AIRSTRIKES STILL UNDERWAY IN SYRIA AND IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Inherent Resolve Airstrikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

From a U.S. Central Command News Release

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 24, 2014 – U.S. and partner-nation military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq over the last three days, U.S. Central Command officials reported today.
Airstrikes in Syria

Fighter and bomber aircraft have conducted nine airstrikes in Syria since Nov. 21, officials said:

-- Seven airstrikes near Kobani destroyed three ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL staging areas, damaged another ISIL staging area and suppressed four ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Raqqah, two airstrikes struck an ISIL headquarters building.
Airstrikes in Iraq

In Iraq, fighter, attack, bomber and remotely-piloted aircraft have conducted 15 airstrikes since Nov. 21, officials said:

-- Five airstrikes near Mosul destroyed an ISIL checkpoint, three ISIL Humvees, a large ISIL unit, two tactical ISIL units and a heavy weapon.

-- Near Asad, two airstrikes destroyed a mortar position, an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL vehicle and a tactical ISIL unit and damaged an ISIL-occupied building and an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Baghdad, two airstrikes destroyed an ISIL-occupied building, three ISIL vehicles, an ISIL Humvee and two tactical ISIL units, one of which was emplacing roadside bombs.

-- Near Ramadi, two airstrikes destroyed two ISIL vehicles.

-- Near Tal Afar, two airstrikes suppressed a mortar position.

-- An airstrike struck an ISIL obstruction near Fallujah Dam.

-- Near Hit, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

All aircraft returned to base safely, Centcom officials said, noting that airstrike assessments are based on initial reports.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to Iraq, the region and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project power and conduct operations, Centcom officials said.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

CHUCK HAGEL RESIGNS AS U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
President Announces Hagel’s Resignation as Defense Secretary
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jake Richmond
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2014 – Praising Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s “class and integrity,” President Barack Obama announced today at the White House that Hagel will leave his post.

The president said Hagel has agreed to remain in his position until a successor is nominated and confirmed. For that, Obama said, he is “extraordinarily lucky and grateful.”

“When I asked Chuck to serve as secretary of defense, we were entering a significant period of transition,” Obama said. That transition included the drawdown in Afghanistan, the need to prepare our forces for future missions, and tough fiscal choices to keep our military strong and ready.

Last month, Obama said, Hagel came to him to discuss the final quarter of his presidency. It was then that Hagel initially determined that, having guided the department through this transition, it was an appropriate time for him to complete his service, the president added.

A Steady Hand

“Over nearly two years, Chuck has been an exemplary defense secretary,” Obama said, crediting Hagel for providing a steady hand during the modernization of the administration’s strategy and budget to meet long-term threats, while still responding to immediate challenges such as ISIL and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Hagel said he is “immensely proud” of what the department has accomplished during his tenure.

“I believe we have set not only this department, the Department of Defense, but the nation on a stronger course toward security, stability and prosperity,” the secretary said.

Privileged to Serve

Hagel called his opportunity to serve as defense secretary the “greatest privilege of my life.”

In the meantime, Hagel said, “I will stay on this job and work just as hard as I have over the last couple of years, every day, every moment, until my successor is confirmed by the United States Senate.”

The United States of America can proudly claim the strongest military the world has ever known, Obama said.

“That’s the result of the investments made over many decades, the blood and treasure and sacrifices of many generations,” he said. “It’s the result of the character and wisdom of those who lead them as well, including a young Army sergeant in Vietnam who rose to serve as our nation’s 24th secretary of defense.”

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON DEATH OF MARION BARRY

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
November 23, 2014
Statement by the President on the Passing of Marion Barry

Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Marion Barry. Marion was born a sharecropper's son, came of age during the Civil Rights movement, and became a fixture in D.C. politics for decades. As a leader with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Marion helped advance the cause of civil rights for all. During his decades in elected office in D.C., he put in place historic programs to lift working people out of poverty, expand opportunity, and begin to make real the promise of home rule. Through a storied, at times tumultuous life and career, he earned the love and respect of countless Washingtonians, and Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathies to Marion's family, friends and constituents today.

U.S. DISMAYED BY LAW THAT RESTRICTS RIGHTS OF LGBT INDIVIDUALS IN GAMBIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
U.S. Concerned by Passage of Discriminatory Law, Arrests of LGBT Individuals
Press Statement
Jeff Rathke
Director, Bureau of Public Affairs, Office of Press Relations
Washington, DC
November 24, 2014

We are dismayed by President Jammeh’s decision to sign into law legislation that further restricts the rights of LGBT individuals and are deeply concerned about the reported arrests and detention of suspected LGBT individuals in The Gambia. These reports follow the signature into law of a bill that imposes harsh sentences for the crime of “aggravated homosexuality.” The United States strongly opposes any legislation that criminalizes consensual relations between adults. We urge the Government of The Gambia not to arrest or detain individuals solely on the basis of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, and to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all its citizens to which they are entitled under The Gambia’s international human rights commitments. We call on the Government of The Gambia to reverse the deteriorating respect for democracy and human rights.

U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF TUNISIA ON THEIR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Tunisia's Presidential Election
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 23, 2014

I congratulate the Tunisian people on today’s presidential election. This historic moment has come about due to the strong commitment by Tunisians from across the political spectrum to democracy and the rule of law. With a continued emphasis on political and social cooperation and consensus-building, Tunisia’s democratic path will remain an inspiration to all those in the region and around the world who are working to build the foundation for an inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous future. I saw firsthand the power of Tunisia’s example when I visited earlier this year, and the United States will continue to support Tunisia’s transition and provide economic and security assistance to the Tunisian people. We look forward to the successful conclusion of Tunisia’s presidential election process by the end of this year and are committed to working with the democratically-elected government that will lead the country in the years ahead.

NASA VIDEO | HOW WILL THE 4 MMS SPACECRAFT LAUNCH AND DEPLOY?

ENERGY COMPANY TO PAY $2.5 MILLION FOR ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN FRAUD CONSPIRACY AGAINST UNITED STATES

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014
WASHINGTON GAS ENERGY SYSTEMS AGREES TO PAY $2.5 MILLION IN FINES AND PENALTIES FOR CONSPIRING TO OBTAIN FEDERAL CONTRACTS

Scheme Involved Energy-Related Services at Government Buildings

WASHINGTON — Washington Gas Energy Systems (WGESystems) has agreed to pay more than $2.5 million in fines and monetary penalties for conspiring to commit fraud on the United States by illegally obtaining contracts that were meant for small, disadvantaged businesses.

The court agreement was announced today by William J. Baer, Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division; Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Robert C. Erickson, Acting Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General for the Small Business Administration (SBA), and Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

WGESystems, based in Virginia, is a wholly owned subsidiary of WGL Holdings Inc. (WGL).  WGL is the parent company for all of the corporations within the Washington Gas family.  WGESystems plays no direct role in the delivery of natural gas, and it is not a utility.  It is a design-build firm that specializes in providing energy efficiency and sustainability solutions to clients.

A criminal information was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charging WGESystems with one count of knowingly and willfully conspiring to commit major fraud on the United States.  WGESystems waived the requirement of being charged by way of federal indictment, agreed to the filing of the information, and has accepted responsibility for its criminal conduct and that of its employees.

In addition, as part of a deferred prosecution agreement reached with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Antitrust Division, WGESystems agreed to pay a fine of $1,560,000 and a monetary penalty of $1,027,261 within five days of the approval of the agreement by the court.

According to court documents filed today, WGESystems conspired with a company that was eligible to receive federal government contracts set aside for small, disadvantaged businesses with the understanding that the business would illegally subcontract all of the work on the projects to WGESystems.  In this way, WGESystems was able to capture a total of eight contracts worth $17,711,405 that should have gone to an eligible company. These contracts, awarded in 2010, were focused on making federal buildings in the Washington, D.C., area more energy efficient.

Under the illegal agreement, the company that was awarded these government contracts was allowed to keep 5.8 percent of the value of the contracts for allowing WGESystems to use the company’s small business status to win these contracts.

“Conspiracies to violate federal procurement laws will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer for the Antitrust Division.  “Taxpayers deserve to have contracting processes that are fair and competitive, and fully comply with applicable laws and regulations.”

“Time and time again, we have seen government contractors abuse and exploit programs designed to help minority and socially disadvantaged small businesses,” said Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “This Washington Gas subsidiary obtained millions of dollars in federal contracts by using a small business that had no ability to actually complete the contract as a front company.  Even though the subsidiary lost money on these contracts, it is required to pay $2.5 million in fines and penalties under this agreement.  This resolution should cause other contractors to think twice about playing fast and loose with federal contracting rules.”

“Cases like this are important for us to maintain the integrity of the federal contracting process,” said GSA Acting Inspector General Erickson.  “Companies cannot cheat to win federal contracts and expect to get away with their ill-gotten gains.”

“SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program assists eligible socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in developing and growing their businesses,” said SBA Inspector General Gustafson.  “Large businesses that fraudulently seek to gain access to contracts set aside for small businesses erode the public’s trust in this important program.  I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their professionalism and commitment to justice in this investigation.”

“Federal government contracting laws are in place to create a level playing field for small disadvantaged businesses whose work supports our country's diverse financial infrastructure,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe.  “The FBI with our law enforcement partners will investigate those companies who fraudulently abuse federal contracting laws with the purpose of increasing their company's bottom line.”

According to the court documents, until 2010, GSA had an area-wide contract with WGESystems.  This contract enabled GSA, without competition, to enter into contracts with WGESystems so that WGESystems could provide energy management services for federal buildings.

However, starting in 2010, the federal government changed its practices.  The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act appropriated funds to make buildings in the District of Columbia and the surrounding area more energy efficient.  These funds were to be awarded through the 8(a) program, which is administered by the SBA and which was created to help small, disadvantaged businesses access the federal procurement market.

To qualify for the 8(a) program, a business must be at least 51 percent-owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen (or citizens) of good character who meet the SBA’s definition of socially and economically disadvantaged.  The firm also must be a small business (as defined by the SBA) and show a reasonable potential for success.  Participants in the 8(a) program are subject to regulatory and contractual limits on subcontracting work from 8(a) set-aside contracts.  The SBA regulations require, among other things, the 8(a) concern to agree that on construction contracts it “will perform at least 15 percent of the cost of the contract with its own employees (not including the costs of materials).”

As a result of this change, WGESystems – which was not certified to participate in the 8(a) program – faced the prospect of losing millions of dollars in revenue.

WGESystems, along with an 8(a) company it used to obtain these contracts, and others, engaged in and executed a scheme to defraud the SBA and GSA by, among other things: concealing that WGESystems, which was not eligible for the aforementioned SBA contracting preferences, exercised impermissible control over the 8(a) company’s bidding for and performance on GSA contracts; and misrepresenting that the 8(a) company was in compliance with SBA regulations pertaining to work on these contracts, including that the company’s employees had performed the required percentage of work on these contracts.  Through these unlawful efforts, WGESystems and the 8(a) company with which it conspired obtained, at least, approximately $17,711,405 in U.S. government contracts related to work at eight different federal buildings.  When these contracts were awarded, the 8(a) company’s registered place of business was the president of the company’s home, and the company had no employees who could provide design-build or contracting services.

WGESystems assisted the 8(a) company with identifying a project manager for the work at the eight buildings who was nominally an employee of the 8(a) company, but who, in actuality, took direction from WGESystems employees.  For much of the relevant period, this project manager was the only employee of the 8(a) company performing work for any of the eight projects.

Under the agreement with WGESystems, the 8(a) company was entitled to 5.8 percent of the $17,711,405 total value of the contracts, which equals $1,027,261.  To date, with all but one of the eight contracts completed or suspended, WGESystems has lost approximately $1,122,581 on the projects.  WGESystems initially anticipated a profit margin that would have equaled about $1,560,000.

Since being informed of this investigation by the Justice Department, WGESystems has taken steps to enhance and optimize its internal controls, policies and procedures.

In light of the company’s remedial actions to date and its willingness to acknowledge responsibility for its actions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Antitrust Division will recommend the dismissal of the Information in two years, provided WGESystems fully cooperates with, and abides by, the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement.

This investigation was conducted by the Inspector General’s Offices of the U.S. General Services Administration and the Small Business Administration and the FBI’s Washington Field Office.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Graves of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Chief Craig Y. Lee and Trial Attorney Diana Kane, both of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section.

NSF TOUTS USE OF SUPERCOMPUTER AND RESOUCES TO HELP PLASMA DYNAMIC RESEARCH

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
A deep dive into plasma
Renowned physicist uses NSF-supported supercomputer and visualization resources to gain insight into plasma dynamic

Studying the intricacies and mysteries of the sun is physicist Wendell Horton life's work. A widely known authority on plasma physics, his study of the high temperature gases on the sun, or plasma, consistently leads him around the world to work on a diverse range of projects that have great impact.

Fusion energy is one such key scientific issue that Horton is investigating and one that has intrigued researchers for decades.

"Fusion energy involves the same thermonuclear reactions that take place on the sun," Horton said. "Fusing two isotopes of hydrogen to create helium releases a tremendous amount of energy--10 times greater than that of nuclear fission."

It's no secret that the demand for energy around the world is outpacing the supply. Fusion energy has tremendous potential. However, harnessing the power of the sun for this burgeoning energy source requires extensive work.

Through the Institute for Fusion Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, Horton collaborates with researchers at ITER, a fusion lab in France and the National Institute for Fusion Science in Japan to address these challenges. At ITER, Horton is working with researchers to build the world's largest tokamak--the device that is leading the way to produce fusion energy in the laboratory.

"Inside the tokamak, we inject 10 to 100 megawatts of power to recreate the conditions of burning hydrogen as it occurs in the sun," Horton said. "Our challenge is confining the plasma, since temperatures are up to 10 times hotter than the center of the sun inside the machine."

Perfecting the design of the tokamak is essential to producing fusion energy, and since it is not fully developed, Horton performs supercomputer simulations on the Stampede supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) to model plasma flow and turbulence inside the device.

"Simulations give us information about plasma in three dimensions and in time, so that we are able to see details beyond what we would get with analytic theory and probes and high-tech diagnostic measurements," Horton said.

The simulations also give researchers a more holistic picture of what is needed to improve the tokamak design. Comparing simulations with fusion experiments in nuclear labs around the world helps Horton and other researchers move even closer to this breakthrough energy source.

Plasma in the ionosphere

Because the mathematical theories used to understand fusion reactions have numerous applications, Horton is also investigating space plasma physics, which has important implications in GPS communications.

GPS signaling, a complex form of communication, relies on signal transmission from satellites in space, through the ionosphere, to GPS devices located on Earth.

"The ionosphere is a layer of the atmosphere that is subject to solar radiation," Horton explained. "Due to the sun's high-energy solar radiation plasma wind, nitrogen and oxygen atoms are ionized, or stripped of their electrons, creating plasma gas."

These plasma structures can scatter signals sent between global navigation satellites and ground-based receivers resulting in a "loss-of-lock" and large errors in the data used for navigational systems.

Most people who use GPS navigation have experienced "loss-of-lock," or instance of system inaccuracy. Although this usually results in a minor inconvenience for the casual GPS user, it can be devastating for emergency response teams in disaster situations or where issues of national security are concerned.

To better understand how plasma in the ionosphere scatters signals and affects GPS communications, Horton is modeling plasma turbulence as it occurs in the ionosphere on Stampede. He is also sharing this knowledge with research institutions in the United States and abroad including the UT Space and Geophysics Laboratory.

Seeing is believing

Although Horton is a long-time TACC partner and Stampede user, he only recently began using TACC's visualization resources to gain deeper insight into plasma dynamics.

"After partnering with TACC for nearly 10 years, Horton inquired about creating visualizations of his research," said Greg Foss, TACC Research Scientist Associate. "I teamed up with TACC research scientist, Anne Bowen, to develop visualizations from the myriad of data Horton accumulated on plasmas."

Since plasma behaves similarly inside of a fusion-generating tokamak and in the ionosphere, Foss and Bowen developed visualizations representing generalized plasma turbulence. The team used Maverick, TACC's interactive visualization and data analysis system to create the visualizations, allowing Horton to see the full 3-D structure and dynamics of plasma for the first time in his 40-year career.

"It was very exciting and revealing to see how complex these plasma structures really are," said Horton. "I also began to appreciate how the measurements we get from laboratory diagnostics are not adequate enough to give us an understanding of the full three-dimensional plasma structure."

Word of the plasma visualizations soon spread and Horton received requests from physics researchers in Brazil and researchers at AMU in France to share the visualizations and work to create more. The visualizations were also presented at the XSEDE'14 Visualization Showcase and will be featured at the upcoming SC'14 conference.

Horton plans to continue working with Bowen and Foss to learn even more about these complex plasma structures, allowing him to further disseminate knowledge nationally and internationally, also proving that no matter your experience level, it's never too late to learn something new.

-- Makeda Easter, Texas Advanced Computing Center (
-- Aaron Dubrow, NSF
Investigators
Wendell Horton
Daniel Stanzione
Related Institutions/Organizations
Texas Advanced Computing Center
University of Texas at Austin

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK TOUTS SUCCESS REGARDING "GATEKEEPER SECURITY"

FROM:  U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK 
Export-Import Bank Success: Gatekeeper Security
Small Business Doubles Growth With Liquidity and Risk Protection from Ex-Im Bank 

Washington, D.C. – Gatekeeper Security, a small technology firm in Sterling, Va., has doubled its year-over-year growth since 2010 when the company began using two financing tools of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank): export-credit insurance and Global Credit Express, the Bank’s direct loan for small businesses.

Using Ex-Im’s small-business products, Gatekeeper has increased exports of its under-vehicle security systems to achieve more than $10 million in total sales. Ninety-five percent of its products are exported to the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. The company’s equipment is now found in 28 countries, including Mexico, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Small businesses need liquidity and risk protection to grow through exporting,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “We developed Global Credit Express to provide exporters with working capital loans under $500,000, which usually aren’t available from commercial lenders. Ex-Im Bank can fill that lending gap, and we want more small businesses to experience the kind of growth that Gatekeeper has achieved.”

“Ex-Im’s credit insurance policy has allowed us to use the credit standing of Ex-Im Bank to guarantee bank letters of credit issued by foreign banks to fund pre-shipment financing. And now with the Global Credit Express facility, we have a further means to fund the materials and labor costs required to meet foreign orders,” said Gatekeeper Security CEO Christopher Millar.

Gatekeeper Security develops and deploys advanced screening technology to enable its customers to search under vehicles from a safe distance. Gatekeeper’s automatic under-vehicle inspection systems are designed to provide a first line of defense against threats to ground transportation and are integrated with other entry-point control technologies. The company has 12 employees in Sterling and 10 additional employees based in Dubai and Mexico.

PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS ON IMMIGRATION AT DE SOL HIGH SCHOOL

SAMANTHA POWER'S REMARKS AT SAVE THE CHILDREN ILLUMINATION GALA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
U.S. Mission to the United Nations: Remarks at the Save the Children Illumination Gala
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations 
New York, NY
November 20, 2014

AS DELIVERED

Thank you so much, Jennifer, and please know that the other 192 countries have nothing on my five-year old and my two-year old, [Laughter] for the record. And thank you Carolyn and everybody who has spoken up here. Thank you, especially—there’s a lot of fancy people here—but thank you especially, Lily—Lily! Let’s give it up for Lily! [Applause]

Before the year 2004 when the Red Sox—from Boston—[laughter] won the first of three World Series championships this decade [applause] it may have been tempting to believe that Ben Affleck cared about the underdog because of his own personal suffering. [Laughter] But now we know that there must be something else going on.

Back in February, Ben testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the ongoing civil war and atrocities being carried out in Congo. At the outset, he told the Committee, “I am, to state the obvious, not a Congo expert. I am an American working to do my part for a country and a people I believe in and care deeply about.” But then Ben proceeded to lay out an in depth analysis of the evolving situation in a place he has traveled to 14 times in the last decade – touching on complex issues like the disarmament of rebel groups and the specifics around the renewal of the mandate for UN peacekeepers. He wrapped up with a set of extremely targeted policy recommendations and this was the furthest thing from amateur testimony.

For anyone who has ever talked to Ben about the Congo, you know that this is how he rolls. On the one hand, he is utterly humble and self-effacing about his role and his knowledge, on the other he is wholly dedicated to helping a region and a people who have suffered the most horrific violence imaginable.

The way Ben has learned – or as he would say, has “done his homework” on Congo – is by asking questions. Lots and lots of rigorous, drilling down, precise, never let go, never let up, always a follow up, questions. And that’s whether he’s talking to high-level policymakers or local human rights defenders, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, victims of atrocities, or perpetrators, Ben probes for answers. Why has the campaign to disarm that rebel group fallen short? How can we empower and protect girl victims of rape so that they are less afraid to report it. Questions aimed at understanding what is broken, and how to fix it. And Ben is a sponge; he soaks up all the facts and arguments and then turns them around for his advocacy and the service that his organization provides.

Ben has been asking these questions for nearly a decade about a place that far too few ask any questions about – a region where, in some parts, two out of three women and girls have been sexually assaulted; where nearly half of the people in the region know someone who has been a child soldier; in a country where nearly three million people have been internally displaced by violence.

Yet, where many people saw a region that would always be divided by war, just because it had been for so very long, Ben saw a reason for hope for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. His homework taught him that, empowered with the right tools, people in Congo can and are rebuilding their families and communities.

In a world where aid too often comes from the top down, and treats beneficiaries as passive victims who need outside saviors, the organization Ben founded does the opposite. The Eastern Congo Initiative finds partners in communities who can build change from the grassroots up, and gives them the tools that they need to do it. Women lawyers who bring the perpetrators of unspeakable sexual crimes to justice; educators who give former child soldiers an accelerated primary education so that they can catch up with their peers; birth attendants who can consult and can prevent maternal deaths. ECI recognizes that these local actors – teaming up with the actors – make the most effective change agents. And while they are willing to fight alone, they shouldn’t have to.

The impact of the support that ECI provides – and Ben’s effort to convince other governments and organizations to lend similar support – has been profound. It has given people who want to change their country, who want to be better for themselves, for their families, for their kids, the means to do it.

So, as much as Ben may say he’s not an expert, this much is certain: he is making an outsize impact in a region and for a people he believes in, and he is making other people believe, too.

For that reason, it is an honor to present Ben Affleck with the Save the Children’s Global Child Advocate Award. Congratulations, Ben.

REMARKS BY ROSE GOTTENMOELLER ON BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE AND EUROPEAN PHASED ADAPTIVE APPROACH

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
America's Commitment to Ballistic Missile Defense and the European Phased Adaptive Approach
Remarks
Rose Gottemoeller
Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security 
Missile Defense Agency
Bucharest, Romania
November 18, 2014

As Prepared

Thank you, Rob, for that introduction. I am so pleased to be here in Romania and at this important time. We congratulate the people of Romania on their election yesterday. We look forward to working with the President-elect and the government of Romania, as we continue to strengthen our already close relationship. I would especially like to thank our Romanian colleagues for their generosity in agreeing to host this influential conference and especially for all of the support they have provided to the deployment of U.S. missile defense site at Deveselu. Thanks also to all of the people here that came from around the world. It is a true testament to our combined efforts that such a large and prestigious crowd has come to participate in this conference.

I know you have already heard from Admiral Syring, Principal Deputy Under Secretary Brian McKeon and Chargé d’Affaires Thompson about the ballistic missile defense systems the United States is deploying in Europe, here in Romania, and around the world. I am not going to re-tread that ground.

I will reiterate one point you have already heard today: The Obama Administration’s commitment to deploying missile defenses to defend the United States homeland, our Allies and partners never waivers. In Europe, we are on track for Phase 2 of the European Phased Adaptive Approach and we are committed to having Phase 3 in Poland completed in 2018. We are working closely across the board with our Israeli Allies on missile defense. We remain committed to missile defense cooperation among our Gulf Cooperation Council partners. In Asia, we also continue to deploy more and more capable missile defense systems and continue our efforts to enhance cooperation with allies and partners.

We are committed to these deployments in the face of constant criticism, particularly from the Russian Federation.

We often hear the refrain from certain corners that missile defenses are destabilizing. With an emphasis on transparency and confidence-building, we have explained that nothing that we are doing with respect to our missile defense plans will undercut international security. It would not be in our interest to do so, it would be prohibitively expensive and from a technical perspective, it would be extremely difficult. So let me take some time to again outline these points, based on logic, physics and math, to prove that our missile defense deployments are a benefit, not a threat, to global strategic stability.

First, the Cold War mindset about ballistic missile defenses is no longer valid. Limited ballistic missile defense capabilities are not capable of threatening Russia’s strategic nuclear forces and are not a threat to strategic stability.

Ballistic missiles during the Cold War were the tools the United States and the Soviet Union used to maintain the strategic balance between our two countries. Today, ballistic missiles are proliferated around the world and are seen as a common battlefield weapon.

That is why today’s limited missile defenses are essential to ensuring regional strategic stability. That is the one and only reason that the United States is pursuing regional missile defense capabilities.

Missile saber rattling is not particularly effective when there are defenses to protect against those missiles. Missile defense can also prevent a country or group from taking cheap shots of one or two launches that it thinks can be used to compel or deter a government. Instead these countries or groups would need to fire a much larger salvo to overcome missile defenses, thereby raising the stakes of entering into a conflict.

Further, missile defenses create uncertainty about the outcome of attacks, thereby increasing the costs to countries and groups attempting to overcome defenses. By reducing a country’s confidence in the effectiveness of missile attacks, we enhance deterrence and regional stability.

Missile defenses and missile defense cooperation also provides reassurance. Reassurance helps reduce a country’s vulnerability to ballistic missile attacks, as well as reassurance regarding the United States’ commitment to their defense. The last part is particularly important since it demonstrates that the United States will stand by our Alliance commitments, even in the face of growth in the military potential of regional adversaries.

Finally, when confronted with an attack, missile defenses can buy time for other courses of actions, such as diplomacy, to help resolve the crisis. All of you know, whether you are policy-makers or military planners, that time- and lack thereof – is one of the most important factors during a crisis.

These are the factors that drive our deployment efforts. Our efforts are aided by the increasing sophistication and accuracy of our ballistic missile defenses, as well as the experience that U.S. forces, our Allies and our partners have gained from being the targets of missile attacks.

Many of our regional defense deployments, like the Patriot system and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD system, are inherently designed for theater use. They are not capable of defending against ICBMs launched at the United States. THAAD, however, is capable of defending against the medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic missile that North Korea is deploying.

Yet despite our repeated attempts to convey these demonstrable facts, the Russian Federation continues to maintain that our global deployment of these systems is designed somehow to encircle Russia.

Understanding the universal truth of physics, we have also taken care to demonstrate how the systems we are deploying are located in places that are ideal for addressing regional threats. Based on the irrefutable laws of science, these systems cannot do the things the Russian government says they can. You may have seen the Russia trajectory maps that show how the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor could be used against Russian ICBMs. The problem with this argument is that it assumes that the instant – the very second – of a Russian ICBM launch, we would also launch our interceptor. The argument also assumes that we would have perfect knowledge of where that Russian ICBM is going and where it is going to be located several minutes from launch in order to strike the reentry vehicles.

As Admiral Syring attests and our flight tests clearly show, we cannot begin to consider launching an interceptor until well after a ballistic missile has finished its boost phase, the warheads have separated, and we have had time to develop a firing solution. We need considerable time to gather knowledge about where the missile is going before we can launch our interceptor. As a result, the physics just don’t add up. There is no way a U.S. SM-3 IIA interceptor can chase down Russian reentry vehicles.

At one point, we did explore the feasibility of a faster interceptor that had what we called “early intercept” capabilities, but that still relied on intercepting the reentry vehicles after burnout. Again, this was not a boost phase concept. In fact, there are many unclassified reports that discuss the challenges inherent in doing boost phase intercept.

Beyond our theater, capabilities, our Ground-Based Interceptors (known as GBIs) deployed in Alaska and California do not pose a threat to Russian strategic nuclear forces either. Our GBIs are designed to deal with rudimentary systems deployed in limited numbers and with simple countermeasures. Technologically, GBIs cannot counter Russia’s sophisticated ICBM capabilities and countermeasures.

In addition to our other efforts, we have also outlined the plain and simple numbers to the Russians. Our GBI numbers are nowhere remotely near their strategic offensive arsenal numbers. As of October 1st, Russia declared that under the New START counting rules, they were deploying 1,643 warheads on 528 deployed ICBMs, SLBMs and heavy Bombers. Let me say that number again: the Russian Federation currently fields 1,643 deployed nuclear warheads. Currently, the United States has 30 ground-based interceptors deployed in Alaska. So, hypothetically if all 30 of those GBIs performed perfectly and took out 30 Russian warheads, 1,613 Russian warheads would still get past our defenses.

We will deploy an additional 14 interceptors in Alaska and should we ever deploy an additional east coast site with 20 additional interceptors, Russia would still have 1,579 warheads that could get through our defenses. And while I am optimistic we will negotiate a future nuclear reduction Treaty after New START, even then, our limited numbers of defensive systems cannot even come close to upsetting the strategic balance.

Reversing this equation, I would note that we are not concerned about the impact to strategic stability of Russia’s deployment of 68 interceptors at the Moscow ABM system. Sixty eight deployed interceptors is 24 more than the United States even has plans to deploy. Further, Russia is very open about declaring that the Moscow ABM system is specifically designed against the United States. And just like the United States, Russia is modernizing its radars and interceptors as part of their system. However, that still hasn’t raised concerns in the United States about strategic stability.

Despite our best efforts, none of these facts has made any difference in our discussions with the Russian Federation. They continue instead to argue the system is designed against them. The bottom line is this: The United States will continue to deploy our missile defense systems around the world to defend against limited regional threats. We will continue to deploy the EPAA as our contribution to NATO missile defense. There should be no doubt about our commitment. Moreover, we will not accept any obligations that limit our ability to defend ourselves, our allies, and our partners, including where we deploy our BMD-capable Aegis ships. There is no reason why we should and no reason we would.

Further, at this time, we have serious concerns about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. We continue to work closely with our NATO partners on addressing the changes to European security brought about by the invasion of Ukraine and are seeking Russia’s return to compliance with the INF Treaty.

While Russia has accused the United States of being in violation of the INF Treaty, we are in complete compliance with the INF Treaty. We can describe, in detail, why each of our systems complies with the Treaty. One thing that the United States and Russia have agreed on is that this important Treaty remains in our mutual security interests. May it remain so. In the meantime, we will continue to make our case to the world about the important of limited missile defenses and continue our essential efforts to cooperatively deploy systems around the world.

Thank you for your support with these efforts and thank you again for the opportunity to speak here today.

DOD SECRETARY MEETS WITH SAUD ARABIA'S MINISTER OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

FROM:  U.S. DEFESNE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Meets with Saudi, Qatari Ministers
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met here today with Saudi Arabia's Minister of the National Guard Prince Mitib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Qatar's Minister of State for Defense Affairs Maj. Gen. Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah.

Pentagon Spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby summarized the meetings in a statement released today, calling Saudi Arabia and Qatar “integral to ongoing coalition efforts against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.”

In separate meetings with the two ministers, Kirby said, Hagel “expressed appreciation for the strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia and Qatar and thanked the ministers for their countries' support in the fight against the ISIL.”

Hagel highlighted Saudi and Qatari participation in coalition airstrikes as well as their support to train and equip the moderate Syrian opposition, Kirby said. Hagel and the two ministers, he added, “underscored their desire to continue working closely to confront ISIL and other security challenges in the region.”

NASA VIDEO: THIS WEEK AT NASA

3 DEVELOPERS CONVICTED IN MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Friday, November 21, 2014

Three Real Estate Developers Convicted in $20 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme
A federal jury convicted three Miami real estate developers today for their roles in a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme involving the sale of condominium units in the Miami area.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Nadine Gurley of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General (HUD-OIG) in Miami and Inspector General Laura S. Wertheimer of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) made the announcement.  U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz presided over the trial in the Southern District of Florida.

Stavroula Mendez, 68, Lazaro Mendez, 42, and Marie Mendez, 49, were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  Additionally, Stavroula Mendez was convicted of 10 counts of bank fraud and three counts of wire fraud; Lazaro Mendez was convicted of 10 counts of bank fraud, and one count of wire fraud; and Marie Mendez was convicted of three counts of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud.

According to evidence presented at trial, Stavroula Mendez, Lazaro Mendez, and Marie Mendez controlled and managed various condominiums in the Miami area.  As part of their fraud scheme, the defendants paid straw buyers to apply for mortgages to purchase units in their projects.  The defendants then accepted the mortgage proceeds for the purchase of the units, but continued to control the units after the sales.

The evidence showed that Lazaro Mendez recruited family members and others to be straw buyers of units he controlled, and that he facilitated false loan applications for them.  In addition, Lazaro Mendez enlisted mortgage brokers and another individual to recruit straw buyers and assist them in obtaining fraudulent loans.  He accepted kickbacks out of loan proceeds for each buyer the brokers referred.

Evidence at trial further demonstrated that after units were sold at a development Stavroula Mendez controlled with her husband, Luis Mendez, Stavroula Mendez funneled money from the loan proceeds to shell companies controlled by others to pay for the straw buyers’ closing cash obligations and mortgage payments.  In 2008 and 2009, Stavroula Mendez used various shell companies to funnel more than $2 million of the fraudulent proceeds to off-shore accounts located in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

The evidence also showed that Marie Mendez assisted in the transfer of rental money received by the conspirators to make mortgage payments, and funneled cash to another individual to make mortgage payments on behalf of straw buyers.  She also submitted fraudulent loan applications for three condominium units that were purchased in her name.

Eventually, the conspirators were unable to make mortgage payments, causing many of the condominium units to go into foreclosure and leading to $20 million in losses to the lenders.

Following their convictions, each of the defendants was remanded into custody.  Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2015.  Eleven other defendants associated with the scheme were previously convicted of fraud charges.

The case is being investigated by HUD-OIG and FHFA-OIG.  The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Brian Young and Trial Attorneys Gary A. Winters and Kyle Maurer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

FORMER VIRGIN ISLANDS OFFICIAL CONVICTED OF BRIBERY AND EXTORTION

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Friday, November 21, 2014
Former Executive Director of Virgin Islands Legislature Convicted of Bribery and Extortion

After a three-day trial, a federal jury found the former executive director of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands guilty of accepting bribes and extortion in the awarding of contracts with the Legislature.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe of the District of the Virgin Islands, and Special Agent in Charge Carlos Cases of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

Louis “Lolo” Willis, 56, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, was convicted of two counts of federal programs bribery and two counts of extortion under color of official right.  U.S. District Judge Curtis V. Gomez of the District of the Virgin Islands set the sentencing hearing for Feb. 13, 2015.

According to evidence presented at trial, Willis was the executive director of the Legislature between 2009 and 2012.  His responsibilities included oversight of the major renovation of the Legislature building and awarding and entering into government contracts in connection with the project.  Willis was also responsible for authorizing payment to the contractors for their work.  Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Willis accepted bribes, including $13,000 in cash and checks, from contractors in exchange for using his official position to secure more than $350,000 in contracting work for the contractors and to ensure they received payment upon completion.

This case was investigated by the FBI-San Juan Field Office’s St. Thomas Resident Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Peter Mason and Justin Weitz of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Delia Smith of the District of the Virgin Islands.  Former Trial Attorneys Tracee Plowell and Jennifer Blackwell and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Lindquist assisted in the investigation of the case.

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET ON ECONOMICS OF FIXING IMMIGRATION

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
November 21, 2014
FACT SHEET: The Economic Benefits of Fixing Our Broken Immigration System

The President’s Immigration Accountability Executive actions will help secure the border, hold nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants accountable and ensure that everyone plays by the same rules.  Acting within his legal authority, the President is taking an important step to fix our broken immigration system.

These executive actions crack down on illegal immigration at the border, prioritize deporting felons not families, and require certain undocumented immigrants to pass a criminal background check and pay their fair share of taxes as they register to temporarily stay in the US without fear of deportation.

These are commonsense steps, but only Congress can finish the job. As the President acts, he’ll continue to work with Congress on a comprehensive, bipartisan bill—like the one passed by the Senate more than a year ago—that can replace these actions and fix the whole system.

According to an analysis by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), the President’s executive actions on immigration would boost economic output by an estimated 0.4 to 0.9 percent over ten years, corresponding to increases in GDP of $90 billion to $210 billion in 2024.          

The President’s actions will grow the economy by increasing the productivity of all American workers. These actions will increase the productivity of American workers, in part by allowing undocumented workers to come out of the shadows and find jobs that better match their skills and potential. This shift of workers across occupations will also allow more native workers to specialize in the tasks best suited to their abilities. These effects are likely to lead to wage increases for all workers—immigrants and natives alike. In addition, by encouraging high-skilled immigration, these actions will boost the rate of innovation and patenting in the American economy, further increasing the productivity of the American workforce.

The President’s actions will increase the size of the American workforce. CEA estimates that the economy will also grow thanks to an expansion of the American labor force by nearly150,000 people over 10 years as a result of the President’s executive actions.

Average wages for all workers, both U.S.-born and immigrant, will increase. Increases in productivity and innovation caused by the President’s actions will translate into higher wages for all types of workers. CEA estimates that by 2024 annual wages for native workers will rise 0.3 percent, or approximately $170 in today’s dollars. CEA also estimates that the President’s actions would neither increase nor decrease the likelihood of employment for native workers.
A bigger economy will reduce the deficit. As the economy grows so do tax revenues, requiring the government to borrow less to finance government operations. This reduced borrowing translates into reduced spending on interest payments by the government, thus reducing overall government spending—and shrinking the deficit. CEA’s estimate of the higher economic growth associated with executive action on immigration would translate into reductions in the Federal deficit by $25 billion in 2024.

At the same time, the President’s executive actions will expand the country’s tax base by millions of people and billions of dollars.  Individuals potentially eligible for deferred action under the President’s executive actions are in the country today – and have been for many years.  They provide for their families, just like all American citizens.  Many are already in the workforce and contributing Federal, State, and local taxes.  But roughly two-thirds of them don’t pay taxes today.  The President is changing that, ensuring that these individuals have the opportunity to apply for a work authorization and pay taxes.  By allowing those eligible for deferred action to work in this country, both workers and employers will be able to come out from the shadows and contribute payroll taxes, just like all American citizens.

To be sure, the economic benefits of these actions are not as strong as those under the bipartisan legislation that passed in the Senate.  If Congress passes that bill, we will be able to fully realize the economic benefits of commonsense immigration reform.  Independent studies have affirmed that commonsense immigration reform would significantly increase economic growth, shrink the deficit, and boost wages for native-born U.S. workers.

Commonsense immigration reform would strengthen the overall economy and grow U.S. GDP.  The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that enacting the Senate immigration reform bill would increase real GDP relative to current law projections by 3.3 percent in 2023 and 5.4 percent in 2033 – an increase of roughly $700 billion and $1.4 trillion, respectively, in today’s dollars.  According to independent estimates, improvements to the agricultural visa program alone would almost immediately increase GDP by $2 billion.
Commonsense immigration reform would increase wages and productivity for American workers.  According to CBO and other independent studies, immigration reform would increase overall U.S. productivity, resulting in higher wages.  CBO estimates that real wages would be 0.5 percent higher in 2033 — the equivalent to an additional $250 of income for the median American household — as a result of enacting the Senate bill.  The Senate bill would raise the “wage floor” for all workers—particularly in industries where employers pay undocumented workers low wages under the table and thus drive down the wages of all workers.

Commonsense immigration reform would reduce the federal deficit and strengthen Social Security.  According to CBO, the additional taxes paid by new and legalizing immigrants under the Senate bill would reduce the federal budget deficit by nearly $850 billion over the next 20 years.  The independent Social Security Administration (SSA) Actuary estimates that the Senate bill would add nearly $300 billion to the Social Security Trust Fund over the next decade and would improve Social Security’s finances over the long run, extending Social Security solvency by two years.

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET ON GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
November 20, 2014
FACT SHEET: Global Entrepreneurship Summit

President Obama elevated entrepreneurship to the forefront of the United States’ engagement agenda during a historic speech in Cairo in 2009.  The Administration has delivered on this commitment, greatly expanding support for entrepreneurship and economic opportunity around the world.  Signature achievements in the past five years include:

The United States has played a prominent role in organizing five Global Entrepreneurship Summits (GES) that have elevated entrepreneurship on the global agenda and inspired new generations of innovators to choose entrepreneurship as a profession.  These Summits have opened up new markets for products and encouraged policymakers to break down barriers to business, such as the draft law currently being developed by the Moroccan Government to create a legal status for startups.
The Administration has invested in over 1000 initiatives and programs promoting entrepreneurship around the world, many of which are focused on generating opportunities for women and youth and increasing access to capital for entrepreneurs.
The Unites States sends some of America’s top entrepreneurs abroad through the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship.  Begun earlier this year, the Ambassadors have already met with entrepreneurs and promoted entrepreneurship on four continents.
The United States’ Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative has helped young scientists from throughout the Muslim world generate more than $80 million in revenue for their companies.
The Administration has committed roughly $3.2 billion to support micro, small, and medium sized enterprises and mobilized $80 million in private capital for startup accelerators in the developing world through development financing institutions and programs.
This year’s GES in Marrakech, Morocco brings together nearly 4,000 entrepreneurs and business, government, and thought leaders.  The United States’ delegation is led by Vice President Joe Biden and includes several cabinet members, heads of agencies, and senior U.S. Government officials.  With a focus on technology, this year’s Summit gives participants the opportunity to discover some of the latest trends and tools driving the next wave of innovators.  For the first time, the Summit has a day dedicated to the specific challenges and opportunities relevant to women entrepreneurs, as well as a day-long program for young entrepreneurs.

Committing to a Bold New Goal to Spark Global Entrepreneurship

Building on the past five years of enhanced support for entrepreneurship, today, the Vice President announced that the United States has committed to a bold new goal to expand economic opportunity for all, especially women and youth.  Bringing together the U.S. Government’s most exceptional entrepreneurship programs, the United States will spark $1 billion in new private investments over the next three years for entrepreneurs worldwide, including social entrepreneurs.  Half of these investments will be generated by women and young entrepreneurs.  In addition, the United States is issuing a call to action to other organizations, companies, and countries to build on this goal.  The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation already pledged its support to this effort, announcing today that the new Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) would generate additional investments for entrepreneurs.  One of the first GEN operations will be in Morocco.

Expanding Entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa

To support Morocco’s demand-driven professional training strategy, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is expected to invest an estimated $50 million in public-private partnerships that provide students with the skills employers need.  Starting in January, MCC and the Moroccan Government will solicit ideas from the private sector, government, and civil society to develop public-private training partnerships.  Pending MCC Board approval and Congressional Notification, the program will be included as part of a new compact agreement that is expected to be signed in 2015.

Through the Middle East and North Africa Investment Initiative, the U.S. government is launching new partnerships with the Shell Foundation in Iraq to provide financial and practical support to small and medium sized businesses run by entrepreneurs.  In Lebanon, through a new partnership with Berytech, the U.S. government will provide early capital and advice for entrepreneurs, as well as mentoring, business networks, and other support as they grow and create even more jobs and economic activity.

As announced by the Vice President today, the United States and Volvo are partnering to establish a training academy for entrepreneurs in Morocco.  The academy will train 150 students each year from Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, focusing on maintenance of industrial and commercial equipment.  Training will also include technology and general business skills to prepare graduates to enter the modern workforce – either employed by local or multinational companies like Volvo, or as entrepreneurs running their own businesses.

In partnership with Spain, the U.S. government is providing a $7 million credit guarantee to help finance a state-of-the-art cold storage facility at the Tanger-Med port in Morocco.  The cold storage facility will fill a crucial gap in the agriculture value chain in Morocco, enabling increased agricultural exports to key markets and facilitating job creation across the sector.  This effort supports the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement and Morocco’s agricultural modernization strategy.

Enhancing Networking and Resources for Entrepreneurs

To deepen engagement and networking among entrepreneurs, GIST has partnered with nine investment, entrepreneurial, education, and corporate organizations to create GIST Net (www.gistnetwork.org).  This global, user-driven online platform will connect science and technology entrepreneurs in emerging economies and provide them with the ongoing resources and mentorship they need to collaborate, seek funding, and grow their businesses.  GIST Net will keep science and technology innovators informed on the latest news, trends, and industry insights and enable them to connect with each other and experts around the globe.  This public-private partnership gives science and technology entrepreneurs access to wide-ranging resources, such as interactive learning tools, mentors, potential financing, and advice, thanks to the intellectual and creative contributions of the U.S. Department of State, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Founder Institute, Gust, NestGSV, NovoED, Ponscio, Stanford Technology Ventures Program, TechWadi, and VentureWell.  Additionally, GIST and Global Entrepreneurship Week will expand the 1 Million Cups entrepreneurial education program globally.  1 Million Cups facilitates a weekly, in-person forum at which entrepreneurs present their startups to a diverse audience of mentors, advisors, and their peers and receive feedback in a safe environment, helping them to advance their businesses.

Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and Coursera Co-Founder and CEO, Daphne Koller, has developed a new online series of courses for entrepreneurs.  The Coursera Specialization in Entrepreneurship will focus on training entrepreneurs how to develop a business model, discover customer insights, enhance sales and marketing techniques, and pitch their venture.  The entrepreneurship curriculum allows for students to generate an innovative new venture concept or enhance their existing concepts.  At the end of the course, students will create an investor pitch.  Through a competitive process, leading concepts will be evaluated for funding by experts and investors.  The Specialization in Entrepreneurship was created in partnership with University of Maryland, College Park.

Salman Khan, a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, has launched a new set of free online tutorials through Khan Academy for creating and designing a website – a critical first step for most entrepreneurs in the 21st century.

Launching the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative

Increased connectivity is inspiring global citizenship, driving young people to seek connections with peers outside of their communities, and encouraging them to tackle local and global challenges.  The United States is committed to cultivating a new generation of globally-minded youth, and announced today a major contribution to this effort.  The J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative, a multilateral public-private partnership, will strengthen engagement between young people in the Middle East and North Africa and in the United States as a lasting tribute to the legacy of Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative will use technology and online tools to achieve the largest-ever increase in people-to-people educational exchanges between the United States and the broader Middle East.  Through intensive, structured online engagements between youth at various education levels, the Initiative will equip more than one million youth with the skills and aptitudes they need to succeed in the 21st century and lessen the potential for global misunderstanding.

A number of governments have expressed their intent to contribute to and partner with the United States on this Initiative.  To date, the Kingdom of Morocco and the governments of Algeria, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have joined the United States in making financial pledges totaling over $31 million over the next five years.  In addition, the Initiative will involve foundations and private sector partners, including Microsoft and GoPro.  The J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative will be kicked off with a pilot project early next year in Morocco.

CFTC BEGINS CAMPAIGN TO HELP INVESTORS IDENTIFY FINANCIAL FRAUD

FROM:  COMMODITY FUTURES 

CFTC Launches National Campaign to Protect Consumers from Financial Fraud

New CFTC SmartCheck Website Offers Investors Access to Quick, Effective Tools to Check Backgrounds of Financial Professionals

Washington, DC — The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today launched CFTC SmartCheck, a new national campaign to help investors identify and protect themselves against financial fraud. The comprehensive campaign includes a new website, a national advertising campaign and interactive videos that will help investors spot investment offers that are potentially fraudulent. The new website, SmartCheck.CFTC.gov, unveiled today, is an educational tool that helps investors conduct background checks of financial professionals.

“The CFTC is committed to protecting investors from fraud, and we demonstrate that commitment today with the launch of CFTC SmartCheck,” said CFTC Chairman Tim Massad. “This campaign provides investors with new interactive tools that include the website as well as a targeted advertising campaign and collaborative outreach with allied organizations.”

Over the coming months, the CFTC SmartCheck campaign will include online, television, and print advertising slated to run nationwide and additional outreach efforts with organizations aligned with the CFTC’s mission to reduce financial and investment fraud. The campaign will also feature special events to reach investors and encourage them to use the online tools available at SmartCheck.CFTC.gov. In addition to the background-check tools, the SmartCheck.CFTC.gov website includes a range of information for investors, including interactive videos that help illustrate how to avoid fraud.

Prior to SmartCheck.CFTC.gov, consumers had to consult a variety of databases from different government and self-regulatory organizations to conduct a thorough background check of financial professionals. With SmartCheck.CFTC.gov, this research is made far easier because the website acts as a portal and navigation tool.

The CFTC took action on fraudulent schemes that affected at least 30,000 investors between 2010 and 2013, with losses totaling more than $1 billion. Notably, the majority of fraud schemes involved unregistered financial professionals. Investors who check whether or not a financial professional is properly registered or licensed can greatly reduce their chance of falling victim to a fraudulent scheme. The new CFTC SmartCheck website will help consumers identify those most likely to commit fraud.

Last Updated: November 19, 2014

COUNTER-ISIL PLANNING CONFERENCE ENDS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Counter-ISIL Coalition Planning Conference Concludes
From a U.S. Central Command News Release

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 21, 2014 – A counter- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant operational planning conference featuring military planners from 33 nations and hosted by U.S. Central Command Nov. 12 to 21 concluded today at MacDill Air Force Base here.

The conference included nearly 200 coalition participants, who worked together to synchronize and refine coalition campaign plans designed to degrade and defeat ISIL.

“This conference brought the very best plans officers from nations within the Central Region and coalition partners from around the world," said British Army Brig. Gen. Gary C. Deakin, Deputy Director of U.S. Central Command Strategy, Plans and Policy. “What I experienced, as the officer tasked to lead the planning effort, was the strength, level of determination, and scale of commitment of these 33 nations to defeat ISIL. This is perhaps the strongest coalition I have had the privilege of serving in. Our regional partners were particularly impressed by the depth of coalition support and collective will to prevail against ISIL in order to stabilize the region.”

Coalition Partners Tackle Train, Advise, Assist Planning

A major focus of the 10-day conference was to further develop coalition plans to help train, advise and assist Iraqi Security Forces so that Iraq is better able to regenerate its combat power, counter ISIL and ultimately provide for its own security. Attendees were able to solidify plans and discuss how best to synchronize and reinforce mutual efforts to aid the Iraqis. The conference also provided a unique opportunity for attendees to share their regional insights and perspectives on how best to combat ISIL and ultimately defeat the terrorist group.

“The strength of our regional campaign is the broad coalition that has come together with the common goal of defeating ISIL,” said Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, U.S. Central Command commander. “Over the past week, the best military planners from 33 nations met and developed plans to train, advise and assist Iraq's security forces. Today, I received their outbrief and was very pleased to see the enormous progress made. I am confident that their hard work will pay significant dividends going forward. It is through these kinds of collaborations and our continued cooperation that we will achieve our shared objectives, further strengthen relationships between our nations, and improve stability and security in that strategically important region of the world.”

NASA VIDEO: GOES-EAST ANIMATION OF SNOWFALL AROUND THE GREAT LAKES

Weekly Address: Immigration Accountability Executive Action

THE PRESIDENT AWARDS NATIONAL MEDALS OF SCIENCE AND...

DEFENDANTS IN FTC ACTION REGARDING ADVANCE FEE RECOVERY SCHEME TO STOP OPERATION

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
FTC Halts Advance Fee Recovery Scheme Targeting Victims of Timeshare Resale and Investment Scams

The defendants in a federal court action brought by the FTC have agreed to stop operating an advance fee recovery scheme for the duration of the on-going litigation. The FTC seeks to permanently stop the operation, which in the past year took close to $1.3 million from consumers, many of them elderly people who had lost money to timeshare resale and precious metal investment frauds.

According to the FTC’s complaint, telemarketers for Consumer Collection Advocates, Corp. and Michael Robert Ettus called consumers and falsely guaranteed that, for an up-front fee, typically 20 percent of the amount they lost, the defendants would recover substantial amounts of money for them – 60 percent or more – within 30 to 180 days. For consumers who had lost from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars and could not afford a 20 percent up-front fee, the defendants would often accept a reduced fee of less than 10 percent of their loss. The defendants also charged a back-end fee of 20 percent for any amount recovered.

According to the complaint, consumers were sent a contract and power of attorney to sign and return with an up-front payment ranging from hundreds to as much as $10,000. Consumers who did not agree to buy the service received repeated calls from defendants pressuring them to sign up. Once consumers paid for the recovery service, they stopped hearing from the defendants. Those who called to ask about their recovery were told their case was being worked on, but few, if any, consumers received any money, according to the complaint.

The defendants are charged with violating the FTC Act and the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule, which prohibits seeking or accepting payment from a person for recovery of money paid for previous telemarketing transactions until seven business days after that person receives the money.

Under a court order announced today, the defendants are prohibited from misrepresenting that consumers who buy their services will recover, or are highly likely to recover, a substantial portion of money they have lost to telemarketers, typically within 30 to 180 days. They are also barred from violating the TSR, and from selling or otherwise benefitting from customers’ personal information.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 5-0. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. On November 4, 2014, the court entered a temporary restraining order [link to TRO] halting the defendants’ deceptive scheme and freezing their assets. The defendants agreed to a preliminary injunction, which the court entered on November 17, 2014. The preliminary injunction continues the conduct prohibitions and asset freeze.

As part of a joint investigation between the FTC and the State of Florida, the Florida Attorney General’s Office filed an action against the defendants in state court on November 5, 2014, alleging the same deceptive practices.

The FTC appreciates the assistance of the Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast Florida and the Caribbean in bringing this case.

NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest.

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS THE CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ACT

U.S. OFFICIAL'S REMARKS FOR TECH PANEL AT U.S.-INDIA SUMMIT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks for Tech Panel at U.S.-India Tech Summit
Remarks
Charles H. Rivkin
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
New Delhi, India
November 18, 2014

Thank you.

I am honored to join so many key leaders in the ICT sector, from both our governments and private sectors. And I would like to thank the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Government of India’s Department of Science and Technology, who partnered with the U.S. Government to sponsor this important summit.

There is only so much you can do to make a garden grow. You can plant the seeds. You can enrich the soil. You can water at the right times. You can pull out the weeds. You can make sure the garden gets enough sun. But then it’s your job to get out of the way and let the garden grow on its own.

As governments, there is much we can do – and much that we should do – to help the ICT sector grow. After all, a rich and fertile ICT sector can do so much for the people we are sworn to protect and serve – our citizens.

It may sound surprising to hear a U.S. Government official start a speech by talking about gardens – and maybe that has something to do with the agriculture panel where I’ll be speaking shortly!

But it helps me underscore a fundamental point.

A rich and fertile sector was certainly the impetus behind the Digital India program, whose vision we support and whose goals we are eager to help advance.

But like the gardener – we can reach those goals best by removing the obstacles to growth, and letting things grow by themselves.

In terms of the potential for India’s ICT sector, this couldn’t be a more auspicious time.

According to the Economist magazine, India’s internet users are expected to double to more than 550 million people by the year 2018.

This will make India the world’s second largest internet market. And we fundamentally agree with the Prime Minister’s assessment that this growth will be a game-changer, driving economic growth and personal empowerment.

With this growth come many opportunities, whether we are talking about e-government that can connect people to important services … or e-commerce and other internet-enabled applications that can help small and medium-sized businesses grow and have more access to global markets …

… or quite simply, a broad platform that will allow more people to connect to the world at large.

Two way investment, unhampered by government protectionism and restrictions, would go a long way towards realizing that potential.

We also agree with India’s premise that “IT plus IT equals more IT.” And that ties in perfectly with Secretary Kerry’s prosperity agenda which does not see trade and investment as a zero sum game, but one of equal participation, open competition and mutual advantage.

Our companies are eager to invest in India, employ its citizens and operate service and manufacturing centers here.

But that means competing on equal terms, with no government-imposed restrictions or requirements that amount to protectionist barriers.

There is so much that our IT sector can bring to the table, whether that’s helping to expand broadband access, or develop emergency and disaster communications networks, or simply support social networking, online shopping, e-health, e-learning and e-government – all of which create efficiencies, stimulate economic growth, and improve social well-being.

Removing barriers would also go a long way toward improving India’s manufacturing capability too.

If any country has the intellectual capital and university system to further develop its ICT sector, it’s India.

By removing those barriers, India’s IT industry would have direct access to global supply chains – which are so critical for its innovators and entrepreneurs.

Measures like these would bring greater resonance to India’s message that it is “open for business.”

So would a bilateral Mutual Recognition Agreement, which would save manufacturers the time and expense of additional product testing, so they could deliver products more quickly to each other’s markets and lower costs to consumers.

Finally, we believe there is no greater step to helping the ICT industry contribute to the Indian economy than by opening up the satellite industry.

The Indian satellite industry is successful and mature enough to compete on the world stage without government protections.

An open, competitive satellite industry would fulfill Digital India’s goals, and offer widespread national coverage – from the Himalayas to the Nicobar Islands and everywhere between.

By bringing broadband internet access and mobility connectivity to its people, and emerging as a manufacturing hub for satcom components and systems, India would demonstrate that what’s good for the citizen and the consumer, and what’s good for the investor and the entrepreneur, is also good for the economy, for our countries, and for our citizens.

Thank you.

U.S. OFFICIAL'S REMARKS AT UNFPA'S REPORT ON WORLD POPULATION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks at the Launch of UNFPA's State of the World Population Report
Remarks
Anne C. Richard
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Woodrow Wilson Center
Washington, DC
November 18, 2014

Thank you, Roger-Mark. As you noted, my bureau supports UNFPA’s work to increase access to reproductive health services and prevent and respond to gender-based violence throughout the world.

For this reason, I am very pleased to join you all for today’s launch of the 2014 State of the World Population Report on “The Power of 1.8 Billion: Adolescents, Youth, and the Transformation of the Future.”

As this report points out, our hopes for peace and prosperity depend on what happens to this, the largest generation of young people in human history.

But as it cautions, many of them struggle against almost overwhelming odds. In some countries, a girl is more likely to die in childbirth than to complete her education.

The vast majority of young people, nine in 10, live in less developed countries –where poverty is most prevalent and healthcare and schooling hardest to come by. And scarce resources are just one problem.

This report notes that young people often face additional hurdles, such as laws and social norms that can keep them from receiving reproductive health information and services – services they urgently need – to preserve their options, pursue their future goals, and even save their own lives.

For example, while millions of women have an unmet need for contraception, it is married adolescent girls, ages 15 to 19, whose unmet need is the greatest of all. They are only about a third as likely to use contraceptives as married women over 30. Many of these girls have no say in the matter. Unmarried adolescents also struggle to get information that could help them avoid early pregnancy or HIV. Health care workers or families may be hostile or judgmental, and laws may require young people to get parental consent to obtain family planning information or services.

The consequences of this unmet need can be grave. Among 15 to 19 year-old girls in low and middle-income countries, complications from pregnancy and unsafe abortions are a leading cause of death. And while HIV fatalities for other age groups are falling, among adolescents, they are rising.

What is encouraging – and the report makes this clear – is that we can solve this. The report recommends a number of promising interventions – steps the Obama Administration fully supports. They are:

Stopping early and forced marriage and preventing adolescent pregnancies
Strengthening sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights among young people, including adolescents
Preventing and addressing sexual and gender-based violence
Discouraging harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation
Promoting equal education for girls
Improving young people’s prospects for finding good jobs.
There are no painful tradeoffs here. These interventions are mutually reinforcing – and create a virtuous cycle.

More education, less child marriage and gender-based violence, delayed childbearing, healthier kids, stronger economic growth, gender equality, and expanded opportunity all go together.

That is one reason why the U.S. government supports young people’s reproductive rights, youth-friendly, integrated sexual and reproductive health services, and age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education. For example, USAID has been working in countries across the globe to meet adolescent health needs through its “Youth in Development” policy.

And why the Obama Administration has devoted more than $20 million to Secretary Kerry’s signature “Safe from the Start” initiative. Its aim is to stop gender based violence in emergencies. And, as a part of our PEPFAR HIV programs, we have reached over 114,000 survivors with post-rape care over the past four years.

And we are not alone. The vast majority of governments have lined up to support these types of policies – and the goals set forth in international consensus documents starting with the Program of Action that emerged from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. Many have also passed laws to protect the health and rights of young people. But as this report demonstrates, that may not be enough.

For example, there is ample evidence that early and forced marriage is hazardous for girls, exposing them to dangerous pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, and often trapping them and their children in poverty. And almost all countries have established some legal minimum age at marriage. Yet one in nine girls in developing countries gets married before she turns 15. Some child brides are as young as eight or nine.

This report points to one important reason for this. Often, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab States and South Asia, laws against early marriage are not enforced. For example, India has criminalized marriage for girls under 18, but in 2010 only 11 people were actually convicted of violating this law.

This report can help close the gap between the principles enshrined in our international pledges, and what young people experience in their daily lives. It can help laws, enforcement, and programs catch up with intentions. It shows how important it is to understand what holds young people back, not only in theory but in practice, and to give them a voice in shaping solutions.

We all know that young people are the future. Thanks to UNFPA, we now know just how much is at stake. Not only the risks of failure, but the enormous benefits within reach with the right mix of enlightened policies and effective programs. Young people deserve the chance to pursue their dreams and to thrive. As this report shows very clearly, by helping youth secure their future, we can also secure ours.

THE TRAINING OF A RESEARCH ROBOT

FROM:   NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
A day in the life of Robotina
What might daily life be like for a research robot that's training to work closely with humans?

On the day of the Lego experiment, I roll out of my room early. I scan the lab with my laser, which sits a foot off the floor, and see a landscape of points and planes. My first scan turns up four dense dots, which I deduce to be a table's legs...
Robotina is a sophisticated research robot. Specifically, it's a Willow Garage PR2, designed to work with people.

But around the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, it is most-often called Robotina.

"We chose a name for every robot in our lab. It's more personal that way," said graduate student Claudia Pérez D'Arpino, who grew up watching the futuristic cartoon The Jetsons. In the Spanish-language version, Rosie, the much-loved household robot, is called Robotina.

Robotina has been in the interactive robotics lab of engineering professor Julie Shah since 2011, where it is one of three main robot platforms Shah's team works with. Robotina is aptly named, as an aim is to give it many of Rosie's capabilities: to interact with humans and perform many types of work.

In her National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported research, Shah and her team study how humans and robots can work together more efficiently. Hers is one of dozens of projects supported by the National Robotics Initiative, a government-wide effort to develop robots that can work alongside humans.

"We focus on how robots can assist people in high-intensity situations, like manufacturing plants, search-and-rescue situations and even space exploration," Shah said.

What Shah and her team are finding in their experiments is that humans often work better and feel more at ease when Robotina is calling the shots--that is, when it's scheduling tasks. In fact, a recent MIT experiment showed that a decision-making robotic helper can make humans significantly more productive.

Part of the reason for this seems to be that people not only trust Robotina's impeccable ability to crunch numbers, they also believe the robot trusts and understands them.

As roboticists develop more sophisticated, human-like robotic assistants, it's easy to anthropomorphize them. Indeed, it's nothing new.

So, what is a day in the life of Robotina like as she struggles to learn social skills?

Give that robot a Coke

I don't just crash into things all the time like some two-year-old human, if that's what you're wondering. My mouth also contains a laser scanner, so I can get a 3-D sense of my surroundings. My eyes are cameras and I can recognize objects...

Robotina has sensors from head to base to help it interact with its environment. With proper programming, its pincher-like hands can do everything from fold towels to fetch Legos (more on that soon).

It could even sip a Coke if it wanted to. Well, not quite. But it could pick up the can without smashing it.

Matthew Gombolay, graduate student and NSF research fellow, once witnessed the act. At the time, he wasn't sure how Robotina would handle the bendable aluminum can.

"I wanted it to pick up a Coke can to see what would happen," Gombolay said. "I thought it'd be really strong and crush the Coke can, but it didn't. It stopped."

That's because Robotina has the ability to gauge how much pressure is just enough to hold or manipulate an object. It can also sense when it is too close to something--or someone--and stop.

Look, I'm 5-feet-and-4.7-inches tall--even taller if I stretch my metal spine--and weigh a lot more than your average human. If I sense something, I stop...

Proximity awareness in robots designed to work around people not only prevents dangerous or awkward robot-human collisions, it builds trust.

"I am definitely someone who likes to test things to failure. I want to know if I can trust it," Gombolay said. "So, I know it's not going to crush a Coke can, and I'm strong enough to crush a Coke can, so I feel safer."

Roboticists who aim to integrate robots into human teams are serious about trying to hard-wire robots to follow the spirit of Isaac Asimov's first Law of Robotics: A robot may not injure a human being.

Luckily, when decision-making robots like Robotina move into factories, they don't have to be ballet dancers. They just have to move well enough to do their jobs without hurting anyone. Perhaps as importantly, the people around them must know that the robots won't hurt them.

Robots love Legos, too

The day of the Lego experiment is eight hours of fetching Legos and making decisions about how to assemble them. The calculations are easy enough, but all that labor makes my right arm stop working. So I switch to my left...

In an exercise last fall that mimicked a manufacturing scenario, the researchers set up an experiment that required robot-human teams to build models out of Legos.

In one trial, Robotina created a schedule to complete the tasks; in the other, a human made the decisions. The goal was to determine whether having an autonomous robot on the team might improve efficiency.

The researchers found that when Robotina organized the tasks, they took less time--both for scheduling and assembly. The humans trusted the robot to make impartial decisions and do what was best for the team.

I have to decide what task needs doing next to complete the Lego structure. The humans text me when they are done with a task or ready to start a new one. I schedule the tasks based on the data. I don't play favorites. When I'm not fetching Legos or thinking, I sit quietly...

"People thought the robot would be unbiased, while a human would be biased based on skills," Gombolay said. "People generally viewed the robot positively as a good teammate."

As it turned out, workers preferred increased productivity over having more control. When it comes to assembling something, "the humans almost always perform better when Robotina makes all the decisions," Shah said.

Predicting the unpredictable

I stand across a table from a human. I sort Legos into cups while the human takes things out of the cups. Humans are incredibly unpredictable, but I do my best to analyze where the human is most likely to move next so that I can accommodate him...

Ideally, in the factories of the future, robots will be able to predict human behavior and movement so well they can easily stay out of the way of their human co-workers.

The goal is to have robots that never even have to use their proximity sensors to avoid collisions. They already know where a human is going and can steer clear.

"Suppose you want a robot to help you out but are uncomfortable when the robot moves in an awkward way. You may be afraid to interact with it, which is highly inefficient," Pérez D'Arpino said. "At the end of the day, you want to make humans comfortable."

To help do so, Pérez D'Arpino is developing a model that will help Robotina guess what a human will do next.

In an experiment where it and a student worked together to sort Lego pieces and build models, Robotina was able to guess in only 400 milliseconds where the human would go next based on the person's body position.

The angle of the arm, elbow, wrist... they all help me determine in what direction the hand will go. I am limited only by the rate at which sensors and processors can collect and analyze data, which means I can predict where a person will move in about the average time a human eye blinks...

Once Robotina knew where the person would reach, it reached for a different spot. The result was a more natural, more fluid collaboration.

Putting Robotinas to work

I ask myself the same question you do: Am I reaching my full potential?

While Robotina's days now involve seemingly endless cups of Legos, its successes in the MIT lab will eventually enable it to become a more well-rounded robot. The experiments also demonstrate humans' willingness to embrace robots in the right roles.

To make them the superb, cooperative assistants envisioned by the National Robotics Initiative--to give people a better quality of life and benefit society and the economy--could require that some robots be nearly as dynamic and versatile as humans.

"An old-school way of thinking is to make a robot for each task, like the Roomba," Gombolay said. "But unless we make an advanced, general-purpose robot, we won't be able to fully realize their full potential."

To have the ideal Robotina--the Jetsons' Robotina--in our home or workplace means a lot more training days for humans and robots alike. With the help of NSF funding, progress is being made.

"We're at a really exciting time," Gombolay said.

What would I say if I could talk? Probably that I'd really like to watch that Transformers movie.

-- Sarah Bates,
Investigators
Julie Shah
Related Institutions/Organizations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence