the warrants.

    Forward‐Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, about us, the warrant dividend and our business that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance and can be identified by words such as anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, might, plan, possible, potential, predict, should, would and similar expressions that convey uncertainty about future events or outcomes. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, our expectations regarding the warrant distribution and our AI-1™ battery platform launch, the alignment of our capital structure with shareholder support and performance-based execution, that capital raised through warrant exercises could support our scale-up at Fab2, accelerate customer ramps and advance strategic priorities, that the warrant distribution is aligned with shareholder interests and considered a long-term “must-have” for our investors’ portfolios, the acceptance to trading of the warrants on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the existence of a market for the warrants, and our capital raising potential if warrants are exercised. Actual results and outcomes could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties and other potential factors set forth in our filings with the SEC, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of our most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other documents that we have filed, or that we will file, with the SEC. For a full discussion of these risks, please refer to Enovix’s filings with the SEC, including its most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, available at https://ir.enovix.com and www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements made by us in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made and subsequent events may cause these expectations to change. We disclaim any obligations to update or alter these forward-looking statements in the future, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contacts:

    Investors
    Robert Lahey
    ir@enovix.com

    Chief Financial Officer
    Ryan Benton
    ryan.benton@enovix.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Deploys Nebraska Task Force One to Flood-Stricken Texas

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Deploys Nebraska Task Force One to Flood-Stricken Texas

    LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has directed the deployment of Nebraska Task Force One (NE-TF1) – Nebraska’s Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Team to flood-stricken areas of Texas.  The 45-member group, including two canine teams, will leave Lincoln this afternoon. They are expected to arrive in San Antonio, TX in the morning.

    Gov. Pillen has been in contact with Texas Governor Greg Abbott concerning the flooding disaster and its aftermath. A request for state help was issued through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), prompting the deployment of Nebraska Task Force One.

    “This continues to be a serious situation in Texas, one which requires immediate response,” said Gov. Pillen. “Nebraska stands ready to assist in any way it can. The team we are sending has the training necessary for dealing with these kinds of disaster environments and will be able to expedite the search efforts that continue to take place.”

    The Nebraska Task Force One team will be transporting boats, vehicles and other equipment necessary for navigating areas devastated by the flood waters. At least 90 people across central Texas are dead and others remain missing.

    Nebraska Task Force One is one of 28 US&R groups in the national disaster response system. Normally, those groups are deployed and managed under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This situation is unique in that the deployment was directed under the authority of Gov. Pillen through the Nebraska Emergency Management Act.

    The group is expected to be deployed for up to 14 days.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: ‘Unbearable’ suffering continues, UN official tells Security Council

    Source: United Nations 4

    Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East Khaled Khiari said more than 1,000 Palestinians had been killed since mid-June alone, many of them while seeking aid.

    Citing figures from the Gazan health authorities, he reported that the total number of Palestinian fatalities since 7 October 2023 had surpassed 56,500.

    “The level of suffering and brutality in Gaza is unbearable,” Mr. Khiari said. “The continued collective punishment of the Palestinian people is unjustifiable.”

    Killed trying to access aid

    Mr. Khiari cited multiple incidents involving the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opening fire near food distribution points.

    On 17 June, at least 50 people were killed and 200 injured in Khan Younis when an IDF tank opened fire on a crowd waiting for UN World Food Programme (WFP) aid trucks.

    Once again a week later, IDF troops reportedly opened fire near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, this time killing 49 Palestinians and injuring 197 others.

    “We strongly condemn the loss of lives and injuries of Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza,” Mr. Khiari said. “We call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.”

    He emphasised that the UN “will not participate in any aid delivery modality that does not comply with the fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality,” a sentiment which other UN officials have repeatedly said as well.

    Strong condemnation

    Mr. Khiari reiterated the UN’s strong condemnation of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for their attacks in Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and led to more than 250 being taken hostage. Fifty hostages, including one woman, remain in captivity.

    “Nothing can justify these acts of terror. We remain appalled that hostages may be subjected to ongoing ill-treatment and that the bodies of hostages continue to be withheld,” he said.

    At the same time, he also condemned “the widespread killing and injury of civilians in Gaza, including children and women, and the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals and mosques.”

    Rising violence in the West Bank

    In the occupied West Bank, Israeli raids and settler violence have escalated.  

    Mr. Khiari reported that a 15-year-old boy and an elderly woman were killed in separate incidents on 25 June. Armed settlers also killed several Palestinians during attacks in Surif and Kafr Malik.

    “The escalating violence in the occupied West Bank is alarming,” Khiari said, warning that military operations and settler expansion are leading to fatalities, displacement and destruction.

    Iran-Israel ceasefire brings hope to the region

    Mr. Khiari concluded his briefing with comments on the wider Middle East region, particularly the recent flare-up between Israel and Iran.

    He welcomed the 24 June ceasefire agreement between the two countries, announced by US President Donald Trump, and credited US and Qatari mediation.

    “We hope that this ceasefire can be replicated in the other conflicts in the region – nowhere is this more needed than in Gaza,” he said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Circular economy: new EU rules to make the automotive sector more sustainable

    Source: European Parliament

    On Monday, the Environment and Internal Market Committees adopted their proposals on new EU rules to cover the entire vehicle lifecycle, from design to final end-of-life treatment.

    The regulation would apply to cars and vans one year after its entry into force (five years for buses, heavy-duty vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, quads, mopeds and minicars). There are some exceptions, for instance for special-purpose vehicles and vehicles of historical interest. MEPs also want to exempt vehicles designed and built for use by the armed forces, civil defence, fire and emergency medical services, and vehicles of special cultural interest.

    The new rules would require new vehicles to be designed so as to allow the easy removal of as many parts and components as possible by authorised treatment facilities, with a view to their replacement, reuse, recycling, remanufacturing or refurbishing, where technically possible. MEPs add that manufacturers should not hinder the removal and replacement of parts and components using software updates.

    MEPs also want the plastic used in each new vehicle type to contain minimum 20% recycled plastic, within six years of the rules’ entry into force. To ensure the necessary long-term perspective for the industry and unlock investment, they want manufacturers to meet a target of at least 25% within 10 years of entry into force, if enough recycled plastic is available at non-excessive prices. The Commission should introduce targets for recycled steel and aluminium and its alloys, following a feasibility study.

    Improving end-of-life management of vehicles and enforcement of rules

    Manufacturers would have extended producer responsibility, covering the cost of the collection and treatment of their vehicles that have reached the end-of-life stage. Specific requirements would apply for the removal of parts and components, of liquids, and of components containing gases, refrigerants, and hazardous substances before shredding. MEPs want national authorities to do more regular inspections of facilities involved in the handling and treatment of end-of-life vehicles, and to develop inspection plans to identify illegal activities.

    Strengthening export rules for used vehicles

    Used vehicles should only be exported if they are not considered end-of-life vehicles, the text says. MEPs propose to clarify the criteria determining when a used vehicle is an end-of-life vehicle, as well as the necessary documentation for customs authorities.

    Quote

    Co-rapporteurs Jens Gieseke (EPP, DE – ENVI) and Paulius Saudargas (EPP, LT – IMCO) said: “Today’s committee vote is a success: the Parliament compromise, supported by a broad majority, promotes a circular economy in the automotive sector. It advances resource security, protects the environment, and ensures sustainability. To avoid overburdening the industry, we secured feasibility with realistic targets, less red tape, and fair competition. A solid basis for the plenary vote in September.”

    Next steps

    The report, adopted by 79 votes in favour, 27 against and 11 abstentions, is expected to be adopted during the 8-11 September plenary session.

    Background

    On 13 July 2023, the Commission proposed a new regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and improved management of end-of-life vehicles, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal and the circular economy action plan.

    In 2023, 14.8 million motor vehicles were manufactured in the EU, while 12.4 million vehicles were registered. There are 285.6 million motor vehicles on EU roads and every year around 6.5 million vehicles come to the end of their lives.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The European Green Deal and its unintended role in Europe’s deindustrialisation – E-002639/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002639/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Markus Buchheit (ESN)

    Despite claims that the European Green Deal would boost the EU’s industrial strength, its real impact has been the opposite[1]. Excessive regulations and soaring energy prices are driving manufacturers out of Europe, while subsidised Chinese electric vehicles are flooding our markets. Meanwhile, the US Inflation Reduction Act is attracting investment with competitive incentives. EU climate ideology is putting the survival of our industry at risk.

    • 1.Does the Commission admit that the European Green Deal has weakened the EU’s industry and helped expand the market share of non-EU, state-subsidised competitors, such as China?
    • 2.What concrete measures will the Commission take to protect the EU’s manufacturers from unfair global competition and internal regulatory disadvantages?
    • 3.Will the Commission revise its industrial and climate policy to prioritise industrial resilience, technological sovereignty and fair global trade conditions?

    Submitted: 30.6.2025

    • [1] https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/italys-meloni-warns-eu-green-policies-risk-industrial-desertification-2025-05-17/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
    Last updated: 7 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Milestone reached in development of Fort William Transport Plan

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Issued in partnership with HITRANS

    A major step forward has been taken in developing a long-awaited integrated transport plan (ITP) for Fort William with the appointment of consultants.

    The need for upgrades in the town to ease traffic congestion and improve journey times on the A82 and A830 has been an issue for many years.

    Congestion and its effect on journey times, which can be exacerbated by high seasonal volumes of traffic, are key concerns for people who live and work in Fort William and the surrounding area.

    They include emergency services, with reports of staff being unable to reach work due to congestion, as well as delays to emergency vehicles accessing roads.

    Local businesses have also stated that network constraints have affected decisions to expand.

    Scotland’s second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) was published in December 2022 and recommended the development of an Integrated Transport Plan (ITP) for Fort William.

    A comprehensive plan will establish a proposed package of interventions, priorities, direction, responsibilities, funding sources and process for change for the area.

    It will be developed over the next 18 months by a partnership between AECOM and Stantec, two global infrastructure consulting companies.

    A Client Delivery Group was established in January 2025 comprising HITRANS (as lead), with Transport Scotland and The Highland Council as well as Highlands and Islands Enterprise and FW2040, to help coordinate the project with a shared vision for the future of Fort William and Lochaber.

    The project is being funded by Transport Scotland, HITRANS and The Highland Council.

    Councillor Ken Gowans, Chair of The Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee and a HITRANS Board Member, said: “This is a significant and long-overdue milestone for Fort William.

    “The appointment of AECOM and Stantec to take forward the Integrated Transport Plan brings renewed momentum and a real opportunity to tackle the long-standing issues of congestion and connectivity that affect residents, businesses, and emergency services alike.

    “By working in partnership and drawing on expert insight, we’re committed to delivering a more efficient, sustainable, and accessible transport system that meets the needs of our growing community.

    “This plan is a key step in shaping a better future for Fort William and the wider Lochaber area.”

    A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said: “Scotland’s Second Strategic Transport Project Review (STPR2) recommended a Fort William Integrated Transport Plan, and it’s great to see this important work getting underway.

    “The plan will explore and develop a combination of measures to improve local connections, access and enhancing the sense of place for those who live, work and visit the area along with safety and improved journey time reliability on the A82 through Fort William.

    “The plan will be an in-depth, multi-modal transport study that will respond to the current challenges and opportunities facing Fort William, whilst ensuring the development of robust proposals that meet current policy direction and support future investment decisions.”

    Richie Fraser, Project Director at AECOM, said: “AECOM is proud to work in collaboration with Stantec and HITRANS to lead the delivery of an integrated transport plan to improve travel conditions for people living, working and visiting Fort William.

    “As a global infrastructure leader, AECOM will bring our extensive transport planning expertise to the study and look forward to engaging with the community, from our Scotland offices.

    “Ultimately, our aim is to support a more efficient, sustainable and accessible transport system that local people can be proud of, and one that will connect communities, support businesses, and unlock growth across the region.”

    Emily Seaman, Director, Transport Planning, Stantec added: “Having worked closely and successfully with HITRANS on its Regional Transport Strategy, we’re incredibly proud to be appointed to support the Fort William Integrated Transport Plan alongside AECOM.

    “We’ll be leveraging our extensive local knowledge and respected position in the area, as well as our industry leading global expertise, to deliver meaningful benefits for communities that will enhance both connectivity and the regional economy.”

    The proposed study area borders Loch Eil, Loch Linnhe and along the corridors made by the Great Glen and Glen Nevis.

    The River Lochy, Nevis and Loch Linnhe flood risk areas influence where development can occur and where travel connections are feasible.  Similarly, the steep sides of the glens limit transport options.

    The area is served by the A82 and A830 trunk roads, as well as railway lines to Glasgow and Mallaig.

    It has an important port function and National Cycle Route 78 as well as other active travel links and serves as a West Highland hub for the coach network with services to Inverness, Glasgow, Oban, Skye and Ardnamurchan.

    The proximity of local junctions and queuing associated with opposed right-turns on the A82 are thought to have contributed to specific localised issues.

    When incidents occur, their impacts are compounded by the lack and length (up to 160 miles) of diversionary routes.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: New boost for Regional Resilience Fund rollout, financing affordable housing, urban development and sustainable tourism

    Source: European Investment Bank

    ©VicaPhoto/ Shutterstock

    • The EIB has announced the signature of agreements with Arcano Partners and Buenavista Infrastructure totalling €410 million.
    • The agreements will channel new funding to urban development projects (including those promoting affordable housing) and others related to sustainable tourism.
    • The funds come from the Regional Resilience Fund financed by NextGenerationEU and implemented by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise with EIB support.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed agreements with Buenavista Infrastructure and Arcano Partners to channel a total of €410 million to new urban development projects (including those promoting affordable housing) and others related to sustainable tourism.

    The agreements were made possible by a contribution from the Regional Resilience Fund, part of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and financed by NextGenerationEU. More specifically, this was facilitated by the launch of a new EIB-managed instrument to channel financing via financial intermediaries to back urban development and sustainable tourism.

    The intermediaries selected by the EIB will assess investment opportunities across the country to promote urban development in areas such as affordable housing, education, healthcare, social and cultural infrastructure, sustainable mobility, waste and water management, energy efficiency and sustainable tourism. The investment period runs until December 2030.

    The first two intermediaries selected for the distribution of these funds were Arcano Partners (with a €210 million signature) and Buenavista Infrastructure (€200 million).

    The first two intermediaries selected for the deployment of these funds were Arcano Partners and Buenavista Infrastructure. Arcano Partners has been allocated €210 million by the EIB, which it will channel through “Spanish Urban Development SICC” fund. Buenavista Infrastructure was allocated €200 million to be channelled through “Buenavista NextGen Urban SICC” fund. Both are regulated vehicles set up specifically for this action. Funding can happen in the form of both equity investment and debt, or a combination of both. The maximum allocation per project is 22 million while maximum recovery periods are 15 years for equity investments and 20 years for debt.

    “These agreements are a further step forward in the rollout of the EIB Group-managed Regional Resilience Fund and will drive new investment to promote urban development and sustainable tourism. The resources can also go to affordable housing projects, which is one of the EIB Group’s strategic priorities,” said EIB Director General of Financing and Advisory Operations within the European Union Jean-Christophe Laloux. “Close cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise made it possible to launch this new line of action for the Regional Resilience Fund, promoting key investments in Spain’s regions.”

    “Thanks to the signature of these agreements, the implementation of the intermediated instrument for urban development and sustainable tourism materialised. This instrument is one of the pillars of the Regional Resilience Fund. It will channel funds to relatively small projects that aim to invest in social and affordable housing and urban regeneration, as well as sustainable tourism activities. Furthermore, funds from the Regional Resilience Fund continue to be a crucial tool for the green transition in Spain, supporting projects that promote sustainability in key areas such as housing and tourism in various regions of the country,” said Inés Carpio, Director General of International Finance at the Treasury.

    Partner in Asset Management at Arcano Partners Eduardo Fernández-Cuesta added: “We are very proud to be once again have the confidence of the European Investment Bank to channel vital financing to bolster our national infrastructure, with a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. This combined debt and equity strategy will enable Arcano Partners to continue to diversify our capabilities and deliver the excellence we guarantee to our private investors and the public sector institutions that rely on us to manage investments.”

    Managing Partner at Buenavista Infrastructure Victoriano López-Pinto said: “We are very grateful for the vote of confidence in our judgment and expertise in facilitating the use of EU funds. With this new allocation, we have become one of the leading European fund managers by volume of European funds under management. Our team is one of the most experienced in managing public funds and we are excited to be able to contribute to this project promoting local connections, sustainable urban development and the renovation of our national tourism infrastructure to make it more sustainable.”

    Background information

    EIB

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.

    In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. This financing is contributing to the country’s green and digital transition, economic growth, competitiveness and improved services for residents.

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.

    Regional Resilience Fund

    The Regional Resilience Fund (RRF) was created to facilitate access to NextGenerationEU loans from the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan for the autonomous communities, with the aim of boosting investments and developing projects in eight priority areas: social and affordable housing; urban renewal; transport and sustainable tourism; the energy transition; water and waste management; the care economy; research, development and innovation; and the competitiveness of industry and SMEs.

    The fund is led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, which takes input from the autonomous communities and cities for investment decision-making and looks to the EIB Group as a strategic management partner.

    The initial phase of the RRF includes the activation of up to €3.4 billion in financing via:

    • a direct financing mechanism, to co-finance EIB-supported operations in sectors like renewable energy, clean transport and sustainable infrastructure;
    • an intermediated mechanism managed by financial intermediaries selected by the EIB, to support projects in urban development and sustainable tourism;
    • two instruments intermediated by the European Investment Fund that will facilitate SME financing for innovation, sustainability and competitiveness.

    Arcano Partners

    Arcano Partners, founded in 2003, is an independent global firm with more than 20 years of experience in international financial advisory and private markets’ asset management. Arcano currently has four business areas:

    • Asset Management, with more than €12.5 billion managed and advised since the start of its activity in 2006, and with six asset classes: Private Equity, Credit Strategies, Real Estate, Sus-tainable Infrastructure, Venture Capital and Aviation Finance; Arcano has a strong focus on sustainability and responsible investment, being one of the benchmark asset managers in ESG.
    • Investment Banking provides advisory services in M&A, refinancing, restructuring and capi-tal markets transactions to companies in various sectors; Arcano has specialized teams by sector, and additionally offers a transversal technology/digital approach.
    • Research & Consulting provides economic, real estate and differential market analysis, as well as geopolitical and technological analysis of both local and global trends. This analysis is extremely useful for optimizing business decisions, especially in environments of extreme uncertainty where the impacts of making mistakes are profound and can be mitigated by in-vesting in quality analysis.
    • Asset Finance, an area that allows investors to participate in the creation of solutions for the financing of real or intangible assets in Spain.

    Arcano Partners has a team of more than 260 professionals of more than 20 nationalities across 7 offices in Europe and the United States and has become one of the independent firms of reference in the European private markets industry.

    Buenavista Partners (www.buenavistaequity.com)

    Buenavista Equity Partners is an independent asset manager founded in 1996 that operates in the middle-market segment. It currently manages more than €1 billion through different Private Equity, Infrastructure and Venture Capital vehicles.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: New boost for Regional Resilience Fund rollout, financing affordable housing, urban development and sustainable tourism

    Source: European Investment Bank

    ©VicaPhoto/ Shutterstock

    • The EIB has announced the signature of agreements with Arcano Partners and Buenavista Infrastructure totalling €410 million.
    • The agreements will channel new funding to urban development projects (including those promoting affordable housing) and others related to sustainable tourism.
    • The funds come from the Regional Resilience Fund financed by NextGenerationEU and implemented by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise with EIB support.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed agreements with Buenavista Infrastructure and Arcano Partners to channel a total of €410 million to new urban development projects (including those promoting affordable housing) and others related to sustainable tourism.

    The agreements were made possible by a contribution from the Regional Resilience Fund, part of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and financed by NextGenerationEU. More specifically, this was facilitated by the launch of a new EIB-managed instrument to channel financing via financial intermediaries to back urban development and sustainable tourism.

    The intermediaries selected by the EIB will assess investment opportunities across the country to promote urban development in areas such as affordable housing, education, healthcare, social and cultural infrastructure, sustainable mobility, waste and water management, energy efficiency and sustainable tourism. The investment period runs until December 2030.

    The first two intermediaries selected for the distribution of these funds were Arcano Partners (with a €210 million signature) and Buenavista Infrastructure (€200 million).

    The first two intermediaries selected for the deployment of these funds were Arcano Partners and Buenavista Infrastructure. Arcano Partners has been allocated €210 million by the EIB, which it will channel through “Spanish Urban Development SICC” fund. Buenavista Infrastructure was allocated €200 million to be channelled through “Buenavista NextGen Urban SICC” fund. Both are regulated vehicles set up specifically for this action. Funding can happen in the form of both equity investment and debt, or a combination of both. The maximum allocation per project is 22 million while maximum recovery periods are 15 years for equity investments and 20 years for debt.

    “These agreements are a further step forward in the rollout of the EIB Group-managed Regional Resilience Fund and will drive new investment to promote urban development and sustainable tourism. The resources can also go to affordable housing projects, which is one of the EIB Group’s strategic priorities,” said EIB Director General of Financing and Advisory Operations within the European Union Jean-Christophe Laloux. “Close cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise made it possible to launch this new line of action for the Regional Resilience Fund, promoting key investments in Spain’s regions.”

    “Thanks to the signature of these agreements, the implementation of the intermediated instrument for urban development and sustainable tourism materialised. This instrument is one of the pillars of the Regional Resilience Fund. It will channel funds to relatively small projects that aim to invest in social and affordable housing and urban regeneration, as well as sustainable tourism activities. Furthermore, funds from the Regional Resilience Fund continue to be a crucial tool for the green transition in Spain, supporting projects that promote sustainability in key areas such as housing and tourism in various regions of the country,” said Inés Carpio, Director General of International Finance at the Treasury.

    Partner in Asset Management at Arcano Partners Eduardo Fernández-Cuesta added: “We are very proud to be once again have the confidence of the European Investment Bank to channel vital financing to bolster our national infrastructure, with a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. This combined debt and equity strategy will enable Arcano Partners to continue to diversify our capabilities and deliver the excellence we guarantee to our private investors and the public sector institutions that rely on us to manage investments.”

    Managing Partner at Buenavista Infrastructure Victoriano López-Pinto said: “We are very grateful for the vote of confidence in our judgment and expertise in facilitating the use of EU funds. With this new allocation, we have become one of the leading European fund managers by volume of European funds under management. Our team is one of the most experienced in managing public funds and we are excited to be able to contribute to this project promoting local connections, sustainable urban development and the renovation of our national tourism infrastructure to make it more sustainable.”

    Background information

    EIB

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.

    In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. This financing is contributing to the country’s green and digital transition, economic growth, competitiveness and improved services for residents.

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.

    Regional Resilience Fund

    The Regional Resilience Fund (RRF) was created to facilitate access to NextGenerationEU loans from the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan for the autonomous communities, with the aim of boosting investments and developing projects in eight priority areas: social and affordable housing; urban renewal; transport and sustainable tourism; the energy transition; water and waste management; the care economy; research, development and innovation; and the competitiveness of industry and SMEs.

    The fund is led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, which takes input from the autonomous communities and cities for investment decision-making and looks to the EIB Group as a strategic management partner.

    The initial phase of the RRF includes the activation of up to €3.4 billion in financing via:

    • a direct financing mechanism, to co-finance EIB-supported operations in sectors like renewable energy, clean transport and sustainable infrastructure;
    • an intermediated mechanism managed by financial intermediaries selected by the EIB, to support projects in urban development and sustainable tourism;
    • two instruments intermediated by the European Investment Fund that will facilitate SME financing for innovation, sustainability and competitiveness.

    Arcano Partners

    Arcano Partners, founded in 2003, is an independent global firm with more than 20 years of experience in international financial advisory and private markets’ asset management. Arcano currently has four business areas:

    • Asset Management, with more than €12.5 billion managed and advised since the start of its activity in 2006, and with six asset classes: Private Equity, Credit Strategies, Real Estate, Sus-tainable Infrastructure, Venture Capital and Aviation Finance; Arcano has a strong focus on sustainability and responsible investment, being one of the benchmark asset managers in ESG.
    • Investment Banking provides advisory services in M&A, refinancing, restructuring and capi-tal markets transactions to companies in various sectors; Arcano has specialized teams by sector, and additionally offers a transversal technology/digital approach.
    • Research & Consulting provides economic, real estate and differential market analysis, as well as geopolitical and technological analysis of both local and global trends. This analysis is extremely useful for optimizing business decisions, especially in environments of extreme uncertainty where the impacts of making mistakes are profound and can be mitigated by in-vesting in quality analysis.
    • Asset Finance, an area that allows investors to participate in the creation of solutions for the financing of real or intangible assets in Spain.

    Arcano Partners has a team of more than 260 professionals of more than 20 nationalities across 7 offices in Europe and the United States and has become one of the independent firms of reference in the European private markets industry.

    Buenavista Partners (www.buenavistaequity.com)

    Buenavista Equity Partners is an independent asset manager founded in 1996 that operates in the middle-market segment. It currently manages more than €1 billion through different Private Equity, Infrastructure and Venture Capital vehicles.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General Saddened by Loss of Life Caused by Floods in United States

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    SG/SM/22718

    The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

    The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life, notably of a large number of children, caused by the recent floods in Texas, which struck during what should have been a time of celebration over the holiday weekend.

    The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his solidarity with all those impacted, the people of Texas and the Government of the United States.

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Secure all food, bait and rubbish on K’gari

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 2 Jul 2025

    Open larger image

    This dingo has removed the lid from a jar of peanut butter found in rubbish.

    Open larger image

    Dingoes will tear open tents and containers to access food and rubbish.

    Photos of damaged tents show the incredible sense of smell dingoes have, and their capacity for opportunistic feeding in the camping areas on K’gari.

    Taken by rangers from the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), the photos show the results of food and rubbish being incorrectly stored by campers.

    Dr Linda Behrendorff said dingoes recently gorged themselves on accessible food and rubbish after breaking into a tent and then began hanging around the camping area.

    “Dingoes are opportunistic by nature and have torn open tents, can chew eskies open and knock over bins before ripping rubbish bags apart,” Dr Behrendorff said.

    “Wildlife scavenging around camping areas is a common occurrence, and the problem with leaving food or rubbish where dingoes or other wildlife can get it makes them less fearful of humans.

    “Dingoes don’t differentiate between food and rubbish, and they can start approaching people for food which puts dingoes and people at risk.

    “Even in fenced areas, campers must ensure that all food and rubbish is stored in strong, secure containers and kept in an inaccessible place, such as a vehicle cabin or an enclosed ute tray.

    “A tent or annexe is not a secure place, and dingoes have also taken people’s belongings such as clothing, toiletries or shoes that carry the smell of food.

    “Fishers should bury fish frames and unused bait at least 50cm deep in the sand to prevent dingoes digging it up.

    “During the school holidays, we’re asking everyone to secure your camping area, secure your food and shoo dingoes away if they’re lingering nearby.”

    Bins are provided on K’gari, and people are encouraged to use bins properly and never leave bags of rubbish beside bins.

    Reasons to prevent dingoes getting access to food and rubbish:

    • Opportunistic feeders: They will eat a wide variety of foods, including rubbish.
    • Habituation: Feeding dingoes or leaving food unattended can lead to them losing their natural fear of humans and becoming familiar and habituated to human-provided food, making them more likely to scavenge.
    • Food availability: There is plenty of natural food for dingoes on K’gari. They are opportunistic predators, and if food is readily available in the form of rubbish, they will likely scavenge for it, especially if it is easier to obtain than hunting.
    • Never feed dingoes: It is illegal and can have serious consequences for both people and dingoes.
    • If dingoes don’t find food at your camping area, they are more likely to hunt or scavenge for natural food.

    It is an offence to deliberately or inadvertently feed dingoes. On the spot fines include $2,580 for deliberately feeding a dingo and $464 for food availability. The maximum court-imposed penalty for feeding dingoes is $26,614.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Newark operation makes 18 arrests, takes down Newark open-air drug market

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEWARK, N.J. –U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Newark and multiple federal, state and local partners made 18 arrests of alleged co-conspirators for roles in a drug trafficking organization July 1 in Newark, New Jersey.

    The arrests are a result of a 14-month HSI Newark investigation with the Newark Police Department and the U.S. District Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

    “In addition to the 18 arrests, HSI’s investigation led to federal charges filed against 24 individuals and we executed seven federal search warrants in and around Essex County, New Jersey,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel during a press conference following the operation. “Law enforcement partnership and teamwork were essential in our success. I am proud to say these alleged conspirators operating the sale of narcotics primarily from the Bradley Court Public Housing Complex have been stopped thanks to thousands of hours of police work. The livelihood of the tenants throughout 10 three-story apartment buildings who have been plagued by this dangerous enterprise for far too long can now feel a sense of safety and security.”

    On July 2, two additional defendants were arrested. Four remain at large.

    HSI Newark’s investigation uncovered a complex criminal enterprise with ties to transnational organized crime, that distributed more than 400 grams of fentanyl and a kilo of heroin. During the takedown operation, approximately $113,000 dollars in bulk cash/drug proceeds, illicit firearms, ammunition, narcotics, including 28 bricks of fentanyl and heroin, and vehicles were seized.

    According to the investigation, the defendants are members or associates of Sex, Money, Murder—a Blood affiliated criminal street gang that controls the drug trade in Bradley Court Housing Complex located near North Munn Avenue and Tremont Avenue in Newark. The enterprise is also known as Munn Block, M-Blok, and Tombstone Gang. Munn Block are closely aligned with another Blood affiliated gang known as Voorhees, who operate around Voorhees Street—members and associates of the enterprise refer to the collective union as “MunnHees”.

    “It is critical for the public to understand that these individuals engaged in the most dangerous of action, were armed and were involved in shootings,” said Patel. “They peddled narcotics to include fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine, all while risking the lives of those around them for power and money. Surveillance, undercover activity and electronic monitoring were just some of the necessary steps needed to bring these individuals to justice.”

    For over a year, law enforcement conducted extensive surveillance of the area, conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, seized narcotics through enforcement action, and analyzed telephone records, all of which demonstrated extensive interactions between and among the charged defendants. Members and associates of the enterprise are known to use social media on a variety of platforms and mobile applications, including Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp to conduct the business of the enterprise, communicate with one another, promote the Enterprise through sharing photographs and videos, and further the enterprise’s goals. Specifically, the enterprise uses the release and promotion of drill rap songs and music videos on social media to intimidate rival gang members, witnesses, and other members of the community, and to promote the enterprise.

    “For far too long, the Bloods have overtaken the Bradley Court Housing Complex — turning its courtyards and residential buildings into a hub for pumping deadly fentanyl into the city of Newark, while endangering the lives of the citizens who call this community home.” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. “This poison has ripped families apart and stolen countless lives. That stops today. These arrests affirm my office’s commitment to taking guns and drugs off the streets and serves as a clear warning to anyone who considers engaging in violent activity. The defendants in this case, as in all criminal cases, are presumed innocent unless, and until proven guilty. However, everyone should understand that if you spread this poison or engage in this violent activity, we will use every resource necessary to find you, dismantle your operation, and prosecute you.”

    Other agencies who supported HSI Newark’s investigation and operations included U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, Newark Police Department, East Orange Police Department and the Newark Housing Authority Security Department.

    The following Essex County residents were each charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine:

    • Shamon Freshley aka Hitta, 26.
    • Orlando Pizzaro aka Lando, 26.
    • Zakir Jefferson aka Gu, aka Tank 26.
    • Quayyon Johnson aka Weeze, 22.
    • Melvin Faines, aka Spaz, 34.
    • Afrika Islam, aka Sexx, 29.
    • Shaheem Webb, aka YC, 23.
    • Eustace Weeks, aka Juxx, 26.
    • Ali Baker, aka Surf, 34.
    • Jose Ward aka Hec, 22.
    • Brandon Sneed aka Pops, 31.
    • Eric Banks aka Lil Maneskii, 19.
    • Tauheed Carney aka Bmunn, 21.
    • Tykee Stokes aka Big, 32.
    • Shafeek Barker aka Sha, 28.
    • Ibn Perry aka Loop, 38.
    • Alvin Jones aka Lucky, 41.
    • Kirk Mansook aka Crow, 39.
    • Tyjanique Green aka Ski, 24.
    • Jubar Hughes aka Dudu, 27.
    • Daisean Williams aka Khaos, 22.
    • Jason Wardlaw aka Jayr, 30.
    • Rana James aka Pooh, 28.

    Sebastian Pierrecent aka Sosa, 21, Quayyan Johnson, and Tauheed Carney are also each charged with possession of a machine gun. In addition, Pierrecent is charged with possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.

    Pierrecent, Johnson, and Carney, are also charged with possession of a machine gun that was used in the June 17 shooting in rival gang territory near Mapes Avenue in Newark.

    The defendants charged in the drug conspiracy face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, with potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Pierrecent, Johnson, and Carney each face up to 10 years in prison for possession of the machinegun. Pierrecent faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.

    MIL OSI USA News –