U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT: TEXAS AUTO SALES COMPANY ORDERED TO PAY BACK MINIMUM WAGES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
El Paso, Texas, auto sales company agrees to pay workers more than $797,000 in back minimum wages following US Department of Labor investigation

Violations found at 8 locations

EL PASO, Texas -- Viva Auto Group has agreed to pay $797,405 in back minimum wages to 480 current and former sales employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division that found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act at eight of the company’s locations in El Paso.

"Employers need to understand that employees must be paid for all hours worked, which includes paying for required training," said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division in the Southwest. "We are pleased these employees will receive the wages they have rightfully earned."

An investigation by the division’s El Paso Field Office found that Viva Auto Group made illegal deductions from employees’ pay for training, which the employees were required to take, and for fees charged to reward customers for referring family or friends to the establishment. Investigators also found that the company paid employees less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and did not pay them for all hours worked. Additionally, required record-keeping was not maintained.

Viva Auto Group sells new and used automobiles. Violations were found at the following locations: Viva Auto Group, Viva Chevrolet and Viva Kia on Montana Street; Viva Dodge on Gateway Boulevard East; Viva Nissan on Zaragoza Road; Viva Mitsubishi and Viva Collision Center on Magruder Street; and Bestway Auto on Airway Boulevard.

The company has agreed to future compliance with the FLSA. Payment of the back wages owed is ongoing.

The FLSA requires that covered, nonexempt employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Additionally, employers must maintain accurate time and payroll records.

U.S. DEFENSE OFFICIAL TALKS DEFENSE-TRADE

Photo F-15.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks to Defense Trade Advisory GroupRemarks
Andrew J. Shapiro
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
Washington, DC
July 26, 2012
Thank you all for being here today and it is my great pleasure to welcome the new Defense Trade Advisory Group.

We have many new faces, but I am also glad to see so many familiar faces. We are thrilled to have Sam Sevier [Sa-veer] back as DTAG Chair. Sam has done an outstanding job during what was a very busy two years. We are also excited to have Bill Wade as Vice Chair, as well as Kim DePew and Terry Otis serving as DTAG leadership. Overall, we have 28 returning members and 16 new members. Additionally, we are also excited to have so many DTAG members coming from outside the Beltway and bringing that perspective to deliberations.

These are certainly exciting times to come on board. This Administration has made tremendous progress in advancing export control reform and expanding U.S. defense trade with our allies and partners. As DTAG members, you provide an invaluable service to the Political Military Affairs bureau and the State Department. As we seek to reform our export control system, expand our defense trade abroad, and protect our most sensitive systems and technologies, your knowledge, experience and insight will be critical to guiding us through these eventful times.

Just in this past year, there have been a number of significant events with implications for the defense trade. The Arab Awakening in the Middle East has brought sweeping change to the region. Countries like Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia have undergone dramatic transitions. The recent events in Syria promises more dramatic change, as the Syrian people rise up against the brutal rule of the Assad regime. Each of these developments forces us assess the nature of our relationships with these countries and the region, and to take a look at our policies and practices. In addition, to these events in the Middle East, the Administration’s renewed focus on Asia will have significant defense trade implications. As we seek to reinvigorate existing alliances and develop new partnerships in Asia, our defense trade will be an important aspect of our diplomatic engagement. I have already spent more time on Asia than I anticipated coming into this job and I expect this to become the norm going forward.

While we navigate through these changing times, we look to you for advice and guidance. Defense trade is a critical component of our foreign policy and I encourage you to take advantage of these DTAG sessions to make your voices heard.

Today, I want to talk to you briefly about our efforts to expand the defense trade. As many of you know, this Administration has made it a top priority to promote U.S. business abroad. We view the American defense industry as an integral part of our efforts to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy. This is because security cooperation is fundamentally a foreign policy act. It is therefore the Secretary of State that is given the authority to oversee and authorize all arms sales in order to ensure they advance U.S. foreign policy. As a result, we only allow a sale after we carefully examine issues like human rights, regional security and nonproliferation concerns and determine a sale is in the best foreign policy and national security interests of the United States.

The arms transfer process sometimes causes consternation among our international partners. Some may gripe about onerous rules and procedures, intrusive monitoring, and rigorous investigations of potential violations. And at times it makes countries perhaps reluctant to partner with the United States. However, the safeguards we have in place are critical to U.S. foreign policy.

What is remarkable though, is that despite our high bar for approving transfers and our aggressive monitoring, more and more countries want to partner with the United States.

At the State Department – when we deem that cooperating with an ally or partner will advance our national security – we advocate tirelessly on U.S. companies behalf. And, as I like to say, I have the frequent flier miles to prove it.

It is no longer just our Ambassadors who promote U.S. security cooperation abroad. Senior State Department officials regularly advocate on behalf of U.S. bidders on foreign government and foreign military procurements. We do so when we meet with officials on our travels abroad, on the margins of international conferences, and in regular diplomatic correspondence to foreign government officials.

These efforts are having an impact. Despite the global economic strain, demand for U.S. defense products and services is stronger than ever.

We recently released the 655 Report – an annual report of defense articles and services that were authorized for export. This report focuses on Direct Commercial Sales and it showed that there was a more than $10 billion increase in FY11 in items authorized for transfer. In 2011 the Directorate for Defense Trade Controls processed more than 83,000 licenses. The most ever.

I can also confirm that this is a record-breaking year for Foreign Military Sales. We have surpassed $50 billion in sales in FY12. This represents at least a $20 billion increase over FY11 and we still have a chunk of the fiscal year left. To put this in context, FY11 was a record setting year at just over $30 billion. This fiscal year will be at least 70 percent greater than FY11. These sales support tens of thousands of American jobs, which is welcome news in this economy.

Let me briefly outline why I think we are seeing such strong interest in U.S. systems.

First, it’s because countries want to partner with the United States of America. The defense industry should understand – when it comes to sales abroad, it does better when America’s image abroad is strong and when countries want to partner with the United States. This Administration has done a tremendous amount to rebuild America’s image and that is demonstrated in record FMS and DCS sales.

We have reached out to new partners and emerging markets where we see the defense trade growing. This spring I was in India for the first Political-Military talks in six years. Cumulative defense sales have grown from virtually zero to more than $8 billion since 2008. One of the major goals we had during these talks was to make progress in advancing the defense trade. We sought to better familiarize the Indian government with our system and to address any concerns they may have. We think the U.S.-India defense and trade relationship would benefit from linking defense sales with broader strategic goals. That’s why we specifically articulated the technical and political advantages that FMS offers.

We have also actively engaged Brazil. Brazil is seeking to modernize and expand its military capabilities and we are seeking to support these efforts. Last year, I travelled to Brasilia to restart Political-Military talks and this past February a Brazilian delegation travelled to Washington, as we hope to make this an annual dialogue.

And in February, I travelled to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore; and in June to Thailand, Vietnam, and Brunei. Many of these partners are seeking to modernize their defense sectors andwe are hopeful that our defense trade with these partners will continue to grow in the years ahead.

For a country to be willing to cooperate in the area of national defense – perhaps the most sensitive area for any nation – they have to be sure about the nature of the relationship with the United States. When a country buys an advanced U.S. defense system through our FMS, DCS, or Foreign Military Financing programs, they aren’t simply buying a product, they are also seeking a partnership with the United States. These programs both reinforce our diplomatic relations and establish a long term security relationship. The complex and technical nature of advanced defense systems frequently requires constant collaboration and interaction between countries over the life of that system – decades in many cases. This cooperation therefore helps build bilateral ties and creates strong incentives for recipient countries to maintain good relations with the United States.

For many countries procurement decisions aren’t simply based on the specifications of the given system. Our advocacy helps demonstrate that the U.S. government believes these sales are critical to our diplomatic relationships. The fact that more countries want to deepen their defense trade partnership with the United States is a sign that our broader diplomatic efforts are having an impact.

Second, countries want to buy the best. And to get the best they rightly turn to U.S. defense systems. These systems are "made in America" and the growth in defense sales abroad demonstrates the capabilities of American manufacturing and of American workers. This administration has worked hard to support the U.S. defense industry abroad because it helps sustain our defense industry base and supports jobs here at home.

For example, our agreement in December to expand our security cooperation with Saudi Arabia not only helps advance the security of a critical ally, it is projected to have a significant impact on the U.S. economy. According to industry experts, this agreement will support more than 50,000 American jobs. It will engage 600 suppliers in 44 states, and provide $3.5 billion in annual economic impact to the U.S. economy. This will support jobs not only in the aerospace sector, but also in our manufacturing base and support chain, which are all crucial for sustaining our national defense.

Third, we are also working to improve our ability to cooperate with our partners. Nothing shows our commitment to expanding U.S. exports more than our Export Control Reform efforts.

Our export control reform efforts are ultimately about making sure that our system appropriately protects the things it needs to protect and prioritizes how we protect them. To that end, we are focusing our efforts in the near term on the re-write of the U.S. Munitions List, or USML, and the Commerce Control List, or CCL, to create clear bright lines between munitions and dual-use items. Our work is focused now on the removal of the majority of parts and components from the USML to the CCL in these categories. They also will remove some end items, including unarmored military vehicles, cargo and utility aircraft, auxiliary surface vessels, and commercial communications satellites from the USML. We are working category by category, using objective rather than subjective criteria, to create that bright line between the USML and the CCL. We are making significant progress in this effort.

As part of our broader Export Control Reform Initiative, we have also recently reformed the broken "pre-notification" process with Congress. Under the old system, U.S. industry was placed at a competitive disadvantage as a result of the unpredictability and uncertainty of the process. This prompted our allies to question our reliability as a defense and security supplier. The new process, which is currently in place, has a tiered review process that, while bounded, allows significant time to review all potential arms sales under the Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales programs.

Nothing about Congress and the Administration’s legal authority has changed under the reformed new system. Congress is still able to stop the entire pre-notification process if a Representative or Senator raises a concern. But under the new process, if a committee staffer thinks that an arms sale should be delayed, that staffer must escalate that concern to their representative or senator to convey to the Department. The Department has a strong history of being responsive to Member concerns, and this will not change.

We are committed to the new pre-notification process because we believe it will make the U.S. a more reliable partner and ally and will therefore help expand U.S. defense trade.

Lastly, we have advanced defense trade through the Defense Trade Treaties with the UK and Australia. This past April the United States and the UK signed an exchange of notes which brought the U.S.-UK Defense Trade Treaty into force. This treaty is the first of its kind and allows for the more efficient transfer of certain defense articles between the U.S. and UK. We are also making progress in the implementation of the treaty with Australia, which we hope to be completed in the next year.

So from all of this, I think it is clear we are doing a lot. And that we are going to keep you busy.

Before I close, I would once again like to thank the DTAG members for their willingness to serve and for their dedication in reforming defense trade. The last DTAG had a very busy – but successful – two years and I fully expect this DTAG to be just as busy and just as successful as the last.

CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP PREDICTS "TAXMAGEDDON" IF NOTHING IS DONE

FROM: HOUSE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS: CHAIRMAN DAVE CAMP

It’s been called the "ticking tax bomb" and even "Taxmageddon" – and it’s a central issue that must be addressed in order to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" when the clock strikes midnight on December 31, 2012. But by whatever name it’s known, one thing is clear: if we don’t #StopTheTaxHike and prevent the expiration of the tax policies originally enacted in 2001 and 2003 – that fiscal cliff will turn into a jobs cliff. Even the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has said the failure to act would push the country back into a recession.

No later than the last week in July, House Republicans will hold a vote not only to #StopTheTaxHike but also establish a pathway to comprehensive tax reform next year – sending a clear signal to families, employers, and the financial markets that taxes will not go up on January 1, 2013.

In light of the threat to families and our economy, prominent Democrats, such as former President Bill Clinton, former Obama economic advisor Larry Summers, and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND), are joining the growing bipartisan chorus to #StopTheTaxHike. Other Democrats are joining as well. Senators McCaskill, Manchin, Webb and Nelson (FL) have refused to endorse a year-end tax increase.

In 2010, a two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 policies won broad bipartisan support including ‘yes’ votes from 40 sitting Democratic Senators, 85 sitting Democratic House Members and President Obama. The question is: Will President Obama and the Democrats who run Washington work with House Republicans to prevent this massive, job-killing tax increase on small businesses and on every American who pays income taxes, or will they insist on higher taxes to pay for continued bailouts and wasteful Washington spending?

A PAIR OF MOONS NEAR SATURN

FROM: NASA
Saturn's MoonsThe Cassini spacecraft watches a pair of Saturn's moons, showing the hazy orb of giant Titan beyond smaller Tethys. This view looks toward the Saturn-facing sides of Titan (3,200 miles, or 5,150 kilometers across) and Tethys (660 miles, or 1,062 kilometers across).

The image was taken in visible green light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Oct. 18, 2010. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1.6 million miles (2.5 million kilometers) from Titan and at a Sun-Titan-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 55 degrees. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Tethys and at a Sun-Tethys-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 55 degrees. Image scale is 15 kilometers (9 miles) per pixel on Titan and 6 miles (9 kilometers) per pixel on Tethys.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

SEATTLE AGREES TO REFORM POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INSURE CONTITUTIONAL POLICING

FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, July 27, 2012
Justice Department Announces Agreement with City of Seattle to Implement Reforms of Seattle Police Department

The United States has entered into a comprehensive, cooperative agreement with the city of Seattle to implement sustainable reforms within the Seattle Police Department (SPD), the Justice Department announced today. The agreement seeks to resolve issues raised by the Justice Department’s investigation into SPD through federal court oversight of reform efforts to ensure effective and constitutional policing in Seattle. The agreement includes a settlement agreement and stipulated order of resolution (settlement agreement), filed in federal court in Seattle today, that is subject to an independent monitor and court oversight, and separately a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be enforced by the parties with community oversight and the assistance of the monitor.

The settlement agreement will require SPD to revise its use of force policies and enhance its training, reporting, investigations and supervision of uses of force. It also requires revisions to policies, training and supervision relating to both bias-free policing and stops and detentions; improves supervision and accountability mechanisms to ensure implementation of the reforms on the ground; and creates the Community Police Commission, a civilian oversight board with responsibilities regarding particular areas of reform detailed in the settlement agreement and MOU. The settlement agreement is subject to approval of a federal judge and must be court-ordered.

The MOU is an agreement that will be enforced by the parties with community oversight. The MOU specifically provides for the Community Police Commission to assess SPD’s outreach efforts and initiatives; provide input regarding data collection around stops and detention; and ensure transparency and public reporting. As part of the MOU, the Community Police Commission also will lead a review of the structure of the city’s police accountability system.

"This agreement provides a blueprint for reform with innovative methods for ensuring community engagement and sustainability," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with the city, Mayor McGinn, the Seattle Police Department and the community to ensure that effective and constitutional policing takes place in Seattle."

A court-appointed monitor, to be selected jointly by the city and the Justice Department, will oversee the implementation of the settlement agreement and provide expert assistance to the Community Police Commission in the MOU.

"Today begins a new chapter for policing in Seattle. All of us depend upon the critical bond between the community and police officers who risk their lives to protect public safety. This agreement advances meaningful and measurable reforms that ensure effective policing and build community trust. We must get this right. We owe it to every officer who serves and every resident of this great city," said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Jenny A. Durkan.

The department’s investigation of SPD was announced on March 31, 2011, and conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. The investigation focused on whether SPD engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing through the use of excessive force or discriminatory policing. On December 16, 2011, the department issued a written report of its findings. The department found reasonable cause to believe that SPD engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The department did not make a finding that SPD engages in a pattern or practice of discriminatory policing, but raised concerns about some of SPD’s policies and practices, particularly those related to pedestrian encounters.

The Justice Department’s investigation, conducted in collaboration with and with the full and open cooperation of the city and SPD, involved an in-depth review of thousands of pages of SPD documents and materials, including written policies and procedures, training materials, and internal reports, data, video footage and investigative files. Justice Department attorneys and investigators also conducted interviews with SPD officers, supervisors and command staff, and city officials, in addition to conducting hundreds of interviews with community members and local advocates.

Following the release of the findings in December, the Justice Department received input from a wide range of stakeholders, including city officials and elected leaders, SPD commanders and police officers, police unions, and a broad range of community members and service providers.

Mom’s smoke, Baby’s asthma

Mom’s smoke, Baby’s asthma

Machine Vision System

Machine Vision System

FORMER NAVY SEABEE HELPS DEVELOP AFGHAN AGRIBUSINESS

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTArmy Spc. Michael Hilario measures wood before cutting it in southern Afghanistan, May 4, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Paul Evans
Face of Defense: Guardsman Uses Seabee Skills in AfghanistanBy Army Staff Sgt. Paul Evans
Kentucky National Guard

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PASAB, Afghanistan, July 25, 2012 - A former Navy Seabee who now serves with the Kentucky National Guard is putting his old skills to work as part of an agribusiness development team in Afghanistan.

"No matter what we have to go through and the hard things we have to deal with, to be able to know that you're here to help others, it's a way of life just because it's the way I was raised," said Army Spc. Michael Hilario, a 47-year-old Virginia Beach, Va., native, who resides in Lexington, Ky.

Hilario is deployed with the Kentucky Guard's Agribusiness Development Team 4.

Back in Kentucky, Hilario has served as an electrician with the Army National Guard's 149th Vertical Engineering Detachment, 201st Engineer Battalion, in Cynthiana, Ky., since leaving the Navy Reserve in 2008. During his 10 years with the Navy, Hilario deployed to Iraq twice as a Seabee, earning the Seabee Combat Warfare device and Fleet Marine Force Ribbon.

"I was active for right at two years," he said. "I was on the USS Kittyhawk for a little bit, and the USS Antietam out west in California, [then] I was out of the service for a very short period of time and wanted to get back into the Seabees. ... I've been an electrician for over 18 years. I'm a general contractor. That's what I do best, so I got with the Seabees and went to Ramadi, Fallujah and Baghdad."

In Iraq, he added, his construction battalion built airstrips, medical evacuation hospitals and schools. "It's quite a good feeling to know you can go over and help people like that," he said.

In Afghanistan, Hilario has put his past as a Seabee to good use by helping with the agribusiness development team's construction projects and serving as a liaison with the Seabees here.

"Things that we've needed, I've been able to go over and obtain," he said. "The things that they've needed, I've been able to help them as well. It's brotherhood taking care of brotherhood here. It's all family. ... I believe in helping others. That's the way I was raised."

"It's pretty evident that he knows how to do electric work pretty good," said Army Master Sgt. John Black, a 45-year-old Lawrenceburg, Ky., resident who works as a supervisor to Hilario on construction projects. "He's [also] a jack of all trades."

Hilario said service is in his bloodlines, as his father retired from the Navy as a chief petty officer, and his grandfather was a master chief petty officer.

"I wanted to be a part of the agribusiness development team because I knew they were doing some good things here," he said.

Hilario has three children at home. Two are teenagers who have learned to deal with his deployments.

"My oldest two -- Britney, 21, Michael, 18, -- they've been through it a couple of times. They know it's hard, but they're military children," he said. "It's gotten hard the first couple of times, but now they're understanding how things are, what we're here for, what we're here to do, and they know this is part of daddy's life as well as theirs."

His youngest child is almost 3, he said, and isn't old enough yet to understand. "I'm sure the video I sent him made him aware -- let him know where dad's going," he said. "He'll look back on it in the years to come. We'll sit down and we'll talk about it too."

After this deployment, Hilario said, he'll probably go home for a couple months and take it easy. But he'll be glad to return if necessary, he added.

"If they need me back, I'd go back again," he said. "I wouldn't hesitate."

Helping people is a family tradition, Hilario said.

"There's no amount of money that can ever replace the feeling that you get when you're able to help out people in your community and your country," he said. "There's nothing like the feeling of going and helping people."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA PREDICTS ATTACKS ON ALEPPO WILL CAUSE ASSAD'S DOWNFALL

 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta: Aleppo Attacks Will Cause Assad's Downfall
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, July 29, 2012 - The Syrian regime's attacks on the citizens of Aleppo ultimately will be "a nail in Assad's coffin," Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

Panetta is traveling to North Africa and the Middle East for a series of meetings, and Syria figures prominently in his conversations in Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia.

Bashar Assad's forces have launched heavy attacks against Aleppo, Syria's largest city. The violence that the regime is launching against its own people will ensure that the regime will fall eventually, Panetta told reporters traveling with him.

The international community has brought economic and diplomatic pressure on Syria to stop the violence and to have Assad step down for a transition to a democratic form of government. "The key right now is to continue to bring that pressure to bear on Syria to provide assistance to the opposition and to provide whatever humanitarian aid we can to assist the refugees," Panetta said en route to Tunisia.

The United States must not do anything to show that the international community is anything other than unified in the effort to bring the Assad regime down, the secretary said.

Panetta also discussed the chemical and biological warfare sites in Syria that U.S. planners say need to be secured. "We've been in close coordination with countries in the region to ensure that this is happening," the secretary said.

The United States also is working with Turkey and Jordan to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees from Syria.

U.S.-ERITREA RELATIONS

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENTThe United States established diplomatic relations with Eritrea in 1993, following its independence and separation from Ethiopia. The United States supported Eritrea's independence, but U.S.-Eritrea relations became strained as a result of the 2001 government crackdown against political dissidents and others, the closure of the independent press, and limits on civil liberties, which has persisted to this day. Eritrea's authoritarian regime is controlled entirely by the president, who heads the sole political party; that party has ruled the country since 1991. Elections have not taken place since then. Regionally, Eritrea has had military confrontations with Ethiopia and Djibouti over border disputes It has also been cited by the UN for destabilizing activities in the broader Horn of Africa.

U.S. interests in Eritrea include encouraging Eritrea to contribute to regional stability, reconciling ongoing disputes with Ethiopia and Djibouti, urging progress toward a democratic political culture, citing and addresses human rights issues, and promoting economic reform.

U.S. Assistance to EritreaAt the Eritrean Government's request, the United States no longer provides bilateral assistance to Eritrea. The U.S. has no military-to-military cooperation with Eritrea.

Bilateral Economic RelationsEritrea's Government and ruling party control the economy. The United States and Eritrea have very little bilateral trade. Eritrea is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, which has a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with the United States.

Eritrea's Membership in International OrganizationsEritrea and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank.

DOD NEWS ON MILITARY OLYMPIANS

Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra Uptagrafft pauses to collect herself while competing in the women's 10-meter air pistol event at the 2012 Summer Olympics at London's Royal Artillery Barracks, July 29, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Michael Molinaro

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Jitters Get Best of Uptagrafft in Olympic Pistol DebutBy Michael Molinaro
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

LONDON, July 29, 2012 - Despite having a difficult Olympic debut, Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sandra Uptagrafft's experience in London today featured enough goosebumps and memories to last a lifetime.

Uptagrafft, wife of Sgt. 1st Class Eric Uptatgrafft of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, finished 28th with a score of 378 in the women's 10-meter air pistol event at the Royal Artillery Barracks.

First-time Olympic jitters, common to many shooters who toe the line for the first time on the world's grandest stage, led to a result that was not in her game plan.

"Once I hit the match button, it hit me that I am at the Olympic Games, and it kind of took me out of my rhythm," Sandra said. "It took me a while to settle down and refocus. That's what I was able to do my last two strings. It's really disappointing, because I knew going into the match that this would happen."

China's Wenjen Guo won the gold medal with a total score of 488.1 points. France's Celine Goberville (486.6) claimed the silver. Ukraine's Olena Kostevych (486.6) took the bronze.

Adding to Uptagrafft's displeasure was the fact that her sister Andrea traveled from Singapore yesterday to watch her compete in a match for the first time. Sandra said she was thinking, 'This is not an example of what to do,' and that she was disheartened because her sister saw her shoot poorly.

The outcome, though, had no bearing on the joy Andrea experienced while watching her sister compete in the biggest sporting event in the world.

"It was pretty cool," Andrea said. "I was surprised everyone was so calm and calculated. I was trying to keep calm as well, because I was slightly nervous and hoping for her to do well. I am very proud of her. I know this whole thing is overwhelming."

After the match, the sisters shared a hug. Uptagrafft's husband, however, was not there for the reunion. Eric missed his wife's Olympic debut because of a lack of training space at the Olympic shooting venue for upcoming competitors, which forced several Team USA shooters to return to Denmark to train.

Eric will compete Aug. 3 in men's prone rifle. Although he missed Sandra's match, they were able to share something much more memorable when they walked together in the Opening Ceremony at Olympic Stadium on the night of July 27. That was a moment Sandra said she will never forget.

"Walking into the opening ceremonies was the ultimate high," she said. "I still get goosebumps thinking about it now. To walk the opening ceremonies with my husband, hand-in-hand, just made it that much more meaningful and something I will carry the rest of my life."

Uptagrafft said she enjoyed the camaraderie and support exhibited by all of the U.S. shooters, something they normally do not get to share, because most matches are spread around the world. The venues and the athletes' village have been great, she said.

With one event completed, Sandra is ready to compete again Aug. 1 in the women's 25-meter sport pistol event.

"I definitely had a learning experience here, and I am hoping to take what I learned in this match and take it into my next one," she said. "Hopefully, this got the jitters out of the way, and if I can execute my shot plan, I hope to find myself in the finals."
　

　

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Army Spouse Competes in First Medal Event of OlympicsBy Michael Molinaro
U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

LONDON, July 29, 2012 - In front of an enthusiastic crowd eager to witness presentation of the first medals of the London Olympic Games, Jamie Gray, wife of a U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit soldier, competed in women's 10-meter air rifle yesterday at the Royal Artillery Barracks here.

Gray, a two-time Olympian, finished fifth after making the final in the event for her second consecutive Olympics. She shot a qualification score of 397, followed with a final round of 102.7 for an overall score of 499.7, a little more than three points behind China's Siling Yi, who prevailed with 502.9 points.

Sylwia Bogacka of Poland won the silver medal with 502.2 points, and was followed by bronze medalist Dan Yu of China with 501.5.

"Personally, I think I shot 39 great shots," said Gray, who finished fourth in air rifle at the Beijing Games. "You can't ask for more than that. I knew I had to have a great final to have a chance. Bottom line is you can't win a medal with a 397. It's not good enough at the Olympics."

The day was a roller coaster of sorts for Gray, who is married to Army Staff Sgt. Hank Gray. After an equipment problem had her scurrying for tools and a quick fix, she started with a perfect 100 before shooting a 99 and a 98. Two of the three dropped shots were 9.9s, meaning she missed two more 10s by mere millimeters.

On the outside looking in with 10 shots to go, Gray nailed all 10 in the center ring, putting her into a five-woman shoot-off for the four remaining spots in the eight-person finale.

Among those in the shoot-off were U.S. teammate Sarah Scherer and good friend Katerina Emmons, the 2008 Beijing gold medalist in the event, who hails from the Czech Republic. All three women made the final.

"Of course, I was pulling for all three of us to make it," Gray said. "At the same time, my focus was on my own shooting, so I couldn't worry about what they were doing."

Heading into the final, Gray, a native of Lebanon, Pa., was in sixth place, but only one point out of medal contention. After the first three shots, she found herself in eighth place along with an old back problem that started to flare up. Similar to the qualification round, she forged ahead and clawed back into contention with a solid string of shots, but time ran out on her quest for a medal.

"She's always been a fighter," said Maj. Dave Johnson, the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program and USA Shooting rifle coach. "We've had her on the team since she was 16. She exhibited that toughness back then and still does."

Europe is known as the home of shooting, and the local competitors did not disappoint. The atmosphere was more fitting for an NCAA Final Four game, as the sold-out crowd made for a scene like no other in shooting sports. Music blared while the finalists prepared for the final round, and spectators from around the globe waved their countries' flags.

"The crowd was amazing," Gray said. "We don't have that outside of a final in our sport in the States. It was awesome. I think it would be awesome if every match was like that."

Jacques Rogge, the head of the International Olympic Committee, was among those in attendance to watch the event. Yi came into the match heavily favored and came out on top after a competitive back-and-forth competition with Bogacka and fellow countryman.

"I was up since 5 in the morning," said Yi. "There was a lot of pressure on me. I was quite nervous, but just focused on the competition."

The mission now for Gray and the coaches is to move on and refocus her attention to her next event, women's three-position rifle. Gray will have to wait seven days before getting another chance at a medal, which is a blessing in disguise, she said, because of her recurring back pain.

"It's great to have a break and try to get that under control," Gray said. "I am excited to get on the range tomorrow and get some range time and get in positions again now that air gun is over."

Gray just missed a medal in three events during her Olympic career, and despite a bad back, equipment issues or anything else that may disrupt her normal routine, her coach said there is no doubt that she will be game-ready for her next event.

"In Beijing, she just missed a medal and it was painful, but the experience helped her shoot well a couple days later," Johnson said. "She just got more experience in a final again with this match. I expect her to make another final, and we'll see what happens."

SEC GETS COURT TO FREEZE ASSETS OF HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE INSIDE TRADERS

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONWashington, D.C., July 27, 2012
– The Securities and Exchange Commission today obtained an emergency court order to freeze the assets of traders using trading accounts in Hong Kong and Singapore to reap more than $13 million in illegal profits by trading in advance of this week’s public announcement that China-based CNOOC Ltd. agreed to acquire Canada-based Nexen Inc.

The SEC alleges that Hong Kong-based firm Well Advantage Limited and other unknown traders stockpiled shares of Nexen stock based on confidential information about the deal in the days leading up to the announcement. Well Advantage is controlled by prominent Hong Kong businessman Zhang Zhi Rong, who also controls another company that has a "strategic cooperation agreement" with CNOOC.

The SEC took the emergency action to freeze the traders’ assets within days of the public announcement of the deal and less than 24 hours after Well Advantage placed an order to liquidate its entire position in Nexen. The SEC’s investigation continues.

"Well Advantage and these other traders engaged in an all-too-familiar pattern of misusing inside information to place extremely timely trades and profit handsomely from their illegal acts," said Sanjay Wadhwa, Deputy Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Market Abuse Unit and Associate Director of the New York Regional Office. "Despite the challenges of investigating misconduct in the U.S. by trading accounts located overseas, we have moved swiftly to freeze the assets of these suspicious traders and will hold them accountable for their actions."

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, CNOOC and Nexen announced before the markets opened on Monday, July 23 that CNOOC agreed to acquire Nexen for approximately $15.1 billion. Nexen’s stock subsequently rose sharply that day to close at nearly 52 percent higher than Friday’s closing price.

The SEC alleges that Well Advantage and certain unknown traders were in possession of material nonpublic information about the impending acquisition when they purchased Nexen’s stock in the days leading up to the public announcement. Well Advantage purchased more than 830,000 shares of Nexen on July 19 and had an unrealized trading profit of more than $7 million based on Nexen’s closing price on the day of the announcement. The other unknown traders used accounts located in Singapore to purchase more than 676,000 Nexen shares in the days preceding the announcement. They immediately sold nearly all of the stock once the announcement was made for illicit profits of approximately $6 million.

The emergency court order obtained by the SEC freezes the traders’ assets valued at more than $38 million and prohibits the traders from destroying any evidence. The SEC’s complaint charges Well Advantage and the unknown traders with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Exchange Act Rule 10b-5. In addition to the emergency relief, the Commission is seeking a final judgment ordering the traders to disgorge their ill-gotten gains with interest, pay financial penalties, and permanently bar them from future violations.

The SEC’s Market Abuse Unit led by chief Daniel M. Hawke and deputy chief Sanjay Wadhwa has conducted the expedited investigation in this matter jointly with the agency’s New York Regional Office. The investigation has been conducted by the New York-based unit members Michael Holland, Simona K. Suh, Charles D. Riely, and Joseph G. Sansone along with Elzbieta Wraga in the New York Regional Office. The SEC thanks the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for its assistance in this matter.

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WEIGHS IN ON MOSQUE'S OCCUPANCY APPLICATIONS IN TENNESSEE

FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Requiring Rutherford County, Tenn., to Allow Mosque to Open in City of Murfreesboro Complaint Seeks Temporary Restraining Order and Injunction Compelling County to Process Mosque’s Applications for a Certificate of Occupancy

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a federal lawsuit against Rutherford County, Tenn., alleging that the county violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) when, in compliance with a state chancery court ruling, it refused to process or issue a certificate of occupancy to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro for a recently constructed mosque. The department’s complaint states that a certificate of occupancy is needed immediately so that the Islamic Center can hold worship services at the new facility during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins at sundown on July 19.

The lawsuit, filed today in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, alleges that the county’s refusal came as a result of a recent state chancery court order last month, which, acting in response to a motion brought by individuals opposed to the mosque, enjoined the county from processing or issuing a certificate. The chancery court ruled that the county had provided insufficient public notice prior to the hearing at which the county approved the mosque’s site-plan. The chancery court imposed a heightened notice requirement on the mosque, one not imposed on other religious or secular organizations.

"Our nation was founded on bedrock principles of religious liberty. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce civil rights laws that protect religious freedom," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "When a faith community follows the rules, as the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has done in seeking to construct its place of worship, it is impermissible to change the rules in a discriminatory way that prevents people of faith from exercising their fundamental right to worship."

"The United States Attorney’s Office will zealously protect every citizen’s right to worship and assemble," said Jerry E. Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. "If we do not protect the rights of these congregants in Rutherford County, then the rights of all people are endangered and diminished."

The government’s complaint seeks a court order requiring the county to act promptly on the Islamic Center’s application for a certificate of occupancy despite the chancery court’s injunction.

The case began when the Islamic Center, which has been operating in Rutherford County since 1982, sought to construct a new mosque for its growing congregation. In 2009, it purchased land for that purpose on Veals Road in Rutherford County and, in compliance with the county’s zoning regulation, subsequently applied for site-plan approval. After considering the proposal at a regularly scheduled, advertised meeting, the county approved the site plan. Following the county’s approval, opponents of the mosque filed a lawsuit in state court seeking to stop construction. Ultimately, with the exception of the plaintiffs’ public-notice claim, the chancery court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims.

RLUIPA prohibits religious discrimination in land use and zoning decisions. Persons who believe that they been subjected to religious discrimination in land use or zoning may contact the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-896-7743. Additional information about the Justice Department’s efforts to combat religious discrimination may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/spec_topics/religiousdiscrimination/.

The complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct. The allegations must be proven in federal court.

Living on coffee

Living on coffee

U.S. NAVY TARGETS DRUG TRAFFICKING ROUTES

FROM: U.S. NAVY120717-N-DG679-006 MAYPORT, Fla. (July 17, 2012) The guided-missile frigate USS Nicholas (FFG 47) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment arrives at Naval Station Mayport to offload more than 7,500 pounds of cocaine and 240 pounds of marijuana in support of Operation Martillo. Operation Martillo, Spanish for "hammer," is a U.S., European, and Western Hemisphere partner nation effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Toiete Jackson/Released)

USS Nicholas Brings Home 4 Tons of Drugs from Operation Martillo
From U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs
MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate USS Nicholas (FFG 47) delivered more than four tons of cocaine and marijuana to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., seized from drug interdictions conducted in support of Operation Martillo, July 17.

Crew members offloaded approximately 3,408 kilograms (7,500 pounds) of cocaine, and 109 kilograms (239 pounds) of marijuana, with an estimated wholesale value of more than $93 million. The amount of cocaine seized was enough for 7.2 million doses, each dose approximately the same size as a sugar packet.

USS Nicholas is returning to port after a 175-day deployment supporting counter illicit trafficking operations aimed at disrupting transnational organized crime and keeping drugs off the streets.

"With the help of some partners in the region we accomplished what we set out to do; disrupt the drug trade," said Cmdr. Stephen Fuller, USS Nicholas commanding officer. "Interdictions are challenging, but with the help of other naval units, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the partner nation navies, we executed a successful deployment."

During the deployment, Nicholas with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) conducted a combination of six disruptions and interdictions while in the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters of South and Central America.

Also during the deployment, Nicholas transited the Panama Canal twice, conducted passing exercises and an officer exchange with the Colombian Navy, certified 22 pilots through Helicopter Anti Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 42 Detachment 9, four underway replenishments with a Chilean oiler, celebrated the anniversary of the War of 1812, and a "Crossing the Line" ceremony when the ship crossed the equator.

U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels, U.S. military and patrol aircraft from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, along with the support of allied and partner nation (PN) forces assisted with patrolling coastal regions from Colombia to Mexico to detect and monitor illicit traffic in order to cue and support PNs and U.S. interagency interdiction efforts.

Patrol airplanes from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 77 (VAW-77), Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8) operating from El Salvador and U.S. Customs and Border Protection long range patrol aircraft operating from Jacksonville, Fla. And Corpus Christi, Tex., use sophisticated sensors to detect suspicious vessels and coordinate interdictions by the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and partner nations patrolling the region.

More than 80 percent of the narcotics entering Central America and largely transiting through Mexico on their way to U.S. markets enter via maritime littoral routes, with the main conveyance being "go-fast" boats. By teaming up with regional partner nations and allied forces to scrutinize the littorals, transnational organized crime networks will be denied those routes.

LEDETs belong to Tactical Law Enforcement Team South or Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team and are an armed deployable specialized force under the USCG's Deployable Operations Group. They were created to support narcotics interdiction operations aboard U.S. Navy and allied ships and are capable of supporting DOD national defense operations. LEDETs provide specialized law enforcement capability and maritime security capabilities to enforce U.S. laws across a full spectrum of maritime response situations, maritime security augmentation and maritime interdiction anti-piracy operations.

Operation Martillo (Spanish for 'hammer') is a U.S., European, and Western Hemisphere partner nation effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. This joint service, interagency, and multinational operation is being led by Joint Interagency Task Force South, the agency charged with detection, monitoring, and supporting the interdiction of illicit trafficking in a 42 million square mile area under the direction of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM).

Operation Martillo is a component of the U.S. government's coordinated interagency regional security strategy in support of the White House strategy to combat transnational organized crime and the U.S. Central America Regional Security Initiative.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) supports USSOUTHCOM joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

U.S. - SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE RELATIONS

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

U.S. - SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE RELATIONSThe United States established diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe in 1976, following its independence from Portugal. U.S. relations with Sao Tome and Principe are excellent. The two countries share a commitment to democracy and good governance. The Voice of America broadcasts to much of Africa from a relay transmitter station in Sao Tome.

U.S. Assistance to Sao Tome and PrincipeU.S. foreign assistance to Sao Tome and Principe is focused on improving the professionalism and capacity of the country’s small military and coast guard and enhancing its maritime security efforts. Situated in the oil-rich, strategically significant Gulf of Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe is a member of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), which is the focus of an increasing number of regional security initiatives. Sao Tome and Principe has been an active player in ECCAS’s Zone D maritime security exercises, and a participant in the U.S. Navy’s Africa Partnership Station ship visits to Gulf of Guinea countries.

Bilateral Economic RelationsU.S. exports to Sao Tome and Principe include vehicles, electrical machinery, aircraft, and iron and steel products, while its imports from Sao Tome and Principe include optic and medical instruments, cocoa, and furniture and bedding. Sao Tome and Principe is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The two countries do not have a bilateral investment treaty or taxation treaty.

Sao Tome and Principe's Membership in International OrganizationsSao Tome and Principe and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. Sao Tome and Principe also is an observer to the World Trade Organization.

RECENT U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
Capt. Blaine Jones, Thunderbird 6, Opposing Solo pilot, takes off during the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Air Expo, July 22, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Larry E. Reid Jr.)


　

Fighting the heat
Firefighters from the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron extinguish a fire started from a simulated C-130 Hercules cargo plane crash at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, during the operational readiness exercise Beverly Midnight 12-03, July 23, 2012. Each scenario tests their ability to defend the base and conduct daily operations during a heightened state of readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Craig Cisek)


　

Remove before flight
Maintainers from the 81st Fighter Squadron pull out firing pins and chocks to ready an A-10 Thunderbolt II for takeoff before a night combat search and rescue training mission July 20, 2012. The maintainers took part in Dacian Thunder, a month-long partnership building exercise that included U.S. Air Force, Romanian air force, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Air Force participants. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha Stannard)

THE MYSTERY OF COLLEGE COSTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Secretary Duncan addressed the 2012 National Council for Community and Education Partnership’s (NCCEP) Annual GEAR UP Conference this week. ED’s GEAR UP program awards six-year grants to states and partnerships to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

Unraveling the Mystery of College Costs
Posted on July 24, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley

Waiting for college acceptance letters can be a nerve-racking experience filled with excitement and anticipation, but once approved, students and their families begin another anticipatory wait for financial award letters. The letters, which intend on laying out the cost of college, too often do a poor job of providing the bottom line on how much aid, grants and scholarships, and student loans will be needed to pay for college.

To help solve this problem, the Obama Administration released a model financial aid award letter today called the Shopping Sheet. The Shopping Sheet will standardize award letters, making it easier to comparison shop and provide students with key information including:

How much one year of school will cost;
Financial aid options to pay this cost, with a clear differentiation between grants and scholarships, which do not have to be repaid, and loans, which do;
The net costs after grants and scholarships are taken into account;
Vital information about student results, including comparative information about default rates, graduation rates, and median debt levels for the school;
And potential monthly payments for the federal student loans the typical student would owes after graduation.

To coincide with the release, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent an open letter to college and university presidents, asking them to adopt the Shopping Sheet as part of their financial aid awards starting in the 2013-14 school year. In the letter, Duncan explained that "we must unravel the mystery of higher education so that students can invest wisely and make the best, most informed decision possible about where to enroll."

 (Left)An example of the easy-to-read information on the Shopping Sheet

SENIOR HOUSING OR NOT SENIOR HOUSING? THE FAIR HOUSING ACT ANSWERS THAT IN CALIFORNIA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, July 27, 2012
Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Related to Senior Housing in Santa Rosa, California

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with a California municipality and a homeowners’ association to resolve allegations of discrimination on the basis of familial status in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The settlement, in the form of a consent order, must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The department’s lawsuit, which was filed on Nov. 21, 2011, alleged that the city of Santa Rosa, Calif., and La Esplanada Unit 1 Owners’ Association, a homeowners’ association, unlawfully sought to restrict residency at a housing development to seniors aged 55 and older. While the law allows an exemption for senior housing, the suit alleged that neither the city nor the homeowners’ association took the steps, such as routine age-verification, necessary to qualify for an exemption to the Fair Housing Act .

Under the terms of the consent order, the city of Santa Rosa will not take any enforcement action against the housing development to force it to exclude families with children, and will waive the estimated $12,500 in costs associated with any zoning changes that may be necessary to bring the city’s regulation of the property into compliance with federal law. Further, when the city, through its zoning code, permits or requires a developer or property owner to operate senior housing, it will, among other things, designate the age restriction of the zoned property in its ordinances and zoning maps, and require that property owners for these developments submit biennial age verifications for the city’s review and certification. The city will designate an agency to review and certify the biennial certifications.

The homeowners’ association also is prohibited from excluding families with children from the development unless it affirmatively elects to become an age-restricted community for persons 55 years of age or older and conforms to the requirements of the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act's requirements include ensuring that at least 80 percent of the occupied units are occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older and ensuring there are proper age verification procedures in place. In addition, the homeowners’ association will provide compensatory damages to the aggrieved persons in an amount of $44,000 by providing a set-off to amounts it has claimed it is owed by the aggrieved persons.

The consent order also requires the homeowners’ association’s officers, agents and employees, as well as city employees and agents with responsibilities related to zoning and land use to receive fair housing training, and requires the homeowners’ association and the city to pay $5,000 each to the United States as a civil penalty.

"It is critical that families with children have opportunities to find housing," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "We are pleased to achieve a resolution in this case that balances the housing rights of families against the ability of a municipality and community to maintain senior housing."

"The resolution of this action is another step in the United States’ continuing commitment to protect all of its citizens and to provide fair housing opportunities for people of all ages," said Melinda Haag, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. "We are pleased to come to a just and speedy resolution with the city of Santa Rosa and the Homeowners’ Association."

This lawsuit arose as a result of a complaint filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by the owner and representative of a portion of the condominium development that was the subject of the defendants’ enforcement actions. After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination and the matter was referred to the Justice Department.

"This settlement gives Santa Rosa a path forward to have senior housing and protect the rights of families with children under the Fair Housing Act," said John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

U.S. MARINE CORPS OLYMPIC BOXER

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEMarine Corps Sgt. Jamel Herring raises his arms in victory after a hard-fought contest against Air Force Senior Airman Adan Hassan at the 2012 Armed Forces Boxing Championships at Paige Fieldhouse on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 3, 2012. Herring now is in London to represent the United States at the Olympic boxing competitions. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Trevon S. Peracca
　
Force of Defense: Marine Boxer Fights for Olympic GoldBy Gary Sheftick
Army News Service

LONDON, July 27, 2012 – After leading the U.S. boxing team in warm-ups yesterday, Marine Corps Sgt. Jamel Herring demonstrated the unique style and speed that may earn him an Olympic medal.

"I'm definitely an underdog here," said Herring, a light welterweight who surprised several opponents at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with quick footwork and his ability to dodge punches. "It's like a hit and run. It's like a game of tag -- I'm hitting, and I'm gone."

"The minute you get frustrated, I'm right back on you."

Herring will be the first U.S. Marine boxer to climb into an Olympic boxing ring in 20 years. He said coaches sometimes compare him to "Sugar Ray" Leonard, who won Olympic gold at the 1976 games while fighting in the light-welterweight division. He said Leonard danced like Muhammad Ali -- avoiding punches and coming in for the knock-out.

"Speed creates power," Herring said.

Brazil's Everton Lopes, however, is the reigning world champion in the light-welterweight division and England's Thomas Stalker is the division's No. 1-ranked boxer.

"The odds are definitely not with us," said USA head boxing coach retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Basheer Abdullah, who added that all of his athletes have a fighting chance in London.

"You can't bet against this guy," Abdullah said. "There were a lot of people who didn't think he was going to win in the trials and he proved them wrong."

The coach said Herring demonstrates good team leadership and is one of the squad's three team captains.

"You'll see Jamel out front most of the time," Abdullah said. "That's a good NCO."

Yesterday, Herring led the team in warm-up exercises before participating in a number of agility and sparring drills around the mats with trainers such as U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program assistant coach Staff Sgt. Joseph Guzman, who also boxed for Abdullah.

"Jamel's a good mover," Guzman said. "He has good, strong legs. He boxes on the move. At times, he frustrates his opponents with the movement because his opponents never get a chance to set. By the time they want to throw a punch, he's already over here on the other side."

Herring said the Marine Corps has immensely helped him, in terms of discipline.

"I try to bring that Corps’ discipline to the athletes," Herring said. "Some of them are only 18 or 19 years old."

Herring, 26, said the Marine Corps helped him mature and that he has the respect of other boxers on Team USA. He said the Corps instilled him with a determination to "never give up," and that may be what takes him past the hurdles of the coming week.

Whatever happens, it won't be as tough as the fight in Fallujah, said Herring, who served in Iraq during 2005 and again in 2007.

Herring has been boxing for about 11 years, but he realizes that he's still a relative unknown in the ring.

"People don't think I have enough international experience and they don't give me a chance," Herring said. "It actually takes the pressure off me. I'd actually like to just come out of nowhere and win it all."

The day of the Olympic Opening Ceremony in London will mark the third anniversary of the death of Herring's daughter, Ariyanah, who died of SIDS. Her memory, he says, will be his inspiration for the London Games.

The first Olympic light-welterweight bouts are scheduled for July 29.

PRESIDENT OBAMA ON TAX CUTS

President Barack Obama holds a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, July 26, 2012. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
President Obama Pushes the House of Representatives on Middle Class Tax Cuts

Kicking off a Cabinet meeting this afternoon, President Obama again pushed the House of Representatives to follow the lead of the Senate and extend tax cuts for the middle class before the looming January 1 deadline.

"[My] administration is focusing on our economy, and how do we make sure that this is an economy in which people who work hard, who act responsibly, can get ahead," the President said.

At midnight on New Year's Eve, tax cuts for 114 million middle class families are set to expire, even though there's broad consensus in Washington about the need for a solution. Without an extension, a typical family of four would be asked to pay an additional $2,200 in 2013.

"[Yesterday], the Senate voted to ensure that 98 percent of Americans don’t see their taxes go up next year, that 97 percent of small businesses don’t see their taxes go up next year," the President told his Cabinet. "It was the right thing to do."

The President said he would push the members of the Cabinet to join him in amplifying that message in the days ahead.

"[One] of the things that I’m going to be doing, my Cabinet members are going to be doing over the next several days, is to make sure that the American people understand that we can provide them certainty right now for next year that their taxes will not go up, and they will then be able to plan accordingly," he told reporters before the meeting.

STATE DEPARTMENT'S CARTERASSESSES ASIA-PACIFIC TRIP

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSECarter Assesses Results of Asia-Pacific Trip

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, July 27, 2012 - Heading back to Washington yesterday after a 10-day Asia-Pacific tour, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said he had succeeded in informing allies and partners about specific aspects of the U.S. strategic rebalance, and had, in turn, received strategic and practical information about what the shift means to other nations.

"I think that what our partners and allies in this region are looking for is confirmation that the United States is serious and concrete about shifting ... a great deal of our emphasis from the places we have been -- of necessity -- preoccupied for the last decade, namely Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Asia-Pacific region," Carter noted.

He told American Forces Press Service that during his travels, he gave allies a level of planning detail and a number of examples relating to specific U.S. strategic rebalancing events that helped them understand "that we are, as I said at the beginning of the trip, walking the walk and not just talking the talk."

During his travels since July 17, the deputy secretary has told high-level ministers in Japan, Thailand, India and South Korea, as well as senior military officials in Hawaii and civilian and uniformed leaders in Guam, that the United States will increase its regional naval presence over time, invest in technologies relevant to the region's needs, and increase forward-deployed presence or troop rotations in several key areas of the theater, from Australia to Guam to Singapore.

Partnered training and exercises will also deepen U.S. strategic engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, he added. Carter said there are two reasons he's confident DOD can carry out the strategy even with a constrained defense budget.

First, he said, a lot of excess capacity has been freed up from Iraq and more will become available as resource commitments in Afghanistan ease. Pentagon leaders can re-invest that capital to build U.S. military posture in the Asia-Pacific region, the deputy secretary said.

"The second reason is that we are prioritizing capabilities that are particularly relevant to this region in our budget," the deputy secretary continued. "Even though we don't have all the money we want, we have all the money we need for the Asia-Pacific ... re-posturing."

Carter said he received valuable input from government ministers across the Asia-Pacific region and from U.S. military commanders.

"I got a lot of useful thinking -- strategic and practical -- about how we can carry the rebalance to the next level. Because this isn't a one-year thing; this isn't just a fiscal [2013] issue," he said. "We have to keep going. This is a transition that our department will undergo for several years."

"From our commanders out there, who are on the scene every day -- all of whom are superb -- I got lots of good ideas," Carter added.

The deputy secretary said the U.S. commanders he spoke with also discussed their operations and plans, including multinational exercises with partner and allied forces.

"[The commanders] are wonderful executors of the strategy, and also wonderful ambassadors for our department," Carter said. "All of them are spectacular."

Allied and partner senior officials he has spoken with this month offered suggestions to improve U.S. military-to-military or government-to-government cooperation, the deputy secretary said.

"For example, in India, which was very important ... I discussed with all of the senior leadership in the Indian government ways that we can strengthen our cooperation and deepen it technologically," he said, noting the Indians don't want to just buy American weapons systems.

"They have a proud technological heritage," Carter said of the Indians. "and they want a relationship that enriches that, and enables that -- not just a buyer-seller relationship."

Such technology-sharing partnerships are long-established with Japan, South Korea and Thailand, the deputy secretary noted. "We've had longer partnerships with them," he added. "So much more is established, but much more remains to be done. So I discussed with the ministers of defense and other leaders in Japan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand ways that we can step up our cooperation with them in a way that reflects the rebalancing."

As part of an overall force posture adjustment in the Asia-Pacific, DOD plans to relocate some U.S. troops based in both Japan and South Korea over the next several years. DOD officials have described those moves as intended, in part, to ease pressure on populations in congested urban areas. These kinds of responses to partner nation conditions are part of what the new strategy aims for, Carter said.

"I would say that our partners out here are overwhelmingly welcoming of our attention to them, and effort on [their] behalf," he said. "I emphasized, as I always do, that our perspective is regional and global. It's to keep a good thing going in the Asia-Pacific region."

For 70 years the region has enjoyed peace and stability "for everyone," Carter noted.

"I say 'everyone' because people always ask me about China, and I always say the rebalancing is not about China," he said. "It's not about the United States. It's not about any one country; it's about regional security. It's that environment of security that has led to 40 years now, in Asia, of remarkable progression in lifting people from poverty: first Japan, then South Korea, then Southeast Asia, now China and India."

"It's a great story of human progress, and it doesn't come automatically," Carter continued. "There has to be security for progress, [and] we have been an important part of providing that for decades. And we intend to do that for decades in the future."

The deputy secretary acknowledged that in some ways the rebalancing strategy is a "back to the future" approach to the region.

"We have been playing this role in the Asia-Pacific theater for many decades," Carter said. "And all we're saying is that we intend to continue to play it.That needs to be emphasized, because many people in the region and also in our own country have been preoccupied, very understandably, with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

AIR FORCE AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION TRAINING

FROM:   U.S. AIR FORCE
86th Aeromedical Evacuation
　
U.S. Air Force members from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany review the checklist before loading simulated patients aboard an C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) before a training flight to Tbilisi, Georgia, July 25, 2012.

The mission marked the first aeromedical training mission executed by the HAW, a multinational C-17 Wing comprised of members from 12 nations. (U.S. Air Force photo/MSgt Wayne Clark, AFNE Regional News Bureau) (Released)

U.S. Air Force members from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany conduct a simulated patient assessment aboard C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) during a training flight to Tbilisi, Georgia, July 25, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/MSgt Wayne Clark, AFNE Regional News Bureau) (Released)