GSA ESTIMATES CLOUD MIGRATING EMAIL ACCOUNTS WILL SAVE $15 MILLION

FROM: U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Creating Comprehensive Cloud Solutions
Posted by Mary Davie, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Integrated Technology Services on September 12th, 2012
Recently GSA announced the availability of our cloud email solution,
the Email as a Service (EaaS) Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA), which will allow agencies to order pre-approved cloud based tools for email, office automation, and electronic records management, as well as the migration and integration services necessary for a swift transition leading to rapid savings. The BPAs offer government recurring purchasing options at a reduced cost that are also convenient and efficient.

Cloud based email services support the Obama Administration’s efforts to bring cloud services into the federal government and reduce federal data centers, which save taxpayer dollars. The implementation of 25 Point Federal IT Reform Plan, and "Cloud First" mandates require federal agencies to consider cloud-based solutions the new default IT solution. Everything agencies need to move to the cloud is available through GSA.

Cloud IT represents an innovative way for government to do more with less at a time when federal budgets are shrinking. Agencies can leverage cloud services to become more efficient. We estimate that agencies that use cloud based email will save 50 percent, about $1 million, annually for every 7,500 users migrated. Last year GSA was the first federal agency to make the move to cloud migrating 17,000 email accounts, saving $2 million to date, with an estimated savings of $15 million over five years.

What makes EaaS even more exciting is that it will leverage GSA’s innovative security program, Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), which uses a "do once, use many times" approach to save agencies time and money by providing a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring.
These new BPAs are the latest cloud offering from GSA, however, we have been working in collaboration with government and industry for years to provide government agencies with a comprehensivecloud solutions portfolio for use by government agencies to save millions of taxpayer dollars. In fact, GSA’s history of providing cloud solutions dates back to 2009.
The move to the cloud has not been easy and there have been some growing pains in the process for both government and private industry providers. Government is experiencing slower migrations to the cloud than anticipated and industry is learning what it takes to meet government mandated security controls. Transitioning to cloud IT is a major shift in the way government conducts business, which means that we are constantly learning lessons and making improvements. And out of those lessons we get great solutions, like FedRAMP, which will make sure that every agency, no matter their mission, can rely on the security of their cloud solutions; and the millions spent by agencies conducting their own security assessments can be avoided.

GSA views technology, specifically cloud technology, as a primary driver to transform how government works while saving millions of taxpayer dollars and driving efficient collaboration. We envision a great government through technology and cloud IT is helping us take a giant leap in that direction.

PRESIDENT BOOSTS SECURITY AT DIPLOMATIC POSTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Obama Directs Security Boost at U.S. Diplomatic Posts

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2012 - The United States condemns in the strongest terms the outrageous and shocking attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other American personnel, President Barack Obama said this morning.

Also killed were Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith and two others whose names are being withheld until State Department officials notify their families.

"We're working with the government of Libya to secure our diplomats," Obama said. "I've also directed my administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world. And make no mistake -- we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people."

At the Defense Department, Pentagon spokeswoman Navy Cmdr. Wendy Snyder said, "We are saddened by this tragic loss at the Embassy in Benghazi. We are working closely with the State Department and standing by to provide whatever support that may be needed."

Standing in the White House Rose Garden with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the president said the United States, since its founding, has been a nation that respects all faiths.

"We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others," he added. "But there is absolutely no justification for this type of senseless violence -- none. The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts."

Already, Obama said, many Libyans have joined the United States in rejecting the acts. The attack will not break the bonds between the United States and Libya, he added.

"Libyan security personnel fought back against the attackers alongside Americans," Obama said. "Libyans helped some of our diplomats find safety, and they carried Ambassador Stevens' body to the hospital, where we tragically learned that he had died."

Obama said it's especially tragic that Stevens died in Benghazi, because it is a city that the fallen diplomat had helped to save.

"At the height of the Libyan revolution, Chris led our diplomatic post in Benghazi," the president said. "With characteristic skill, courage and resolve, he built partnerships with Libyan revolutionaries and helped them as they planned to build a new Libya."

When Moammar Gadhafi's regime came to an end, Stevens served as U.S. ambassador to the new Libya and worked tirelessly to support the young democracy, Obama said.

"I think both Secretary Clinton and I have relied deeply on his knowledge of the situation on the ground there," he added. "He was a role model to all who worked with him and to the young diplomats who aspire to walk in his footsteps."

Stevens and his colleagues died in a country that is still striving to emerge from the recent experience of war, the president said.



Freedom is only sustained "because there are people who are willing to fight for it, stand up for it and, in some cases, lay down their lives for it," Obama said.

"We mourn for more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America," the president said. "We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake -- justice will be done."

After making his statement, a White House official said, the president visited the State Department, meeting with employees there to express his solidarity with U.S. diplomats stationed around the world.

"At this difficult time," the official said, "he will give thanks for the service and sacrifices that our civilians make, and pay tribute to those who were lost."

DRY ICE FALLS LIKE SNOW ON MARS

MARS SOUTHERN POLE. CREDIT:  NASA 

FROM: NASA
NASA Orbiter Observations Point to 'Dry Ice' Snowfall on Mars

PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) data have given scientists the clearest evidence yet of carbon dioxide snowfalls on Mars. This reveals the only known example of carbon dioxide snow falling anywhere in our solar system.

Frozen carbon dioxide, better known as "dry ice," requires temperatures of about minus 193 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 125 Celsius), which is much colder than needed for freezing water. Carbon dioxide snow reminds scientists that although some parts of Mars may look quite Earth-like, the Red Planet is very different. The report is being published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

"These are the first definitive detections of carbon dioxide snow clouds," said the report's lead author Paul Hayne of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. "We firmly establish the clouds are composed of carbon dioxide -- flakes of Martian air -- and they are thick enough to result in snowfall accumulation at the surface."

The snow falls occurred from clouds around the Red Planet's south pole in winter. The presence of carbon dioxide ice in Mars' seasonal and residual southern polar caps has been known for decades. Also, NASA's Phoenix Lander mission in 2008 observed falling water-ice snow on northern Mars.

Hayne and six co-authors analyzed data gained by looking at clouds straight overhead and sideways with the Mars Climate Sounder, one of six instruments on MRO. This instrument records brightness in nine wavebands of visible and infrared light as a way to examine particles and gases in the Martian atmosphere.

The data provide information about temperatures, particle sizes and their concentrations. The new analysis is based on data from observations in the south polar region during southern Mars winter in 2006-2007, identifying a tall carbon dioxide cloud about 300 miles (500 kilometers) in diameter persisting over the pole and smaller, shorter-lived, lower-altitude carbon dioxide ice clouds at latitudes from 70 to 80 degrees south.

"One line of evidence for snow is that the carbon dioxide ice particles in the clouds are large enough to fall to the ground during the lifespan of the clouds," co-author David Kass of JPL said. "Another comes from observations when the instrument is pointed toward the horizon, instead of down at the surface. The infrared spectra signature of the clouds viewed from this angle is clearly carbon dioxide ice particles and they extend to the surface. By observing this way, the Mars Climate Sounder is able to distinguish the particles in the atmosphere from the dry ice on the surface."

Mars' south polar residual ice cap is the only place on Mars where frozen carbon dioxide persists on the surface year-round. Just how the carbon dioxide from Mars' atmosphere gets deposited has been in question. It is unclear whether it occurs as snow or by freezing out at ground level as frost. These results show snowfall is especially vigorous on top of the residual cap.

"The finding of snowfall could mean that the type of deposition -- snow or frost -- is somehow linked to the year-to-year preservation of the residual cap," Hayne said.

JPL provided the Mars Climate Sounder instrument and manages the MRO Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

U.S. OFFICIAL'S REMARKS TO THE "FREEDOM ONLINE" CONFERENCE

Photo Credit:  CENTRAL INTELAGENCE AGENCY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks to the "Freedom Online" Conference

Remarks
Michael H. Posner
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Second Freedom Online Conference
Nairobi, Kenya
September 5, 2012
I am delighted to be back in Kenya, a country I know well and where I have many friends and have spent considerable time. I want to commend the Kenyan government for hosting this conference and for the leadership role you are playing on Internet and information technology issues. I had the privilege of meeting with Minister Poghisio last December at the launch of the Coalition, and I am honored to be speaking after him today.

Kenya now has well over 15 million Internet users, and leads East Africa in mobile penetration, with more than two-thirds of all Kenyans now connected. The fact that so many African countries are participating in this conference is a tribute to Kenya’s leadership and convening power.

Kenya is not alone in embracing mobile and digital technologies. In neighboring Tanzania, for example, more than half of its citizens are using mobile phones. In Ghana, mobile penetration is now over 90%. These are statistics that were unimaginable a decade ago, and are cause for reflection and celebration.

Across Africa today, there is a new kind of race – a race to connect as many citizens as quickly as possible. By doing so, we are changing the development paradigm in ways none of us yet fully understand.

But while our technologies change, our fundamental principles and our development challenges do not. And so today I would like to say a few words about the role of Internet freedom, and how the free flow of information has implications for human rights and development.

Credit:  U.S. CIA World factbook

I believe it’s futile in the long run to try to separate one kind of freedom from another, to attempt to distinguish online freedoms from freedoms we enjoy in the physical world, or to try to keep the Internet open for business in a given country but closed for free expression. Because, as Secretary Clinton said at the first Freedom Online conference in The Hague in December, "There isn’t an economic Internet and a social Internet and a political Internet: there’s just the Internet."

Yet we continue to see attempts by countries to harness the economic power of the Internet while controlling political and cultural content. Some countries are devoting great resources to attempting to purge their online space or, like Iran, attempting to isolate their people inside what amounts to a national intra-net – a digital bubble. Such attempts may succeed for a limited time in some places; but at a cost to a nation’s education system, its political stability, its social mobility, and its economic potential.

These are costs that no nation can afford. Whether developed or developing, the economies of the 21st century must compete to attract capital, to spark innovation, to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of our people and provide the climate in which they develop enterprises that can provide jobs and sustainable growth.

Around the world, some groups tend to focus more on erasing the digital divide, extending Internet access that last difficult mile, and putting into the hands of the next two billion users a mobile device that also provides access to banking and education, medical and agricultural advice and so much more. Meanwhile, other groups tend to focus more on Internet freedom, ensuring that the evolving information and communication technologies remain the foundation of an open, global platform for exchange, where people can exercise their rights, and not a tool used to spy on or silence citizens.

Today, the world has not one but two digital divides – the divide between the two billion of us who have some form of Internet access and the five billion who have yet to get it, and also a divide between those who enjoy the free use of their connectivity, and those whose experience of the Internet is restricted by censorship of the information they can receive and fear of retaliation for the information they transmit. The access divide is narrowing, thanks to the efforts of people around the world and the hard work of people in this room. But the second divide, the freedom divide, is widening.

We must continue to work together to erase both divides, and these interests must be pursued in tandem.

This is a world in which citizens of democratic nations can have uncensored Internet access and thus membership in a global community that exchanges news, information, ideas, products, innovations and services. At the same time it’s a world where citizens of some other countries remain trapped and isolated behind firewalls that stunt not just their political freedom but ultimately their economic opportunities. We must do everything possible to oppose what amounts to information curtain created by national governments that do not want their own people to have full and free access to the Internet.

There are no magic bullets that will erase this divide overnight, but the United States is committed to helping expand the benefits of information and communications technologies to other nations as an integral part of both our human rights and our development policies.

As President Obama wrote last week – in response to a question put to him during an Internet chat — "We will fight hard to make sure that the Internet remains the open forum for everybody — from those who are expressing an idea to those [who] want to start a business."

The United States takes a holistic approach to these issues. We recognize the linkages between broad-based access to 21st century communications and inclusive economic growth, and in turn between inclusive economic development and human rights. We know that human rights do not begin after breakfast. People need both. Without breakfast, few people have the energy to make full use of their rights. And after breakfast, they need both political and economic freedom to build profitable businesses and peaceful societies.

What does that mean in practice? It means the U.S. government is involved in a wide range of Information & Communication Technology development efforts from a variety of different agencies, from USAID to the National Science Foundation.

As a first step, companies, governments and civil society groups are starting to come together to work on this crucial issue. The goal is to find ways to achieve the UN target of providing entry-level broadband service for less than 5% of average monthly income. We recognize that governments have a role to play in creating the right incentives, ensuring healthy market competition, and supporting investment and continued infrastructure development that brings the Internet and mobile technology to more people in more places.

On the openness side, we have expanded our funding for Internet freedom advocacy and programming, for which the US Congress has allocated $100 million since 2008 to projects that provide technologies and knowledge to millions of people whose freedoms online are repressed. We are thrilled to be launching at this conference the Digital Defenders partnership, an unprecedented collaboration among governments to provide support for digital activists under threat.

But just as we support individuals who are targeted every day for exercising their rights online, we are conscious of a broader threat to the future of Internet openness. Right now, in various international forums, some countries are working to change how the Internet is governed. They want to replace the current multi-stakeholder approach, which supports the free flow of information in a global network, and includes governments, the private sector, and citizens. In its place, they aim to impose a system that expands control over Internet resources, institutions, and content, and centralizes that control in the hands of governments. These debates will play out in forums over the next few months and years.

The United States supports preserving and deepening the current multi-stakeholder approach because it brings together the best of governments, the private sector and civil society to manage the network, and it works. The multi-stakeholder system has kept the Internet up and running for years, all over the world. We want the next generation of Internet users — whether small business owners or independent journalists – to be involved in shaping the future of the platform.

That next generation of users will not just be in the United States. Many of them will be here in Africa. That is why we need to ensure that stakeholders in Africa and the rest of the developing world are able to participate in the various multi-stakeholder forums where Internet governance issues are decided. And that is why we value our partnership with the governments of the Coalition and welcome Kenya’s leadership, which leads by example in demonstrating that the right way to foster both access and openness – to harness the potential of these new technologies — is through inclusion and collaboration with everyone in this room.

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT JOINS ADA LAWSUIT AGAINST LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION COUNCIL

FROM:   U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Thursday, September 6, 2012
Justice Department Seeks to Intervene in Lawsuit Against Law School Admission Council to Protect Rights of Individuals with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it seeks to intervene in a class action lawsuit against the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in federal court in San Francisco to remedy violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lawsuit, The Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. LSAC, Inc., et al., charges LSAC with widespread and systemic deficiencies in the way it processes requests by people with disabilities for testing accommodations for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). As a result, the lawsuit alleges, LSAC fails to provide accommodations where needed to best ensure that those test takers can demonstrate their aptitude and achievement level rather than their disability.

The department’s proposed complaint identifies additional victims of LSAC’s discriminatory policies and details LSAC’s routine denial of accommodation requests, even in cases where applicants have submitted thorough supporting documentation from qualified professionals and demonstrated a history of testing accommodations.

The department further alleges that LSAC discriminates against prospective law students with disabilities by unnecessarily "flagging" test scores obtained with certain testing accommodations in a way that identifies the test taker as a person with a disability and discloses otherwise confidential disability-related information to law schools during the admissions process. LSAC’s practice of singling out persons with disabilities by flagging their scores – essentially announcing to law schools that examinees who exercise their civil right to the testing accommodation of extended time may not deserve the scores they received – is discrimination prohibited by the ADA. The department’s proposed complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, compensatory damages and a civil penalty against LSAC.

"Credentialing examinations, such as the LSAT, are increasingly the gateway to educational and employment opportunities, and the ADA demands that each individual with a disability have the opportunity to fairly demonstrate their abilities so they can pursue their dreams," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department’s participation in this action is critical to protecting the public interest in the important issues raised in this case."

One of the victims identified in the complaint, for example, has severe visual impairments and previously received special education services at a school for people who are blind. Even though she provided LSAC with extensive medical documentation of her conditions, as well as proof that she had received testing accommodations since kindergarten, LSAC denied nearly all her requested accommodations, and even refused to provide her a large print test book. When she tried to appeal the denial, LSAC informed her that she had missed the deadline for reconsideration. She then reapplied two more times for testing accommodations, resubmitting all the information previously provided to LSAC, as well as additional medical documentation. Despite her extensive history of receiving the very same testing accommodations throughout her educational career and on standardized tests, and in disregard of the recommendations of a qualified professional, LSAC refused her requested testing accommodations on three separate occasions.

"The action taken in this case demonstrates the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to ensuring equal access to educational opportunities for everyone," said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California.

Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public accommodations and by entities that offer examinations or courses related to applications, licensing, certification, or credentialing for secondary or postsecondary education, professional, or trade purposes. The ADA mandates that testing entities administer examinations in an accessible manner. This requires testing entities to administer examinations, such as the LSAT, so as to best ensure that, when the examination is administered to a person with a disability, the examination results accurately reflect his or her aptitude or achievement level, or whatever other factor the examination purports to measure, rather than the individual’s disability. In addition, Title V of the ADA prohibits any entity from coercing, intimidating, threatening, or interfering with an individual’s exercise or enjoyment of a right granted by the ADA.

MARS ROVER: THE BELLY OF THE BEAST

FROM: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

September 11, 2012

Sol 35 update on Curiosity from USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Belly of the Rover

There were more cheers and applause when MAHLI images of the belly of the rover were displayed. The camera, which can focus at distances from 2 cm to infinity, is working perfectly! It also took pictures of its calibration target, which includes a 1909 Lincoln penny. The arm checkout also went well, leaving the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) facing its calibration target for a long integration. Unfortunately, ChemCam suffered a command error on Sol 34 and was shut down by the rover computer. This also prevented the rest of the planned remote sensing observations from being acquired that sol, and the remote sensing mast (RSM) from being used on Sol 35. So the Sol 35 plan was rather simple, including more APXS integration on its calibration target followed by retraction of the arm. Even though we couldn't use the RSM, we could still plan a test of Mastcam's video capability, as it doesn't matter where the cameras are pointed for this test. We are all hoping that recovery from the ChemCam error will be rapid, and that we will be able to use it and the rest of the instruments on the RSM tomorrow.

NEW YORK CITY ELECTIONS TO BE MONITORED BY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in New York
The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Sept. 13, 2012, in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, N.Y., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.

Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to jurisdictions that are certified by the attorney general or by a federal court order. Federal observers will be assigned to monitor polling place activities in the Bronx and Manhattan based on the attorney general’s certification. The observers will watch and record activities during voting hours at polling locations in these jurisdictions, and Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Queens. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from OPM, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, voters may call the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Cmdr. Jeff Saville, a Navy chaplain, tours his son around the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) during a family day cruise. Bunker Hill hosted more than 180 guests to show them the operational capabilities and life aboard the ship. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Karolina A. Martinez (Released) 120907-N-JN664-516

Aircraft land aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) during nighttime flight operations in the Arabian Sea. Enterprise is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Information Systems Technician Stephen Wolff (Released) 120908-N-ZZ999-001

U.S. AIR FORCE AND POLLUTION PREVENTION WEEK

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
An Airman with the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron drives a street sweeper at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Aug. 8, 2012. Street sweeping is effective at removing microscopic pollutants that collect on streets and parking lots, and helps with the Air Force's overall pollution prevention goals. U.S. Air Force Photo-Airman 1st Class Hayden K. Hyatt

Air Force continues pollution prevention efforts

by Eric Grill
Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment
9/11/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) -- The Air Force joins the nation for Pollution Prevention Week on Sept. 17-24.

The service continues its efforts to educate the public about pollution prevention and reducing the contamination of air, soil and water by eliminating pollution at its source.

Observed during the third full week in September, Pollution Prevention Week presents an annual opportunity for individuals, businesses and government agencies to highlight past successes, expand current initiatives and commit to new ways to protect the environment.

Pollution prevention, or P2, is reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques and reusing materials rather than adding them to the waste stream.

A policy memo co-signed April 27, 2012, by then Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip Breedlove and Assistant Secretary for Installations, Environment and Logistics Terry Yonkers, spotlighted the service-wide pollution prevention focus.

"P2 and waste minimization opportunities are excellent ways to conserve resources, protect Air Force people and their environment, reduce logistical and compliance burdens, and streamline processes to become more efficient," the memo stated.

The heart of the policy is a set of new P2 and waste minimization goals to be accomplished by 2020:

- Achieve a 20-percent reduction of the 2008-2010 average of recurring hazardous waste
- Divert 65 percent, by weight, of non-hazardous solid waste from landfill disposal, excluding construction and demolition debris;
- Reduce toxic release inventory releases by 35 percent from a 2006 baseline

Each goal has interim milestones to reach in 2015 and 2018 to ensure installations are on track to meet the overall 2020 goal.

"Air Force pollution prevention policy requires installations to minimize the adverse impacts on air, water and land from all aspects of the Air Force mission through implementation of an environmental management system," said Kevin Gabos, P2 subject matter expert at the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment.

One of the overarching tenants of an EMS is continuous improvement. Installations make improvements by following the P2 hierarchy, which is to first substitute materials or reengineer processes to reduce or eliminate environmental impacts. When it's not possible to achieve reduction at the source, the policy instructs commanders to emphasize reuse and recycling.

The message is simple, Gabos said. If there are opportunities for improvement, "take them."

For example, at Hurlburt Field, Fla., street sweepers are used to help prevent pollution.

"When the street sweepers remove trash, sediment build-up and debris from roads and curb gutters, they are also removing and preventing it from getting into our creeks, rivers, jurisdictional wetlands and Santa Rosa Sound," said Amy Tharp, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron storm water program manager, in a recent commentary.

"Street sweeping is not only effective at removing microscopic pollutants that collect on our streets and parking lots, it's also an effective method of removing larger debris that can block storm water facilities, causing localized flooding during heavy rains," Tharp said.

Removing debris before it accumulates within storm catch basins also helps minimize storm system maintenance required to keep storm conveyances clean and open, she added.

As a result of Hurlburt Field's street sweeping efforts in the last year, about 100 cubic yards of debris -- equaling about 240,000 pounds -- was collected, keeping the associated pollution out of the installation's protected waterways.

DANGERS OF TATTOO INFECTIONS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
The bottom photo shows a tattoo infected with a nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) bacteria. It is provided courtesy of Matthew J. Mahlberg, M.D., Dermatology Associates of Colorado, Englewood, Colo., and was obtained by Sarah Jackson, MPH, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Contaminated Tattoo Inks can Cause Dangerous Infections
Tattoo inks and the pigments used to color them can become contaminated by bacteria, mold, and fungi. In the last year, inks contaminated with a family of bacteria called nontuberculous Mycobacteria have caused serious infections in at least four states. Some bacteria in this family can cause lung disease, joint infection, eye problems and other organ infections. The skin ointments provided by tattoo parlors are not effective against them.

Typical symptoms appear 2-3 weeks after tattooing: a red rash with swelling in the tattooed area, possibly accompanied by itching or pain. It often just looks like an allergic reaction, but without prompt and proper treatment, an infection could spread beyond the tattoo or become complicated by a secondary infection.

If you suspect you may have a tattoo-related infection, the Food and Drug Administration recommends you:
Contact your health care professional
Report the problem to the tattoo artist
Report the problem to MedWatch, on the Web or at 1-800-332-1088

Tattoo artists can minimize the risk of infection by using inks that have been formulated or processed to ensure they are free from disease-causing bacteria, while also avoiding the use of non-sterile water to dilute the inks or wash the skin. Non-sterile water includes tap, bottled, filtered or distilled water.

OFFROAD VEHICLE MANUFACTURER TO PAY $885,000 FOR CLEAN AIR ACT VIOLATIONS

Photo Credit: Wikimedia.
FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Recreational Vehicle Manufacturer to Pay $885,000 Penalty to Resolve Violations of the Clean Air Act
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with recreational vehicle manufacturer, American Suzuki Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation, to pay an $885,000 penalty for allegedly importing and selling 25,458 uncertified all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-road motorcycles in the United States. ATVs and motorcycles that are not certified may be operating without proper emissions controls and can emit excess hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides that can cause respiratory illnesses, aggravate asthma and contribute to the formation of ground level ozone, or smog.

"EPA’s vehicle emission standards are vital safeguards that protect our nation’s air quality," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "By taking action to deter the importation and sale of non-compliant engines, EPA is not only protecting people’s health, but is also ensuring a level playing field for manufacturers that play by the rules."

The Suzuki ATVs and off-road motorcycles were uncertified because they were manufactured with an undisclosed electronic emission control configuration that would allow the vehicles to be modified for increased horsepower through the installation of an aftermarket part. This type of modification could lead to increased emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Design features that may effect emissions must be disclosed in certificate applications. Vehicles that do not conform to the design specifications in their certificate applications are not covered by a certificate. The violations were identified and self-disclosed by Suzuki.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) prohibits any vehicle or engine from being imported into or sold in the United States unless it is covered by a valid, EPA-issued certificate of conformity indicating that the vehicle or engine meets applicable federal emission standards. The certificate of conformity is the primary way EPA ensures that vehicles and engines meet emission standards. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing effort by EPA to ensure that all imported vehicles and engines comply with the CAA’s requirements.

The settlement requires Suzuki to implement three emission mitigation projects to reduce hydrocarbon emissions by 210 tons or more. The projects include replacing older unregulated gas cans with gas cans that meet current evaporative emission requirements, discontinuing the sale of high-permeability fuel line hoses, and installing evaporative emission control devices on certain models of highway motorcycles sold throughout the United States.

Suzuki also will modify its warranty policy and owner’s manual for ATVs and off-road motorcycles to increase awareness of modifications to emissions control systems, environmental regulations, prohibited modifications, and acts that could result in loss of warranty coverage.

CALIFORNIA LANDLORD SETTLES SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUIT FOR $2.13 MILLION

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

California Landlord Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit for $2.13 Million

The Justice Department today announced that Rawland Leon Sorensen, the owner and manager of dozens of residential rental properties in Bakersfield, Calif., will be obligated to pay more than $2 million in monetary damages and civil penalties to settle a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed women tenants and prospective tenants.

The department’s complaint alleges that Sorensen sexually harassed the women by making unwelcome sexual comments and advances, exposing his genitals to women tenants, touching women without their consent, granting and denying housing benefits based on sex and taking adverse actions against women who refused his sexual advances. Sorensen has operated his rental business for more than 30 years. This represents the largest monetary settlement ever agreed to in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the Justice Department under the Fair Housing Act.

The consent decree, which is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court, will result in a judgment against Sorensen requiring him to pay $2,075,000 in monetary damages to 25 individuals identified by the United States as victims of his discriminatory conduct. That amount includes court costs and attorneys’ fees for two of the victims who are private plaintiffs. In addition, Sorensen must also pay a $55,000 civil penalty to the United States, the maximum penalty available under the Fair Housing Act. The consent decree requires Sorensen to hire an independent manager to manage his rental properties and imposes strict limits on his ability to have contact with current and future tenants.

"The conduct in this case was egregious," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "Women have the right to feel safe in their homes and not to be subjected to sexual harassment just because their families need housing. The Justice Department can and will vigorously prosecute landlords who violate those rights."

"The Eastern District of California is committed to enforcing the civil rights of all persons in the District," said Benjamin B. Wagner, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California. "This case involved a course of conduct that spanned several years and affected many vulnerable persons. The decree sends a strong message to property owners that discrimination will not be tolerated."

Fighting illegal housing discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status.

HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE AND IRS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

FROM:  CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE

Boustany Opening Statement: Hearing on IRS Implementation of the Democrats’ Health Care Law
Good morning and welcome to today’s hearing on the Internal Revenue Service’s implementation and administration of the President’s health care law.

Before we begin this morning, it is appropriate to recall that eleven years ago, almost to the hour, our nation was savagely attacked. After these 11 years, each of can recall exactly what we were doing at that time. The horror of the day should make us resolve to continue doing our business and demonstrate that we won’t be intimidated or deterred. More than a decade has passed, but the attacks of that day still outrage, the tragedies still overwhelm, and the heroism still inspires us. We still mourn those lost on that day, and all those that have given their lives since in defense of liberty. And we are thankful for those who continue to stand and volunteer to serve our country both at home and abroad.

The Internal Revenue Service has enormous responsibility – it is tasked with administering our convoluted tax system and a tax code that has changed nearly 5,000 times in the past ten years alone. The agency is charged with collecting roughly two and a half trillion dollars, distributing hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits, and enforcing 4,000 pages of tax laws and 80,000 pages of tax regulations.

The agency’s core revenue collection function has increasingly been crowded by its responsibility to administer many social programs. Through the years, Congress has sought to advance a multitude of non-revenue objectives through the tax code – energy policy, housing policy, and of course health care policy. Making the IRS both revenue collector and administrator of these activities has diverted IRS resources from its central mission and can diminish taxpayer service.

In 2010, the Congress passed President Obama’s health care law. Spanning nearly 1,000 pages and passed "so you can find out what is in it," in the famous words of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the health care law contained 47 separate tax provisions and charged the IRS with vast new responsibilities. These included the implementation and administration of the largest entitlement created in more than a generation, new penalty taxes on individuals and employers who fail to buy or provide government-approved health insurance, the need quickly create vast new information technology systems, and the list goes on and on.

The President’s health care law has put the federal government in charge of approving health insurance plans, subsidizing them, punishing those who do not buy government-approved plans, and many other aspects of our health care system. And the Internal Revenue Service has been saddled with the responsibility of carrying out many of these new federal activities.

More than creating new burdens on the Internal Revenue Service, the President’s health care law has led to new tax rules and regulations that will pose significant challenges to both individuals and job creators. The Administration’s own documents state that the compliance burden of the new rules it has thus far written to pursuant to the President’s health care law will add nearly 80 million man-hours each year to individuals and job creators. 80 million hours that won’t be spent creating new wealth, providing health care, or doing anything productive. 80 million hours simply complying with new rules from Washington. This is the burden from just the IRS’s new rules, when you add the new regulations from HHS, the Department of Labor and other agencies, the burden on our sluggish economy goes still higher.

As a former surgeon and owner of a small medical practice in Louisiana, I know first hand how taxes, rules, and regulations from Washington can impede not only a small business, but also patient care, so I am especially interested in hearing from the IRS and our witnesses today about the how the new law will operate in the real world.

The object of this hearing is to assess the IRS’s efforts to administer the law, including its effect on the Service’s core mission, and how the decisions made now to implement it will affect both the agency and taxpayers as the law’s provisions continue to come into effect. This is also not a hearing to beat up on the IRS – an agency run by good men and women, dedicated public servants who have an incredibly difficult job. The agency did not write the health care law – the previous Congress did. They passed it, and now we are finding out what is in it and what it means for the country, for the Internal Revenue Service, and for taxpayers.

PENTAGON 9-11 COMMEMORATION AND REMEMBERING ONE OF THE HEROS LOST

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Secretary Leon E. Panetta, left, and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in rendering honors as the national anthem plays during the ceremony to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon, Sept. 11, 2012. DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

At 9/11 Service, Dempsey Memorializes a Hero Among Many
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2012 - Thousands of heroes died during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, many while helping others in the chaos around them, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today during a remembrance service at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.
Dempsey took the stage with President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta before an audience of military and civilian officials that included family members and friends of the nearly 200 people who died 11 years ago today after hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the west side of the Pentagon.
"Sept. 11 will always stand apart from other days," Dempsey said, "not because of what we say up here about service and sacrifice, courage and character -- of course, it's all of those things -- but also because of what those things say about all of us, all Americans."
Today, he added, "as we remember the 184 lives that ended here and all who perished in New York and in Somerset County, Pa., let us commit ourselves to the ideals for which they lived and in which they believed."
The chairman also honored the generation inspired by those who died on 9/11 to step forward and defend the nation, he said, "a generation who fought in Iraq and who still fight in Afghanistan."
The Pentagon Memorial captures the moment of the attack -- 9:37 a.m. -- and each victim's age and location at the time. Each unit is a cantilevered bench, a lighted pool of flowing water and a permanent tribute, by name.
At today's ceremony, Dempsey welcomed the families and friends of those lost on the grounds of the Pentagon on 9/11 and highlighted the life and death of one of them: Army Chief Warrant Officer William Ruth.
"His memorial bench of granite and steel sits in the last row in front of me, seventh in from the far right," the chairman said. "Bill served as a Marine in Vietnam, flying helicopters. After the war, he became a social studies teacher and joined the Army National Guard, serving in the first Gulf War as a medevac pilot."
Ruth was loved by his students, Dempsey added, who were "proud of his service and moved by his deep commitment to them and to our nation."
"One student said, 'He opened up my eyes and my heart to the world.' Many others, inspired by his example, became teachers, nurses [and] firefighters, and several followed him into the life of the military," the general told the audience.
Ruth retired from the classroom after nearly 30 years and returned to serve in the Pentagon, the chairman said.
"There is no doubt among his colleagues that he lost his life that fateful morning because in the middle of the chaos he stopped to help somebody," Dempsey added. "There were thousands like Bill that day. They remind us that life takes on meaning only as the causes to which we attach ourselves have meaning -- that in the end, we become what we are through some cause we make our own."
Dempsey called upon all at the ceremony to rededicate their lives to the cause of giving back to the nation, and ended by quoting Panetta:
"The strength of our democracy has always rested on the willingness of those who believe in its values and in their will to serve to give something back to this country."

SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW'S STATEMENT ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND BUSINESSES

Map:  Afordable Health Care Plan Implimentation.  Credit:  U.S. HHS
FROM: U.S. SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW'S WEB SITE
Affordable Health Coverage for Michigan Businesses
Affordable Coverage for Michigan Businesses
132,000 small businesses in Michigan may be eligible for the new small business tax credit that makes it easier for businesses to provide coverage to their workers and makes premiums more affordable. Small businesses pay, on average, 18 percent more than large businesses for the same coverage, and health insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages in the past 10 years. This tax credit is just the first step towards bringing those costs down and making coverage affordable for small businesses.

From 2010 through 2013, businesses with fewer than 25 full-time employees that contribute at least 50% of the total premium will be eligible for tax credits of up to 35% of the employer contribution. The full credit will be available for businesses with fewer than 10 employees averaging less than $25,000 annual wages, and phase out at $50,000. Nonprofit organizations will qualify for tax credits of up to 25% of the employer contribution during this time period.

Beginning in 2014, eligible small businesses purchasing coverage via an exchange will receive tax credits of up to 50% of the employer contribution if the employer provides at least 50% of the premium cost. Nonprofit organizations will qualify for tax credits of up to 35% of the employer contribution during this time period. Seasonal employees will not be counted when determining eligibility. A business can claim the credit for any two years in the future.

Employer Responsibility
Employers will not be required to offer health insurance. Only those employers with more than 50 employees who don't provide coverage will have to contribute toward the cost of covering the employee if the employee qualifies for a tax credit.

Employers with more than 50 employees who don't offer coverage and have at least one full-time employee who receives a premium tax credit will have to contribute $2,000 per full-time employee. No contribution is required during an employee's waiting period to qualify for health care (up to 60 days). Part-time employees are counted differently from full-time employees.

There is a transition provision that subtracts the first 30 employees (e.g., a firm with 51 workers that does not offer coverage would pay an amount equal to 51-30, or 21, times the applicable per-employee payment amount).

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

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HHS SAYS AFFORDABLE CARE ACT SAVED CONSUMERS $2.1 BILLION ON PREMIUMS

Photo Credit:  U.S. Navy
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health care law saved an estimated $2.1 billion for consumers

The health care law – the Affordable Care Act – has saved consumers an estimated $2.1 billion on health insurance premiums according to a new report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services. For the first time ever, new rate review rules in the health care law prevent insurance companies in all states from raising rates with no accountability or transparency. To date, rate review has helped save an estimated $1 billion for Americans. Additionally, the law’s Medical Loss Ratio (or 80/20) rule is helping deliver rebates worth $1.1 billion to nearly 13 million consumers.

"The health care law is holding insurance companies accountable and saving billions of dollars for families across the country," Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. "Thanks to the law, our health care system is more transparent and more competitive, and that’s saving Americans real money."

Beginning Sept. 1, 2011, the health care law implemented federal rate review standards. These rules ensure that, in every state, insurance companies are required to publicly submit for review and justify their actions if they want to raise rates by 10 percent or more.

To assist states in this effort, the Affordable Care Act provides states with Health Insurance Rate Review Grants to enhance their rate review programs and bring greater transparency to the process. 42 states have used their rate review grant funds to make the rate review process stronger and more transparent.

These rules have brought more transparency and accountability to our health insurance marketplace and saved money for consumers. The report released today shows that because of rate review, consumers saved approximately $1 billion in premiums in the individual and small group markets.

This initiative is one of many in the health care law aimed at saving money for consumers and specifically works in conjunction with the 80/20 rule, which requires insurance companies to generally spend 80 percent of premiums on health care or provide rebates to their customers. Insurance companies that did not meet the 80/20 rule will provide nearly 13 million Americans with more than $1.1 billion in rebates this year. Americans receiving the rebate will benefit from an average rebate of $151 per household.

SECRETARY OF HHS KATHLEEN SEBELIUS ANNOUNCES $12.5 MILLION FOR AGING AND DISABILITY RECOURCE CENTERS

FROM: U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

New resources help older Americans and people with disabilities maintain their independence

Seniors, people with disabilities and their families get assistance from local resource centers
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $12.5 million in awards to Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) to support older Americans and people with disabilities stay independent and receive long-term services and supports.

These grants, funded by the Affordable Care Act and the Older Americans Act, support counselors who help individuals and their caregivers identify and access long-term services and supports, regardless of income or financial assets.

"Whether someone is in the hospital and ready to be discharged, or living at home but needing additional care, an options counselor can help them evaluate their needs and sift through the options available in their community to create a plan that meets their needs," Secretary Sebelius said.

ADRCs are "one-stop shops" for older adults, people with disabilities, their caregivers and families to get the information and services they need as their health and long-term care needs change.

ADRCs offer a single, coordinated system of information and access for people seeking long-term services and supports and help consumers and their families identify options that best suit their needs.

ADRCs also make it easier for state and local governments to manage resources and monitor program quality through coordinated data collection and evaluation efforts.

The ADRCs are made possible through a collaborative effort led by the Administration on Community Living and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), both agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services. The Veterans Health Administration, an agency of the Department of Veterans Affairs, is a key partner.

Currently, all 50 states and four territories are operating or are in the process of implementing an ADRC.

Two different types of grants are being announced. Part A is for states or territories receiving an initial ADRC grant for an Enhanced ADRC Options Counseling Program. Part B is for states and territories receiving continuation funding.

NARCOTICS AND THE SEMI-SUB



Caption: PLUTO seen during tests in San Diego, CA.

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Surrogate semi-submersible engineered to mimic the design of the "dark vessels" being used to bring narcotics and other illicit cargo into the United States.
With low profiles and low radar reflectivity, stealthy, drug-running semi-submersibles, "narco subs," built in southern jungles cut through the ocean at wave height and are nearly impossible to detect. DHS' semi-submersible mimics them so that a variety of sensors can be tested in the battle against illegal drug-running.

The erstwhile planet Pluto (now officially an asteroid) was known for decades as a small, dark planet—hidden, difficult to spot, and on a quiet, determined course all its own. And so, when the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) needed a target semi-submersible to detect the hidden but determined maritime smuggling operations of the South American drug cartels, it created its own vessel and called it "PLUTO," after the planet that is so difficult to spot. S&T’s PLUTO is a small, semi-submersible that is representative of what are popularly called "narco subs," and serves as a realistic practice target for the detection systems of DHS and its national security community partners.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

Photo:  U.S. Navy Seals.  Credit:  U.S. Navy.
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Forces Confirm Deaths of 2 Taliban LeadersFrom an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2012 - Afghan and coalition forces today confirmed the death of two senior Taliban leaders, including the suspected mastermind of an August 2008 ambush that left numerous French soldiers dead and 21 wounded, military officials reported.

The Taliban leaders -- Mullah Hazrat and Shakir -- were killed in a precision airstrike Sept. 9, officials said, when Afghan and coalition forces positively identified a group of armed insurgents in the Alisheng district of Laghman province and engaged them.

Hazrat is believed to have planned and directed the Aug. 18, 2008, ambush, 40 miles east of Kabul, which resulted in a two-day running battle between coalition and Afghan security forces and more than 100 Taliban insurgents, officials said.

In the years since, Hazrat was promoted to serve as the Taliban leader for the Alisheng district, officials said. He is believed to have ordered several attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in recent months, including the use of suicide bombers in Kabul. He also coordinated the movement of foreign insurgents from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

Shakir, also known as Attullah, was one of Hazrat's associates and is believed to be responsible for several ambushes and attacks throughout western Laghman province, officials said. At the time of his death, Shakir was suspected of attempting to recruit foreign insurgents to rebuild his attack cell.

In operations in Afghanistan today:

-- A combined force detained numerous suspects and found and destroyed a Taliban weapons cache in the Pul-e Alam district of Logar province. The cache contained several rocket-propelled grenades and RPG components, grenades, heavy and small-arms ammunition, a firearm and bomb components.

-- A combined force killed an armed insurgent and detained several suspects during a search for a Taliban leader in the Khugyani district of Nangarhar province. The security force also seized and safely destroyed multiple assault rifles, several grenades and grenade components, and some illegal narcotics and homemade explosives.

-- A combined force detained two suspects during a search for an improvised explosive device facilitator in the Talah wa Barfak district of Baghlan province. The facilitator is believed to coordinate the movement of IED components throughout the district for insurgent attacks.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force discovered and cleared 31 IEDs in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province during a two-day operation. In total, the discovered IEDs consisted of more than 200 pounds of homemade explosives.

-- Coalition patrols seized more than 1,600 pounds of opium and detained two suspected narcotics smugglers in the Dishu and Nawah-ye Barakzai districts of Helmand province. In both incidents, the units investigated the area after observing suspicious activity through aerial surveillance. The seized opium was destroyed.

Farm Bill Now

President Obama’s Message to the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery | The White House

President Obama’s Message to the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery | The White House

US Navy Videos: Navy Station Becomes More Energy Efficient

US Navy Videos

WINTER SNOW MAKES GREENESS GROW

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Study Ties Forest "Greenness" in Western U.S. to Snowpack Extent

Results of a new study tie forest "greenness" in the western United States to fluctuating year-to-year snowpack extent.

The results show that mid-elevation mountain ecosystems are the most sensitive to rising temperatures and to changes in precipitation and snowmelt.

University of Colorado-Boulder scientist Noah Molotch and colleagues used satellite images and ground measurements to identify the threshold at which mid-level forests sustained by moisture change to higher-elevation forests sustained by sunlight.

A paper reporting the results was published yesterday in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Molotch is the lead author. Co-authors are Ernesto Trujillo of the University of Colorado-Boulder and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland; Michael Golden and Anne Kelly of the University of California, Irvine; and Roger Bales of the University of California, Merced.

"The research demonstrates yet another complexity in the response of mountain ecosystems to increasing temperatures," says hydrologist Tom Torgersen, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences, which funded the research. "High-elevation mountain forests are typically temperature-stressed and low-elevation mountain forests are often water-stressed.

"At mid-elevations, 'everything is just right'--until it goes wrong." Torgersen says, "Higher temperatures lead to reduced snowpack and reduced water availability, leaving trees at mid-elevations more stressed and more prone to fires."

The ability to identify this "tipping point" is important, Molotch says, because mid-level forests--at altitudes from roughly 6,500 feet to 8,000 feet--are where many people live and visit. They're also linked with increasing wildfires, beetle outbreaks and rising tree mortality.

"These results provide the first direct observations of snowpack-forest connections across broad scales," says Molotch.

"Finding the tipping point between water-limited [mid-elevation] forests and energy-limited [high-elevation] forests defines the region of the greatest sensitivity to climate change--the mid-elevation forests--which is where we should focus future research," he says.

Although the research took place in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, it's applicable to other mountain ranges across the West.

Climate studies show that the snowpack in mid-elevation forests in the western United States and other forests around the world has been decreasing over the past 50 years because of regional warming.

"We found that mid-elevation forests show a dramatic sensitivity to snow that fell the previous winter in terms of accumulation and subsequent melt," said Molotch, also a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

"If snowpack declines, forests become more stressed, which can lead to ecological changes in the distribution and abundance of plant and animal species, and to more vulnerability to fires and to beetle kill."

Molotch says that about 50 percent of the greenness seen by satellites in mid-elevation forests is linked with maximum snow accumulation from the previous winter, with the other 50 percent related to soil depth, soil nutrients, temperature and sunlight.

"The strength of the relationship between forest greenness and snowpack from the previous year is very surprising," Molotch says.

The researchers initially set out to identify the various components of drought that lead to vegetation stress.

"We went after mountain snowpacks in the western U.S. because they provide about 60 to 80 percent of the water in high-elevation mountains," says Molotch.

The team used 26 years of continuous data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, a space-borne sensor flying on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite, to measure the forest greenness.

The researchers compared it with long-term data from 117 snow stations maintained by the California Cooperative Snow Survey, a consortium of state and federal agencies.

In addition, the scientists used information gathered from "flux towers" in the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range. Instruments on these towers measure the exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapor and energy between the land and the atmosphere.

Instruments on the towers, which are some 100 feet high, allowed scientists to measure the sensitivity of both mid-level and high-level mountainous regions to both wet and dry years--data that matched up well with the satellite and ground data.

"The implications of this study are profound when you think about the potential for ecological change in mountain environments in the West," says Molotch.

"If we look ahead to the time when climate models are calling for warming and drying conditions, the implication is that forests will be increasingly water-stressed in the future and more vulnerable to fires and insect outbreaks."

In the context of recent forest losses to fire in Colorado and elsewhere, the findings are something that really deserve attention, Molotch says.

"This tipping-point elevation is very likely going to migrate up the mountainsides as climate warms."

The research was also funded by NASA.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ASSESSES PENALTY FOR MINOR'S INJURIES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Nebraska auction company assessed more than $46,000 in penalties for child labor violations after underage worker suffers serious injury while herding cattle

VALENTINE, Neb. — The U.S. Department of Labor has assessed a total of $46,602 in civil money penalties against Valentine Livestock Auction Co. in Nebraska after a 15-year-old employee was crushed against a metal gate by a stampeding calf while herding cattle in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act's child labor provisions.

The injured minor was pinned against a fence by the animal, estimated to weigh between 600 and 700 pounds, before being knocked to the ground and trampled, resulting in multiple injuries. She was airlifted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where she remained for 40 days.

An investigation by the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division found a total of 26 violations of the FLSA's child labor provisions, including of occupational standards for allowing five minors to work herding cattle; employing three youths under the legal age of employment; employing minors outside of allowable time standards; and failing to record birth dates for 10 minor employees. Additionally, the division found one violation of Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2, which generally prohibits minors from operating motor vehicles, and three violations of Hazardous Occupations Order No. 5, which prohibits minors from operating power-driven woodworking machines.

"This case is another clear example of why it is critical for employers to keep minors safe on the job by learning and complying with America's child labor laws," said Michael Staebell, director of the Wage and Hour Division's Des Moines Area Office in Iowa, which conducted the investigation. "The protection of our working youth is paramount. Employers need to take their responsibilities under the law very seriously. No monetary penalty can undo an injury to a child, but the penalties assessed in this case demonstrate that the Labor Department will use every enforcement tool available to ensure compliance with the regulations we enforce."

The company erroneously believed it was classified as an agricultural employer and thus subject to the FLSA's child labor in agriculture regulations, rather than the regulations pertaining to nonagricultural employers. After the division informed the employer of its status as a nonagricultural employer, the company took steps to comply and to ensure that future violations would not take place. Managers have been trained in child labor regulations, and the company has committed to additional ongoing training. The company also pledged to only allow 14- and 15-year-old employees to perform office work. The civil money penalties assessed have been paid in full.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA CALLS FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL HALLOWED GROUND

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Panetta Calls Flight 93 Memorial 'Hallowed Ground'
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

SHANKSVILLE, Pa., Sept. 10, 2012 - On the eve of the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta toured the Flight 93 National Memorial here and called the passengers and crew of the ill-fated plane American heroes.

The plane, which took off from Newark, N.J. destined for San Francisco, crashed after passengers and crew members, aware of the attacks in New York and at the Pentagon, overpowered hijackers to prevent them from reaching their target. The 9/11 Commission said the terrorists most likely wanted to crash the plane into the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

"[They] responded with selflessness, determination and tremendous courage. And at the cost of their own lives, they made the fateful decision to fight back," Panetta told reporters while touring the memorial, laying a wreath to honor the victims and speaking with relatives of those who perished on that day 11 years ago. "Their example continues to inspire and to strengthen our nation."

Since 9/11, Panetta said, millions of young men and women have been inspired by their sacrifice to step forward and serve the United States.

"And like the heroes of Flight 93, they put their lives on the line for our country," he added. "For more than a decade, they have fought to ensure that such an attack would never happen again."

Panetta said the visit was an opportunity to renew the nation's pledge to the victims of 9/11, their families and to all Americans to "remain forever vigilant against threats to our homeland."

The nation has accomplished many things since the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, he said. "We have brought [Osama] bin Laden to justice, we've decimated the leadership of al-Qaida, [and] we have seriously undermined their ability to plan and conduct an attack similar to 9/11.

"Our troops are still fighting to deny safe haven to al-Qaida and to their extremist allies in Afghanistan," he continued. "We are continuing to fight them in Yemen, in Somalia and in North Africa. Make no mistake -- we will pursue and we will fight them wherever they go. There is no place that will be safe for them to hide from justice."

The United States is stronger and safer as a result of the sacrifices in Shanksville, he said, and as a result of the "tremendous sacrifice of those who have served this nation over these last 10 years."

"As I've often said, one of the toughest jobs I have is to write notes to the families of those who have been lost in battle," he said. "With each note, I express the tremendous sorrow that we all have for their loss, but I also say that they gave their lives for all they loved.

"They gave their lives for the families they loved and for the country they loved, and there is no greater sacrifice than to do that," Panetta continued. "That's what these heroes did here. As a result, they are forever American heroes. This is hallowed ground. This is hallowed ground because this is the final resting place of American patriots."

U.S- SIERRA LEONE RELATIONS AND A NEW OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

United States and Sierra Leone Sign Open Skies Air Transport Agreement
Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 10, 2012
On September 10 in Washington, DC, Under Secretary Robert Hormats and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Aviation and Transportation Vandi Chidi Minah signed an Open Skies air services agreement that will formalize the liberalization of our bilateral aviation relationship. The United States and Sierra Leone initialed the agreement in June 2012, and it has been applied via comity and reciprocity since that time.

The Open Skies Agreement entered into force upon signature.

The Open Skies Agreement establishes a liberalized aviation relationship between the United States and Sierra Leone. It creates opportunities for strengthening the economic partnership between the United States and Sierra Leone through closer links in transport and trade.

Open Skies agreements permit unrestricted air service by the airlines of both countries between and beyond the other’s territory, eliminating restrictions on how often the carriers fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge. This agreement will allow for the strengthening and expansion of our strong trade and tourism links with Sierra Leone, benefitting U.S. and Sierra Leonean businesses and travelers by expanding opportunities for air services and encouraging vigorous price competition by airlines, while preserving our commitments to aviation safety and security.

The United States has over 100 Open Skies agreements with partners around the world and at all levels of development.

　

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SIERRA LEONE

U.S.-SIERRA LEONE RELATIONS
The United States established diplomatic relations with Sierra Leone in 1961, following its independence from the United Kingdom. U.S.-Sierra Leone relations are cordial. About 2% of Sierra Leone's population are Krio, the descendants of freed slaves who returned to Sierra Leone beginning in the late 1700s from Great Britain and North America and from slave ships captured on the high seas. Many thousands of Sierra Leoneans reside in the United States.

Sierra Leone's brutal 1991-2002 civil war destroyed infrastructure and truncated political, social, and economic development. The country has made substantial progress in transitioning from a post-conflict nation to a developing democracy that has made notable economic gains. It also is emerging as one of the most stable countries in a volatile region. Most notably, it now contributes significantly to United Nations peacekeeping operations, including the UN Mission to Darfur (UNAMID). It will deploy a U.S.-trained battalion to the AU Peace Support Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) later this year. The government also has passed one of Africa’s toughest anti-corruption laws, made high-profile arrests, and secured convictions in a majority of its prosecutions. Despite this, Sierra Leone continues to grapple with entrenched corruption, poor health conditions, weak governmental institutions, high unemployment, slow economic growth, abject poverty, and inadequate social services. The next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held November 17, 2012.

Sierra Leone relies on significant amounts of foreign assistance, principally from multilateral donors; the United States is among the largest bilateral donors. The United States is the largest single donor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which has pursued cases against those most responsible for violations of humanitarian law during the country's civil war.

U.S. Assistance to Sierra Leone
U.S. development assistance programs seek to support elections and political processes, create livelihood opportunities, improve food security and nutrition, augment civic participation, and build capacity for both rural and urban health service delivery. U.S. security assistance aims to help Sierra Leone build a more professional and apolitical Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces that will also be capable of supporting peacekeeping in Africa as well as fighting drug trafficking and smuggling.

Bilateral Economic Relations
U.S. exports to Sierra Leone include transportation equipment, agricultural products, machinery, and chemicals, while its imports from Sierra Leone include minerals, metals, machinery, and agricultural products. Sierra Leone 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. On June 26, 2012, negotiators for both countries initialed the text of a new air transport agreement that, upon entry into force, will establish an Open Skies aviation relationship.

Sierra Leone's Membership in International Organizations
Sierra Leone and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.