FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, September 27, 2013
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Plaza Home Mortgage Inc. to Resolve Allegations of Mortgage Lending Discrimination
Settlement Provides $3 Million in Compensation to African-American and Hispanic Borrowers
The Justice Department announced today that Plaza Home Mortgage Inc. (Plaza) of San Diego will pay $3 million to aggrieved borrowers as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.
The settlement also requires Plaza to establish race- and national origin-neutral standards for the assessment of broker fees, monitor its wholesale mortgage loans for potential disparities based on race and national origin, conduct fair lending training and continue to operate a community enrichment program designed to address the lack of affordable housing and lending products in minority and underserved communities nationwide.
The settlement, which is subject to court approval, was filed in conjunction with the Justice Department’s complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. The complaint alleges that Plaza charged thousands of African-American and Hispanic borrowers higher fees than white borrowers on wholesale mortgage loans in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). Plaza cooperated fully with the Justice Department’s investigation into its lending practices and agreed to settle this matter without contested litigation.
“Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that all lenders, including wholesale lenders, comply with the fair lending laws,” said Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We commend Plaza for working cooperatively with the Justice Department in reaching an appropriate resolution of this case.”
The lawsuit originated from a 2011 referral by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The proceeds of the settlement will be used to compensate the African-American and Hispanic victims of Plaza’s alleged discrimination. The proposed settlement provides for an independent administrator to contact and distribute payments at no cost to borrowers whom the Justice Department identifies as victims. Borrowers who are eligible for compensation will be contacted by the administrator. The department will make a public announcement and post contact information on its website once the administrator begins contacting victims.
“It is patently wrong for a lending institution to require African-American and Hispanic homebuyers to pay more for their mortgages than white borrowers,” said Laura Duffy, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California. “We are happy to be able to make this right for the victims, and to send a message that we will protect people of all races and national origins from injustice of any kind.”
The Justice Department’s enforcement of fair lending laws is conducted by the Fair Lending Unit of the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in the Civil Rights Division. Since the Fair Lending Unit was established in February 2010, it has filed or resolved 27 lending matters under the FHA, ECOA and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The settlements in these matters provide for a minimum of $660 million in monetary relief for impacted communities and more than 300,000 individual borrowers. The Attorney General’s annual reports to Congress subject to ECOA highlight the department’s accomplishments in fair lending and are available at www.justice.gov/crt/publications/ .
The Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and the FTC are members of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. For more information on the task force, visit www.StopFraud.gov .
Thursday, October 3, 2013
FOREIGN INVESTOR AGRICULTURAL LAND HOLDINGS IN U.S.
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
USDA Releases Annual Report of Foreign Investors’ Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2013 — USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has released its annual publication regarding foreign investors’ holdings of United States agricultural land. The publication contains statistics that are current through Dec. 31, 2011.
The report, titled “Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land Through December 31, 2011,” is now available on the FSA website at
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=ecpa&topic=afa.
The data gathered through Dec. 31, 2011, indicate that foreign investors hold an interest in 25,715,588 acres of U.S. agricultural land, which is approximately 2 percent of all privately held U.S. agricultural land, and 1 percent of all land in the U.S. The total foreign-held U.S. agricultural acres as of the last report, dated Dec. 31, 2010, were 24,224,807, resulting in an increase of 1,490,781 acres.
The annual publication includes a wide variety of both annual and cumulative activity reports.
Annual Activity Reports include the following:
U.S. Agricultural and Nonagricultural Landholdings Annual Activity of Foreign Investors by State U.S. Agricultural and Nonagricultural Land Acquisitions by Country of Foreign Investor U.S. Agricultural and Nonagricultural Land Dispositions by Country of Foreign Investor
Just a few of the Cumulative Activity Reports within the publication are:
U.S. Agricultural Landholdings of Foreign Investors by State U.S. Landholdings of Foreign Investors by Type of Land Use and by State U.S. Agricultural and Nonagricultural Investors, Parcels, Acres and Value by Country of Foreign Investor
The publication’s findings are based on reports submitted to FSA in compliance with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA). The law was created to establish a nationwide system for collecting information pertaining to foreign ownership in U.S. agricultural land. Foreign investors who buy, sell or hold an interest (other than a security interest) in U.S. agricultural land are required to report such holdings and transactions to the Secretary of Agriculture on AFIDA Report Form FSA-153. The data gleaned from these reports is used in the preparation of an annual report to Congress.
USDA Releases Annual Report of Foreign Investors’ Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2013 — USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has released its annual publication regarding foreign investors’ holdings of United States agricultural land. The publication contains statistics that are current through Dec. 31, 2011.
The report, titled “Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land Through December 31, 2011,” is now available on the FSA website at
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=ecpa&topic=afa.
The data gathered through Dec. 31, 2011, indicate that foreign investors hold an interest in 25,715,588 acres of U.S. agricultural land, which is approximately 2 percent of all privately held U.S. agricultural land, and 1 percent of all land in the U.S. The total foreign-held U.S. agricultural acres as of the last report, dated Dec. 31, 2010, were 24,224,807, resulting in an increase of 1,490,781 acres.
The annual publication includes a wide variety of both annual and cumulative activity reports.
Annual Activity Reports include the following:
U.S. Agricultural and Nonagricultural Landholdings Annual Activity of Foreign Investors by State U.S. Agricultural and Nonagricultural Land Acquisitions by Country of Foreign Investor U.S. Agricultural and Nonagricultural Land Dispositions by Country of Foreign Investor
Just a few of the Cumulative Activity Reports within the publication are:
U.S. Agricultural Landholdings of Foreign Investors by State U.S. Landholdings of Foreign Investors by Type of Land Use and by State U.S. Agricultural and Nonagricultural Investors, Parcels, Acres and Value by Country of Foreign Investor
The publication’s findings are based on reports submitted to FSA in compliance with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA). The law was created to establish a nationwide system for collecting information pertaining to foreign ownership in U.S. agricultural land. Foreign investors who buy, sell or hold an interest (other than a security interest) in U.S. agricultural land are required to report such holdings and transactions to the Secretary of Agriculture on AFIDA Report Form FSA-153. The data gleaned from these reports is used in the preparation of an annual report to Congress.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
GENERAL DEMPSEY FORTELLS THE FUTURE
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Dempsey Gives Hints on Priorities for Future
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
American Forces Press Service
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2013 - In his first two-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey hasn't blinked when facing challenges that would make some men quit – the Iraq withdrawal, the Afghan surge, the sexual assault epidemic, green-on-blue killings in Afghanistan, sequestration, Benghazi, the Arab Spring, the Syrian War, a colder relationship with the Russians. And it goes on day after day after day.
The chairman began his second two-year term today.
But he, and his wife Deanie, will make it through the second two-year term. He is in South Korea discussing the 31-year-old communist dictator that rules North Korea.
And the challenges elsewhere will pile up – the arguments over the East and South China Sea, trying to cajole allies to see the wisdom of your ways. Some challenges he will expect, but other will crop up and he will have to deal with them along with all the things he has to do.
And now the money that was there when he first took office is gone. In fact, instead of finding just $487 billion in savings in the defense budget, he needs to find an additional $500 billion – forcing a $1 trillion cut to defense.
And add that to the fact that the U.S. government just closed.
When he started his first term as chairman he issued four priorities. The first was to achieve the national objectives that the military forces had — Iraq and Afghanistan, deterrence in the Persian Gulf and so on.
Second was to build Joint Force 2020 which was a look to the future to build the capabilities we will need in the future and not just today.
The other two priorities dealt with the profession of arms. "It occurred to me that after 10 years we needed to take a look at the values to which we claim to live to determine whether the personnel policies, training, deployment, all of that was contributing to our sense of professionalism or whether we had some points of friction," he said during an interview here.
His final priority was keeping faith with the military family. Dempsey is an Armor officer by trade, and an English professor by heart and he is choosy about his words. "I chose family not families, because it's not just spouses and children; it's about veterans and it's about the many, many young men and women who will transition out of the military under my watch," he said.
These priorities will remain the same, he told reporters traveling with him. "But what I've learned over the past two years is where I have to establish some initiatives, some milestones, some programs and processes to achieve progress in those areas over the time remaining to me."
He notes it is a much different budgetary and fiscal environment than when he started. In fact, it's twice as bad. "It was $487 billion when I started, and now it's a trillion-dollar challenge," Dempsey said.
"Expectations about levels of support, the pace of training the pace of deployments are all going to change in the next couple of years, and I have to make sure the force adapts to that," he said.
"We're going to transition 100,000-plus out of the military, and I have to make sure those young men and women are ready for that change," Dempsey said. "I have to slow the growth of pay and health care – I don't have to reduce it – I have to slow the growth [and] make it sustainable."
"And I've got to reshape the force both in size and capability, and we've got [to] renew our sense of professionalism because it is through that, that we'll get through this incredible uncertainty," he said.
Dempsey is most worried about uncertainty in the force and what that is doing to the military family. "Now, we are far more adaptable than we are given credit for," he said. "There's this notion of the cumbersome military bureaucracy. Some is true, but there is also underneath the Pentagon an incredible group of young men and women leaders who change as they need to change to address the challenges as they find them. And they will continue to do that."
And the challenges elsewhere will pile up – the arguments over the East and South China Sea, trying to cajole allies to see the wisdom of your ways. Some challenges he will expect, but other will crop up and he will have to deal with them along with all the things he has to do.
And now the money that was there when he first took office is gone. In fact, instead of finding just $487 billion in savings in the defense budget, he needs to find an additional $500 billion – forcing a $1 trillion cut to defense.
And add that to the fact that the U.S. government just closed.
When he started his first term as chairman he issued four priorities. The first was to achieve the national objectives that the military forces had — Iraq and Afghanistan, deterrence in the Persian Gulf and so on.
Second was to build Joint Force 2020 which was a look to the future to build the capabilities we will need in the future and not just today.
The other two priorities dealt with the profession of arms. "It occurred to me that after 10 years we needed to take a look at the values to which we claim to live to determine whether the personnel policies, training, deployment, all of that was contributing to our sense of professionalism or whether we had some points of friction," he said during an interview here.
His final priority was keeping faith with the military family. Dempsey is an Armor officer by trade, and an English professor by heart and he is choosy about his words. "I chose family not families, because it's not just spouses and children; it's about veterans and it's about the many, many young men and women who will transition out of the military under my watch," he said.
These priorities will remain the same, he told reporters traveling with him. "But what I've learned over the past two years is where I have to establish some initiatives, some milestones, some programs and processes to achieve progress in those areas over the time remaining to me."
He notes it is a much different budgetary and fiscal environment than when he started. In fact, it's twice as bad. "It was $487 billion when I started, and now it's a trillion-dollar challenge," Dempsey said.
"Expectations about levels of support, the pace of training the pace of deployments are all going to change in the next couple of years, and I have to make sure the force adapts to that," he said.
"We're going to transition 100,000-plus out of the military, and I have to make sure those young men and women are ready for that change," Dempsey said. "I have to slow the growth of pay and health care – I don't have to reduce it – I have to slow the growth [and] make it sustainable."
"And I've got to reshape the force both in size and capability, and we've got [to] renew our sense of professionalism because it is through that, that we'll get through this incredible uncertainty," he said.
Dempsey is most worried about uncertainty in the force and what that is doing to the military family. "Now, we are far more adaptable than we are given credit for," he said. "There's this notion of the cumbersome military bureaucracy. Some is true, but there is also underneath the Pentagon an incredible group of young men and women leaders who change as they need to change to address the challenges as they find them. And they will continue to do that."
U.S.-SOUTH KOREA WILL ESTABLISH "BILATERAL STRATEGY FOR TAILORED DETERRENCE"
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL
U.S., South Korea Announce 'Tailored Deterrence' Strategy
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
American Forces Press Service
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 2, 2013 - The United States and South Korea today agreed to establish "a bilateral strategy for tailored deterrence against ... North Korean nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said during a press conference here today.
Hagel and his counterpart, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, spoke to reporters after the 45th Security Consultative Meeting in the South Korean Ministry of Defense building this morning. The annual meeting brings together military and foreign affairs officials from the two nations to discuss alliance, peninsular, regional and global issues.
The tailored deterrence agreement will create a strategic, policy-level framework within the alliance for deterring specific threats, Hagel said, "and help us work together more seamlessly to maximize the effects of our deterrence."
Kim noted both sides have agreed on the need for a "more future-oriented and comprehensive strategic alliance."
In a joint communiqué issued after the meeting, Hagel and Kim condemned North Korea's December 2012 long-range missile launch and its February 2013 nuclear test, and "urged North Korea to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and to cease ... its nuclear programs immediately, including its nuclear activities at Yongbyon, uranium enrichment and construction of a light water reactor."
In his remarks, Hagel also emphasized North Korea's stockpiles of chemical weapons. "There should be no doubt that any North Korean use of chemical weapons would be completely unacceptable," he said.
The communiqué reaffirmed U.S. commitment to provide and strengthen deterrence for South Korea "using the full range of military capabilities, including the U.S. nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile defense capabilities."
It also provides for a "comprehensive counter-missile strategy" to, Kim said, "detect, defend, deter and destroy" threats from the North Korean arsenal.
The agreement states South Korea will "continue to build reliable interoperable response capabilities and to develop the Korean Air and Missile Defense system" and that both sides will further interoperability of the alliance's command and control system.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also attended today's discussions. Other senior U.S. military leaders in the region were present as well, including Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, who leads U.S. Pacific Command, and the outgoing and incoming commanders of U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command and Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, Army Gen. James D. Thurman and Army Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti. Their South Korean counterparts also attended.
Scaparrotti assumed the three-flagged South Korea-based command later in the day from Thurman, who is retiring.
Locklear and Thurman shared their views on regional issues yesterday with reporters traveling with Hagel before the change-of-command ceremony. Locklear noted that units from within his command train and conduct exercises regularly with South Korean forces, which he termed "highly capable and very professional."
Thurman, who has commanded the roughly 28,500 U.S. service members in South Korea for two and a half years, noted that during his tenure readiness across the joint and combined force has been his highest priority.
During his command, he said, South Korean military forces have continued to "demonstrate their expertise in the air, on the ground and in the maritime domains."
Thurman said he remains confident the allies can defend the peninsula, which has been in a state of suspended war since North and South Korea signed an armistice in July 60 years ago. The United States fought side-by-side with South Korean forces during that war, he noted, and the two countries signed a mutual defense treaty in 1953, 60 years ago yesterday.
Thurman said the alliance is based on shared values, combined hard work, and a collective commitment to stability involving the U.N. sending states, South Korea and the United States.
"Since the Korean War, the Republic of Korea has been one of the greatest success stories of our time," he said. "They went from a country that was torn apart by war ... [to] a very vibrant democracy, a global economic power, a vital security partner and a world leader."
That success, Thurman added, "is an important example of what a great alliance can accomplish together, and it is worth defending together."
SEC ANNOUNCES $14 MILLION AWARD TO WHISTLEBLOWER
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced an award of more than $14 million to a whistleblower whose information led to an SEC enforcement action that recovered substantial investor funds. Payments to whistleblowers are made from a separate fund previously established by the Dodd-Frank Act and do not come from the agency’s annual appropriations or reduce amounts paid to harmed investors.
The award is the largest made by the SEC’s whistleblower program to date.
The SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower was established in 2011 as authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act. The whistleblower program rewards high-quality original information that results in an SEC enforcement action with sanctions exceeding $1 million, and awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected in a case.
“Our whistleblower program already has had a big impact on our investigations by providing us with high quality, meaningful tips,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White. “We hope an award like this encourages more individuals with information to come forward.”
The whistleblower, who does not wish to be identified, provided original information and assistance that allowed the SEC to investigate an enforcement matter more quickly than otherwise would have been possible. Less than six months after receiving the whistleblower’s tip, the SEC was able to bring an enforcement action against the perpetrators and secure investor funds.
“While it is certainly gratifying to make this significant award payout, the even better news for investors is that whistleblowers are coming forward to assist us in stopping potential fraud in its tracks so that no future investors are harmed,” said Sean McKessy, chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower. “That ultimately is what the whistleblower program is all about.”
The SEC’s first payment to a whistleblower was made in August 2012 and totaled approximately $50,000. In August and September 2013, more than $25,000 was awarded to three whistleblowers who helped the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice halt a sham hedge fund, and the ultimate total payout in that case once all sanctions are collected is likely to exceed $125,000.
By law, the SEC must protect the confidentiality of whistleblowers and cannot disclose any information that might directly or indirectly reveal a whistleblower’s identity.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced an award of more than $14 million to a whistleblower whose information led to an SEC enforcement action that recovered substantial investor funds. Payments to whistleblowers are made from a separate fund previously established by the Dodd-Frank Act and do not come from the agency’s annual appropriations or reduce amounts paid to harmed investors.
The award is the largest made by the SEC’s whistleblower program to date.
The SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower was established in 2011 as authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act. The whistleblower program rewards high-quality original information that results in an SEC enforcement action with sanctions exceeding $1 million, and awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected in a case.
“Our whistleblower program already has had a big impact on our investigations by providing us with high quality, meaningful tips,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White. “We hope an award like this encourages more individuals with information to come forward.”
The whistleblower, who does not wish to be identified, provided original information and assistance that allowed the SEC to investigate an enforcement matter more quickly than otherwise would have been possible. Less than six months after receiving the whistleblower’s tip, the SEC was able to bring an enforcement action against the perpetrators and secure investor funds.
“While it is certainly gratifying to make this significant award payout, the even better news for investors is that whistleblowers are coming forward to assist us in stopping potential fraud in its tracks so that no future investors are harmed,” said Sean McKessy, chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower. “That ultimately is what the whistleblower program is all about.”
The SEC’s first payment to a whistleblower was made in August 2012 and totaled approximately $50,000. In August and September 2013, more than $25,000 was awarded to three whistleblowers who helped the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice halt a sham hedge fund, and the ultimate total payout in that case once all sanctions are collected is likely to exceed $125,000.
By law, the SEC must protect the confidentiality of whistleblowers and cannot disclose any information that might directly or indirectly reveal a whistleblower’s identity.
GUARDING AGAINST COMPLACENCY IN KOREA
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S.-South Korean Leaders Guard Against Complacency
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2013 - The state of the U.S.-South Korea alliance is strong, but the allies cannot become complacent in face of changes in North Korea, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said here today.
While the North Korean conventional military threat is deteriorating, the regime's asymmetric threats are growing, Dempsey said during an interview with reporters traveling with him.
The United States is concerned about the demonstrated North Korean nuclear capability, Dempsey said. The North Koreans have not demonstrated that they can weaponize a nuclear weapon, "but we can't be complacent about the possibility."
North Korea has launched a primitive satellite into orbit. They are developing cyber capabilities and they have the largest special operations force in the region. "When you add all that up and their stated attempt to drive the United States off the peninsula and re-unify it under their terms, yeah we're very concerned," he said.
The U.S.-South Korea alliance has been an incredible success story, Dempsey said. In the 60 years of the pact, South Korea has risen from a war devastated Third World country to the 12th largest economy on the globe. The bulwark of the security shield has made this possible.
"Our discussions about rebalancing to the Pacific generally start with our relationship with the [Republic of Korea] in mind," Dempsey said. "Is there room for improvement? As the threat changes the ballistic missile threat from the North has increased, cyber threats have increased and so as a good ally what we're discussing is how we adapt to those changing threats."
In thinking of the alliance, military leaders assessed the changing threats, he said. They also look at the evolution, maturity and development of the South Korean forces as they exist today. Then, they look at what capabilities South Korea needs and to integrate them into their capabilities.
"We are very well postured not just on the peninsula, but we have forces in the region that also have the capability to bring national military power to bear," Dempsey said.
During a town hall meeting earlier in Yongsan, Dempsey told American service members that the Pacific strategy is becoming increasingly important to the United States.
South Korea America's oldest ally in the region remains important. "It would be in our interests to maintain the partnership and continue enhancing it," he said. "I find a pretty significant commitment on their part to maintain our presence in the Republic of Korea. I think that will remain true certainly until the issue with North Korea is resolved."
But he suspects the alliance will continue after any resolution of the problems with North Korea. There is a certain appreciation for the stabilizing influence the United States has in the region, he said. "This is a long-term commitment, it's not one-way," Dempsey said.
U.S.-South Korean Leaders Guard Against Complacency
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2013 - The state of the U.S.-South Korea alliance is strong, but the allies cannot become complacent in face of changes in North Korea, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said here today.
While the North Korean conventional military threat is deteriorating, the regime's asymmetric threats are growing, Dempsey said during an interview with reporters traveling with him.
The United States is concerned about the demonstrated North Korean nuclear capability, Dempsey said. The North Koreans have not demonstrated that they can weaponize a nuclear weapon, "but we can't be complacent about the possibility."
North Korea has launched a primitive satellite into orbit. They are developing cyber capabilities and they have the largest special operations force in the region. "When you add all that up and their stated attempt to drive the United States off the peninsula and re-unify it under their terms, yeah we're very concerned," he said.
The U.S.-South Korea alliance has been an incredible success story, Dempsey said. In the 60 years of the pact, South Korea has risen from a war devastated Third World country to the 12th largest economy on the globe. The bulwark of the security shield has made this possible.
"Our discussions about rebalancing to the Pacific generally start with our relationship with the [Republic of Korea] in mind," Dempsey said. "Is there room for improvement? As the threat changes the ballistic missile threat from the North has increased, cyber threats have increased and so as a good ally what we're discussing is how we adapt to those changing threats."
In thinking of the alliance, military leaders assessed the changing threats, he said. They also look at the evolution, maturity and development of the South Korean forces as they exist today. Then, they look at what capabilities South Korea needs and to integrate them into their capabilities.
"We are very well postured not just on the peninsula, but we have forces in the region that also have the capability to bring national military power to bear," Dempsey said.
During a town hall meeting earlier in Yongsan, Dempsey told American service members that the Pacific strategy is becoming increasingly important to the United States.
South Korea America's oldest ally in the region remains important. "It would be in our interests to maintain the partnership and continue enhancing it," he said. "I find a pretty significant commitment on their part to maintain our presence in the Republic of Korea. I think that will remain true certainly until the issue with North Korea is resolved."
But he suspects the alliance will continue after any resolution of the problems with North Korea. There is a certain appreciation for the stabilizing influence the United States has in the region, he said. "This is a long-term commitment, it's not one-way," Dempsey said.
DOL HAS LABOR CONCERNS REGARDING DOMINICAN SUGAR SECTOR
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Labor Department issues report on labor concerns in Dominican sugar sector, announces $10 million project in agriculture
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today released a report regarding labor concerns in the Dominican sugar sector in response to a public submission filed under the Labor Chapter of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). The department also announced a $10 million project to reduce child labor and to improve labor rights and working conditions in the Dominican agriculture sector.
Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez stated, "Today we are releasing a report that highlights labor concerns in the Dominican sugar sector and shortcomings in the Dominican government's ability to identify and address them. The report recommends a way forward and notes that we stand ready to help. Working together with the Dominican government, we look forward to making a real difference in these workers' lives."
The report is a response to a submission by Father Christopher Hartley, which alleged that the government of the Dominican Republic failed "to enforce labor laws, as required under Chapter 16 of the CAFTA-DR, as these relate to the Dominican sugar industry."
The department conducted a detailed review of all information obtained from the government of the Dominican Republic, the submitter, workers, industry and other stakeholders. The report finds evidence of apparent and potential violations of labor law in the Dominican sugar sector, concerning: (1) acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health, such as payments below the minimum wage, 12-hour work days, seven-day work weeks, lack of potable water, and the absence of safety equipment; (2) a minimum age for the employment of children and the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor; and (3) a prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor.
The report also discusses the department's concerns with respect to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Additionally, it highlights significant procedural and methodological shortcomings in the labor inspection process that undermine the government's capacity to identify labor violations. The report offers 11 recommendations to the government of the Dominican Republic to address the report's findings and improve enforcement of Dominican labor laws in the sugar sector. The Department of Labor will review the status of implementation of the recommendations six months and then 12 months after publication.
The Department of Labor is committed to engaging with the government of the Dominican Republic to address the concerns identified in the report and to assisting the government with implementing the report's recommendations. This commitment is evidenced by the $10 million, four-year project that the Department of Labor announced today to reduce child labor and improve labor rights and working conditions n the Dominican agriculture sector. This project builds on many years of Department of Labor's technical assistance to the Dominican Republic, including $16 million in funding since 1998 to eliminate child labor.
US Labor Department issues report on labor concerns in Dominican sugar sector, announces $10 million project in agriculture
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today released a report regarding labor concerns in the Dominican sugar sector in response to a public submission filed under the Labor Chapter of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). The department also announced a $10 million project to reduce child labor and to improve labor rights and working conditions in the Dominican agriculture sector.
Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez stated, "Today we are releasing a report that highlights labor concerns in the Dominican sugar sector and shortcomings in the Dominican government's ability to identify and address them. The report recommends a way forward and notes that we stand ready to help. Working together with the Dominican government, we look forward to making a real difference in these workers' lives."
The report is a response to a submission by Father Christopher Hartley, which alleged that the government of the Dominican Republic failed "to enforce labor laws, as required under Chapter 16 of the CAFTA-DR, as these relate to the Dominican sugar industry."
The department conducted a detailed review of all information obtained from the government of the Dominican Republic, the submitter, workers, industry and other stakeholders. The report finds evidence of apparent and potential violations of labor law in the Dominican sugar sector, concerning: (1) acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health, such as payments below the minimum wage, 12-hour work days, seven-day work weeks, lack of potable water, and the absence of safety equipment; (2) a minimum age for the employment of children and the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor; and (3) a prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor.
The report also discusses the department's concerns with respect to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Additionally, it highlights significant procedural and methodological shortcomings in the labor inspection process that undermine the government's capacity to identify labor violations. The report offers 11 recommendations to the government of the Dominican Republic to address the report's findings and improve enforcement of Dominican labor laws in the sugar sector. The Department of Labor will review the status of implementation of the recommendations six months and then 12 months after publication.
The Department of Labor is committed to engaging with the government of the Dominican Republic to address the concerns identified in the report and to assisting the government with implementing the report's recommendations. This commitment is evidenced by the $10 million, four-year project that the Department of Labor announced today to reduce child labor and improve labor rights and working conditions n the Dominican agriculture sector. This project builds on many years of Department of Labor's technical assistance to the Dominican Republic, including $16 million in funding since 1998 to eliminate child labor.
SEC CHARGES INVESTMENT ADVISORS WITH CHARGING EXCESSIVE FEES WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SEC Charges Charlotte Investment Advisors with Excessive Fee Scheme
On September 27, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed an action in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina, charging Frank Dappah of Charlotte, NC, and his firm, Yatalie Capital Management (a/k/a Yatalie Capital Management Co, Creato Funds L.P., a/k/a Yatalie Capital, Inc., a/k/a Creato Funds, L.P., a/k/a Yatalie Capital Management Co.), a sole proprietorship, with violations of the federal securities laws for charging grossly excessive fees to their advisory clients without authorization or notice and other violations. The Commission's complaint seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and an asset freeze against the defendants.
The Commission's complaint alleges that Dappah and his firm took from the clients fees far in excess of what they were entitled to under the client advisory agreements. The complaint alleges that between March 2012 and July 2013, Dappah took advisory fees of nearly $75,000 on assets under management averaging around $205,000. One client, according to the complaint, lost $9,200 in unauthorized fees to Dappah in less than a year on investments of around $23,000.
The complaint also alleges that the defendants improperly registered Yatalie Capital Management with the Commission as an investment adviser, that they made multiple materially false statements in Yatalie Capital Management's Forms ADV, on the firm's website and elsewhere, and that the defendants failed to maintain client advisory agreements.
The complaint alleges that Dappah and Yatalie Capital Management violated the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. It further alleges that while acting as investment advisors, the defendants violated Sections 206(1) and Section 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act"), the antifraud provisions of the Advisers Act, and Sections 203A, 204, and 207 the Advisers Act and Rules 204-2 and 206(4)-1 thereunder.
The defendants have entered into a consent with the Commission agreeing to the entry by the Court of the relief requested in the complaint.
SEC Charges Charlotte Investment Advisors with Excessive Fee Scheme
On September 27, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed an action in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina, charging Frank Dappah of Charlotte, NC, and his firm, Yatalie Capital Management (a/k/a Yatalie Capital Management Co, Creato Funds L.P., a/k/a Yatalie Capital, Inc., a/k/a Creato Funds, L.P., a/k/a Yatalie Capital Management Co.), a sole proprietorship, with violations of the federal securities laws for charging grossly excessive fees to their advisory clients without authorization or notice and other violations. The Commission's complaint seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and an asset freeze against the defendants.
The Commission's complaint alleges that Dappah and his firm took from the clients fees far in excess of what they were entitled to under the client advisory agreements. The complaint alleges that between March 2012 and July 2013, Dappah took advisory fees of nearly $75,000 on assets under management averaging around $205,000. One client, according to the complaint, lost $9,200 in unauthorized fees to Dappah in less than a year on investments of around $23,000.
The complaint also alleges that the defendants improperly registered Yatalie Capital Management with the Commission as an investment adviser, that they made multiple materially false statements in Yatalie Capital Management's Forms ADV, on the firm's website and elsewhere, and that the defendants failed to maintain client advisory agreements.
The complaint alleges that Dappah and Yatalie Capital Management violated the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. It further alleges that while acting as investment advisors, the defendants violated Sections 206(1) and Section 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act"), the antifraud provisions of the Advisers Act, and Sections 203A, 204, and 207 the Advisers Act and Rules 204-2 and 206(4)-1 thereunder.
The defendants have entered into a consent with the Commission agreeing to the entry by the Court of the relief requested in the complaint.
WATER WORLD MARS
FROM: LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Water for Future Mars Astronauts?
Diversity of Martian soils leaves Los Alamos scientists thirsty for more
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Sept. 26, 2013—Within its first three months on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity Rover saw a surprising diversity of soils and sediments along a half-kilometer route that tell a complex story about the gradual desiccation of the Red Planet.
Perhaps most notable among findings from the ChemCam team is that all of the dust and fine soil contains small amounts of water.
“We made this discovery literally with the very first laser shot on the Red Planet,” said Roger Wiens, leader of the ChemCam instrument team. “Every single time we shot at dust we saw a significant hydrogen peak.”
In a series of five papers covering the rover’s top discoveries during its first three months on Mars that appear today in the journal Science, Los Alamos researchers using the rover’s ChemCam instrument team up with an international cadre of scientists affiliated with the CheMin, APXS, and SAM instruments to describe the planet’s seemingly once-volcanic and aquatic history.
Researchers believed the hydrogen seen in the dust was coming from water, a hypothesis that was later corroborated by Curiosity’s SAM instrument, which indicated that all of the soil encountered on Mars contains between 1.5 and 3 percent water. This quantity is enough to explain much of the near-equatorial hydrogen observed beginning in 2001 by Los Alamos’s neutron spectrometer on board the Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
ChemCam also showed that the soils consist of two distinct components. In addition to extremely fine-grained particles that seem to be representative of the ubiquitous Martian dust covering the entire planet’s surface like the fine film that collects on the undisturbed surfaces of a long-abandoned home, the ChemCam team discovered coarser-grained particles up to one millimeter in size that reflected the composition of local rocks. In essence, ChemCam observed the process of rocks being ground down to soil over time.
The ChemCam instrument—which vaporizes material with a high-powered laser and reads the resultant plasma with a spectrometer—has shown a similar composition to fine-grained dust characterized on other parts of the planet during previous Martian missions. ChemCam tested more than 100 targets in a location named Rocknest and found that the dust contained consistent amounts of water regardless of the sampling area.
What’s more, the Rover dug into the soils at Rocknest to provide scientists with the opportunity to sample the newly unearthed portion over the course of several Martian days. The instrument measured roughly the same tiny concentration of water (about 2 percent) in the surface soils as it did in the freshly uncovered soil, and the newly excavated area did not dry out over time—as would be expected if moist subsurface material were uncovered.
The water signature seen by Curiosity in the ubiquitous Martian dust may coincide with the tiny amount of ambient humidity in the planet’s arid atmosphere. Multiple observations indicate that the flowing water responsible for shaping and moving the rounded pebbles encountered in the vicinity of the rover landing area has long since been lost to space, though some of it may still exist deep below the surface of the planet at equatorial locations (water ice is known to exist near the surface at the poles).
Despite the seemingly small measurements of water in the Martian environment, the findings nevertheless are exciting.
“In principle it would be possible for future astronauts to heat the soil to derive water to sustain them,” said Wiens.
While at Rocknest, scientists were also able to test samples that had been characterized by ChemCam with two other instruments aboard the rover: CheMin, a miniaturized apparatus partially developed at Los Alamos that uses X-rays to determine the composition of materials; and SAM, a tiny oven that melts samples and identifies the composition of gases given off by them. The analyses by all three instruments indicate that Mars likely has a volcanic history that shaped the surface of the planet.
A fourth instrument, the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), provides additional insights into the volcanic diversity on Mars. APXS analyzed a rock called Jake Matijevic—named in honor of a deceased Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mars engineer—and found that it is one of the most Earth-like rocks yet seen on the Red Planet. The rock’s enrichment in sodium, giving it a feldspar-rich mineral content, makes it very similar to some rocks erupted on ocean islands on Earth. ChemCam contributed to the characterization of Jake_M.
The Curiosity Rover is scheduled to explore Mars for another year at least. In the coming months, Curiosity will travel to Mount Sharp, a towering peak nearly three miles in elevation. Mount Sharp appears to contain layers of sedimentary history dating back several billion years. These layers are like pages of a book that could teach researchers much about the geologic and climate history of the Red Planet.
Water for Future Mars Astronauts?
Diversity of Martian soils leaves Los Alamos scientists thirsty for more
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Sept. 26, 2013—Within its first three months on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity Rover saw a surprising diversity of soils and sediments along a half-kilometer route that tell a complex story about the gradual desiccation of the Red Planet.
Perhaps most notable among findings from the ChemCam team is that all of the dust and fine soil contains small amounts of water.
“We made this discovery literally with the very first laser shot on the Red Planet,” said Roger Wiens, leader of the ChemCam instrument team. “Every single time we shot at dust we saw a significant hydrogen peak.”
In a series of five papers covering the rover’s top discoveries during its first three months on Mars that appear today in the journal Science, Los Alamos researchers using the rover’s ChemCam instrument team up with an international cadre of scientists affiliated with the CheMin, APXS, and SAM instruments to describe the planet’s seemingly once-volcanic and aquatic history.
Researchers believed the hydrogen seen in the dust was coming from water, a hypothesis that was later corroborated by Curiosity’s SAM instrument, which indicated that all of the soil encountered on Mars contains between 1.5 and 3 percent water. This quantity is enough to explain much of the near-equatorial hydrogen observed beginning in 2001 by Los Alamos’s neutron spectrometer on board the Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
ChemCam also showed that the soils consist of two distinct components. In addition to extremely fine-grained particles that seem to be representative of the ubiquitous Martian dust covering the entire planet’s surface like the fine film that collects on the undisturbed surfaces of a long-abandoned home, the ChemCam team discovered coarser-grained particles up to one millimeter in size that reflected the composition of local rocks. In essence, ChemCam observed the process of rocks being ground down to soil over time.
The ChemCam instrument—which vaporizes material with a high-powered laser and reads the resultant plasma with a spectrometer—has shown a similar composition to fine-grained dust characterized on other parts of the planet during previous Martian missions. ChemCam tested more than 100 targets in a location named Rocknest and found that the dust contained consistent amounts of water regardless of the sampling area.
What’s more, the Rover dug into the soils at Rocknest to provide scientists with the opportunity to sample the newly unearthed portion over the course of several Martian days. The instrument measured roughly the same tiny concentration of water (about 2 percent) in the surface soils as it did in the freshly uncovered soil, and the newly excavated area did not dry out over time—as would be expected if moist subsurface material were uncovered.
The water signature seen by Curiosity in the ubiquitous Martian dust may coincide with the tiny amount of ambient humidity in the planet’s arid atmosphere. Multiple observations indicate that the flowing water responsible for shaping and moving the rounded pebbles encountered in the vicinity of the rover landing area has long since been lost to space, though some of it may still exist deep below the surface of the planet at equatorial locations (water ice is known to exist near the surface at the poles).
Despite the seemingly small measurements of water in the Martian environment, the findings nevertheless are exciting.
“In principle it would be possible for future astronauts to heat the soil to derive water to sustain them,” said Wiens.
While at Rocknest, scientists were also able to test samples that had been characterized by ChemCam with two other instruments aboard the rover: CheMin, a miniaturized apparatus partially developed at Los Alamos that uses X-rays to determine the composition of materials; and SAM, a tiny oven that melts samples and identifies the composition of gases given off by them. The analyses by all three instruments indicate that Mars likely has a volcanic history that shaped the surface of the planet.
A fourth instrument, the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), provides additional insights into the volcanic diversity on Mars. APXS analyzed a rock called Jake Matijevic—named in honor of a deceased Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mars engineer—and found that it is one of the most Earth-like rocks yet seen on the Red Planet. The rock’s enrichment in sodium, giving it a feldspar-rich mineral content, makes it very similar to some rocks erupted on ocean islands on Earth. ChemCam contributed to the characterization of Jake_M.
The Curiosity Rover is scheduled to explore Mars for another year at least. In the coming months, Curiosity will travel to Mount Sharp, a towering peak nearly three miles in elevation. Mount Sharp appears to contain layers of sedimentary history dating back several billion years. These layers are like pages of a book that could teach researchers much about the geologic and climate history of the Red Planet.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS GENERAL DEMPSEY SEES SYRIAN CONFLICT TAKING YEARS TO RESOLVE
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Syrian Conflict Will Take Years to Sort Out, Dempsey Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2013 - The conflict in Syria will take years to sort out, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today during an interview here.
The Syrian civil war has reverberated around the Middle East and involves a diverse cast of players and power blocs, said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. The chairman is here to meet with South Korean defense leaders.
"It's very complex, it's changing and most importantly we have to see it as a long-term issue," he said during the interview. "The issues that underlie this conflict will not be solved any time soon. I think we're looking at a decade of challenges in the region with Syria being the epicenter."
The war in the Middle Eastern nation has gotten to the point where it has spilled over the borders. "It is not useful to look at Syria as Syria meaning it's not useful to look through the soda straw at the boundaries of Syria and believe you understand the situation," he said.
The conflict stretches from Beirut to Damascus to Baghdad, he said, and it has historic roots. At the beginning, he said, the war had religious undertones, but he believes the more appropriate term should now be religious overtones. "A conflict that started as a rebellion has been hijacked by extremists on both sides al-Qaida affiliates on one side and Lebanese Hezbollah on the other," the chairman said. "The question seems to be what should we be doing to help our regional partners. And we are."
The United States is taking a whole-of-government approach to the region, he said. From the military side, the United States is looking to see how to assist the Lebanese armed forces. U.S. service members are working with the Jordanian military and the United States is working with Turkey a close NATO ally.
"Through the whole-of-government [approach,] we're trying to apply economic factors assistance of other kinds to help identify a moderate opposition so as this thing develops we can have some influence in a positive way on the outcome," he said.
Dempsey has been in touch with concerned chiefs of defense throughout the Middle East and Europe. "We've got incredible experience with building partners, and building military and police formations," he said. "And so we've been in discussion about whether if we could find a way to collaborate on ... the issue of whether we could develop a moderate opposition, in particular to stabilize some of the humanitarian issues in northern Jordan and southern Turkey."
These discussions have not risen to the level of a plan, he said, more as a concept. "And I think it's a valid concept to be thinking about in particular if [Syrian President Bashir] Assad after the chemical issue is reconciled if he fails to come to Geneva 2 with an intent to seek a political settlement," Dempsey said. "Then I think like-minded nations might have the opportunity to contribute in different ways if we're asked to."
Syrian Conflict Will Take Years to Sort Out, Dempsey Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2013 - The conflict in Syria will take years to sort out, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today during an interview here.
The Syrian civil war has reverberated around the Middle East and involves a diverse cast of players and power blocs, said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. The chairman is here to meet with South Korean defense leaders.
"It's very complex, it's changing and most importantly we have to see it as a long-term issue," he said during the interview. "The issues that underlie this conflict will not be solved any time soon. I think we're looking at a decade of challenges in the region with Syria being the epicenter."
The war in the Middle Eastern nation has gotten to the point where it has spilled over the borders. "It is not useful to look at Syria as Syria meaning it's not useful to look through the soda straw at the boundaries of Syria and believe you understand the situation," he said.
The conflict stretches from Beirut to Damascus to Baghdad, he said, and it has historic roots. At the beginning, he said, the war had religious undertones, but he believes the more appropriate term should now be religious overtones. "A conflict that started as a rebellion has been hijacked by extremists on both sides al-Qaida affiliates on one side and Lebanese Hezbollah on the other," the chairman said. "The question seems to be what should we be doing to help our regional partners. And we are."
The United States is taking a whole-of-government approach to the region, he said. From the military side, the United States is looking to see how to assist the Lebanese armed forces. U.S. service members are working with the Jordanian military and the United States is working with Turkey a close NATO ally.
"Through the whole-of-government [approach,] we're trying to apply economic factors assistance of other kinds to help identify a moderate opposition so as this thing develops we can have some influence in a positive way on the outcome," he said.
Dempsey has been in touch with concerned chiefs of defense throughout the Middle East and Europe. "We've got incredible experience with building partners, and building military and police formations," he said. "And so we've been in discussion about whether if we could find a way to collaborate on ... the issue of whether we could develop a moderate opposition, in particular to stabilize some of the humanitarian issues in northern Jordan and southern Turkey."
These discussions have not risen to the level of a plan, he said, more as a concept. "And I think it's a valid concept to be thinking about in particular if [Syrian President Bashir] Assad after the chemical issue is reconciled if he fails to come to Geneva 2 with an intent to seek a political settlement," Dempsey said. "Then I think like-minded nations might have the opportunity to contribute in different ways if we're asked to."
FDA APPROVES BRINTELLIX TO TREAT ADULT MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER
FROM: U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Brintellix (vortioxetine) to treat adults with major depressive disorder.
Major depressive disorder (MDD), commonly referred to as depression, is a mental disorder characterized by mood changes and other symptoms that interfere with a person's ability to work, sleep, study, eat and enjoy once-pleasurable activities. Episodes of depression often recur throughout a person's lifetime, although some may experience a single occurrence.
Other signs and symptoms of MDD include loss of interest in usual activities, significant change in weight or appetite, insomnia or excessive sleeping (hypersomnia), restlessness/pacing (psychomotor agitation), increased fatigue, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, slowed thinking or impaired concentration, and suicide attempts or thoughts of suicide. Not all people with MDD experience the same symptoms.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Brintellix (vortioxetine) to treat adults with major depressive disorder.
Major depressive disorder (MDD), commonly referred to as depression, is a mental disorder characterized by mood changes and other symptoms that interfere with a person's ability to work, sleep, study, eat and enjoy once-pleasurable activities. Episodes of depression often recur throughout a person's lifetime, although some may experience a single occurrence.
Other signs and symptoms of MDD include loss of interest in usual activities, significant change in weight or appetite, insomnia or excessive sleeping (hypersomnia), restlessness/pacing (psychomotor agitation), increased fatigue, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, slowed thinking or impaired concentration, and suicide attempts or thoughts of suicide. Not all people with MDD experience the same symptoms.
E-MAIL SENT FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER REGARDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Message from the Attorney General and the President to Employees
~ Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The following message from the Attorney General was emailed to Justice Department employees on October 1, 2013.
Dear Colleagues,
As we enter this unnecessary and harmful government shutdown, I have been asked to pass on the attached message to all federal employees from President Obama.
I also want to reiterate that I am grateful for your dedicated service and I am mindful of how difficult this shutdown is on you, the Department's hard-working employees. While I hope that Congress will act to resolve this situation quickly, I will make every effort to keep you informed over the coming days.
As always, I am proud of the work that we do together to keep our nation and the American people safe each day.
Sincerely,
Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Attorney General
Message from the Attorney General and the President to Employees
~ Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The following message from the Attorney General was emailed to Justice Department employees on October 1, 2013.
Dear Colleagues,
As we enter this unnecessary and harmful government shutdown, I have been asked to pass on the attached message to all federal employees from President Obama.
I also want to reiterate that I am grateful for your dedicated service and I am mindful of how difficult this shutdown is on you, the Department's hard-working employees. While I hope that Congress will act to resolve this situation quickly, I will make every effort to keep you informed over the coming days.
As always, I am proud of the work that we do together to keep our nation and the American people safe each day.
Sincerely,
Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Attorney General
PRESIDENT OBAMA EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT WITH CONGRESS
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Obama Lauds DOD Workforce, Encourages Budget Resolution
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2013 - President Barack Obama thanked the Defense Department workforce today in a video message and expressed his disappointment in Congress' failure to approve a budget, resulting in a government shutdown.
"As president, and as your commander-in-chief, I've worked to make sure you have the strategy, the resources and the support you need to complete the missions our nation asks of you," he said.
"And every time you've met your responsibilities and performed with extraordinary professionalism, skill and courage," Obama said.
Unfortunately, the president said, Congress has not fulfilled its responsibility and failed to pass a budget.
"As a result, much of our government must now shut down until Congress funds it again," Obama said.
Obama noted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other commanders would provide more information on how the shutdown will affect the DOD civilians and their families.
"Today, I want to speak directly to you about how what happens next," he said. "Those of you in uniform will remain in your normal duty status. The threats to our national security have not changed, and we need you to be ready for any contingency."
"Ongoing military operations, like our efforts in Afghanistan, will continue," Obama said. "If you're serving in harm's way, we're going to make sure you have what you need to succeed in your missions."
The president said Congress has passed, and he would sign into law, legislation ensuring those personnel receive their paychecks on time.
"We'll continue to work to address any impact this shut down has on you and your families," Obama said.
"To all our DOD civilians, I know the days ahead could mean more uncertainty, including possible
furloughs," he said. "And I know this comes on top of the furloughs that many of you already endured this summer."
Obama said DOD civilians and their families deserved "better than the dysfunction we're seeing in Congress."
"Your talents and dedication help keep our military the best in the world," he said. "That's why I'll keep working to get Congress to re-open our government and get you back to work as soon as possible."
Obama said the shutdown is occurring against the background of broader changes with the war in Iraq over and the war in Afghanistan slated to end next year.
"After more than a decade of unprecedented operations, we're moving off a war footing," he said. "Yes, our military will be leaner, and as a nation, we face difficult budget choices going forward."
"But here's what I want you to know. I'm going to keep fighting to get rid of those across-the-board budget cuts the sequester which are hurting our military and our economy."
We need a responsible approach, Obama said, that deals with our fiscal challenges and keeps our military and our economy strong.
"I'm going to make sure you stay the greatest military in the world bar none," he added. "That's what I'm fighting for. That's what you and your families deserve."
The president thanked the Defense Department for their commitment to protecting the nation.
"On behalf of the American people, thank you for your service which keeps us free," Obama said. "And thank you for your sacrifice which keeps our nation and our military the greatest force for freedom that the world has ever known."
CFTC CHARGES MISSOURI RESIDENT AND COMPANY WITH VIOLATING COMMODITY EXCHANGE ACT AND FOREX REGULATIONS
FROM: COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
CFTC Files Enforcement Action Charging Missouri Resident Daniel K. Steele and His Foreign Currency Firm with Violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and Forex Regulations
Court enters Order freezing Defendants’ assets and protecting books and records
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced the filing of a civil Complaint against Defendants Daniel K. Steele of Rolla, Missouri, and his firm Champion Management International, LLC (Champion Management). The CFTC’s Complaint charges Steele with, among other things, engaging in an act or practice which operated as a fraud or deceit under Section 4o(1)(B) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) for failing to disclose material information, including that defendants were acting as unregistered Commodity Pool Operators (CPO) for at least two commodity pools engaging in off-exchange retail foreign currency transactions (forex). The Complaint also charges Steele with failing to disclose that the counterparty to the retail forex transactions that were offered or entered into with the respective pools was not registered as a Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer (RFED). The Complaint charges Champion Management with acting as an unregistered CPO in connection with a third forex pool. The Complaint further alleges that neither Defendant has ever been registered with the CFTC in any capacity.
The complaint, filed on September 25, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Eastern Division, alleges that from at least February 28, 2011 through the present (relevant period), Steele individually and acting as an agent of Champion Management, solicited at least $1.7 million from at least 24 pool participants to participate in three forex pools. The Complaint further alleges that Steele, during the relevant period, failed to disclose material information to pool participants, which operated as a fraud in that neither he nor Champion Management were properly registered with the CFTC and that he misappropriated a portion of pool participants’ funds.
On September 25, 2013, the same day the complaint was filed, Judge Rodney W. Sippel, of the U.S. District Court for the for the Eastern District of Missouri, entered under seal an emergency order freezing the defendants’ assets and prohibiting the destruction or alteration of books and records. The judge set a hearing date on the CFTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction for October 7, 2013.
In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks a return of ill-gotten gains, restitution, civil monetary penalties, trading and registration bans, and permanent injunctions against further violations of the federal commodities laws.
The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the Missouri Secretary of State, Securities Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are: Eugene Smith, Melanie Devoe, George Malas, Kyong J. Koh, Peter M. Haas, and Paul G. Hayeck.
CFTC Files Enforcement Action Charging Missouri Resident Daniel K. Steele and His Foreign Currency Firm with Violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and Forex Regulations
Court enters Order freezing Defendants’ assets and protecting books and records
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced the filing of a civil Complaint against Defendants Daniel K. Steele of Rolla, Missouri, and his firm Champion Management International, LLC (Champion Management). The CFTC’s Complaint charges Steele with, among other things, engaging in an act or practice which operated as a fraud or deceit under Section 4o(1)(B) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) for failing to disclose material information, including that defendants were acting as unregistered Commodity Pool Operators (CPO) for at least two commodity pools engaging in off-exchange retail foreign currency transactions (forex). The Complaint also charges Steele with failing to disclose that the counterparty to the retail forex transactions that were offered or entered into with the respective pools was not registered as a Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer (RFED). The Complaint charges Champion Management with acting as an unregistered CPO in connection with a third forex pool. The Complaint further alleges that neither Defendant has ever been registered with the CFTC in any capacity.
The complaint, filed on September 25, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Eastern Division, alleges that from at least February 28, 2011 through the present (relevant period), Steele individually and acting as an agent of Champion Management, solicited at least $1.7 million from at least 24 pool participants to participate in three forex pools. The Complaint further alleges that Steele, during the relevant period, failed to disclose material information to pool participants, which operated as a fraud in that neither he nor Champion Management were properly registered with the CFTC and that he misappropriated a portion of pool participants’ funds.
On September 25, 2013, the same day the complaint was filed, Judge Rodney W. Sippel, of the U.S. District Court for the for the Eastern District of Missouri, entered under seal an emergency order freezing the defendants’ assets and prohibiting the destruction or alteration of books and records. The judge set a hearing date on the CFTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction for October 7, 2013.
In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks a return of ill-gotten gains, restitution, civil monetary penalties, trading and registration bans, and permanent injunctions against further violations of the federal commodities laws.
The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the Missouri Secretary of State, Securities Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are: Eugene Smith, Melanie Devoe, George Malas, Kyong J. Koh, Peter M. Haas, and Paul G. Hayeck.
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT MONDAY ON THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENT OBAMA
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
5:00 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Of all the responsibilities the Constitution endows to Congress, two should be fairly simple: pass a budget, and pay America’s bills.
But if the United States Congress does not fulfill its responsibility to pass a budget today, much of the United States government will be forced to shut down tomorrow. And I want to be very clear about what that shutdown would mean -- what will remain open and what will not.
With regard to operations that will continue: If you’re on Social Security, you will keep receiving your checks. If you’re on Medicare, your doctor will still see you. Everyone’s mail will still be delivered. And government operations related to national security or public safety will go on. Our troops will continue to serve with skill, honor, and courage. Air traffic controllers, prison guards, those who are with border control -- our Border Patrol will remain on their posts, but their paychecks will be delayed until the government reopens. NASA will shut down almost entirely, but Mission Control will remain open to support the astronauts serving on the Space Station.
I also want to be very clear about what would change. Office buildings would close. Paychecks would be delayed. Vital services that seniors and veterans, women and children, businesses and our economy depend on would be hamstrung. Business owners would see delays in raising capital, seeking infrastructure permits, or rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy. Veterans who’ve sacrificed for their country will find their support centers unstaffed. Tourists will find every one of America’s national parks and monuments, from Yosemite to the Smithsonian to the Statue of Liberty, immediately closed. And of course, the communities and small businesses that rely on these national treasures for their livelihoods will be out of customers and out of luck.
And in keeping with the broad ramifications of a shutdown, I think it’s important that everybody understand the federal government is America’s largest employer. More than 2 million civilian workers and 1.4 million active-duty military serve in all 50 states and all around the world. In the event of a government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of these dedicated public servants who stay on the job will do so without pay -- and several hundred thousand more will be immediately and indefinitely furloughed without pay.
What, of course, will not be furloughed are the bills that they have to pay -- their mortgages, their tuition payments, their car notes. These Americans are our neighbors. Their kids go to our schools. They worship where we do. They serve their country with pride. They are the customers of every business in this country. And they would be hurt greatly, and as a consequence, all of us will be hurt greatly, should Congress choose to shut the people’s government down.
So a shutdown will have a very real economic impact on real people, right away. Past shutdowns have disrupted the economy significantly. This one would, too. It would throw a wrench into the gears of our economy at a time when those gears have gained some traction.
Five years ago right now, our economy was in meltdown. Today, our businesses have created 7.5 million new jobs over the past three and a half years. The housing market is healing and our deficits are falling fast. The idea of putting the American people’s hard-earned progress at risk is the height of irresponsibility.
And it doesn’t have to happen. Let me repeat this: It does not have to happen. All of this is entirely preventable if the House chooses to do what the Senate has already done -- and that’s the simple act of funding our government without making extraneous and controversial demands in the process, the same way other Congresses have for more than 200 years.
Unfortunately, right now House Republicans continue to tie funding of the government to ideological demands like limiting a woman’s access to contraception, or delaying the Affordable Care Act, all to save face after making some impossible promises to the extreme right wing of their party.
So let me be clear about this. An important part of the Affordable Care Act takes effect tomorrow no matter what Congress decides to do today. The Affordable Care Act is moving forward. That funding is already in place. You can’t shut it down. This is a law that passed both houses of Congress; a law that bears my signature; a law that the Supreme Court upheld as constitutional; a law that voters chose not to repeal last November; a law that is already providing benefits to millions of Americans in the form of young people staying on their parents’ plan until they’re 26, seniors getting cheaper prescription drugs, making sure that insurance companies aren't imposing lifetime limits when you already have health insurance, providing rebates for consumers when insurance companies are spending too much money on overhead instead of health care. Those things are already happening.
Starting tomorrow, tens of millions of Americans will be able to visit HealthCare.gov to shop for affordable health care coverage. So Americans who’ve lived for years in some cases with the fear that one illness could send them into bankruptcy, Americans who’ve been priced out of the market just because they’ve been sick once, they’ll finally be able to afford coverage -- quality coverage -- many of them for the first time in their lives.
Some of them may be sick as we speak. And this is their best opportunity to get some security and some relief. Tens of thousands of Americans die every single year because they don’t have access to affordable health care. Despite this, Republicans have said that if we lock these Americans out of affordable health care for one more year -- if we sacrifice the health care of millions of Americans -- then they’ll fund the government for a couple more months. Does anybody truly believe that we won’t have this fight again in a couple more months? Even at Christmas?
So here’s the bottom line: I’m always willing to work with anyone of either party to make sure the Affordable Care Act works better, to make sure our government works better. I’m always willing to work with anyone to grow our economy faster, or to create new jobs faster, to get our fiscal house in order for the long run. I’ve demonstrated this time and time again, oftentimes to the consternation of my own party.
But one faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government doesn’t get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election.
Keeping the people’s government open is not a concession to me. Keeping vital services running and hundreds of thousands of Americans on the job is not something you “give” to the other side. It’s our basic responsibility. It’s something that we’re doing for our military, and our businesses, and our economy, and all the hardworking people out there -- the person working for the Agricultural Department out in some rural community who’s out there helping some farmers make sure that they’re making some modest profit for all the hard work they’re putting in. They’re the person working for HUD who’s helping somebody buy a house for the first time. They’re somebody in a VA office who’s counseling one of our vets who’s got PTSD.
That’s who we’re here to serve. That’s why we’re supposed to be carrying out these responsibilities. It’s why we should be avoiding these kinds of constant brinksmanship. It’s something that we do in the ordinary process of this extraordinary system of government that we have. You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job; for doing what you’re supposed to be doing anyway; or just because there’s a law there that you don’t like.
The American people sent us here to govern. They sent us here to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to make their lives a little bit better -- to create new jobs, to restore economic security, to rebuild the prospects of upward mobility. That’s what they expect.
And they understand that there are differences between the parties and we’re going to be having some tough fights around those differences. And I respect the fact that the other party is not supposed to agree with me 100 percent of the time, just like I don’t agree with them. But they do also expect that we don’t bring the entire government to a halt or the entire economy to a halt just because of those differences.
That’s what they deserve. They’ve worked too hard, for too long to recover from previous crises just to have folks here in Washington manufacture yet another one that they have to dig themselves out of.
So Congress needs to keep our government open, needs to pay our bills on time, and never, ever threaten the full faith and credit of the United States of America.
And time is running out. My hope and expectation is that in the eleventh hour, once again, that Congress will choose to do the right thing and that the House of Representatives, in particular, will choose the right thing.
Thank you very much.
END 5:12 P.M. EDT
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
5:00 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Of all the responsibilities the Constitution endows to Congress, two should be fairly simple: pass a budget, and pay America’s bills.
But if the United States Congress does not fulfill its responsibility to pass a budget today, much of the United States government will be forced to shut down tomorrow. And I want to be very clear about what that shutdown would mean -- what will remain open and what will not.
With regard to operations that will continue: If you’re on Social Security, you will keep receiving your checks. If you’re on Medicare, your doctor will still see you. Everyone’s mail will still be delivered. And government operations related to national security or public safety will go on. Our troops will continue to serve with skill, honor, and courage. Air traffic controllers, prison guards, those who are with border control -- our Border Patrol will remain on their posts, but their paychecks will be delayed until the government reopens. NASA will shut down almost entirely, but Mission Control will remain open to support the astronauts serving on the Space Station.
I also want to be very clear about what would change. Office buildings would close. Paychecks would be delayed. Vital services that seniors and veterans, women and children, businesses and our economy depend on would be hamstrung. Business owners would see delays in raising capital, seeking infrastructure permits, or rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy. Veterans who’ve sacrificed for their country will find their support centers unstaffed. Tourists will find every one of America’s national parks and monuments, from Yosemite to the Smithsonian to the Statue of Liberty, immediately closed. And of course, the communities and small businesses that rely on these national treasures for their livelihoods will be out of customers and out of luck.
And in keeping with the broad ramifications of a shutdown, I think it’s important that everybody understand the federal government is America’s largest employer. More than 2 million civilian workers and 1.4 million active-duty military serve in all 50 states and all around the world. In the event of a government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of these dedicated public servants who stay on the job will do so without pay -- and several hundred thousand more will be immediately and indefinitely furloughed without pay.
What, of course, will not be furloughed are the bills that they have to pay -- their mortgages, their tuition payments, their car notes. These Americans are our neighbors. Their kids go to our schools. They worship where we do. They serve their country with pride. They are the customers of every business in this country. And they would be hurt greatly, and as a consequence, all of us will be hurt greatly, should Congress choose to shut the people’s government down.
So a shutdown will have a very real economic impact on real people, right away. Past shutdowns have disrupted the economy significantly. This one would, too. It would throw a wrench into the gears of our economy at a time when those gears have gained some traction.
Five years ago right now, our economy was in meltdown. Today, our businesses have created 7.5 million new jobs over the past three and a half years. The housing market is healing and our deficits are falling fast. The idea of putting the American people’s hard-earned progress at risk is the height of irresponsibility.
And it doesn’t have to happen. Let me repeat this: It does not have to happen. All of this is entirely preventable if the House chooses to do what the Senate has already done -- and that’s the simple act of funding our government without making extraneous and controversial demands in the process, the same way other Congresses have for more than 200 years.
Unfortunately, right now House Republicans continue to tie funding of the government to ideological demands like limiting a woman’s access to contraception, or delaying the Affordable Care Act, all to save face after making some impossible promises to the extreme right wing of their party.
So let me be clear about this. An important part of the Affordable Care Act takes effect tomorrow no matter what Congress decides to do today. The Affordable Care Act is moving forward. That funding is already in place. You can’t shut it down. This is a law that passed both houses of Congress; a law that bears my signature; a law that the Supreme Court upheld as constitutional; a law that voters chose not to repeal last November; a law that is already providing benefits to millions of Americans in the form of young people staying on their parents’ plan until they’re 26, seniors getting cheaper prescription drugs, making sure that insurance companies aren't imposing lifetime limits when you already have health insurance, providing rebates for consumers when insurance companies are spending too much money on overhead instead of health care. Those things are already happening.
Starting tomorrow, tens of millions of Americans will be able to visit HealthCare.gov to shop for affordable health care coverage. So Americans who’ve lived for years in some cases with the fear that one illness could send them into bankruptcy, Americans who’ve been priced out of the market just because they’ve been sick once, they’ll finally be able to afford coverage -- quality coverage -- many of them for the first time in their lives.
Some of them may be sick as we speak. And this is their best opportunity to get some security and some relief. Tens of thousands of Americans die every single year because they don’t have access to affordable health care. Despite this, Republicans have said that if we lock these Americans out of affordable health care for one more year -- if we sacrifice the health care of millions of Americans -- then they’ll fund the government for a couple more months. Does anybody truly believe that we won’t have this fight again in a couple more months? Even at Christmas?
So here’s the bottom line: I’m always willing to work with anyone of either party to make sure the Affordable Care Act works better, to make sure our government works better. I’m always willing to work with anyone to grow our economy faster, or to create new jobs faster, to get our fiscal house in order for the long run. I’ve demonstrated this time and time again, oftentimes to the consternation of my own party.
But one faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government doesn’t get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election.
Keeping the people’s government open is not a concession to me. Keeping vital services running and hundreds of thousands of Americans on the job is not something you “give” to the other side. It’s our basic responsibility. It’s something that we’re doing for our military, and our businesses, and our economy, and all the hardworking people out there -- the person working for the Agricultural Department out in some rural community who’s out there helping some farmers make sure that they’re making some modest profit for all the hard work they’re putting in. They’re the person working for HUD who’s helping somebody buy a house for the first time. They’re somebody in a VA office who’s counseling one of our vets who’s got PTSD.
That’s who we’re here to serve. That’s why we’re supposed to be carrying out these responsibilities. It’s why we should be avoiding these kinds of constant brinksmanship. It’s something that we do in the ordinary process of this extraordinary system of government that we have. You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job; for doing what you’re supposed to be doing anyway; or just because there’s a law there that you don’t like.
The American people sent us here to govern. They sent us here to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to make their lives a little bit better -- to create new jobs, to restore economic security, to rebuild the prospects of upward mobility. That’s what they expect.
And they understand that there are differences between the parties and we’re going to be having some tough fights around those differences. And I respect the fact that the other party is not supposed to agree with me 100 percent of the time, just like I don’t agree with them. But they do also expect that we don’t bring the entire government to a halt or the entire economy to a halt just because of those differences.
That’s what they deserve. They’ve worked too hard, for too long to recover from previous crises just to have folks here in Washington manufacture yet another one that they have to dig themselves out of.
So Congress needs to keep our government open, needs to pay our bills on time, and never, ever threaten the full faith and credit of the United States of America.
And time is running out. My hope and expectation is that in the eleventh hour, once again, that Congress will choose to do the right thing and that the House of Representatives, in particular, will choose the right thing.
Thank you very much.
END 5:12 P.M. EDT
THIS YEARS FLU VACCINE EXPANDS PROTECTION
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
New Vaccine Protects Against Additional Flu Strain
TRICARE Management Activity
FALLS CHURCH, Va., Sept. 26, 2013 - Each year, flu season affects millions of people. Flu season usually begins in October, so now is a great time to protect yourself and your family by getting vaccinated.
The flu shot is easy to get and inexpensive – often free – for TRICARE beneficiaries, and this year the flu vaccine offers even more protection.
Until now, seasonal flu vaccines have only protected against three strains of flu - two strains of influenza A, which usually causes more cases and more severe illness, and one of influenza B, which is less common but also circulates in multiple forms.
The new vaccines include protection against a second strain of influenza B, which experts expect will prevent the vast majority of type B infections.
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, body aches, headaches and fatigue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu virus can be more serious for young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with medical conditions. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.
TRICARE covers both the flu shot and flu mist. Beneficiaries may be able get their flu vaccine, at no cost, from a military treatment facility, hospital or from a pharmacist at one of the 45,000 network pharmacies that administer vaccines to TRICARE beneficiaries.
CDC officials also recommend steps to prevent the spread of germs, which can lead to the flu:
-- Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
-- Stay at home when sick;
-- Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing;
-- Wash hands often with soap and water; and
-- Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth.
CDC officials also recommend getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious food.
New Vaccine Protects Against Additional Flu Strain
TRICARE Management Activity
FALLS CHURCH, Va., Sept. 26, 2013 - Each year, flu season affects millions of people. Flu season usually begins in October, so now is a great time to protect yourself and your family by getting vaccinated.
The flu shot is easy to get and inexpensive – often free – for TRICARE beneficiaries, and this year the flu vaccine offers even more protection.
Until now, seasonal flu vaccines have only protected against three strains of flu - two strains of influenza A, which usually causes more cases and more severe illness, and one of influenza B, which is less common but also circulates in multiple forms.
The new vaccines include protection against a second strain of influenza B, which experts expect will prevent the vast majority of type B infections.
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, body aches, headaches and fatigue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu virus can be more serious for young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with medical conditions. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.
TRICARE covers both the flu shot and flu mist. Beneficiaries may be able get their flu vaccine, at no cost, from a military treatment facility, hospital or from a pharmacist at one of the 45,000 network pharmacies that administer vaccines to TRICARE beneficiaries.
CDC officials also recommend steps to prevent the spread of germs, which can lead to the flu:
-- Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
-- Stay at home when sick;
-- Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing;
-- Wash hands often with soap and water; and
-- Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth.
CDC officials also recommend getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious food.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AGEL MAKES REMARKS ON ROK-US ALLIANCE 60TH ANNIVERSARY
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
ROK-US Alliance 60th Anniversary Dinner
As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Seoul, South Korea, Monday, September 30, 2013
Good evening. President Park, Minister Kim, General Paik, distinguished guests: I am honored to be here in the Republic of Korea for this historic celebration. I bring greetings, Madam President, from President Obama and the gratitude of the American people for your steadfast friendship.
This has been a year devoted to renewing our alliance of shared values and common purpose. In May, I had the privilege of welcoming President Park on her first visit to the United States. And in July, I was honored to join President Obama in hosting General Paik and many others at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, where we commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the 60th Anniversary, the hwan gap, of the signing of our Mutual Defense Treaty. It is also Armed Forces Day, as Minister Kim noted, the day that South Korean forces punched back through the 38th parallel during the Korean War.
It is appropriate that these celebrations fall on the same day. The unwavering alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea has endured because it was forged through a history of shared sacrifice.
Those ties are embodied by General Paik Sun-Yup, in whose name we are presenting an award tonight, as well as its recipient, the late General Walton Walker, who led the defense of the Pusan Perimeter...Both generals were strong, decisive leaders during the war, and their courage has inspired and shaped our alliance.
In fact, General Paik was one of the first people to talk to President Eisenhower about the idea of a mutual defense treaty between our two nations – a treaty that became a linchpin of stability and prosperity throughout the region.
And that first word – mutual – is what makes it all work. It's what's so important.
For sixty years, U.S. and South Korean forces have stood together against aggression on 'freedom's frontier.' Earlier today, as Minister Kim noted, he and I visited with some of our troops stationed near the DMZ. It was a chilling reminder of the threat North Korea poses not only to this country, but to the region, and to the United States homeland as well. Yet we remain vigilant against any threat from the North. The Second Infantry Division is proud, ready, and prepared to 'fight tonight' if it has to.
But our celebration tonight is about more than what we have accomplished here on this peninsula – including this country's transformation into an economic and military power. We are also celebrating the reality that our alliance has grown into a global partnership that transcends national borders and regional boundaries.
When the United States Senate was debating whether to ratify our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Republic of Korea, the Senate Majority Leader, William Knowland, said he had "no doubt that if this nation ever became involved in a war anywhere in the world ... the Republic of Korea would be there."
In hindsight, these words could not have been more prescient.
In every major military engagement the United States has undertaken since then, we have lived by the motto "we go together."
We have gone together in Vietnam, where I served alongside South Korean soldiers. They were some of the toughest, bravest fighting men I have ever encountered. And they were some of the most dependable.
We have gone together in the Persian Gulf, where you deployed troops for medical and transportation support during Operation Desert Storm.
We have gone together in Somalia, in Lebanon, and Haiti, where South Korean troops helped with important humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.
We have gone together in Iraq, where you deployed thousands of combat medics and engineers to help with reconstruction and humanitarian aid.
And we have gone together in Afghanistan, where you have sent not only troops, doctors, and engineers, but also a full [Provincial] Reconstruction Team. As we bring that mission to a responsible end next year, the U.S. military is proud to have served with our Korean allies once again.
For sixty years, the words katchi kapshida – we go together – have defined this alliance. But the threats in this increasingly complex and dangerous world demand that we continue to go together. And we will.
Even though our alliance has never been stronger than it is today, that does not mean we cannot grow and mature. While the root of our alliance will always be the defense of territory, building on that foundation will let us go together into the future as active strategic partners – both here on the Korean Peninsula, and around the world. As two prosperous nations, and highly capable militaries, there is much we can do to contribute to the security of this region, and the world, if we continue to go together.
I am told that the hwan gap is not only a celebration of longevity, but also a reaffirmation of hope for an even longer, more secure, and more prosperous life. Tonight and tomorrow, as we celebrate this special milestone, let us also rededicate our commitment to building a long, secure, and prosperous future together.
This alliance has changed a great deal over the past 60 years, and it will continue to change in the future. But there should be no doubt – no doubt – that it will always change for the better.
The United States and the Republic of Korea have stood together in the past, we stand together today, and we will stand together in the future.
Thank you.
ROK-US Alliance 60th Anniversary Dinner
As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Seoul, South Korea, Monday, September 30, 2013
Good evening. President Park, Minister Kim, General Paik, distinguished guests: I am honored to be here in the Republic of Korea for this historic celebration. I bring greetings, Madam President, from President Obama and the gratitude of the American people for your steadfast friendship.
This has been a year devoted to renewing our alliance of shared values and common purpose. In May, I had the privilege of welcoming President Park on her first visit to the United States. And in July, I was honored to join President Obama in hosting General Paik and many others at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, where we commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the 60th Anniversary, the hwan gap, of the signing of our Mutual Defense Treaty. It is also Armed Forces Day, as Minister Kim noted, the day that South Korean forces punched back through the 38th parallel during the Korean War.
It is appropriate that these celebrations fall on the same day. The unwavering alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea has endured because it was forged through a history of shared sacrifice.
Those ties are embodied by General Paik Sun-Yup, in whose name we are presenting an award tonight, as well as its recipient, the late General Walton Walker, who led the defense of the Pusan Perimeter...Both generals were strong, decisive leaders during the war, and their courage has inspired and shaped our alliance.
In fact, General Paik was one of the first people to talk to President Eisenhower about the idea of a mutual defense treaty between our two nations – a treaty that became a linchpin of stability and prosperity throughout the region.
And that first word – mutual – is what makes it all work. It's what's so important.
For sixty years, U.S. and South Korean forces have stood together against aggression on 'freedom's frontier.' Earlier today, as Minister Kim noted, he and I visited with some of our troops stationed near the DMZ. It was a chilling reminder of the threat North Korea poses not only to this country, but to the region, and to the United States homeland as well. Yet we remain vigilant against any threat from the North. The Second Infantry Division is proud, ready, and prepared to 'fight tonight' if it has to.
But our celebration tonight is about more than what we have accomplished here on this peninsula – including this country's transformation into an economic and military power. We are also celebrating the reality that our alliance has grown into a global partnership that transcends national borders and regional boundaries.
When the United States Senate was debating whether to ratify our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Republic of Korea, the Senate Majority Leader, William Knowland, said he had "no doubt that if this nation ever became involved in a war anywhere in the world ... the Republic of Korea would be there."
In hindsight, these words could not have been more prescient.
In every major military engagement the United States has undertaken since then, we have lived by the motto "we go together."
We have gone together in Vietnam, where I served alongside South Korean soldiers. They were some of the toughest, bravest fighting men I have ever encountered. And they were some of the most dependable.
We have gone together in the Persian Gulf, where you deployed troops for medical and transportation support during Operation Desert Storm.
We have gone together in Somalia, in Lebanon, and Haiti, where South Korean troops helped with important humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.
We have gone together in Iraq, where you deployed thousands of combat medics and engineers to help with reconstruction and humanitarian aid.
And we have gone together in Afghanistan, where you have sent not only troops, doctors, and engineers, but also a full [Provincial] Reconstruction Team. As we bring that mission to a responsible end next year, the U.S. military is proud to have served with our Korean allies once again.
For sixty years, the words katchi kapshida – we go together – have defined this alliance. But the threats in this increasingly complex and dangerous world demand that we continue to go together. And we will.
Even though our alliance has never been stronger than it is today, that does not mean we cannot grow and mature. While the root of our alliance will always be the defense of territory, building on that foundation will let us go together into the future as active strategic partners – both here on the Korean Peninsula, and around the world. As two prosperous nations, and highly capable militaries, there is much we can do to contribute to the security of this region, and the world, if we continue to go together.
I am told that the hwan gap is not only a celebration of longevity, but also a reaffirmation of hope for an even longer, more secure, and more prosperous life. Tonight and tomorrow, as we celebrate this special milestone, let us also rededicate our commitment to building a long, secure, and prosperous future together.
This alliance has changed a great deal over the past 60 years, and it will continue to change in the future. But there should be no doubt – no doubt – that it will always change for the better.
The United States and the Republic of Korea have stood together in the past, we stand together today, and we will stand together in the future.
Thank you.
GSA ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER BLUE'S STATEMENT ON CERTIFICATION IN REWARDING SUSTAINABLE FISHING
FROM: U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
The Role of Certification in Rewarding Sustainable Fishing
Statement of Darren Blue
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Facilities Management & Services Program
General Services Administration
Before the House Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation
Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
September 24, 2013
Good morning Chairman Begich, Ranking Member Rubio, and members of the Subcommittee. I am Darren Blue, Assistant Commissioner for Facilities Management and Services Programs in GSA’s Public Buildings Service. I appreciate being invited here today to discuss GSA’s role in developing guidelines for healthy and sustainable food services in federal facilities.
Today I will speak to the GSA’s support of health and sustainability policies and practices within our inventory of Federal office space.
First and foremost, I’d like to establish GSA’s view that U.S.-managed fisheries do not require third-party certification to demonstrate responsible practices. GSA is working with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other agencies to revise our Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations to ensure they provide absolute clarity on this matter.
Development of GSA-HHS Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations
In 2009, President Obama issued Executive Order 13514, “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance,” directing Federal agencies to leverage acquisitions to encourage markets for sustainable products and services. As the Federal government’s landlord, GSA is well positioned to drive change by supporting sustainability in federal facilities and encouraging health and wellness among federal employees.
From 2009 to 2011, GSA and HHS jointly developed the Health and Sustainability Guidelines with a working group that included health and sustainability experts from several Federal agencies. GSA and HHS co-released the Guidelines in March 2011. NOAA did not participate in the development of the original Guidelines, but GSA and HHS have since been working with NOAA to develop revisions.
We designed the Guidelines to make healthy choices more accessible and appealing. As written, they serve as a practical guide and resource for vendors crafting proposals to provide concessions or vending services in federal facilities. Our intent was to broaden choices, not restrict choices.
GSA worked extensively with private industry in developing the Guidelines. In October 2009, prior to beginning our partnership with HHS, GSA released a Request for Information to gain valuable feedback and insight from concessions and environmental stakeholders on wellness and sustainability practices in food service delivery and concessions contracting. Some of the responses suggested the idea of third-party sustainable fishing certification programs as a guide for responsible seafood procurement.
GSA confirmed the recommendations generated through the RFI process, and during a subsequent industry roundtable with industry experts and our other federal agency partners, we developed Guidelines that cited a pair of third-party entities for sustainability certification. Specifically, the guidelines encouraged vendors to refer to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Marine Stewardship Council or other equivalent systems when developing proposals.
GSA and HHS intended the third-party groups cited in the Guidelines to be helpful examples for vendors, not eliminating factors. We now understand that these references have caused some confusion. GSA and HHS are now working with NOAA to develop revisions consistent with our intent to issue helpful, inclusive Guidelines that reflect federal fisheries management policy and practices. We expect to release the revised Guidelines in the coming weeks, and GSA anticipates that they will not include references to third-party certification systems.
Conclusion
Thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. Given GSA’s role in supporting sustainable workplaces and the health and wellness of federal employees across the country, we look forward to continuing this dialogue and updating the Subcommittee on the issuance of updated Guidelines. I am pleased to take your questions.
The Role of Certification in Rewarding Sustainable Fishing
Statement of Darren Blue
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Facilities Management & Services Program
General Services Administration
Before the House Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation
Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
September 24, 2013
Good morning Chairman Begich, Ranking Member Rubio, and members of the Subcommittee. I am Darren Blue, Assistant Commissioner for Facilities Management and Services Programs in GSA’s Public Buildings Service. I appreciate being invited here today to discuss GSA’s role in developing guidelines for healthy and sustainable food services in federal facilities.
Today I will speak to the GSA’s support of health and sustainability policies and practices within our inventory of Federal office space.
First and foremost, I’d like to establish GSA’s view that U.S.-managed fisheries do not require third-party certification to demonstrate responsible practices. GSA is working with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other agencies to revise our Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations to ensure they provide absolute clarity on this matter.
Development of GSA-HHS Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations
In 2009, President Obama issued Executive Order 13514, “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance,” directing Federal agencies to leverage acquisitions to encourage markets for sustainable products and services. As the Federal government’s landlord, GSA is well positioned to drive change by supporting sustainability in federal facilities and encouraging health and wellness among federal employees.
From 2009 to 2011, GSA and HHS jointly developed the Health and Sustainability Guidelines with a working group that included health and sustainability experts from several Federal agencies. GSA and HHS co-released the Guidelines in March 2011. NOAA did not participate in the development of the original Guidelines, but GSA and HHS have since been working with NOAA to develop revisions.
We designed the Guidelines to make healthy choices more accessible and appealing. As written, they serve as a practical guide and resource for vendors crafting proposals to provide concessions or vending services in federal facilities. Our intent was to broaden choices, not restrict choices.
GSA worked extensively with private industry in developing the Guidelines. In October 2009, prior to beginning our partnership with HHS, GSA released a Request for Information to gain valuable feedback and insight from concessions and environmental stakeholders on wellness and sustainability practices in food service delivery and concessions contracting. Some of the responses suggested the idea of third-party sustainable fishing certification programs as a guide for responsible seafood procurement.
GSA confirmed the recommendations generated through the RFI process, and during a subsequent industry roundtable with industry experts and our other federal agency partners, we developed Guidelines that cited a pair of third-party entities for sustainability certification. Specifically, the guidelines encouraged vendors to refer to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Marine Stewardship Council or other equivalent systems when developing proposals.
GSA and HHS intended the third-party groups cited in the Guidelines to be helpful examples for vendors, not eliminating factors. We now understand that these references have caused some confusion. GSA and HHS are now working with NOAA to develop revisions consistent with our intent to issue helpful, inclusive Guidelines that reflect federal fisheries management policy and practices. We expect to release the revised Guidelines in the coming weeks, and GSA anticipates that they will not include references to third-party certification systems.
Conclusion
Thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. Given GSA’s role in supporting sustainable workplaces and the health and wellness of federal employees across the country, we look forward to continuing this dialogue and updating the Subcommittee on the issuance of updated Guidelines. I am pleased to take your questions.
CENTRAL COMMAND COMMANDER GEN. AUSTIN SAYS DRAWDOWN IN AFGHANISTAN IS "HERCULEAN..."
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghanistan Drawdown Proceeds on Schedule, Austin Reports
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2013 - Calling the drawdown in Afghanistan a "herculean undertaking," the U.S. Central Command commander overseeing it said he's applying some of the lessons he learned in Iraq, but that he recognizes there's no cookie-cutter formula that applies completely to the distinctly different operations.
Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III served as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq when Operation New Dawn concluded in December 2011. Former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta praised him during a closing ceremony in Baghdad for his leadership in carrying out "one of the most complex logistical undertakings in U.S. military history."
"Your effort to make this day a reality is nothing short of miraculous," Panetta told him.
Two years later, Austin is in the midst of an even more daunting challenge in Afghanistan, as he oversees the drawdown of the largest coalition campaign in modern history.
"The biggest challenge is simply coordinating the many different activities involved in the transition," he told American Forces Press Service via an email interview. It is a herculean undertaking, he added, and it must be properly synchronized to achieve the stated objectives by the Dec. 31, 2014, deadline.
Complicating the process, Austin said, is the fact that the security environment remains volatile.
"We must keep in mind that we are conducting this transition while facing a determined and formidable enemy," he said. "And, the enemy undoubtedly has a vote in determining the course of events going forward."
As they work to meet President Barack Obama's directive to reduce the force to 34,000 by February and to complete the drawdown by the end of 2014, Austin said, he and his staff are drawing on the experience they gained in Iraq.
"Transitioning from a theater of war represents a complex undertaking that, unfortunately, does not have a 'one size fits all' solution," he said.
"However, there are a number of lessons learned from our experiences in Iraq that are being applied in Afghanistan," he said. "We were successful in conducting the transition from Iraq, and we are now doing a good job of applying the knowledge and experience gained there toward efforts in Afghanistan."
Particularly valuable, he said, are insights into best practices in logistics to ways to more seamlessly transfer responsibilities across the interagency community and to the host nation.
"The process of moving a mountain of equipment and tens of thousands of people out of that country, gradually reducing our physical footprint and transferring responsibilities to our Afghan and U.S. State Department partners is a carefully orchestrated effort," Austin said.
In many ways, Austin called the challenge of transitioning from Afghanistan "even more difficult than Iraq."
"The major difference between the two countries can be summed up in two words: geography and infrastructure," he said. "In Iraq, we were fortunate to have access to a single ground route to the port city of Kuwait, which was a relatively short distance from Iraq."
Not so in land-locked Afghanistan. The transition there requires equipment to be moved over several ground routes that are considerably longer and in some cases, less developed than in Iraq, he noted.
"The terrain in Afghanistan is also much harsher and more difficult to negotiate," he said, noting that some of the ground routes traverse multiple nations, requiring highly detailed coordination.
"While we are doing well in our efforts to move equipment out of the country using various ground and air assets, the magnitude of the task at hand will continue to present a challenge and require significant resources in order to meet the desired timeframe for completion," Austin said.
Austin visited Afghanistan personally to assess progress, and said he's pleased with what he found.
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., commander of the International Security Assistance Force, and his team "are among the best we have ever had there, and they are doing a truly phenomenal job," Austin reported.
Afghanistan Drawdown Proceeds on Schedule, Austin Reports
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2013 - Calling the drawdown in Afghanistan a "herculean undertaking," the U.S. Central Command commander overseeing it said he's applying some of the lessons he learned in Iraq, but that he recognizes there's no cookie-cutter formula that applies completely to the distinctly different operations.
Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III served as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq when Operation New Dawn concluded in December 2011. Former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta praised him during a closing ceremony in Baghdad for his leadership in carrying out "one of the most complex logistical undertakings in U.S. military history."
"Your effort to make this day a reality is nothing short of miraculous," Panetta told him.
Two years later, Austin is in the midst of an even more daunting challenge in Afghanistan, as he oversees the drawdown of the largest coalition campaign in modern history.
"The biggest challenge is simply coordinating the many different activities involved in the transition," he told American Forces Press Service via an email interview. It is a herculean undertaking, he added, and it must be properly synchronized to achieve the stated objectives by the Dec. 31, 2014, deadline.
Complicating the process, Austin said, is the fact that the security environment remains volatile.
"We must keep in mind that we are conducting this transition while facing a determined and formidable enemy," he said. "And, the enemy undoubtedly has a vote in determining the course of events going forward."
As they work to meet President Barack Obama's directive to reduce the force to 34,000 by February and to complete the drawdown by the end of 2014, Austin said, he and his staff are drawing on the experience they gained in Iraq.
"Transitioning from a theater of war represents a complex undertaking that, unfortunately, does not have a 'one size fits all' solution," he said.
"However, there are a number of lessons learned from our experiences in Iraq that are being applied in Afghanistan," he said. "We were successful in conducting the transition from Iraq, and we are now doing a good job of applying the knowledge and experience gained there toward efforts in Afghanistan."
Particularly valuable, he said, are insights into best practices in logistics to ways to more seamlessly transfer responsibilities across the interagency community and to the host nation.
"The process of moving a mountain of equipment and tens of thousands of people out of that country, gradually reducing our physical footprint and transferring responsibilities to our Afghan and U.S. State Department partners is a carefully orchestrated effort," Austin said.
In many ways, Austin called the challenge of transitioning from Afghanistan "even more difficult than Iraq."
"The major difference between the two countries can be summed up in two words: geography and infrastructure," he said. "In Iraq, we were fortunate to have access to a single ground route to the port city of Kuwait, which was a relatively short distance from Iraq."
Not so in land-locked Afghanistan. The transition there requires equipment to be moved over several ground routes that are considerably longer and in some cases, less developed than in Iraq, he noted.
"The terrain in Afghanistan is also much harsher and more difficult to negotiate," he said, noting that some of the ground routes traverse multiple nations, requiring highly detailed coordination.
"While we are doing well in our efforts to move equipment out of the country using various ground and air assets, the magnitude of the task at hand will continue to present a challenge and require significant resources in order to meet the desired timeframe for completion," Austin said.
Austin visited Afghanistan personally to assess progress, and said he's pleased with what he found.
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., commander of the International Security Assistance Force, and his team "are among the best we have ever had there, and they are doing a truly phenomenal job," Austin reported.
CHEMISTRY: THE ANIMAL LANGUAGE OF THE SEA
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| Credit: NOAA |
Chemical ecologists translate the language of the sea
If Dr. Dolittle could talk to the animals, it's more likely he was a chemical ecologist than a linguist, says marine scientist Mark Hay of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta--at least when it came to talking to the animals (and plants) of the sea.
Chemical signals are the primary "language" used by ocean organisms. Using a kind of extra-sensory perception of the deep, marine animals and plants react to other species and to their environment based on these cues.
Humans are poorly designed to understand such chemically-driven interactions "because we sense the world primarily via visual and auditory input," Hay says.
"In contrast, many ocean species lack eyes and ears. They sense much of their world via chemical signals. In the sea, even species that see and hear rely on chemical cues."
Dark New York City streets--in the sea
Imagine walking along a bustling New York City street at night. Suddenly, the boulevard goes pitch-black and deathly silent--permanently.
How would you find food, a mate or protect yourself against thieves and murderers? What if you had to rely on detecting chemicals produced by other people and other animals to survive?
"For ocean animals and plants, it's like that every minute of every day," says Hay. For most marine species, chemical cues determine whether they consume, fight with, run from or mate with the creatures next to them--and whether they are eaten by, infected by or overgrown by natural enemies.
Welcome to New York City...eerily silent and utterly dark...beneath the waves.
Dead ahead are the shapeshifters, marine denizens that use chemical cues to change their outward appearances.
Facing the shape-shifters
When the bloom-forming phytoplankton Phaeocystis globosa chemically senses its next-door neighbors under attack by ciliates, which feast on small foods like phytoplankton, it shifts shape and grows in colonies too big for the ciliates to consume.
Then when the phytoplankton's neighbors are attacked by copepods, says Hay, which feed on large foods, Phaeocystis globosa suppresses colony formation and grows as single cells too small to interest the copepods.
"These shifts could alter energy flow, nutrient cycling and patterns of carbon sequestration in the sea," says Hay. "Chemical cues affect not only individual behavior and population-level processes, but also community organization and ecosystem function."
Finding food: no clues but molecules
What if you had to fly a plane over an area the size of Canada to locate a grocery store with no cues but a few simple "fresh food" molecules wafting through the air?
Tube-nosed seabirds--storm-petrels, albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters and others--do exactly that. They use a chemical cue to track high-productivity areas in open seas where they forage on zooplankton, fish and squid.
They're responding to the presence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), produced when zooplankton feed on blooms of phytoplankton then excrete this substance.
"At scales of thousands of square kilometers, DMS may function as an olfactory landscape," says Hay, "indicating ocean areas where phytoplankton and zooplankton accumulate and where the search for prey should be most successful."
Chemical cues: from oceans to human health
To discover how chemical signals play a part in ocean ecosystems, and perhaps human health, Hay and colleagues are studying marine organisms and how they produce and deploy their chemical arsenals.
Understanding substances that cloak seaweeds and other species could allow scientists to adapt these compounds for use against microbial pathogens, HIV, cancer and other human diseases.
As part of a project supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Hay and colleagues have analyzed compounds from more than 800 species in the waters around Fiji Islands like Yanuca. The project is co-funded by the National Institutes of Health's International Cooperative Biodiversity Group program.
"The study of chemical signaling on Fiji Island coral reefs will help us better understand the interactions that keep the oceans healthy," says David Garrison, program director in NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the research.
One species has emerged as a frontrunner in Hay's investigations: the red seaweed Callophycus serratus.
The alga is adept at fighting infections. Chemical extracts from Callophycus serratus fend off disease-causing microbes. The compounds are among the largest groups of algal antifungal chemical defenses discovered to date.
"We're in effect ‘listening in' on the fight between this red seaweed and a fungus that's trying to attack it," says Hay. "What we hear may allow us to translate the language of the sea into that of human biomedicine."
Tuning into The Deep
He may be tuning in for some time. Callophycus serratus produces at least 28 bioactive compounds.
Why would a single species of seaweed produce so many bioactive substances? The compounds may work together against a host of enemies, says Hay. "Or they may have separate uses we don't yet comprehend."
Hay is busy deciphering. He and colleagues have found that Callophycus serratus contains bromophycolides--in ocean-speak, chemicals that have shown promise as new treatments for infectious diseases.
Whether working along the shores of Fiji or in the seas around Florida, Panama or the Caribbean Islands, Hay is proving that we can interpret the language of marine organisms.
"Knowing what's being communicated will provide a deeper understanding of marine ecosystems," says Hay, "and improve our ability to serve as wise stewards of these natural resources."
Monday, September 30, 2013
DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS "STUPID"
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Carter Says Shutdown Would Be 'Disruptive, Stupid'
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2013 - The shutdown that looms if the government isn't funded beyond the end of the fiscal year at midnight tonight would be "disruptive and stupid," Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said here today.
Carter preceded a scheduled speech on India at the Center for American Progress with his thoughts on the impending shutdown.
"Let me just emphasize that the administration firmly believes that a shutdown can be avoided, should be avoided, and while we in the Department of Defense are fully prepared to deal with the shutdown if it occurs," he said, "it will be extremely disruptive and unfortunate, especially for the men and women who are defending this country who now have to worry about receiving their paychecks on time."
About half of the Defense Department's civilian personnel will be placed on no duty-no pay furloughs if the shutdown occurs, the deputy secretary said, noting that they already had been furloughed for more than a week earlier this year.
"This is no way to treat patriots working in our department and will cause serious harm to productivity and morale," Carter said.
Planning for the shutdown is itself disruptive, he added.
"We're spending thousands of hours on complex planning for a shutdown instead of spending this time more wisely and efficiently on addressing our national security challenges," he said.
The Defense Department is prepared to deal with the shutdown if it occurs, Carter said, just as it was prepared to deal with sequestration spending cuts.
"But a shutdown will be disruptive and harmful to the national security mission," he added. "We strongly urge the Congress to pass a budget and avoid a disruptive and stupid shutdown of the federal government."
Carter Says Shutdown Would Be 'Disruptive, Stupid'
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2013 - The shutdown that looms if the government isn't funded beyond the end of the fiscal year at midnight tonight would be "disruptive and stupid," Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said here today.
Carter preceded a scheduled speech on India at the Center for American Progress with his thoughts on the impending shutdown.
"Let me just emphasize that the administration firmly believes that a shutdown can be avoided, should be avoided, and while we in the Department of Defense are fully prepared to deal with the shutdown if it occurs," he said, "it will be extremely disruptive and unfortunate, especially for the men and women who are defending this country who now have to worry about receiving their paychecks on time."
About half of the Defense Department's civilian personnel will be placed on no duty-no pay furloughs if the shutdown occurs, the deputy secretary said, noting that they already had been furloughed for more than a week earlier this year.
"This is no way to treat patriots working in our department and will cause serious harm to productivity and morale," Carter said.
Planning for the shutdown is itself disruptive, he added.
"We're spending thousands of hours on complex planning for a shutdown instead of spending this time more wisely and efficiently on addressing our national security challenges," he said.
The Defense Department is prepared to deal with the shutdown if it occurs, Carter said, just as it was prepared to deal with sequestration spending cuts.
"But a shutdown will be disruptive and harmful to the national security mission," he added. "We strongly urge the Congress to pass a budget and avoid a disruptive and stupid shutdown of the federal government."
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU MAKE COMMENTS BEFORE MEETING
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
September 30, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. It’s my great pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister of Israel here and to the State Department. I think – (audio feedback). Ta-da. (Laughter).
Obviously, I’ve had a number of very generous, warm welcomes as I have visited Israel and the Mideast frequently. I think I’ve been probably the most frequent visitor; I should get frequent flyer miles for my visits to the Prime Minister’s office.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: We couldn’t afford it. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: But it is more than safe to say that the Prime Minister and I are every meeting forging a better and better relationship, a stronger and stronger friendship on a very personal level. And I’m very grateful to him for his very generous welcomes to me, the amount of time he has spent with me in Jerusalem working through very complicated but very, very important issues.
Israel, as everybody knows, is a very special friend to the United States of America. And we have just had a very constructive luncheon with the President and a very important meeting before that with a larger group of people. And now the Prime Minister and I will talk about both Iran, the Middle East peace process, Syria, and issues of concern.
We are committed to continuing to work constructively to move forward on the peace process, though it is always difficult, complicated. We know that. But we’re working in good faith. I have confidence in the Prime Minister’s commitment to this effort, and I also want him to know that as we reach out to respond to Iran’s efforts to purportedly change its relationship with the world, we do so very aware of and sensitive to the security needs of Israel and the demands for certainty and transparency and accountability in this process.
So I look forward today to furthering our conversation, and I’m very, very happy to finally welcome the Prime Minister here to the State Department.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Mr. Secretary, thank you. John, it’s good to be with you. We have if not the whole world, a good chunk of it to discuss, and we do so as friends and as people seriously committed to both achieving security and a durable peace. These are hard things to achieve, but none better than you and us to try to do it together.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thanks, partner.
Remarks With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
September 30, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. It’s my great pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister of Israel here and to the State Department. I think – (audio feedback). Ta-da. (Laughter).
Obviously, I’ve had a number of very generous, warm welcomes as I have visited Israel and the Mideast frequently. I think I’ve been probably the most frequent visitor; I should get frequent flyer miles for my visits to the Prime Minister’s office.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: We couldn’t afford it. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: But it is more than safe to say that the Prime Minister and I are every meeting forging a better and better relationship, a stronger and stronger friendship on a very personal level. And I’m very grateful to him for his very generous welcomes to me, the amount of time he has spent with me in Jerusalem working through very complicated but very, very important issues.
Israel, as everybody knows, is a very special friend to the United States of America. And we have just had a very constructive luncheon with the President and a very important meeting before that with a larger group of people. And now the Prime Minister and I will talk about both Iran, the Middle East peace process, Syria, and issues of concern.
We are committed to continuing to work constructively to move forward on the peace process, though it is always difficult, complicated. We know that. But we’re working in good faith. I have confidence in the Prime Minister’s commitment to this effort, and I also want him to know that as we reach out to respond to Iran’s efforts to purportedly change its relationship with the world, we do so very aware of and sensitive to the security needs of Israel and the demands for certainty and transparency and accountability in this process.
So I look forward today to furthering our conversation, and I’m very, very happy to finally welcome the Prime Minister here to the State Department.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Mr. Secretary, thank you. John, it’s good to be with you. We have if not the whole world, a good chunk of it to discuss, and we do so as friends and as people seriously committed to both achieving security and a durable peace. These are hard things to achieve, but none better than you and us to try to do it together.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thanks, partner.
DOJ ANNOUNCED ENHANCED ONLINE RESOURCES FOR U.S. VICTIMS OF OVERSEAS TERRORISM
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Justice Department Announces Enhanced Online Resource for U.S. Victims of Overseas Terrorism
The Justice Department today announced an enhanced online resource designed to support American victims of overseas terrorism. The site, sponsored and maintained by the National Security Division’s Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism (OVT), will expand the public’s ability to obtain information about the types of support available to help victims of overseas attacks and their loved ones in the aftermath of acts of international terrorism, including information about programs available to assist victims in connection with foreign criminal justice proceedings. In addition, the website provides greater information about OVT’s establishment and services, for victims and others interested in OVT’s work.
“This enhanced website will serve as an important resource for U.S. victims of overseas terrorism and their loved ones,” said John P. Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The Department remains committed both to seeking justice for Americans victimized by terrorism, whether at home or abroad, and to providing victims the information and support they deserve.”
The Attorney General established the OVT on May 6, 2005. It is now a component of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The primary purpose of the OVT is to ensure that the investigation and prosecution of terrorist attacks against American citizens overseas remain a high priority within the Department of Justice.
The OVT is responsible for monitoring the investigation and prosecution of terrorist attacks against Americans abroad; working with other pertinent Justice Department components to ensure that the rights of victims of such attacks are honored and respected; establishing a Joint Task Force with the Department of State, to be activated in the event of a terrorist attack in which Americans are harmed; and serving as an information resource to American victims of overseas terrorism including, as appropriate, information about ongoing foreign investigations and prosecutions.
“It is crucially important that any Americans attacked while traveling or living outside of our borders receive the support of our government as they pursue justice in the aftermath of the tragedy of terrorism,” said Heather Cartwright, Director of the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism. “This online resource gathers in one place important information for American victims of overseas terrorism and provides assistance as they seek accountability for these crimes.”
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Justice Department Announces Enhanced Online Resource for U.S. Victims of Overseas Terrorism
The Justice Department today announced an enhanced online resource designed to support American victims of overseas terrorism. The site, sponsored and maintained by the National Security Division’s Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism (OVT), will expand the public’s ability to obtain information about the types of support available to help victims of overseas attacks and their loved ones in the aftermath of acts of international terrorism, including information about programs available to assist victims in connection with foreign criminal justice proceedings. In addition, the website provides greater information about OVT’s establishment and services, for victims and others interested in OVT’s work.
“This enhanced website will serve as an important resource for U.S. victims of overseas terrorism and their loved ones,” said John P. Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The Department remains committed both to seeking justice for Americans victimized by terrorism, whether at home or abroad, and to providing victims the information and support they deserve.”
The Attorney General established the OVT on May 6, 2005. It is now a component of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The primary purpose of the OVT is to ensure that the investigation and prosecution of terrorist attacks against American citizens overseas remain a high priority within the Department of Justice.
The OVT is responsible for monitoring the investigation and prosecution of terrorist attacks against Americans abroad; working with other pertinent Justice Department components to ensure that the rights of victims of such attacks are honored and respected; establishing a Joint Task Force with the Department of State, to be activated in the event of a terrorist attack in which Americans are harmed; and serving as an information resource to American victims of overseas terrorism including, as appropriate, information about ongoing foreign investigations and prosecutions.
“It is crucially important that any Americans attacked while traveling or living outside of our borders receive the support of our government as they pursue justice in the aftermath of the tragedy of terrorism,” said Heather Cartwright, Director of the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism. “This online resource gathers in one place important information for American victims of overseas terrorism and provides assistance as they seek accountability for these crimes.”
ETHANOL TRADER CHARGED BY CFTC WITH SCHEMING TO CONCEAL TRADING LOSSES
FROM: U.S. COMMODITY FUTURE TRADING COMMISSION
CFTC Charges Ethanol Trader John Aaron Brooks with Fraud for Scheming to Conceal Trading Losses
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today filed a civil injunctive enforcement action charging John Aaron Brooks with defrauding an affiliate of a large commercial bank where he then worked by scheming to conceal trading losses from the bank and its affiliate. As alleged in the CFTC’s Complaint, Brooks effectuated his scheme by inflating the value of New York Mercantile Exchange Chicago Ethanol (Platts) Futures contracts to conceal trading losses he was incurring. The losses concealed ultimately grew to cause the bank and its affiliate to suffer over $40 million in realized losses before Brooks’s fraud was detected, leading to his termination, according to the Complaint. Brooks resides in Houston, Texas.
The CFTC’s civil complaint, filed September 27, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that for the majority of the days for nearly eleven months beginning in or about November 2010, and continuing through on or about October 20, 2011, Brooks, then employed as Director in the commodities business of the bank affiliate, knowingly entered false inflated prices into an internal trade booking and valuation computer software system to effectuate his scheme to conceal trading losses.
In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks a civil monetary penalty, restitution, trading and registration bans, and a permanent injunction prohibiting further violations of the federal commodities laws, as charged.
CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case includes Janine Gargiulo, Michael Geiser, Trevor Kokal, David Acevedo, Lenel Hickson, Stephen J. Obie, Manal Sultan, and Vincent McGonagle.
CFTC Charges Ethanol Trader John Aaron Brooks with Fraud for Scheming to Conceal Trading Losses
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today filed a civil injunctive enforcement action charging John Aaron Brooks with defrauding an affiliate of a large commercial bank where he then worked by scheming to conceal trading losses from the bank and its affiliate. As alleged in the CFTC’s Complaint, Brooks effectuated his scheme by inflating the value of New York Mercantile Exchange Chicago Ethanol (Platts) Futures contracts to conceal trading losses he was incurring. The losses concealed ultimately grew to cause the bank and its affiliate to suffer over $40 million in realized losses before Brooks’s fraud was detected, leading to his termination, according to the Complaint. Brooks resides in Houston, Texas.
The CFTC’s civil complaint, filed September 27, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that for the majority of the days for nearly eleven months beginning in or about November 2010, and continuing through on or about October 20, 2011, Brooks, then employed as Director in the commodities business of the bank affiliate, knowingly entered false inflated prices into an internal trade booking and valuation computer software system to effectuate his scheme to conceal trading losses.
In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks a civil monetary penalty, restitution, trading and registration bans, and a permanent injunction prohibiting further violations of the federal commodities laws, as charged.
CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case includes Janine Gargiulo, Michael Geiser, Trevor Kokal, David Acevedo, Lenel Hickson, Stephen J. Obie, Manal Sultan, and Vincent McGonagle.
CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP REPORTS ASIAN CARP FOUND NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN ACCESS RIVER
FROM: U.S. CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP'S WEBSITE
Last week, Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the White House Council on Environmental Quality Asian carp director John Goss recently told a group in Milwaukee that a 53 inch, 82 pound Asian carp had been found in Flatfoot Lake, Illinois in August. Flatfoot Lake is land-locked, but located less than a quarter mile from the Calumet River, which has direct access to Lake Michigan as well as Lake Calumet, where a live Asian carp was discovered in 2010.
Following the report Camp said, “News that a live Asian carp was found dangerously close to Lake Michigan, in Flatfoot Lake, is another reminder that we must find a permanent solution to protect the Great Lakes. Incidents like this underscore the fact that hydrological separation is the only real way to keep Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes.”
On the topic, The Lansing State Journal wrote, “Kudos to Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, and other Michigan officials for their ongoing efforts to prevent the potential crisis of an Asian carp invasion of the Great Lakes. They fight an uphill battle, and Michiganders should support their efforts in every way possible.”
In 2012, Camp championed legislation that is now law, The Stop Invasive Species Act, which requires the Army Corps of Engineers to complete a study on hydrologically separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins by January 2014.
Last week, Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the White House Council on Environmental Quality Asian carp director John Goss recently told a group in Milwaukee that a 53 inch, 82 pound Asian carp had been found in Flatfoot Lake, Illinois in August. Flatfoot Lake is land-locked, but located less than a quarter mile from the Calumet River, which has direct access to Lake Michigan as well as Lake Calumet, where a live Asian carp was discovered in 2010.
Following the report Camp said, “News that a live Asian carp was found dangerously close to Lake Michigan, in Flatfoot Lake, is another reminder that we must find a permanent solution to protect the Great Lakes. Incidents like this underscore the fact that hydrological separation is the only real way to keep Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes.”
On the topic, The Lansing State Journal wrote, “Kudos to Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, and other Michigan officials for their ongoing efforts to prevent the potential crisis of an Asian carp invasion of the Great Lakes. They fight an uphill battle, and Michiganders should support their efforts in every way possible.”
In 2012, Camp championed legislation that is now law, The Stop Invasive Species Act, which requires the Army Corps of Engineers to complete a study on hydrologically separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins by January 2014.
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