DOD AND IMPORTANCE OF PTSD TREATMENT FOR SERVICE MEMBERS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 
Officials Say Progress Must Continue in PTSD Treatment
By Terri Moon Cronk
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2012 - Great strides have been made in treating service members with post-traumatic stress disorder, but progress must continue, military and medical leaders told an audience here today. The military's three surgeons general and the Army's senior sergeant major spoke at an event to mark the third-annual National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.

Raymond Chandler III, the sergeant major of the army, called himself the poster child of someone with PTSD who is concerned about the stigma associated with seeking treatment, something which he says is an on-going issue for many.

His first brush with a life-threatening event in Iraq became life-altering, he said, adding that it caused him to do things that led to a "downward spiral."  For example, during his post-deployment health risk assessment, he wasn't completely honest about his situation because he was being redeployed.

"I felt that if I said truthfully what happened and what I was feeling, I wouldn't be able to succeed and move on. I've come a long way since 2005," he added, noting that he had turned off a good part of his life -- the emotional, spiritual and physical elements to deal with being the professional soldier.

Chandler finally entered a two-week behavioral health program which he said made a significant difference.

In 2011, when he interviewed with then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. for the job as Sergeant Major of the Army, he said Casey was glad to have him onboard with his experience in PTSD counseling, because Chandler could speak to the challenges and treatment.

Chandler got the job and went on to tell his story to service members and families.
"I think we've made a difference," Chandler said. "I know in many of our soldiers' lives and the many challenges of the past 10 years, we've made tremendous strides in our behavioral health care access, and our care and quality of care, [but] we still have a long way to go."

"I believe we will work through this and we will be better as a nation," he said.
Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho told the audience "As a society in military medicine we must be able to provide care for the invisible wounds of war in the long run. As a nation, it is our opportunity to partner and lead the way in breaking the silence [of the invisible wounds].".

"While it is difficult to ask [for help], it is more difficult, and frankly, tragic to lose a loved one ... to suicide or any high-risk behavior," Horoho said. "Soldiers and families must come to realize that [cases of PTSD] resulting from deployment are curable with the proper care."

The majority of service members with PTSD return to productive and engaging lives, and remain on active duty, she said.

"We will not leave anyone behind," Horoho vowed.

Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan said it "takes a village" to conquer PTSD -- and it begins with awareness across the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the private sector.

Nathan, who also is the chief of the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, said he is encouraged by the embedded teams of mental health care providers who treat service members, and that service members know what to look for in their battle buddies for signs of PTSD.

Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Charles Green noted that the good news is that there is recovery from PTSD, and veterans have access to the very best evidence-based care in both the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"The hard part is choosing to share your experience, and choosing to recover from something you might not recognize, Green said, noting that more than 75 percent of service members treated for PTSD are returned to active duty.

COMPANY SETTLES CHARGES OF ALLEGED BRIBERY

FROM:  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C., June 27, 2012 –The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged that FalconStor Software, Inc., a Long Island, N.Y., data storage company, misled investors about bribes it paid to obtain business with a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

FalconStor admitted to the bribery scheme and agreed to pay a $2.9 million penalty and to institute enhanced compliance measures to settle the SEC’s civil lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The settlement is subject to court approval. FalconStor will pay an additional $2.9 million as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EDNY, which filed a related criminal case against the Melville, N.Y., company.

According to the SEC, FalconStor’s now deceased co-founder, chairman, and former chief executive ordered the bribes, which were paid to three executives of the subsidiary, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, and their relatives, starting in October 2007. Lavish entertainment at casinos, and payments in cash, traveler’s checks, gift cards, and grants of FalconStor options and restricted stock, helped FalconStor secure a multi-million dollar contract with the J.P. Morgan Chase subsidiary, the SEC said.

The J.P. Morgan Chase subsidiary became one of FalconStor’s largest customers and FalconStor touted the relationship in earnings calls and releases as proof of the strength of its products and its strides in moving to direct sales rather than relying on third-party distributors. The SEC said FalconStor never told investors about the bribes and inaccurately recorded the payments as “compensation,” “sales promotion,” or “entertainment” expenses.

“FalconStor overstepped the bounds in its pursuit of business. This case shows that when such conduct results in securities law violations, the Commission will not hesitate to hold wrongdoers accountable,” said David Rosenfeld, Associate Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office, adding, “FalconStor claimed the contract was a vindication of the company’s technology, but neglected to tell investors that the contract derived from the bribes that it paid.”

FalconStor’s CEO resigned in September 2010, after admitting that he had been involved in improper payments to a customer, and FalconStor’s stock fell by more than 22 percent on the news.

According to the SEC’s complaint, FalconStor made materially misleading statements in earnings releases filed with the SEC in April 2008 and February 2009. The SEC said FalconStor also granted restricted stock and options to relatives of two of the JP Morgan Chase executives even though they provided no bona fide services to the company, making the grants ineligible under FalconStor’s incentive stock plan. In addition, the SEC said FalconStor failed to accurately record the expenses associated with the bribes on its books and records, and lacked effective internal controls to detect or prevent bribery, which violated state law and FalconStor’s own policies. The complaint charges FalconStor with violating the books-and-records and internal controls provisions of U.S. securities laws, and violations of the offering registration provisions and certain antifraud provisions.

The SEC thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in this matter, and acknowledges the cooperation of the New York County District Attorney’s Office in the investigation.

Leslie Kazon, Joseph P. Ceglio, Christopher C. Mele, and Preethi Krishnamurthy of the SEC’s New York Regional Office conducted the SEC’s investigation.

THE HORNET IN THE HANGER

An F/A-18C Hornet is in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is underway conducting carrier qualifications in preparation for Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012, the world'??s largest international maritime exercise. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ian A. Cotter (Released) 120625-N-IR734-00

U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK GRANTS LOAN OF $75.7 MILLION FOR HELICOPTER EXPORT TO BRAZIL

Map Credit:  Wikimedia/CIA
FROM:  U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Approves $75.7 Million in Financing for Export of U.S. Helicopters to Brazil
Washington, D.C. – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized a $75.7 million loan guarantee for Líder Taxi Aéreo S.A.—Air Brasil that will support the export of three Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation S-92® helicopters to Brazil.

Ex-Im Bank 's support enabled Sikorsky to win the order in competition with government-backed European competitors and will sustain approximately 500 jobs at the company’s facilities in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

Likewise, the loan guarantee has proved to be an invaluable resource for Líder Taxi, which had insufficient access to financing on acceptable terms to purchase the helicopters.

“The financing support for these helicopters illustrates the unique ability of Ex-Im Bank to provide essential financing to ensure American exporters can compete in the international marketplace,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “Our support leveled the playing field and kept 500 highly-skilled American workers on the job.”

Headquartered in Stratford, Conn., Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is a manufacturer of commercial and military helicopters. Its S-92 model is a heavy-mission helicopter designed for offshore transport, medical emergencies, and search-and-rescue missions.

“The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. often plays a vital role in the sale of Sikorsky commercial helicopters to the offshore oil and gas industry worldwide,” said Bob Kokorda, Sikorsky vice president for sales and marketing. “These three S-92 helicopters will enable Líder Taxi to fly Brazilian workers to offshore rigs in deeper water farther from shore. And they will help maintain a healthy U.S.-based supply chain for the aircraft while sustaining a highly skilled workforce at our helicopter manufacturing facilities in the United States.”

Líder Taxi, established in 1958 and the largest air taxi company in Brazil, plans to use the helicopters to shuttle personnel and equipment to offshore oil platforms.

The transaction is the sixth Ex-Im Bank has approved since 2004 with the Belo Horizonte-based company.

Brazil is one of Ex-Im Bank’s nine key markets and accounted for $2.7 billion of the Bank’s worldwide credit exposure at the end of FY 2011.

ISAF JOINT COMMAND NEWS RELEASE JUNE 27, 2012

Photo:  Blackhawk Helicopter Flying Over Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force. 

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Combined Force Detains Taliban Weapons Facilitator

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban weapons facilitator in the Zharay district of Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

Officials said the facilitator coordinated the transportation and storage of equipment and supplies used in insurgent attacks across the region.

The security force also detained several suspected insurgents, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- In the Tsamkani district of Paktiya province, a combined force searching for a Haqqani leader called in an airstrike that killed several insurgents. The leader is responsible for coordinating, financing and leading attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. No civilians had been harmed and no property had been damaged.

-- A combined force detained a Haqqani leader and several suspected insurgents in the Sharan district of Paktika province. The detained Haqqani leader was responsible for building improvised explosive devices used throughout the region. He also provided IED instruction to other Haqqani insurgents.

In June 26 operations:

-- A combined force killed multiple insurgents, detained several others and seized a weapons cache containing six rocket-propelled grenades, six IEDs, some homemade explosives, eight AK-47 rifles, one machine gun, three grenades, and communications equipment in the Shahid-e Hasas district of Uruzgan province.

-- A combined force killed one insurgent during a firefight in Ghazni province's Gelan district.

-- Coalition forces killed two insurgents in the Qarah Bagh district of Ghazni province.

-- A combined force detained two insurgents in Khowst province's Sperah district.

-- A combined force discovered a cache containing some RPGs in Khowst province's Nadir Shah Kot district.

-- A combined force killed six insurgents and detained three others in Logar province's Pul-E Alam district.

-- A combined force detained 12 insurgents in Nangarhar province's Khugyani district.

-- Afghan police and coalition forces discovered a cache containing several mortar rounds in the Deh Bala district of Nangarhar province.

-- Afghan police and coalition forces detained three insurgents in Parwan province's Bagram district.

-- Afghan soldiers and coalition forces killed one insurgent in the Siaghird district of Parwan province.

And on June 24, a combined force captured an insurgent leader in the Tarin Kot district of Uruzgan province. The detained insurgent had planned, directed and executed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

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.