DOD OFFICIAL, NAVY ADM. HANEY TESTIFY TO HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR DETERRENT BUDGET REQUEST

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
McKeon: Budget Request Provides ‘Robust’ Nuclear Deterrent
By Terri Moon Cronk

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2015 – The president’s proposed fiscal 2016 budget proposal contains funding to provide a “stable and robust” nuclear deterrent capability for the nation, Brian P. McKeon, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces here yesterday.

McKeon and Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, testified before the panel on strategic force needs in the fiscal year 2016 president’s budget request. Both officials said the budget request funding protects vital U.S. interests.
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“Significant resources” will be necessary in the next decade and beyond to modernize nuclear deterrence delivery systems and extend warhead life across the triad to preserve military capabilities amid evolving threats, McKeon said.
The president’s plan for nuclear sustainment and modernization aligns his commitment to “retaining a safe, secure and effective deterrent for as long as nuclear weapons exist,” he told the panel.

The budget request for the strategic force focuses on maintaining “stable and robust deterrence in a time of geopolitical uncertainty, while managing the transition from existing nuclear force to a modernized nuclear force,” McKeon said.

The White House plan reflects the smallest nuclear arsenal since the Eisenhower administration and it will continue to shrink, McKeon said.

“Our approach to warhead sustainment and modernization will enable additional reductions in the nondeployed hedge force,” he said.
Strategic Threats

While Stratcom remains mission-ready and its strategic nuclear force is safe, secure and effective, “serious attention” must be directed to strategic threats, weapons of mass destruction, and space and cyberspace, Haney testified.
The nation continues to witness emerging capabilities, such as modernizing strategic nuclear capabilities, counterspace and cyberspace activities, conventional and asymmetric threats and disturbing trends that upset the strategic balance, a concern for Stratcom and other combatant commands, the admiral said.

Strategic deterrence today is far more than just nuclear, although it is underpinned first and foremost by nuclear capabilities, Haney said.
“Deterrence includes a robust intelligence apparatus, space, cyberspace, conventional and missile defense capabilities, and comprehensive plans that link organizations and knit their capabilities together in a coherent way,” he said.
Investment in Strategic Capabilities

“Achieving strategic deterrence in the 21st century requires continued investment in strategic capabilities and renewed multigenerational commitment of intellectual capital,” Haney said.

The president's budget request for the strategic force strikes a responsible balance between national priorities, fiscal realities, and begins to reduce some risks that accumulated following deferred maintenance and sustainment, he added.
The budget proposal supports Stratcom’s mission requirements, but no margin exists to absorb new risk, Haney noted.

“Any cuts to the budget [request], including those imposed by sequestration,” he said, “will hamper our ability to sustain and modernize our military forces.”

MAN PLEADS GUILTY FOR PART IN ID TRAFFICKING OF PUERTO RICAN U.S. CITIZENS TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, February 27, 2015

Florida Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Puerto Rican Identity Trafficking Ring
A Florida man pleaded guilty today for his role in a large-scale identity trafficking ring, which sold the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens to foreign nationals to allow them to enter or remain in the United States illegally.  To date, a total of 14 individuals have been charged for their roles in this identity trafficking ring, and four have pleaded guilty.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Rosa E. Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico, Director Sarah R. Saldaña of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Chief Postal Inspector Guy J. Cottrell of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Director Bill A. Miller of the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

Rey David Bravo-Aguirre, 43, of Bartow, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit identification fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain and one count of transferring and possessing means of identification of another person during and in relation to a felony.  A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 3, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Juan M. Pérez- Giménez of the District of Puerto Rico.

According to his plea agreement, Bravo-Aguirre operated as a broker of Puerto Rican identities and corresponding identity documents out of Bartow, Florida.  In that role, Bravo-Aguirre received identity documents from other members of the conspiracy located in the Caguas-area of Puerto Rico and sold them to individuals unlawfully residing in Florida.  Specifically, Bravo-Aguirre admitted that he provided Social Security cards and corresponding Puerto Rico birth certificates to his customers.

The charges are the result of Operation Island Express II, an ongoing, nationally-coordinated investigation led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), USPIS, DSS and IRS-CI offices in Chicago, in coordination with the ICE-HSI San Juan Office.  The Illinois Secretary of State Police also provided substantial assistance.  The ICE-HSI Attaché office in the Dominican Republic, National Drug Intelligence Center - Document and Media Exploitation Branch and International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2) provided invaluable assistance, as well as various ICE, USPIS, DSS and IRS CI offices around the country.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and William Kenety of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Ramos of the District of Puerto Rico.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AFTER ADDRESSING UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at a Press Availability
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Palais des Nations
Geneva, Switzerland
March 2, 2015

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody, and thank you. And I apologize for keeping you waiting for a few minutes.

A little while ago, as I think you know, I had the opportunity to address the UN Human Rights Council here in Geneva. And since the United States made the decision to re-engage on the council, we have worked hard to try to drive a number of significant steps to be able to bring new levels of international attention to some of the world’s most egregious human rights violations, and also to focus on some of the worst abusers – particularly, obviously, we have focused on North Korea and Syria.

We’ve also worked hard to try to create new mechanisms that explore and address serious human rights infringements on the freedom of assembly, expression, and religion, and the rights of LGBT people. And as many of you know, just the other day, I had the privilege of making the appointment for Randy Berry as the first special envoy for global LGBT rights for the State Department.

Because of the important progress that we have seen over the course of the past five years, the United States very much continues to believe in the potential of the Human Rights Council, and we’re dedicated to try to work for its success. At the same time, however, as I mentioned earlier, we recognize that there are places where it needs to improve, and most notably, as I cited earlier, has been the excessive bias, in our judgment, on one country, on Israel. So we wanted to make it clear today that we think that that is an impediment that stands in the way of the progress that should be achieved here when we look at the wide array of the world’s ills and the many challenges that we need to speak out on with respect to human rights.

I made it clear that the United States will oppose any effort by any group or any participant to abuse the UN system in order to delegitimize or isolate Israel. And we think it’s important that for the right – for the council to be able to achieve the breadth of goals that it is faced with – the breadth of the – to address the breadth of the challenges that it currently faces, it really needs to break out of an older mold and begin to put the time and energy and major focus on some of those most egregious situations. And that is really what has happened within the Council over the course of the last five years, particularly if you look at the commission of inquiry work that has been done with respect to the DPRK and other work it has done.

I also met this morning with Foreign Minister Lavrov. And we spent a fair amount of time discussing Syria, Ukraine, ISIS, and Iran. I reiterated the urgency of Russia’s leaders and the separatists that they back implementing the full measure of the commitments under the Minsk agreements and to implement them everywhere, including in Debaltseve, outside Mariupol, and in other key strategic areas. And I underscored this morning that if that does not happen, if there continue to be these broad swaths of noncompliance, or there continues to be a cherry-picking as to where heavy equipment will be moved back from without knowing where it’s been moved to, or if the OSCE is not able to adequately be able to gain the access necessary, then there would be inevitably further consequences that will place added strain on Russia’s already troubled economy. Now, obviously, Ukraine is just one of the issues, as I mentioned, that we focused on. And it’s only one of the issues, frankly, on which the United States and Russia together are focused.

This morning, Foreign Minister Lavrov and I also spoke at some length about Syria. The situation in Syria actually grows worse, if that’s possible for people to imagine. Almost three-quarters of the entire country is now displaced people – half of them refugees in mostly Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, but many of them displaced within the country and unable to move because of ISIL, Daesh, al-Nusrah, the regime, or some other extremist group.

So we spoke at length about steps that might be able to be taken in order to try to see if there is a potential of common ground. And we agreed that there is no military solution; we agreed there is a need for a political solution; and we agreed on the need of those countries who have been supporting people in this endeavor, in this conflict, to be able to search yet again to see whether or not there is a path either to Geneva 1 or to some hybrid or some means of ending the violence. And one of the things that drives that interest, that common interest, is the reality of Daesh, the reality of what is happening to Syria as a result of the presence of Daesh there and its use of Syria as a base for spreading its evil to other places.

We also talked about the Iran nuclear negotiations, where we are, together with the other P5+1 members – where we are all focused simultaneously on the need to elicit from Iran answers to questions about their nuclear program – not just answers for today, but answers that are capable of lasting well into the future in order to be able to provide people with a confidence that the program is, indeed, a peaceful nuclear program.

We continue to believe, all the members of the P5+1, that the best way to deal with the questions surrounding this nuclear program is to find a comprehensive deal, but not a deal that comes at any cost, not a deal just for the purpose of a deal; a deal that meets the test of providing the answers and the guarantees that are needed in order to know that the four pathways to a nuclear bomb have been closed off. And that is the task. And we hope it is possible to get there, but there is no guarantee.

Sanctions alone are not going to provide that solution. What needs to happen is that Iran needs to provide a verifiable set of commitments that its program is in fact peaceful. And that average people and experts alike looking at that verifiable set of commitments have confidence that they are sustainable, that they are real, and that they will provide the answers and guarantees well into the future.

Any deal must close every potential pathway that Iran has towards fissile material, whether it’s uranium, plutonium, or a covert path. The fact is only a good, comprehensive deal in the end can actually check off all of those boxes.

Now, I want to be clear about two things. Right now, no deal exists, no partial deal exists. And unless Iran is able to make the difficult decisions that will be required, there won’t be a deal. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. That is the standard by which this negotiation is taking place, and anyone who tells you otherwise is simply misinformed.

Now, we are concerned by reports that suggest selective details of the ongoing negotiations will be discussed publicly in the coming days. I want to say clearly that doing so would make it more difficult to reach the goal that Israel and others say they share in order to get a good deal. Israel’s security is absolutely at the forefront of all of our minds, but frankly, so is the security of all the other countries in the region, so is our security in the United States. And we are very clear that as we negotiate with Iran, if we are able to reach the kind of deal that we’re hoping for, then it would have to be considered in its entirety and measured against alternatives.

Second – I cannot emphasize this enough. I have said this from the first moment that I become engaged in this negotiating process, President Obama has said this repeatedly: We will not accept a bad deal. We have said no deal is better than a bad deal, because a bad deal could actually make things less secure and more dangerous. Any deal that we would possibly agree to would make the international community, and especially Israel, safer than it is today. That’s our standard. So our team is working very hard to close remaining gaps, to reach a deal that ensures Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively and verifiably peaceful, and we have made some progress, but we still have a long way to go and the clock is ticking.

That’s why I will leave here momentarily to head to Montreux to meet with Foreign Minister Zarif and continue the negotiations. And in the days and weeks ahead, we’re going to answer a very simple question. We’re going to find out whether or not Iran is willing to make the hard choices that are necessary to get where we need to be. I’m happy to take a few of your questions.

MS. PSAKI: Michael Gordon, New York Times. Right over here.

QUESTION: Sir, Minister Lavrov asserted in his address that the ceasefire in Ukraine was being consolidated, but you made clear that Russia cannot expect to consolidate its gains in Debaltseve and avoid economic sanctions. Did Minister Lavrov offer you any assurances that Russia would arrange for the separatists to pull back from Debaltseve? And how long is the Obama Administration prepared to wait before imposing those additional sanctions you’ve been talking about? And did he have any response to your assertion to Congress last week that Russians have lied to your face?

And lastly, you’re meeting shortly with Foreign Minister Zarif on the Iran issues. You told Congress last week that you hoped to know soon, “whether or not Iran is willing to put together an acceptable and verifiable plan.” What do you need to hear from Mr. Zarif today, and what do you need to get done over the next three days to stay on track for the framework accord? Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Michael, first of all regarding Russia, it’s clear from the conversations that I’ve had with President Poroshenko as well as with Foreign Minister Lavrov, and the conversations that we’ve had in Washington in the aftermath of the Minsk negotiations, that there was not a clarity with respect to Debaltseve, which we obviously saw play out in the drama of the soldiers who were left there and who were fighting and who eventually fought their way out, with many being killed. What is critical here is that the maps that were agreed to show several different areas of drawback on both sides from the line of contact and according to the size of the weapon, the gauge of a particular weapon, they have to pull back different amounts.

Right now, the OSCE has complained to us, at least, that they have not been granted full access to be able to make those judgments, and particularly the end zones as to where items that have been withdrawn have actually been placed, whether they’ve been placed there or not.

So there’s been a kind of cherry picking, a piecemeal selectivity to the application of the Minsk agreements. And as we all know, shooting, shelling has still been going on and people have still been killed over the course of these last days. So there is not yet a full ceasefire, and it’s extremely difficult for the full measure of the Minsk agreement, which includes a political component, to begin to be implemented until you actually have the full measure of security that comes with OSCE monitoring and an actual ceasefire. So our hope is that in the next hours, certainly not more than days, this will be fully implemented. I might add, a convoy that came through from Russia passed across the border into the eastern part of Ukraine without being properly inspected also.

So these are the issues I raised with the foreign minister. He assured me that they are intent on seeing to it that the accord – that the agreements are, in fact, implemented. He said he would get back to me with respect to a number of the issues that I raised. And our hope is, indeed, that this will prove to be a road to further de-escalation rather than a road to disappointment, potential deception, and further violence. But that’s going to have to play out, obviously, over the course of the next few days. So I’m very hopeful that it will, in fact, be the start of a change which would be an improvement for everybody.

With respect to Iran, I really just articulated – I just said it – France doesn’t have to answer questions here, Germany doesn’t have to answer questions here, Great Britain doesn’t have to, China doesn’t, Russia doesn’t, the United States doesn’t. We’re not the ones who have been pursuing a program outside of international norms. Iran has posed the questions over the course of time sufficient to invite United Nations sanctions, United Nations Security Council resolution, and IAEA outstanding questions. Iran needs to answer those questions and Iran needs to give confidence to the world that its many articulations of a peaceful program can have the confidence of verification. Every arms agreement in history has been subject to verification to clear levels of access and knowledge and insight, transparency, that allow people to be able to measure that program.

And one of the reasons I make it clear to people that we’re not going to accept a bad deal is because we know that whatever agreement is reached here doesn’t suddenly get stuffed in a drawer and put away and disappear to be implemented; it is going to be scrutinized by people all over the world – leaders of countries, scientists, nuclear experts, every NGO involved in nonproliferation – not to mention, obviously, all the countries in the region most affected by the choices we are making, and all of the members of the United States Congress House and Senate.

This is going to be highly judged and we’re aware of that, and frankly, we would be either – well, I’m not going to – we just – we’re not about to jump into something that we don’t believe can get the job done. Now, there may be disagreements; if somebody believes that any kind of program is wrong, then we have a fundamental disagreement. And clearly, sanctions are not going to eliminate just any kind of program. You can’t bomb knowledge into oblivion unless you kill everybody. You can’t bomb it away. People have a knowledge here. The question is: Can you provide an adequate level of the management of intrusive inspections; structured, tough requirements; limitations; all the insights necessary to be able to know to a certainty that the program is, in fact, peaceful?

That’s what the IAEA was set up to be there for, that’s what the NPT is, that’s what the additional protocol – the NPT is. There are all kinds of tested components of this. This isn’t happening at first blush. This has been in effect for a long time with a lot of countries, and there are ways to be able to make certain that a program is peaceful and the test – what we’re looking for in the next days, Michael, is adequate satisfaction that this program is, in fact, going to be complying with its own promises, that it is a purely peaceful nuclear program.

MS. PSAKI: Frédéric Koller from Le Temps.

QUESTION: Yes, thank you. You just said on Iran that sanctions cannot eliminate problems. And I would like to know – with the Ukrainian situation, it seems the conflict in Ukraine becomes more and more conflict between Russia and Western countries – Russia and United States. And I would like to know how to deal with these problems, knowing that United States threatens now Russia with more sanctions if the Minsk agreement is not implemented. And a few years ago, you were here in the – at the hotel – Intercontinental Hotel, and you started – well, it was Hillary Clinton at the time who started with this reset policy with Russia. What went wrong with Russia? And how to deal now with Russia? Comprehensive agreement somehow is needed between Russia and United States, I guess to deal with --

SECRETARY KERRY: How what? I’m sorry. I missed the last part. How to?

QUESTION: How to deal with Russia. We understand that Russia needs something more to build a new confidence with the United States and Western countries. When we hear Mr. Lavrov this morning at the Human Rights Council, he has very strong statement against United States and its values – it’s kind of clash of values. How to deal with today’s Russia?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, it may be a clash of realities. I don’t see it as a clash of values. It seems to me that on sanctions, there’s a real distinction between sanctions that are calculated to have an impact on a nuclear program which is one set of choices for a particular country, and sanctions which are broadly adopted by many nations because of a violation of a norm of international law and which particularly have an impact on the – particularly have an impact on Russia’s choices at this particular moment, given a lot of other variables like oil prices, other exigencies that Russia faces.

So sanctions have obviously had a significant impact on Russia, and you try to use them in order to make a point about the choices that are available. And in the case of Russia, the ruble has gone down 50 percent, there’s been about $151 billion of capital flight, the bonds of Russia are now judged to be junk bonds, and the economic predictions are that Russia will be going into recession this year. So it’s obviously had a profound impact, but not sufficient that President Putin has decided that he isn’t going to pursue his particular strategy. It may change at some point in the future, but those are the things you have to weigh in deciding what alternative policies you may pursue or what alternative choices may be available.

I suspect that President Putin, as the months go on, is going to have to really weigh those things. And we’ve tried to make it clear to him and particularly to the Russian people we’re not doing this to hurt the people of Russia, we’re not doing this to make life difficult for all Russians. We’re doing this to try to affect the choices that their leaders are making in order to uphold the norms of international law. We’re here in a UN facility, and the United Nations is critical to the upholding of international standards of behavior. And the world has worked hard since World War II to try to adhere to a set of global norms of behavior, particularly with respect to respect for territorial integrity.

One of the cries that came out of the World War II experience was we can’t allow nations to make land grabs running over the territorial integrity of external borders, as we saw in the period leading up to and then during World War II. So we’ve really ingrained in international behavior this notion of the value of international borders and of upholding the sovereignty and integrity of nation states. That sovereignty and integrity has been violated over the course of the last months, and that’s the purpose of the sanctions that we put in place.

But our hope is, obviously, that we can get back to a better place of cooperation with Russia. I personally – I think President Putin misinterprets a great deal of what the United States has been doing and has tried to do. We are not involved in multiple color revolutions, as he asserts, nor are we involved in a particularly personal way here. We are trying to uphold the international law with respect to the sovereignty and integrity of another nation. And others have joined us. The fact is that Europe has the same sense of commitment to this. And our hope is that we can persuade President Putin and Russia that we’re prepared to cooperate with them as soon as they are genuinely prepared to uphold the agreements that they signed and to live by these international standards.

We have happily been able to find cooperation continue on other issues. Russia has been helpful in the context of the P5+1 talks. Russia was extremely engaged and essential in our success in getting chemical weapons out of Syria in the arrangement that we reached right here in Geneva. And we were able to work together to do that. Russia is sitting with us even now, as I discussed with you, and talking about ways we might – might, I underscore – be able to try to make some progress with respect to Syria and with respect to Daesh.

So even in the midst of this major disagreement over Ukraine, we are still finding ways to cooperate together, and I hope that if we can work through Ukraine, we will get back to a place where we are finding more to be able to cooperate on and less to disagree on. And I’m not going to get into resets or non-resets, but I think that sometimes events get in the way of the best-laid policies. But both countries have indicated, I think, a maturity with respect to the willingness to try to find ways to cooperate notwithstanding this fundamental disagreement over Ukraine.

MS. PSAKI: Unfortunately, we need to get on the road for our next meeting, so this will conclude this press availability. Thank you, everyone.

LANL: ADVANCED MODELING, SIMULATION TECH USED IN LIGHT-WATER REACTOR RESEARCH

FROM:  LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Los Alamos Boosts Light-Water Reactor Research with Advanced Modeling and Simulation Technology
Simulated nuclear reactor project benefits from funding extension

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., March 2, 2015, 2014—Hard on the heels of a five-year funding renewal, modeling and simulation (M&S) technology developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of the Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) will now be deployed to industry and academia under a new inter-institutional agreement for intellectual property.

“This agreement streamlines access to the reactor simulation research tools,” said Kathleen McDonald, software business development executive for the Laboratory, “and with a single contact through UT-Battelle, we have a more transparent release process, the culmination of a lengthy effort on the part of all the code authors,” she said.

CASL is a US Department of Energy “Energy Innovation Hub” established in 2010 to develop advanced M&S capabilities that serve as a virtual version of existing, operating nuclear reactors. As announced by DOE in January, the hub would receive up to $121.5 million over five years, subject to congressional appropriations. Over the next five years, CASL researchers will focus on extending the M&S technology built during its first phase to include additional nuclear reactor designs, including boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactor-based small modular reactors.

CASL’s Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) – essentially a “virtual” reactor – has currently been deployed for testing to CASL’s industrial partners. Created with CASL Funding, VERA consists of CASL Physics Codes and the software that couples CASL Physics Codes to create the computer models to predict and simulate light water reactor (LWR) nuclear power plant operations. VERA is being validated with data from a variety of sources, including operating pressurized water reactors such as the Watts Bar Unit 1 Nuclear Plant in Tennessee, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

As one of the original founding CASL partners, Los Alamos will continue to play an important role in Phase 2 of CASL.  Specifically, Los Alamos has leadership roles in three technical focus areas: Thermal Hydraulics Methods (THM), Fuel, Materials and Chemistry (FMC) and Validation and Modeling Applications (VMA).

Thermal-Hydraulics applications range from fluid-structure interaction to boiling multiphase flows. The Los Alamos-led THM team is targeting a number of industry-defined CASL “challenge problems” related to corrosion, fretting and departure from nucleate boiling.

The Fuel, Materials and Chemistry (FMC) Focus Area aims to develop improved materials performance models for fuel and cladding, and integrate those models via constitutive relations and behavioral models into VERA.  In particular, Los Alamos will bring to bear experience in structure-property relations, mechanical deformation and chemical kinetics to address several key aspects of nuclear fuel performance.

The Validation and Modeling Applications (VMA) Focus Area applies the products developed by CASL to address essential industry issues for achieving the CASL objectives of power uprates, lifetime extension, and fuel burn up limit increases, while ensuring the fuel performance and safety limits are met.

Los Alamos will continue to provide functions that are essential for achieving credible, science-based predictive modeling and simulation capabilities, including verification, validation, calibration through data assimilation, sensitivity analysis, discretization error analysis and control, and uncertainty quantification.

The new IIA agreement makes one of the Los Alamos-developed software tools, MAMBA, available for research, subject to agreements through the consortium partners. In addition, the Hydra-TH application is provided under an open-source license in VERA for advanced, scalable single and multiphase computational fluid dynamics simulations.

CASL, which is led by and headquartered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has created hundreds of technical reports and publications and wide engagement with nuclear reactor technology vendors, utilities, and the advanced computing industry.

Doug Kothe, CASL Director at ORNL, notes that “CASL has benefitted tremendously from the innovative technical contributions and leadership provided by Los Alamos technical staff and is fortunate to have these contributions continuing as CASL moves into its second five-years of execution.”

SEC MOVES TO THWART PUMP-AND-DUMP SCHEMES BY SUSPENDING TRADES IN 128 SHELL COMPANIES

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SEC Suspends Trading in 128 Dormant Shell Companies to Put Them Out of Reach of Microcap Fraudsters
03/02/2015 10:15 AM EST

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced it has suspended trading in 128 inactive penny stock companies to ensure they don’t become a source for pump-and-dump schemes.

The trading suspensions are the latest in a microcap fraud-fighting initiative known as Operation Shell-Expel in which the SEC Enforcement Division’s Office of Market Intelligence utilizes technology to scour the over-the-counter (OTC) marketplace and identify dormant companies ripe for abuse.  The proactive efforts have prevented fraudsters from having the opportunity to manipulate these thinly-traded stocks by pumping the companies’ stock value through false and misleading promotional campaigns and then dumping the stocks after investors buy in.

Since it began in 2012, Operation Shell-Expel has resulted in trading suspensions of more than 800 microcap stocks, which comprises more than 8 percent of the OTC market.  Once a stock has been suspended from trading, it cannot be relisted unless the company provides updated financial information to prove it’s actually operational.  It’s extremely rare for a company to fulfill this requirement, and the trading suspensions essentially render the shells worthless and useless to scam artists.

“Operation Shell-Expel continues to be an efficient way to combat microcap fraud by denying fraudsters the empty nests they need to hatch their schemes,” Andrew J. Ceresney, Director of the SEC Enforcement Division.  “We are getting increasingly aggressive and adept at ridding the microcap marketplace of dormant shells within a year of the companies becoming inactive.”

Today’s massive trading suspension identifies dormant shell companies in 24 states and Canada.

The Operation Shell-Expel initiative has been led by William Hankins, Margaret Cain, Robert Bernstein, Victoria Adraktas, LaVerne Patterson, Jessica P. Regan, Leigh Barrett, and John Gibbons in the Office of Market Intelligence with assistance from the Enforcement Division’s Delinquent Filings Group.  The SEC appreciates the assistance of the FBI’s Economic Crimes Unit.

U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF BULGARIA ON THEIR NATIONAL DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Statement on the Occasion of Bulgaria's National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 2, 2015

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Bulgaria on your National Day.

I visited Sofia in January, where I saw firsthand the impressive progress your nation has made since independence and the coming of demokratsiya more than two decades ago. I walked your famous yellow brick roads and marveled at the frescoes of St. George Church. It was along those same yellow bricks that Bulgarians held candle light vigils, sang the same protest ballads as Americans did in the 1960s, and peacefully brought an end to communism at the base of Vitosha Mountain.

In Sofia, I also met with President Plevneliev, Prime Minister Borissov, and Foreign Minister Mitov. Our nations have stood shoulder to shoulder as allies for more than a decade. America’s Article V NATO commitment to Bulgaria is rock solid. We deeply appreciate the sacrifices your soldiers have made to promote global stability and to enable the citizens of the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq to live in peace and security.

The United States looks forward to continuing to deepen our partnership through our strategic dialogue on security and defense, energy security and diversification, rule of law, educational exchanges, cultural preservation and people-to-people ties.

DOD REPORTS ON CONTINUING AIRSTRIKES AGAINST ISIL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 1, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

 Remotely piloted aircraft conducted two airstrikes in Syria:

-- Near Al Hasakah, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven airstrikes in Iraq:
-- Near Asad, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL storage facility and two ISIL boats.

-- Near Qaim, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL building.

-- Near Kirkuk, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL storage containers.

-- Near Mosul, four airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, an ISIL building, an ISIL excavator and destroyed an ISIL building.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, 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 terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

NASA VIDEO| CATS UP AND RUNNING ON THE ISS

DOJ ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT OF 2ND PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST A FLORIDA FIRE DEPARTMENT

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Justice Department Settles Second Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against the Davie, Florida, Fire Department

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a consent decree with the town of Davie, Florida, to resolve allegations that the Davie Fire Department discriminated against firefighter/paramedic Lori Davis because of her pregnancy and retaliated against firefighter/paramedic Monica Santana because she complained about gender discrimination.  Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin and religion.

According to the Justice Department, the consent decree resolves allegations of disparate treatment based on pregnancy that resulted from light duty policies implemented by the Davie Fire Department.  In 2012, the Department of Justice challenged those discriminatory light duty policies in a related pattern or a practice Title VII case resulting in the filing of a complaint and consent decree to resolve the case.  The consent decree entered by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida required that the fire department abandon its existing discriminatory light duty policies and adopt new, non-discriminatory policies.  This new complaint is the result of individual charges of discrimination referred to the Justice Department by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  

As alleged by the Justice Department in this complaint, Davis worked for the Davie Fire Department under its prior policies and was adversely affected by those policies which were implemented in violation of Title VII.  Under Title VII, discrimination based on sex includes discrimination due to pregnancy, and requires that women affected by pregnancy be treated the same as other employees who are similar in their ability or inability to work.  Under federal law, an employer may not retaliate against employees because they complain about discrimination based on sex.

As alleged in the complaint, Davis’s doctor wanted Davis on light duty during her pregnancy.  The fire department’s policy, however, would not allow her light duty during her first trimester.  Davis continued to work and eventually was required to fight a fire while pregnant.  She suffered a miscarriage after doing so.  The complaint also alleges that Santana complained about other policies and practices at the fire department that she reasonably believed discriminated against female firefighters.  After she complained about the discriminatory treatment, the fire department responded to her complaints by taking adverse actions against her designed to discourage similar complaints.                      

The consent decree, filed simultaneously with the complaint in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida must still be approved by the federal court.  Under the terms of the agreement, the fire department must review and adopt appropriate anti-retaliation policies to protect its employees from further violations of Title VII and conduct training of its personnel to ensure that they properly handle future complaints under Title VII.  The fire department must also pay monetary awards to compensate Davis, Santana, and two other similarly-situated, pregnant firefighters.  The total monetary awards to all four women will exceed $400,000.

“Every day, expectant mothers after consulting with their doctors make difficult decisions about how and, more importantly, when to restrict their work duties due to pregnancy,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division.  “The Civil Rights Division is firmly committed to vigorous enforcement of Title VII’s prohibitions against pregnancy discrimination and retaliation so that women can make decisions regarding their pregnancies and try to remedy discriminatory treatment without fear of unwarranted repercussions in the work place after doing so.”

“Firefighters are dedicated public servants who put their lives at risk every day to protect the citizens of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Wilfredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida.  “We are committed to enforcing the federal laws that protect expectant mothers against discrimination so that they will not be forced to choose between their job and their decision to have a family.”

READOUT: DRL DEPUTY ASSITANT SECRETARY FELDSTEIN'S TRIP TO SUDAN

FROM:   U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: Readout of DRL Deputy Assistant Secretary Feldstein Trip to Sudan
02/28/2015 11:33 AM EST

Readout of DRL Deputy Assistant Secretary Feldstein Trip to Sudan

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 28, 2015

During his February 22-26 visit to Sudan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Steve Feldstein met with Sudanese government leaders, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and civil society activists, including representatives of Sudan’s religious communities, journalists, and humanitarian groups and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Blue Nile State. His visit highlights the importance of advancing democracy and human rights in Sudan and resolving the ongoing conflicts in Darfur and the Two Areas. He also reiterated U.S. support for an inclusive and comprehensive National Dialogue to resolve Sudan’s conflicts. Deputy Assistant Secretary Feldstein said the United States will continue to emphasize key democracy and human rights priorities in Sudan. He underscored the importance of ending human rights abuses especially in Darfur and the Two Areas, increasing space for civil society, opposition political parties, activists, and journalists, and addressing concerns about religious freedom.

In meetings with Sudanese government officials Deputy Assistant Secretary Feldstein expressed his concern about targeted attacks against civilians in Darfur and the Two Areas, including aerial bombardments of civilian targets, and attacks on aid workers. He called upon the Government of Sudan to fully investigate and hold perpetrators of these acts accountable as a necessary step towards peace. Feldstein urged the government to allow the UN to investigate the allegations of mass rape in the town of Tabit, and bring the perpetrators to justice. Feldstein further called on the government to create a conducive environment for National Dialogue and pressed for the release of political prisoners including Farouq Abu Eissa, Amin Mekki Medani, and Farah Agar.

Members of Sudan’s human rights community and civil society highlighted a range of concerns, including harassment, intimidation, detention, government restrictions on their ability to operate, and severe violations of religious freedom.‎ Deputy Assistant Secretary Feldstein expressed concern that the Sudanese government had confiscated at least 15 newspaper print runs and stressed that respect for press freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom of association would demonstrate the government's commitment to National Dialogue.

In Blue Nile State Deputy Assistant Secretary Feldstein noted that the situation continues to deteriorate, hundreds of thousands remain displaced from their homes, and restrictions on access continue to limit the ability of humanitarian organizations to reach people in need. In meetings with local officials he raised allegations of human rights abuses, including those involving rape, beatings, assault, and restrictions of movement for displaced persons.

DAS Feldstein said the United States remains committed to the Sudanese people and pledged to continue our efforts to advance respect for human rights for the Sudanese people.

DAS Feldstein’s engagement with nongovernment representatives and government officials reinforces the United States’ belief that a comprehensive and inclusive national dialogue to address the deteriorating environment for human rights and civil liberties is urgent. The United States in the coming weeks will be working closely with international partners to encourage and support an inclusive political dialogue, including by continuing to press for a cessation of hostilities in all conflict areas. Finally, the United States will continue to condition development of its bilateral relationship with Sudan on the Sudanese government improving its respect for human rights and democratic principles.

SEC CHARGES CAPITAL FUND MANAGER WITH USING INVESTMENT FUND MONEY TO PAY RETURNS ON DIFFERENT FUND

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a purported venture capital fund manager in Buffalo, N.Y., with fraudulently using money from three investment funds to pay fictitious returns to investors in a different fund.  The SEC obtained an emergency asset freeze to halt the Ponzi-like scheme.

The SEC alleges that Gregory W. Gray Jr. and his firms Archipel Capital LLC and BIM Management LP solicited money for a fund created to invest in pre-IPO shares of Twitter that would be delivered to investors with profits once the company went public.  Gray raised nearly $5.3 million from investors, which was enough to purchase 230,000 pre-IPO Twitter shares under the terms of the fund’s offering documents.  However, only 80,000 shares were actually purchased before Twitter went public in November 2013.  Faced with increasing pressure from investors to deliver the promised shares and profits, Gray allegedly stalled and stole to make up the shortfall by tapping three other unrelated funds to pay investors in the Twitter-related fund.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the majority of money used to make these Ponzi-like payments came from one investor who was told he had bought the entirety of a fund supposedly investing in $5 million worth of stock in Uber Technologies.  In an attempt to show the investor that the fund had purchased Uber stock while his money actually was being used to pay other investors, Gray fabricated a document using the signature pages of an earlier legitimate stock purchase agreement for shares in a completely different company.  The alleged seller of the Uber shares never even owned Uber stock.

“Gray sold investors on a seemingly great idea to acquire pre-IPO shares of high-profile companies like Twitter and Uber at a low price.  But rather than come clean when he failed to invest as promised, Gray stole from investors to cover his misdeeds,” said Andrew M. Calamari, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office.

The SEC’s complaint charges Gray and his firms with violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, and Sections 206(1), 206(2), and 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-8.  Gray is additionally charged with aiding and abetting Exchange Act Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 violations.  The SEC’s complaint seeks, in addition to preliminary relief and a temporary restraining order, permanent injunctions and disgorgement against all defendants and a financial penalty.  The SEC’s complaint names several relief defendants associated with Archipel Capital and BIM for the purposes of recovering proceeds they received from the fraud.

The SEC’s investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Hane L. Kim, Victor Suthammanont, Steven G. Rawlings, Elizabeth Baier, George O’Kane, Debbie Chan, and Douglas Smith of the New York Regional Office.  The litigation will be led by Nancy A. Brown, Hane Kim, and Victor Suthammanont.  The case is being supervised by Sanjay Wadhwa.

ED. DEPT. ENDS CONTRACTS WITH 5 PRIVATE COLLECTION AGENCIES FOR ALLEGEDLY PROVIDING BORROWERS INACCURATE INFORMATION

FROM:  U.S. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
U.S. Department of Education to End Contracts with Several Private Collection Agencies
After finding high incidences of materially inaccurate representations, Department acts to protect consumers

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

Following a review of 22 private collection agencies, the U.S. Department of Education announced today that it will wind down contracts with five private collection agencies that were providing inaccurate information to borrowers. The five companies are: Coast Professional, Enterprise Recovery Systems, National Recoveries, Pioneer Credit Recovery, and West Asset Management.

The Department also announced that it will provide enhanced Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices monitoring and guidance for all private collection agencies that work with the Department to ensure that companies are consistently providing borrowers with accurate information regarding their loans.

"Federal Student Aid borrowers are entitled to accurate information as they make critical choices to manage their debt," said Under Secretary Ted Mitchell. "Every company that works for the Department must keep consumers' best interests at the heart of their business practices by giving borrowers clear and accurate guidance. It is our responsibility – and our commitment – to uphold the highest standards of service for America's student borrowers and consumers."

During the past several months, the Department's Federal Student Aid (FSA) office performed a review of all private collection agencies that FSA works with. In these reviews, the Department sought to ensure that its private collection agencies were complying with the terms of the contract, which includes assurances that the agencies would not engage in unfair or deceptive practices and would comply with all applicable Federal and State laws.

In its review, the Department found that agents of the companies made materially inaccurate representations to borrowers about the loan rehabilitation program, which is an option that can create benefits to defaulted borrowers after they have made nine on-time payments in a period of 10 months. The five private collection agencies listed above were found to have given inaccurate information at unacceptably high rates about these benefits. In particular, these agencies gave borrowers misleading information about the benefits to the borrowers' credit report and about the waiver of certain collection fees.

The Department will reassign accounts held by these five agencies which are not already in repayment to other agencies. The Department will also increase monitoring to ensure that the students who began rehabilitation under the five private collection agencies will be treated fairly as they complete the rehabilitation process. Lastly, the Department will issue enhanced guidance to all remaining private collection agencies, increase internal training for FSA staff, enhance the private collection agency manual, expand monitoring for these types of issues, and refine its internal escalation practices.

FSA administers and oversees the federal student financial assistance programs, authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). These programs represent the largest source of student aid for postsecondary education in the United States. The Office of the Under Secretary manages policies, programs, and activities related to postsecondary education.

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: EXTENDED CUT: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STORY CORPS INTERVIEW

DOD VIDEO: PROSTHETIC LIMBS WITH SENSATIONS

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON PASSING OF MINNIE MINOSO

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
March 01, 2015
Statement by the President on the Passing of Minnie Minoso

For South Siders and Sox fans all across the country, including me, Minnie Minoso is and will always be “Mr. White Sox.”

The first black Major Leaguer in Chicago, Minnie came to the United States from Cuba even though he could have made more money elsewhere.  He came up through the Negro Leagues, and didn’t speak much English at first.  And as he helped to integrate baseball in the 1950s, he was a target of racial slurs from fans and opponents, sometimes forced to stay in different motels from his teammates.  But his speed, his power – and his resilient optimism – earned him multiple All-Star appearances and Gold Gloves in left field, and he became one of the most dominant and dynamic players of the 1950s.

Minnie may have been passed over by the Baseball Hall of Fame during his lifetime, but for me and for generations of black and Latino young people, Minnie’s quintessentially American story embodies far more than a plaque ever could.

Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to his family and fans in Chicago, Cleveland, and around the world.

STATE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES CHARLES RIVKIN IS TRAVELING TO ALGERIA AND TUNISIA

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin Travels to Algeria and Tunisia
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 1, 2015

Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles H. Rivkin is travelling March 1-6 to Algiers and Tunis, where he will co-lead a business delegation with the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.-Algeria Business Council. He will also attend the Partners for a New Beginning - North Africa Partnership for Economic Opportunity (PNB-NAPEO) Investment and Entrepreneurship Conference in Tunis.

In Algiers on March 1-3, Assistant Secretary Rivkin and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson will meet with government officials to discuss opportunities to strengthen our bilateral commercial relationship.

In Tunis on March 4-6, he and other U.S. Government officials will meet with members of the new Tunisian government, with a focus on promoting economic growth, job creation, and increased U.S. investment.

NASA VIDEO | FRIST GLOBAL RAINFALLAND SNOWFALL FROM NEW MISSION

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS AT THE DEPARTURE CEREMONY OF ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER

FTC SETTLES WITH AUTO SHIPMENT BROKER ACCUSED OF MISREPRESENTING ONLINE REVIEWS

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Stops Automobile Shipment Broker from Misrepresenting Online Reviews
Company Failed to Disclose It Gave Discounts and Awards to Customer Reviewers

AmeriFreight, an automobile shipment broker based in Peachtree City, Georgia, has agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission that will halt the company’s allegedly deceptive practice of touting online customer reviews, while failing to disclose that the reviewers were compensated with discounts and incentives.

The FTC’s complaint marks the first time the agency has charged a company with misrepresenting online reviews by failing to disclose that it gave cash discounts to customers to post the reviews.

“Companies must make it clear when they have paid their customers to write online reviews,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “If they fail to do that – as AmeriFreight did – then they’re deceiving consumers, plain and simple.”

AmeriFreight is an automobile shipment broker that arranges the shipment of consumers’ cars through third-party freight carriers. Its website touted that the company had “more highly ranked ratings and reviews than any other company in the automotive transportation business.” As part of its advertising, it encouraged consumers to “Google us ‘bbb top rated car shipping.’ You don’t have to believe us, our consumers say it all.”

According to the FTC’s complaint, AmeriFreight and its owner, Marius Lehmann, violated Section 5 of the FTC Act by failing to disclose that they compensated consumers for their online reviews. Specifically, according to the complaint, the respondents:

Provided consumers with a discount of $50 off the cost of AmeriFreight’s services if consumers agreed to review the company’s services online, and increased the cost by $50 if consumers did not agree to write a review;
Provided consumers with “Conditions for receiving a discount on reviews,” which said that if they leave an online review, they will be automatically entered into a $100 per month “Best Monthly Review Award” for the most creative subject title and “informative content”;
Contacted consumers after their cars had been shipped to remind them of their obligation to complete a review to receive the “online review discount,” and qualify for the $100 award;
Failed to disclose the material connection between the company and their consumer endorsers -- namely, that AmeriFreight compensated consumers to post online reviews;
Deceptively represented that its favorable reviews were based on the unbiased reviews of customers.
The proposed order settling the FTC’s charges prohibits the respondents from misrepresenting that their products or services are highly rated or top-ranked based on unbiased consumer reviews, or that customer reviews are unbiased. It also requires the respondents to clearly and prominently disclose any material connection, if one exists, between them and their endorsers.

The respondents also must maintain records of their advertisements and other relevant documents, and must deliver copies of the order to company principals, officers, directors, managers, employees and others. Finally, they must notify the FTC about any changes in corporate structure or affiliation with new businesses that could affect their compliance with the order, which will expire in 20 years.

Information for Consumers

The FTC has information for consumers about how to detect and avoid advertisements that may be deceptive or misleading, including specific information on endorsements and testimonials.

The Commission vote to accept the proposed consent order for public comment was 5-0. The FTC will publish a description of the consent agreement package in the Federal Register shortly. Interested parties can submit comments electronically by following the instructions in the “Invitation to Comment” part of the “Supplementary Information” section. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through March 31, 2015, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final.

NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative 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. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: PRESIDENT OBAMA AND FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA HOST BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT

FTC RELEASES NATIONAL RANKING OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FOR 2014

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
Identity Theft Tops FTC’s Consumer Complaint Categories Again in 2014
Agency Also Notes a Large Increase in Complaints About “Imposter” Scams

Identity theft topped the Federal Trade Commission’s national ranking of consumer complaints for the 15th consecutive year, while the agency also recorded a large increase in the number of complaints about so-called “imposter” scams, according to the FTC's 2014 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, which was released today.

Imposter scams – in which con artists impersonate government officials or others – moved into third place on the list of consumer complaints, entering the top three complaint categories for the first time. The increase in imposter scams was led by a sharp jump in complaints about IRS and other government imposter scams. Debt collection held steady as the second-most-reported complaint.

“While identity theft remains a huge issue, consumers should also keep a close eye out for imposter scams,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Whether it’s pretending to be the IRS during tax season, or making false promises of a lottery win, scammers are increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to deceive consumers, but the FTC will continue working to shut these scammers down.”

The Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book is produced annually using complaints received by the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network. That includes not only complaints made directly by consumers to the FTC, but also complaints received by state and federal law enforcement agencies, national consumer protection organizations and non-governmental organizations.

The report includes not only national data but also a state-by-state accounting of top complaint categories and a listing of the metropolitan areas that generated the most complaints. In 2014, 2,582,851 complaints were entered into the Consumer Sentinel Network. Florida was the top source of complaints per capita both for identity theft, and fraud and other complaints. For fraud and other complaints, Georgia and Nevada had the second and third highest per capita complaint rates, while Washington and Oregon were in the second and third position for identity theft complaints.

The complaint categories making up the top 10 are:

  Number Percent
Identity Theft     332,646 13 percent
Debt Collection 280,998 11 percent
Imposter Scams 276,662 11 percent
Telephone and Mobile Services 171,809 7 percent
Banks and Lenders       128,107 5 percent
Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries   103,579 4 percent
Auto-Related Complaints   88,334 3 percent
Shop-At-Home and Catalog Sales 71,377 3 percent
Television and Electronic Media   48,640 2 percent
Internet Services   46,039 2 percent
A complete list of all complaint categories is available on page six of the report.

The Consumer Sentinel Network’s secure online database is available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies across the country and abroad. Agencies use the data to research cases, identify victims and track possible targets.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

NSF ON THE 'ENERGY INTERNET'

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Creating the energy Internet
How leaders in research, industry and engineering education are working to create the energy network of the future

It only takes a power outage of a few minutes in the middle of a busy workday to drive home the hazards of relying on an energy infrastructure rooted in the Industrial Age. Without the electricity delivered over the nation's power grid, commerce would grind to a halt, communication networks would fail, transportation would stop and cities would go dark.

Simply put, nothing would work.

Plus, blackouts aren't easy to contain. Because the power grid is a vast interconnected network, the failure of one part can have a cascading effect, triggering successive outages down the line.

"The power grid is based on technology from the early 20th century," says Iqbal Husain, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University. "That needs to change."

Husain is director of the FREEDM Systems Center, a collaboration of leaders in research, industry and engineering education working to envision and then create the energy network of the future. With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) leveraged by additional industry support, the Engineering Research Center has sparked the growth of dozens of clean energy businesses in Raleigh's Research Triangle, making the region an epicenter of smart grid development.

"We're trying to create a new electric grid infrastructure that we call the energy Internet," says Alex Huang, an NC State researcher and co-inventor of a newly patented soft-switch single-stage AC-DC converter. "We're looking at the whole distribution system. That's a huge engineering system. It's very, very complex."

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the smart grid will be more efficient and capable of meeting increased consumer demand without adding infrastructure. It also will be more intelligent, sensing system overloads and rerouting power to prevent or to minimize a potential outage. It will accept energy from virtually any fuel source and--building on NSF-funded research--offer improved security and resiliency in case of a natural disaster or threat. It also will allow real-time communication between the consumer and utility, ushering in a new era of consumer choice.

Energy innovation

From its headquarters on NC State's Centennial Campus, FREEDM (short for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management) is coming at the challenge on many fronts, from the creation of new devices that will allow energy to flow in more than one direction to the development of the software architecture that will give the smart grid its brainpower.

The facility boasts a 1-megawatt demonstration hub and real-time digital simulation lab, as well as labs specializing in computer science, power electronics, energy storage and motor drive technology. Under the FREEDM umbrella, researchers and students are tackling more than a dozen research projects in partnership with colleagues at Arizona State University, Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Missouri University of Science and Technology.

That's just this year. In seven years, the center has launched dozens of projects in fields ranging from systems theory to intelligent energy management.

The result is one innovation after another. Researchers have developed a technique that allows a common electronic component to handle voltages almost seven times higher than existing components; created an ultra-fast fault detection, isolation and restoration system; and invented a new solid-state transformer to replace the 100-year-old electromagnetic transformer.

These innovations hold promise for making the power grid more resilient, fostering sustainable energy technologies that play an important role in the nation's energy infrastructure, and driving economic growth.

Startups spawn new technologies

For example, the startup company General Capacitor is focused on developing energy storage products based on the "ultracapacitor" discoveries made by Jim Zheng, a professor at Florida A&M University and Florida State University who serves on FREEDM's leadership team.

Zheng's ultracapacitors open the door to a new generation of energy storage technologies that can be used to help stabilize the flow of energy from renewable sources--such as solar power--into the grid. This would have the effect of making renewable sources more viable, while also making the grid itself more resilient.

For the future power grid, incorporating these new technologies will be like plugging in a lamp. The smart grid will be able to collect and process thousands or even millions of bits of data and intelligently manage the flow of power across the network, ideally doing most of its work at the edge of the grid, close to the customer. This kind of system--called distributed generation--is potentially more efficient and environmentally sustainable than the existing system.

A mile from the NC State campus in Raleigh, a startup company called GridBridge is working to commercialize FREEDM technology in the form of a smart grid router that can integrate renewables and energy storage devices, including electric vehicles, into the grid. GridBridge was funded by the NSF Small Business Innovation Research program.

"We don't expect the utility companies to rip out their existing infrastructure," says CEO Chad Eckhardt. "But they need products that can help the infrastructure operate better and more efficiently."

Another FREEDM partner, energy giant ABB, is working to perfect the technology behind microgrids, which could significantly enhance grid security and reliability.

A microgrid essentially simulates the operations of the larger grid but, as the name suggests, provides power on a smaller scale, serving a town, military base or university, for example. Microgrids can operate independently of the main grid or run parallel to it. ABB's microgrid is designed to seamlessly integrate renewables, with their fluctuating energy profiles, and output reliable power. If the main grid goes down, its microgrid system isolates itself from the larger grid and continues to provide power to its customers. When the larger grid comes back online, the connection is re-established.

"Anything that produces power could potentially be a microgrid," says Brad Luyster, vice president and general manager of ABB's Microgrid Regional Execution Center. "If the power goes off from the main grid, the microgrid has its own generation on site."

The global marketplace

GridBridge and ABB aren't the only companies in the region eyeing the opportunities for energy innovation.

A recent study identified 169 firms within the 13-county Triangle region, including 16 Fortune 500 companies, working to develop sustainable solutions to the world's energy needs. The sector, called cleantech by the industry, spans every county in the region.

Lee Anne Nance, executive director of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, spearheads a collaborative network called the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster that promotes the region's competitive edge in the global marketplace. Its members include some of the industry's biggest players, including Duke Energy, Siemens Energy, ABB Inc. and Schneider Electric, as well as major high-tech companies such as SAS, Cisco, Power Analytics, Sensus, Power Secure, RTI International and Field2Base.

Combined, they pack a powerful punch, employing thousands of high-skill workers and driving innovation in energy management, water, transportation, data analytics, information technology, renewable energy, electronics and engineering.

"This is a disruptive and transformational time in infrastructure delivery throughout the world, and our region is leading the way," Nance says. "We're right in the middle of the action and that's good for the economy, the people who work here and the people who live here."

-- David Hunt, North Carolina State University
Investigators
Jim Zheng
Alex Huang
Gerald Heydt
Iqbal Husain
Mariesa Crow
Steinar Dale
Chad Eckhardt
Christopher Edrington
Related Institutions/Organizations
GridBridge, Inc
North Carolina State University

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: WEEKLY ADDRESS 02/28/205

FROM: U.S. INTERIOR DEPARTMENT: THIS WEEK AT INTERIOR FEBRUARY 27, 2015

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON PASSING OF LEONARD NIMOY

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
February 27, 2015
Statement by the President on the Passing of Leonard Nimoy

Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy.  Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time.  And of course, Leonard was Spock.  Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future.

I loved Spock.

In 2007, I had the chance to meet Leonard in person.  It was only logical to greet him with the Vulcan salute, the universal sign for “Live long and prosper.”  And after 83 years on this planet – and on his visits to many others – it’s clear Leonard Nimoy did just that.  Michelle and I join his family, friends, and countless fans who miss him so dearly today.

2/27/15: White House Press Briefing

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: WEST WING WEEK: 02/26/2015

DOD REPORTS ON COALITION AIRSTRIKES AGAINST ISIL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Coalition Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 27, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Attack, fighter, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 20 airstrikes in Syria:

-- Near Hasakah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL armored vehicle and an ISIL vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

-- Near Dayr az Zawr, an airstrike struck a crude oil collection point.

-- Near Kobani, 13 airstrikes struck an ISIL large tactical unit, eight ISIL tactical units, three ISIL fighting positions and destroyed 21 ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL staging areas, two ISIL tanks and three ISIL vehicles.

-- Near Tal Harris, three airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL checkpoint.
Airstrikes in Iraq


Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 11 airstrikes in Iraq:

-- Near Asad, three airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL building.

-- Near Fallujah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building.

-- Near Mosul, two airstrikes struck an ISIL checkpoint and an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Hit in Anbar province, an airstrike stuck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Ramadi, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL buildings and an ISIL armored vehicle.

-- Near Rawah, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL armored vehicle.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, 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 terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

SEC ANNOUNCES CHARGES AGAINST ALLEGED FRAUDSTERS TARGETING LATINO COMMUNITIES

 FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Litigation Release No. 23209 / February 27, 2015
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Tropikgadget FZE, et al., Civil Action No. 1:15 cv 10543-IT (United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts)

SEC Charges Operators of International Pyramid Scheme Targeting Latino Communities

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that it filed charges against three company officers and 12 promoters behind an international pyramid scheme targeting Latino communities in the U.S. The agency also obtained a court order to freeze the assets of the company officers, promoters, and related parties.

In a complaint filed February 25, 2015 in federal court in Boston that was unsealed yesterday, the SEC alleges that the Portuguese companies - operating under the name Wings Network - claimed to run a multi-level marketing company that offered digital and mobile solutions to customers, including apps and cloud storage. However, Wings Network's revenues actually came solely from selling memberships to investors, not from the sale of any products. The company relied upon the recruitment of new members, and commissions were paid to earlier investors with money received from later investors. The scheme raised at least $23.5 million from thousands of investors, including many in Brazilian and Dominican immigrant communities in Massachusetts.

According to the SEC's complaint, the scheme was orchestrated by Wings Network officers Sergio Henrique Tanaka of São Paulo, Brazil and Davie, Fla., Carlos Luis da Silveira Barbosa of Lisbon, Portugal, and Claudio de Oliveira Pereira Campos of Lisbon, Portugal. After establishing a network of lead promoters, recruitment of new members surged through the use of social media such as Facebook and YouTube. The promoters used Facebook to publicize "business meetings" that took place at hotels and other locations in Connecticut, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, Georgia, and Utah. The promoters also set up storefronts or "training centers" to lure investors into attending Wings Network presentations. For example, one promoter used a storefront in downtown Philadelphia to make presentations to prospective investors, and another promoter rented office space in Pompano Beach, Fla., and spread the word in the local Latino community to attract prospective investors to come in and hear presentations.

Several of the scheme's promoters charged in the SEC's complaint live in Marlborough, Mass., while others reside in Clinton, Mass., Sandy, Utah, Duluth, Ga., and Waco, Texas.

The SEC's complaint alleges that the Portuguese entities and principals Tanaka, Barbosa and Campos violated antifraud provisions Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10-b-5 thereunder, and registration provisions Section 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act, and that the promoter defendants violated Section 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Scott R. Stanley, Dawn Edick, John McCann, Deena Bernstein, and Amy Gwiazda of the SEC's Boston Regional Office. The SEC's litigation will be led by Ms. Bernstein.

The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Massachusetts Securities Division of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's office, which previously filed its own action against Wings Network and other parties, as well as the Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários of Portugal and the Procuradoria-Geral da República of Portugal.

SAMANTHA POWER'S REMARKS ON HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SYRIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
February 26, 2015
AS DELIVERED

Thank you. Thank you, Assistant Secretary-General Kang, High Commissioner Guterres for your powerful presentations.

One year ago, the Security Council adopted resolution 2139, aimed at addressing the humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in Syria. As today’s briefings made clear, the humanitarian crises have only deepened – there are multiple crises.

It is estimated that 12.2 million people need humanitarian assistance in Syria. At this time last year, 9.3 million people were said to need humanitarian assistance. That’s nearly three million more people who need aid to survive, in just a year. Think about that.

That is why it is absolutely crucial that all donors make generous commitments at the Humanitarian Pledging Conference in Kuwait in March, commitments that are commensurate with the magnitude of Syria’s crisis – this is what the United States plans to do.

While the international community absolutely must meet the immediate and dire needs of the Syrian people, we must also face the fact that humanitarian assistance is a band aid, it must be accompanied by more intense political pressure to stop the violence and widespread abuses that are fueling the crisis. Although more people in Syria need humanitarian aid than ever before, the Assad regime also seems more intent on denying aid and causing civilian harm than ever before.

Security Council resolution 2139 called on the Syrian parties to immediately cease the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas, including through aerial bombardment using barrel bombs. Yet in the year since the resolution was adopted, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the Assad regime has dropped at least 1,950 barrel bombs, which have killed at least 6,480 people, 95 percent of whom were civilians. According to Human Rights Watch, the report released earlier this week, satellite imagery identified at least 450 distinct major damage sites in ten opposition-held towns and villages in the Daraa governorate, and more than 1,000 major damage sites in the Aleppo governorate, between February 2014 and January of this year.

The Human Rights Watch report shows that many impact sites have damage signatures consistent with the detonation of large, air-dropped munitions, including improvised barrel and conventional bombs dropped by helicopters. Yet in spite of this clear evidence, Assad cheerfully denied that his forces used barrel bombs and called any such claims, “a childish story”– a particularly grotesque choice of words, given that well over 10,000 children have been killed in the conflict so far.

The recently released UN Commission of Inquiry report on Syria documents many attacks on civilians. One of them occurred on Aleppo’s al-Shaar neighbourhood on November 6th. The first barrel bomb reportedly killed civilians in its area of impact, and buried more in rubble. When others rushed to the area to dig out the people buried and assist the wounded, the government dropped a second barrel bomb. At least 15 people were killed in all, most of them women and children. Some of the wounded later died in field hospitals, according to the report, due to the lack of necessary medical supplies.

The lack of medical supplies is no accident – it is the result of the Assad regime’s routine confiscation of medical and surgical supplies transported by UN convoys. The UN and its implementing partners have tried to be maximally transparent with the Syrian regime by allowing the government to inspect cross-line shipments, going beyond the provisions in Security Council resolutions 2165 and 2191. Yet, even when these “regime approvals” for cross-line operations are granted, the regime seizes medical supplies such as surgical items, midwifery kits and rehydration kits, which could save the lives of mothers, small children, and babies. The Council was clear in its demand that all parties allow delivery of medical assistance and cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable for their survival in resolution 2139.

The Physicians for Human Rights report that Assistant Secretary-General Kang mentioned documented 228 attacks on 179 separate medical facilities. Of these, PHR found, 90 percent were carried out by regime forces. To date, according to Physicians for Human Rights, 145 medical personnel have been executed or tortured to death in Syria. One hundred and thirty-nine of those 145 individuals, those deaths were carried out by Syrian government forces or by ISIL.

In Yarmouk, 18,000 civilians – most of them Palestinians refugees – are virtually cut off from assistance and surrounded by fighting. In 2014, the UN was only able to provide the equivalent of 400 calories a day for each inhabitant of Yarmouk – the equivalent of two cups of rice – due to the extremely limited access provided by the Syrian regime. If you haven’t seen the photos of the kids inside Yarmouk, you should force yourself to stare at their sunken, hollow faces and glossed eyes. This is what Assad’s regime has done to children, and he is under insufficient pressure from his backers to do something as simple as let food through. And Yarmouk is not an outlier. Of the 212,000 Syrians living in besieged areas, 185,000 of them, or 87 percent, live in areas being besieged by Syrian government forces.

Now, terrorist groups like ISIL have committed horrific abuses against Syrians, and we must be absolutely adamant and united in our condemnation of those horrors, which are on the rise. We condemn in the strongest possible terms ISIL’s attacks on February 23 on Assyrian Christian villages in the northeast Syrian province of Hasakeh, where they kidnapped hundreds of civilians, including women, children, and older persons, and we join others in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of these civilians, together with all of ISIL’s hostages.

In December, four mass graves were discovered in Deir ez-Zor, containing the bodies of some of the hundreds of people abducted by ISIL months before. ISIL has also established what they call “cub camps,” where they indoctrinate kids, teaching them how to use weapons and to carry out suicide attacks. At the same time we condemn ISIL and unite to confront them, we must remember that the rise of these violent extremist groups in Syria would not have happened without the atrocities perpetrated by the Assad regime. And the regime’s ongoing atrocities continue to be the extremists’ best recruiting tool. So any plan that would ally the international community with Assad to confront these violent extremist groups would be completely counterproductive, as it would further fuel ISIL’s rise.

There is only one way out of this horrific crisis, and that is through a comprehensive political solution. To that end, the United States again joins others in commending the efforts of UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura to halt – even for a limited time – the use of all aerial bombs and heavy artillery in Aleppo, whose civilians have suffered immensely amidst fierce fighting. While it would be a welcome step if the Assad regime were to fulfill the commitments it made to de Mistura to stop unilaterally its aerial bombardment in Aleppo and allow the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians for six weeks, the regime has an abysmal track record on honoring its commitments. Indeed, these very commitments are supposed to have been implemented under resolutions adopted by this very Council. So what matters, and what we must look to, are the regime’s actions.

In addition to being a year since the adoption of Resolution 2139, we also mark other terrible benchmarks today. On March 15th, we will enter the fifth year of the Syrian conflict. And it has been three years since plain-clothes security officers raided the office of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression – a Damascus-based group dedicated to promoting freedom of expression – detaining 14 staff members. Many of those detained were tortured, according to staff members who were later released. Among those detained was the group’s director, Mazen Darwish, who was charged with so-called crimes, such as publishing human rights reports and documenting the names of people tortured, disappeared, or killed during the conflict.

Mazen is still behind bars today, despite a UN General Assembly resolution last May that included a demand for his immediate release. Writing from jail last year, Mazen said, “There is not a single prison in Syria today without one of my friends inside it, nor is there a cemetery in Syria today that doesn’t contain the remains of one of them.”

There is a risk, in our regular meetings on Syria, to get used to the fact that the numbers of individuals detained and killed and disappeared and displaced and denied food – and so many other measures of human suffering – those numbers continue to rise. Indeed, there is a perverse dynamic whereby, as those numbers continue to rise, our sensitivity falls. Our nerve endings harden, and a sense of inevitability takes hold.

We must not let that happen. We must remember each of those rising numbers, each one of those millions, stands for just another person. We must return to the commitments this Council has made, such as those in past resolutions to take further measures in the case of non-compliance and to hold accountable those responsible for violations and abuses.

This Council’s impact will increase only if member-states’ positions change. And that will happen only if we recognize that there are children just like our own starving in Yarmouk, and mothers just like our own who die in childbirth in Aleppo, because medical supplies have been stolen off UN trucks; or mothers who feel helpless in the face of their children’s pleas for food. If this doesn’t motivate us, literally nothing will. Thank you.

FTC AND PARTNERS PROMOTE EDUCATION DURING NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC, Partners to Promote Education During 17th Annual National Consumer Protection Week March 1-7
Participants to Discuss Imposter Scams During Twitter Chat

The Federal Trade Commission and 89 partners including nonprofit groups, businesses, and federal, state and local government agencies across the country will spotlight their efforts to protect consumers by educating people about fraud during the 17th annual National Consumer Protection Week March 1-7, 2015.

To highlight the week, the FTC will host a Twitter chat and answer consumers’ questions regarding common imposter scams. These types of scams vary, but often include someone pretending to be a government official, and are consistently an annual top 10 consumer complaint to the FTC. While scammers use a variety of tactics, they share the same goal -- to trick consumers out of their money. Follow @FTC and tweet #NCPW15 to join the conversation on Tues., March 3, 2015 at 2:00 pm ET.

“Organizations committed to consumer protection are energized for National Consumer Protection Week, and the FTC is proud to work with our partners to fight scams in every community,” said Jessica Rich, Director, FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We can all help stop scams by checking out the advice at NCPW.gov, sharing it, and reporting fraud.”

The NCPW website has resources for consumers on topics ranging from managing credit and debt, avoiding identity theft, staying safe online, and more. These resources, including a consumer blog, help people learn about their consumer rights and how to spot and avoid scams and identity theft. The site also has information on where to file complaints with federal, state and other partners, including the FTC.

In addition to hosting NCPW annually, the FTC’s ongoing Every Community initiative fights scams in the marketplace for many underserved groups. Just yesterday, the FTC, Department of Justice and Postal Inspection Service participated in a roundtable with consumer advocacy groups to discuss how the agencies can better work with each community to protect consumers and learn more about current scam-related issues.

As part of the broader Every Community effort, the FTC has brought cases against scams that targeted Latinos and older adults. The Commission hosted a workshop last year on fraud in different communities, and it has distributed a variety of education materials and outreach to groups including Latinos, older adults, and veterans, servicemembers, and their families.

To help coordinate and publicize events throughout the week, partners of NCPW created a toolkit full of ideas and resources for all to use and share. The toolkit includes tips on hosting events, drafting consumer education and other outreach materials, buttons, banners, social media posts, and more.

GENE EDITITING AND REGULATION TO IMPROVE IMMUNE SYSTEM

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Rewriting genetic information to prevent disease

Breakthrough Prize winner harnesses CRISPR to improve immune system
For the last few years, scientists have been studying an ancient but only recently understood mechanism of bacterial immunity that has the potential to provide immeasurable benefits to plant and animal health.

The phenomenon known as CRISPR (for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a natural immune system found in many bacteria with the ability to identify and destroy the genomes of invading viruses and plasmids.

Researchers are trying to harness this system for gene editing and regulation, a process that could transform "the genome of plants or animals in ways that will improve their health, or introduce genetic changes that will resist disease of climate change," says Jennifer Doudna, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor of biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology at the University of California, Berkeley. "The explosion of research using this technique has been amazing."

Doudna, collaborating with Emmanuelle Charpentier of Sweden's Helmholtz Center for Infection Research and Umeå University, identified how the system works and engineered it in new ways that broadened its scope. The two researchers, who described their work in a 2012 paper in the journal Science, developed a technique that enables the rewriting of genetic information and the correction of mutations that otherwise can cause disease, and also can knock out the cell's ability to make harmful proteins, she says.

"Many labs have shown in principle that this can be used to correct such mutations as those that occur in cystic fibrosis, or sickle cell disease," she says. "They are showing it in cell lines and lab animals. We're still some period of time away from using this in humans, but the pace in the field has been truly remarkable, and really exciting to see."

Many bacteria have this CRISPR-based immune system capable of identifying and destroying hostile invaders. Doudna and Charpentier showed that, in doing so, CRISPR produces the protein Cas9, a DNA-cutting enzyme guided by RNA, which relies on two short RNA guide sequences to find foreign DNA, then cleaves, or cuts, the target sequences, thereby muting the genes of the invaders.

Cas9 has evolved to provide protection against viruses that could infect the bacterium, and uses pieces of RNA derived from CRISPRS to direct its activity. The system is specific and efficient enough to stave off viral infections in bacteria.

Doudna and her colleagues programmed the process so that it can be directed by a single short RNA molecule; researchers who use it to edit genomes can customize the RNA so that it sends Cas9 to cleave, like "scissors," at their chosen location in the genome.

"When we figured out how it worked, we realized we could alter the design of RNA and program Cas9 to recognize any DNA sequence," she says. "One can therefore target Cas9 to any region of a genome simply by providing a short guide RNA that can pair with the region of interest. Once targeted, different versions of Cas9 can be used to activate or inhibit genes, as well as make target cuts within the genome. Depending on the experimental design, research can use these latter cuts to either disrupt genes or replace them with newly engineered versions."

Recently Douda and Charpentier and four other scientists received the Breakthrough Prize in life sciences, which honors transformative advances toward understanding living systems and extending human life. The prizes recognize pioneering work in physics, genetics, cosmology, neurology and mathematics, and carry a $3 million award for each researcher. The Breakthrough committee specifically cited Doudna and Charpentier for their advances in understanding the CRISPR mechanism.

Doudna has been the recipient of several National Science Foundation (NSF) grants to support her research in recent years totaling more than $1.5 million. In 2000, she received NSF's prestigious $500,000 Alan T. Waterman Award, which recognizes an outstanding young researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by NSF.

She also was a founder of the Innovative Genomics Initiative, established in 2014 at the Li Ka Shing Center for Genomic Engineering at UC Berkeley. Its goal is to promote and support genome editing research and technology in both academic and commercial research communities.

"We have a team of scientists working with various collaborative partners," she says. "We want to ensure that the technology gets into as many hands as possible, and explore ways to make it even better. We are trying to bring about fundamental change in biological and biomedical research by enabling scientists to read and write in genomes with equal ease. It's a bold new effort that embraces a new era in genomic engineering."

-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Investigators
Jennifer Doudna
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of California-Berkeley