U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES $13 MILLION GRANT TO PROVIDE LAW SCHOOL EDUCATION FOR AFGHANS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
The United States Government Provides Grant to University of Washington Law School for Legal Educators Support Program for Afghanistan
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 9, 2012
The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) announced a $13 million grant to the University of Washington (UW) Law School’s Asian Law Center to continue an innovative legal education program for Afghanistan. The Legal Educators Support Program - Afghanistan (LESPA), administered through the University of Washington Law School, provides graduate education opportunities to Afghan law deans, professors, and other professionals who will return to Afghanistan to continue as legal educators in universities. This grant will fund the University of Washington program for an additional five years.

The University of Washington grant was originally awarded in late 2004, and allows participant Afghan legal educators to gain advanced LLM degrees at the University of Washington Law School. The program also exposes participants to the American system of higher legal education and offers support for professors interested in increasing pedagogy and research skills. Legal educators from most university law schools in Afghanistan have participated in the program, including the Shari’a and Law & Political Science faculties of Albironi, Balkh, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Kunduz, Nangahar, and Takhar Universities. Participant study takes place both in Afghanistan and at the University of Washington in Seattle. Since the program began, 229 Afghan legal educators, deans and students have participated in the project, including 36 women. Fifteen educators have completed their advanced LL.M degrees in Seattle since the program’s inception.

The program focuses on building strong relationships among legal educators. Upon return to Afghanistan, graduates of the program actively collaborate with each other to teach and lead the next generation of Afghan law students. Graduates of the program have set up the first law school-affiliated legal clinics in Afghanistan. LESPA alumni are at the forefront of scholarly and pedagogical reform in Afghanistan, and new program recruits cite the stellar reputation of the UW graduate network as a key element in their desire to participate in the program.

VETERANS AFFAIRS AND OCCUPATIONAL THRAPY

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Occupational Therapy: Helping Vets Live an Independent Life
“He Taught Us All A Lesson.”
Occupational therapy (OT) is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities.

As the largest health care system in the nation, VA is the single largest employer of occupational therapists. According to Eric Lipton of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, the primary goal of VA’s occupational therapists is to help Veterans optimize their functional performance in areas that are meaningful to their lives.
Lipton is currently Occupational Therapy Supervisor for the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Prior to becoming supervisor, he primarily worked with Veterans in Community Living Centers (CLC).

Occupational Therapists use a holistic approach and address activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and grooming, as well as more advanced activities such as cooking, shopping, driving, parenting, and returning to work.

Occupational Therapists use a holistic approach and address activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and grooming, as well as more advanced activities such as cooking, shopping, driving, parenting, and returning to work.

They are skilled at assessing performance, analyzing the components of tasks, and helping to improve performance through adapting the way a person is performing the task, the use of equipment, or by adapting the environment.
“I can’t believe I get paid to do this.”

Help for Vets of All Ages
VA occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments that develop, recover, or maintain clients’ activities of daily living.
VA works with thousands of Veterans of all ages.
The therapist helps clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function.
Mr. Lipton describes an example of just one of his patients:
“One Veteran had Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease).
“I needed to address different areas as his disease progressed. The initial focus was on retraining for activities of daily living, and eventually became how to maximize his comfort as he was dying. The Veteran went from utilizing a walker to a scooter, and eventually to a highly adapted power wheelchair.

“When it got to the point that he could only move his head, OT treatment shifted to maintaining his ability to safely operate his power wheelchair independently, keeping him well positioned, emphasizing wound prevention, preventing his body from becoming contracted, and pain management.

“I will never forget his spirit as he participated in life until the end. The image I remember most is seeing him with a big smile, dancing by just moving his head to the beat. He taught us all a lesson how to live life to the fullest, and I feel OT helped to facilitate that.”
Dedicated to his profession, Lipton explains his commitment to helping Vets overcome some of the hurdles life has given them.

“I have had the great honor to work with Veterans who represent a very large span of American history, including Veterans from World War I all the way to the current Global War on Terror. They have made huge sacrifices that often have long-term consequences to their health.
“That’s why the VA Health Care System is so important. We really understand the specialized needs of our Veterans.”

Wide Variety of Occupational Therapy Treatments
The focus of occupational therapy treatment in a VA Community Living Center (CLC) varies greatly, depending on the needs of the Veteran being served. Occupational Therapists in this setting may work with a patient following a stroke to be able to safely and independently dress, bathe, and cook so they can return home.
Another Veteran may have a spinal cord injury and live at the CLC. Their occupational therapy treatment may be focused on the operation of a power wheelchair, preventing pressure ulcers, and maintaining strength and range of motion. Or a Veteran may have Alzheimer’s disease and the focus may be to keep the Veteran safe and as functional as possible by adapting the environment or through staff or caregiver training.
Lipton feels “lucky” to be working with Vets.

“My favorite work setting was working on a unit that specialized in gero-psychiatry (treating mental illness in the elderly). I felt lucky to be working there. It was a great opportunity to work with Veterans who still want to contribute to the world.
“I led therapeutic groups and the patients were fully engaged in the activities. It was energizing for both the patients and staff. I consistently walked away thinking, ‘I love working here. I can’t believe I get paid to do this.’
“I would love to see the profession of occupational therapy, the VA Health Care System, and health care in general, focus more on preventive health and wellness. We can dramatically impact quality of life by teaching people how to engage in healthier lifestyle habits. Occupational Therapists are well suited to doing this, as we take a holistic approach when working with people.”

April is Occupational Therapy Month, a perfect time to reflect on the work VA does to help Veterans live a full and productive life.

THREE SIBLINGS DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Army Warrant Officer Weldon Malbrough Jr. shows a family photo with younger brother, Philip, and twins, Jessica and Jordan. Like Weldon, the twins both enlisted and are also deployed in Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Mike McLeod

Face of Defense: Family Sends 3 Soldiers to Afghanistan
By Army Sgt. Mike McLeod
1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan, April 9, 2012 - As Army Warrant Officer Weldon Malbrough Jr. goes about his business on this dust-choked, dirt-basket-rimmed base here, he is one of many -- a paratrooper among paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division's "Devils in Baggy Pants" 1st Brigade Combat Team.

The 30-year-old force-protection staff officer also is one of three Malbroughs now deployed to Afghanistan. Jordan and Jessica, the family twins, followed Weldon into the Army, and with the pace of deployments in recent years, it was only a matter of time until their deployments overlapped.

It's not the first time their mother, Windy, has worried about more than one child in a war zone. Army Staff Sgt. Jordan Malbrough enlisted in 2005 and joined Weldon in Baghdad as part of the surge in 2007. Jordan now serves as an artillery radar operator with the 25th Infantry Division's 4th Brigade at Forward Operating Base Apache in Afghanistan's Khost province.

In recent years, the idea of families sending multiple children to the front lines has become part of the national consciousness thanks in large part to the movie, "Saving Private Ryan," in which three brothers are killed during World War II, and the last surviving brother is caught up in the Normandy invasion.
Windy has seen the movie, but it's one she has never internalized, with three of her four children deployed to Afghanistan.

"It's something they chose to do," she said. "To keep peace with my mind, I try to think happy thoughts." She still lives in metropolitan New Orleans, where she raised her children. Another son, Philip, works on an offshore oil rig.
"There is no worry-free time for mom," Windy said. "My kids are my heroes."
"She is such a strong woman," Jessica said.

Jordan enlisted at 17, and Jessica earned a college degree before enlisting. She was interested in an Army program to become a physician assistant or nurse, but that required three years of service. While her brothers pushed her hard to "drop a packet" and become an officer, she chose to enlist as a combat medic.

"I didn't want to push papers for three years," Jessica said.

Sgt. Jessica Malbrough deployed for the first time with the 4th Infantry Division's 4th Brigade to Kandahar, Afghanistan, a year ago. She has worked in the orderly room, provided cultural support on missions to capture insurgent leaders, and called in medevac helicopters to evacuate wounded soldiers.

"In the Army, you meet people and gain experiences that you just can't get anywhere else," she said.

The Malbroughs are a tight-knit family. Both sets of grandparents live within a few blocks. Being away from home for so long is difficult, Jessica said. It helps, she added, that she can call the man she looks up to the most, Weldon, or her best friend, Jordan. They relate to her Army service, and they're even in the same time zone -- a big deal when one is on the other side of the world from home, she said.

Back home, Windy uses her kids as a conversation piece with patrons of the accounting office that she manages. Most of the time, she feels like she is serving alongside her children, she said.
"People just say, 'Wow.' They don't understand how three siblings can be there at the same time," she said. "They all have great love for their country."

Weldon said people sometimes note that as the eldest of the three, he probably feels responsible for his siblings' well-being.

"We all enlisted during a time of war," Weldon said. "We all knew we were going to deploy. It was only a matter of time until they overlapped. I appreciate people's sentiments, but we all took an oath to do what we are doing."

WHITE HOUSE PASSOVER SEDER DINNER 2012

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a Passover Seder Dinner for family, staff and friends, in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, April 6, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

YOUNG VET UNEMPLOYMENT TRENDING DOWNWARD

FROM:  VETERANS ADMINISTRATION
10.3 Percent Unemployment Among Younger Vets; Trend Still Downward
April 6, 2012 by Brandon Friedman
On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Veteran unemployment data for the month of March. The unemployment rate for one closely watched group, Iraq and Afghanistan-era Veterans (or Gulf War II-era Veterans), was 10.3 percent. While this reflects a higher number than in February, the trend over the past 27 months—since January 2010—remains downward for America’s most recent Veterans.

Tracking Veteran unemployment is notoriously difficult, and we often see significant swings from one month to the next—which is why looking at the long-term trend is critically important. While we’re heartened that the unemployment rate among younger Veterans has fallen over the long term, it is still too high as long as thousands of returning Veterans still can’t find meaningful work.

If anything, today’s figure reminds us that there’s still much work to be done. VA, in conjunction with the White House and our private sector partners, remains committed to ensuring that the unemployment rate for all Veterans continues its downward path.

FROM:  NATIONAL WILDLIFE HEALTH CENTER
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
URL: http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov
Amphibian Malformations and Declines
Amphibians around the world are suffering from deformities, diseases and population declines. USGS National Wildlife Health Center personnel have examined over 100 different species of amphibians from national wildlife refuges, national parks, and private lands across the country to help identify the causes of these problems and suggest effective solutions.

Frog malformations are the result of environmental factors affecting development during early tadpole stages. USGS studies have shown that the range, complexity, and recurring patterns found in hind limb malformations in frogs at several different locations suggest that both site-specific and time-dependent influences contribute to the development of these malformations. The variations in malformation type between sites suggest multiple causes are involved in this worldwide problem; four major causes have been identified to date, including injuries from predators, a specific minute parasite (fluke), nutritional deficiencies, and contaminants.

Both well-known (established) diseases and newly discovered pathogens can affect amphibian populations. An alarming number of amphibian deaths at numerous sites were found to be caused by iridoviruses. In the western United States, the endangered Wyoming toad and the boreal toad have been found to be afflicted with a recently identified infection, a chytrid fungus. A newly identified pathogen, to be named Anuraperkinsus emelandra, was identified as the cause of large-scale tadpole mortalities in ten states; this new disease agent is now threatening the last known breeding population of the endangered Mississippi gopher frog.

Every year, hundreds of eggs as well as larval and adult salamanders, frogs and toads from all over the country are submitted for health screening to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. This nationwide health monitoring - part of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative - has lead to the discovery of new diseases and the development of new molecular techniques to more rapidly identify diseases, giving researchers a better idea of how to contain and manage declining amphibian populations.

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON SALUTES INTERNATIONAL ROMA DAY

International Roma Day
Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Washington, DC
April 8, 2012
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I want to send best wishes to all Roma as they mark International Roma Day. Today we celebrate the history, impact and culture of Romani people. From music and art to science and literature, Romani people have contributed in ways large and small to the fabric of countless societies.

But too often and in too many places, they are forced to live on the margins. They are segregated, beaten, and systematically discriminated against. They are denied access to an education and to jobs. Despite a decade of progress, during this global economic downturn incidents of anti-Roma rhetoric and violence are on the rise.

Romani people are on the frontlines of the struggle for greater human rights and dignity. That is why the United States is working to protect Roma minorities and end discrimination. We are helping improve opportunities for Roma to participate in the political, social, economic, and cultural lives of their communities. Roma everywhere deserve the opportunity to have a better and brighter future. As I said in Bulgaria at a meeting with young Roma professionals, the United States is committed to working with civil society groups and governments to make a real difference in the lives of Roma.

We believe governments have a special responsibility to ensure that members of the Roma community – and all minority communities – have the tools to succeed as productive members of society. So let us continue to forge new partnerships, discover new areas of understanding and respect, and redouble our efforts to address the plight of Roma on behalf of a freer, fairer and more inclusive Europe.

WILDFIRE AWARENESS WEEK APRIL 9-13

FROM FEMA
Wildfire Awareness Week Reminds Texans to Get Prepared
AUSTIN, Texas -- Any time is a good time to safeguard your home and family against wildfires, but Texas’ April 9-13 Wildfire Awareness Week offers the perfect opportunity. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State of Texas suggest Texans use the week to learn their wildfire risk and get prepared.

“Wildfire Awareness Week is an opportune time to plan for wildfire season, especially with the continuing risk due to the state’s drought conditions,” said Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. “Educating yourself about the wildfire threat and taking steps to protect yourselves and your property could help prevent the kind of destruction Texas experienced last year.”

“Whether you own your home or rent, it’s important to have a plan in place to protect your personal property, family and pets from the devastation of a wildfire,” said Kevin Hannes, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for the 2011 Texas wildfire recovery missions. “Make a plan, build a disaster supply kit and stay informed. Those are the three key components to staying safe under any hazardous conditions.”

Those living in historically high-risk areas for wildfires or in the Wildland Urban Interface, an area where homes or other structures meet and mix with undeveloped, natural landscapes, should be particularly aware of their surroundings and make preparedness a top priority, said Hannes. It’s also good idea review your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy before a fire breaks out, he added.

FEMA and TDEM suggest taking proactive, preventative measures to protect a home against wildfire destruction, such as creating defensible space and hardening the home.
Defensible Space:
Create a fire-safe landscape zone ranging from 30 to 100 feet around the home.
Plant only fire-resistant shrubs and trees. For example, hardwood trees are less flammable than pine, evergreen, eucalyptus or fir trees. Carefully space tree plantings to avoid creating pockets of fuel.
Create “fuel breaks,” such as driveways and gravel walkways.
Remove ground fuels like grass, leaves, pine needles, dead limbs and twigs within 30 feet of the home. Clear all flammable vegetation and other materials. Remove branches that extend over the roof or power lines. Mow grass regularly.
Trim all dead branches from trees in the yard and prune low hanging limbs to prevent fire from climbing to the crowns of the trees.
Harden the Home:
Use fire-resistant roofing material, such as ceramic or slate tile, or standing-seam metal roofing.
Protect the home’s eaves with stucco or plaster to prevent flying embers from starting a fire. Consider designing the home without overhangs or use fire-resistant soffits to protect it from embers and hot gases.
Ensure that exterior wall coverings are fire-resistant and not susceptible to melting. Concrete, fiber-cement panels or siding, stucco, masonry and metal are some recommended materials.
Use metal mesh screens to keep fast-flying embers out of vents and chimneys. Vents should also be made of metal.

FEMA’s resource, the “Home Builder’s Guide to Construction in Wildfire Zones,” www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3646, provides excellent information about wildfire behavior and recommendations for building design and construction methods in areas prone to wildfires. Additional information on preparing homes and families from wildfire threats is at www.wildlandfirersg.org/index.cfm.
Texans can follow FEMA tweets about wildfire recovery at www.twitter.com/femaregion6. Other online resources are blog.fema.gov,www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

WHITE HOUSE BREAKS DOWN HEALTH CARE LAW AND YOUNG ADULTS

FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
Breaking it Down: The Health Law and Young Adults
Chris Stenrud
March 21, 2012
Ed note: This was originally posted on healthcare.gov
The Affordable Care Act – the new health care law – gives hard-working families the security they need and important new benefits. The law holds insurance companies accountable, gets rid of the worst insurance industry practices and puts patients first. It is also expanding young adults’ affordable options for health insurance. A new study shows that 30% of young adults ages 19 to 25 who initially had private health insurance in 2008 were uninsured for at least one month over the next two years. Young adults were particularly at risk of losing coverage because they may have aged out of their parents’ coverage, moved between school and employment or changed jobs. Yet now, the number of young adults with health insurance continues to rise under the health care law.

Here are five ways the law helps young adults:
Young adults can stay on their parent’s health insurance up to the age of 26. This is the case even if they’re married or live on their own. This provision resulted in 2.5 million young people gaining coverage. For young adults, this new protection means that they will have the freedom to make career choices based on what they want to do, not on where they can get health insurance. And for parents, it means they can breathe a little easier knowing their children are covered.

The law offers free prevention benefits that keep people healthy. Now, young adults can receive recommended preventive  services, like flu shots, HIV and cancer screenings, contraceptive counseling and FDA-approved birth control, with no cost sharing. Visit  www.healthcare.gov/prevention for a full list of services and plan dates.

Coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. For people who have been uninsured for six months and can’t buy private insurance because of a pre-existing condition, they may be able to join the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan. And under the new law, no plan can deny coverage to people under age 19 because of a pre-existing condition. To find out about plans available in your State, please visithttp://www.pcip.gov.

Insurers cannot put limits on coverage. In the past, some people with cancer or other chronic illnesses ran out of insurance coverage because their health care expenses reached a dollar limit imposed by their insurance company. Under the health care law, insurers can no longer impose lifetime dollar limits on essential health benefits and annual limits are being phased out by 2014. Also, insurance companies can no longer drop people when they get sick due to a mistake you made on your application.

Starting in 2014, there will be more options through the Affordable Care Act for coverage for young adults. New Affordable Insurance Exchanges, tax credits and the improvements to Medicaid will result in at least 30 million more insured people, including as many as 10 million young adults. For young adults, lacking affordable health care will soon become a thing of the past.

SEVEN FOREIGN CITIZENS HAVE ASSETS FROZEN OVER SEC INSIDER TRADING CHARGES

FROM:  SEC
Washington, D.C., April 6, 2012 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that it has obtained a court-ordered freeze of the assets of six Chinese citizens and one British Virgin Islands entity charged with insider trading in Zhongpin Inc., a China-based pork processor whose shares trade in the U.S.
The SEC’s complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago on April 4, alleges the defendants reaped more than $9 million by trading in Zhongpin ahead of a March 27 announcement of a proposal to take the company private.  The complaint names as defendants one entity, Prestige Trade Investments Ltd., and six individuals, Siming Yang, Caiyin Fan, Shui Chong (Eric) Chang, Biao Cang, Jia Wu, and Ming Ni.  The SEC alleged that Yang formed Prestige in January and funded its U.S. brokerage account in March with $29 million transferred from a Hong Kong bank.

According to the SEC’s complaint, the seven defendants bought substantial quantities of common stock and call options in Zhongpin between March 14 and March 26. Zhongpin’s stock price jumped 21.8% on March 27 when the company publicly announced that its Chairman and CEO Xianfu Zhu had made a non-binding offer to acquire all of Zhongpin’s outstanding stock at $13.50 a share, a 46% premium over the previous day’s closing price.

“The defendants in this action – all with seemingly limited resources - suddenly and inexplicably purchased more than $20 million in Zhongpin securities just before an important public announcement,” said Merri Jo Gillette, Director of the SEC’s Chicago Regional Office. “The SEC’s swift action to secure a judicial freeze order prevented millions of dollars from moving offshore.”

The SEC alleges that the purchases of Zhongpin stock and options were inconsistent with the defendants’ financial situations and prior investment behavior.  In particular:
The defendants’ trades made up a significant portion of the trading in Zhongpin between March 14 and March 26.  Prestige’s purchases alone represented about 41% of the common stock trading in this period.

Only one of the defendants had traded in Zhongpin before March 14.

For most of the individual defendants, the purchases of Zhongpin securities equaled or exceeded their stated annual income and represented a significant portion of their net worth.

Yang identified himself to his broker as an accountant in China with an annual income of $52,500 and a net worth of less than $250,000, when at the time he was a research analyst with a New York–based registered investment adviser.

Each of the defendants placed at least some of their trades from computer networks and hardware that other defendants also used to place trades.
The SEC alleges that the defendants violated federal anti-fraud laws, namely Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. In addition to the emergency relief, the SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, and financial penalties. The emergency court order that the SEC obtained on April 4 on an ex parte basis froze defendants’ assets held in U.S. brokerage accounts, grants expedited discovery and prohibits the defendants from destroying evidence.
Jedediah B. Forkner, Marlene B. Key and John E. Kustusch in the Chicago Regional Office conducted the SEC’s investigation, which is continuing.  Timothy S. Leiman will lead the SEC’s litigation effort.

The Commission thanks the Options Regulatory Surveillance Authority and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for their assistance in this matter.

NAVY HELPS OUT VIRGINIA BEACH RESIDENTS AFTER PLANE CRASH

FROM:  U.S. NAVY

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (April 7, 2012)

Cmdr. Frank Hutchison, assigned to the staff of the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Judge Advocate General, and Lt. Rob Singer, assigned to the staff of the Naval Air Station Oceana Judge Advocate General, help residents affected by the April 6, 2012 crash of an F/A-18D Hornet apply for aide services offered by the Navy. The aircraft damaged an apartment complex after crashing shortly after takeoff. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Antonio P. Turretto Ramos (Released) 120407-N-DC018-194

AFGHAN AND U.S FORCES SIGN TRANSITION AGREEMENT ON SPECIAL OPERATIONS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

U.S., Afghan Forces Sign Special Operations Agreement

From an International Security Assistance Force News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 8, 2012 - An agreement signed here today begins a process for Afghan national security forces to take the lead on special operations in Afghanistan.

Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak signed a memorandum of understanding that means Afghan special operations units will lead the way in effectively targeting insurgents and ensures special operations will continue to be conducted with full respect for Afghanistan's sovereignty, law and constitution, officials said.

Allen said the agreement marks a significant milestone in the transition process agreed upon at NATO's November 2012 summit in Lisbon, Portugal. It continues advancement of sovereignty for the Afghan people and in the shared effort to formalize a long-term U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership, he added.

Along with an agreement signed last month that begins transitioning the Parwan detention facility to Afghan defense ministry control, today's memo "gives tangible expression" to the vision of a national community leaders council held in November and to the will of the Afghan people, Allen said.

"The Afghan special operations units have developed at extraordinary speed and are manned by courageous and capable operators," the general said. "In large measure, this MOU is a result of the professionalism of the national directorate of security and the Afghan national security forces. We also recognize the growing capacity of the Afghan judicial system, which will play a vital part not only in the implementation of this agreement, but also in the lives of Afghan citizens."

"Today, we are one important step closer to our shared goal of a secure and sovereign Afghanistan," he continued. "Together, we will realize this vision."

CFTC COMES OUT AGAINST BETTING ON ELECTION OUTCOMES WITH DERIVATIVES

FROM CFTC
CFTC Issues Order Prohibiting North American Derivatives Exchange’s Political Event Derivatives Contracts
Washington, DC – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today issued an order pursuant to Section 5c(c)(5)(C)(ii) of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC Regulation 40.11(a)(1), prohibiting the North American Derivatives Exchange (Nadex) from listing or making available for clearing or trading a set of self-certified political event derivatives contracts. The contracts are binary option contracts that pay out based upon the results of various U.S federal elections to be held in 2012.

Nadex self-certified the contracts on December 19, 2011, and on January 3, 2012, the CFTC initiated a 90-day review period of the contracts pursuant to CFTC Regulation 40.11(c). As a result of reviewing the complete record, the CFTC determined that the contracts involve gaming and are contrary to the public interest, and cannot be listed or made available for clearing or trading. By a separate letter, the CFTC also requested that Nadex withdraw its self-certification of related rule amendments that were submitted by Nadex to enable trading of the contracts.

STATE DEPARTMENT NAMES EVAN LYSAEK AS SPORTS ENVOY

FROM U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Department of State Names Evan Lysacek as Sports Envoy
April 6, 2012
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named Olympic gold medalist figure skater Evan Lysacek as a Sports Envoy. On his inaugural trip done in partnership with U.S. Figure Skating, Lysacek will travel to Stockholm, Sweden and Minsk, Belarus April 6 – 13.

While in Sweden, Lysacek will hold ice skating clinics with youth from the Stockholm area, organized in cooperation with the non-governmental organization Sports Without Borders. In Minsk, from April 11 - 13, Lysacek will conduct clinics with the Skating Union of Belarus and speak with students of the University of Physical Culture about the importance of sports in society. He will also attend a competition for wheelchair fencers and wheelchair dancers.

Mr. Lysacek won the gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and was named the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sportsman of the Year in 2010. In 2010, he also won the Amateur Athletic Union’s Sullivan Award, given to the most outstanding U.S. amateur athlete of the year based on athletic accomplishments, leadership skills, character and sportsmanship.

Sports diplomacy builds on Secretary Clinton’s vision of “smart power” diplomacy, which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools, including sports, to bring people together for greater understanding.

Sports Envoys are current and retired professional athletes and coaches from a range of sports that travel overseas to conduct clinics and team building activities, as well as engage youth in a dialogue on the importance of education, positive health practices and respect for diversity. The U.S. Department of State’s sports diplomacy division, SportsUnited, works in close partnership with professional sports leagues, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and respective National Governing Bodies so that American athletes may engage overseas youth in positive dialogue. SportsUnited is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ division devoted to sports diplomacy programs at the U.S. Department of State. Since 2003, SportsUnited has brought more than 900 athletes from 58 countries to the U.S. to participate in Sports Visitor programs. Since 2005, SportsUnited has sent more than 200 U.S. athletes to over 50 countries to participate in Sports Envoy programs.

MAN SENTENCED FOR FIREBOMBING HOME OF INTERRACIAL COUPLE

FROM:  DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, April 6, 2012
Arkansas Man Sentenced for His Role in Firebombing Residence of Interracial Couple
The Department of Justice announced today that Gary Dodson, 33, of Waldron, Ark., was sentenced in Little Rock for his involvement in firebombing the residence of an interracial couple.   On Dec. 7, 2011, Dodson pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the civil rights, criminal interference with housing rights due to race and possession of an unregistered firearm/destructive device.    District Judge Billy Roy Wilson sentenced Dodson to 15 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release for the three counts of conviction.

During his plea, Dodson admitted that on the night of Jan. 14, 2011, he attended a party where he and three other men, Jake Murphy, Dustin Hammond and Jason Barnwell, devised a plan to firebomb the victims’ house.   Dodson then drove the other men to purchase gas for the firebomb and then Dodson drove everyone to the victims’ house in Hardy, Ark. When they arrived, Barnwell, Murphy and Hammond constructed three Molotov cocktails and threw them at the house.   They damaged the victims’ house; however, no one was injured.

Murphy and Hammond previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to and violating the civil rights of the victim.   Both received sentences of 54 months incarceration and three years of supervised release.   In June 2011, Wendy Treybig, who co-hosted the party on Jan. 14, 2011, with Barnwell, pleaded guilty to obstructing justice.   She was sentenced on Dec. 13, 2011, to 21 months incarceration and three years of supervised release.   Jason Barnwell pleaded guilty on Aug. 26, 2011, and was sentenced on Jan. 27, 2012 to 20 years incarceration.

“With today’s sentencing, we can finally close the book on this terrible incident of racial hatred,” stated Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez.    “The sentence reflects the gravity of these kinds of crimes.   The Civil Rights Division will continue to pursue justice in hate crimes such as these, where victims are targeted because of the color of their skin.”

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Christopher R. Thyer said, “The very strength we have in our communities is a result of the diversity of its people.   Those who perpetrate crimes against others solely because of racial differences will find, as these four defendants have, that there is a price to pay.   The laws that protect our communities leave no tolerance for hate crimes.”

This case was investigated by the Little Rock Office of the FBI and the Little Rock Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Arkansas State Police, the Hardy and Waldron Police Departments, and the Scott and Sharp County Sheriff’s Offices.    It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ray White of the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Trial Attorneys Cindy Chung and Henry Leventis of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

ROUNDING PRINCIPAL OF ROYAL WEST PROPERTIES, INC., SENTENCED IN$135 MILLION FRAUD CASE

FROM:  SEC
Royal West Properties, Inc. Founding Principal Sentenced In $135 Million Investor Fraud
On April 4, 2012, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams of the Southern District of Florida sentenced Gaston E. Cantens to five years’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §371 involving a $135 million securities offering fraud and Ponzi scheme targeting Cuban-American investors primarily from South Florida. Cantens, who is now 73, served as president of Royal West Properties, Inc. (Royal West), a Miami-based real estate developer that purchased and resold thousands of parcels of real estate on the west coast of Florida. Cantens funded Royal West by offering investors no-risk promissory notes that promised investors annual returns of 9% to 16% purportedly backed by recorded mortgage assignments. On January 25, 2012, Cantens pled guilty to a criminal Information filed by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. According to the Information, beginning in 2008, Cantens made numerous material misrepresentations to investors about the financial health of Royal West when Cantens knew that Royal West, among other things, paid existing investors with new investors’ funds, assigned the same collateral to multiple investors, assigned investors to non-performing or non-existing mortgages, and failed properly to record mortgages and other interests in the public records, causing investors to have unsecured legal interests in the mortgages and parcels.

On March 3, 2010 the SEC filed an injunctive action that named Cantens and his wife, Teresita Cantens, as defendants.  The SEC’s complaint alleged that Cantens and his wife violated Sections 5(a), 5(c) and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. On March 24, 2011, both Cantens and Teresita Cantens each consented to entry of a Final Judgment of Permanent Injunction and Other Relief in the SEC action. In addition to being enjoined from further violations of the federal securities laws, Cantens and his wife were ordered to pay full injunctive relief and disgorgement of $5,276,750, along with prejudgment interest of $88,297.62. The Order forgoes seeking payment of civil penalties under Section 20(d) of the Securities Act and Section 21(d) of the Exchange Act based on the Cantens’s asserted inability to pay as evidenced by their sworn financial statements and supporting documents submitted to the Commission staff.

THREE BARRED FROM PARTICIPATING IN ANY PENNY STOCK OFFERING

FROM:  SEC
Commission Bars Peter Emrich, Frank Rossi, And Dana Valensky from Association with any Broker, Dealer, Investment Adviser, Municipal Securities Dealer, or Transfer Agent and From Participating in any Offering of a Penny Stock

On April 5, 2012, the Commission issued orders barring Peter Emrich (Emrich), Frank Rossi (Rossi), and Dana Valensky (Valensky) (jointly Respondents) from association with any broker, dealer, investment adviser, municipal securities dealer, or transfer agent and from participating in any offering of a penny stock based on their criminal convictions for offenses arising from their sale of securities in unregistered offerings.

Without admitting or denying the findings in the Orders Making Findings and Imposing Remedial Sanctions Pursuant to Section 15(b)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except as to jurisdiction and convictions, which the Respondents each admitted, the Respondents each consented to the entry of separate orders making findings and imposing remedial sanctions.

Emrich consented to an order making the following findings:
From approximately April 1999 through May 2001, Emrich, a resident of San Rafael, California, acted as an unregistered broker-dealer by selling the securities of Out of the Black Partners LLC in unregistered private offerings (the Out of the Black Offering). Emrich held Series 7, 24, 39, and 63 licenses. On June 18, 2003, Emrich pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in United States v. Kozak, et al., 02-CR-879 (the “Kozak Case”), a criminal case arising from the Out of the Black Offering. On May 10, 2010, a criminal judgment was entered against Emrich. He was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay restitution of $178,775. The count of the indictment in the Kozak Case to which Emrich pleaded guilty, alleged, among other things, that between approximately April 1999 and May 2001, Emrich, and others conspired to defraud investors by concealing the actual amount of sales commissions that would be paid from the proceeds of the Out of the Black Offering.
Rossi consented to an order making the following findings:

From approximately December 1997 through December 1998, Rossi, a resident of Buffalo, New York, acted as an unregistered broker-dealer by selling the securities of Little Giant LLC in an unregistered private offering (the Little Giant Offering). From approximately October 1998 through June 2000, Rossi acted as an unregistered broker-dealer by selling the securities of Heritage Film Group LLC in an unregistered private offering (the Heritage Offering). Rossi held Series 6 and Series 63 licenses. On April 24, 2003, Rossi pleaded guilty before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York to two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 in United States v. Leonard, et al. 02-CR-881 (the “Leonard Case”), a criminal case arising from the Little Giant Offering and the Heritage Offering. On March 21, 2011, a criminal judgment was entered against Rossi. He was sentenced to two years probation. The counts of the indictment to which Rossi pleaded guilty in the Leonard Case alleged, among other things, that Rossi and others conspired to defraud investors by concealing the actual amount of sales commissions that would be paid from the proceeds of the Little Giant and Heritage Offerings.
Valensky consented to an order making the following findings:

Valensky, a resident of Laguna Niguel, California, controlled Vanguard Entertainment Productions, Inc., a California corporation that operated as an independent sales office that offered and sold securities in the Heritage Offering. Valensky acted as an unregistered broker-dealer in the Heritage Offering. Valensky held Series 22 and 63 licenses but was not associated with an entity registered with the Commission during the Heritage Offering. Valensky pleaded guilty before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in the Leonard Case and two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in U.S. v. Noorai, et al., 02-CR-880 (the Noorai Case), a criminal case arising from a private offering of securities. On November 10, 2010, a criminal judgment was entered against Valensky in the Nooraiand Leonard Cases. Valensky was sentenced to concurrent terms of three years probation in the Noorai andLeonard Cases.

Robots For The Future

Robots For The Future

STATEMENT BY STATE DEPARTMENT ON TRANSITION IN YEMEN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARMENT
Political Transition in Yemen
Press Statement Mark C. Toner
Acting Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 7, 2012
The United States welcomes President Abdo Rabo Mansour Hadi's announcement of civilian and military personnel transfers as part of the ongoing political transition in Yemen. The changes signify the National Consensus Government's commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of the Yemeni people and restoring stability to the country. In spite of those who seek to derail the transition, President Hadi has demonstrated strong leadership by steadfastly implementing the agreed-upon political settlement. We join the diplomatic corps in Sana'a in urging all parties to cooperate fully with the presidential decree so that Yemen may continue to pursue a peaceful and orderly transition.

ANTARCTIC TELESCOPE SUPPORTS EXPLANATION OF DARK ENERGY FORCE

FROM NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Credit: Daniel Luong-Van, National Science Foundation

NSF-funded 10-meter South Pole Telescope in Antarctica provides new support for the most widely accepted explanation of dark energy, the source of the mysterious force that is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe.

April 2, 2012
Analysis of data from the National Science Foundation- (NSF) funded 10-meter South Pole Telescope (SPT) in Antarctica provides new support for the most widely accepted explanation of dark energy, the source of the mysterious force that is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe.

The results begin to hone in on the tiny mass of the neutrinos, the most abundant particles in the universe, which until recently were thought to be without mass.
The SPT data strongly support Albert Einstein's cosmological constant--the leading model for dark energy--even though researchers base the analysis on only a fraction of the SPT data collected and only 100 of the over 500 galaxy clusters detected so far.

"With the full SPT data set we will be able to place extremely tight constraints on dark energy and possibly determine the mass of the neutrinos," said Bradford Benson, an NSF-funded postdoctoral scientist at the University of Chicago's Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics.

Benson presented the SPT collaboration's latest findings, Sunday, April 1, at the American Physical Society meeting in Atlanta.

These most recent SPT findings are only the latest scientifically significant results produced by NSF-funded researchers using the telescope in the five years since it became active, noted Vladimir Papitashvili, Antarctic Astrophysics and Geospace Sciences program director in NSF's Office of Polar Programs.

"The South Pole Telescope has proven to be a crown jewel of astrophysical research carried out by NSF in the Antarctic," he said. "It has produced about two dozen peer-reviewed science publications since the telescope received its 'first light' on Feb. 17, 2007. SPT is a very focused, well-managed and amazing project."

The 280-ton SPT stands 75 feet tall and is the largest astronomical telescope ever built in the clear and dry air of Antarctica. Sited at NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole station at the geographic South Pole, it stands at an elevation of 9,300 feet on the polar plateau. Because of its location at the Earth's axis, it can conduct long-term observations.

NSF manages the U.S. Antarctic Program through which it coordinates all U.S. scientific research on the southernmost continent and aboard ships in the Southern Ocean as well as providing the necessary related logistics support.

An international research collaboration led by the University of Chicago manages the South Pole Telescope. The collaboration includes research groups at Argonne National Laboratory; Cardiff University in Wales; Case Western Reserve University; Harvard University; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Germany; the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; McGill University in Canada; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Davis; the University of Colorado Boulder; and the University of Michigan, as well as individual scientists at several other institutions.

SPT specifically was designed to tackle the dark-energy mystery. The 10-meter telescope operates at millimeter wavelengths to make high-resolution images of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, the light left over from the big bang.

Scientists use the CMB to search for distant, massive galaxy clusters that can be used to pinpoint the properties of dark energy and also help define the mass of the neutrino.
"The CMB is literally an image of the universe when it was only 400,000 years old, from a time before the first planets, stars and galaxies formed in the universe," Benson said. "The CMB has travelled across the entire observable universe, for almost 14 billion years, and during its journey is imprinted with information regarding both the content and evolution of the universe."

The new SPT results are based on a new method that combines measurements taken by the telescope and by NASA and European Space Agency X-ray satellites, and extends these measurements to larger distances than previously achieved.

The most widely accepted property of dark energy is that it leads to a pervasive force acting everywhere and at all times in the universe. This force could be the manifestation of Einstein's cosmological constant that assigns energy to space, even when it is free of matter and radiation.

Einstein considered the cosmological constant to be one of his greatest blunders after learning that the universe is not static, but expanding.

In the late 1990s, astronomers discovered the universe's expansion appears to be accelerating according to cosmic distance measurements based on the relatively uniform luminosity of exploding stars. The finding was a surprise because gravity should have been slowing the expansion, which followed the big bang.

Einstein introduced the cosmological constant into his theory of general relativity to accommodate a stationary universe, the dominant idea of his day. But his constant fits nicely into the context of an accelerating universe, now supported by countless astronomical observations.

Others hypothesize that gravity could operate differently on the largest scales of the universe. In either case, the astronomical measurements point to new physics that have yet to be understood.

As the CMB passes through galaxy clusters, the clusters effectively leave "shadows" that allow astronomers to identify the most massive clusters in the universe, nearly independent of their distance.

"Clusters of galaxies are the most massive, rare objects in the universe, and therefore they can be effective probes to study physics on the largest scales of the universe," said John Carlstrom, the S. Chandrasekhar Distinguished Service Professor in Astronomy & Astrophysics, who heads the SPT collaboration.

"The unsurpassed sensitivity and resolution of the CMB maps produced with the South Pole Telescope provides the most detailed view of the young universe and allows us to find all the massive clusters in the distant universe," said Christian Reichardt, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley and lead author of the new SPT cluster catalog paper.

The number of clusters that formed over the history of the universe is sensitive to the mass of the neutrinos and the influence of dark energy on the growth of cosmic structures.
"Neutrinos are amongst the most abundant particles in the universe," Benson said. "About one trillion neutrinos pass through us each second, though you would hardly notice them because they rarely interact with 'normal' matter."

The existence of neutrinos was proposed in 1930. They were first detected 25 years later, but their exact mass remains unknown. If they are too massive they would significantly affect the formation of galaxies and galaxy clusters, Benson said.

The SPT team has been able to improve estimates of neutrino masses, yielding a value that approaches predictions stemming from particle physics measurements.

"It is astounding how SPT measurements of the largest structures in the universe lead to new insights on the evasive neutrinos," said Lloyd Knox, professor of physics at the University of California at Davis and member of the SPT collaboration. Knox will also highlight the neutrino results in his presentation on Neutrinos in Cosmology at a special session of the APS on Tuesday, April 3.

NSF's Office of Polar Programs primarily funds the SPT. The NSF-funded Physics Frontier Center of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, the Kavli Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation provide partial support.