BARCLAYS BANK PLC AGREES TO PAY $160 MILLION PENALTY AND AVOIDS PROSECUTION FOR GLOBAL INTEREST RATE MANIPULATION

 FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Barclays Bank PLC Admits Misconduct Related to Submissions for the London Interbank Offered Rate and the Euro Interbank Offered Rate and Agrees to Pay $160 Million Penalty

WASHINGTON – Barclays Bank PLC, a financial institution headquartered in London, has entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay a $160 million penalty to resolve violations arising from Barclays’s submissions for the London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (EURIBOR), which are benchmark interest rates used in financial markets around the world, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge James W. McJunkin of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

As part of the agreement with the Department of Justice, Barclays has admitted and accepted responsibility for its misconduct set forth in a statement of facts that is incorporated into the agreement.  According to the agreement, Barclays provided LIBOR and EURIBOR submissions that, at various times, were false because they improperly took into account the trading positions of its derivative traders, or reputational concerns about negative media attention relating to its LIBOR submissions.  The Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the manipulation of LIBOR and EURIBOR by other financial institutions and individuals is ongoing.  The agreement requires Barclays to continue cooperating with the department in its ongoing investigation.

“LIBOR and EURIBOR are critically important benchmark interest rates,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “Because mortgages, student loans, financial derivatives, and other financial products rely on LIBOR and EURIBOR as reference rates, the manipulation of submissions used to calculate those rates can have significant negative effects on consumers and financial markets worldwide.  For years, traders at Barclays encouraged the manipulation of LIBOR and EURIBOR submissions in order to benefit their financial positions; and, in the midst of the financial crisis, Barclays management directed that U.S. Dollar LIBOR submissions be artificially lowered.  For this illegal conduct, Barclays is paying a significant price.  To the bank’s credit, Barclays also took a significant step toward accepting responsibility for its conduct by being the first institution to provide extensive and meaningful cooperation to the government.  Its efforts have substantially assisted the Criminal Division in our ongoing investigation of individuals and other financial institutions in this matter.”

“Barclays Bank’s illegal activity involved manipulating its submissions for benchmark interest rates in order to benefit its trading positions and the media’s perception of the bank’s financial health,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin.  “Today’s announcement is the result of the hard work of the FBI Special Agents, financial analysts and forensic accountants as well as the prosecutors who dedicated significant time and resources to investigating this case.”

Barclays was one of the financial institutions that contributed rates used in the calculation of LIBOR and EURIBOR.  The contributed rates are generally meant to reflect each bank’s assessment of the rates at which it could borrow unsecured interbank funds.  For LIBOR, the highest and lowest 25% of contributed rates are excluded from the calculation and the remaining rates are averaged to calculate the fixed rates.  For EURIBOR, the highest and lowest 15% are excluded and the remaining 70% are averaged to calculate the fixed rates.

Futures, options, swaps, and other derivative financial instruments traded in the over-the-counter market and on exchanges worldwide are settled based on LIBOR.  Further, mortgages, credit cards, student loans and other consumer lending products often use LIBOR as a reference rate.  According to the agreement, an individual bank’s LIBOR or EURIBOR submission cannot appropriately be influenced by the financial positions of its derivatives traders or the bank’s concerns about public perception of its financial health due to its LIBOR submissions.

According to the agreement, between 2005 and 2007, and then occasionally thereafter through 2009, certain Barclays traders requested that the Barclays LIBOR and EURIBOR submitters contribute rates that would benefit the financial positions held by those traders.  The requests were made by traders in New York and London, via electronic messages, telephone conversations and in-person conversations.  The employees responsible for the LIBOR and EURIBOR submissions accommodated those requests on numerous occasions in submitting the bank’s contributions.  On some occasions, Barclays’s submissions affected the fixed rates.

In addition, between August 2005 and May 2008, certain Barclays traders communicated with traders at other financial institutions, including other banks on the LIBOR and EURIBOR panels, to request LIBOR and EURIBOR submissions that would be favorable to their or their counterparts’ trading positions, according to the agreement.

When the requests of traders for favorable LIBOR and EURIBOR submissions were taken into account by the rate submitters, Barclays’s rate submissions were false and misleading.

Further, according to the agreement, between approximately August 2007 and January 2009, in response to initial and ongoing press speculation that Barclays’s high U.S. Dollar LIBOR submissions at the time might reflect liquidity problems at Barclays, members of Barclays management directed that Barclays’s Dollar LIBOR submissions be lowered.  This management instruction often resulted in Barclays’s submission of false rates that did not reflect its perceived cost of obtaining interbank funds.  While the purpose of this particular conduct was to influence Barclays’s rate submissions, as opposed to the resulting fixes, there were some occasions when Barclays’s submissions affected the fixed rates.

The agreement and monetary penalty recognize Barclays’s extraordinary cooperation.  Barclays made timely, voluntary and complete disclosure of its misconduct.  After government authorities began investigating allegations that banks had engaged in manipulation of benchmark interest rates, Barclays was the first bank to cooperate in a meaningful way in disclosing its conduct relating to LIBOR and EURIBOR.  Barclays’s disclosure included relevant facts that at the time were not known to the government.  Barclays’s cooperation has been extensive, in terms of the quality and type of information and assistance provided, and has been of substantial value in furthering the department’s ongoing criminal investigation.  Barclays has made a commitment to future cooperation with the department and other government authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Assistant Attorney General Breuer further stated, “As today’s agreement reflects, we are committed to holding companies accountable for their misconduct while, at the same time, giving meaningful credit to companies that provide full and valuable cooperation in our investigations.”

In addition, Barclays has implemented a series of compliance measures and will implement additional internal controls regarding its submission of LIBOR and EURIBOR contributions, as required by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).  Barclays will also continue to be supervised and monitored by the FSA.

The agreement and monetary penalty further recognize certain mitigating factors to Barclays’s misconduct.  At times, Barclays employees raised concerns with the British Bankers’ Association, the United Kingdom Financial Services Authority (FSA), the Bank of England, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in late 2007 and in 2008 that the Dollar LIBOR rates submitted by contributing banks, including Barclays, were too low and did not accurately reflect the market.  Further, during this time, notwithstanding Barclays’s improperly low Dollar LIBOR submissions, those submissions were often higher than the contributions used in the calculation of the fixed rates.


As a result of Barclays’s admission of its misconduct, its extraordinary cooperation, its remediation efforts and certain mitigating and other factors, the department agreed not to prosecute Barclays for providing false LIBOR and EURIBOR contributions, provided that Barclays satisfies its ongoing obligations under the agreement for a period of two years.  The non-prosecution agreement applies only to Barclays and not to any employees or officers of Barclays or any other individuals.

In a related matter, the CFTC brought attempted manipulation and false reporting charges against Barclays, which the bank agreed to settle. The CFTC imposed a $200 million penalty and required Barclays to implement detailed measures designed to ensure the integrity and reliability of its benchmark interest rate submissions.

The FSA issued a Final Notice regarding its enforcement action against Barclays, and has imposed a penalty of £59.5 million against it.

The case is being handled by Deputy Chief Daniel Braun, Assistant Chiefs Rebecca Rohr and Robertson Park, Trial Attorney Alexander Berlin, and Special Trial Attorney Luke Marsh of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, jointly with the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.

The Department acknowledges and expresses its appreciation for the significant assistance provided by the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement, which referred the conduct to the Department, as well as the FSA’s Enforcement and Financial Crime Division.

This agreement is part of efforts underway by President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.  President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.  The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources.  The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. For more information about the task force visit: www.stopfraud.gov.

HOT SHOTS SENT TO BATTLE COLORADO WILDFIRES

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
A Vandenberg Hot Shots vehicle backs into the belly of a C-17 Globemaster here from March Air Reserve Base June 27. Eighteen members of the Vandenberg Hot Shot crew, along with two hot shots crew carrier vehicles, one superintendant support vehicle and one all terrain vehicle deployed to Colorado to support the wildland fire fighting efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo/Andrew Satran)

Vandenberg sends Hot Shots to Colorado wildfire front lines
by Staff Sgt. Erica Picariello
30th Space Wing Public Affairs

6/27/2012 - VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Vandenberg deployed the only Department of Defense wildland fire fighting asset at 2 p.m. June 27 in support of the wildland fire fighting efforts in Colorado Springs.

The 18-member Vandenberg Hot Shot crew, along with two hot shots crew carrier vehicles, one superintendant support vehicle and one all terrain vehicle, loaded into the belly of a C-17 Globemaster from March Air Reserve Base at approximately 1 p.m. on June 27.

"This is national support at its finest," said Mark Farias, Vandenberg Fire Department chief. "Vandenberg Hot Shots, being the only DoD hot shots, bring a critical skill set to the fight. These guys will be on the front lines of this wildfire using their training regarding wildfires and urban interface to save lives and structures in the state of Colorado."

The hot shots will most likely be assigned to the Waldo Canyon Fire. As that fire rages in Colorado Springs, engulfing more than 15,517 acres, many military bases and residential areas are in danger and facing mandatory evacuation. This hot shots crew has been explicitly trained to save structures, not just to extinguish the flames.

"When a building or community faces a wild fire danger we use structure triage," said Jesse Hendricks, Vandenberg Hot Shots superintendent. "First we remove any fuel source, like trees or shrubbery, from around the home using hand tools. Once we've created an area clear of fuels, we actually burn a fire around the structure that will carry the initial fire away from the homes."

Vandenberg's Hot Shots are going into this inferno mentally and physically prepared.

"We all got into the mindset that this is going to be a nasty situation," Hendricks said. "We understand fatigue will be a factor, so we are all hydrating and are trying to get as much sleep as we can before getting to Colorado. When we go into any wildfire we try to relate it to our 'mental slides,' meaning that we recall similar wildfires and pull from those lessons learned so that we will be more effective."

Vandenberg's Fire Chief feels confident that this hot shot crew will prove to be a valuable asset to the containment of the Colorado wildfire.

"Thousands of people and homes are threatened, but the most skilled DoD wildland fire fighters are being deployed. Our hot shots are difference makers, having saved this base numerous times, our surrounding communities and now Colorado Springs," Farias said.

A ZAPPER AT THE "BEST SAPPER COMPETITION"

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Case and Staff Sgt. Smith use teamwork during the Humvee pull of the final phase of the Best Sapper Competition on Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., April 9, 2011. Case and Smith are assigned to the 570th Sapper Company, Fort Lewis, Wash. The Best Sapper Competition gives engineers throughout the Army the opportunity to compete in a grueling six phase three day competition to determine who are the best engineers in the Army. DOD photo by Benjamin Faske

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN JUNE 28, 2012

Photo:  Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Combined Force Detains Taliban Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force and ISAF Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban leader during an operation in the Kandahar district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The detained Taliban leader, an improvised explosive device specialist, directed insurgents during attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said.

The security force also detained multiple suspected insurgents and seized several small-arms weapons and ammunition, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force detained several suspected insurgents, confiscated multiple AK-47 rifles, and seized more than 1,000 pounds of opium during a search for a Taliban leader in the Now Zad district of Helmand province. The sought-after insurgent leader directs attacks against Afghan forces and acts as a Taliban enforcer in the district.

-- In the Sabari district of Khost province, a combined force detained a Haqqani leader who'd planned and coordinated attacks and distributed weapons and IED-making components throughout the region.

In June 27 operations:

-- A coalition airstrike killed one insurgent in Ghazni province's Giro district in response to insurgents emplacing IEDs.

-- In separate operations, combined forces detained one insurgent in Khowst province's Terezayi district and detained another suspect in the province's Sperah district.

-- Afghan police and coalition forces killed one insurgent during a firefight in the Bak district of Khowst province.

-- Afghan police and coalition forces detained one insurgent during an engagement in Kunar province's Ghaziabad district.

-- A combined force killed one insurgent during a firefight in the Bermal district of Paktika province.

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U.S. MARSHALS SELLING WORKS OF ART BY PICASSO, TOULOUSE-LAUTREC AND OTHER MASTERS

 “Green Bird,” by Marc Chagall and a linocut by Pablo Picasso are two of the pieces of art up for auction
FROM: U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE
U.S. Marshals Selling Works of Art by Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, and other Old Masters
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marshals Service is conducting online auctions to sell 245 works of art by Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec and other old masters as well as pieces by more recent famous artists. The items are up for auction atwww.txauction.com until July 2.

The pieces of art were seized from several federal court cases and are now forfeited to the government. Three of the cases involved Marc Dreier out of the Southern District of New York, Justin French out of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shawn Merriman out of the District of Colorado. Proceeds generated from the auctions will be used to compensate the victims of the cases.

Dreier, 62, of New York was convicted in 2009 for fraud and money laundering $400 million and is serving time in a Minnesota federal prison with a release date scheduled in 2026. French, 41, of Richmond, Va., was convicted in 2011 for stealing millions from federal and state tax credit programs intended to rehabilitate historic buildings. He is incarcerated at a federal prison in West Virginia, with a scheduled release date in 2025. Merriman, 49, of Aurora, Colo., was convicted in 2010 for a mail fraud Ponzi scheme that defrauded 67 investors of millions of dollars. He is serving time in a federal prison in South Dakota with a scheduled release date in 2020.

 “Le Homme Endormi” by Henri Matisse and a sheet music cover by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec are two of the pieces of art up for auction. Le 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ACQUIRES ASTRONOMER CARL SAGAN'S PAPERS

FROM U.S. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

The Library of Congress has acquired the personal papers of American astronomer, astrobiologist and science communicator Carl Sagan (1934-1996). A celebrated scientist, educator, television personality and prolific author, Sagan was a consummate communicator who bridged the gap between academe and popular culture.

The Sagan collection has come to the Library through the generosity of writer, producer and director Seth MacFarlane, and is officially designated The Seth MacFarlane Collection of the Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan Archive.

The collection comprises approximately 800 boxes of materials that document Sagan’s life and work and includes his extensive correspondence with scientific colleagues and other important figures of the 20th century. It also includes book drafts, publications files, "idea files" on various subjects, records of various symposia, NASA files and academic files covering the years he taught at Cornell University. Among the personal files are his birth announcement, handwritten notebooks of his earliest thoughts and grammar-school report cards. In addition to manuscript materials, the collection includes photographs, audiotapes and videocassettes. Researchers and scholars will be able to use the collection once it has been fully processed by the Library’s archivists.

"We are honored to preserve and make accessible to researchers the legacy of Carl Sagan, a man who devoted his life to the study of the universe," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "The Sagan papers are a rich addition to the Library’s already-outstanding collection of science manuscripts and other materials from such prominent figures as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Sigmund Freud, J. Robert Oppenheimer and E.O. Wilson."

"Carl was the exemplar of the citizen scientist," said Druyan, Sagan’s long time professional collaborator and his widow. "For him, the values of democracy and science were intertwined. I can think of no more fitting home for his papers than the nation’s library. Thanks to Seth, Carl’s prodigious life’s work will endure to awaken future generations to the wonders of the scientific perspective."

Sagan and Druyan co-wrote several books, and the "Cosmos" television series and were co-creators of the motion picture, "Contact." Druyan was the creative director of NASA’s Voyager Interstellar Record Project (http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html).

"The work of Carl Sagan has been a profound influence in my life, and the life of every individual who recognizes the importance of humanity's ongoing commitment to the exploration of our universe," said MacFarlane. "The continuance of our journey outward into space should always occupy some part of our collective attention, regardless of whatever Snooki did last week."

MacFarlane is the creative force behind the television shows "Family Guy," "American Dad!" and "The Cleveland Show." "Family Guy" has garnered four Emmys and seven Emmy nominations, including one in the Outstanding Comedy Series category. MacFarlane makes his directorial feature film debut on June 29, 2012, with the live-action and computer-generated comedy, "Ted." His orchestral/big band album, "Music Is Better Than Words," debuted at number one on the iTunes Jazz charts on Sept 27, 2011, and received two Grammy nominations, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

MacFarlane has teamed up with Sagan’s original creative collaborators—writer/producer Ann Druyan and astrophysicist Steven Soter—to conceive a 13-part "docu-series" that will serve as a successor to the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning original series, "Cosmos." Produced in conjunction with FOX and the National Geographic Channel, "Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey" will explore how human beings began to comprehend the laws of nature and find their place in space and time. By exploring never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge, the series aims to take viewers to other worlds and travel across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale.

Carl Sagan earned a Pulitzer Prize for his bestseller, "The Dragons of Eden: Speculation on the Evolution of Human Intelligence." His science-fiction novel, "Contact," became both a bestseller and a feature film. It is estimated that more than a billion people around the world have viewed his popular PBS show, "Cosmos."

Sagan specialized in planetary astronomy. His early work on planetary surfaces and atmospheres is considered pioneering, and he made landmark contributions to NASA’s Mariner, Pioneer, Apollo, Galileo, Viking and Voyager space-exploration programs. For his unique contributions, he was awarded medals for Distinguished Scientific Achievement and Public Service from NASA, the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences.

A staunch advocate of the scientific method, Sagan was known for his research on the possibilities of extraterrestrial life, for his research and campaigns of public education on the dangers of global warming and the "nuclear winter" that could result from a nuclear war.

To examine Sagan’s legacy as a role model for future American scientists, the Library of Congress will sponsor a "Summit on Science Education" late next year. The event, which will bring together scientists, educators, policy-makers and students, will underscore Sagan’s conviction that it is critical to understand and appreciate the centrality of science in the everyday lives of Americans and to create a renewed national consciousness about preparing the next generation of scientists.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 151 million items in various languages, disciplines, and formats. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs, publications and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

WI NATIONAL GUARD E-MAIL WARNS OF DANGEROUS HEAT WAVE

Graphic:  lcb.  
FROM:  WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS
June 27, 2012
  Dangerous heat expected this week
(MADISON) – People are encouraged to take extra precautions this week as hot temperatures and high humidity are causing dangerous conditions in parts of the state.

Last summer, five people died and more than 100 people received medical treatment due to extreme heat in Wisconsin. Most of the victims did not have air conditioning. The combination of the warm temperatures and high humidity caused the heat index to rise to over 100 degrees.
To help keep cool, here are some tips to keep safe during hot weather:

Never leave children, disabled persons, or pets in a parked car – even briefly. Temperatures in a car can become life threatening within minutes. On an 80-degree day with sunshine, the temperature inside a car even with the windows cracked slightly can rise 20 to 30 degrees above the outside temperature in 10 to 20 minutes! There have been cases when the inside temperature rose 40 degrees!

Keep your living space cool. Cover windows to keep the sun from shining in. If you don’t have an air-conditioner open windows to let air circulate. When it’s hotter than 95 degrees use fans to blow hot air out of the window rather than to blow hot air on your body. Basements or ground floors are often cooler than upper floors.

 Cooling Shelters or Locations.   If you don't have air conditioning, consider going to a shopping center or library. Several communities have also opened up cooling shelters or centers.   For locations, visit the ReadyWisconsin website at: http://readywisconsin.wi.gov or contact your local public health department or emergency management office.

Look in on your neighbors and family members who may have challenges getting to a cooling center and see how you can help.

Slow down and limit physical activity. Plan outings or exertion for the early morning or after dark when temperatures are cooler.

Drink plenty of water and eat lightly. Don’t wait for thirst, but instead drink plenty of water throughout the day. Avoid alcohol or caffeine and stay away from hot, heavy meals.

Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Add a hat or umbrella to keep your head cool…and don’t forget sunscreen!

Don’t stop taking medication unless your doctor says you should. Take extra care to stay cool and ask your doctor or pharmacist for any special heat advice.
Infants should drink breast milk or formula to get the right balance of water, salts and energy. You may supplement your infant’s fluids with an additional 4 to 8 ounces of water per day, but don’t dilute formula beyond what the instructions say (unless instructed by your doctor).
 Taking a cool shower or bath will cool you down. A shower or bath will actually work faster than anair-conditioner. Applying cold wet rags to the neck, head and limbs also cools down the body quickly.
 Call 211 if you or others you know need information about local community and government resources.
 People at higher risk of a heat-related illness include:
Older adults and Infants and young children
People with chronic heart or lung problems
People with disabilities
Overweight persons
Those who work outdoors or in hot settings
Users of some medications, especially those taken for mental disorders, movement disorder, allergies, depression, and heart or circulatory problems
People who are isolated that don’t know when or how to cool off – or when to call for help
Pets and livestock can also suffer from the heat.   Make sure all pets and livestock have access to cool, clean water and shade. Try to provide shade for all animals pastured outside. Consider adding shade cloth or tarps to an area to provide shade or open pastures to areas where trees or buildings provide shade. Limit exercising your pet to early morning or late evening hours when it is cooler. Some of the signs of heatstroke in pets include heavy panting, glazed eyes, and excessive thirst. Seek veterinary assistance immediately.
The heat can cause roads to buckle. Also, expect heavy traffic on Wisconsin roads and highways with the upcoming holiday.  Check your routes ahead of time for road construction and other possible delays.  Call 511 or go towww.511wi.gov for the latest road conditions across Wisconsin.

For lifesaving tips and other information, visit the ReadyWisconsin website at: http://readywisconsin.wi.gov or contact your county emergency management office, the National Weather Service or your local public health department.

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THE NEW "AIR FORCE NETWORK INTEGRATION CENTER"

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND
The ‘New’ Air Force Network Integration Center is focused on the core services of Air Force Network integration, cyber simulation, and network standards, architecture and engineering. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Travis Nuckolls) 

'New AFNIC' offers cyber advantage 
by Katherine Kebisek
Air Force Network Integration Center
6/26/2012 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) -- "Cyber Innovation. Mission Success." This is how the "New" Air Force Network Integration Center officials sum up what their organization provides to the Air Force and other mission partners.

It's a phrase representing a new direction for a not-so-new organization. AFNIC, established from what was formerly the Air Force Communications Agency, stood up in 2009 as a direct reporting unit to Air Force Space Command. The center's roots trace back even farther with the establishment of the Army Airways Communications Service in 1938.

The term "New AFNIC" emerged in the past several months as the center's personnel implemented a massive restructure of the organization based on recommendations from a 2011 Headquarters AFSPC study. AFNIC officials requested the study after being realigned to AFSPC.

"We had a very broad mission that included everything from standards and architecture, to writing Air Force policy, even doing some operations work," said Brad Ashley, AFNIC's technical director. The restructure aligned some command (i.e., organize, train and equip) functions to AFSPC, network operations and maintenance functions to 24th Air Force and network integration to AFNIC.

With the restructure complete, AFNIC officials are focused on providing cyber solutions for Air Force Network integration, cyber simulation and network standards, architecture and engineering. Through these core services, the center establishes what the Air Force network looks like and determines how to get cyber capabilities integrated into the network, helping Airmen achieve their mission with the "power of cyberspace."

"Almost everything we do in the Air Force today relies on the network," Ashley said. "If the combatant commander and the warfighter can't leverage the network for their unique mission set, then we're not getting the full power of cyberspace."

Knowing what the network looks like, and what it will look like in the future, is important. There have been instances where major information technology systems were built according to how the network was structured at the beginning of the project, but when it came time to connect to the Air Force network, sometimes years later, the systems didn't work as designed because the network architecture had evolved. AFNIC aims to prevent those situations.

"When we're engaged early in a project we can help identify potential issues and provide guidance to ensure systems and applications are developed compatibly with the AFNet," Ashley said. "The end result is a capability that works as intended, a secure network, and an empowered Airman ... that's the advantage we provide."

Fueling new AFNIC is a renewed emphasis on innovation, an ethos AFNIC's commander is passionate about.

"Innovation is the true fuel for our national economy and our nation's military prowess," said Col. Riz Ali, the AFNIC commander. "Innovation is more than just new technology; it's finding new ways to communicate, collaborate and do business. This mindset is very important to have and foster ... it's what drives progress."

As part of this effort, the center has made it a priority to be more transparent and improve communications. Personnel now regularly use tools like blogs, discussion forums and online working groups to connect and exchange ideas with mission partners around the world.

AFNIC also recently launched an internal program through which its personnel can submit and pursue ideas to improve center operations, the Air Force enterprise, or both.

"The ultimate goal is to introduce operationally viable, innovative cyber solutions to our Airmen," Ali said. "We are faced with serious challenges in cyberspace. The domain and the threats to it are constantly changing. We can't stay a step ahead unless we're thinking outside the box."

Innovation, combined with the decades of experience, technical expertise and commitment to customer service AFNIC personnel possess are what Ali said provide mission partners an advantage.

"Our cyber professionals have the knowledge, skills and innovative outlook to tackle even the most complex, demanding technical issues," Ali said. "We do what it takes to provide high-quality, decisive and secure cyber solutions ... an advantage that positions our partners for mission success."

OWNER OF RESEARCH FIRM CHARGED BY SEC WITH INSIDER TRADING

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia. 
FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C., June 26, 2012 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Tai Nguyen, the owner of the California-based equity research firm Insight Research, with insider trading. The charges stem from the SEC’s ongoing investigation of insider trading involving so-called “expert networks” that provide specialized information to investment firms.

The SEC alleges that from 2006 through 2009, Nguyen frequently traded in the securities of Abaxis, Inc. based on inside information he received from a close relative employed at Abaxis. Nguyen repeatedly traded for himself in advance of the company’s quarterly earnings announcements while in possession of key data in those announcements, reaping tens of thousands of dollars in illicit profits. Nguyen also passed that same information to hedge fund clients of Insight Research, who used the inside information to make millions of dollars in profits from trading Abaxis securities.

“Nguyen claimed expertise in researching and analyzing technology companies, but his special edge was his willingness to break the law,” said Sanjay Wadhwa, Associate Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office and Deputy Chief of the Market Abuse Unit. “Like many other so-called ‘experts’ who trafficked in inside information, Nguyen now finds himself the subject of an enforcement action.”

The SEC has charged 23 defendants in enforcement actions arising out of its expert networks investigation, which has uncovered widespread insider trading at several hedge funds and other investment advisory firms. The insider trading alleged by the SEC has yielded illicit gains of more than $117 million, chiefly in shares of technology companies, including Apple, Dell, Fairchild Semiconductor, and Marvell Technology.

According to the SEC’s complaint, filed in federal court in Manhattan, Nguyen regularly obtained material nonpublic information about Abaxis Inc.’s quarterly earnings — including revenues, gross profit margins and earnings per share — from a relative who worked in Abaxis’s finance department. Nguyen used the information to trade Abaxis securities in his own account and reaped approximately $145,000 in illicit trading profits from 2006 through 2009.

In addition to trading in his own account, the SEC alleges that Nguyen passed the inside information to New York-based Barai Capital Management and Boston-based Sonar Capital Management, both of which were clients of Nguyen’s firm, Insight Research. The two hedge fund managers — who collectively were paying Insight Research tens of thousands of dollars each month — traded Abaxis securities based on the inside information that Nguyen provided and reaped more than $7.2 million in illicit gains for their hedge funds.

The SEC’s complaint charges Nguyen with violating the anti-fraud provisions of U.S. securities laws and seeks a final judgment ordering him to disgorge his ill-gotten gains, with interest, and pay financial penalties, and permanently barring him from future violations.

The SEC’s investigation is continuing. Daniel Marcus and Joseph Sansone, members of the SEC’s Market Abuse Unit in New York, conducted the investigation, along with Matthew Watkins, Neil Hendelman, Diego Brucculeri, and James D’Avino of the New York Regional Office. The SEC thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in the matter.

VESTA ASTEROID CRATER CLOSEUP

FROM: NASA
This colorized image from NASA’s Dawn mission shows temperature variations at Tarpeia Crater, near the south pole of the giant asteroid Vesta. Obtained by the visible and infrared mapping spectrometer, data show the warmest areas in white, measuring about minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 23 degrees Celsius). The dark areas are the coldest, with temperatures at or below minus 150 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 100 degrees Celsius). The variations in the red shading indicate the intensity of the emitted light in the 5-micron wavelength, which is indicative of the surface temperature. The visible and infrared mapping spectrometer obtained the images during Dawn’s low-altitude mapping orbit (130 miles or 210 kilometers in altitude) on Feb. 5, 2012. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/INAF