COURT ORDERS OWNERS, COMPANIES TO PAY $108 MILLION RELATED TO PRECIOUS METALS FRAUD SCHEME

FROM:  COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 

CFTC Wins Fraud Trial against Hunter Wise Related Precious Metals Firms and Their Owners

Federal court orders Fred Jager, Harold E. Martin, Jr. and the Hunter Wise Companies to Pay over $108 Million in Restitution and Penalties

Court Calls Fraudulent Conduct “repeated, callous and blatant”

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced that on May 16, 2014, a federal court in Florida entered an Order finding in the CFTC’s favor following a trial against four Hunter Wise related companies and their owners on charges that they had fraudulently misrepresented the nature of precious metals transactions that resulted in millions of dollars in customer losses.

Hunter Wise Commodities, LLC, Hunter Wise Services, LLC, Hunter Wise Credit, LLC, and Hunter Wise Trading, LLC and the individuals running the companies, Fred Jager and Harold Edward Martin, Jr., have been ordered to pay, jointly and severally, $52.6 million in restitution to the defrauded customers, and to pay a civil monetary penalty, jointly and severally, of $55.4 million, the maximum provided by law.

“This result makes clear that the CFTC will aggressively act to protect customers from fraud. Customers are entitled to know the truth of how their hard-earned money is being used. Here, customers thought Defendants were purchasing precious metals on their behalf and they were not,” said Gretchen L. Lowe, Acting Director of the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement. “This is also another excellent example of how the CFTC is using its new enforcement authority under Dodd-Frank to go after fraudsters.”

The CFTC charged Hunter Wise, Martin, Jager, and others in December 2012 (see CFTC Press Release 6447-12, December 5, 2012). The Court entered a Preliminary Injunction against all of the Defendants on February 22, 2013 (see CFTC Press Release 6522-13, February 27, 2013). Defendants appealed that ruling, arguing that the CFTC lacked jurisdiction over the conduct at issue, and lost when the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the lower’s court’s issuance of the preliminary injunction (see CFTC v. Hunter Wise Commodities, LLC, Case No. 13-10993, April 15, 2014).

In his 58-page Opinion and Order (see under Related Links), Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, found that Jager and Martin knowingly defrauded more than 3,200 retail customers for more than 16 months, between July 2011 and February 2013.  The Court found that Jager and Martin’s fraudulent conduct was “repeated, callous and blatant.”

According to the Order, Hunter Wise orchestrated a multi-level marketing scheme in which so-called retail dealers served a sales function for Hunter Wise, soliciting customer accounts. The dealers advertised and claimed that they sold physical metals, including gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and copper, to retail customers on a financed basis, and forwarded customer funds to Hunter Wise, whose identity was not disclosed to the customers.

As explained in the Order, using marketing materials and training provided to them by Jager, Martin and other Hunter Wise employees, the dealers claimed to arrange loans for the purchase of physical metals, and advised customers that their physical metals would be stored in a secure depository. The Order finds that customers were then charged “exorbitant interest” on the purported loans and storage fees for the metal they thought they had purchased. In fact, the Order finds that neither Hunter Wise nor any of the dealers purchased any physical metals, arranged actual loans for their customers to purchase physical metals, or stored physical metals for any customers participating in their retail commodity transactions – in other words, there was “no metal at the end of the rainbow.” According to the Order, over 90 percent of the retail customers lost money.

The Court found that Jager and Martin knew that they were defrauding customers and violating the law. “[Jager and Martin] purposefully decided to risk criminal and civil liability by continuing Hunter Wise’s fraudulent and illegal operations. … The house cannot win when, in violation of the law, the game is rigged.”

The Court further found Martin and Jager’s proferred excuses for their conduct “implausible,” “disingenuous” and “highly unreasonable.” For example, the Court noted that Hunter Wise’s attorneys had advised them to change their business or shut down, so that Jager and Martin were keenly aware of the choices available to them and the possible criminal consequences of continuing to operate, to the extent that Martin wrote in an email to Jager, “With any luck we will have adjoining cells.”

In considering the appropriate penalties, the Court noted that the fraudulent scheme was “egregious and recurrent” and “calculated to deceive retail customers.” The Court held that the likelihood of future violations was “strong” given that Jager and Martin did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. Further, the “systematic and pervasive nature” of the fraud necessitated full restitution for all customers who lost money between July 16, 2011 and February 25, 2013.

In a separate Order, the District Court entered default judgments against C.D. Hopkins Financial Group, LLC, Hard Asset Lending Group, LLC, and their principal, Chadewick Hopkins (CD Hopkins Defendants), and Blackstone Metals Group, LLC and its principal Baris Keser (Blackstone Defendants). CD Hopkins Defendants were ordered to pay $1,158,278.78 in restitution and $3,474,000 in civil penalties. Blackstone Defendants were ordered to pay $617,818.93 in restitution and $1,853,000 in civil penalties.

The CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members responsible for this action are Carlin Metzger, Joseph Konizeski, Heather Johnson, Nancy Hooper, Jeff LeRiche, Peter Riggs, Jennifer Chapin, Thaddeus Glotfelty, Stephen Turley, Brigitte Weyls, Scott Williamson, Rosemary Hollinger, and Richard Wagner.

The CFTC thanks the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority for their assistance in this matter.

Recent CFTC Precious Metals Enforcement Actions

The CFTC has taken action against numerous precious metals telemarketing firms that unlawfully solicited precious metals orders from retail customers to be executed through Hunter Wise, including:

• London Metals LLC (CFTC Press Release 6680-13);

• Matthew Hall d/b/a Pacific Exchange Group (CFTC Press Release 6681-13);

• Lloyds Commodities LLC (CFTC Press Release 6850-14);

• Newbridge Metals, LLC (CFTC Press Release 6705-13);

• Joseph Glenn Commodities, LLC (CFTC Press Release 6542-13);

• Newbridge Alliance, Inc. & U.S. Capital Trust, LLC (CFTC Press Release 6903-14);

• Pan American Metals of Miami (CFTC Press Release 6653-13);

• Secured Precious Metals (CFTC Press Release 6503-13);

• Barclay Metals (CFTC Press Release 6503-13);

• Vertical Integration Group (CFTC Press Release 6824-14);

• Lions Wealth (CFTC Press Release 6729-13);

• Yorkshire Group (CFTC Press Release 6713-13);

• PGS Capital Wealth Management and Rockwell Asset Management (CFTC Press Release 6909-14);

• Empire Sterling Metals Corp. and I.P.M. Investments, Inc. (CFTC Press Release 6912-14); and,

• Palm Beach Capital LLC (CFTC Press Release 6931-14).

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION SAYS DATA BROKERS NEED TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

FTC Recommends Congress Require the Data Broker Industry to be More Transparent and Give Consumers Greater Control Over Their Personal Information

Agency Report Shows Data Brokers Collect and Store Billions of Data Elements Covering Nearly Every U.S. Consumer

In a report issued today on the data broker industry, the Federal Trade Commission finds that data brokers operate with a fundamental lack of transparency. The Commission recommends that Congress consider enacting legislation to make data broker practices more visible to consumers and to give consumers greater control over the immense amounts of personal information about them collected and shared by data brokers.

The report, “Data Brokers: A Call for Transparency and Accountability” is the result of a study of nine data brokers, representing a cross-section of the industry, undertaken by the FTC to shed light on the data broker industry. Data brokers obtain and share vast amounts of consumer information, typically behind the scenes, without consumer knowledge. Data brokers sell this information for marketing campaigns and fraud prevention, among other purposes. Although consumers benefit from data broker practices which, for example, help enable consumers to find and enjoy the products and services they prefer, data broker practices also raise privacy concerns.

“The extent of consumer profiling today means that data brokers often know as much – or even more – about us than our family and friends, including our online and in-store purchases, our political and religious affiliations, our income and socioeconomic status, and more,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “It’s time to bring transparency and accountability to bear on this industry on behalf of consumers, many of whom are unaware that data brokers even exist.”

The report finds that data brokers collect and store billions of data elements covering nearly every U.S. consumer. Just one of the data brokers studied holds information on more than 1.4 billion consumer transactions and 700 billion data elements and another adds more than 3 billion new data points to its database each month.

Among the report’s findings:

Data brokers collect consumer data from extensive online and offline sources, largely without consumers’ knowledge, ranging from consumer purchase data, social media activity, warranty registrations, magazine subscriptions, religious and political affiliations, and other details of consumers’ everyday lives.
Consumer data often passes through multiple layers of data brokers sharing data with each other. In fact, seven of the nine data brokers in the Commission study had shared information with another data broker in the study.

Data brokers combine online and offline data to market to consumers online.
Data brokers combine and analyze data about consumers to make inferences about them, including potentially sensitive inferences such as those related to ethnicity, income, religion, political leanings, age, and health conditions. Potentially sensitive categories from the study are “Urban Scramble” and “Mobile Mixers,” both of which include a high concentration of Latinos and African-Americans with low incomes. The category “Rural Everlasting” includes single men and women over age 66 with “low educational attainment and low net worths.” Other potentially sensitive categories include health-related topics or conditions, such as pregnancy, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Many of the purposes for which data brokers collect and use data pose risks to consumers, such as unanticipated uses of the data. For example, a category like “Biker Enthusiasts” could be used to offer discounts on motorcycles to a consumer, but could also be used by an insurance provider as a sign of risky behavior.

Some data brokers unnecessarily store data about consumers indefinitely, which may create security risks.

To the extent data brokers currently offer consumers choices about their data, the choices are largely invisible and incomplete.

To help rectify a lack of transparency about data broker industry practices, the Commission encourages Congress to consider enacting legislation that would enable consumers to learn of the existence and activities of data brokers and provide consumers with reasonable access to information about them held by these entities.

For data brokers that provide marketing products, Congress should consider legislation to:

Centralized Portal. Require the creation of a centralized mechanism, such as an Internet portal, where data brokers can identify themselves, describe their information collection and use practices, and provide links to access tools and opt- outs;

Access. Require data brokers to give consumers access to their data, including any sensitive data, at a reasonable level of detail;

Opt-Outs. Require opt-out tools, that is, a way for consumers to suppress the use of their data;

Inferences. Require data brokers to tell consumers that they derive certain inferences from from raw data;

Data Sources. Require data brokers to disclose the names and/or categories of their data sources, to enable consumers to correct wrong information with an original source;

Notice and Choice. Require consumer-facing entities – such as retailers – to provide prominent notice to consumers when they share information with data brokers, along with the ability to opt-out of such sharing; and Sensitive Data. Further protect sensitive information, including health information, by requiring retailers and other consumer-facing entities to obtain affirmative express consent from consumers before such information is collected and shared with data brokers.

For brokers that provide “risk mitigation” products, legislation should:

When a company uses a data broker’s risk mitigation product to limit a consumers’ ability to complete a transaction, require the consumer-facing company to tell consumers which data broker’s information the company relied on;
Require the data broker to allow consumer access to the information used and the ability to correct it, as appropriate.

For brokers that provide “people search” products, legislation should:

Require data brokers to allow consumers to access their own information, opt-out of having the information included in a people search product, disclose the original sources of the information so consumers can correct it, and disclose any limitations of an opt-out feature.    
           
The nine data brokers in the study are Acxiom, CoreLogic, Datalogix, eBureau, ID Analytics, Intelius, PeekYou, Rapleaf and Recorded Future. In December 2012, the Commission voted to issue orders requiring these data brokers to produce the information that was used in the study.

The Commission vote approving the issuance of the report was 4-0, with Commissioner McSweeny not participating.

DOJ INDICTS ALASKAN PLASTIC SURGEON FOR HIDING BANK ACCOUNTS IN PANAMA AND COSTA RICA

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, May 23, 2014

Alaska Plastic Surgeon Indicted on Tax Evasion Charges for Concealing Bank Accounts in Panama and Costa Rica

The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that a federal grand jury in Anchorage, Alaska, returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging Michael D. Brandner, an Anchorage physician specializing in plastic surgery, on three counts of tax evasion.  Brandner has also been charged with seven counts of wire fraud in an indictment returned in September 2013.

According to the superseding indictment, Brandner engaged in various activities to evade his taxes for 2008, 2009 and 2010, including making false and misleading statement to IRS special agents and filing false tax returns for each of the three years.  In the three false returns, Brandner failed to report the existence of financial accounts in Panama and Costa Rica over which he had signature authority, and also failed to report foreign interest income of more than $9,000 for 2008, more than $150,000 for 2009, and more than $150,000 for 2010.  The indictment also alleges that Brandner attempted to evade more than $600,000 in federal income taxes over the three years.

According to court documents, Brandner engaged in a scheme to hide and conceal millions of dollars of assets from the Alaska courts and from his wife of 28 years who was divorcing him.  Shortly after the divorce was filed, Brandner left Alaska and drove to Central America after converting assets into five cashier’s checks worth over $3,000,000.

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  If convicted, Brandner faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the three tax evasion charges and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of the seven wire fraud charges.

The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder for the District of Alaska.

U.S. WILL KEEP ALMOST 10,000 TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2015

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Obama: U.S. to Keep Nearly 10,000 Troops in Afghanistan in 2015

By Nick Simeone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2014 – President Barack Obama today announced the United States plans to keep nearly 10,000 American troops in Afghanistan next year -- a level largely in line with what U.S. commanders had requested -- and that nearly all U.S. forces will leave the country by the end of 2016, bringing to an end a U.S. military mission that began in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“The bottom line is it’s time to turn the page on more than a decade in which so much of our foreign policy was focused on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Obama said in a televised address from the White House Rose Garden.
In laying out his military plan for Afghanistan once the U.S.-led NATO mission there ends in December, Obama said keeping 9,800 American troops in the country to train Afghan forces and to support counterterrorism operations will be contingent upon Afghanistan’s next president signing a bilateral security agreement with the United States, something outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai has refused to do.

“The two final Afghan candidates in the runoff election for president have each indicated they would sign this agreement promptly after taking office, so I’m hopeful we can get this done,” Obama said, emphasizing the growing and increasing competence of the Afghan security forces as well as the success of April’s first round of presidential elections -- despite threats by the Taliban to disrupt them -- as key to the timing of today’s announcement.

“This transition has allowed us to steadily draw down our own forces from a peak of 100,000 U.S. troops to roughly 32,000 today,” the president said. “Together with our allies and the Afghan government, we have agreed this is the year we will conclude our combat mission in Afghanistan.”

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he strongly supports Obama’s decision. In a statement issued after the president spoke, Hagel said the proposed U.S. troop presence “will help us sustain the significant progress we have made in training and equipping the Afghan national security forces.”

As the nation brings an end to its longest war, “all Americans are grateful for the sacrifice and service of the men and women who deployed there over the past 13 years,” the secretary said.

For months, U.S. officials have been deliberating over post-2014 U.S. troop levels and had even raised the prospect of a complete pullout of all U.S. forces if the Afghan government refused to sign the bilateral security agreement, a move that would have triggered an end to billions of dollars in foreign aid, upon which the government in Kabul relies heavily.

The post-2014 U.S. troop levels would be in addition to contributions from NATO countries, and a senior administration official said discussion about NATO commitments will continue during an alliance defense ministers conference in Brussels next week. But in his address today, Obama made clear that beginning next year, Afghanistan’s security will be fully in the hands of Afghans while U.S. troop levels in the country will continue to be reduced, with those remaining consolidated at Kabul and at Bagram Airfield.

“We have to recognize Afghanistan will not be a perfect place, and it is not America’s responsibility to make it one,” he said. “The future of Afghanistan must be decided by Afghans.”

By the end of 2016, Obama said, the U.S. military presence in the country will be pared back even further, to a level required to maintain security at the U.S. embassy, along with a security assistance component, similar to current U.S. force levels in Iraq.

Obama’s announcement about the way forward in Afghanistan comes two days after he made a brief, unannounced visit to U.S. commanders and troops in the country but did not meet with Karzai, whose relations with the United States have grown increasingly tense. White House officials told reporters the trip was meant to be a visit with troops. Obama and Karzai did speak by phone.

And today’s address comes a day before Obama is set to deliver the commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., during which he will outline his foreign policy and national security agenda for the remainder of his second term, including redirecting some of the resources saved by ending the war to “respond more nimbly to the changing threat of terrorism while addressing a broader set of priorities.”

“I’m confident that if we carry out this approach, we can not only responsibly end our war in Afghanistan and achieve the objectives that took us to war in the first place, we’ll also be able to begin a new chapter in the story of American leadership around the world,” he said.

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR MAY 27, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

CONTRACTS

ARMY

EADS North America, Inc., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $33,797,867 modification (P00795) to W58RGZ-06-C-0194 to increase funds and exercise an option for contractor logistic support for the Utility Helicopter-72A.  Work is to be performed in Columbus, Mississippi, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2016.  Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) appropriations in the amount of $33,797,867 are being obligated at award.  Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal (Aviation), Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was awarded a $10,412,675 modification (P00087) to contract DABT23-01-C-0030 for one year of electrical distribution system services.  Work is to be performed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2015.

Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) appropriations in the amount of $4,338,614 will be obligated at award.  Army Contracting Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the contracting activity.

CGI Federal Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $7,788,744 modification (P00009) to W52P1J-13-F-3024 to extend the computer network defense and information assurance labor until the re-compete can be awarded.  This contract will continue the service of protecting the computer systems at the Pentagon and the National Capital Region.  Work is to be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 29, 2014.  Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) appropriations in the amount of $1,576,449 are being obligated at award.  Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

AAI Corporation, Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a $7,690,948 modification (P00010) to W58RGZ-13-C-0108 to develop, verify, and validate noise signature reduction design improvements for the unmanned aerial vehicle engines Limited 1102 and Block 3 propulsion system engines.  The modification also covers efforts required to update software and integrate the small mission computer into the RQ-7BV2.  Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 20, 2015.  Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,691,009 and fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $999,938 are being obligated at award.   Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal (Aviation), Alabama, is the contracting activity.

NAVY

MN-FST Joint Venture, Norfolk, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering services contract for waterfront civil design and engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic area of responsibility, primarily within the NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Northeast and Hampton Roads regions.  Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities located in the NAVFAC Atlantic AOR, primarily within the NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Northeast and Hampton Roads regions.  The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of May 2019.  Task order JN01 is being awarded at $103,387 for the design and construction of a rock jetty with integrated boat ramp and floating pier in Kiunga, Kenya.  Work for this task order is expected to be completed by November 2016.  Fiscal 2011 FMS funds in the amount of $103,387 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with six proposals received.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-14-D-8113).

Teradyne, Inc., North Reading, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $6,975,538, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for automated test system hardware and software to test circuit card assemblies for the MK41 Vertical Launch System program.  Work will be performed in North Reading, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by May 2018.  Fiscal 2011 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $1,391,938 are being obligated at contract award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured and is being issued pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, since there is only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.  The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00178-14-D-1001).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

ICAD, Inc.,* Nashua, New Hampshire, has been awarded a maximum $12,000,000 modification (P00101) exercising the fourth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D1-10-D-8332) with seven one-year option periods.  This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for radiology systems, subsystems, and components.  Location of performance is New Hampshire with a May 26, 2015 performance completion date.  Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies.  Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2015 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Awarded May 23, 2014)

Digirad Corporation,* Poway, California, has been awarded a maximum $10,923,649 modification (P00101) exercising the fifth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D1-09-D-8330) with seven one-year option periods.  This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for radiology systems, subsystems, and components.  Location of performance is California with a May 31, 2015 performance completion date.  Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

AIR FORCE

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $7,400,000 cost-plus-award-fee modification (P00788) to F04701-95-C-0017 to generate simulation scenarios in support of Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center’s initial operational test and evaluation at Space- Based Infrared Systems Engineering and Manufacturing Development, Block 20.  The tasks required to perform this effort consist of collection and checkout of backgrounds, as well as generation of scenarios, including scenario checkouts and documentation of the checkouts.  Work will be performed at Sunnyvale and Azuza, California, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2016.  Fiscal 2014 research and development funds in the amount of $1,595,900 are being obligated at time of award.   Infrared Space Systems Contracts Division, Space and Missile Systems Center, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity.

*Small Business

U.S. SENDS BEST WISHES TO THE PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA ON THEIR NATIONAL DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Ethiopia's National Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 27, 2014

---

On behalf of the government and the people of the United States, I send my best wishes to the government and people of Ethiopia as you celebrate your national day on May 28.
It was a great pleasure to return to Addis Ababa earlier this month and see first-hand examples of the longstanding partnership between the United States and Ethiopia.

During a visit to Gandhi Memorial Hospital and a conversation with the doctors, nurses and patients there, I was moved and proud to see results of our joint efforts to fight HIV/AIDS.
I was also delighted to celebrate the impressive contributions to society of Ethiopian youth and look forward to welcoming several to the United States to participate in the Young African Leaders Initiative Summit.

These are just two examples of our support of Ethiopia’s peaceful and prosperous future. The United States is committed to promoting Ethiopia’s economic growth and development, democratic governance and respect for human rights, and peace and security in the region.
As you gather with family and friends on your national day, the government and people of the United States wish you a most festive celebration.

U.S. SENDS WARMEST WISHES TO PEOPLE OF ERITREA ON THEIR NATIONAL DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Eritrean National Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 27, 2014

On behalf of the American people, I welcome the opportunity to send my warmest wishes to the people of Eritrea on the 23rd anniversary of your independence which took place May 24. Know that the government and people of the United States stand beside you in your continued search for the promise of a free, prosperous, and democratic Eritrea.

STATEMENT OF SECRETARY KERRY ON ELECTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

The Way Forward in Afghanistan

Press Statement

John Kerry
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 27, 2014

---

These have been encouraging days for Afghanistan's future. We've witnessed a first round of free elections where millions of Afghans made their voices heard, in what promises to be the first democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan's history. Both of the leading candidates unequivocally support signing a Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States as they look towards a long and lasting relationship between our two nations. Now, with President Obama's announcement today of what America's presence will look like in Afghanistan after combat operations end in 2014, our nation’s longest war is coming to a responsible end.
The Afghan people have an opportunity now to build on the progress that's been made, to achieve a more secure, more prosperous, and more peaceful future. President Obama has made it clear that as they do, the United States will stand with them.

The President’s plan for our military footprint in Afghanistan would not have been possible without the decision to surge both troops and diplomacy, and without the tremendous performance of our men and women in uniform, as well as the diplomats, civil servants, and local staff who have also served there proudly. They have worked day-by-day with Afghanistan’s own security forces to support them as they take the reins and have contributed to the tremendous gains the Afghan people have made.

Along with our Allies and partners, who have shared in this long struggle, we will continue providing training, advice, and assistance to the Afghan security forces, as well as critical development aid, to support the Afghans as they work to prevent their territory from ever again becoming a haven for Al Qaeda and its affiliates. Routing out Al Qaeda's core leadership has been our most important mission in Afghanistan, and because of our focused and targeted efforts, we have significantly degraded the terrorist group's capabilities there. But more work remains, and that is why the United States is committed to keeping up the fight against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and wherever else its murderous mission has taken root.
On Memorial Day yesterday, we remembered the more than 2,100 Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan. We continue to honor the fallen, and all those who came home from the battlefield with injuries both visible and invisible. We also remember the many Afghans who stood up courageously for their country. By standing together, Americans and Afghans will continue the march towards peace just as faithfully as we did in the struggle of war.

READOUT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CALL WITH UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT-ELECT PETRO POROSHENKO

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Readout of the President’s Call with President-elect Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine

President Obama called President-elect Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine today to congratulate him on his victory and offer the full support of the United States as he seeks to unify and move his country forward.  The President stressed the importance of quickly implementing the reforms necessary for Ukraine to bring the country together and to develop a sustainable economy, attractive investment climate, and transparent and accountable government that is responsive to the concerns and aspirations of all Ukrainians.  The United States will continue assisting Ukraine in these efforts.  The two leaders agreed to continue their conversation during the President’s upcoming trip to Europe.

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS BRIEFING ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Background Briefing by a Senior Administration Official

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Joint Base Andrews

 1:35 A.M. (local)

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So I just wanted to give you guys a background readout here.  Upon taking off, the President called President Karzai of Afghanistan because they weren’t able to see each other.  They discussed progress that’s been made by the Afghan National Security Forces.  The President referenced that he’d heard very positive readouts of the progress in his briefings with Ambassador Cunningham and General Dunford.  They discussed the success of the first round of the elections and the preparations that are being made for the second round of elections. 

The President praised the Afghan electoral institutions for the work that they’re doing, as well as the Afghan National Security Forces’ work in securing those elections.  The President also reiterated his continued support for a process of Afghan-led reconciliation that President Karzai is committed to.

With respect to the BSA, the President reiterated his interest in concluding a BSA with President Karzai’s successor and agreed to stay in touch with President Karzai as we make determinations about what potential post-2014 presence could go along with a BSA. 

Q    What did Karzai say about that -- the BSA?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Just that they agreed to stay in touch on it and that President Obama would be in touch before we articulate publicly any decision-making.  But I think it’s understood by both of them that [the] BSA is something that his successor would conclude; we crossed that bridge earlier in the year.  And again, I think we saw good statements from both Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani in recent days about their interest in signing a BSA. 

Q    Do you have any more information on how much of a heads up Karzai got?  Because it seemed like from the statement you guys had with the offer for him to come to Bagram, it was basically an offer that was made so late that he would never have been able to make it anyways.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, I don’t know the exact timing of when he was notified.  That’s handled by the embassy.  I do think -- look, in the past, President Karzai has not traveled to Bagram when we’ve been there, so it’s not our expectation that he would.  He prefers to host President Obama at the palace.  Again, the nature of this visit was such that we were really keeping it focused on the troops and not looking to get into Afghan politics at this time.  So we weren’t surprised, but we did want to make sure that President Obama could speak to him given his travel to Afghanistan and the briefings he got from his senior [staff].

Q    So they spoke after we were wheels up, right?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Right after the plane was wheels up, yes.

Q    Do you know about how long the call lasted?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yes, I think the call lasted about 15 to 20 minutes.

Q    And did he tell him -- I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure if I understood -- did the President tell President Karzai that he will let him know before he makes an announcement whether it’s at West Point or whatever about the plans for residual troop numbers?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yes, he would, as a matter of course, consult with President Karzai before publicly articulating an announcement like that.

Q    And was this call that articulation?  Or there will be another --

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  This call was about having been in Afghanistan and wanting to touch base with him.  And actually, the only other thing I left out is they also talked about the recent attack on the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan and the context of President Karzai also traveling to India tomorrow for Prime Minister-designate Modi’s inauguration.

Q    When exactly did the President invite Karzai to Bagram?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I think the embassy extended that invitation sometime before our arrival.  I don’t know the exact time.

Q    When Obama had his briefing with Dunford and others, what was the conversation like about the post-2014 plan?  I mean, are they still in the stage where he’s actually getting guidance and advice?  Or was it more him telling the Commander and others what he’s thinking about announcing?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I mean, it’s both.  He’s been getting their advice over the last few weeks.  He was able to share some of his thinking.  I think they really wanted to, given the context of how they see things on the ground.  I think the principal message that we heard from General Dunford and Ambassador Cunningham is that there are a number of factors converging here that do make it an opportune moment for the United States to articulate its commitment -- that the Afghan National Security Forces have performed, in some respects better than we anticipated; they have moved into the lead for combat; the elections have created a sense of optimism in Afghanistan. 

So there’s an environment in which there are some good strains that are converging that make a potential U.S. articulation of our commitment to Afghanistan worthwhile; also, the commitments from the two leading candidates.  So I think their message was that different parts of this puzzle are coming together in Afghanistan in this year of transition and that there is a continued investment that the United States can make that can help the new administration in Afghanistan when it does take power to have a stable beginning.

They also reviewed the ongoing security challenges that we face in Afghanistan -- how we are going about the training mission; how we are helping the Afghan National Security Forces not just build their combat force, but also be able to sustain some of the functions of a national army.  So I think they covered in some detail the state of the Afghan National Security Forces and then discussed the challenges of securing the second round of the elections.  The Afghans will be in the lead for that as well.  We’re simply providing advice and counsel on that.

Q    So the progress that they’re making, does that suggest that a smaller force would be fine, like of 5,000?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, it suggests how do we focus on supporting those functions of the Afghan National Security Forces that are going to be necessary for sustainability so that not only can they serve as a combat force in the field, but how are they building out the structures and institutions of a national army, and also how we’re going to coordinate with our allies, some of whom have also indicated a commitment to a post-2014 Afghanistan.

Q    But is it fair to say that short of whoever wins the election, not signing the BSA, that the zero option is off the table at this point?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: If there’s not a BSA, we will not keep troops in Afghanistan.

Q    Right.  But if the BSA is signed, you guys will move forward with --

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, yes, I think the President has indicated that, and you saw in his comments today that it’s our expectation that if there is a BSA we’d look at how -- what force structure could fulfill those missions.  And that’s what he’ll have a chance to speak to in the coming days.

Q    Ten thousand has been the high number that we’ve been using.  Is there -- we shouldn’t use that number anymore when we talk about the range?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I’m not going to get into numbers.

Q    Has the President called, or is he planning on calling on this flight either anyone in the leadership of Ukraine or in Russia?  And can you talk about that?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  We don’t have any current calls scheduled, but I would expect that he will call at the first opportunity the newly elected President.  I think, obviously, we want to monitor how they are certifying those results.  What I will say is that the President was commenting about how well the election went from his perspective.  Clearly, the Ukrainians turned out in significant numbers.  Clearly, the message they were sending was one of national unity and a commitment to democracy.  Even in some of the more difficult provinces you saw people working to vote. 

I think the statements you saw after the election from leaders like Poroshenko, they underscore national unity and send very positive signals about the future of Ukraine, not just its relations with its neighbors, but in reaching out to the east.  So again, I think the overarching message from the election was extraordinarily positive when you look at the difficulties of the last several weeks -- for Ukraine it’s a turnout of those numbers and to have such a clear result.  And in support of policies of national unity, inclusion, economic stabilization, I think sets a very good groundwork for our relationship with Ukraine going forward.

Q    -- was that Poroshenko got more than the 50 percent-plus one, so there’s no run-off and they kind of move ahead, instead of being in limbo for another month or so.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, again, that’s up to the Ukrainians.  I do think, though, that the sense of stability in getting to work that comes from a clear election result could be extraordinarily positive.  It provides some assurance and legitimacy at a time where Ukraine has been dealing with significant challenges.  And again, what we’ve always said is this election will settle the legitimacy question.  There were questions raised by Russia and others after the Yanukovych government collapsed and he fled town.  Now the people of Ukraine have spoken, and I don’t think there can be any questioning the legitimacy of a result that reflects such a broad cross-section of the Ukrainian public.

So I think we made clear that the United States, our European allies will be there for this new government to help them deal with some very difficult challenges -- stabilizing the economy and trying to calm this conflict.  And we hope that Russia will choose to play a constructive role in respecting this result.

Q    No calls to Putin expected?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  None expected.

Q    Is there anything -- any color from behind the scenes that we couldn’t see, either in the hospital visit or in his interactions with troops that you want to talk about?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Like I said, the only thing I’d say is that he -- or a couple of things.  He was able to tour kind of the -- some of the operation centers.  And in each place that he went he made a point of going around to each desk and shaking everybody’s hand and thanking them.  As he mentioned in his remarks, in the operation center he saw a poster of the Twin Towers, which clearly resonated with him, and he referred to the fact that, in his private remarks to the troops in those operation centers, that it reminded him of why we’re here. 

When he finished those briefings and walked towards the hangar, he went through the Hall of Honor that they have there, where they have photos of the fallen from Afghanistan.  So he was able to look at photos of many troops who had been lost in Afghanistan and thought that was obviously particularly profound on Memorial Day weekend to see those photos, even as he was then able to go and spend some time with the troops as well.

So I think he was, as always, moved by the visit and inspired by what these troops are doing every single day on behalf of the United States.

Q    How many soldiers was he able to meet with at the hospital?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I don’t know.  I’ll check that for you.  The other thing he did -- he was able to give out some awards.  Did we get you the background on that?

Q    No.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I’ll get that for you.  A number of Purple Hearts and other awards.  So we’ll get that for you.

Q    Were there new awards done tonight that was part of this?  We don’t have that.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yes, he -- well get you what he gave out there, yes.

Thanks, guys.

END          

1:48 A.M. (local) 

PATH TO MARS, HUMAN HABITATION ON MARS, GOALS, SPACE EXPLORATION

FROM:  NASA 

NASA's Human Path to Mars

NASA is developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars in the 2030s – goals outlined in the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and in the U.S. National Space Policy, also issued in 2010.
Mars is a rich destination for scientific discovery and robotic and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet’s history and future. Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos: Does life exist beyond Earth?

While robotic explorers have studied Mars for more than 40 years, NASA’s path for the human exploration of Mars begins in low-Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station. Astronauts on the orbiting laboratory are helping us prove many of the technologies and communications systems needed for human missions to deep space, including Mars. The space station also advances our understanding of how the body changes in space and how to protect astronaut health.

Our next step is deep space, where NASA will send a robotic mission to capture and redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon. Astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will explore the asteroid in the 2020s, returning to Earth with samples. This experience in human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit will help NASA test new systems and capabilities, such as Solar Electric Propulsion, which we’ll need to send cargo as part of human missions to Mars. Beginning in FY 2018, NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket will enable these “proving ground” missions to test new capabilities. Human missions to Mars will rely on Orion and an evolved version of SLS that will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever flown.

A fleet of robotic spacecraft and rovers already are on and around Mars, dramatically increasing our knowledge about the Red Planet and paving the way for future human explorers. The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover measured radiation on the way to Mars and is sending back radiation data from the surface. This data will help us plan how to protect the astronauts who will explore Mars. Future missions like the Mars 2020 rover, seeking signs of past life, also will demonstrate new technologies that could help astronauts survive on Mars.
Engineers and scientists around the country are working hard to develop the technologies astronauts will use to one day live and work on Mars, and safely return home from the next giant leap for humanity. NASA also is a leader in a Global Exploration Roadmap, working with international partners and the U.S. commercial space industry on a coordinated expansion of human presence into the solar system, with human missions to the surface of Mars as the driving goal.

FTC TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESSIONAL SUBCOMMITTEE ON DECEPTIVE PATENT DEMAND LETTERS

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

FTC Testifies on Patent Assertion Entities and Legislation to Prohibit Deceptive Patent Demand Letters

The Federal Trade Commission testified on consumer protection issues involving patent demand letters, patent assertion entities (PAEs), and proposed legislation to prohibit deceptive patent demand letters.

Delivering testimony before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Lois Greisman, Associate Director of the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices at the Federal Trade Commission, provided lawmakers with comments on a draft bill regarding deceptive patent demand letters, and recognized that demand letters raise broader issues about patents and the U.S. patent system.

 “The Commission shares this Subcommittee’s goal of stopping deceptive patent demand letters while respecting the rights of patent holders to assert legitimate claims, and recognizes that achieving this goal is not easy,” the testimony states.

The testimony states that the activities of PAEs and the related issue of demand letters have been a topic of increasing interest and concern. The Commission is proceeding with a proposed study of PAE behavior, which was first announced last year.

The Commission believes that the agency’s authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act can and should be brought to bear with respect to demand letters where appropriate, the testimony states. The testimony also addresses proposed legislation that would grant the FTC civil penalty authority in this area. The Commission believes such authority would have potential benefit and may deter some bad actors. The testimony also notes potential concerns about a knowledge requirement that would apply to some violations under the proposed legislation.  The testimony further notes that the Commission is pleased that the proposed legislation would supplement, rather than replace, the Commission’s existing authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act.

The Commission vote approving the testimony and its inclusion in the formal record was 5-0.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them.

HHS SECRETARY ANNOUNCES DELIVERY SYSTEM REFORM FOR HEALTH CARE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

New funding gives states and innovators tools and flexibility to implement delivery system reform

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced new delivery system reform efforts made possible by the Affordable Care Act that offer states and innovators tools and flexibility to transform health care. 

HHS announced twelve prospective recipients receiving as much as $110 million in combined funding, ranging from an expected $2 million to $18 million over a three-year period, under the Health Innovation Awards program to test innovative models designed to deliver better care outcomes and lower costs.  Examples include projects to provide better care for dementia patients, improve coordination between specialists and primary care physicians, and to improve cardiac care. Round two of the Health Care Innovation Awards program focuses on four priority areas: rapidly reducing costs for patients with Medicare and Medicaid; improving care for populations with specialized needs; testing improved financial and clinical models for specific types of providers, including specialists; and linking clinical care delivery to preventive and population health.  The twelve prospective recipients will test models in all four categories and spanning 13 states.  Additional prospective recipients will be announced in the coming months.

Also today, HHS made up to $730 million available as part of the State Innovation Model initiative to help states design and test improvements to their public and private health care payment and delivery systems.  Project goals are to improve health, improve care, and decrease costs for consumers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries.

“As a former governor, I understand the real sense of urgency states and local communities feel to improve the health of their populations while also reducing health care costs, and it’s critical that the many elements of health care in each state – including Medicaid, public health, and workforce training – work together,” Secretary Sebelius said.  “To help, HHS will continue to encourage and assist them in their efforts to transform health care.

“These efforts will strengthen federal, state, and local partnerships, encourage broad stakeholder engagement, and capitalize on federal resources to ensure greater transformation of delivery of health care services,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.

The twelve innovative projects announced today represent the first batch of prospective recipients for round two of Health Care Innovation Awards program funding.  In 2012, 107 organizations located in urban and rural areas, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico received awards through round one of the initiative.  

As part of the State Innovation Model initiative, states, territories and the District of Columbia can apply for either a Model Test award to assist in implementation or a Model Design award to develop or enhance a comprehensive State Health Care Innovation Plan.   Up to 12 states will be chosen for state-sponsored Model Testing awards ($700 million available) and up to 15 states will be chosen for state-sponsored Model Design work ($30 million available).

Examples of ongoing state-led health care innovations include development of advanced primary care networks supported by statewide health information technology systems and models that coordinate care seamlessly across providers.  The second round of the State Innovation Models will continue to support and advance this good work.

RESEARCHERS LOOK AT THE BRAIN

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Engineers ask the brain to say, "Cheese!"

How do we take an accurate picture of the world’s most complex biological structure?

Creating new brain imaging techniques is one of today's greatest engineering challenges.

The incentive for a good picture is big: looking at the brain helps us to understand how we move, how we think and how we learn. Recent advances in imaging enable us to see what the brain is doing more precisely across space and time and in more realistic conditions.

The newest advance in optical imaging brings researchers even closer to illuminating the whole brain and nervous system.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Vienna achieved simultaneous functional imaging of all the neurons of the transparent roundworm C. elegans. This technique is the first that can generate 3-D movies of entire brains at the millisecond timescale.

The significance of this achievement becomes clear in light of the many engineering complexities associated with brain imaging techniques.

An imaging wish list

When 33 brain researchers put their minds together at a workshop funded by the National Science Foundation in August 2013, they identified three of the biggest challenges in mapping the human brain for better understanding, diagnosis and treatment.

Challenge one: High spatiotemporal resolution neuroimaging. Existing brain imaging technologies offer different advantages and disadvantages with respect to resolution. A method such as functional MRI that offers excellent spatial resolution (to several millimeters) can provide snapshots of brain activity in the order of seconds. Other methods, such as electroencephalography (EEG), provide precise information about brain activity over time (to the millisecond) but yield fuzzy information about the location.

The ability to conduct functional imaging of the brain, with high resolution in both space and time, would enable researchers to tease out some of the brain's most intricate workings. For example, each half of the thalamus--the brain's go-to structure for relaying sensory and motor information and a potential target for deep brain stimulation--has 13 functional areas in a package the size of a walnut.

With better spatial resolution, researchers would have an easier time determining which areas of the brain are involved in specific activities. This could ultimately help them identify more precise targets for stimulation, maximizing therapeutic benefits while minimizing unnecessary side effects.

In addition, researchers wish to combine data from different imaging techniques to study and model the brain at different levels, from molecules to cellular networks to the whole brain.

Challenge two: Perturbation-based neuroimaging. Much that we know about the brain relies on studies of dysfunction, when a problem such as a tumor or stroke affects a specific part of the brain and a correlating change in brain function can be observed.

But researchers also rely on techniques that temporarily ramp up, or turn off, brain activity in certain regions. What if the effects of such modifications on brain function could then be captured with neuroimaging techniques?

Being able to observe what happens when certain parts of the brain are activated could help researchers determine brain areas' functions and provide critical guidance for brain therapies.

Challenge three: Neuroimaging in naturalistic environments. Researchers aim to create new noninvasive methods for imaging the brain while a person interacts with his or her surroundings. This ability will become more valuable as new technologies that interface with the brain are developed.

For example, a patient undergoing brain therapy at home may choose to send information to his or her physician remotely rather than go to an office for frequent check-ups. The engineering challenges of this scenario include the creation of low-cost, wearable technologies to monitor the brain as well as the technical capability to differentiate between signs of trouble and normal fluctuations in brain activity during daily routines.

Other challenges the brain researchers identified are neuroimaging in patients with implanted brain devices; integrating imaging data from multiple techniques; and developing models, theories and infrastructures for better understanding and analyzing brain data. In addition, the research community must ensure that students are prepared to use and create new imaging techniques and data.

The workshop chair, Bin He of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, said, "Noninvasive human brain mapping has been a holy grail in science. Accomplishing the three grand challenges would change the future of brain science and our ability to treat numerous brain disorders that cost the nation over $500 billion each year."

The full workshop report was published in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

An imaging breakthrough

Engineers, in collaboration with neuroscientists, computer scientists and other researchers, are already at work devising creative ways to address these challenges.

The workshop findings place the new technique developed by the MIT and University of Vienna researchers into greater context. Their work had to overcome several of the challenges outlined.

The team captured neural activity in three dimensions at single-cell resolution by using a novel strategy not before applied to neurons--light-field microscopy, using a novel algorithm to reverse distortion, a process known as deconvolution.

The technique of light-field microscopy involves the shining of light at a 3-D sample, and capturing the locations of fluorophores in a still image, using a special set of lenses. The fluorophores in this case are modified proteins that attach to neuron and fluoresce when the neurons activate. However, this microscopy method requires a trade-off between the sample size and the spatial resolution possible, and thus it has not been before used for live biological imaging.

The advantage presented by light-field microscopy, here used in an optimized form, is that the technique may quickly capture the neuronal activity of whole animals, not simply still images, while providing high enough spatial resolution to make functional biological imaging possible.

"This elegant technique should have a large impact on the use of functional biological imaging for understanding brain cognitive function," said Leon Esterowitz, program director in NSF's Engineering Directorate, which provided partial funding for the research.

The researchers, led by Edward Boyden of MIT and Alipasha Vaziri of the University of Vienna, reported their results in this week's issue of the journal Nature Methods.

"Looking at the activity of just one neuron in the brain doesn't tell you how that information is being computed; for that, you need to know what upstream neurons are doing. And to understand what the activity of a given neuron means, you have to be able to see what downstream neurons are doing," said Boyden, an associate professor of biological engineering and brain and cognitive sciences at MIT and one of the leaders of the research team.

"In short, if you want to understand how information is being integrated from sensation all the way to action, you have to see the entire brain."

-- Cecile J. Gonzalez,
Investigators
Edward Boyden
Bin He
Related Institutions/Organizations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S STATEMENT ON DETAINED U.S. CITIZEN AMIR HEKMATI

FROM:  THE STATE DEPARTMENT 

Detained U.S. Citizen Amir Hekmati

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 26, 2014

---

On this Memorial Day, we honor brave Americans who gave their lives for the notion that someone else's freedom is connected to our own. But this Memorial Day also marks another milestone: 1,000 days since an American veteran, Amir Hekmati, was unjustly detained while he was visiting his family in Iran.

Mr. Hekmati has spent almost three years in an Iranian prison on false espionage charges. We remain especially concerned about reports of Mr. Hekmati’s health in prison.

Mr. Hekmati’s family in the United States has endured the hardship of his absence for too long. He is the eldest son, and his family misses him and needs him home.

We respectfully request that the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran release Mr. Hekmati so that he may be reunited with his family in the United States.

A MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE FROM MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE U.S. NAVY

FROM:  THE U.S. NAVY

Right:  140401-N-OT964-081 WASHINGTON (April 1, 2014) Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens salutes during the opening ceremony of the 121st birthday of the chief petty officer rank at the U.S. Navy Memorial.  U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Martin L. Carey.

2014 Memorial Day Message

Story Number: NNS140523-15Release Date: 5/23/2014 6:52:00 PM A  A  A    Email this story to a friend    Print this story.

By Mike Stevens, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Shipmates, Navy Families, and friends,

This weekend we will reflect on our Navy history and core values with great pride. We often hear the words, "Freedom is not free." We preserve our freedoms by supporting and defending, and at times sacrificing our lives for the guarantee of rights, liberties, and pursuit of happiness to every citizen. There is absolutely no greater sacrifice than giving one's life for their country.

Memorial Day also allows us to remember our fallen heroes, our loved ones who served and pay our respects to many shipmates who have donned the uniform of a United States Sailor. You have put service before self. It is because of your selfless contributions that missions are completed, battles are won, and our nation continues to thrive in freedom. From supporting homeland defense and deployments downrange with ground forces to participation in disaster response and months underway on ships, your role in every diverse aspect of our Navy's mission is critical.

I encourage each of you to pause and reflect on those that have given their all in defense of freedom.

Theresa and I would like to give our heartfelt gratitude for your dedication, strength and support.

May God richly bless each of you, our nation, and our Navy.

Very Respectfully,

MCPON

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL ADDRESSES NAVAL ACADEMY CLASS OF 2014

Right:  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel advises U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2014 graduates to connect with those they will lead, to understand different perspectives, and to stay humble during commencement activities in Annapolis, Md., May 23, 2014. U.S. Naval Academy photo  

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Addresses U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2014
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel this morning congratulated the future Navy and Marine Corps officers of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Class of 2014, advising the graduates to connect with those they will lead, to understand different perspectives, and to stay humble.

From a sunlit stage on the grounds of the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, Hagel joined Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller in addressing the midshipmen, then shook the hand of each graduate.

“As you conclude four years of education and training on the Yard, our nation is concluding 13 years of war, the longest in our history … [and] you will soon be presented with great 21st century challenges and opportunities,” Hagel told the graduates.

The Yard is long-used name for the USNA campus, which began as the 9.9-acre Fort Severn Army post in 1845 to a 340-acre campus today.
“Meeting those challenges, seizing the opportunities, and managing through this period of uncertainty and transition will require exceptional leadership,” the secretary added, noting that helping lead America’s sailors and Marines through such a defining time is a heavy responsibility.

Toward their success, Hagel offered three suggestions.

“These are not just my ideas,” he cautioned. “They’re what enlisted sailors and Marines tell me all the time. It’s what I believed as an enlisted infantryman in 1968.”

First, Hagel told them to personally connect with people they will lead.
“When you do, you’re forging a bond that you can rely on years down the road and under different circumstances. Having built close relationships on the Yard, you will soon do so across the fleet,” the secretary said.

“With new technologies and social media making our relationships sometimes seem less relevant,” he added, “it’s more important than ever to be personally invested in your people and build relationships face-to-face. Take the time to ask them about themselves. Get to know them. Listen to them. That earns their respect.”

Second, Hagel told them, try to understand different perspectives.
“From the diverse group of people you’ll serve with to the allied and partner forces you’ll interact with, being able to see the world through their eyes, through the eyes of others, will be critically important,” he said.

“Seek out allies and partners,” Hagel added, “and opportunities to build relationships and engage in the world. Understanding the intentions and experiences of other militaries is a skill that’s vital to our national security and America’s future.”

The secretary’s third suggestion was that the future leaders be humble and stay humble.

“Humility is about respect for others. Give credit to others and remember … someone else will always have something to teach you,” said Hagel, who then shared a personal story about his own experience of leadership from his service in Vietnam.

A few months ago, after a long search, Hagel and his brother Tom who served in the Army together in Vietnam found their then-commanding officer, former Army Lt. Jerome Johnson, living in Chicago with his family and spoke with him for the first time since 1968.

Speaking to the graduates, Hagel described 1968 as the worst year for the nation during which 16,000 fallen Americans were sent home from Vietnam, and racial unrest was evident within the military’s ranks and in the populace at home.
“Our country was in trouble,” the secretary said.

That year in Hagel’s unit in Vietnam, he said, “this young African-American lieutenant out of Chicago stepped into the middle of this and brought everyone together. He said we were going to take care of each other … and the force of this one young African-American lieutenant in this white unit brought that company together like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Hagel added, “That’s stepping up. That’s leadership.”

The secretary also used Johnson’s character to illustrate humility, describing how the lieutenant earned a Silver Star in Vietnam but never told his wife of 40 years or his children or grandchildren.

“That’s an individual who lived something pretty special,” Hagel said.
The secretary also asked the graduates to remember that the first principle of leadership is accountability.

“Once you take up your duty stations and the responsibility of leadership … at times you’ll be pressured to succeed at any cost,” he said, adding, “ … Small actions can reverberate in large ways, whether it’s sharing answers on a test, looking the other way when someone denigrates another human being, or taking advantage of the trappings of your office.”

As future officers, Hagel said, the graduates will be counted on to lead in helping eliminate sexual harassment and sexual assault of their sisters and brothers in uniform.

“You’ve seen what these crimes do to the survivors, their families, institutions and communities,” he added, “and you know how they tear people and units apart, how they destroy the bonds of confidence and trust that lie at the very core, the center, the heart of our military.”

The secretary added, “Take this knowledge and do whatever you can to make sure everyone is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. We’re all accountable, from new recruits to four-star admirals and generals, from second lieutenants to the Secretary of Defense.”

As Hagel praised the midshipmen’s accomplishments he also remembered three classmates who lost their lives earlier this year -- Will McKamey, class of 2017, Hans Loewen, class of 2016, and Max Allen, class of 2014;, and Nick Tarr, class of 2014, who passed away two years ago.

“I knew Hans Loewen and I know his wonderful family. His sister Zatha is here among you today [and she] will be commissioned today as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps,” Hagel said to cheers from the midshipmen.

“This community will always remember their enthusiasm and compassion …,” the secretary said, adding, “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of all these midshipmen and their friends here at the Academy.”

The men and women who graduated today from the U.S. Naval Academy, Hagel said, will lead from the bottom up and will help bring about a renewed sense of the collective responsibility to take care of each other and watch out for each other.

“If you stand together and face your challenges head on, you and your fellow sailors and Marines will be a force for good throughout the world,” the secretary told them.

“So go forth, class of 2014,” he said. “Connect with people. Understand different perspectives. Stay humble. Be there for your people and their families. And may you always be officers worthy not only of the people you lead but the nation you serve.”

EX-IM BANK 2014 GOAL: SUPPLY $2 BILLION IN FINANCING BUSINESS AIRCRAFT AND HELICOPTERS

FROM:  EXPORT-IMPORT BANK   

Ex-Im Bank Sets Goal of $2 Billion in Financing of U.S.-Manufactured Business Aircraft and Helicopters in 2014 

Bank Expects To Achieve New Goal by Year’s End

Washington, D.C. – Today the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) announced a new goal of $2 billion in financing for U.S.-manufactured business aircraft and helicopters by the end of 2014.

The Bank reached its previously announced goal of $1 billion in support of these exports in December 2013, 10 months ahead of schedule.

In FY 2014 to date, Ex-Im Bank has authorized approximately $740 million for exports of business aircraft and helicopters made in the United States by companies that include Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. based in Savannah, Ga., Beechcraft based Wichita, Kan., and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., which manufactures nonmilitary helicopters in Coatesville, Pa. Ex-Im Bank’s financing also supports sales and jobs of U.S. small businesses in the supply chains of these manufacturers.

“Ex-Im Bank has exceeded its goal to increase export financing of U.S.-made business aircraft and helicopters to $1 billion by 2014, and we expect to double that amount by the end of the calendar year. The Bank’s support is enabling these manufacturers and their workers to create American jobs and meet the growing global demand for their excellent products, particularly in markets where other sources of buyer financing are not readily available,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg.

Ex-Im Bank topped its previous goal in December 2013 with the guarantee of a $300 million loan extended by Apple Bank for Savings to Minsheng Financial Leasing Company Ltd. of Tianjin, China, that is financing the purchase of a fleet of eight aircraft manufactured by Gulfstream.

AG HOLDER'S REMARKS AT ETHEL KENNEDY BRIDGE DEDICATION

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at the Dedication of the Ethel Kennedy Bridge

~ Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Thank you – and good afternoon, everyone.  It’s a privilege to be here today, and to be a part of this dedication ceremony.  And it’s a great pleasure to join so many distinguished guests, devoted public servants, passionate community leaders, Earth Conservation Corps members – and members of the Kennedy family – in honoring an extraordinary woman who not only witnessed, but helped to shape, a critical period of American history; a leader who has stood as a pillar of strength – not just for her family, but for our communities and our nation; and a pioneer who has served, throughout her life, as a champion for causes ranging from civil rights to the eradication of poverty, the empowerment of young people, and the conservation of the Anacostia River right here in Washington, D.C.

As we’ve heard this afternoon, Ethel Kennedy is no less than an American icon, and nothing short of a living legend.  But she is also a steadfast friend to those in need, a staunch advocate for those at risk, and a principled leader in this community.  From those singular years at Hickory Hill, half a century ago, when she and her husband regularly convened gatherings of luminaries from around this city and across the globe, to her example of grace and resilience in the face of great tragedy; from her leadership and extensive travels on behalf of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, to her tireless work on behalf of the people of Southeast Washington – she has devoted her life to the betterment of others.  And like her late husband, my most accomplished predecessor as Attorney General – and like so many other members of the storied Skakel and Kennedy families – she has never been afraid to roll up her sleeves, rally those around her, and lead from the front lines of the fight for change.

Nowhere is this more evident than here on the banks of the Anacostia, in vibrant neighborhoods that have been too often forgotten – amid a fragile environment that’s been too long neglected.  During my service as a judge – and later as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, in the mid-1990s – I saw firsthand the intractable public safety challenges, and the vicious cycle of poverty, criminality, and incarceration, that have gripped this community and stolen far too many promising futures.

Indeed, as we’ve heard this afternoon, a shocking number of ECC members – the best and the brightest; the future of this city – have fallen victim to senseless violence since this effort began.  But as a result of the courage, the resolve, and the tireless work of community activists, Corps members, and leaders like Ethel Kennedy, over the last two decades, we have seen tremendous progress and brought about lasting, positive change.  There’s no question that significant challenges remain before us – but thanks to the principled stands you’ve taken, the fight Mrs. Kennedy is helping to lead, and the work of community members who have rallied to build the brighter futures that every D.C. resident deserves – countless lives have been improved and even saved.  And these beautiful natural areas are being preserved.

That’s why it’s fitting that we gather today – alongside ECC leaders and proud residents of Wards 6, 7 and 8 – to thank Ethel Kennedy for the work she has championed.  To bestow just a small measure of the recognition, and the public acclaim, that she richly deserves.  And to honor her indelible contributions to this community by naming one of the original connectors that links Anacostia to greater Washington in her honor.

Throughout her extraordinary life, Ethel Kennedy has shown us – by word and by deed – that every American has not just the power, but the responsibility, to help improve and transform the world around them.  And through her service, she has inspired countless individuals in and far beyond this crowd – including me – to follow her example.  She has never pursued the national spotlight.  But she has also never failed to embrace the considerable duties – and the substantial burdens – that circumstance and history have placed squarely on her shoulders.

Today, we pay tribute to this remarkable leader.  We thank her for bearing these burdens, and leading these efforts, with grace and with poise.  We declare that she is not merely one of the best among us – she is a national treasure.  And we pledge that we will honor her achievements by rededicating ourselves – here and now – to the work that must remain our common cause; by carrying on the fight for juvenile and environmental justice; and by continuing to support and empower those who need our help the most, across the country as well as here in Washington – on both sides of the bridge that will forever bear her name.

Thank you once again, Mrs. Kennedy, for all that you have done, and meant, to this community and to our nation.  I am honored to share this auspicious moment with you.  And I look forward to all that we will do and achieve together in the months and years to come.

THE SANDS OF THE SAHARA MEET THE WATER

FROM:  NASA 

On May 23, 2014, Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson posted this photograph -- taken from the International Space Station -- to Instagram. Swanson noted, “Western Sahara – the contrast between the sand and the water is spectacular from here.” Swanson uploaded the first image from space to Instagram on April 7. He began posting imagery to the social media site during his pre-flight training. › View Instagram imagery from the International Space Station The three Expedition 40 crew members aboard the International Space Station worked advanced science this week while awaiting a new trio, set to lift off on Wednesday, May 28. Soyuz Commander and cosmonaut Maxim Suraev, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and European astronaut Alexander Gerst will launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft at 3:57 p.m. EDT (1:57 a.m. May 29 Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Image Credit: NASA

PRESIDENT OBAMA MAKES STATEMENT ON ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Statement by the President on Elections in Ukraine

On behalf of all Americans, I congratulate the people of Ukraine for making their voices heard by voting in their presidential election today. Despite provocations and violence, millions of Ukrainians went to the polls throughout the country, and even in parts of eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatist groups sought to disenfranchise entire regions, some courageous Ukrainians still were able to cast their ballots. We commend the resolve of all those who participated, as well as the efforts of the Ukrainian government to conduct these elections in the face of those threats.

Throughout the last few months, the Ukrainian people have repeatedly demonstrated their desire to choose their leaders without interference and to live in a democracy where they can determine their own future free of violence and intimidation. This election is another important step forward in the efforts of the Ukrainian government to unify the country and reach out to all of its citizens to ensure their concerns are addressed and aspirations met.

The United States looks forward to working with the next President, as well as the democratically elected parliament, to support Ukraine’s efforts to enact important political and economic reforms. We also continue to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, condemn and reject Russia’s occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, and remain committed to working with Ukraine and other partners to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.