FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida Tax Return Preparer and Owner of Tax Preparation Business
The United States filed a civil injunction suit seeking to bar a Tampa, Florida, man from owning, operating or franchising a tax return preparation business and from preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The complaint also requests that the court order the defendant to disgorge the fees that he obtained through alleged fraudulent tax return preparation.
The suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, alleges that Milot Odne owns and operates Rapid Tax 1, a tax return preparation business in the Tampa area. According to the complaint, Odne was previously a franchisee of LBS Tax Services.
The suit alleges that Odne targets primarily low-income customers with deceptive and misleading advertisements, prepares and files fraudulent tax returns to fraudulently increase his customers’ refunds, and profits through unconscionable and exorbitant fees — all at the expense of his customers and the U.S. Treasury.
According to the suit, there is a “culture of greed” at Odne’s tax return preparation stores “that expressly promotes and encourages the preparation of false and fraudulent federal tax returns in order to maximize corporate and individual profits.” The complaint alleges that Odne’s stores engage in fraudulent activity, including:
• Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit;
• Claiming improper filing status (i.e., head of household);
• Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses;
• Fabricating itemized deductions on a Schedule A, including for unreimbursed employee business expenses, automobile expenses and charitable contributions;
• Falsely claiming education credits to which customers are not entitled;
• Improperly preparing returns based on paystubs rather than Forms W-2; and
• Failing to provide customers with a copy of a competed tax return, as required.
According to the complaint, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates that the tax loss resulting from these activities for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 tax years could be up to $35.5 million or more.
This lawsuit is one of several filed against former LBS Tax Services-related individuals, including Walner Gachette, Douglas Mesadieu, Jean Demesmin, Kerny Pierre-Louis, Demetrius Scott, Jason Stinson, Wilfrid Antoine, Tonya Chambers, Jehoakim Victor and Lauri Rodriguez. In February 2015, a court barred Victor and Rodriquez from preparing tax returns for others and from owning or operating a tax return preparation business.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
READOUT: VP BIDEN'S MEETING WITH IRAQI KURDISTAN PRESIDENT BARZANI
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
May 06, 2015
Readout of Vice President Biden's Meeting with Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani
This morning, Vice President Joe Biden hosted Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani at the Naval Observatory for breakfast. The Vice President underscored the United States’ strong commitment to working with the global coalition and the Iraqi people to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL through a comprehensive campaign including military, political, economic, and humanitarian efforts. Vice President Biden and President Barzani discussed ongoing U.S. security assistance to the Kurdish Peshmerga in full coordination with the Government of Iraq. Both leaders agreed on the profound need for close cooperation between the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the global coalition in the ongoing fight against ISIL, particularly with respect to the liberation of Mosul. They also agreed on the need for close coordination between Baghdad and Erbil to advance key elements of the Government of Iraq’s national program.
May 06, 2015
Readout of Vice President Biden's Meeting with Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani
This morning, Vice President Joe Biden hosted Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani at the Naval Observatory for breakfast. The Vice President underscored the United States’ strong commitment to working with the global coalition and the Iraqi people to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL through a comprehensive campaign including military, political, economic, and humanitarian efforts. Vice President Biden and President Barzani discussed ongoing U.S. security assistance to the Kurdish Peshmerga in full coordination with the Government of Iraq. Both leaders agreed on the profound need for close cooperation between the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the global coalition in the ongoing fight against ISIL, particularly with respect to the liberation of Mosul. They also agreed on the need for close coordination between Baghdad and Erbil to advance key elements of the Government of Iraq’s national program.
DOJ STATEMENT ON BALTIMORE MAYOR'S REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION INTO BALTIMORE POLICE PATTERN OR PRACTICE
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Justice Department Statement on Baltimore Mayor's Request for a Pattern or Practice Investigation into the Baltimore Police Department
Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson released the following statement Wednesday following the request from Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for a pattern or practice investigation into the Baltimore Police Department.
“The Attorney General has received Mayor Rawlings-Blake’s request for a Civil Rights Division 'pattern or practice' investigation into the Baltimore Police Department. The Attorney General is actively considering that option in light of what she heard from law enforcement, city officials, and community, faith and youth leaders in Baltimore yesterday.”
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Justice Department Statement on Baltimore Mayor's Request for a Pattern or Practice Investigation into the Baltimore Police Department
Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson released the following statement Wednesday following the request from Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for a pattern or practice investigation into the Baltimore Police Department.
“The Attorney General has received Mayor Rawlings-Blake’s request for a Civil Rights Division 'pattern or practice' investigation into the Baltimore Police Department. The Attorney General is actively considering that option in light of what she heard from law enforcement, city officials, and community, faith and youth leaders in Baltimore yesterday.”
DOD NEWS REGARDING OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Airstrikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Iraq
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 6, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of the latest airstrikes in Iraq, 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 Iraq
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 11 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Huwayjah, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and two ISIL staging areas, destroying an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Beiji, four airstrikes struck one large and two small ISIL tactical units, destroying five ISIL fighting positions, eight ISIL structures, six ISIL fuel tanks, three ISIL vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Mosul, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying two ISIL buildings and an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck one large and one small ISIL tactical units, destroying four ISIL structures and an ISIL mortar system.
-- Near Sinjar, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying three ISIL fighting positions and three ISIL buildings.
CJTF-OIR conducted no airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria between 8 a.m., yesterday, and 8 a.m., today, local time.
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.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Airstrikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Iraq
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 6, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of the latest airstrikes in Iraq, 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 Iraq
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 11 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Huwayjah, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and two ISIL staging areas, destroying an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Beiji, four airstrikes struck one large and two small ISIL tactical units, destroying five ISIL fighting positions, eight ISIL structures, six ISIL fuel tanks, three ISIL vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Mosul, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying two ISIL buildings and an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck one large and one small ISIL tactical units, destroying four ISIL structures and an ISIL mortar system.
-- Near Sinjar, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying three ISIL fighting positions and three ISIL buildings.
CJTF-OIR conducted no airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria between 8 a.m., yesterday, and 8 a.m., today, local time.
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.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
DOD DETAILS OF RECENT AIRSTRIKES IN IRAQ, SYRIA
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
ISIL Tactical Units, Fighting Positions Destroyed in Airstrikes
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 5, 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
An attack aircraft conducted one airstrike near Hasakah, which destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
Airstrikes in Iraq
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Beiji, three airstrikes struck one large and two small ISIL tactical units, destroying three ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL structures, an ISIL warehouse, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL excavator and an ISIL rocket-propelled grenade.
-- Near Fallujah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying two ISIL structures, two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL mortar tube.
-- Near Mosul, four airstrikes struck three ISIL fighting positions, destroying an ISIL excavator.
Tactical unit, destroying three ISIL structures, three ISIL tanks and an ISIL armored vehicle.
-- Near Tal Afar, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
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, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
ISIL Tactical Units, Fighting Positions Destroyed in Airstrikes
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 5, 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
An attack aircraft conducted one airstrike near Hasakah, which destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
Airstrikes in Iraq
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Beiji, three airstrikes struck one large and two small ISIL tactical units, destroying three ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL structures, an ISIL warehouse, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL excavator and an ISIL rocket-propelled grenade.
-- Near Fallujah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying two ISIL structures, two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL mortar tube.
-- Near Mosul, four airstrikes struck three ISIL fighting positions, destroying an ISIL excavator.
Tactical unit, destroying three ISIL structures, three ISIL tanks and an ISIL armored vehicle.
-- Near Tal Afar, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL fighting position.
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, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS IN MOGADISHU, SOMALIA
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks in Mogadishu, Somalia
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Mogadishu, Somalia
May 5, 2015
I’m very, very pleased to be able to come to Somalia. It was important to be able to meet face to face with President Hassan Sheikh and with Prime Minister Sharmarke and regional leaders and with a range of civil society representatives. As everybody knows, more than 20 years ago, the United States was forced to pull back from this country. And now we’re returning in collaboration with our international community and with high hopes mixed, obviously, with ongoing concerns.
My brief visit confirms what diplomats have been telling me: The people here are both resilient and determined to reclaim their future from the terrorists and the militias who’ve been attempting to steal it. Over the past quarter century, Somalis have known immense suffering from violence, from criminals, from sectarian strife, from dire shortages of food, and from an inability to remain safely within their villages and their homes. In Kenya yesterday, I spoke through an internet link with refugees in Dadaab who had fled their homes for protection from the persecution and from the violence, from the war. I met Somalis who were 15, 18, 20 years old who had never lived anywhere except in a refugee camp; this in an era of unprecedented globalization and opportunity.
So I’m here today because Somalia is making progress in its mission to turn things around. Three years have passed since a new provisional constitution was adopted and a parliament was sworn in. With help from AMISOM, the UN mission here, the United Nations has contributed significantly to this progress. Somali forces have pushed al-Shabaab out of major population centers. A determined international effort has put virtually all of Somalia’s pirates out of business. New life has returned to the streets of Mogadishu, and fresh hope to the people of all the country. I want to acknowledge particularly the remarkable commitment and sacrifice of the nations and countries that make up a part of AMISOM, particularly Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti, and previously Sierra Leone. It is really a great statement about the leadership of African nations stepping up to deal with African problems.
The question now is how quickly and completely the next steps of governing will be taken. The Somali Government has put forward a blueprint for the country’s development as a unified and federal state. It is working with the new regional administration to enhance stability and sow the seeds of prosperity in every part of Somalia. That includes finding the right balance of authority and responsibility between the national, the regional, and the local levels. And we look forward to seeing progress soon on an integration process between the regional forces into the Somali National Army so that we can broaden our security assistance to those forces.
The government is also working towards finalizing and holding democratic elections in 2016. The president, the prime minister, and the regional leaders affirmed to me today that they are committed to making progress on these issues and ensuring that there is a broad consensus on exactly how the constitutional review and the elections are going to proceed. And in addition, he also committed to me today that the mandate will not be extended beyond 2016, that the government will keep the schedule of Vision 2016 and avoid delays, that they will appoint the members of the national independent electoral commission and the boundaries and federation commission by next week. He committed that they will work with parliament to pass the political parties law by next month, and committed to move forward with the integration of the National Army. So I am confident that the leaders came together today from the regions and the federal government to affirm solidly their determination to work cooperatively with the international community and to move the reform process of governance of Somalia forward.
We all have a stake in what happens here in Somalia. The world cannot afford to have places on the map that are essentially ungoverned. We learned in 2001 what happens when that is the case, and we have seen on a continued basis with splinter groups how they are determined to try to do injury to innocent people and to whole nations by operating out of ungoverned spaces. And so Somalia’s return to effective government is an historic opportunity for everybody to push back against extremism and to empower people in a whole country to be able to live the promise of their nation.
In recognition of the progress made and the promise to come, I’m pleased to announce that the United States will begin the process of establishing the premises for a diplomatic mission in Mogadishu. And while we do not yet have a fixed timeline for reopening the embassy, we are immediately beginning the process of upgrading our diplomatic representation. And I look forward, as does the President, to the day when both the United States and Somalia have full-fledged missions in each other’s capital city again. And I look forward as well to the time when we can say, and all the world will be able to see and to measure, that this country is fully united, combining regional strengths with national purpose, able to welcome its refugees home, and secure in a new Somalia that occupies an honored place on the regional and global stage for generations to come.
That is a job, in the end, that only Somalis can accomplish. But together with many other international partners, the United States is prepared to do what we can to help bring Somalia the peace and prosperity and security and the future that the people of Somalia want and that they deserve. Thank you.
Remarks in Mogadishu, Somalia
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Mogadishu, Somalia
May 5, 2015
I’m very, very pleased to be able to come to Somalia. It was important to be able to meet face to face with President Hassan Sheikh and with Prime Minister Sharmarke and regional leaders and with a range of civil society representatives. As everybody knows, more than 20 years ago, the United States was forced to pull back from this country. And now we’re returning in collaboration with our international community and with high hopes mixed, obviously, with ongoing concerns.
My brief visit confirms what diplomats have been telling me: The people here are both resilient and determined to reclaim their future from the terrorists and the militias who’ve been attempting to steal it. Over the past quarter century, Somalis have known immense suffering from violence, from criminals, from sectarian strife, from dire shortages of food, and from an inability to remain safely within their villages and their homes. In Kenya yesterday, I spoke through an internet link with refugees in Dadaab who had fled their homes for protection from the persecution and from the violence, from the war. I met Somalis who were 15, 18, 20 years old who had never lived anywhere except in a refugee camp; this in an era of unprecedented globalization and opportunity.
So I’m here today because Somalia is making progress in its mission to turn things around. Three years have passed since a new provisional constitution was adopted and a parliament was sworn in. With help from AMISOM, the UN mission here, the United Nations has contributed significantly to this progress. Somali forces have pushed al-Shabaab out of major population centers. A determined international effort has put virtually all of Somalia’s pirates out of business. New life has returned to the streets of Mogadishu, and fresh hope to the people of all the country. I want to acknowledge particularly the remarkable commitment and sacrifice of the nations and countries that make up a part of AMISOM, particularly Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti, and previously Sierra Leone. It is really a great statement about the leadership of African nations stepping up to deal with African problems.
The question now is how quickly and completely the next steps of governing will be taken. The Somali Government has put forward a blueprint for the country’s development as a unified and federal state. It is working with the new regional administration to enhance stability and sow the seeds of prosperity in every part of Somalia. That includes finding the right balance of authority and responsibility between the national, the regional, and the local levels. And we look forward to seeing progress soon on an integration process between the regional forces into the Somali National Army so that we can broaden our security assistance to those forces.
The government is also working towards finalizing and holding democratic elections in 2016. The president, the prime minister, and the regional leaders affirmed to me today that they are committed to making progress on these issues and ensuring that there is a broad consensus on exactly how the constitutional review and the elections are going to proceed. And in addition, he also committed to me today that the mandate will not be extended beyond 2016, that the government will keep the schedule of Vision 2016 and avoid delays, that they will appoint the members of the national independent electoral commission and the boundaries and federation commission by next week. He committed that they will work with parliament to pass the political parties law by next month, and committed to move forward with the integration of the National Army. So I am confident that the leaders came together today from the regions and the federal government to affirm solidly their determination to work cooperatively with the international community and to move the reform process of governance of Somalia forward.
We all have a stake in what happens here in Somalia. The world cannot afford to have places on the map that are essentially ungoverned. We learned in 2001 what happens when that is the case, and we have seen on a continued basis with splinter groups how they are determined to try to do injury to innocent people and to whole nations by operating out of ungoverned spaces. And so Somalia’s return to effective government is an historic opportunity for everybody to push back against extremism and to empower people in a whole country to be able to live the promise of their nation.
In recognition of the progress made and the promise to come, I’m pleased to announce that the United States will begin the process of establishing the premises for a diplomatic mission in Mogadishu. And while we do not yet have a fixed timeline for reopening the embassy, we are immediately beginning the process of upgrading our diplomatic representation. And I look forward, as does the President, to the day when both the United States and Somalia have full-fledged missions in each other’s capital city again. And I look forward as well to the time when we can say, and all the world will be able to see and to measure, that this country is fully united, combining regional strengths with national purpose, able to welcome its refugees home, and secure in a new Somalia that occupies an honored place on the regional and global stage for generations to come.
That is a job, in the end, that only Somalis can accomplish. But together with many other international partners, the United States is prepared to do what we can to help bring Somalia the peace and prosperity and security and the future that the people of Somalia want and that they deserve. Thank you.
MISCLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS, COMPLIANCE ARE PRIORITIES FOR LABOR'S WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION
FROM: U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT
Focusing on Compliance
Misclassification of construction workers as independent contractors and improving labor law compliance in government-funded construction are priorities for the Wage and Hour Division, Administrator Dr. David Weil told a Quality Construction Alliance national issues conference in Washington, D.C., on April 28. "I challenge you to be creative and to work with us to build innovative solutions to these issues," said Weil. "We are committed to combating violations, to protect workers and contractors alike. Doing the right thing must not cost law-abiding contractors opportunities when bidding against those skirting the law. That is the principal behind the president's executive order on fair pay and safe workplaces." The QCA is a coalition of specialty construction contracting groups formed to ensure that taxpayer money is respected and spent wisely.
Focusing on Compliance
Misclassification of construction workers as independent contractors and improving labor law compliance in government-funded construction are priorities for the Wage and Hour Division, Administrator Dr. David Weil told a Quality Construction Alliance national issues conference in Washington, D.C., on April 28. "I challenge you to be creative and to work with us to build innovative solutions to these issues," said Weil. "We are committed to combating violations, to protect workers and contractors alike. Doing the right thing must not cost law-abiding contractors opportunities when bidding against those skirting the law. That is the principal behind the president's executive order on fair pay and safe workplaces." The QCA is a coalition of specialty construction contracting groups formed to ensure that taxpayer money is respected and spent wisely.
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AT WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY IN NAIROBI, KENYA
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at Wreath-Laying Ceremony
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
August 7 Memorial Park
Nairobi, Kenya
May 4, 2015
Rukia, thank you very, very much, not just for the welcome and my introduction and your words, but thank you for your amazing example, for your extraordinary courage, and thank you for still being part of this great family. We really appreciate it. Everybody here has such respect for your journey personally, and we’re grateful to you. Thank you.
Ambassador Godec, Mr. Kiragu, Ms. Selebwa, friends, members of the State Department and the embassy staff here, and those of you who were here on that terrible day in 1998 or who lost loved ones who were here, I am very, very honored to come to this beautiful Memorial Park and to visit with you in what is really hallowed space. And you have made it so welcoming and so restful and peaceful, which is what it should be.
17 years ago, this space was transformed in a single, terrible moment from a hub of commercial and diplomatic business into a site of sheer anguish and horror. Some of you were there, as I mentioned, and suffered severe harm or saw family members or colleagues die. It’s with deep respect and sadness that I lay a wreath dedicated to the many Kenyans and Americans who perished or were injured or who lost loved ones on that day.
Let me be clear: The terrorists who struck on August 7th, 1998 failed utterly in their purpose, which was to implant fear in the hearts of the Kenyan people and to divide America from the citizens of this country. They failed for the same reason that terrorists will always fail. Yes, they can reduce a building to rubble; and yes, they can even deprive innocent people of their lives. But they do not give anyone anything of what really makes life worthwhile: a sense of community, of looking out for one another, of creating something valuable and new, of living in dignity and honor. Without a doubt, those who delight in the suffering and death of others have actually already lost everything that makes life worth living for.
My friends, we know that the struggle in which we are all engaged now is not going to be over soon. Nearly two years ago at Westgate Mall, five weeks ago at Garissa University – the college – and at other times in smaller yet equally vile attacks, terrorists have brought more tragedy to families here in Kenya. So as Rukia said, words are not sufficient to express our sorrow, our outrage, or our wish that we could somehow reverse time and bring all of the victims back. But we do not have that power. We do, however, have the power to fight back, not only with our military and law enforcement, but also through something that may even be more powerful and that may make a bigger difference in the end, and that is our unity and the character of our ideals. Unlike some, we do not define ourselves in terms of hate. We are builders. We are teachers. We are dreamers. We are doers. And we can see proof that in Rukia Ali, who suffered and grieved with others, both American and Kenyan, who worked at the embassy in 1998; we can see it by giving and receiving strength from her colleagues – and look, she has continued to serve. That tells the whole story, marking this year the conclusion of 25 years of a career.
And we see proof of character in the example of Joash Okindo. You all know the story – I just learned it recently – of how this man stood at the doorway when the terrorists were trying to come in and pretended that he didn’t have his keys because he was frantically calling for help, but people didn’t know he was serious. But by keeping those terrorists from getting inside, they had to detonate their bomb outside the protective fence. And just imagine what would’ve happened if Joash had not kept his head and kept his cool. Make no mistake: There is more strength by far in the respect and solidarity that we feel towards one another than there could ever be in any terrorist attack.
So let us agree the only place for al-Qaida, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Daesh, and others like them is in the past. The future does not belong to them. The future belongs to the children who are laughing and playing right now in the streets of Nairobi, of New York, of Kano, of Dar es Salaam, of Mogadishu, of Garissa – children who have the right to grow up with joy in their hearts and the opportunity to build full lives of accomplishment and love, and to build families and a future. It is to them that we must dedicate our own efforts to apprehend and prosecute the guilty, secure borders, strengthen governance, invest in the health and well-being of all people, and unite across every boundary of race, nation, ethnicity, and creed to defeat terror and to enrich life.
That is our obligation, and all you have to do is read the words there: “May the innocent victims of this tragic event rest in the knowledge that it has strengthened our resolve to work for a world in which man is able to live alongside his brother in peace.” That’s our mission, and I’m proud to be here to work on it and to join in it with all of you. Thank you and God bless. Thank you. (Applause.)
Remarks at Wreath-Laying Ceremony
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
August 7 Memorial Park
Nairobi, Kenya
May 4, 2015
Rukia, thank you very, very much, not just for the welcome and my introduction and your words, but thank you for your amazing example, for your extraordinary courage, and thank you for still being part of this great family. We really appreciate it. Everybody here has such respect for your journey personally, and we’re grateful to you. Thank you.
Ambassador Godec, Mr. Kiragu, Ms. Selebwa, friends, members of the State Department and the embassy staff here, and those of you who were here on that terrible day in 1998 or who lost loved ones who were here, I am very, very honored to come to this beautiful Memorial Park and to visit with you in what is really hallowed space. And you have made it so welcoming and so restful and peaceful, which is what it should be.
17 years ago, this space was transformed in a single, terrible moment from a hub of commercial and diplomatic business into a site of sheer anguish and horror. Some of you were there, as I mentioned, and suffered severe harm or saw family members or colleagues die. It’s with deep respect and sadness that I lay a wreath dedicated to the many Kenyans and Americans who perished or were injured or who lost loved ones on that day.
Let me be clear: The terrorists who struck on August 7th, 1998 failed utterly in their purpose, which was to implant fear in the hearts of the Kenyan people and to divide America from the citizens of this country. They failed for the same reason that terrorists will always fail. Yes, they can reduce a building to rubble; and yes, they can even deprive innocent people of their lives. But they do not give anyone anything of what really makes life worthwhile: a sense of community, of looking out for one another, of creating something valuable and new, of living in dignity and honor. Without a doubt, those who delight in the suffering and death of others have actually already lost everything that makes life worth living for.
My friends, we know that the struggle in which we are all engaged now is not going to be over soon. Nearly two years ago at Westgate Mall, five weeks ago at Garissa University – the college – and at other times in smaller yet equally vile attacks, terrorists have brought more tragedy to families here in Kenya. So as Rukia said, words are not sufficient to express our sorrow, our outrage, or our wish that we could somehow reverse time and bring all of the victims back. But we do not have that power. We do, however, have the power to fight back, not only with our military and law enforcement, but also through something that may even be more powerful and that may make a bigger difference in the end, and that is our unity and the character of our ideals. Unlike some, we do not define ourselves in terms of hate. We are builders. We are teachers. We are dreamers. We are doers. And we can see proof that in Rukia Ali, who suffered and grieved with others, both American and Kenyan, who worked at the embassy in 1998; we can see it by giving and receiving strength from her colleagues – and look, she has continued to serve. That tells the whole story, marking this year the conclusion of 25 years of a career.
And we see proof of character in the example of Joash Okindo. You all know the story – I just learned it recently – of how this man stood at the doorway when the terrorists were trying to come in and pretended that he didn’t have his keys because he was frantically calling for help, but people didn’t know he was serious. But by keeping those terrorists from getting inside, they had to detonate their bomb outside the protective fence. And just imagine what would’ve happened if Joash had not kept his head and kept his cool. Make no mistake: There is more strength by far in the respect and solidarity that we feel towards one another than there could ever be in any terrorist attack.
So let us agree the only place for al-Qaida, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Daesh, and others like them is in the past. The future does not belong to them. The future belongs to the children who are laughing and playing right now in the streets of Nairobi, of New York, of Kano, of Dar es Salaam, of Mogadishu, of Garissa – children who have the right to grow up with joy in their hearts and the opportunity to build full lives of accomplishment and love, and to build families and a future. It is to them that we must dedicate our own efforts to apprehend and prosecute the guilty, secure borders, strengthen governance, invest in the health and well-being of all people, and unite across every boundary of race, nation, ethnicity, and creed to defeat terror and to enrich life.
That is our obligation, and all you have to do is read the words there: “May the innocent victims of this tragic event rest in the knowledge that it has strengthened our resolve to work for a world in which man is able to live alongside his brother in peace.” That’s our mission, and I’m proud to be here to work on it and to join in it with all of you. Thank you and God bless. Thank you. (Applause.)
TOM MALINOWSKI MAKES REMARKS ON THE 25 YEARS SINCE MONGOLIAN REVOLUTION
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: Democracy and Free Speech: The Mongolian Experience at Twenty-Five Years
05/04/2015 12:22 PM EDT
Democracy and Free Speech: The Mongolian Experience at Twenty-Five Years
Remarks
Tom Malinowski
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Freedom Online Conference
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
May 3, 2015
I’m delighted to be here with you to celebrate the 2015 World Press Freedom Day. Every year at this time we reflect on the state of press freedom around the world and honor the sacrifices made by journalists who have lost their lives or been threatened or imprisoned for doing their job, for discovering and telling the truth.
So, as we thank journalists for their work, we also call on governments to recognize the universal human right to free expression both online and offline.
A free press keeps people informed and holds government accountable, and the fact is that we can’t govern honestly without it. This is as true today as it has ever been in the past. Now, it’s true that much has changed in our global media environment. In many developed democracies, there are fewer daily newspapers. More and more people get their information from social media. But whenever I hear about a journalist who is attacked or threatened or censored somewhere in the world, it reminds me just how important journalism is – if it wasn’t important, as a means of giving power to ordinary citizens and curbing the power of governments, no one would go to the trouble of trying to restrain it. In this sense, the death of journalists on the job is proof that the death of journalism – something people in my country ocassionally talk about – is a myth.
It is also, of course, a call to action for all countries committed to human rights. At the State Department last week, we launched our annual Free the Press campaign, in which we highlight cases of individual reporters who have been wrongly imprisoned in countries around the world. One of them is Gao Yu, a 71-year-old Chinese journalist; she was arrested last year, coerced into making a televised confession, and sentenced to seven years in jail. In Syria, Mazen Darwish remains imprisoned by the Asad regime for trying to expose the regime’s brutal atrocities. In Vietnam, Ta Phong Tan continues to serve a 10-year sentence for unmasking government corruption. In Ethiopia, Reeyot Alemu, was arrested for writing an article critical of the Ethiopian government, and remains in prison under terrorism charges.
On Friday, we also invited three journalists who have been censored or detained in their own countries, Russia, Ethiopia and Vietnam, to come to the White House and interview President Obama—because we thought that the best reward you can give to a journalist isn’t praise, it’s an exclusive interview with the President of the United States. When governments go after journalists, this is how the U.S. responds.
We’ve included more details about these brave journalists on www.HumanRights.gov. And we tweeted about these cases using the hashtag #FreethePress. I encourage all of you to share their stories with your community, be that through retweeting, drafting articles or blogs, or if you must, revert to that old-fashioned mode of communication—simply tell your family and friends.
I know that many of you in this room experienced the transition from living in a political system in which freedom of expression was not protected to living in a system that guarantees your power to speak and write according to the dictates of your conscience. Arguably more than many of us in the United States and Europe, you know how important these freedoms are.
It’s been twenty-five years now since Mongolia held a remarkable, peaceful democratic revolution. In an era that saw so much violence and upheaval, Mongolia provided an example of a swift and nonviolent transition to a government that seeks to listen to its people in order to, as we often say in America, form a more perfect union. As the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, I wish there were more “Mongolias” in the world.
Mongolia has not rested on this significant achievement either. It has used the last 25 years to enact reforms protecting human rights and expanding social and economic opportunities for its citizens. Though there is still much difficult work to be done, the government has been doing what governments are supposed to do: removing restrictions on people to let them live lives of their own choosing according to their abilities.
Mongolia has also been recognized as one of the countries leading East Asia to a more democratic and free future. It is an active participant in important multilateral institutions, including the Community of Democracies and the Freedom Online Coalition. It recently chaired the Security Forum of the OSCE, it has been a strong partner of NATO and contributes above and beyond its size to UN Peacekeeping efforts in order to promote peace and security worldwide. We are grateful for Mongolia’s participation in those organizations to promote respect for democracy and human rights in the region.
I’d like to share with you a quote from a speech by President Elbegdorj [pron: EL-beg-dorj] before the Community of Democracies in 2013: “Mongolia stands ready to share her democratic lessons, achievements and success. We stand open to discuss our mistakes, the ways to correct them and to be studied by others. We are ready for action and engagement. Look at us as a center of democracy education, a life model for challenges and opportunities of freedom.”
It is important for countries that believe in these issues and share these values to band together. And Mongolia’s voice is particularly resonant. You are a democracy wedged between two countries with troubling human rights records and a history of censorship and suppression. You are the first country in Asia to participate in the Freedom Online Coalition. You may be smaller than your neighbors to the north and south, but your willingness to lead on these issues, to stick out your neck, makes Mongolia distinctive in the region. It increases Mongolia’s voice in the world.
And this, by the way, is good for you, too. It’s good for Mongolia’s future. You are more likely to attract foreign investment if you have a reputation as a stable country that respects the rule of law. Russia may have resources, strength, a sizable market, but its democratic failings have been felt in a powerful way. A smaller country with similar problems of corruption and abuse of power is simply not going to be able to compete. Your comparative advantage is your reputation.
Now, many factors have played a role in the success of Mongolia’s democracy, but there’s no doubt in my mind that a free media has been front and center. You’ve also faced a question every young democracy must answer, when it suddenly finds itself with dozens of new publications and TV and radio channels operating with few rules or traditions to guide their actions: how do you protect media freedom while encouraging media responsibility? This is a hard question. I would just leave you with this advice: Every country has good journalism and bad journalism. Every country has truth and falsehood in its media. But the government should not be the one deciding the difference. And the answer to bad journalism is not to put journalists in prison, even if we think a particular story they’ve published is untrue. Because when governments have the power to do that, they tend to use it against journalists who criticize them – against journalists who are just doing their job. A far better answer is to encourage the media to adopt high standards of its own, and to police them through strong mechanisms of self-regulation.
In your 25th year of democracy, the United States is eager to help you think through these challenges and build on your achievements thus far. We thank you for your commitment to democratic freedoms and for your leadership. You’ve set a powerful example not just in Asia but around the world, and I am certainly not alone in recognizing the value of our partnership. I would like to echo Vice-President Biden’s comments when he visited your country in 2011, which still ring true. He said we are “very proud to be considered a ‘third neighbor.’ And, like any good neighbor should, we’ll continue to do our part to support Mongolia’s political and economic development.”
On our panel today, we have Ms. Narajargal (Director of Globe International, NGO devoted to press freedom), MP Temuujin (former Minister of Justice), MP Batchimeg (human rights activist), Mr. Galaid (Director, Confederation of Mongolian Journalists), and Mr. Jargalsaikhan (famous Mongolian political and economic journalist). Thank you for joining us today and sharing your expertise as we examine the relationship between democracy and free speech in Mongolia.
Now I’m going to turn the floor over to the excellent panel assembled here today to discuss some of these issues. Please join me in welcoming them.
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: Democracy and Free Speech: The Mongolian Experience at Twenty-Five Years
05/04/2015 12:22 PM EDT
Democracy and Free Speech: The Mongolian Experience at Twenty-Five Years
Remarks
Tom Malinowski
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Freedom Online Conference
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
May 3, 2015
I’m delighted to be here with you to celebrate the 2015 World Press Freedom Day. Every year at this time we reflect on the state of press freedom around the world and honor the sacrifices made by journalists who have lost their lives or been threatened or imprisoned for doing their job, for discovering and telling the truth.
So, as we thank journalists for their work, we also call on governments to recognize the universal human right to free expression both online and offline.
A free press keeps people informed and holds government accountable, and the fact is that we can’t govern honestly without it. This is as true today as it has ever been in the past. Now, it’s true that much has changed in our global media environment. In many developed democracies, there are fewer daily newspapers. More and more people get their information from social media. But whenever I hear about a journalist who is attacked or threatened or censored somewhere in the world, it reminds me just how important journalism is – if it wasn’t important, as a means of giving power to ordinary citizens and curbing the power of governments, no one would go to the trouble of trying to restrain it. In this sense, the death of journalists on the job is proof that the death of journalism – something people in my country ocassionally talk about – is a myth.
It is also, of course, a call to action for all countries committed to human rights. At the State Department last week, we launched our annual Free the Press campaign, in which we highlight cases of individual reporters who have been wrongly imprisoned in countries around the world. One of them is Gao Yu, a 71-year-old Chinese journalist; she was arrested last year, coerced into making a televised confession, and sentenced to seven years in jail. In Syria, Mazen Darwish remains imprisoned by the Asad regime for trying to expose the regime’s brutal atrocities. In Vietnam, Ta Phong Tan continues to serve a 10-year sentence for unmasking government corruption. In Ethiopia, Reeyot Alemu, was arrested for writing an article critical of the Ethiopian government, and remains in prison under terrorism charges.
On Friday, we also invited three journalists who have been censored or detained in their own countries, Russia, Ethiopia and Vietnam, to come to the White House and interview President Obama—because we thought that the best reward you can give to a journalist isn’t praise, it’s an exclusive interview with the President of the United States. When governments go after journalists, this is how the U.S. responds.
We’ve included more details about these brave journalists on www.HumanRights.gov. And we tweeted about these cases using the hashtag #FreethePress. I encourage all of you to share their stories with your community, be that through retweeting, drafting articles or blogs, or if you must, revert to that old-fashioned mode of communication—simply tell your family and friends.
I know that many of you in this room experienced the transition from living in a political system in which freedom of expression was not protected to living in a system that guarantees your power to speak and write according to the dictates of your conscience. Arguably more than many of us in the United States and Europe, you know how important these freedoms are.
It’s been twenty-five years now since Mongolia held a remarkable, peaceful democratic revolution. In an era that saw so much violence and upheaval, Mongolia provided an example of a swift and nonviolent transition to a government that seeks to listen to its people in order to, as we often say in America, form a more perfect union. As the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, I wish there were more “Mongolias” in the world.
Mongolia has not rested on this significant achievement either. It has used the last 25 years to enact reforms protecting human rights and expanding social and economic opportunities for its citizens. Though there is still much difficult work to be done, the government has been doing what governments are supposed to do: removing restrictions on people to let them live lives of their own choosing according to their abilities.
Mongolia has also been recognized as one of the countries leading East Asia to a more democratic and free future. It is an active participant in important multilateral institutions, including the Community of Democracies and the Freedom Online Coalition. It recently chaired the Security Forum of the OSCE, it has been a strong partner of NATO and contributes above and beyond its size to UN Peacekeeping efforts in order to promote peace and security worldwide. We are grateful for Mongolia’s participation in those organizations to promote respect for democracy and human rights in the region.
I’d like to share with you a quote from a speech by President Elbegdorj [pron: EL-beg-dorj] before the Community of Democracies in 2013: “Mongolia stands ready to share her democratic lessons, achievements and success. We stand open to discuss our mistakes, the ways to correct them and to be studied by others. We are ready for action and engagement. Look at us as a center of democracy education, a life model for challenges and opportunities of freedom.”
It is important for countries that believe in these issues and share these values to band together. And Mongolia’s voice is particularly resonant. You are a democracy wedged between two countries with troubling human rights records and a history of censorship and suppression. You are the first country in Asia to participate in the Freedom Online Coalition. You may be smaller than your neighbors to the north and south, but your willingness to lead on these issues, to stick out your neck, makes Mongolia distinctive in the region. It increases Mongolia’s voice in the world.
And this, by the way, is good for you, too. It’s good for Mongolia’s future. You are more likely to attract foreign investment if you have a reputation as a stable country that respects the rule of law. Russia may have resources, strength, a sizable market, but its democratic failings have been felt in a powerful way. A smaller country with similar problems of corruption and abuse of power is simply not going to be able to compete. Your comparative advantage is your reputation.
Now, many factors have played a role in the success of Mongolia’s democracy, but there’s no doubt in my mind that a free media has been front and center. You’ve also faced a question every young democracy must answer, when it suddenly finds itself with dozens of new publications and TV and radio channels operating with few rules or traditions to guide their actions: how do you protect media freedom while encouraging media responsibility? This is a hard question. I would just leave you with this advice: Every country has good journalism and bad journalism. Every country has truth and falsehood in its media. But the government should not be the one deciding the difference. And the answer to bad journalism is not to put journalists in prison, even if we think a particular story they’ve published is untrue. Because when governments have the power to do that, they tend to use it against journalists who criticize them – against journalists who are just doing their job. A far better answer is to encourage the media to adopt high standards of its own, and to police them through strong mechanisms of self-regulation.
In your 25th year of democracy, the United States is eager to help you think through these challenges and build on your achievements thus far. We thank you for your commitment to democratic freedoms and for your leadership. You’ve set a powerful example not just in Asia but around the world, and I am certainly not alone in recognizing the value of our partnership. I would like to echo Vice-President Biden’s comments when he visited your country in 2011, which still ring true. He said we are “very proud to be considered a ‘third neighbor.’ And, like any good neighbor should, we’ll continue to do our part to support Mongolia’s political and economic development.”
On our panel today, we have Ms. Narajargal (Director of Globe International, NGO devoted to press freedom), MP Temuujin (former Minister of Justice), MP Batchimeg (human rights activist), Mr. Galaid (Director, Confederation of Mongolian Journalists), and Mr. Jargalsaikhan (famous Mongolian political and economic journalist). Thank you for joining us today and sharing your expertise as we examine the relationship between democracy and free speech in Mongolia.
Now I’m going to turn the floor over to the excellent panel assembled here today to discuss some of these issues. Please join me in welcoming them.
FTC OBTAINS COURT ORDER HALTING MARKETING OF WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS BY SALES SLASH
FROM: U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Halts Deceptive Marketing of Bogus Weight-Loss Products
Sale Slash Charged With Using “Fake News” Websites, False Weight-Loss Claims, Phony Celebrity Endorsements, and Spam Email to Sell Their Unproven Dietary Supplements
The Federal Trade Commission has obtained a court order temporarily halting a Glendale, California, operation that allegedly used millions of illegal spam emails, along with false weight-loss claims and fake, unauthorized endorsements from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, to market its unproven diet pills.
The court order halts the defendants’ illegal conduct, freezes their assets, and appoints a temporary receiver over the corporate defendants. The Commission ultimately is seeking to recover money from the defendants that would be used to provide refunds to consumers who bought the defendants’ diet pills.
The FTC’s complaint charges that the defendants behind Sale Slash violated the FTC Act and the CAN-SPAM Act. According to the complaint, the defendants used affiliate marketers to send illegal spam emails and post banner ads online that led consumers to fake news sites designed to appear as if an independent consumer reporter, rather than a paid advertiser, had reviewed and endorsed the products. The complaint alleges that these fake news sites made false weight-loss claims and used phony celebrity endorsements to promote the defendants’ diet pills.
“Sale Slash is a fraud trifecta,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The company made outlandish weight-loss claims for its diet pills using fake news sites, phony celebrity endorsements, and millions of unwanted spam emails.”
Since 2012, the defendants allegedly have marketed and sold a variety of products nationwide, including supposed weight-loss supplements such as Premium Green Coffee, Pure Garcinia Cambogia, Premium White Kidney Bean Extract, Pure Forskolin Extract, and Pure Caralluma Fimbriata Extract.
According to the complaint, the defendants’ affiliates used stolen email user accounts to blast the users’ contacts with spam containing brief messages like: “Breaking news…,” and “Hi! Oprah says it’s excellent,” followed by hyperlinks. Because the messages were sent to the “contacts” of hacked accounts, they appeared to be coming from a friend or family member instead of defendants’ affiliates. The spam often contained no information about how consumers could opt out of getting future emails. Sale Slash’s affiliate marketers also placed banner ads making claims like, “1 Tip for a tiny belly,” “Cut down on a bit of your belly every day following this 1 old weird tip,” and “Garcinia Cambogia Exposed – Miracle Diet or Scam?”
Sale Slash paid its affiliate marketers a commission whenever consumers clicked through from a fake news website to one of the defendants’ sites and bought their supplements, according to the complaint.
The defendants named in the case include: Sale Slash, LLC; Purists Choice, LLC; Artur Babayan, individually and as an owner and manager of the two companies; and Vahe Haroutounian, individually and doing business as Prisma Profits.
FTC Halts Deceptive Marketing of Bogus Weight-Loss Products
Sale Slash Charged With Using “Fake News” Websites, False Weight-Loss Claims, Phony Celebrity Endorsements, and Spam Email to Sell Their Unproven Dietary Supplements
The Federal Trade Commission has obtained a court order temporarily halting a Glendale, California, operation that allegedly used millions of illegal spam emails, along with false weight-loss claims and fake, unauthorized endorsements from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, to market its unproven diet pills.
The court order halts the defendants’ illegal conduct, freezes their assets, and appoints a temporary receiver over the corporate defendants. The Commission ultimately is seeking to recover money from the defendants that would be used to provide refunds to consumers who bought the defendants’ diet pills.
The FTC’s complaint charges that the defendants behind Sale Slash violated the FTC Act and the CAN-SPAM Act. According to the complaint, the defendants used affiliate marketers to send illegal spam emails and post banner ads online that led consumers to fake news sites designed to appear as if an independent consumer reporter, rather than a paid advertiser, had reviewed and endorsed the products. The complaint alleges that these fake news sites made false weight-loss claims and used phony celebrity endorsements to promote the defendants’ diet pills.
“Sale Slash is a fraud trifecta,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The company made outlandish weight-loss claims for its diet pills using fake news sites, phony celebrity endorsements, and millions of unwanted spam emails.”
Since 2012, the defendants allegedly have marketed and sold a variety of products nationwide, including supposed weight-loss supplements such as Premium Green Coffee, Pure Garcinia Cambogia, Premium White Kidney Bean Extract, Pure Forskolin Extract, and Pure Caralluma Fimbriata Extract.
According to the complaint, the defendants’ affiliates used stolen email user accounts to blast the users’ contacts with spam containing brief messages like: “Breaking news…,” and “Hi! Oprah says it’s excellent,” followed by hyperlinks. Because the messages were sent to the “contacts” of hacked accounts, they appeared to be coming from a friend or family member instead of defendants’ affiliates. The spam often contained no information about how consumers could opt out of getting future emails. Sale Slash’s affiliate marketers also placed banner ads making claims like, “1 Tip for a tiny belly,” “Cut down on a bit of your belly every day following this 1 old weird tip,” and “Garcinia Cambogia Exposed – Miracle Diet or Scam?”
Sale Slash paid its affiliate marketers a commission whenever consumers clicked through from a fake news website to one of the defendants’ sites and bought their supplements, according to the complaint.
The defendants named in the case include: Sale Slash, LLC; Purists Choice, LLC; Artur Babayan, individually and as an owner and manager of the two companies; and Vahe Haroutounian, individually and doing business as Prisma Profits.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS AT GENERAL DUNFORD'S NOMINATION TO BE CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
May 05, 2015
Remarks by the President at Nomination of General Joe Dunford as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and General Paul Selva as Vice Chairman
Rose Garden
*Please see below for a correction, marked with an asterisk.
11:57 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. As Americans, we are blessed with the strongest military the world has ever known. Yes, our system of equipment and technology, our logistical capacity is unmatched. But what makes us the best, the reason no other nation can do what we do, is our people -- patriotic men and women across our country who step forward, raise their hand and take an oath to defend our nation. It’s our men and women in uniform -- and their leaders -- who make our armed forces the very best.
Among our military leaders, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military advisor to me and my national security team -- including Vice President Biden; my National Security Advisor, Susan Rice; and our Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter.
In recent years, I have been deeply grateful for the service of our Chairman, General Marty Dempsey, and our Vice Chairman, Admiral Sandy Winnefeld. Marty and Sandy will complete their terms later this year. I'll have a chance to say nice things about them later. I can tell you that they have been outstanding, and I could not have asked for a better team. But today, I’m proud to announce my nominee to be the next Chairman, General Joe Dunford, and the next Vice Chairman, General Paul Selva.
Again, I want to thank General Dempsey and Admiral Winnefeld for being here today. Marty and Sandy, we are extraordinarily grateful for all that you’ve done. And we'll have an opportunity to pay tribute to you in the months ahead. I’ve relied on you both -- your advice, your counsel, your judgment -- as we’ve navigated the urgent challenges of recent years, from ending our combat mission in Afghanistan to leading the international coalition to destroy ISIL; conducting humanitarian operations from typhoon relief in the Philippines to fighting Ebola in West Africa; and strengthening our security alliances from Europe to Asia. At every step, you have been critical to our processes, and I have valued not only your counsel but your friendships.
At the same time, Marty and Sandy have helped to guide our forces through difficult fiscal times -- especially sequestration. They’ve stayed focused on readiness, and training and modernization. Today there are also more opportunities for women in our armed forces. We’re tackling the outrage of sexual assault, which has no place in our ranks. We’ve made progress in large part because leaders like Marty and Sandy have made sure we’re recruiting and training, and equipping and retaining the best fighting force on the planet. I look forward to honoring Marty and Sandy and thanking them more fully for their extraordinary contributions to our nation.
There are other things we’re going to miss. We’re going to miss Marty’s incomparable singing voice. (Laughter.) He will not be singing today. But I’m going to put my request in early for a final number at your farewell. But on behalf of myself, our entire national security team and our armed forces, thank you. And to Deannie and to Mary, we are grateful for your families’ service. (Applause.)
My choice for the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Joe Dunford, is one of the most admired officers in our military. A native of Boston, Joe is the very definition of “Boston Strong.” The son of a retired Boston police officer and Marine veteran of Korea, Joe followed in his father’s footsteps and has distinguished himself through nearly 40 years of military service. He’s commanded Marines in the field, from the platoon level to a Marine Expeditionary Force. During the invasion of Iraq, he led Marines in the charge to Baghdad.
Given his combat experience, I was proud to nominate Joe as the Commander of American and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. I’ve had a chance to work with him. I have been extraordinarily impressed by Joe -- from the Situation Room, where he helped to shape our enduring commitment to Afghanistan, to my visit last year to Bagram, where I saw his leadership firsthand.
I know Joe. I trust him. He’s already proven his ability to give me his unvarnished military advice based on his experience on the ground. Under his steady hand, we’ve achieved key milestones, including the transition to Afghan responsibility for security, historic Afghan elections, and the drawdown of U.S. forces -- setting the stage for our combat mission there.
So Joe is a proven leader of our joint force, including our troops in Afghanistan, who he served Christmas dinner to. He’s one of our military’s most highly regarded strategic thinkers. He’s known and respected by our allies, by members of Congress -- on both sides of the aisle -- and by colleagues across our government. He’s also tireless. His staff has been known to carry around a voice recorder to keep up with his commands and new ideas.
He just began his service as Commandant of his beloved Marine Corps. So, Joe, I appreciate your willingness to take on this new assignment. I think the only downside in my book is, as a White Sox fan, there is yet another Red Sox fan who I'm going to have to be dealing with. (Laughter.) And I want to thank you and your wife, Ellyn, for your continued service.
In General Paul Selva, we have a Vice Chairman with 35 years of military service -- as both a pilot and a commander. As leader of Air Mobility Command, he earned a reputation as a force for change and innovation. I understand that when it was time to deliver the final C-17 to the Air Force, Paul went to the cockpit and helped fly it himself. As head of Transportation Command, he’s been committed to the partnerships that are a core principle of our national security strategy, whether it’s supplying our joint force around the world, in operations large and small, to supporting and keeping safe our diplomats and embassy personnel overseas.
Paul also served as Secretary of State Clinton’s military advisor for the first years of my presidency, so he grasps the strategic environment in which our forces operate. He understands that our military, as powerful as it is, is one tool that must be used in concert with all the elements of our national power.
I should note that, as a graduate of the Air Force Academy, Paul is especially grateful to the Academy because it’s there that he met his wife, Ricki, who also served in the Air Force. And, Paul and Ricki, thank you both for taking on this next chapter of your service together.
Joe, Paul -- we continue to call on our armed forces to meet a range of challenges. We have to keep training Afghan forces and remain relentless against al Qaeda. We have to push back against ISIL and strengthen forces in *Syria [Iraq], and build moderate opposition in Syria. We have to stand united with our allies in Europe and keep rebalancing our posture as a Pacific power. We have to keep investing in new capabilities to meet growing threats, including cyber-attacks.
So, as Commander-in-Chief, I’ll be looking to you for your honest military advice as we meet these challenges. As we do, we’re also going to keep working with Congress on a more responsible approach to defense spending, including reforms in the department so we can preserve the readiness of our all-volunteer force, keep faith with our troops and our military families, and care for our wounded warriors. This is work we have to do together, as a nation.
Again, to Joe, to Paul, to your families, on behalf of the American people, thank you for your continued service to our nation. I urge our friends in the Senate -- and I know I won’t have a problem with Jack Reed, who’s sitting right here -- to confirm these remarkable leaders without delay so we can stay focused on the work that unites us all as Americans -- keeping our military strong, our nation secure, our citizens safe.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END
12:07 P.M. EDT
May 05, 2015
Remarks by the President at Nomination of General Joe Dunford as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and General Paul Selva as Vice Chairman
Rose Garden
*Please see below for a correction, marked with an asterisk.
11:57 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. As Americans, we are blessed with the strongest military the world has ever known. Yes, our system of equipment and technology, our logistical capacity is unmatched. But what makes us the best, the reason no other nation can do what we do, is our people -- patriotic men and women across our country who step forward, raise their hand and take an oath to defend our nation. It’s our men and women in uniform -- and their leaders -- who make our armed forces the very best.
Among our military leaders, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military advisor to me and my national security team -- including Vice President Biden; my National Security Advisor, Susan Rice; and our Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter.
In recent years, I have been deeply grateful for the service of our Chairman, General Marty Dempsey, and our Vice Chairman, Admiral Sandy Winnefeld. Marty and Sandy will complete their terms later this year. I'll have a chance to say nice things about them later. I can tell you that they have been outstanding, and I could not have asked for a better team. But today, I’m proud to announce my nominee to be the next Chairman, General Joe Dunford, and the next Vice Chairman, General Paul Selva.
Again, I want to thank General Dempsey and Admiral Winnefeld for being here today. Marty and Sandy, we are extraordinarily grateful for all that you’ve done. And we'll have an opportunity to pay tribute to you in the months ahead. I’ve relied on you both -- your advice, your counsel, your judgment -- as we’ve navigated the urgent challenges of recent years, from ending our combat mission in Afghanistan to leading the international coalition to destroy ISIL; conducting humanitarian operations from typhoon relief in the Philippines to fighting Ebola in West Africa; and strengthening our security alliances from Europe to Asia. At every step, you have been critical to our processes, and I have valued not only your counsel but your friendships.
At the same time, Marty and Sandy have helped to guide our forces through difficult fiscal times -- especially sequestration. They’ve stayed focused on readiness, and training and modernization. Today there are also more opportunities for women in our armed forces. We’re tackling the outrage of sexual assault, which has no place in our ranks. We’ve made progress in large part because leaders like Marty and Sandy have made sure we’re recruiting and training, and equipping and retaining the best fighting force on the planet. I look forward to honoring Marty and Sandy and thanking them more fully for their extraordinary contributions to our nation.
There are other things we’re going to miss. We’re going to miss Marty’s incomparable singing voice. (Laughter.) He will not be singing today. But I’m going to put my request in early for a final number at your farewell. But on behalf of myself, our entire national security team and our armed forces, thank you. And to Deannie and to Mary, we are grateful for your families’ service. (Applause.)
My choice for the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Joe Dunford, is one of the most admired officers in our military. A native of Boston, Joe is the very definition of “Boston Strong.” The son of a retired Boston police officer and Marine veteran of Korea, Joe followed in his father’s footsteps and has distinguished himself through nearly 40 years of military service. He’s commanded Marines in the field, from the platoon level to a Marine Expeditionary Force. During the invasion of Iraq, he led Marines in the charge to Baghdad.
Given his combat experience, I was proud to nominate Joe as the Commander of American and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. I’ve had a chance to work with him. I have been extraordinarily impressed by Joe -- from the Situation Room, where he helped to shape our enduring commitment to Afghanistan, to my visit last year to Bagram, where I saw his leadership firsthand.
I know Joe. I trust him. He’s already proven his ability to give me his unvarnished military advice based on his experience on the ground. Under his steady hand, we’ve achieved key milestones, including the transition to Afghan responsibility for security, historic Afghan elections, and the drawdown of U.S. forces -- setting the stage for our combat mission there.
So Joe is a proven leader of our joint force, including our troops in Afghanistan, who he served Christmas dinner to. He’s one of our military’s most highly regarded strategic thinkers. He’s known and respected by our allies, by members of Congress -- on both sides of the aisle -- and by colleagues across our government. He’s also tireless. His staff has been known to carry around a voice recorder to keep up with his commands and new ideas.
He just began his service as Commandant of his beloved Marine Corps. So, Joe, I appreciate your willingness to take on this new assignment. I think the only downside in my book is, as a White Sox fan, there is yet another Red Sox fan who I'm going to have to be dealing with. (Laughter.) And I want to thank you and your wife, Ellyn, for your continued service.
In General Paul Selva, we have a Vice Chairman with 35 years of military service -- as both a pilot and a commander. As leader of Air Mobility Command, he earned a reputation as a force for change and innovation. I understand that when it was time to deliver the final C-17 to the Air Force, Paul went to the cockpit and helped fly it himself. As head of Transportation Command, he’s been committed to the partnerships that are a core principle of our national security strategy, whether it’s supplying our joint force around the world, in operations large and small, to supporting and keeping safe our diplomats and embassy personnel overseas.
Paul also served as Secretary of State Clinton’s military advisor for the first years of my presidency, so he grasps the strategic environment in which our forces operate. He understands that our military, as powerful as it is, is one tool that must be used in concert with all the elements of our national power.
I should note that, as a graduate of the Air Force Academy, Paul is especially grateful to the Academy because it’s there that he met his wife, Ricki, who also served in the Air Force. And, Paul and Ricki, thank you both for taking on this next chapter of your service together.
Joe, Paul -- we continue to call on our armed forces to meet a range of challenges. We have to keep training Afghan forces and remain relentless against al Qaeda. We have to push back against ISIL and strengthen forces in *Syria [Iraq], and build moderate opposition in Syria. We have to stand united with our allies in Europe and keep rebalancing our posture as a Pacific power. We have to keep investing in new capabilities to meet growing threats, including cyber-attacks.
So, as Commander-in-Chief, I’ll be looking to you for your honest military advice as we meet these challenges. As we do, we’re also going to keep working with Congress on a more responsible approach to defense spending, including reforms in the department so we can preserve the readiness of our all-volunteer force, keep faith with our troops and our military families, and care for our wounded warriors. This is work we have to do together, as a nation.
Again, to Joe, to Paul, to your families, on behalf of the American people, thank you for your continued service to our nation. I urge our friends in the Senate -- and I know I won’t have a problem with Jack Reed, who’s sitting right here -- to confirm these remarkable leaders without delay so we can stay focused on the work that unites us all as Americans -- keeping our military strong, our nation secure, our citizens safe.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END
12:07 P.M. EDT
SAFEGUARDING CAPE FEAR RIVER BASIN WATER QUALITY (NSF VIDEO INCLUDED)
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Testing the waters: 1,4-Dioxane in North Carolina's Cape Fear River Basin
Environmental engineers play vital role in determining next steps to safeguard drinking water
It was an email from a colleague that tipped off environmental engineer Detlef Knappe of possible 1,4-dioxane contamination in the Cape Fear River Basin, North Carolina's largest watershed and a source of drinking water for communities across the state.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified 1,4-dioxane as a probable human carcinogen. It is an industrial solvent used in the textile and paper industries and a by-product of manufacturing processes involving ethylene oxide, such as the production of certain plastics and surfactants used in laundry detergents and shampoos.
With support from a National Science Foundation (NSF) RAPID grant, Knappe and his team at North Carolina State University (NCSU) have begun to identify 1,4-dioxane sources and how 1,4-dioxane impacts drinking water quality. (RAPID is short for Grants for Rapid Response Research.) Another research goal is to determine whether home filtration devices effectively remove 1, 4-dioxane from tap water and how long those filters will last.
Knappe is also working with managers at water treatment plants and state policymakers in North Carolina to improve testing and treatment standards for 1,4-dioxane. Knappe says so far, the research team has identified three North Carolina communities as key sources of 1,4-dioxane and those communities are now working with the state and NCSU to identify which facilities are the source of the contamination.
He says the team is also evaluating point-of-use devices, such as pitcher and refrigerator filters, and has identified a new adsorbent that is quite effective for 1,4-dioxane removal.
The research in this episode was supported by NSF award #1449768, RAPID; GOALI: Sources of 1,4-Dioxane in the Cape Fear River Watershed of North Carolina and Treatment Options for 1,4-Dioxane Control. GOALI is NSF's Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry program.
Miles O'Brien, Science Nation Correspondent
Ann Kellan, Science Nation Producer
U.S. AIRCRAFT LANDED IN NEPAL TO HELP AFTER 7.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE
Right: U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 3. The Marines also brought a UH-1Y Huey, tools and equipment in response to the Nepalese government’s request for assistance after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake April 25. The aircraft are with Marine Medium Tiltotor Squadron 262, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mandaline Hatch.
U.S. Aircraft Land in Nepal to Assist Earthquake Recovery
By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, May 4, 2015 – U.S. military aircraft landed in Kathmandu, Nepal, yesterday to assist in recovery efforts following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck there April 25, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.
The Defense Department’s primary contribution to the recovery work involves rotary-wing assets, Warren said.
Five U.S. Marine Corps aircraft -- a UH-1Y Huey helicopter and four MV-22 Ospreys, began arriving in Nepal yesterday morning, he said.
“These aircraft will help emergency responders access [Nepal’s] remote areas, which are home to the earthquake’s poorest and most vulnerable [people],” Warren said.
DoD Authorizes $10 Million
Defense Secretary Ash Carter authorized $10 million in Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster and Civic Assistance Funding in support of the operation, he added.
About 121 U.S. service members are on the ground to assist in recovery efforts in Nepal, Warren said, adding that Joint Task Force 505 was established May 1 to organize military personnel operations.
“The joint task force consists of a forward element in Nepal, a logistics support group in Utapao, Thailand, which is assisting with aircraft throughput and additional support [is coming from] Okinawa, Japan,” he said.
Assessing Damage
DoD aircraft have also partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s disaster assistance response team to view and assess areas of Nepal that have been made inaccessible by landslides and debris, Warren said.
“We’re working closely with host nations to minimize the impact of these activities on local populations,” he said.
The earthquake in Nepal has left more than 7,300 people dead and at least 14,000 injured, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TOUTS $384 MILLION SAVINGS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
May 4, 2015
Affordable Care Act payment model saves more than $384 million in two years, meets criteria for first-ever expansion
Pioneer ACO Model advances quality and value in health care
Today, an independent evaluation report released by the Department of Health and Human Services showed that an innovative payment model created as a pilot project by the Affordable Care Act generated substantial savings to Medicare in just two years. Additionally, the independent Office of the Actuary in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has certified that this patient care model is the first to meet the stringent criteria for expansion to a larger population of Medicare beneficiaries.
The independent evaluation report for CMS found that the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model generated over $384 million in savings to Medicare over its first two years – an average of approximately $300 per participating beneficiary per year – while continuing to deliver high-quality patient care. The Actuary’s certification that expansion of Pioneer ACOs would reduce net Medicare spending, coupled with Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell’s determination that expansion would maintain or improve patient care without limiting coverage or benefits, means that HHS will consider ways to scale the Pioneer ACO Model into other Medicare programs.
“This is a crucial milestone in our efforts to build a health care system that delivers better care, spends our health care dollars more wisely, and results in healthier people,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. “The Affordable Care Act gave us powerful new tools to test better ways to improve patient care and keep communities healthier. The Pioneer ACO Model has demonstrated that patients can get high quality and coordinated care at the right time, and we can generate savings for Medicare and the health care system at large.”
The Pioneer ACO Model, one of the first payment models launched by CMS, gives experienced health care organizations accountability for quality and cost outcomes for their Medicare patients. Doctors and hospitals who form Pioneer ACOs can share in savings generated for Medicare if they work to coordinate patient care, keep patients healthy and meet certain quality performance standards, or they may be required to pay a share of any losses generated.
Currently, the Pioneer ACO Model is serving more than 600,000 Medicare beneficiaries. According to today’s report, compared to their counterparts in regular fee-for-service or Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare beneficiaries who are in Pioneer ACOs, on average:
Report more timely care and better communication with their providers.
Use inpatient hospital services less and have fewer tests and procedures.
Have more follow-up visits from their providers after hospital discharge.
Pioneer ACOs are part of the innovative framework established by the Affordable Care Act to move our health care system toward one that rewards doctors based on the quality, not quantity, of care they give patients. HHS earlier this year announced the ambitious goal of tying 30 percent of Medicare payments to quality and value through alternative payment models by 2016 and 50 percent of payments by 2018. More than 3,600 payers, providers, employers, patients, states, consumer groups, consumers and other partners have registered to participate in the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network, which was launched to help the entire health care system reach these goals.
Pioneer ACOs generated Medicare savings of $279.7 million in 2012 and $104.5 million in 2013. To date, actuarial analyses show that ACOs in the Pioneer ACO Model and the Medicare Shared Savings Program have generated over $417 million in total program savings for Medicare. The primary analyses in the evaluation are also reported in an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association today.
“This success demonstrates that CMS can design and test innovative payment and service delivery models that produce better outcomes for the Medicare program and beneficiaries,” added Patrick Conway, MD, the acting principal deputy administrator of CMS. “This gives CMS greater confidence in scaling elements of the model to benefit people across the nation, and we are working to determine the best strategies for embedding the lessons we have already learned from the Pioneer Model into permanent Medicare programs and our nation’s health system.”
May 4, 2015
Affordable Care Act payment model saves more than $384 million in two years, meets criteria for first-ever expansion
Pioneer ACO Model advances quality and value in health care
Today, an independent evaluation report released by the Department of Health and Human Services showed that an innovative payment model created as a pilot project by the Affordable Care Act generated substantial savings to Medicare in just two years. Additionally, the independent Office of the Actuary in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has certified that this patient care model is the first to meet the stringent criteria for expansion to a larger population of Medicare beneficiaries.
The independent evaluation report for CMS found that the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model generated over $384 million in savings to Medicare over its first two years – an average of approximately $300 per participating beneficiary per year – while continuing to deliver high-quality patient care. The Actuary’s certification that expansion of Pioneer ACOs would reduce net Medicare spending, coupled with Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell’s determination that expansion would maintain or improve patient care without limiting coverage or benefits, means that HHS will consider ways to scale the Pioneer ACO Model into other Medicare programs.
“This is a crucial milestone in our efforts to build a health care system that delivers better care, spends our health care dollars more wisely, and results in healthier people,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. “The Affordable Care Act gave us powerful new tools to test better ways to improve patient care and keep communities healthier. The Pioneer ACO Model has demonstrated that patients can get high quality and coordinated care at the right time, and we can generate savings for Medicare and the health care system at large.”
The Pioneer ACO Model, one of the first payment models launched by CMS, gives experienced health care organizations accountability for quality and cost outcomes for their Medicare patients. Doctors and hospitals who form Pioneer ACOs can share in savings generated for Medicare if they work to coordinate patient care, keep patients healthy and meet certain quality performance standards, or they may be required to pay a share of any losses generated.
Currently, the Pioneer ACO Model is serving more than 600,000 Medicare beneficiaries. According to today’s report, compared to their counterparts in regular fee-for-service or Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare beneficiaries who are in Pioneer ACOs, on average:
Report more timely care and better communication with their providers.
Use inpatient hospital services less and have fewer tests and procedures.
Have more follow-up visits from their providers after hospital discharge.
Pioneer ACOs are part of the innovative framework established by the Affordable Care Act to move our health care system toward one that rewards doctors based on the quality, not quantity, of care they give patients. HHS earlier this year announced the ambitious goal of tying 30 percent of Medicare payments to quality and value through alternative payment models by 2016 and 50 percent of payments by 2018. More than 3,600 payers, providers, employers, patients, states, consumer groups, consumers and other partners have registered to participate in the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network, which was launched to help the entire health care system reach these goals.
Pioneer ACOs generated Medicare savings of $279.7 million in 2012 and $104.5 million in 2013. To date, actuarial analyses show that ACOs in the Pioneer ACO Model and the Medicare Shared Savings Program have generated over $417 million in total program savings for Medicare. The primary analyses in the evaluation are also reported in an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association today.
“This success demonstrates that CMS can design and test innovative payment and service delivery models that produce better outcomes for the Medicare program and beneficiaries,” added Patrick Conway, MD, the acting principal deputy administrator of CMS. “This gives CMS greater confidence in scaling elements of the model to benefit people across the nation, and we are working to determine the best strategies for embedding the lessons we have already learned from the Pioneer Model into permanent Medicare programs and our nation’s health system.”
DOD REPORTS OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE AIRSTRIKES CONTINUE
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Iraq
Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Releases
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 4, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of the latest airstrikes in Iraq, 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 Iraq
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 22 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Asad, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying two ISIL excavators.
-- Near Huwayjah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL staging areas.
-- Near Qaim, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Beiji, eight airstrikes struck one large and five small ISIL tactical units, destroying five ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL buildings, an ISIL command and control facility, an ISIL mortar system, and an ISIL vehicle-borne
improvised explosive device.
-- Near Fallujah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Ramadi, an airstrike destroyed four ISIL caches.
-- Near Sinjar, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying three ISIL buildings and two ISIL fighting positions.
-- Near Tal Afar, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and two ISIL fighting positions, destroying an ISIL excavator.
CJTF-OIR conducted no airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria between 8 a.m., yesterday, and 8 a.m., today, local time, according to officials.
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.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Iraq
Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Releases
SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 4, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of the latest airstrikes in Iraq, 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 Iraq
Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 22 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Asad, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying two ISIL excavators.
-- Near Huwayjah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL staging areas.
-- Near Qaim, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Beiji, eight airstrikes struck one large and five small ISIL tactical units, destroying five ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL buildings, an ISIL command and control facility, an ISIL mortar system, and an ISIL vehicle-borne
improvised explosive device.
-- Near Fallujah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying five ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Ramadi, an airstrike destroyed four ISIL caches.
-- Near Sinjar, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying three ISIL buildings and two ISIL fighting positions.
-- Near Tal Afar, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and two ISIL fighting positions, destroying an ISIL excavator.
CJTF-OIR conducted no airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria between 8 a.m., yesterday, and 8 a.m., today, local time, according to officials.
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.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S STATEMENT ON JAPAN'S CHILDREN'S DAY
FROM: THE STATE DEPARTMENT
05/04/2015 05:02 PM EDT
Japan's Children's Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 4, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Japan on Children’s Day this May 5.
On this special day, Japanese families celebrate the joys of childhood and family life. As the President noted during the recent historic visit by Prime Minister Abe to Washington, our children are delighted by the cultural offerings of both our countries – from pop music and movies to animated films and comic books. Prime Minister Abe, his wife, Akie, my wife, Teresa, and I marveled at a virtuoso violin performance by a 9-year-old during the Abe’s recent visit to our home in Boston.
The children of Japan and the United States represent the future of our bilateral relationship, which is why we are more committed than ever to expanding academic and cultural exchanges between our young people.
As the people of Japan take time to honor the importance of family and youth, I again offer my congratulations on this special day.
05/04/2015 05:02 PM EDT
Japan's Children's Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 4, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Japan on Children’s Day this May 5.
On this special day, Japanese families celebrate the joys of childhood and family life. As the President noted during the recent historic visit by Prime Minister Abe to Washington, our children are delighted by the cultural offerings of both our countries – from pop music and movies to animated films and comic books. Prime Minister Abe, his wife, Akie, my wife, Teresa, and I marveled at a virtuoso violin performance by a 9-year-old during the Abe’s recent visit to our home in Boston.
The children of Japan and the United States represent the future of our bilateral relationship, which is why we are more committed than ever to expanding academic and cultural exchanges between our young people.
As the people of Japan take time to honor the importance of family and youth, I again offer my congratulations on this special day.
TEXAS MAN CONVICTED IN MONEY LAUNDERING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING ILLEGAL INTERNATIONAL GAMBLING BUSINESS
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Leader of an Illegal International Gambling Enterprise Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
A federal jury in Oklahoma City convicted a Texas man today of running an illegal international gambling enterprise and conspiring to commit money laundering, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Sanford C. Coats of the Western District of Oklahoma.
Bartice Alan King, aka “Luke,” 44, of Spring, Texas, was found guilty of conducting an illegal gambling business and engaging in a conspiracy to commit money laundering. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to evidence presented at trial, from 2003 to 2013, King was the owner, CEO and President of Legendz Sports, an Internet and telephone gambling enterprise based in Panama City, Panama. Over the course of a decade, the international gambling enterprise took more than $1 billon in illegal wagers, almost exclusively from gamblers in the United States on American sporting events.
The evidence demonstrated that after founding Legendz Sports, King directed and supervised a network of bookies located all over the United States, who illegally solicited and accepted sports wagers and settled gambling debts. The evidence further demonstrated that bookies and runners for Legendz Sports transported millions of dollars of gambling proceeds in cash and checks from the United States to Panama. The checks were made out to various shell companies created by Legendz Sports throughout Central America to launder gambling proceeds.
The evidence demonstrated that the illegal gambling proceeds were used to further promote the gambling business, including to pay employees, build a new multi-million dollar call center to take bets and build a “bank” of cash to pay future winning bettors. King used the profits to live a lavish lifestyle, including mansions in Florida and Texas.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also assisted with this investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney John S. Han of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan Dickerson Cox and Travis D. Smith of the Western District of Oklahoma.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Leader of an Illegal International Gambling Enterprise Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
A federal jury in Oklahoma City convicted a Texas man today of running an illegal international gambling enterprise and conspiring to commit money laundering, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Sanford C. Coats of the Western District of Oklahoma.
Bartice Alan King, aka “Luke,” 44, of Spring, Texas, was found guilty of conducting an illegal gambling business and engaging in a conspiracy to commit money laundering. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to evidence presented at trial, from 2003 to 2013, King was the owner, CEO and President of Legendz Sports, an Internet and telephone gambling enterprise based in Panama City, Panama. Over the course of a decade, the international gambling enterprise took more than $1 billon in illegal wagers, almost exclusively from gamblers in the United States on American sporting events.
The evidence demonstrated that after founding Legendz Sports, King directed and supervised a network of bookies located all over the United States, who illegally solicited and accepted sports wagers and settled gambling debts. The evidence further demonstrated that bookies and runners for Legendz Sports transported millions of dollars of gambling proceeds in cash and checks from the United States to Panama. The checks were made out to various shell companies created by Legendz Sports throughout Central America to launder gambling proceeds.
The evidence demonstrated that the illegal gambling proceeds were used to further promote the gambling business, including to pay employees, build a new multi-million dollar call center to take bets and build a “bank” of cash to pay future winning bettors. King used the profits to live a lavish lifestyle, including mansions in Florida and Texas.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also assisted with this investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney John S. Han of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan Dickerson Cox and Travis D. Smith of the Western District of Oklahoma.
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS AT MY BROTHER'S KEEPER ALLIANCE ROUNDTABLE
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
May 04, 2015
Remarks by the President in Roundtable with My Brother's Keeper Alliance
Lehman College
New York City, New York
2:29 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I just had an opportunity to have a conversation with some outstanding young men -- many of them from here in New York, a few of them who have come as distant as California, Boston. We got some folks from Jersey.
I want to thank Joe Echevarria, who has been heading up our My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, the private-sector component of what we’re doing. I’m going to have a lot more to say about that during my formal remarks. But if you have any doubt about the incredible promise and potential of America, then you need to get to know these young men, because they are examples of intelligence, hard work, empathy and compassion, some street smarts. And all these young men are going to do incredible things with their lives. Many of them are already doing incredible things with their lives.
Part of what we wanted to do was to make sure we heard directly from young people who oftentimes are growing up in really tough situations -- single-parent households, low-income communities, crime-infested areas. We’ve heard stories of some of these young men being stopped and put on the ground by police for no reason. Domestic abuse inside the household. Situations where the schools don’t seem to be invested in their success.
And yet, despite all that, these young men are succeeding in some remarkable ways. And part of what I heard from them was that they’re succeeding because somewhere along the line they’ve received a mentor, somebody who’s just paying attention to them and giving them some sense of direction. Part of what we’ve heard is that they’ve had the opportunity in some way to participate in community service and to get involved, and had been able to show themselves that they matter and they count, and that they can make amazing things happen in their own communities.
And what all of them suggested is, is that if we’re going to be successful in addressing some of the challenges that young men of color face around the country, that their voices have to be part of how we design programs and how we address these issues. Because they’ve got a lot to say, and what they say is powerful and makes a big difference.
So I just want to say to all of them how proud I am of you, how grateful I am to you. I want to thank John Legend to participate. John has been doing a lot of work on his own time, not just around My Brother’s Keeper, but dealing with issues in the criminal justice system and incarcerations, and how we can steer how we interact with communities of color and low-income communities in a different direction. So we appreciate his leadership.
I’m very excited about what we can get done, but the main reason I’m excited is because listening to all these young men I know that the future will be in good hands as long as we’re giving them the support and the love that they need.
All right? Thank you, everybody. We’ll see you outside.
END
2:33 P.M. EDT
May 04, 2015
Remarks by the President in Roundtable with My Brother's Keeper Alliance
Lehman College
New York City, New York
2:29 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I just had an opportunity to have a conversation with some outstanding young men -- many of them from here in New York, a few of them who have come as distant as California, Boston. We got some folks from Jersey.
I want to thank Joe Echevarria, who has been heading up our My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, the private-sector component of what we’re doing. I’m going to have a lot more to say about that during my formal remarks. But if you have any doubt about the incredible promise and potential of America, then you need to get to know these young men, because they are examples of intelligence, hard work, empathy and compassion, some street smarts. And all these young men are going to do incredible things with their lives. Many of them are already doing incredible things with their lives.
Part of what we wanted to do was to make sure we heard directly from young people who oftentimes are growing up in really tough situations -- single-parent households, low-income communities, crime-infested areas. We’ve heard stories of some of these young men being stopped and put on the ground by police for no reason. Domestic abuse inside the household. Situations where the schools don’t seem to be invested in their success.
And yet, despite all that, these young men are succeeding in some remarkable ways. And part of what I heard from them was that they’re succeeding because somewhere along the line they’ve received a mentor, somebody who’s just paying attention to them and giving them some sense of direction. Part of what we’ve heard is that they’ve had the opportunity in some way to participate in community service and to get involved, and had been able to show themselves that they matter and they count, and that they can make amazing things happen in their own communities.
And what all of them suggested is, is that if we’re going to be successful in addressing some of the challenges that young men of color face around the country, that their voices have to be part of how we design programs and how we address these issues. Because they’ve got a lot to say, and what they say is powerful and makes a big difference.
So I just want to say to all of them how proud I am of you, how grateful I am to you. I want to thank John Legend to participate. John has been doing a lot of work on his own time, not just around My Brother’s Keeper, but dealing with issues in the criminal justice system and incarcerations, and how we can steer how we interact with communities of color and low-income communities in a different direction. So we appreciate his leadership.
I’m very excited about what we can get done, but the main reason I’m excited is because listening to all these young men I know that the future will be in good hands as long as we’re giving them the support and the love that they need.
All right? Thank you, everybody. We’ll see you outside.
END
2:33 P.M. EDT
Monday, May 4, 2015
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH COLOMBO EMBASSY STAFF
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks with Embassy Colombo Staff
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Colombo, Sri Lanka
May 3, 2015
SECRETARY KERRY: (Applause.) Can I just -- really, thank you. Thank you. Thank you and good morning. You love it. I’m just getting at it, just (inaudible). It’s really nice to see all of you. Kids, thank you for coming out. How are you? You all look fabulous. You look terrific. No school today, right? (Laughter.) Yay. (Laughter.) That’s really, really good. Anyway.
Well, I’m really happy to see all of you. Thank you. And, Marines, thank you very much. Semper Fi, and we appreciate your service enormously. I didn’t know we had so many Marines out here. I just was with four of them down there. What’s the complement, about 12?
PARTICIPANT: Seven, sir.
SECRETARY KERRY: How many?
PARTICIPANT: Seven, sir.
SECRETARY KERRY: Seven in all. All right. Well, thank you very much for what you do and your service.
And thank you all very, very much. It’s really nice to be here. I’m enormously excited to be in Sri Lanka for the first time, and I wasn’t aware, actually, when I came out here that it had been so long since there had been an official visit by a Secretary of State. I know Colin Powell came through during the time of the tsunami very briefly for a few hours. But it was a pleasure for me yesterday to be able to spend time with the new leadership and get a sense of the excitement about the future for Sri Lanka and the end of so many years of war, so many years of this island nation being torn apart, and now coming together. And I just met this morning with some of the Tamil leaders, which was really interesting to hear them share their vision for a united, peaceful Sri Lanka even though there are difficult issues still to get over.
I want to thank all of you. I particularly want to thank – we have about 417 local employees. Could you all raise your hands, all the local employees? Well, we can’t do this without you in any way at all, so thank you very, very, very much. (Applause.) And there’s one person in particular. Is Niranjan Fonseka here? Niranjan, come up here for a minute. Come here; I’m going to embarrass you. This guy – (applause ) – he not only (inaudible) different town (inaudible) driving through over here, but he has worked here for more than 30 years, and we want to say thank you to, friend. Thank you so much. Really, really appreciate it. Thank you, Niranjan. (Applause.)
I want to thank Drew for the tremendous job that he’s doing. He’s had more than 30 years of service and he’s been in a lot of different places – Darfur and Tikrit, in Iraq, and Kabul. So I think it’s about time he got an ocean-front view and – (laughter) – (inaudible). It’s not a bad deal, right?
MR. MANN: It’s not so bad.
SECRETARY KERRY: Anyway, let me just say that I want to thank all of you. I really do. There is a reason that we raise(inaudible) flag every single day opposite Temple Trees and that all of you do what you do here, which is because we believe in the future of democracy, of stability, and the opportunity for people in other countries to be able to live better lives free from persecution and free from dictatorship, and most importantly, just able to share in the global community’s aspirations for everybody – for all human kind. And the United States is very proud – I’m really proud as Secretary of State – to touch down in various countries and be able to meet you and get a chance to see the people who – the local appointees, the Foreign Service officers, the civil servants, temporary duty, various agencies – all come together to help promote values and interests of our country, but happily, values and interests that match those of so many people in so many parts of the world.
And I’ve got to tell you, I had the privilege of running for president and running around the country, and I met so many people in so many parts of America who contribute as citizens to the building of our country. And I have to tell you, not everybody could tell me they were as satisfied with the job that they had as the people I meet who get to get up every morning and go to work and make life better for other people, and work to carry their country’s interests, and work to represent their nation. And in many cases, those of you who are American, when you meet somebody, you’re an ambassador and you are perhaps the only face of America somebody will meet at that particular moment or maybe for the rest of their life. How you engage with them, what you say, how you carry yourself, what you do is critical to the opinions that people will form about who we are and what we care about.
So whether it’s the granting of the visa, or it’s working out a problem to reunite somebody with their family, or it’s helping somebody find the medical care that they need, or helping to bring people together to help resolve conflict and war, all of those things contribute to the building of community and to the building of the relationship between Sri Lanka and the United States of America.
So I want to say thank you on behalf of our country. I hope you feel good about what you’re doing, because you should. And it’s – I see our assistant secretary. Let me get our assistant secretary up here, Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal. (Applause.) And she does a great job for all of us. And she’s been passionate about making sure that I got out here at some point, and now that I’ve been here I just want to come back and stay longer and get a chance to see (inaudible). (Applause.)
So how many kids do we have here? Kids, come on up here. Come up here and say hi to me. Come here. We’re going to get everybody up here. Come on up here. How are you? What’s your name?
CHILD: Sidney.
SECRETARY KERRY: Sidney, how old are you?
CHILD: Ten.
SECRETARY KERRY: Good. All right, 10. She’s one year younger than I was when my dad went into the Foreign Service and packed my bags and I went off to school in another country. And I said, “Where am I? I don’t know what’s going on.” You having fun? Come on up, guys. Come on up, everybody. You all look so good, I want to show you off. (Laughter.) How are you? What’s your name?
CHILD: Keenan.
SECRETARY KERRY: Keenan, how you doing? How old are you?
CHILD: Eight.
SECRETARY KERRY: Eight. Come on over here, everybody. So everybody get up here, I want a photograph with all of you. You guys don’t want to come up? No? Okay. I don’t blame you; I’d be shy too. Come on up. Who’s the oldest person here? Anybody 11? Nobody’s 11, so 10 is the oldest. Okay. How do you like living here? Do you like living here?
CHILD: (Inaudible.)
SECRETARY KERRY: What?
CHILD: What’s (inaudible)?
SECRETARY KERRY: Do you like living here? Do you love it here?
CHILD: Yeah.
SECRETARY KERRY: Good. Okay. Right answer. (Laughter.) I’m standing here just – anyway. And how do you – do you like school? Are you learning a language? Good. What can you say? (Laughter.) I don’t want to embarrass. I’m sorry. (Laughter.) Who wants to say something? Anybody want to say something in – ooh, can you speak any of the language?
CHILD: A little bit of Spanish and French. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Good for you. How about you, what are you learning?
CHILD: French.
SECRETARY KERRY: French, all right. Yeah, a lot of French. That’s incredible. Hello. How are you? So come on over here, everybody. All the kids, we’re going to pose for a big photograph.
Here’s our photographer here and he’s going to take a picture. Everybody get in here. Big smile. There you are. Turn around. All right. How about a big hand for these kids, guys? (Applause.) Thank you again.
I want you to know you’re very, very lucky, and whatever you do in the rest of your life, living in somebody else’s country and getting to know another culture and another history is something that will serve you well for the rest of your lives, so you should really enjoy it.
Now, quickly before I have to go. I have to go to the airport because I’ve got to fly to Nairobi and I want to have a chance to shake hands and say hello to everybody. Profoundly, from President Obama, from myself, from our country, to all of you local employees, again: thank you for helping our country be able to tell your country who we are; and thank you to everybody else who serves in our Foreign Service, Civil Service or in any way whatsoever. We’re deeply grateful to you.
I want you to know this is a very, very complicated time in the world, and all of the things that we could expect almost automatically during the Cold War – because we grew accustomed to it and because it was simpler, sort of East-West and the big divide of communism and freedom, democracy – that’s been far more complicated now by sectarian divisions, religious divisions, by many forces we’ve released as a result of the freedom that has come to countries, but also as a result of the remarkable level of communications that takes place today. Look at all these mobile devices that are pointing at me now. (Laughter.) I don’t know how many of you are going to tweet or Instagram or do something, but that didn’t exist 10 years ago. And so people now tune in instantaneously. Everybody is a reporter. You can put something up on YouTube and the rest of the world sees it. So there’s so much information coming at people nowadays, it’s hard to manage. It makes things look a little more disorderly in many ways.
So we have to work even harder to get facts to people, to get real choices to people and begin to be able to build consensus around commonsense decisions about how you make a country stronger and how you bring people together, how you resolve differences. And in many cases, because of these communications today, differences are just magnified so much more that, in fact, they may – some of the same things may have existed 20 or 30 years ago, but you didn’t read about them instantaneously. You didn’t see them on a 24-hour cable television show. And so the intensity with which this comes at people changes people’s views – not all for the better, may I say.
So that’s the struggle: How do we break through with commonsense choices, with the opportunities that we want to give people so they can sense that they have actually some control over their lives and some input to their own governments? That’s the great struggle today, and I am personally very, very grateful to all of you for being a part of it. Thank you and God bless. Thank you.
Remarks with Embassy Colombo Staff
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Colombo, Sri Lanka
May 3, 2015
SECRETARY KERRY: (Applause.) Can I just -- really, thank you. Thank you. Thank you and good morning. You love it. I’m just getting at it, just (inaudible). It’s really nice to see all of you. Kids, thank you for coming out. How are you? You all look fabulous. You look terrific. No school today, right? (Laughter.) Yay. (Laughter.) That’s really, really good. Anyway.
Well, I’m really happy to see all of you. Thank you. And, Marines, thank you very much. Semper Fi, and we appreciate your service enormously. I didn’t know we had so many Marines out here. I just was with four of them down there. What’s the complement, about 12?
PARTICIPANT: Seven, sir.
SECRETARY KERRY: How many?
PARTICIPANT: Seven, sir.
SECRETARY KERRY: Seven in all. All right. Well, thank you very much for what you do and your service.
And thank you all very, very much. It’s really nice to be here. I’m enormously excited to be in Sri Lanka for the first time, and I wasn’t aware, actually, when I came out here that it had been so long since there had been an official visit by a Secretary of State. I know Colin Powell came through during the time of the tsunami very briefly for a few hours. But it was a pleasure for me yesterday to be able to spend time with the new leadership and get a sense of the excitement about the future for Sri Lanka and the end of so many years of war, so many years of this island nation being torn apart, and now coming together. And I just met this morning with some of the Tamil leaders, which was really interesting to hear them share their vision for a united, peaceful Sri Lanka even though there are difficult issues still to get over.
I want to thank all of you. I particularly want to thank – we have about 417 local employees. Could you all raise your hands, all the local employees? Well, we can’t do this without you in any way at all, so thank you very, very, very much. (Applause.) And there’s one person in particular. Is Niranjan Fonseka here? Niranjan, come up here for a minute. Come here; I’m going to embarrass you. This guy – (applause ) – he not only (inaudible) different town (inaudible) driving through over here, but he has worked here for more than 30 years, and we want to say thank you to, friend. Thank you so much. Really, really appreciate it. Thank you, Niranjan. (Applause.)
I want to thank Drew for the tremendous job that he’s doing. He’s had more than 30 years of service and he’s been in a lot of different places – Darfur and Tikrit, in Iraq, and Kabul. So I think it’s about time he got an ocean-front view and – (laughter) – (inaudible). It’s not a bad deal, right?
MR. MANN: It’s not so bad.
SECRETARY KERRY: Anyway, let me just say that I want to thank all of you. I really do. There is a reason that we raise(inaudible) flag every single day opposite Temple Trees and that all of you do what you do here, which is because we believe in the future of democracy, of stability, and the opportunity for people in other countries to be able to live better lives free from persecution and free from dictatorship, and most importantly, just able to share in the global community’s aspirations for everybody – for all human kind. And the United States is very proud – I’m really proud as Secretary of State – to touch down in various countries and be able to meet you and get a chance to see the people who – the local appointees, the Foreign Service officers, the civil servants, temporary duty, various agencies – all come together to help promote values and interests of our country, but happily, values and interests that match those of so many people in so many parts of the world.
And I’ve got to tell you, I had the privilege of running for president and running around the country, and I met so many people in so many parts of America who contribute as citizens to the building of our country. And I have to tell you, not everybody could tell me they were as satisfied with the job that they had as the people I meet who get to get up every morning and go to work and make life better for other people, and work to carry their country’s interests, and work to represent their nation. And in many cases, those of you who are American, when you meet somebody, you’re an ambassador and you are perhaps the only face of America somebody will meet at that particular moment or maybe for the rest of their life. How you engage with them, what you say, how you carry yourself, what you do is critical to the opinions that people will form about who we are and what we care about.
So whether it’s the granting of the visa, or it’s working out a problem to reunite somebody with their family, or it’s helping somebody find the medical care that they need, or helping to bring people together to help resolve conflict and war, all of those things contribute to the building of community and to the building of the relationship between Sri Lanka and the United States of America.
So I want to say thank you on behalf of our country. I hope you feel good about what you’re doing, because you should. And it’s – I see our assistant secretary. Let me get our assistant secretary up here, Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal. (Applause.) And she does a great job for all of us. And she’s been passionate about making sure that I got out here at some point, and now that I’ve been here I just want to come back and stay longer and get a chance to see (inaudible). (Applause.)
So how many kids do we have here? Kids, come on up here. Come up here and say hi to me. Come here. We’re going to get everybody up here. Come on up here. How are you? What’s your name?
CHILD: Sidney.
SECRETARY KERRY: Sidney, how old are you?
CHILD: Ten.
SECRETARY KERRY: Good. All right, 10. She’s one year younger than I was when my dad went into the Foreign Service and packed my bags and I went off to school in another country. And I said, “Where am I? I don’t know what’s going on.” You having fun? Come on up, guys. Come on up, everybody. You all look so good, I want to show you off. (Laughter.) How are you? What’s your name?
CHILD: Keenan.
SECRETARY KERRY: Keenan, how you doing? How old are you?
CHILD: Eight.
SECRETARY KERRY: Eight. Come on over here, everybody. So everybody get up here, I want a photograph with all of you. You guys don’t want to come up? No? Okay. I don’t blame you; I’d be shy too. Come on up. Who’s the oldest person here? Anybody 11? Nobody’s 11, so 10 is the oldest. Okay. How do you like living here? Do you like living here?
CHILD: (Inaudible.)
SECRETARY KERRY: What?
CHILD: What’s (inaudible)?
SECRETARY KERRY: Do you like living here? Do you love it here?
CHILD: Yeah.
SECRETARY KERRY: Good. Okay. Right answer. (Laughter.) I’m standing here just – anyway. And how do you – do you like school? Are you learning a language? Good. What can you say? (Laughter.) I don’t want to embarrass. I’m sorry. (Laughter.) Who wants to say something? Anybody want to say something in – ooh, can you speak any of the language?
CHILD: A little bit of Spanish and French. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Good for you. How about you, what are you learning?
CHILD: French.
SECRETARY KERRY: French, all right. Yeah, a lot of French. That’s incredible. Hello. How are you? So come on over here, everybody. All the kids, we’re going to pose for a big photograph.
Here’s our photographer here and he’s going to take a picture. Everybody get in here. Big smile. There you are. Turn around. All right. How about a big hand for these kids, guys? (Applause.) Thank you again.
I want you to know you’re very, very lucky, and whatever you do in the rest of your life, living in somebody else’s country and getting to know another culture and another history is something that will serve you well for the rest of your lives, so you should really enjoy it.
Now, quickly before I have to go. I have to go to the airport because I’ve got to fly to Nairobi and I want to have a chance to shake hands and say hello to everybody. Profoundly, from President Obama, from myself, from our country, to all of you local employees, again: thank you for helping our country be able to tell your country who we are; and thank you to everybody else who serves in our Foreign Service, Civil Service or in any way whatsoever. We’re deeply grateful to you.
I want you to know this is a very, very complicated time in the world, and all of the things that we could expect almost automatically during the Cold War – because we grew accustomed to it and because it was simpler, sort of East-West and the big divide of communism and freedom, democracy – that’s been far more complicated now by sectarian divisions, religious divisions, by many forces we’ve released as a result of the freedom that has come to countries, but also as a result of the remarkable level of communications that takes place today. Look at all these mobile devices that are pointing at me now. (Laughter.) I don’t know how many of you are going to tweet or Instagram or do something, but that didn’t exist 10 years ago. And so people now tune in instantaneously. Everybody is a reporter. You can put something up on YouTube and the rest of the world sees it. So there’s so much information coming at people nowadays, it’s hard to manage. It makes things look a little more disorderly in many ways.
So we have to work even harder to get facts to people, to get real choices to people and begin to be able to build consensus around commonsense decisions about how you make a country stronger and how you bring people together, how you resolve differences. And in many cases, because of these communications today, differences are just magnified so much more that, in fact, they may – some of the same things may have existed 20 or 30 years ago, but you didn’t read about them instantaneously. You didn’t see them on a 24-hour cable television show. And so the intensity with which this comes at people changes people’s views – not all for the better, may I say.
So that’s the struggle: How do we break through with commonsense choices, with the opportunities that we want to give people so they can sense that they have actually some control over their lives and some input to their own governments? That’s the great struggle today, and I am personally very, very grateful to all of you for being a part of it. Thank you and God bless. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY'S STATEMENT ON REPUBLIC OF KOREA CHILDREN'S DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
05/04/2015 05:07 PM EDT
The Republic of Korea Children's Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 4, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send my very best wishes to the children and families of the Republic of Korea on Children’s Day this May 5. On this day, Korean families around the world, from Seoul to San Francisco, celebrate the blessing of children. While we spend time with our families, we also take the opportunity on this day to reflect on our responsibility to ensure that future generations are able to grow up in a safe, sustainable, and prosperous world. The United States is proud to work with our Korean allies to guarantee that our children have even more opportunities than we enjoy today.
I again send my heartfelt congratulations to the people of the Republic of Korea, and I wish you and your families a joyous day.
05/04/2015 05:07 PM EDT
The Republic of Korea Children's Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 4, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send my very best wishes to the children and families of the Republic of Korea on Children’s Day this May 5. On this day, Korean families around the world, from Seoul to San Francisco, celebrate the blessing of children. While we spend time with our families, we also take the opportunity on this day to reflect on our responsibility to ensure that future generations are able to grow up in a safe, sustainable, and prosperous world. The United States is proud to work with our Korean allies to guarantee that our children have even more opportunities than we enjoy today.
I again send my heartfelt congratulations to the people of the Republic of Korea, and I wish you and your families a joyous day.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS GAGGLE EN ROUTE NEW YORK CITY
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
May 04, 2015
Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route New York, New York, 5/4/2015
Aboard Air Force One
En Route New York, New York
11:36 A.M. EDT
MR. EARNEST: I'll just do a short thing at the top and then we'll go to questions. Welcome aboard Air Force One for what promises to be an interesting day in New York today. The first event will be the unveiling of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. This is the business community responding to the President’s call to action to expand opportunity for all and ensure that we're taking steps to address the unique challenges facing many young men of color across the country.
We've mobilized important federal policy responses including early childhood education, mentoring and job training programs. But as the President said last week in the Rose Garden, we'll all need to do some soul-searching to meet these challenges, and this alliance from the private sector is a good step in the right direction. We're pleased to have them engaged and working to mobilize the business community as the Obama administration continues to take important steps and do important work in this area.
After the first event, the President will head over to the Ed Sullivan Theater to do an interview with David Letterman. Letterman, of course, is nearing retirement. I understand from the Letterman people -- I think this is the President’s eighth appearance on the Letterman program. So the President is really looking forward to this conversation. It's yielded interesting an entertaining conversations in the past, so hopefully they will again.
And then this evening, the President has a couple of events that he’s doing in support of the Democratic National Committee. And my colleagues at the DNC can get you the metrics about the number of participants, the amount of money raised. And there will be press access for the first event where you’ll hear the President’s opening remarks at that event. The second event is a a much smaller roundtable discussion where the President will not be making formal remarks. So we'll get you information about the number of attendees and the amount of money raised, but there will be no press access to that one.
So, with that, let me go to your questions.
Q Can you say a bit about this alliance and the parameters of how it's being set up, and if there’s any concerns about influence on the President while he’s in office with donations, things like that?
MR. EARNEST: Well, Nedra, as I mentioned at the top, this is the business community responding to the President’s challenge for all of us to do some soul-searching about what we can do to try to help expand opportunity for all Americans. It's also important and worthy of some additional time and attention for us to be focusing on the unique challenges that are facing young men of color in this country. And this is essentially a private sector -- this is a private sector alliance where the business community is getting together.
They’re just forming the organization today, and I think they’ll have their first board meeting in conjunction with today’s announcement. So I think a lot of the work to set up the alliance is still to be done. But we're obviously pleased to see the business community mobilizing in this way.
And we talked a lot over the last couple of years about the different way that the President of the United States can wield his authority, and some of that is using his pen to sign executive orders and sign legislation into law. But the President also has a pretty substantial platform to advocate for the kind of change that he’d like to see in the country. And this is one example of essentially the President using his phone to mobilize the business community in support of national priorities.
So we're obviously gratified by this robust response and look forward to the alliance supporting in the private sector the important work that we’re doing across the administration on this.
Q Are there any lessons learned from some of the controversy lately with the Clinton Foundation? I know you talked about the business community. Like could foreign governments, for instance, make donations to this work, anything like that?
MR. EARNEST: Well, the Obama administration will have no role in deciding how donations are screened and what criteria they’ll set at the alliance for donor policies because it’s an entirely separate entity. But obviously they’re in support of a priority that the President has identified. And, again, we’re pleased that they’re going to do this important work.
This is not a unique arrangement, though. There are a range of other ways in which the business community has responded to priorities that the Obama administration has identified. Whether that’s the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative or some of the other job-training kinds of things that the President is trying to advance, we’ve seen the business community respond in meaningful ways, and we’re certainly pleased by that.
As it relates to the specific policies and guidelines for the fundraising priorities, this is something -- or the fundraising policies of the alliance -- this is something that board members of the alliance will have to determine. But I’m confident that the members of the board are well aware of the President’s commitment to transparency.
Q Can you just talk about this being a special time? Did you mean because of what’s been going on in Baltimore, this work could relate to that?
MR. EARNEST: This is a timely conversation. I mean, I’ll make clear that this is an event that’s been on the books for the President for a couple of weeks now and predated the latest news that we’ve seen out of Baltimore over the last couple of weeks. But I think this is an indication of the President’s ongoing commitment to these kinds of issues, that even when it’s not on the front pages of the country’s newspapers, this has been an issue that has been a priority for the President.
Q Can I ask you about the shooting in Texas? Does the White House condemn the contest, and do they hold the organizers responsible for inciting violence?
MR. EARNEST: Let me start by saying that the President was informed last night of the violence outside Dallas. There is an ongoing local investigation, so I won’t have a whole lot to say about the specific incident. I will repeat a principle that you’ve heard from me before, which is specifically that there’s no act of expression, even if it’s offensive, that justifies an act of violence. And, again, there have been -- we have seen extremists try to use expressions that they consider to be offensive as a way to justify violence, not just in this country but around the world. And in the mind of the President, there’s no form of expression that would justify an act of violence.
Let me also say that based on the initial reports about what happened in Texas last night, we saw a pretty important and notable display of bravery on the part of first responders who responded promptly to the situation. And because of their courage, the only person that was injured by the two gunmen was a security officer who sustained what I understand to be a relatively minor gunshot wound. And so I think for that, our gratitude goes out to those first responders who acted so bravely and courageously to prevent further bloodshed.
Q Did the organizers at the event incite violence by having that event?
MR. EARNEST: Well, again, there’s no act of expression, even if some people might find it offensive, that could justify an act of violence.
Q Did the President find it offensive to have a contest drawing the prophet?
MR. EARNEST: Well, I haven’t spoken to the President about it. I’ll tell you that I was unaware of the event prior to some of the news breaking about the violence that occurred there last night.
Q Back to the alliance, Josh. What do you envision the President’s role to be during the rest of his administration and then potentially afterwards? And then, you mentioned his commitment to transparency. What does he want to see as their guidelines and rules are being written in terms of disclosure of donations and limits or parameters on who can give? Nedra mentioned foreign governments. I also want to ask about registered lobbyists.
MR. EARNEST: Well, this is an outside group so that is to say the President will not be involved in the work of the alliance. This is a private sector organization that is mobilizing leaders in the business community to take action. And so they will be responsible for determining their fundraising policies and the like. But we’re obviously gratified that they are seeking to coordinate their efforts in support of the important work that the administration is doing on these issues.
That means that the White House will not be involved in determining what their fundraising policies should be. And so I don’t have a specific challenge to lay out for you, but many of the people who are participating and taking a leadership role in creating the alliance are well aware of the priority that the President has placed on transparency.
That said, I mean, I guess the other thing I’ll say is I am confident that organizations that are seeking to support the work of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance are going to be proud of that work, and they’re going to be proud of their association with that organization, proud of their association of this broader effort. But, ultimately, those decisions will be made by the members of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.
Q The President’s name will be associated with it whether he wants to or not. My Brother’s Keeper is his initiative. He’s been working on it for many years. There will be a link at least somewhere, right?
MR. EARNEST: That could be used to describe hundreds of different organizations. So we're pleased about the opportunity that the business community is seizing here to be an active participant in this broader effort. And we certainly are pleased that they're taking these steps to create this alliance. There’s important work to be done, and we're pleased to have their support. And I’m confident that there will be some effort to coordinate their activities in support of the important work that's ongoing in the federal government and by the Obama administration.
Q Can I go back to Baltimore for a second?
MR. EARNEST: Sure.
Q So there was a Wall Street Journal survey out today that found that 96 percent of Americans are worried that there’s going to be a riot over the summer. I was wondering if the President has any specific policies that he’s going to be promoting that will address the kind of violence that we saw in Baltimore last week, and what kind of role this event or organization today can play in that? If there are specific policies that you can speak to, that would be great.
MR. EARNEST: Well, as we discussed at the briefing last week, these are issues that the President has been focused on for quite some time. Even in those rare situations in which the media hasn’t necessarily been focused on them. And I cited the experience of the President traveling to Baltimore nearly two years ago to some of these same communities that have been the source of so much news in the last couple of weeks. And I think the President’s commitment to these issues is a longstanding one.
And so the President has talked about how important it is for our kids to be in good learning environments, whether that's high-quality -- all kids having access to high-quality, early childhood education programs. Moving through the Congress right now is a compromise proposal to put in place some broader reforms of our public education system. The President has talked about how important it is for us to ensure that every middle-class family and every family that's trying to get into the middle class can afford a college education -- that never before has a college education been more important to reaching the middle class than it is right now.
So there are a broad range of policies that we know would make a difference to addressing some of the concerns that have been on display over the last couple of weeks. That also includes the implementation of the 21st century task force on policing. And there’s important implementation work that needs to be done there. The federal government is supporting a wide range of local law enforcement organizations and local governments as they seek to implement some of those reforms that could seek to strengthen the bonds of trust between local law enforcement organizations and the communities that they're sworn to serve and protect.
So there’s a lot of important work that needs to get done. And that's obviously why we're gratified to see the strong support and engagement of the business community when it comes to the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. But this is going to be a subject of ongoing discussion.
And there’s obviously an important role for the Department of Justice to play. There are senior Department of Justice officials that have an expertise in this area, so we talked about Ron Davis, who’s a senior official at the Department of Justice, spending significant time in Baltimore. He previously spent time in Ferguson, Missouri to try to work with law enforcement officials as they seek to strengthen the bonds between them and the communities that they serve.
So there’s a lot of important activity that needs to get done. But I also think the President is mindful of the fact, as he expressed in the Rose Garden last week, that these are challenges that our society has faced for a long time. And that's why I think the President has both made clear that this is not just a law enforcement problem, but this is a challenge that we all need to do some soul-searching as we seek to confront it. And this is going to require a sustained commitment, and not just paying attention on those moments when it is the focus of attention of the national media.
Q On the 21st Century Policing Task Force recommendations, when will see which pieces of that the administration will put forward? Is that review still ongoing? And can you give us an update on when we might see something roll out?
MR. EARNEST: Well, we can get you the details. But we rolled out a couple of months ago the specific recommendations that we were seeking for local law enforcement to implement in their communities. Are you asking about something different?
Q Sure. So those are recommendations that were then going to be reviewed before they were officially rolled out, correct? Or is there no more -- are they reviewing the recommendations, or have they taken those recommendations as they are?
MR. EARNEST: Well, what these are, these were recommendations that we were making to local law enforcement agencies. And we’ve already begun the work of working with law enforcement agencies to help them implement them in their communities. The other part of this was making sure that federal law enforcement agencies were reviewing the recommendations that were applicable to their work and making sure that they're implemented. And I can tell you that federal law enforcement agencies have already begun to do that.
Q Okay. And actually, I wanted to follow up on Angela’s first question about the extent of the President’s involvement with the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. After today, what will his involvement look like in this particular part of My Brother’s Keeper? Is he (inaudible) after the speech, or will he get updated on donations, on board meetings? What will his involvement look like?
MR. EARNEST: The President won't be involved with the alliance in that way, so he’s not involved in the day-to-day activities of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. This is a private sector initiative that's being organized and run by important leaders in the business community. And we're gratified that they’re engaged so deeply in this effort.
I think what principally the outside organization, the alliance will be seeking to do is to support the ongoing efforts of the administration to implement many of these policies and to mobilize private sector support for these priorities.
Q And one follow-up. Does he see it as a vehicle potentially for his post-presidency work?
MR. EARNEST: I wouldn't make that commitment at this point. The President -- I do think you can expect the President will continue to be involved in these issues, but at this point, I would not commit to any sort of involvement by the former President directly in the day-to-day activities of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.
Q Also, on Texas, you said that the President was informed last night after the gunmen -- that incident. Has he also been informed that today they have identified Elton Simpson to be one of the gunmen and that he was actually dismissed by a judge in 2010 for making false statements to the FBI on plans that he traveled -- wanted to travel to Somalia to prepare for jihad. Is that something that the President is aware of? And is he in touch with the intelligence community about who this person may have been and any affiliations they may have to overseas organizations?
MR. EARNEST: Let me just say as a general matter, when the President was informed of this incident last night, the President asked to be kept up to date on the latest details of the investigation. So I'm not in a position to confirm any of the details that have been reported today, but the President is in touch with his team about the ongoing investigation into this incident.
Q Can I ask about the Morell book? There are some reports that he says that the White House embellished some of the CIA talking points on Benghazi. Can you respond to that? And also his discussion of al Qaeda and how they underestimated the threat, rebounding after the Arab Spring?
MR. EARNEST: I've seen some of the reporting of the book; I haven't read it. I am told by people who have read the book that Mr. Morell is pretty definitive about there being no evidence of any sort of political interference in the Benghazi situation. And that's what we have said publicly for a long time, and based on what I know of his book, what he reports in there is consistent with what we've said publicly.
I did notice that what got most of the attention was sort of his observation or his view that he probably -- that he certainly would know better than I about the way in which the intelligence community has analyzed and even predicted the fallout of the Arab Spring. And the President has been very mindful since the first day of coming into office that his top priority as President of the United States is keeping the American people safe, and the President has been very mindful of the threat that is posed by al Qaeda.
And because of steps taken by the administration and because of the good work by our intelligence community, we have made significant progress in decimating core al Qaeda. But there continues to be a significant and persistent threat from some of the widely distributed al Qaeda networks across the globe, and we have seen evidence that some of those al Qaeda networks have sought to capitalize on the chaotic situation in the Middle East and in some countries in the Middle East to try to gain a foothold.
And we're mindful of that threat and it's one that we watch very closely. And it's because of the hard and important work of our intelligence professionals that we have been so impactful in mitigating the threat from those al Qaeda networks. And that's work that continues 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Q We're about to land, but can you give us a quick outlook on TPA for this week? The President worked hard last week pushing Democrats on that. What’s next?
MR. EARNEST: Well, I would anticipate that the administration, including the President, will continue to be engaged in making the case to members of Congress -- Democrats and Republicans -- about the potential that exists for trade promotion authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership to benefit our broader economy and to benefit middle-class families all across the country. And he’ll continue to make that case in public later this week. But I’m confident there will be additional conversations where he’ll make that case in private, as well.
Q Thank you.
END
11:56 A.M. EDT
May 04, 2015
Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route New York, New York, 5/4/2015
Aboard Air Force One
En Route New York, New York
11:36 A.M. EDT
MR. EARNEST: I'll just do a short thing at the top and then we'll go to questions. Welcome aboard Air Force One for what promises to be an interesting day in New York today. The first event will be the unveiling of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. This is the business community responding to the President’s call to action to expand opportunity for all and ensure that we're taking steps to address the unique challenges facing many young men of color across the country.
We've mobilized important federal policy responses including early childhood education, mentoring and job training programs. But as the President said last week in the Rose Garden, we'll all need to do some soul-searching to meet these challenges, and this alliance from the private sector is a good step in the right direction. We're pleased to have them engaged and working to mobilize the business community as the Obama administration continues to take important steps and do important work in this area.
After the first event, the President will head over to the Ed Sullivan Theater to do an interview with David Letterman. Letterman, of course, is nearing retirement. I understand from the Letterman people -- I think this is the President’s eighth appearance on the Letterman program. So the President is really looking forward to this conversation. It's yielded interesting an entertaining conversations in the past, so hopefully they will again.
And then this evening, the President has a couple of events that he’s doing in support of the Democratic National Committee. And my colleagues at the DNC can get you the metrics about the number of participants, the amount of money raised. And there will be press access for the first event where you’ll hear the President’s opening remarks at that event. The second event is a a much smaller roundtable discussion where the President will not be making formal remarks. So we'll get you information about the number of attendees and the amount of money raised, but there will be no press access to that one.
So, with that, let me go to your questions.
Q Can you say a bit about this alliance and the parameters of how it's being set up, and if there’s any concerns about influence on the President while he’s in office with donations, things like that?
MR. EARNEST: Well, Nedra, as I mentioned at the top, this is the business community responding to the President’s challenge for all of us to do some soul-searching about what we can do to try to help expand opportunity for all Americans. It's also important and worthy of some additional time and attention for us to be focusing on the unique challenges that are facing young men of color in this country. And this is essentially a private sector -- this is a private sector alliance where the business community is getting together.
They’re just forming the organization today, and I think they’ll have their first board meeting in conjunction with today’s announcement. So I think a lot of the work to set up the alliance is still to be done. But we're obviously pleased to see the business community mobilizing in this way.
And we talked a lot over the last couple of years about the different way that the President of the United States can wield his authority, and some of that is using his pen to sign executive orders and sign legislation into law. But the President also has a pretty substantial platform to advocate for the kind of change that he’d like to see in the country. And this is one example of essentially the President using his phone to mobilize the business community in support of national priorities.
So we're obviously gratified by this robust response and look forward to the alliance supporting in the private sector the important work that we’re doing across the administration on this.
Q Are there any lessons learned from some of the controversy lately with the Clinton Foundation? I know you talked about the business community. Like could foreign governments, for instance, make donations to this work, anything like that?
MR. EARNEST: Well, the Obama administration will have no role in deciding how donations are screened and what criteria they’ll set at the alliance for donor policies because it’s an entirely separate entity. But obviously they’re in support of a priority that the President has identified. And, again, we’re pleased that they’re going to do this important work.
This is not a unique arrangement, though. There are a range of other ways in which the business community has responded to priorities that the Obama administration has identified. Whether that’s the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative or some of the other job-training kinds of things that the President is trying to advance, we’ve seen the business community respond in meaningful ways, and we’re certainly pleased by that.
As it relates to the specific policies and guidelines for the fundraising priorities, this is something -- or the fundraising policies of the alliance -- this is something that board members of the alliance will have to determine. But I’m confident that the members of the board are well aware of the President’s commitment to transparency.
Q Can you just talk about this being a special time? Did you mean because of what’s been going on in Baltimore, this work could relate to that?
MR. EARNEST: This is a timely conversation. I mean, I’ll make clear that this is an event that’s been on the books for the President for a couple of weeks now and predated the latest news that we’ve seen out of Baltimore over the last couple of weeks. But I think this is an indication of the President’s ongoing commitment to these kinds of issues, that even when it’s not on the front pages of the country’s newspapers, this has been an issue that has been a priority for the President.
Q Can I ask you about the shooting in Texas? Does the White House condemn the contest, and do they hold the organizers responsible for inciting violence?
MR. EARNEST: Let me start by saying that the President was informed last night of the violence outside Dallas. There is an ongoing local investigation, so I won’t have a whole lot to say about the specific incident. I will repeat a principle that you’ve heard from me before, which is specifically that there’s no act of expression, even if it’s offensive, that justifies an act of violence. And, again, there have been -- we have seen extremists try to use expressions that they consider to be offensive as a way to justify violence, not just in this country but around the world. And in the mind of the President, there’s no form of expression that would justify an act of violence.
Let me also say that based on the initial reports about what happened in Texas last night, we saw a pretty important and notable display of bravery on the part of first responders who responded promptly to the situation. And because of their courage, the only person that was injured by the two gunmen was a security officer who sustained what I understand to be a relatively minor gunshot wound. And so I think for that, our gratitude goes out to those first responders who acted so bravely and courageously to prevent further bloodshed.
Q Did the organizers at the event incite violence by having that event?
MR. EARNEST: Well, again, there’s no act of expression, even if some people might find it offensive, that could justify an act of violence.
Q Did the President find it offensive to have a contest drawing the prophet?
MR. EARNEST: Well, I haven’t spoken to the President about it. I’ll tell you that I was unaware of the event prior to some of the news breaking about the violence that occurred there last night.
Q Back to the alliance, Josh. What do you envision the President’s role to be during the rest of his administration and then potentially afterwards? And then, you mentioned his commitment to transparency. What does he want to see as their guidelines and rules are being written in terms of disclosure of donations and limits or parameters on who can give? Nedra mentioned foreign governments. I also want to ask about registered lobbyists.
MR. EARNEST: Well, this is an outside group so that is to say the President will not be involved in the work of the alliance. This is a private sector organization that is mobilizing leaders in the business community to take action. And so they will be responsible for determining their fundraising policies and the like. But we’re obviously gratified that they are seeking to coordinate their efforts in support of the important work that the administration is doing on these issues.
That means that the White House will not be involved in determining what their fundraising policies should be. And so I don’t have a specific challenge to lay out for you, but many of the people who are participating and taking a leadership role in creating the alliance are well aware of the priority that the President has placed on transparency.
That said, I mean, I guess the other thing I’ll say is I am confident that organizations that are seeking to support the work of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance are going to be proud of that work, and they’re going to be proud of their association with that organization, proud of their association of this broader effort. But, ultimately, those decisions will be made by the members of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.
Q The President’s name will be associated with it whether he wants to or not. My Brother’s Keeper is his initiative. He’s been working on it for many years. There will be a link at least somewhere, right?
MR. EARNEST: That could be used to describe hundreds of different organizations. So we're pleased about the opportunity that the business community is seizing here to be an active participant in this broader effort. And we certainly are pleased that they're taking these steps to create this alliance. There’s important work to be done, and we're pleased to have their support. And I’m confident that there will be some effort to coordinate their activities in support of the important work that's ongoing in the federal government and by the Obama administration.
Q Can I go back to Baltimore for a second?
MR. EARNEST: Sure.
Q So there was a Wall Street Journal survey out today that found that 96 percent of Americans are worried that there’s going to be a riot over the summer. I was wondering if the President has any specific policies that he’s going to be promoting that will address the kind of violence that we saw in Baltimore last week, and what kind of role this event or organization today can play in that? If there are specific policies that you can speak to, that would be great.
MR. EARNEST: Well, as we discussed at the briefing last week, these are issues that the President has been focused on for quite some time. Even in those rare situations in which the media hasn’t necessarily been focused on them. And I cited the experience of the President traveling to Baltimore nearly two years ago to some of these same communities that have been the source of so much news in the last couple of weeks. And I think the President’s commitment to these issues is a longstanding one.
And so the President has talked about how important it is for our kids to be in good learning environments, whether that's high-quality -- all kids having access to high-quality, early childhood education programs. Moving through the Congress right now is a compromise proposal to put in place some broader reforms of our public education system. The President has talked about how important it is for us to ensure that every middle-class family and every family that's trying to get into the middle class can afford a college education -- that never before has a college education been more important to reaching the middle class than it is right now.
So there are a broad range of policies that we know would make a difference to addressing some of the concerns that have been on display over the last couple of weeks. That also includes the implementation of the 21st century task force on policing. And there’s important implementation work that needs to be done there. The federal government is supporting a wide range of local law enforcement organizations and local governments as they seek to implement some of those reforms that could seek to strengthen the bonds of trust between local law enforcement organizations and the communities that they're sworn to serve and protect.
So there’s a lot of important work that needs to get done. And that's obviously why we're gratified to see the strong support and engagement of the business community when it comes to the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. But this is going to be a subject of ongoing discussion.
And there’s obviously an important role for the Department of Justice to play. There are senior Department of Justice officials that have an expertise in this area, so we talked about Ron Davis, who’s a senior official at the Department of Justice, spending significant time in Baltimore. He previously spent time in Ferguson, Missouri to try to work with law enforcement officials as they seek to strengthen the bonds between them and the communities that they serve.
So there’s a lot of important activity that needs to get done. But I also think the President is mindful of the fact, as he expressed in the Rose Garden last week, that these are challenges that our society has faced for a long time. And that's why I think the President has both made clear that this is not just a law enforcement problem, but this is a challenge that we all need to do some soul-searching as we seek to confront it. And this is going to require a sustained commitment, and not just paying attention on those moments when it is the focus of attention of the national media.
Q On the 21st Century Policing Task Force recommendations, when will see which pieces of that the administration will put forward? Is that review still ongoing? And can you give us an update on when we might see something roll out?
MR. EARNEST: Well, we can get you the details. But we rolled out a couple of months ago the specific recommendations that we were seeking for local law enforcement to implement in their communities. Are you asking about something different?
Q Sure. So those are recommendations that were then going to be reviewed before they were officially rolled out, correct? Or is there no more -- are they reviewing the recommendations, or have they taken those recommendations as they are?
MR. EARNEST: Well, what these are, these were recommendations that we were making to local law enforcement agencies. And we’ve already begun the work of working with law enforcement agencies to help them implement them in their communities. The other part of this was making sure that federal law enforcement agencies were reviewing the recommendations that were applicable to their work and making sure that they're implemented. And I can tell you that federal law enforcement agencies have already begun to do that.
Q Okay. And actually, I wanted to follow up on Angela’s first question about the extent of the President’s involvement with the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. After today, what will his involvement look like in this particular part of My Brother’s Keeper? Is he (inaudible) after the speech, or will he get updated on donations, on board meetings? What will his involvement look like?
MR. EARNEST: The President won't be involved with the alliance in that way, so he’s not involved in the day-to-day activities of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. This is a private sector initiative that's being organized and run by important leaders in the business community. And we're gratified that they’re engaged so deeply in this effort.
I think what principally the outside organization, the alliance will be seeking to do is to support the ongoing efforts of the administration to implement many of these policies and to mobilize private sector support for these priorities.
Q And one follow-up. Does he see it as a vehicle potentially for his post-presidency work?
MR. EARNEST: I wouldn't make that commitment at this point. The President -- I do think you can expect the President will continue to be involved in these issues, but at this point, I would not commit to any sort of involvement by the former President directly in the day-to-day activities of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.
Q Also, on Texas, you said that the President was informed last night after the gunmen -- that incident. Has he also been informed that today they have identified Elton Simpson to be one of the gunmen and that he was actually dismissed by a judge in 2010 for making false statements to the FBI on plans that he traveled -- wanted to travel to Somalia to prepare for jihad. Is that something that the President is aware of? And is he in touch with the intelligence community about who this person may have been and any affiliations they may have to overseas organizations?
MR. EARNEST: Let me just say as a general matter, when the President was informed of this incident last night, the President asked to be kept up to date on the latest details of the investigation. So I'm not in a position to confirm any of the details that have been reported today, but the President is in touch with his team about the ongoing investigation into this incident.
Q Can I ask about the Morell book? There are some reports that he says that the White House embellished some of the CIA talking points on Benghazi. Can you respond to that? And also his discussion of al Qaeda and how they underestimated the threat, rebounding after the Arab Spring?
MR. EARNEST: I've seen some of the reporting of the book; I haven't read it. I am told by people who have read the book that Mr. Morell is pretty definitive about there being no evidence of any sort of political interference in the Benghazi situation. And that's what we have said publicly for a long time, and based on what I know of his book, what he reports in there is consistent with what we've said publicly.
I did notice that what got most of the attention was sort of his observation or his view that he probably -- that he certainly would know better than I about the way in which the intelligence community has analyzed and even predicted the fallout of the Arab Spring. And the President has been very mindful since the first day of coming into office that his top priority as President of the United States is keeping the American people safe, and the President has been very mindful of the threat that is posed by al Qaeda.
And because of steps taken by the administration and because of the good work by our intelligence community, we have made significant progress in decimating core al Qaeda. But there continues to be a significant and persistent threat from some of the widely distributed al Qaeda networks across the globe, and we have seen evidence that some of those al Qaeda networks have sought to capitalize on the chaotic situation in the Middle East and in some countries in the Middle East to try to gain a foothold.
And we're mindful of that threat and it's one that we watch very closely. And it's because of the hard and important work of our intelligence professionals that we have been so impactful in mitigating the threat from those al Qaeda networks. And that's work that continues 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Q We're about to land, but can you give us a quick outlook on TPA for this week? The President worked hard last week pushing Democrats on that. What’s next?
MR. EARNEST: Well, I would anticipate that the administration, including the President, will continue to be engaged in making the case to members of Congress -- Democrats and Republicans -- about the potential that exists for trade promotion authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership to benefit our broader economy and to benefit middle-class families all across the country. And he’ll continue to make that case in public later this week. But I’m confident there will be additional conversations where he’ll make that case in private, as well.
Q Thank you.
END
11:56 A.M. EDT
NSC STATEMENT ON MEETING WITH UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR YEMEN
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
May 02, 2015
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco's Meeting with United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed
On May 1st, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Lisa Monaco, met with incoming United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, for consultations as he begins his new role. Ms. Monaco underscored the importance the United States places on rapidly shifting from the military conflict in Yemen to all-party negotiations under UN auspices, and offered strong U.S. support for Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s efforts. She noted that this shift would allow Yemen to resume the inclusive political transition process outlined in the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative, the National Dialogue outcomes, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions and focus on combatting al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula.
The United States strongly believes that all of Yemen's communities have important roles to play in the country's peaceful governance. They also discussed the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. Ms. Monaco expressed U.S. determination to support the unimpeded delivery of badly needed food, medicine, and other supplies to the people of Yemen who are suffering. She reinforced that the United States is working closely with humanitarian aid organizations, governments, and others to facilitate access and the urgent delivery of assistance to those in need. Finally, Ms. Monaco and Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed agreed that all Yemenis must come together in a political dialogue to serve the needs of the Yemeni people and counter the shared threat from al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is exploiting the crisis.
May 02, 2015
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco's Meeting with United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed
On May 1st, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Lisa Monaco, met with incoming United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, for consultations as he begins his new role. Ms. Monaco underscored the importance the United States places on rapidly shifting from the military conflict in Yemen to all-party negotiations under UN auspices, and offered strong U.S. support for Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s efforts. She noted that this shift would allow Yemen to resume the inclusive political transition process outlined in the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative, the National Dialogue outcomes, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions and focus on combatting al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula.
The United States strongly believes that all of Yemen's communities have important roles to play in the country's peaceful governance. They also discussed the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. Ms. Monaco expressed U.S. determination to support the unimpeded delivery of badly needed food, medicine, and other supplies to the people of Yemen who are suffering. She reinforced that the United States is working closely with humanitarian aid organizations, governments, and others to facilitate access and the urgent delivery of assistance to those in need. Finally, Ms. Monaco and Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed agreed that all Yemenis must come together in a political dialogue to serve the needs of the Yemeni people and counter the shared threat from al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is exploiting the crisis.
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