COURT ORDERS SEIZURE OF 36 WEB DOMAINS THAT SELL STOLEN CREDIT CARD NUMBERS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Federal Courts Order Seizure of 36 Website Domains Involved in Selling Stolen Credit Card Numbers
WASHINGTON – Seizure orders have been executed against 36 domain names of websites engaged in the illegal sale and distribution of stolen credit card numbers, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia and Acting Executive Assistant Director Kevin Perkins of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, announced today.

The seizures are the result of Operation Wreaking hAVoC, an FBI and Justice Department operation targeting the sale of stolen credit card numbers via the Internet.  The operation was coordinated with international law enforcement, including the United Kingdom’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).

The 36 seized domains are in the custody of the federal government.  Visitors to the sites will now find a seizure banner that notifies them that the domain name has been seized by federal authorities.

“The websites we are targeting today were commercial outlets for stolen credit card information,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.  “By making this information available on the Internet, these websites facilitated fraud on credit card holders around the world.  The actions announced today are the result of extraordinary coordination with our international law enforcement partners, and reflect our commitment to use every tool at our disposal to shut down fraudulent, criminal enterprises.”

“Countless lives are thrown into financial turmoil because of these websites,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride.  “With a few simple clicks, thousands of stolen credit card numbers can be bought or sold to fraudsters anywhere in the world.  Today’s seizures are part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt this online market regardless of where it operates.”
“By seizing the websites the criminal underground uses to blatantly sell stolen personal information, Operation Wreaking hAVoC shows that we are committed to protecting individuals online and preventing criminals from using the Internet to line their pockets,” said FBI Acting Executive Assistant Director Perkins.  “The FBI and our partners around the world are committed to disabling these criminal networks.  No single law enforcement agency can fight cyber crime on its own, and the FBI is proud to be a part of such an outstanding effort by all of the participating agencies.”

The websites of the seized domain names are commonly referred to as Automated Vending Carts (AVCs).  An AVC is a website that functions as an open-ended invitation to any visitor to purchase stolen credit card numbers.  AVCs allow a user to buy stolen credit card data over the Web, even using an online “shopping cart,” just like a traditional online retailer.  Some AVC sites allow a buyer to select which type of credit card number to purchase, the account’s country of origin, and, in some cases, the state in which the account holder lives.  AVCs allow sellers to traffic stolen credit card data without communicating directly with buyers.

During this operation, law enforcement officials made undercover purchases of credit card numbers, including credit card numbers issued by Bank of America, Sun Trust and Capital One.  The banks confirmed that the sites were not authorized to sell the credit card numbers.  Seizure orders were obtained from a federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Virginia.
This U.S. operation was led by FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property and Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Sections of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania also assisted in the investigation.

The international operation was led by the United Kingdom’s SOCA.  The Australian Federal Police (AFP); German Bundeskriminalamt (BKA); United Kingdom’s Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU); Macedonian Ministry of Interior Cyber Crime Unit (MOI); Ukraine Ministry of Internal Affairs; Romanian Ministry of Interior; and the Dutch High-Tech Crimes Unit (KLPD) provided assistance.  Activities conducted by these international law enforcement agencies included arrests of AVC operators and purchasers, additional domain seizures and data seizures.

McKESSON CORP PAYS OVER $190 MILLION TO SETTLE ALLEGATIONS OF INFLATING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, April 26, 2012
McKesson Corp. Pays U.S. More Than $190 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
McKesson Corporation has agreed to pay the United States more than $190 million to resolve claims that it violated the False Claims Act by reporting inflated pricing information for a large number of prescription drugs, causing Medicaid to overpay for those drugs.

Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division; New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman; and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the settlement today.

The government alleges that McKesson, a large drug wholesaler, reported the inflated pricing data to First DataBank (FDB), a publisher of drug prices that are used by most state Medicaid programs to set payment rates for pharmaceuticals.

The Medicaid program is funded jointly by the federal and state governments.   This settlement resolves claims based on the federal share of Medicaid overpayments caused by McKesson’s conduct.   In addition to the $190 million – which represents the $187 million settlement and interest – state governments can separately negotiate with McKesson to resolve claims based on the states’ shares of the Medicaid overpayments.

The drug pricing data at issue here relates to the “Average Wholesale Price” (AWP) benchmark used by Medicaid and other programs to set payment rates for pharmaceuticals.   The settlement announced today is based on the United States’ allegations that McKesson reported inflated mark-up percentages to FDB for a wide variety of brand name drugs, causing FDB to publish inflated AWPs for those drugs.

To date, federal and state governments have recovered more than $2 billion from drug manufacturers that were alleged to have reported inflated AWP information to FDB and other publishers of drug prices.

“This case demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to ensuring that Medicaid funds are expended appropriately,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Delery.   “Companies that report pricing data that affect government payment rates, whether those companies are manufacturers, wholesalers, or otherwise, are required to report that data accurately.”

“This is the latest example of a corporation’s intentionally manipulating the complicated system by which drug purchases are reimbursed,” said U.S. Attorney Fishman.  “We have no tolerance for those who take advantage of that system to bring in more business by falsely increasing reimbursements to retailers.”

“This settlement with McKesson highlights the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to protecting against artificially inflated drug prices,” said Inspector General Levinson.   “Our analyses of drug price reporting practices – including the use of ‘Average Wholesale Price’ – have consistently identified excessive Medicare and Medicaid payments resulting from these practices.”

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas O’Donnell of the New York Regional Office, for the investigation leading to today’s settlement.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kriegsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division in Newark and Jeffrey A. Toll and Justin Draycott of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division.

McKesson does not admit to any liability regarding the claims settled by this agreement.

STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA REVOKE CHARTERS AT SEVERAL FOR-PROFIT SCHOOL

FROM:  VETERANS AFFAIRS VANTAGE POINT
Student Vets Group Outs Schools with Revoked Charters
April 26, 2012
 by Alex Horton 
A few weeks ago, we reported that Student Veterans of America revoked charter membership at a number of for-profit schools. The schools were charged with violating the terms of their agreement with SVA, which includes a clause stipulating the chapters would be run by student Veterans.

Today, SVA produced a list of the 26 schools whose charters the group pulled. Half are owned by a single company: Education Management Corporation.

SVA’s executive director weighed in on why the violations are significant:
A few weeks ago, we reported that Student Veterans of America revoked charter membership at a number of for-profit schools. The schools were charged with violating the terms of their agreement with SVA, which includes a clause stipulating the chapters would be run by student Veterans.

Today, SVA produced a list of the 26 schools whose charters the group pulled. Half are owned by a single company: Education Management Corporation.
SVA’s executive director weighed in on why the violations are significant:

1) It defrauds veterans seeking advice from SVA’s student leaders;
2) It deters veterans who would otherwise form chapters at these campuses;
3) It misrepresents these chapters as being a point of contact for veterans seeking out their peers who can help them with transition issues and introduce them to a community of individuals that share similar experiences;
4) It undermines the legitimacy and reputation of SVA.
Many military and veteran-friendly school lists cite having a SVA chapter as a criterion for becoming ‘veteran-friendly’. The term ‘military-friendly’, or ‘veteran-friendly’, as it relates to academic institutions is ill-defined.

The last point is considerably relevant and concerning. Out of the 26 schools that saw their SVA chapters pulled, 14 appeared on a major “military friendly” school list, which is then used by for-profits to attract active duty troops and Veterans. One school with three revoked SVA chapters took the number one spot in the online and nontraditional category for the Military Times Edge “Best for Vets: Colleges 2011”.
Universities and colleges are increasingly the place where Veterans choose to go for their first foray into the post-military world. Their choices and experiences will impact the rest of their lives, so it’s important that student Vets make the most of their time and benefits. Be sure to do your own research (along with our handy pointers) so you can make the best informed decision possible.

AIR FORCE RESERVE HELP TO RESCUE CLIMBER WHO FELL 150 FEET IN DANALI NATIONAL PARK

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
Photo: Denali National Park - Mt. McKinley.  U.S. Park Service 
PJ's rescue fallen ice climber in Denali National Park
by 2nd Lt. Leslie Forshaw
920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

4/25/2012 - CAMP DENALI, Alaska -- Two Air Force Reserve pararescuemen from the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., assisted in the rescue of a climber who fell more than 150 feet while climbing Moose's Tooth in Denali National Park April 21.

The 11th Air Force Rescue Coordination Center received  the rescue call at 2:20 a.m.

The National Park Service was not able to launch a rescue aircraft until 6 a.m. the next morning - so the RCC coordinator notified the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons.

"The climber needed immediate assistance," said Capt. Gregg Laird, RCC senior controller, Alaska ANG.

The Guardian Angel Weapon system launched with an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and an HC-130P/N King aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, to make the 120-mile flight northwest of Anchorage.

"The patient was described as going in and out of conscientiousness and we didn't know if he was still on the rock or down at the base," said Staff Sgt. Nate Greene, pararescuemen, ANG.

After flying low, slow patterns over the area - the crew spotted a group of people by a tent in an area up the hill from the landing strip used to access the 10,300-foot peak.

The rescue helicopter pilots found a safe place to land. Greene, along with Senior Master Sgt. Jonathon Davis, ANG, and Tech Sgt.'s Daniel Warren and William Posch, Air Force Reserve PJs from Patrick AFB, made their way to the patient.

"Getting off the helicopter we had a stokes litter and medical bag, "said Warren. "Every step in that deep snow at high altitude and carrying gear was a challenge."

At the tent, the PJ team went to work examining the patient and assessing the situation.

PJs are considered special operators skilled in trauma medicine and conditioned athletes trained in extreme sports, such as mountain climbing and skydiving, to quickly get to combatants wounded on the battlefield and administer life-saving medical treatment. The battlefield, however, is only one of the many places on earth PJs are able to save lives. Any terrain where someone needs rescued, PJs are able to get there.

"Upon initial assessment, the patient was amazingly coherent for falling 150 feet," said Warren.

We took spinal injury precautions and focused on packaging the patient and getting him ready for transport, said Warren.

According to the state of Alaska public affairs office, the climber made it to the top of the climb and was on his way back down when one of his anchors came out of the rock.

"The patient was climbing at night, when the ice is the hardest. His last anchor failed which caused the fall," said Warren. "He hit his head or helmet at least once on the way down and was still suspended in the air after the fall."

The patient's fellow climbers were able to get him to the ground and then place him in a sleeping bag while awaiting rescue, said Warren.

The PJs moved the injured climber onto a spinal board and into a hypothermic bag-equipped litter to keep him warm and secure.

It took three PJs and four members of the climbing party to carry the small patient on a stokes litter through the deep snow to the helicopter, said Warren.

"That's just an example of how extreme the altitude and snow affects a person," said Warren.

The patient was onboard the helicopter by 6:55 a.m. and transported to Providence Hospital by 7:55 a.m.

"Here is an example of more good actions by Guardian Angel Airmen supporting the Alaska ANG," said Col. Mark Blalock, 920th RQW Operations Group commander. "The Alaska alert augmentation has been yielding some great missions and super training and experience we don't normally get."

The Florida reservists have been supplementing the ANG rescue forces for the experience and training only the Alaska mountains can provide.

"Training with the Alaska Air National Guard PJs and working with them on alert is a welcome challenge," said Warren. "It gives us exposure to their unique alert requirement. It's an honor, if only for a short time, to be a part of helping them do what they do best." Warren also took part in another Alaska rescue earlier this year.

The three-week rotations for the Florida Reserve GA Airmen started in January and will continue through September.

Since the start of the Alaska rotations, the 920th RQW GAs have parachuted into a remote village during a snow storm to provide medical help to a villager, been drug through snow by a helicopter while saving an avalanche victim.

"It's a lot like any injured Soldier, Sailor or Marine we see [on the battlefield]. They are just normal people doing amazing things...just having a really bad day. It's our job to make the worst days of their lives just a little better," said Warren.

The motto, "These things we do, that others may live," continues to be a way of life for the GA.

JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN ORDERS REVIEW OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION MATERIAL USED IN TRAINING

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE  

Dempsey Orders Review of Courses Dealing With Islam

By Jim Garamone

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has ordered the directors of joint military education institutions and combatant commanders to examine the scope and content of training and education courses dealing with Islamic extremism to ensure they are appropriate and in keeping with U.S. values and principles.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey sent the letter after students at the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., raised concerns about the content of a class entitled "Perspectives on Islam and Islamic Radicalism." Dempsey ordered the course closed until the study is complete.

"Our concern is there are some unprofessional things being taught to students in professional military education curriculum," Kirby said during a press availability today.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is aware of Dempsey's order and he shares the general's concern, the captain said. "He also completely endorses the chairman's intention to look at joint professional military education across the board to make sure we have done an adequate scrub on the content of this type of curriculum," Kirby said.

Some of the material in the course was not simply objectionable but inflammable, Kirby said. A student who finished the course last month brought it to the chairman's attention.

One example of the objectionable material was a Power Point slide highlighting inflammatory statements. On the slide was the assertion "that the United States is at war with Islam and we ought to just recognize that we are at war," Kirby said. "That's not at all what we believe to be the case: We're at war with terrorism, specifically al-Qaida, who has a warped view of the Islamic faith. That's just one example.

"These assertions are not in keeping with our principles or ideas," he continued. "We believe the right thing to do was to suspend the course due to some of the things that were presented in the course."

Dempsey has also ordered an inquiry into this particular course to determine how this material got into the course, and what is needed to improve it moving forward. The course has been taught at the staff college since 2004.

PRESIDENT OBAMA CRACKS DOWN ON SCHOOLS TARGETING SERVICE MEMBERS WITH MISLEADING INFORMATION

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Grand Foyer of the White House, April 27, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Obama: Executive Order Protects Military, Vet Students
By Donna Miles
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2012 – President Barack Obama dedicated his weekly radio and video address today to describing the advantages of a new executive order designed to crack down on bad actors who prey on service members and veterans considering higher education.

Obama, who traveled yesterday to Fort Stewart, Ga., to unveil the new order, called it vital protection to brave men and women who are often bombarded by schools that provide false or misleading information about things like interest rates on loans, credit transfers, and job placement programs.

The order, he explained, will make it easier for military members and veterans to make informed decisions about financial aid and paying for college and also takes a number of steps to fight deceptive practices by some institutions.

“These men and women have fought with bravery and honor in some of the most dangerous places on the planet,” the president said today, noting that some never returned. “But those who did are now fighting a different kind of battle here at home,” he said. “They’re looking for new jobs, new opportunities, and new ways to serve.”
For many, Obama said, that means returning to school with help from the 9/11 GI Bill and tuition assistance program to help defray costs. Last year, these measures supported more than a half-million veterans and more than 300,000 service members who are pursuing a higher education, he noted.

“That’s progress,” he said. “But it’s not enough to just help our veterans and service members afford school -– we need to make sure they have all the tools they need to make an informed decision when it comes to picking the right program.”

Obama recognized the sad truth that some unscrupulous people are “less interested in helping our men and women in uniform get ahead and more interested in making a buck.” They game the system, he said, bombarding potential students with high-pressure tactics and steering them toward high-interest loans and misleading credit transfers and job placement programs.

“That’s appalling. It’s disgraceful,” he said. “And even though the vast majority of schools do the right thing, we need to guard against the bad actors who don’t.”
The new executive order will make it tougher for those who try to prey on service members and veterans. It will ensure they get the straight facts and make it easier to file complaints, he said.
The result, the president said, will be more security for service members, veterans and their families.

“When our men and women in uniform succeed, our country succeeds,” Obama said. “ They have our back; now it’s our turn to have theirs. And as long as I’m president, I’m going to make sure that anyone who serves this country gets every opportunity they deserve.”

MILITARY PERSONNEL LEADERS GIVE TESTIMONY ON BUDGET REQUEST BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Service Personnel Leaders Testify on Budget Request

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

WASHINGTON, April 27, 2012 - Army, Navy and Air Force leaders detailed plans for force readiness and service member support when they briefed a Senate committee this week on budget requests for next year.

"Wartime experiences over the past decade have taught us that we must have a total Army," Thomas R. Lamont, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on military and civilian personnel programs April 25. The Army National Guard and Army Reserve provide 51 percent of the Army's military end strength for around 16 percent of the base budget, he said.

Lamont said he looks forward to working with Congress to ensure the Guard and Reserve maintain a readily trained force of one million soldiers. "We are increasingly aware of the physical and emotional toll a decade of war has taken on our force," Lamont said. "And we are committed to providing quality assistance" to soldiers and family members who are struggling with issues such as substance abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress."

All affect readiness and weaken the force, Lamont said. The Army continues to take aggressive action to promote health, identify and reduce risky behaviors and prevent suicides, he said. He also said the service is working hard to establish a climate where sexual harassment, sexual assault and hazing are not tolerated.

At the same hearing, Juan M. Garcia III, assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs, highlighted new ROTC units and opportunities including those for women that have opened in the force.

"We have 23 female officers assigned to submarines, with more being assigned in the very near future," Garcia said. "Last year, I spoke of new Navy ROTC units at Arizona State University and Rutgers. This year, I'm pleased to report that we're expanding our ROTC presence at Harvard, Yale and Columbia as part of our goal to make Naval service a viable option for young men and women from all regions and all segments of society."

The Navy and Marine Corps will strive to meet operational requirements as efficiently as possible, Garcia added. "For the Navy, this means continuing to move sailors from shore-support functions to sea duty to enhance operational readiness," he explained. "For the Marines, the reduction of nearly 20,000 in end strength coincides with the planned withdrawal from Afghanistan."

Garcia said the Navy's highest priority remains the care and recovery of wounded, ill and injured service members, adding, "the Navy is leading the way in innovative, therapeutic treatments of our wounded warriors."

Daniel B. Ginsberg, assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs testified about "very hard choices" the Air Force made for this year's budget submission.

"We had to reconcile top-line reductions with our requirement to fulfill our global commitments, and maintain acceptable levels of readiness while still sustaining key quality-of-life and core services for our people," Ginsberg said.

"Despite a difficult budget situation, the Air Force is committed to providing cost-effective medical care, services and programs to maintain a healthy and resilient force," he said. "We must support our people to meet the demands of a high-operation tempo and persistent conflict."

Ginsberg also told the committee how the services worked together to form a cohesive budget plan through the Defense Management Action Group.

"There's lots of communications back and forth where we highlight some of the big issues that are going to be coming forward in the year ahead," he added.

DENSCO CORPORATION EXECUTIVE PLEADS GUILTY TO PRICE FIXING BID-RIGGING CONSPIRACY OF U.S. AUTO PARTS

FROM:  DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, April 26, 2012
DENSO Corporation Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Automobile Parts Price-Fixing and Bid-Rigging Conspiracy Executive Agrees to Serve 14 Months in U.S. Prison
WASHINGTON – An executive of Japanese-based DENSO Corporation has agreed to plead guilty and to serve 14 months in a U.S. prison for his role in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for heater control panels (HCPs) installed in U.S. cars, the Department of Justice announced today.

According to the one-count felony charge filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit, Makoto Hattori, along with co-conspirators, engaged in a conspiracy to rig bids for and to fix, stabilize and maintain the prices of HCPs sold to a customer in the United States and elsewhere. HCPs are located in the center console of an automobile and control the temperature of the interior environment of a vehicle.

According to the charge, Hattori participated in the conspiracy from at least as early as July 2005, until at least July 2008. During the conspiracy, Hattori was an assistant manager in the Toyota Sales Division at DENSO from July 2005 until December 2006, and a manager in the Toyota Sales Division from December 2006 until at least July 2008.  According to the plea agreement, which is subject to court approval, Hattori has agreed to serve 14 months in a U.S. prison, to pay a $20,000 criminal fine and to cooperate with the department’s ongoing investigation.

“The Antitrust Division remains committed to holding executives accountable for engaging in illegal conduct that directly impacts the pocketbooks of American consumers and businesses,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis A. Pozen in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Criminal antitrust enforcement remains a top priority and the division will continue to work with the FBI and our law enforcement counterparts to root out this kind of cartel conduct that results in higher, non-competitive prices.”

According to court documents, Hattori and co-conspirators carried out the conspiracy by agreeing, during meetings and conversations, to allocate the supply of HCPs on a model-by-model basis and to coordinate price adjustments requested by an automobile manufacturer in the United States and elsewhere. The department said that Hattori and the co-conspirators sold HCPs at non-competitive prices and engaged in meetings and conversations for the purpose of monitoring and enforcing adherence to the agreed-upon bid-rigging and price-fixing scheme.

Including Hattori, nine individuals and five companies have been charged in the department’s ongoing investigation into price fixing and bid rigging in the auto parts industry.  Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd, DENSO Corporation and Yazaki Corporation have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to pay a total of more than $748 million in criminal fines.  G.S. Electech Inc. and Fujikura Ltd have agreed to plead guilty and await sentencing.  Additionally, seven of the individuals - Junichi Funo, Hirotsugu Nagata, Tetsuya Ukai, Tsuneaki Hanamura, Ryoji Kawai, Shigeru Ogawa and Hisamitsu Takada – have been sentenced to pay criminal fines and to serve jail sentences ranging from a year and a day to two years each.  The remaining two individuals, Hattori and Norihiro Imai, have agreed to plead guilty and await sentencing.

Hattori is charged with price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals. The maximum fine for an individual may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

4TH SPACE OPERATIONS SQUADRON CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND
4 SOPS celebrates 20 years of history 

by 1st Lt. Shawn Woodall Jr.
4th Space Operations Squadron



Brig. Gen. Roger W. Teague, Space and Missile Systems Center vice commander. speaks to members of the 4th Space Operations Squadron and other attendees at the ceremony marking the 20th Anniversary of the 4 SOPS April 20. Following the ceremony, attendees were able to tour the current 4 SOPS operations floor. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Dennis Rogers)

4/25/2012 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.  -- For nearly 20 years, the men and women of the 4th Space Operations Squadron have been providing protected military satellite communications to the Department of Defense. Though April 30 marks the 20-year milestone for the squadron, 4 SOPS lineage dates back to the early 1940s.

The squadron began with the activation of the 4th Photographic Squadron June 10, 1941, at March Field, Calif. In World War II, the unit saw a lot of action in the Pacific Theater and was highly decorated.

The unit experienced a few more activations and deactivations before it was activated with its current designation. The 4 SOPS, as we know it today, was activated April 30, 1992, with the charge to operate highly protected military satellite communications operating the Milstar Constellation. Today, along with operating Milstar, 4 SOPS recently took control of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite communication system.

With this, the unit celebrated its 20th anniversary, April 20, with a series of events. Lt. Col. Scott Trinrud, 4 SOPS commander, and Brig. Gen. Roger Teague, director of the Space and Missile Systems Center's Infrared Space Systems Directorate, kicked off the celebration with opening remarks at the Bldg. 210 atrium. The 4 SOPS also hosted a social event in the evening at Peterson Air Force Base club, where Trinrud and former squadron commanders gave remarks about the squadron and its achievements.

"It's an honor to be a part of a squadron with a proud heritage and a critical mission," said Lt. Col. Patrick Long, 4 SOPS director of operations.

As part of its mission, the squadron commands and controls the Air Force-protected MILSATCOM systems, which provide warfighters global, secure, survivable, strategic and tactical communication during peacetime and throughout the full spectrum of conflict. The 4 SOPS' motto, "Linking the Forces," mirrors the squadron's responsibility to enhance the nation's secure communications capability for today's military forces. The squadron operates the Milstar/AEHF satellite constellation through the Air Force Satellite Control Network, Protected Satellite Operations Center and Mobile Constellation Control Stations. The Milstar/AEHF constellation links command authorities to high-priority U.S. forces via communications terminals onboard aircraft, ships, submarines, trucks and ground sites with encrypted facsimile, teletype, data or voice communications.

Another aspect to the 4 SOPS mission consists of its mobile operations, whose operators are ready to deploy at a moment's notice. They deploy with the commanders of U.S. Northern Command and Strategic Command, supplying survivable, enduring and secure communications and constellation command and control throughout the entire spectrum of conflict, which includes trans- and post-attack phases of nuclear war.

"Our mobile capability offers uniqueness unknown to any other squadron that provides MILSATCOM," said 1st Lt. Kris Walker, mobile operations engineer. "This exceptionality makes 4 SOPS critical to routine, as well as contingency operations."

As the squadron moves forward with satellite operations, DoD users can be assured that 4 SOPS will continue to provide military satellite communications for many years to come

CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE DAVE CAMP'S FLOOR STATEMENT ON "SMALL BUSINESS TAX CUT ACT"

FROM:  CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP’S WEBSITE
Camp Floor Statement: H.R. 9, “The Small Business Tax Cut Act.”Thursday, April 19, 2012
I rise today in support of H.R. 9, “The Small Business Tax Cut Act.”  This legislation will allow small businesses with fewer than 500 employees to take a 20 percent tax deduction.

Small businesses are the engine of job creation.  And, while we pursue comprehensive tax reform that will give all businesses certainty to invest and hire, this bill will help small businesses to re-invest, hire new workers, or provide a raise to an employee.
The policies put forth by President Obama and Congressional Democrats have yielded more government spending, but have failed to generate strong economic growth and the jobs Americans need.  Instead of lower unemployment, we got a lower credit rating.  Instead of massive job creation, we got massive and unprecedented levels of debt.  And, instead of higher wages for working families, we got higher gas prices.

This bill provides real relief to American small businesses and the workers they employ.  And, it treats every small business equally.  Contrary to the political cronyism we’ve seen time and again, this bill doesn’t pick winners and losers.  It provides relief to all small businesses, including those in my home state of Michigan.

Michigan has been hit especially hard over the last three years with some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.  And while small business owners in my district need and want comprehensive tax reform, they also agree that we must take steps to spur investment and hiring today, too. These business owners are the real experts who know what they need to add jobs back to our communities.

Take for example, Bob Yackel, President of Merrill Tools.  As part of the 400-employee Merrill Technologies Group, Mr. Yackel says, “As a manufacturing business in Mid-Michigan, we know firsthand the ramifications of the recent economic turmoil.  The best way Washington can help energize economic growth is by making sure business owners are spending less on tax payments and more on creating jobs.”

Bob Yackel is a larger small business owner, but there are smaller businesses that feel the same way.  Jim Holton, owner of Mountain Town Station in Mount Pleasant, has served the central Michigan community as a restaurant owner for more than 15 years.  He is especially pleased with the simplicity and ease of this legislative approach.  He says, “The beauty of the Small Business Tax Cut Act is its simplicity.  If you are earning profits and contributing to the economy, then you can take 20 percent off your tax bill.  No hoops to jump through.  This is a great way for business owners like myself in the Great Lakes Bay region and across America to help jumpstart our economy.”

Those are just two examples in Michigan’s Fourth District, but they echo small business owners across the country.  Throughout our history we have depended upon these industrious and innovative risk-takers to help us move through tough economic times.  While we work to provide them the long-term comprehensive tax reform they need, we can also take steps today to unlock new opportunities for them immediately.   Passing this bill will provide these much-needed, immediate opportunities.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting small business – and to demonstrate that support by voting yes on HR 9.

SECRETARY OF THE NAVY VISITS HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan (April 24, 2012) Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) the Honorable Ray Mabus hands out candy to Afghan children near Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Mabus conducted battlefield circulations with Marine and Navy forces, received updates on progress from coalition and Afghan leaders, and thanked service members for their service and sacrifice. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sam Shavers/Released)

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON PANETTA STILL FOCUSSED ON AL-QAIDA

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 

Panetta: U.S. Remains Focused on Pursuit of Al-Qaida

By Cheryl Pellerin

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, April 27, 2012 - America has become a safer place since a Navy SEAL team killed 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden in his Pakistan compound nearly a year ago, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

Returning from a weeklong trip to South America to strengthen military ties in Colombia, Brazil and Chile, Panetta, who was director of the CIA on May 2, 2011, when the al-Qaida chieftain met his end, recalled the high-risk mission the Defense Department called Operation Neptune Spear.

"I don't think there's any question that America is safer as a result of the bin Laden operation," Panetta told reporters traveling with him.

"When you combine that with the other operations that have ... gone after al-Qaida leadership," he added, "I think it has weakened al-Qaida as an organization and certainly it has prevented them from having the command-and-control capability to be able to put together an attack similar to 9/11.

But al-Qaida remains a threat, the secretary said.

"It doesn't mean that we somehow don't have the responsibility to keep going after them wherever they are -- and we are," he said.

President Barack Obama's decision to give the bin Laden operation the green light was gutsy, the secretary said, since there wasn't absolute confirmation that bin Laden was inside the Abbottabad compound.

Officials had based the operation "on a lot of circumstantial evidence," the secretary said, yet it was the best lead on bin Laden's whereabouts since 2001.

However, the validity of the evidence, he said, was "still a big question mark."

Panetta said the operation provided "several fingernail-biting moments" for U.S. officials and military leaders who from Afghanistan, the CIA operations center and the White House were monitoring the raid as it happened.

One of those anxious moments occurred, the secretary said, when the military aircraft used in the operation -- two lead helicopters plus backups -- entered Pakistani airspace.

"When they crossed the border and were going into Pakistan there were a lot of tense moments about whether or not they would be detected," Panetta said.

Another nail-biting moment occurred as the helicopters entered the Abbottabad compound and one of them lost lift and had to be left behind and destroyed, Panetta said.

"What had happened was that we had picked up from weather reports what the heat conditions were going to be on the ground," the secretary said, "but it turned out to be hotter than we expected."

The heat, intensified by the compound's thick, high walls, caused the helicopter to lose lift and end up on the ground.

Panetta was at that time on the line with Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. McRaven was monitoring communications from Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

After the loss of the helicopter, Panetta recalled asking McRaven, "Okay, what's next?" The admiral, the secretary said, replied, "Don't worry, we're ready for this."

There was additional tension during a 20-minute period of silence that began after the SEALs entered the building where everyone hoped they would find bin Laden, the secretary said. Then they heard weapons fire.

"We knew gunshots had been fired but after that I just didn't know," Panetta said. It was at that point that McRaven reported that he might have heard the code word -- Geronimo -- that would mean they had found bin Laden.

"We still were waiting, and then within a few minutes McRaven said the words, 'Geronimo KIA,'" the secretary said, which meant that bin Laden had been killed in action.

"And that was that," Panetta said.

It was also tense when the team got back into the helicopters and began to leave the compound, he said.

"By that time they had blown [up] the helicopter that was down and you knew that we had woken up all of Pakistan to the fact that something had happened," Panetta said.

The concern revolved around what the Pakistanis were thinking and how they would respond, and whether the team could get out without problems, he said.

"The moment they crossed the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, we finally knew that the mission had been accomplished," Panetta said.

Yet, he said, there were no cheers or high-fives at the CIA's operations center.

"We had some special forces people at the operations center at CIA and we all kind of looked at each other," Panetta said. "As a matter of fact, I have a picture in my office of all of us putting our arms around each other, just [acknowledging that] we got the job done."

Today, nearly a year after bin Laden's demise, the United States and its allies continue to hunt down al-Qaida and other terrorists -- wherever they may be.

"The more successful we are at taking down those who represent their spiritual and ideological leadership, the greater our ability to weaken their threat to this country and to other countries," Panetta said.
 

LABOR DEPARTMENT CHANGES MIND ON RULE REGARDING CHILDREN WORKING IN AGRICULTURE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Labor Department statement on withdrawal of proposed rule dealing with children who work in agricultural vocations
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today issued the following statement regarding the withdrawal of a proposed rule dealing with children who work in agricultural vocations:

"The Obama administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations. The Obama administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations.

"As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations.
"The decision to withdraw this rule — including provisions to define the 'parental exemption' — was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms. To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama administration.

"Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders — such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H — to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices."

EX-IM BANK RENEWS $100 MILLION AFRICA INSURANCE INITIATIVE

FROM:  EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Cover Policy Expansions Coming in Three African Countries
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) today announced a three-year renewal of the Bank’s Short-Term Africa Initiative (STAI) that provides export-credit insurance for U.S. exporters selling to 18 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, up to a program limit of $100 million. The initiative is renewed through March 31, 2015.

The Bank also anticipates expanding the availability of its export financing in three sub-Saharan African countries: Cameroon, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Ex-Im Bank’s board of directors is expected to authorize cover-policy expansions for each respective country in May. The changes will be made possible by risk-assessment upgrades that were recently approved through a federal interagency review.

“Sub-Saharan Africa offers great, untapped potential for U.S. companies looking to grow by increasing their foreign sales. Through Ex-Im’s initiative, the U.S. government is opening markets throughout this region,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “We encourage more exporters to enter these markets now to establish a presence that can lead to follow-on business for years to come.”

Hochberg added that the financing risks of many sub-Saharan markets have improved significantly and are lower than commonly perceived. He noted that the Bank has had an excellent experience of repayment in these markets in recent years.

“Since 2002, Ex-Im Bank has authorized $4 billion to support U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa, and we’ve netted more than $150 million in fees,” Chairman Hochberg said. “Ex-Im’s net loss rate in the region is 2 percent, with our fees earning 2.5 times more than the claims we’ve received. This is a very solid repayment record. We want more U.S. exporters to initiate or expand their business in Africa.”

In FY 2011, Ex-Im Bank surpassed the $1 billion authorizations mark for the first time in sub-Saharan Africa, with almost $1.4 billion approved to support U.S. exports to the region. The Bank anticipates another strong authorizations year in FY 2012.

Under STAI, Ex-Im Bank provides support for short-term transactions (repayment terms of up to 180 days, exceptionally up to 360 days) in markets where coverage would not be available under the Bank’s standard cover policy, which is normally based upon credit-risk analysis for medium-term transactions (repayment terms up to seven years).

Currently, Ex-Im’s insurance on all short-term STAI country transactions is available only under the Bank’s single-buyer insurance policy, which is a select-risk authorization. Existing Ex-Im multibuyer policyholders with a diverse spread of country and buyer risk are also eligible but must submit separate single-buyer policy applications for each STAI country buyer. However, under the initiative’s renewal, exporters having favorable experience with highly creditworthy STAI country buyers may have these buyers endorsed to their multibuyer policy.

Ex-Im’s insurance is available to support U.S. exports of a wide range of goods, including consumer items, spare parts, raw materials, agricultural commodities, and construction and mining equipment, among others. The insurance covers irrevocable letters of credit, promissory notes and open-account repayment terms that enable the exporter to extend short-term financing to the foreign buyer. Policies are also available for eligible U.S. banks.

About Ex-Im Bank:
Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. In the past five years, Ex-Im Bank has earned for U.S. taxpayers $1.9 billion above the cost of operations. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees, export-credit insurance and financing to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.

Ex-Im Bank approved $32.7 billion in total authorizations in FY 2011 -- an all-time Ex-Im record. This total includes more than $6 billion directly supporting small-business export sales -- also an Ex-Im record. Ex-Im Bank's total authorizations are supporting an estimated $41 billion in U.S. export sales and approximately 290,000 American jobs in communities across the country.

SEC. OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON SPEAKS AT GLOBAL IMPACT ECONOMY FORUM

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the Global Impact Economy Forum
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Loy Henderson Auditorium
Washington, DC
April 26, 2012
Thank you. Oh, thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you, all. Thank you. That was perfect timing, bottoms up. I loved hearing that as I walked in. Thanks to Kris Balderston, his staff in our office of the Global Partnership Initiatives, and everyone here who has helped to plan this forum providing us a lot of great advice and counsel.

I’m also delighted to welcome Sir Richard Branson. Thank you so much for being here. I love the fact that he is such a strong proponent for business as unusual. And I’m excited he’s here because many, many, many years ago, I wanted to be an astronaut, and I think he may be my last chance to live out – (laughter) – that particular dream.

You’re here because you know that we have an opportunity with the convergence of the recognition on the part of government, the private sector, civil society, that we can be so much more effective working together than working at cross-purposes. And for me, this is a great moment to look at where we stand in the world in the pursuit of economic growth and prosperity that is broadly inclusive and sustainable. You know the statistics as well as anyone: One out of three people in the world today living on less than $2 a day; the challenges we face from finite resources, climate change, and other environmental degradation; looking at how people themselves are being empowered from the bottom up in large measure because of the phenomenon of social media. And it’s not only happening somewhere out there, it’s happening everywhere.

And the fact is, these trend lines, apart from the headlines that we all spend most of our time looking at, are profoundly important to foreign policy and national security of all of our countries, because governments everywhere, including most particularly our own, are grappling with what challenges like these mean for our citizens. We believe expanding economic opportunity is fundamental to achieving our own national interest. We want more prosperous societies. We want to see people moving into the middle class. We want to see that creativity and entrepreneurial spirit fostering growth. And we have been working within the Obama Administration to bring our various institutions together to try to put forth that as a focus for us.

So the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Commerce, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, many other of our own institutions working together with international and multilateral institutions are trying to crack the code on removing the obstacles that limit growth. But we have to be more intentional about it. And that’s part of what this forum is meant to both represent, but far more importantly, help us achieve.

And we recognize that so called official development assistance is no longer the leading edge indicator or tool that it used to be. In the 1960s, official development assistance represented about 70 percent of capital flows into developing nations. Today that number is about 13 percent. Where does the rest come from? Well, you know it comes from the private sector, comes from increased trade revenues, it comes from the flow of remittances, and any number of other non-governmental sources. So we’ve made it a goal of this Administration to do more to engage with and coordinate with the private sector, non-profits, philanthropists, diasporas, and anyone else who has value to add.

We know we need partnerships and innovative alliances, which is why one of the first things I did at the State Department was to set up this Office of Global Partnerships. We needed to tear down the silos that prevented us from working creatively and smartly together. We needed to facilitate and scale up the impact economy. And we needed to make it clear that we were over the separation mentality that for too long has guided our efforts.

What do I mean by that? Well, in the past, we looked at corporate revenue and corporate responsibility as separate concerns. We looked at government activity and everything else as separate concerns. Now we know that there’s so much out there that is happening but may not be shared broadly enough so that it both inspires and catalyzes others to do the same. There is a market waiting to be filled in every corner of this world.

So if we can open the doors to new markets and new investments, we can tap as many as 1.4 billion new mid-market customers with growing incomes in developing countries. Taken together, they represent more than $12 trillion in spending power. That’s a huge potential customer base, not only for American companies, which is my primary concern, but also for others. So when we make investments from the three stools of this strategy, official development assistance, not-for-profit philanthropic assistance, private sector investments, we are not only helping to grow and strengthen middle classes in developing nations, we are also supporting the businesses that create jobs here at home. We know that working with the private sector can bolster both our foreign policy interests and our development efforts. But we hope the private sector knows that working with government and civil society also offers value. And increasingly our goals, I would argue, overlap.

Consider just a few examples: Each year, India’s farmers produce nearly 200 million metric tons of rice and wheat, but they lose nearly one-tenth of it after harvest. Just the portion of grain that farmers lose because they don’t have a good way to dry and store their crops would feed about 4 million additional people. And I believe that Sachpreet Chandhoke is here today. Is Sachpreet here? Yes, yes. Well, last year, she led a team of students from Kellogg School of Management to take on this challenge. They designed and pitched the Grain Depot Fund as part of the International Impact Investing Challenge. They proposed building village-level warehouses where local farmers can access the proper equipment to dry their crops and store them, protected from insects, humidity, and theft. Investors in these warehouses will see returns of almost 20 percent while also helping prevent the needless loss of grain, increasing the farmers’ incomes by as much as 15 percent, and creating dozens of local jobs around the storage centers. So with numbers like that, it’s easy to see why Sachpreet and her colleagues won the competition. (Applause.)

Or look at northern Haiti. With its proximity to the U.S. market, the area has great potential to be a regional manufacturing hub. But for decades, despite interest, there was a lack of industrial facilities, limited electric supply, inadequate ports, which all held back private investment. Today, the north of Haiti ranks as one of Haiti’s poorest regions, and of course, Haiti is the poorest country in our hemisphere.

So last year, working with the Government of Haiti and the Inter-American Development Bank, the State Department facilitated a $500 million public-private partnership with the leading Korean garment manufacturer Sae-A. This partnership will develop a globally competitive industrial park in northern Haiti, one of the largest in the Caribbean. It will include an onsite power plant, a waste water treatment facility, and executive residences. Sae-A has projected that it will create 20,000 jobs by 2016 and they will be investing more than $70 million in northern Haiti. The region will continue to benefit from ongoing investments in housing and health clinics, a new container port, and electrification projects for the towns surrounding the industrial park. Sae-A began moving into the first two new 100,000 square feet factory buildings this week, and we expect other tenants to follow later in the year.

At a larger level, our Overseas Private Investment Corporation offers institutional proof that impact investing works. Throughout its 40-year history – and is Elizabeth Littlefield here, our current head of OPIC? – they have been making investments with positive social and environmental returns at the same time as OPIC has generated a profit for American taxpayers. Last year, OPIC issued a call for proposals to catalyze a greater commitment to impact investing. And so far, it has approved $285 million in financing for six new funds that will invest in projects improving job creation, healthcare, combating climate change, and the like.

These are just a few of the examples I could give you of what we are really focused on making happen. And that’s why we are sponsoring and hosting this Global Impact Economy Forum. You’re here because you understand creating shared value is actually in all of our interest. We need all the potential partners, not only here, but who are not in the room, to understand that as well. Our goal is to create an inclusive economic ecosystem that fosters this kind of investing.

So today, I’m proud to announce two exciting new partnerships. USAID – I don’t know if Raj Shah – is Raj here? Ah, oh good, you’re here. USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures, or DIV, invests in breakthrough development solutions that truly have the potential to change millions of lives at a fraction of the usual cost. And now, through a new Global Development Alliance between USAID and the Skoll Foundation – I don’t know if Jeffrey Skoll is here as well – we are dedicating more than $40 million to focus on scaling up game-changing innovations that are cost-effective and sustainable.

This was one of Raj’s and my principal goals when we both came into our positions. It is obviously important to provide humanitarian relief when people are starving because of bad government policies that undermine agricultural development or because of drought or other acts of nature. But it’s better to get ahead of the curve and to invest in new, more effective agricultural production. It’s fine to set up clinics, to take care of people when they’re sick or they’re suffering from disease, but it’s better to get ahead of it and to find interventions like bed nets that will actually prevent disease in the first place. So we’re investing a lot of money in Development Innovation Ventures because we think it will save money, but we need private sector support and ideas as well.

Secondly, we are committed to doing development and diplomacy differently. That’s why I commissioned the first-ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review to take a hard look at ourselves and make sure we knew what we were doing that worked and do more of it and stop what we were doing that didn’t work. So our second program is part of our ongoing investing with impact initiative. It’s called Accelerating Market-Driven Partnerships, or AMP. It’s very important in Washington you get a good acronym – (laughter) – so people spend a lot of time trying to figure out what the initials will sound like. AMP will bring a business eye to taking on social and environmental problems in developing markets. We will launch it in Brazil, focused first on building sustainable cities, from providing low-cost housing, to offering skills training that builds capacity of local workers, to improving urban waste management systems. AMP will draw on the resources of the private sector, civil society, and multilateral partners in both Brazil and the United States, including Arent Fox, Machado Associados, Grupo ABC, HP, the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank Group, and Mercy Corps.

So we’re bringing a whole-of-government approach and a broad base of partners to this, creating an innovation toolkit looking at the critical elements necessary to strengthen science and technology to support entrepreneurship and innovation. We’ll be sending our first innovation delegation to Brazil. We’re collaborating with Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas to advance this initiative. If it proves successful in Brazil, we’ll obviously want to expand it and invite you to join us.

Now, I’m not the only one who will be announcing new commitments today. Many of you are here to do the same. This forum fundamentally is built on the idea we don’t have to choose between doing well and doing good. The only choice we have to make is to do better – do better in government, do better in business, do better in civil society. And one thing is clear: We cannot solve our problems or address our challenges without working together. That goes for countries working together and all of us as well. So I have high hopes for this forum. I thank everybody who has been contributing to it to bring it to reality, and I look forward to working with you on the partnerships and opportunities that it helps to midwife for all of us. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

DOJ FINDS PROBLEMS WITH JUVENILE COURT AND DETENTION CENTER IN SHELBY COUNTY TENNESSEE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Department of Justice Releases Investigative Findings on the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee First Investigative Findings Involving a Juvenile Justice System

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today announced its findings regarding the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County (JCMSC), and the Shelby County Juvenile Detention Center in Tennessee.   The Justice Department found that the juvenile court fails to provide constitutionally required due process to all children appearing for delinquency proceedings, that the court’s administration of juvenile justice discriminates against African-American children, and that its detention center violates the substantive due process rights of detained youth by not providing them with reasonably safe conditions of confinement.   The investigation, opened in August 2009, was conducted under provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  

“This report is a step toward our goal of improving the juvenile court, increasing the public’s confidence in the juvenile justice system, and maintaining public safety,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.   “Upholding the constitutional rights of children appearing before the court is necessary to achieve these ends. The department will work with Memphis leadership to create a comprehensive blueprint that will create sustainable reforms in the juvenile justice system.”

“While the Civil Rights Division findings are serious and compelling, I am encouraged that the leadership and staff of the Juvenile Court of Memphis, Shelby County and the Shelby Juvenile Detention Center have demonstrated that they intend to take immediate action to remedy the various constitutional deficiencies identified,” said Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.  “Our central objective is to ensure that our juvenile justice system works and adequately protects the rights of all youths who come before juvenile court. We look forward to working together to reach this goal, and ultimately establishing a model juvenile court.”

In January 2010 and 2011, with the full cooperation of JCSMC Judge Curtis S. Person, Justice Department attorneys visited the court and detention center with consultants in the fields of juvenile representation, statistical analysis and juvenile protection from harm.   The Justice Department and consultants interviewed magistrates, probation counselors, attorneys, administrators and children appearing before the court on delinquency matters.   As part of the investigation, the department’s attorneys and consultants conducted an in-depth analysis of over 60,000 youth files and reviewed policies and procedures, recordings of hearings, court documents, case files, detention material and statistical data.  

The Justice Department found a pattern or practice of unconstitutional conduct in several areas, including:

·          Failure to provide timely and adequate notice of charges to children appearing on delinquency proceedings;
·          Failure to protect youth from self-incrimination during probation conferences;
·          Failure to hold timely probable cause hearings for youth arrested without a warrant;
·          Failure to provide adequate due process protections for children before transferring them to the adult criminal court;
·          The disparate treatment of African-American children; and
·          Failure to adequately protect detained youth from self-harm and unnecessary and excessive restraints.

The Justice Department has received extensive cooperation from Judge Person who encouraged court personnel to provide full access to the information necessary for our review.   Judge Person and his staff have made improvements since the department began its investigation and demonstrated a desire to continue in a collaborative manner to remedy the deficiencies within the juvenile court and its detention center.   The department welcomes this opportunity to continue working with Judge Person and the other stakeholders to improve the court’s services to those children appearing before it and housed in the detention center.

This investigation was conducted by the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division.

U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY PANETTA MEETS WITH SOUTH AMERICAN DEFENSE LEADERS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta observes a Brazilian Marine Corps demonstration with Adm. Ferando Antonio at Governor's Island Marine Base, Rio de Janeiro, April 25, 2012. Panetta is on a five-day trip to the region to meet with counterparts and military officials in Colombia, Brazil and Chile to discuss an expansion of defense and security cooperation. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley  


Panetta: U.S., Brazil Partnership 'Is the Future'
By Cheryl Pellerin
RIO DE JANEIRO, April 26, 2012 - On the second day of his first official visit to Brazil, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta addressed a war college audience, watched an amphibious assault demonstration by Brazilian Marines, and paid tribute to Brazil's fallen heroes of World War II.


Panetta has met so far this week with military officials in Colombia and Brazil on a South American trip that aims to expand defense and security cooperation with countries that are important in the region and, increasingly, the world.


"The United States and Brazil begin with a very important strength," Panetta told military officers at the Escola Superior de Guerra -- Portuguese for Superior War College. The secretary said the two nations share the same values and respect for human rights and democracy.


"And if, using that, we can begin to develop the kind of cooperative relationship that we have in the security area, I think our countries can not only help promote security in this hemisphere but can work together to try to promote peace in the world," he said.
"This is the kind of partnership that is the future," noted Panetta, who fielded questions after his lecture.


A Brazilian Navy fleet captain asked if a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan had reduced the power of the U.S. military and if recent and significant budget tightening represented a transformation or was just a way to save money.


"In many ways," the secretary replied to the Brazilian captain's question, "it represents taking into consideration all the factors you just talked about."
Panetta explained how in a time of fiscal constraints Congress directed the Defense Department to reduce its budget by $487 billion over 10 years.


"My problem is that, even though after 10 years of war we are seeing some successes in Iraq and Afghanistan and on the war on terrorism, we still [have] major threats to confront in the world," he said, noting the dangers posed by terrorist groups like al-Qaida, instability in North Korea and Iran, unrest in the Middle East, and cybersecurity threats.
In view of these threats, Panetta said he rejected across-the-board defense cuts in favor of four guidelines. The secretary vowed that the Defense Department would:
-- Maintain the world's finest military.


-- Avoid hollowing out the force. A smaller, ready and well-equipped military is better than a larger, ill-prepared force that has been arbitrarily cut across-the-board.
-- Achieve savings in a balanced manner, with everything on the table.
-- Preserve the quality of the all-volunteer force and not break faith with the men and women in uniform or their families.


Based on these guidelines and with input from all the services, the department developed "a defense strategy that would meet those goals and provide the force we need not just now but in 2020 and beyond," Panetta said.
"At the same time we can't avoid our responsibilities in the rest of the world," the secretary added, "and that's where this hemisphere comes into play."
The United States must work with other countries, including Brazil, to develop innovative partnerships, he said. The United States military, he added, must invest in the technologies of the future -- cyberspace, unmanned systems, and space -- and appreciate the unique capabilities provided by special operations forces.


"We feel very good about the strategy [because] ... it was developed not only because of the budget but because of what we felt we needed to put in place to keep our country strong for the future," Panetta said. "And I recommend to all of you as students, there are elements of the strategy that Brazil and other countries ought to consider as you move forward."


After the lecture, Panetta visited Brazil's World War II Memorial here in Flamengo Park, established in 1965 to honor Brazilian troops killed while serving alongside U.S. troops in Italy.


Panetta and other U.S. and Brazilian officials toured a small museum there, and then placed a wreath in honor of the fallen heroes as rose petals released from the memorial structure drifted down onto the solemn crowd.


Later, at the Governor's Island Marine Base, Panetta and his delegation watched from an observation post as Brazilian special operations troops staged an amphibious beach assault.


During the exercise, two special operations teams used inflatable boats to infiltrate the site of a radar station, "killing" an enemy lookout and reducing the station to splinters with a fiery explosion.


Automatic weapons fire, incoming helicopters, troops, amphibious craft, a tank-carrying landing craft and many colored-smoke-belching grenades completed the demonstration.
Toward the end of the day, Panetta visited the 130-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer, its arms outstretched at the top of the 2,300-foot Corcovado Mountain in Tijuca Forest National Park, overlooking the city and the sea.
"In the world of today," Panetta had said at the war college, "we believe it is important for other countries to develop their military capabilities and provide for security for their people and security for this hemisphere."
The best way to deal with common challenges in today's world, the secretary said, "is to work together, not apart."


"That's why I'm here in Brazil," he added. "Because this is an important place to start that kind of relationship."

FROG FUNGUS KILLS FROGS IN THE WILD BY DEPLETING SODIUM AND POTASSIUM LEVELS

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Blood Samples Show Deadly Frog Fungus at Work in the Wild
Pathogen leads to dehydration, other ill effects
April 25, 2012
The fungal infection that killed a record number of amphibians worldwide leads to deadly dehydration in frogs in the wild, according to results of a new study.
High levels of an aquatic, chytrid fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) disrupt fluid and electrolyte balance in wild frogs, the scientists say, severely depleting the frogs' sodium and potassium levels and causing cardiac arrest and death.

Their findings confirm what researchers have seen in carefully controlled lab experiments with the fungus, but San Francisco State University biologist Vance Vredenburg said the data from wild frogs provide a much better idea of how the disease progresses.

"The mode of death discovered in the lab seems to be what's actually happening in the field," he said, "and it's that understanding that is key to doing something about it in the future."

Results of the study are published today in the journal PLoS ONE.
"Wildlife diseases can be just as devastating to our health and economy as agricultural and human diseases," said Sam Scheiner, NSF program officer for the joint National Science Foundation-National Institutes of Health Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program, which funded the research.

At NSF, the Directorates for Biological Sciences and Geosciences support the program.
"Bd has been decimating frog and salamander species worldwide, which may fundamentally disrupt natural systems," said Scheiner. "This study is an important advance in our understanding of the disease--a first step in finding a way to reduce its effects."
At the heart of the new study are blood samples drawn from mountain yellow-legged frogs by Vredenburg and colleagues in 2004, as the chytrid epidemic swept through California's Sierra Nevada mountains.

"It's really rare to be able to study physiology in the wild like this, at the exact moment of a disease outbreak," said University of California, Berkeley ecologist Jamie Voyles, the lead author of the paper.

Unfortunately, it is a study that can't be duplicated--at least not in the Sierra Nevada.
Frog populations there have been devastated by chytrid, declining by 95 percent after the fungus was first detected in 2004.

"It's been really sad to walk around the basins and think, 'wow, they're really all gone,'" Vredenburg said.

The chytrid fungus attacks an amphibian's skin, causing it to become up to 40 times thicker in some instances.

Since frogs depend on their skin to absorb water and essential electrolytes like sodium from their environment, Voyles and her colleagues knew that the fungus would disrupt fluid balances in the infected amphibians.

But they were surprised to find that electrolyte levels were much lower than anticipated. "It's clear that this fungus has a profound effect in the wild," Voyles said.
Scientists want to learn as much as they can about how the fungus affects wild amphibians, with the hope that these findings will lead to better treatments for the infection.

"The chytrid fungus is causing these frogs to become severely dehydrated, even though they are literally surrounded by water," said Cheryl Briggs, a University of California, Santa Barbara biologist and co-author of the paper.

The new study suggests that individual frogs being treated for the infection might benefit from having electrolyte supplementation in the advanced stages of the disease.
Researchers like Vredenburg already are experimenting with different ways of treating individual frogs, such as applying antifungal therapies or inoculating the frogs with "probiotic" bacteria that produce a compound that kills the fungus.

"The disease is not very hard to treat in the lab with antifungals," Vredenburg said. "But in nature, the disease is still a moving target."

It is still unclear exactly how chytrid spreads across a region, and which frogs might be susceptible to re-infection after treatment.

Earlier this year, Vredenburg and colleagues showed that a common North American frog might be an important carrier of the infection.

The chytrid fungus has killed off more than 200 amphibian species across the globe, but Voyles said the research offers "a glimmer of hope that it might be possible to do something to mitigate the loss."

Other co-authors of the paper are Tate Tunstall and Erica Bree Rosenblum of UC Berkeley, and John Parker of University of California, San Francisco.

PLANETS AROUND STARS IS THE RULE, NOT THE EXCEPTION

FROM:  NASA
This artist's illustration gives an impression of how common planets are around the stars in the Milky Way. The planets, their orbits and their host stars are all vastly magnified compared to their real separations. A six-year search that surveyed millions of stars using the microlensing technique concluded that planets around stars are the rule rather than the exception. The average number of planets per star is greater than one. This means that there is likely to be a minimum of 1,500 planets within just 50 light-years of Earth. The results are based on observations taken over six years by the PLANET (Probing Lensing Anomalies NETwork) collaboration, which was founded in 1995. The study concludes that there are far more Earth-sized planets than bloated Jupiter-sized worlds. This is based on calibrating a planetary mass function that shows the number of planets increases for lower mass worlds. A rough estimate from this survey would point to the existence of more than 10 billion terrestrial planets across our galaxy. The results were published in the Jan. 12, 2012, issue of the British science journal Nature. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Kornmesser (ESO)

WISCONSIN HAS AGRIBUSINESS TEAM IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  WISCONSIN ARMY AND AIR NATIONAL GUARD
Capt. James Schmitz of the Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team jots a few notes in his notebook about crop conditions at a demonstration farm in Watapur Province, Afghanistan, April 16. The 82nd ADT was at the farm to perform quality assurance checks of the farm's operations, assess crop health and identify future farm issues. 82nd ADT photo by 2nd Lt. Stephen Montgomery

NEWS: Wisconsin Agribusiness team visits Afghan demonstration farm
Date: April 25, 2012
KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team had its first chance to check the progress of a demonstration farm in the Watapur District of Kunar Province April 16.

The farm - one of three the 82nd ADT oversees - was established by the previous ADT from the Illinois National Guard. The 82nd ADT met with Mohammed Wali, the demonstration farm manager, performed quality assurance and control assessments of the farm, and identified future issues.

"I think it was a good visit," said Master Sgt. John Dietzler, a soil science specialist assigned to the 82nd ADT and project manager for the Watapur Demo Farm.
The demo farm manger's son gave the team a tour of the farm, which is currently growing potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, onions, cucumbers and orange trees intercropped with wheat.
Dietzler said a canal project upstream is causing problems with the farm's irrigation system, which is affecting crop quality.

"Some of the plants were a little wilted, but overall the plants looked pretty good," he said.

After the tour, the team discussed previous training conducted at the demo farm. Wali stated three training events have occurred on the farm - spinach planting, winter vegetable, and orange sapling planting - training up to 30 farmers during each event.
While the previous ADTs have been more hands-on with the demo farms, Dietzler stressed that a cultural advisor and people called young professionals now handle most of the work.

"Much of what we are doing now is advising and facilitating," Dietzler said. "If there is a legitimate reason, we will then provide supplies and money, but we have to be justified in doing a project."

"A lot of time we go these places, we go to just give them ideas - they have the capacity to do it, we just need to encourage them," said Capt. James Schmitz, an agricultural specialist with the 82nd ADT who was also along on the mission to help assess the farm.
One of the stipulations of becoming an ADT-sponsored demo farm is the farmer must agree to reinvest 30 percent of the farm's profits back into farm maintenance and general farm upkeep.

"They have been living for today for so long," Schmitz said. "We're now trying to get them to invest in their future."

The Wisconsin National Guard learned it would gain an agribusiness development team mission in 2010, and the unit trained for 12 months before reporting for active duty in February and completing mobilization training at Camp Atterbury, Ind.