A WARMING CLIMATE AND RAINFALL CHANGES

Photo: South Africa,  Senecio Serpens (Groundcover).   Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Warming climate may mean less rainfall for drought-sensitive regions of the Southern Hemisphere, according to results just published by an international research team.

Geoscientist Curt Stager of Paul Smith's College in Paul Smiths, N.Y., and colleagues found that rainfall in South Africa during the last 1,400 years was affected by temperature--with more rain falling during cool periods and less during warm ones.

The findings, published in the journal Climate of the Past, are supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

"The link between climate change and rainfall in certain latitudes can have large effects on ecosystems," said Paul Filmer, program officer in NSF's Directorate for Geosciences. 

"Plants, for example, may be able to grow in a wider area, or conversely, be squeezed up a mountain or onto a peninsula. When the affected ecosystem supports a food crop, that can mean a bonanza--or a famine."

Theoretical climate models have shown that global warming could push storm tracks southward "and away from the mainlands of southern Africa, South America and Australia," said Stager.

"This research supports those predictions of increasing aridity, which could lead to major problems for societies and ecosystems in these already-arid places."

A poleward shift in winds could also affect the flow of marine currents around the tip of Africa, changing air and water temperatures farther afield, including in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Stager, lead author of the paper, collected sediment samples from Lake Verlorenvlei in South Africa. By analyzing the diatoms--tiny, glassy-shelled algae--preserved in sediment cores from the bottom of the lake, he and other researchers were able to reconstruct rainfall patterns dating back to 600 A.D.

Two Paul Smith's College undergraduate students, Christiaan King and Jay White, also participated in the study, along with scientists from the University of Maine and from institutions in South Africa and Europe.

Rainfall at the southernmost tip of Africa is governed by a sinuous belt of eastward winds that migrate like a meandering river, depending on the season.

In summer months, these winds drift closer to Antarctica, carrying rain clouds over the ocean; in winter, the winds move over the African continent.

The shifting winds bring rains that provide much of the annual water supply.

"A poleward retreat of these winds would have serious consequences for cities like Cape Town, for farms and wineries, and for local animal and plant communities," Stager said.

"The same also appears to be true for the semi-arid winter rainfall regions of South America and Australia-New Zealand."

Michael Meadows, a scientist at the University of Cape Town who co-authored the paper, said that hundreds of species of rare flowering plants native to the area's fynbos ecosystem are threatened by the changes.

"These plants are tough, and are already used to dry conditions," Meadows said. "But more aridity could make fires more frequent, which could damage the soils and make it even harder for the plants to survive.

"Unfortunately, this is their only native habitat, so such a change might threaten their existence."

According to Stager, such links to mobile storm tracks make these regions exceptionally vulnerable to the effects of greenhouse gas build-up.

"When it comes to climate change, there's more to consider than warming alone," he said. "In places like these, increasing drought could bring far-reaching challenges."

FDA REVIEWS STUDY OF CLASS OF ANTIBACTERIAL DRUGS FOR POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DEATHS

FROM:  FDA
Audience: Primary Care, Pharmacy
ISSUE: FDA notified healthcare professionals that it is aware of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine May 17, 2012 reporting a small increase in cardiovascular deaths, and in the risk of death from any cause, in persons treated with a 5-day course of azithromycin (Zithromax) compared to persons treated with amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, or no drug. FDA is reviewing the results from this study and will communicate any new information on azithromycin and this study or the potential risk of QT interval prolongation after the agency has completed its review.

BACKGROUND: Azithromycin belongs to a class of antibacterial drugs called macrolides, which have been associated with cardiovascular effects; specifically, prolongation of the QT interval. In 2011, FDA reviewed macrolide drug labeling information related to QT interval prolongation and TdP. The WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS section of the Zmax drug label (azithromycin extended release for oral suspension) was revised in March 2012 to include new information regarding risk for QT interval prolongation, which appears to be low. The drug labels for clarithromycin and erythromycin also contain information about QT interval prolongation in the WARNINGS section. FDA is in the process of updating risk information in the drug labels for additional macrolide antibacterial drugs.

RECOMMENDATION: Patients taking azithromycin should not stop taking their medicine without talking to their healthcare professional. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the potential for QT interval prolongation and heart arrhythmias when prescribing or administering macrolides.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:
Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARINE CORP AVIATION

Photo:  U.S. Marine Corps. Corsairs.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE  
100th Anniversary of Marine Corps Aviation As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, Washington D.C., Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Thank you, thank you very much.  General Robling, thank you for that very kind introduction and for your dedicated service to our nation and to the United States Marine Corps.

I'd also like to acknowledge and thank General Amos.  Jim, your leadership as Commandant has been exceptional.  I'm grateful every day for the support I get every day from this man, because he provides support not only to me, but to the entire Department of Defense, and in particular to the nation.  We are all truly fortunate to have such a skilled and visionary aviator in the role of Commandant at a critical time in our nation's history.   "Tamer," thank you for your leadership, thank you for your support, and thank you for your friendship.                       


Distinguished guests, and Marines from generations past and present, it's truly an honor and truly a privilege for me to be here and pay tribute to 100 years of Marine Corps Aviation.

It is also a great privilege to be able to do so at the foot of the Iwo Jima Memorial, where this nation honors the service and sacrifice of more than two centuries of Marines.

Tonight we celebrate a rich legacy, a story that began 100 years ago this month when First Lieutenant Alfred Cunningham, became the first Marine detailed to aviation.

In 1912, Cunningham flew the B-1.  I'm not talking about the bomber, it was the first plane the Navy purchased from the Wright Brothers.

With all due respect to this first Marine plane, it was pretty bad, even by the standards of the time, this machine was a real clunker.  I have a feeling my kids' model planes held together better than this plane.

It repeatedly crashed and had been rebuilt even before Cunningham started flying it.  Parts would vibrate loose.  The propeller shaft did not fit.  The engine never delivered enough power to fly safely in anything but smooth weather.  It eventually became impossible to climb over a few hundred feet with a passenger.  Nevertheless, like a good Marine, Cunningham flew that piece of junk nearly 400 times.

Only a Marine would love to fly that plane.  Actually, Marines were the only ones even willing to leave the ground in it, which says a lot about the Marines.

Hap Arnold, the future Commanding General of U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, took one look at the plane and bluntly told Cunningham that no Army flier would take off in it.

It turns out that Arnold wasn't the only person to express concern.  In August 1913, Cunningham requested to be detached from flight duty for one simple reason.  As he put it, "My fiancé will not consent to marry me unless I give up flying."

Sure enough, Cunningham detached from flight duty.  But after they were married, his wife relented to his appeals and let him return to flying.  Bless those tolerating spouses.

That story reminds all of us that Marine aviators could not do their job without the love and support of family.  Even with better equipment and more advanced technologies than that clunker I talked about a century ago, our aviators still take incredible risks in order to defend our country.  Let me thank all the family members who are here and who are around the world.  All of them make it possible for Marine Aviation to continue to perform its essential mission for our country.  Your love, your support, your incredible loyalty.  All of that is so critical to our ability to keep America safe.

From the very beginning, the spirit of courage and determination exemplified by Alfred Cunningham has been the legacy of Marine Aviation.  It is a spirit driven by a mission to project power from ship to shore and support Marines on the ground.  It is a spirit that has guided Marine pilots to achieve the unthinkable and dare the impossible with their aircraft.

That has been true from the raids at the end of World War I, to the Marine aces taking out Zeros and conducting strafing runs across the Pacific in World War II, to night defenses in Korea, to enemy assaults and daring rescues in Vietnam, to the present days in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We thank God for the Marine pilots from Camp Leatherneck who support our troops on the ground and deal the enemy a heavy blow.

From one generation to the next, Marine pilots pass down their legendary fighting spirit from one pilot to another, telling them:  "If you are not getting mud on your windshield, you're flying too high!"

Today's pilots not only carry forward that fighting spirit, but also a legacy of innovation to ensure our military can adapt to any situation, anytime, anywhere.

We all know that Marine Air provides an agile and flexible forward presence, but there's nothing like seeing all of that up close.

In the new defense strategy that we established for our Defense Department and our force of the 21st century, that kind of agility is absolutely critical to succeed and to win.  In March, I had the opportunity to visit the historic amphibious ship USS Peleliu and watch operations of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.  Peleliu has deployed time and time again across the globe, supporting Marines ready to engage any adversary.  

During the first insertion of conventional forces into Afghanistan in November 2001, it was Marines from Peleliu launched in Super Cobra and Huey helicopters and conducted one of the longest and most dramatic amphibious landings in the history of the Marine Corps.

During my visit about USS Peleliu, I had the opportunity to personally clear a Harrier for take-off and communicate with the pilots, and nearly get blown off the deck.  That experience reinforced for me the need for this unique vertical take-off and landing capability in the future, because it gives us the ability to take the fight to the enemy on short notice and with overwhelming firepower.

That's the reason the Department is pushing ahead with the development of the world's first supersonic stealth aircraft with short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.  Earlier this year, I took the STOVL off probation – because the STOVL was meeting its requirements.  The Marines need a 5th generation fighter for the future and they will have it.    

Since becoming Secretary of Defense, I have also had the opportunity to take multiple MV-22 Osprey rides.  In Ospreys, I've landed on the shores of Camp Pendleton in California, near Ground Zero in Manhattan on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and on the dusty plains of Helmand Province.  That unique aircraft embodies the agility, flexibility, and innovation that are at the heart of Marine Aviation.  And I have to tell you that you haven't lived until you've flown with Marine pilots who tell you not to worry when there are flashing lights appearing on the instrument panel.

     For all of these reasons, Marine Air is what we need for the future.  It is about agility.  It is about moving quickly.  It is about being flexible.  And it is about adapting for the future.

The future – for our military and for Marine Air – depends on innovative leaders.  It depends upon our ability to think creatively and to maintain our decisive technological edge.

Photo:  U.S. Marine Corp. World War I Aviation Insignia.  
Credit:  Wikimedia.
There is simply no force in the world that can match the Marine Corps' ability to conduct agile and flexible expeditionary operations.  There are no pilots anywhere that can match the relentless determination of Marine Aviators to take the fight to the enemy on the ground and in the air.  That has been true for the past 100 years, and it will be true for the next 100 years as well.

In the movie "The Bridges at Toko-Ri," the Admiral watches the pilots taking off for dangerous missions over Korea and asks, "Where do we get such men?"  They come from the heart and soul and guts of America.                           

To the entire Marine Aviation family, my deepest congratulations on a century of unequaled success and sacrifice.  In the last 100 years, we've gone from the B-1 clunker I talked about to Harriers and Ospreys, and Hornets and Snakes and Hueys and 53's and the veritable Battle Frog.  In the next 100 years, I have no idea what kind of planes or rockets or space ships or fighters we'll be flying.  But what I do know is that whatever the hell we're flying in these next 100 years, at the end, there will be one tough son of a bitch of a Marine flying it.

May God bless you, may God bless our Marine Corp Aviation and our Marine Corps aviators on this 100th anniversary.  And may God bless the United States of America.

U.S. BREAKS GROUND ON NEW EMBASSY IN LOAS

Photo:  Loas Countryside.  Credit:  Wikimedia. 
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
United States Breaks Ground On New Embassy Compound in Laos
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC May 18, 2012
The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new U.S. Embassy Compound in Laos. Ambassador Karen B. Stewart presided at the occasion, accompanied by Mr. Phomma Khammanichanh, Director General of the Europe-America Department of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a confirmation of the strong ties between the two nations. Following local custom, the site of the future U.S. Embassy was blessed by monks from the neighboring Buddhist temple. A Cassia tree was planted to mark the celebration. Local village, district, city and central government officials attended the ceremony along with the U.S. Embassy community.

Situated on a seven-acre site, the multi-building complex will include a chancery, compound access points, and utility buildings. When completed, the new complex will provide embassy employees with a state-of-the-art workspace.

The new facility will incorporate numerous sustainable features, including lights that automatically dim to take advantage of daylight, low consumption water fixtures, rain gardens, and indigenous and adapted plant species for reduced irrigation demand. The facility’s design targets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver Certification by the Green Building Certification Institute.

The $109 million project will be constructed by B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, Alabama and Page Southerland Page of Arlington, Virginia is the architect of record. The New Embassy Compound (NEC) is scheduled to be completed in summer 2014.
Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has completed 89 new diplomatic facilities and has moved more than 27,000 people into safe, secure, and functional facilities. OBO has an additional 43 projects in design or construction, including the NEC in Vientiane.

COMBINED FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN SEIZE 200 LBS OF OPIUM

Picture:  The Sea Witch, 19th Century Opium Ship.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Combined Force Seizes Opium Cache
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan , May 18, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force discovered a drug cache of opium during a patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province yesterday, military officials reported.

The cache contained approximately 200 pounds of opium, officials said. Security forces confiscated the drugs without incident.

In May 15 Afghanistan operations:
-- A combined force discovered a weapons cache containing 30 mortar rounds, 30 mortar fuses, one grenade and several rocket-propelled grenades in the Burkah district of Baghlan province. The confiscated material was destroyed.

-- A combined force discovered a weapons and explosives cache containing two 107 mm rockets, multiple anti-tank mines, an improvised rocket launcher, one machine-gun tripod, one 12.7 mm machine gun, some 82 mm mortar ammunition and 66 gallons of liquid explosives in the Zurmat district of Paktiya province.

G-8 WORKS ON FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION

Photo:  Corn Field.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
G8 Action on Food Security and Nutrition
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
May 18, 2012
At the Camp David Summit, G8 and African leaders will commit to the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, the next phase of our shared commitment to achieving global food security. In partnership with Africa’s people and leaders, our goals are to increase responsible domestic and foreign private investments in African agriculture, take innovations that can enhance agricultural productivity to scale, and reduce the risk borne by vulnerable economies and communities. We recognize and will act upon the critical role played by smallholder farmers, especially women, in transforming agriculture and building thriving economies.

The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is a shared commitment to achieve sustained and inclusive agricultural growth and raise 50 million people out of poverty over the next 10 years by aligning the commitments of Africa’s leadership to drive effective country plans and policies for food security; the commitments of private sector partners to increase investments where the conditions are right; and the commitments of the G8 to expand Africa’s potential for rapid and sustainable agricultural growth. We welcome the support of the World Bank and African Development Bank, and of the United Nation’s World Food Program, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and Food and Agriculture Organization for the New Alliance. We also welcome the successful conclusion of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the context of National Food Security and support the broad-based consultation process and pilot use of the Principles of Responsible Agricultural Investment.

The New Alliance Will Build on and Help Realize the Promise of L’Aquila
Since the L’Aquila Summit, where we committed to “act with the scale and urgency needed to achieve sustainable global food security,” we have increased our bilateral and multilateral investments in food security and changed the way we do business, consistent with core principles of aid effectiveness. Based on the findings of the 2012 G8 Accountability Report and consistent with the Rome Principles on Sustainable Global Food Security, the G8 will agree to:
Promptly fulfill outstanding L’Aquila financial pledges and seek to maintain strong support to address current and future global food security challenges, including through bilateral and multilateral assistance;
Ensure that our assistance is directly aligned behind country plans;
Strengthen the coordination of G8 strategies, assistance and programs in-country and with partner countries to increase efficiencies, reduce transaction burdens, and eliminate redundancies and gaps.

The New Alliance will be rooted in partnership
To accelerate national progress in African partner countries, the G8 will launch New Alliance Cooperation Frameworks that align with priority activities within each partner’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) national investment plan and include predictable funding commitments, specific policy actions, and statements of intent from the private sector.

The G8 will partner with the African Union, New Partnership for Africa's Development and CAADP to implement the New Alliance, and leverage in particular the Grow Africa Partnership, in order to ensure our efforts build on African ownership, yield significant outcomes, and can be replicated across Africa. The G8 will work together to advance the objectives of the New Alliance and G-8 members will support its individual elements on a complementary basis.

To mobilize private capital for food security, the New Alliance will:
Support the preparation and financing of bankable agricultural infrastructure projects, through multilateral initiatives including the development of a new Fast Track Facility for Agriculture Infrastructure.
Support the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), with the goal of securing commitments of $1.2 billion over three years from existing and new donors, scaling up and strengthening the operations of its public and private sector windows and support other mechanisms that improve country ownership and align behind CAADP national investment plans.
Report on the progress of G-8 development finance institutions in catalyzing additional private investment in African agriculture and increasing the range of financing options and innovative risk mitigation tools available to smallholder farmers and medium-sized agribusinesses.
Call on the World Bank, in collaboration with other relevant partners, to develop options for generating a Doing Business in Agriculture Index.
Announce the signing of Letters of Intent from over 45 local and multinational companies to invest over $3 billion across the agricultural value chain in Grow Africa countries, and the signing by over 60 companies of the Private Sector Declaration of Support for African Agricultural Development outlining their commitment to support African agriculture and public-private partnerships in a responsible manner.

To take innovation to scale, the New Alliance will:
Determine 10-year targets in partner countries for sustainable agricultural yield improvements, adoption of improved production technologies, including improved seed varieties, as well as post-harvest management practices as part of a value-chain approach, and measures to ensure ecological sustainability and safeguard agro-biodiversity.
Launch a Technology Platform with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa and other partners in consultation with the Tropical Agriculture Platform and the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) initiative that will assess the availability of improved technologies for food commodities critical to achieve sustainable yield, resilience, and nutrition impacts, identify current constraints to adoption, and create a roadmap to accelerate adoption of technologies.
Launch the Scaling Seeds and Other Technologies Partnership, housed at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa to strengthen the seed sector and promote the commercialization, distribution and adoption of key technologies improved seed varieties, and other technologies prioritized by the Technology Platform to meet established goals in partner countries.
Share relevant agricultural data available from G8 countries with African partners and convene an international conference on Open Data for Agriculture, to develop options for the establishment of a global platform to make reliable agricultural and related information available to African farmers, researchers and policymakers, taking into account existing agricultural data systems.
Launch an information and communications technology innovation challenge on extension services at the African Union Summit in July 2012.
Explore opportunities for applying the non-profit model licensing approach that could expand African access to food and nutritional technologies developed by national research institutions.

To reduce and manage risk, the New Alliance will:
Support the Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) to complete national agricultural risk assessment strategies, to be conducted by the World Bank and other international institutions in close partnership with New Alliance countries, with the mandate of identifying key risks to food and nutrition security and agricultural development and recommending options for managing these risks.
Create a global action network to accelerate the availability and adoption of agricultural index insurance, in order to mitigate risks to farmers, especially smallholder and women farmers, and increase income and nutritional security. This network will pool data and findings; identify constraints; support regional training and capacity-building; and accelerate the development of instruments appropriate for smallholders and pastoralists.
Recognize the need for Africa-based sovereign risk management instruments, recognizing the progress by the African Union and its member governments toward creating the African Risk Capacity, a regional risk-pooling facility for drought management.

To improve nutritional outcomes and reduce child stunting, the G8 will:
Actively support the Scaling Up Nutrition movement and welcome the commitment of African partners to improve the nutritional well-being of their populations, especially during the critical 1,000 days window from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday. We pledge that the G8 members will maintain robust programs to further reduce child stunting.
Commit to improve tracking and disbursements for nutrition across sectors and ensure coordination of nutrition activities across sectors.
Support the accelerated release, adoption and consumption of bio-fortified crop varieties, crop diversification, and related technologies to improve the nutritional quality of food in Africa.
Develop a nutrition policy research agenda and support the efforts of African institutions, civil society and private sector partners to establish regional nutritional learning centers.

To ensure accountability for results, the New Alliance will:
Convene a Leadership Council to drive and track implementation, which will report to the G8 and African Union on progress towards achieving the commitments under the New Alliance, including commitments made by the private sector.
Report to the 2013 G8 Summit on the implementation of the New Alliance, including the actions of the private sector, in collaboration with the African Union.

U.S. AND ISRAEL DISCUSS ISRAEL'S IRON DOME AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM

Photo:  Karmiel Israel.  Credit:  Wikimedia. 
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 

Panetta: U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation Never Stronger

By Karen Parrish

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2012 - In talks today at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and his Israeli counterpart discussed Israel's Iron Dome air defense system.

The level of security cooperation between the United States and Israel has never been stronger, Panetta said in a statement after the meeting. One important example of that cooperation is U.S. support for Israel's Iron Dome, he added.

Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system that Israel began using last year to protect its civilian population against short-range rockets and artillery shells -- those fired from a distance of up to about 40 miles.

Panetta said that in line with President Barack Obama's guidance, he informed Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak the United States will provide the $70 million Israel requested for Iron Dome for fiscal 2012.

"This is assistance that, provided Congress concurs, we can [provide] quickly, to ensure [there is] no shortage in this important system," he added.

Panetta said the announcement of U.S. assistance for Iron Dome is "an important step and a reflection of the extraordinarily close defense relationship between our countries."

"My goal is to ensure Israel has the funding it needs each year to produce these batteries that can protect its citizens," the secretary said.

Through 2015, defense officials will request funds for the system based on yearly assessments of Israeli security requirements against an evolving threat, Panetta said. The United States already has provided $205 million in assistance for that system, he noted, and operational batteries have proven effective in defending against rocket attacks on Israel earlier this year.

"Iron Dome has already saved the lives of Israeli citizens, and it can help prevent escalation in the future," the secretary said. Ongoing support for the defense system reflects the United States' "rock-solid commitment to Israel's security," and comes on top of about $3 billion in other annual security assistance for Israel, he said.

Panetta said he and Barak also continued their regular dialogue involving topics of common interest to the two nations and their militaries. "I thank my good friend Minister Barak for his continued friendship and cooperation," the secretary said.

NEW JERSEY MAN CHARGED BY SEC WITH OPERATING A PONZI-LIKE REAL ESTATE SCHEME

Photo:  Wikimedia 

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., May 17, 2012 – The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a New Jersey man with operating a Ponzi-like scheme involving a series of investment vehicles formed for the purported purpose of purchasing and managing rental apartment buildings in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The SEC alleges that David M. Connolly induced investors to buy shares in real estate investment vehicles he created through his firm Connolly Properties Inc. He promised investors monthly dividends based on cash-flow profits from rental income at the apartment buildings as well as the growth of their principal from the appreciation of the property. However, the real estate investments did not produce the projected dividends, and Connolly instead made Ponzi-like dividend payments to earlier investors using money from new investors. Connolly, who lives in Watchung, N.J., also siphoned off at least $2 million in investor funds for his personal use.

“David Connolly presented himself to investors as a successful real estate investment manager with a track record of paying consistent, high returns,” said George S. Canellos, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office. “In truth, Connolly’s operation was essentially a shell game intended to raise additional funds from new or existing investors in order to perpetuate his fraudulent scheme.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, which conducted a parallel investigation of the matter, today announced that Connolly was indicted on one count of securities fraud among other criminal charges.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey, none of Connolly’s securities offerings in the investment vehicles were registered with the SEC as required under the federal securities laws. He began offering the investments in 1996 and ultimately raised in excess of $50 million from more than 200 investors in more than 25 investment vehicles. However, beginning in at least 2006, Connolly misrepresented to investors that their funds would be used exclusively for the property related to the particular vehicle in which they invested. Connolly instead commingled the funds in bank accounts that he alone controlled and used for a variety of purposes that weren’t disclosed to investors, including $2 million in payments he made to himself that vastly exceeded any dividends to which he would be entitled through his ownership stake. Between 2007 and 2010, Connolly also wrote checks to “cash” in excess of $2.5 million. Even after Connolly stopped making dividend payments to investors in April 2009, he still continued to pay himself dividends as well as a $250,000 “salary” out of investor funds.

The SEC alleges that Connolly lacked sufficient revenues from rental income at the apartment buildings, so he continued to raise millions of dollars for new investment vehicles. He used the funds to pay purported monthly cash-flow dividends in excess of 10 percent to investors in older investment vehicles. Connolly refinanced properties and improperly used the cash proceeds to continue the scheme, which ultimately collapsed in 2009 when new investor funds dried up and rental income was insufficient to support payments on the mortgages. The properties owned by the investment vehicles were forced into foreclosure, wiping out the equity of the investors.

The SEC’s complaint charges Connolly with violating 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 thereunder. The SEC’s complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, and financial penalties.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Justin Smith and William Edwards in the New York Regional Office. Jack Kaufman will lead the litigation.

The SEC thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

and the Internal Revenue Service for their assistance in this matter.

U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS DRUG TRAFFICKING THREATENS NATIONAL SECURITY

Photo:  Narcotics Pick-up.  Credit:  U.S. Navy.  
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Drug Trafficking Threatens National Security, Official Says
By Donna Miles
WASHINGTON, May 17, 2012 - Narcotics trafficking, because of its links to other forms of transnational organized crime, has become a major national security challenge that demands continued close collaboration among the Defense Department and its interagency and international partners, a senior defense official told Congress yesterday.

"A network of adversaries requires a network to defeat it," William F. Wechsler, deputy assistant secretary of defense for counternarcotics and global threats, told the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.

Wechsler joined State Department and Drug Enforcement Administration officials at the caucus session to discuss broad federal cooperation under the umbrella of the national drug control strategy and national strategy to combat transnational crime.
The Defense Department supports law enforcement in three major ways, Wechsler explained: detecting and monitoring drug trafficking; sharing information, intelligence and analytic support; and helping countries build their own capacity to confront drug trafficking and related forms of transnational organized crime.

In addition, all six geographic combatant commands incorporate elements of the DOD counternarcotics program into their theater campaign plans, he said.

DOD, working through the combatant commands, military departments and defense agencies, provides "unique military platforms, personnel, systems and capabilities that support federal law enforcement agencies and foreign security forces involved in counternarcotics missions," Wechsler told the panel.

These efforts, in concert with U.S. law enforcement officials, also target terrorist groups worldwide that use narcotics trafficking to support terrorist activities, he said.

Noting the U.S. government's long history of helping to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States, Wechsler reported growing recognition that the focus must expand to encompass the broader challenge of transnational organized crime.

That concept is embodied in the national strategy to combat transnational organized crime, released in July. Wechsler called the strategy "a significant step forward" that recognizes transnational crime as a national security threat and seeks to galvanize every available tool to confront it.

"What we now see around the world are loose criminal networks that have diversified their illicit activities and also may have connections with other hostile actors, including terrorist groups, insurgencies and elements of rogue or hostile states," he said in his written testimony. As a result, he said, "these networked adversaries are able to have greater impact on the global security environment than in previous times."
Meanwhile, these networks are expected to evolve to exploit gaps in the global economy and in the defenses against them, he said.

The U.S. government's effectiveness in countering these hostile actors depends largely on its ability to operate as a network, Wechsler said, incorporating all its national security and law enforcement capabilities.

For the Defense Department, that will require continual adaptation to deal with the problem, he told the panel.

"Just as the Department of Defense has long sought to understand how hostile states support the armies that may confront us, we now have to understand how nonstate adversaries use narcotics trafficking and other types of crime to finance their terrorist and insurgent activities," he said.

This understanding, he said, will be needed to support what's expected to be a long-term challenge.

"For the foreseeable future," he said, "drug trafficking will continue to be the world's most lucrative criminal enterprise and therefore, the one with the greatest ability to fund terrorists, insurgents and other threats to our national security."

SHIPS IN FORMATION

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Ships from Carrier Strike Group 8 are in formation at the end of a composite training unit exercise. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Julia A. Casper (Released) 

MARINE CORPS LT. DEDICATES FLAG TO HIS YET UNBORN SON

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Face of Defense: Marine Dedicates U.S. Flag to Son
Marine Corps 1st Lt. Phillip M. Downey salutes as the American flag is lowered during sunset at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, April 28, 2012. Downey is sending the flag home for his soon-to-be-born son. U.S. Marine Corps photo.  

By Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Cifuentes
1st Marine Division Public Affairs
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan , May 16, 2012 - Marine Corps 1st Lt. Phillip M. Downey has a unique gift for his soon-to-be-born son at home. He is sending his upcoming baby boy the American flag, which flew 50 feet above the Task Force Leatherneck compound here on April 28.

Downey is serving a year-long deployment in Helmand province with the 1st Marine Division. He said he doesn't think he'll be able to make it home in time to see the birth of his son, so he dedicated a flag to him instead.

"One day, I want him to understand that there was a reason why I wasn't there," said Downey, a 25-year-old St. Louis native.

Downey works in the combat operations center at the Task Force Leatherneck compound, the ground combat element command and control cell for Marine Corps operations here.
He deployed to Afghanistan in February, a few weeks after his girlfriend, Megan Black, announced she was pregnant. Although he was excited by the news, Downey said, the days leading up to the deployment "were interesting to say the least." Black moved in with her parents, who live near Downey's home station at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Downey's job involves tracking and coordinating mission orders from the command element of the Marine air-ground task force in Afghanistan. One of the biggest problems he faces in keeping in touch with Black is the time difference with California. On a typical day, when Downey's shift ends at 9 p.m., it's 9:30 a.m. at home. "She only answers my emails late at night or early in the morning," he said.
Downey's son is due in September, the seven-month mark of his scheduled one-year Afghanistan deployment.

Downey said the flag he's sending to his son will become a family heirloom.
"A lot of Marines dedicate their flags to their parents or family members who were former Marines," said Staff Sgt. Anthony B. Triplett, the administration chief for the commanding staff of Task Force Leatherneck and manager of the flag program. "To receive a flag that has flown over a Marine base in Afghanistan for a day means a lot to those people."
Downey's lineage includes two grandfathers who were soldiers during World War II, and two uncles who were soldiers in Vietnam. He said he hopes his wartime souvenir to his son will be passed on for generations.

Downey plans to frame the folded flag in a shadow box and hang it in his son's room after he is born.

He said an American flag that was flown from sunup to sundown in Afghanistan should be a priceless gift at Black's upcoming baby shower.

U.S. AND CHINA COOPERATE ON AFGHANISTAN

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

United States-China Cooperation in Afghanistan

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

May 17, 2012

During the May 3-4 Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing, U.S. and Chinese officials discussed ways to advance shared goals of a stable, secure, and prosperous Afghanistan.

In pursuit of this goal, Ambassador Gary Locke, Chinese MFA Asia Department Director General Luo Zhaohui, and Afghan Ambassador to China Sultan Baheen gathered today at the China Foreign Affairs University to celebrate the beginning of a joint U.S.-China training program for Afghan diplomats. Representatives from the U.S. and Chinese Embassies in Kabul jointly selected this group of promising Afghan junior diplomats, who will first participate in a two week training program sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and will then attend a Department of State-sponsored training program in the United States.

U.S. PACIFIC COMMANDER WANTS BETTER MILITARY RELATIONS WITH CHINA

Photo:  Chinese Nuclear Bomb.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 
Commander Seeks Better Military-to-Military Relations With China
By Jim Garamone
WASHINGTON, May 17, 2012 - Chinese and American officials recognize the importance of good, uninterrupted military-to-military relations, and the commander of U.S. Pacific Command will do what he can to further that goal.
Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III spoke about his new command and the importance he places in building the U.S. military relationship with China during a recent interview.
"The last thing you want to have is miscalculation between large militaries," the admiral said. "You want diplomacy to work. Militaries should only come into play when diplomacy fails, and then they should work hard to get you back into a diplomatic dialogue where real peace lies."

The U.S.-China military relationship has been rocky. China broke off military-to-military relations with the United States in January 2010, when the United States announced it would sell arms to Taiwan. For months, military relations were frozen, then they slowly warmed. In 2011, the military-to-military relationship resumed. Then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stressed that it was particularly in times of stress between the nations that such ties were important.

Gates visited China in January 2011, and his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Liang Guanglie, just finished a visit to the United States. The visit went forward even as arms sales to Taiwan again hit the news.

Chinese government officials face many decisions as the country moves forward. The nation has had stupendous growth over the past 30 years, and year-to-year growth in gross domestic product remains high. The Chinese army is benefiting from the booming economy, and Chinese officials are modernizing the military.

"They are an emerging power, and we are a mature power," Locklear said. "How they emerge, and how we encourage them will be an important key to both China and the United States."

The Chinese have many choices to make, and better military-to-military communications will allow both nations to understand why officials are making these choices. All this is "for the good of the global security environment," Locklear said.
The on-again, off-again nature of communications between the militaries doesn't help. "I think we may be reaching a turning point in that," he said. "Both nations realize that it's not in the best interests of anyone in the world for the U.S. and China to not have a favorable relationship with each other, and that good military-to-military relations [are] critical to that."

Military-to-military contacts are one way to build trust between the nations, the admiral said. "You learn to operate together, you learn to cooperate, you learn about each other's families -- you get a personal view of each other." So when things happen, he added, commanders can reach out to one another.

Sometimes it's impossible for capitals to talk to each other, the admiral said, and military commanders, with these types of contacts, sometimes can calm things down a bit.
Locklear had just returned from a visit to Beijing, and said he came away encouraged by the progress. "I'm hopeful that we can continue to have a dialogue and just talk together," he said. "It doesn't mean we have to agree on everything."
The United States and its closest allies don't agree on everything, he noted. "But I do believe we should not allow those disagreements prevent us from understanding each other in the places that we can, and allow us to control our appetite for disagreement," he said.

The South China Sea is an area of contention, with China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and Cambodia asserting jurisdiction in various parts of the waterway, which covers an area from Singapore to Taiwan.
"The United States doesn't take sides on competing territorial claims," Locklear said. "But we have an opinion on how we want those disputes to be resolved. First, we want them resolved by peaceful means and in accordance with customary law and by the things like the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. There are ways to deal with this."
Additionally, the United States calls upon all claimants to clarify their claims.
The South China Sea is crucial to trade in the region and with the United States. Half of the trade for the United States flows through the region. Almost all of the oil for China and Japan flow through the waterway.

There are competing claims to islands and seamounts in the sea, and how this plays out is of concern to the United States. "The way to deal with this is to settle in a forum where there can be as much win-win as possible," the admiral said. "But we want it done in a peaceful environment and we don't want a heavy hand from any side to enforce the process."

While not taking sides, the United States has a national interest in the freedom of the seas -- including the South China Sea -- and has consistently opposed excessive maritime claims. U.S. forces will continue to preserve the rights, freedoms and uses of the sea guaranteed to all nations by conducting freedom of navigation missions in the area.
While China is important to the U.S. strategy in the region, Locklear said, Korea is one area that keeps him awake at night. North Korea has a new leader, and more than half the population survives on fewer than 800 calories a day. The regime spent an inordinate amount of money to try to launch an ICBM, and there are rumblings that North Korea may continue to develop nuclear weapons. With the money that North Korea spent on its failed missile, "you could have fed 20 million people for one year," the admiral said.
Transnational threats also are a growing concern. Locklear said the cyber threat is the greatest transnational threat in the region, followed by terrorism. U.S. Pacific Command has an office dedicated to protecting its own networks and working with allies to combat cyber attacks. Locklear said he wants regional and international organizations to work together to define the rules of the Internet road.

"In the area of violent terror organizations, we are seeing ... a transition," the admiral said. "In the terror world, as you squeeze on one side of the balloon, it pops out somewhere else. Terrorists look for areas to exploit."

Terror groups are drawn to areas where people are disenfranchised and poor. "We're seeing more of that in some areas of Asia and we are going to have to adapt our forces to deal with that," Locklear said. "But in the long run, I think the solution is prosperity, and a general sense of security that makes it so these terror networks can't survive."
But the bottom line, the admiral said, is that the American people have to understand that the United States is a Pacific nation, with national interests that must be secured.
"For six decades, the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific has provided the security infrastructure that basically underpins the prosperity in the region," he added. "This will continue."

HHS STATEMENT ON HEPATITIS TESTING DAY

Photo:  Hepatitis B.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Statement from HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh
Millions of Americans have chronic viral hepatitis, but up to 75 percent of those infected do not know it.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ action plan for Combating the Silent Epidemic of Viral Hepatitis designated May 19 as the first-ever National Hepatitis Testing Day.  This day is part of a larger government-wide initiative to educate people about viral hepatitis and to encourage everyone to talk to their health care provider about whether they are at risk.

The prevalence of viral hepatitis in the United States is staggering. Thousands of Americans die every year from hepatitis-related liver disease and liver cancer. There are now lifesaving treatments available that can limit disease progression and prevent cancer deaths.

In order to increase the number of people who get tested for viral hepatitis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a new online Hepatitis Risk Assessment tool, which the Surgeon General and I are promoting through a series of public service announcements.  This online tool will assess an individual’s risk for viral hepatitis and generate a summary of recommendations for testing and vaccination that people can print and take to their doctor to discuss.

Our goal is that this risk assessment tool will raise awareness about this silent epidemic among members of the public, as well as the health care community. We are hoping all of our partners will help us share information about this exciting new tool and encourage people to use it.

SIX STATES WILL RECEIVE $181 MILLION TO IMPLEMENT NEW HEALTH CARE LAW

Photo:  President Obama Signs Heath Care Bill.  Credit:   White House 

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

More states work to implement health care law

Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee and Washington receive grants to establish Affordable Insurance Exchanges

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee and Washington will receive more than $181 million in grants to help implement the new health care law. The grants will help states establish Affordable Insurance Exchanges.  Starting in 2014, Affordable Insurance Exchanges will help consumers and small businesses in every state to choose a private health insurance plan. These comprehensive health plans will ensure consumers have the same kinds of insurance choices as members of Congress. Including today’s awards, 34 states and the District of Columbia have received Establishment grants to fund their progress toward building Exchanges.

HHS also issued two guidance documents today to help states build Affordable Insurance Exchanges.

“States across the country are implementing the new health care law,” said Secretary Sebelius. “In 2014, consumers in every state will have access to a new marketplace where they will be able to easily purchase affordable insurance.”

Today, the Department released:

• New resources for states: The six new Exchange Establishment grant awards to Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee and Washington total more than $181 million. This round of awards brings the total of Exchange-related grants provided to states over the last two years to more than $1 billion.  Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota and Tennessee today have been awarded Level One Exchange Establishment grants, which provide one year of funding to states that have begun the process of building their Exchange. Washington is the second state to be awarded a Level Two Establishment grant, which is provided to states that are further along in building their Exchange and offers funding over multiple years.
  In 2010, 49 states and the District of Columbia received Exchange Planning grants totaling more than $54 million; in 2011, seven states received more than $249 million in Early Innovator grants; and to date, 34 states and the District of Columbia have received more than $856 million in Establishment grants.
  States can apply for Exchange grants through the end of 2014, and these funds are available for states to use beyond 2014 as they continue to establish Exchange functionality. This ensures that states have the support and time necessary to build the best Exchange for their residents.
  To see a detailed state-by-state breakdown of grant awards and what each state plans to do with its Exchange funding, visit our new map tool on HealthCare.gov -http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/05/exchanges05232011a.html
• New guidance for states: Today’s guidance includes an Exchange Blueprint states may use to demonstrate how their Affordable Insurance Exchange will work to offer a wide range of competitively priced private health insurance options. The Blueprint also sets forth the application process for states seeking to enter into a Partnership Exchange. If a state chooses to operate its own Exchange or a Partnership Exchange, HHS will review and potentially approve or conditionally approve the Exchange no later than Jan. 1, 2013, so it can begin offering coverage on Jan. 1, 2014.  To see the state Exchange Blueprint, visit http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/other/index.html#hie
• Exchanges in every state: Consumers in every state will have access to coverage through an Affordable Insurance Exchange on Jan. 1, 2014. If a state decides not to operate an Exchange for its residents, HHS will operate a Federally-facilitated Exchange (FFE). This guidance describes how HHS will consult with a variety of stakeholders to implement an FFE, where necessary, how states can partner with HHS to implement selected functions in an FFE, and key policies organized by  Exchange function.
• 
  

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK WILL HELP EXPEDITE SALES OF U.S. BUSINESS AIRCRAFT

Photo:  Wikimedia
FROM:  U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Bank to Leverage Industry Expertise to Expedite Export Financing
for Business Aircraft and Helicopters
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: U.S. manufacturers of business aircraft and helicopters will benefit from a new process to assess credit risks and expedite foreign-buyer financing from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). Ex-Im Bank will work with qualified industry experts to perform due diligence and credit analysis to facilitate the Bank’s support for U.S. business-aircraft exports.

 The announcement was made today by Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg at the 12th annual European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE), being held in Geneva, Switzerland, May 14-16.

 “Business aircraft and helicopters are a vital part of the U.S. aerospace industry that is one of the most competitive sectors of the economy and employs thousands of Americans. Ex-Im Bank understands that business-aircraft transactions require specialized knowledge and experience but has limited resources to meet the growing demand for export financing in this industry. By leveraging private-sector expertise to assist and support our evaluation of these credits, we will be able to expand Ex-Im Bank’s support for U.S. business-aircraft exports and the manufacturing jobs that they sustain,” Chairman Hochberg said.
 Ex-Im Bank is implementing the new process to address the increased demand for export credits for business aircraft and helicopters arising from the growing percentage of U.S.-manufactured aircraft that are sold to foreign buyers. The process is intended to result in a more complete and comprehensive transaction package being submitted to Ex-Im Bank. The more complete package will expedite the application, approval and closing process for foreign borrowers of Ex-Im-supported financing in business-aircraft transactions. Using qualified advisors is also expected to provide enhanced credit structures, resulting in additional credit protections for Ex-Im Bank.

The process is designed to benefit manufacturers that do not have a captive financing company but which can now designate one or more advisors to work with their foreign buyers.

The process will be available immediately through any advisor that has demonstrated the requisite knowledge, experience and expertise with business-aircraft financing.
Ex-Im Bank developed the process following upon the successful model of its $500 million loan facility approved in 2009 that provided funds to assist Textron Inc. in financing exports of two of its companies, Cessna Aircraft Company and Bell Helicopter Textron. The facility enabled Textron’s Finance segment to provide competitive terms and interest rates to finance the export of more than 100 Cessna aircraft exports and six Bell helicopters.

Last week, Ex-Im Bank’s board of directors approved a second facility for Textron’s Finance segment, providing a guarantee of a $350 million loan from PNC Bank to a Textron subsidiary to finance the export of additional Cessna aircraft and Bell helicopters.

In FY 2011, Ex-Im Bank authorized more than $12.6 billion in financing to support the export of U.S.-manufactured aircraft of all types, including approximately $90 million for 10 business aircraft and helicopters exports to four countries – Brazil, Mexico, Panama and Switzerland.

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON RETURNS TO HOME PORT

FROM:  U.S. NAVY

Right:  YOKOSUKA, Japan (May 12, 2012) Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) lift one of the ship's anchor chains during an anchor drop test. George Washington completed a six-month routine maintenance period and is now underway conduction sea trials. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kaitlyn R. Breitkreutz/Released) 

Left:  YOKOSUKA, Japan (May 12, 2012) Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) complete an anchor drop test during sea trials. George Washington completed a six-month routine maintenance period and is now underway conduction sea trials.  (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kaitlyn R. Breitkreutz/Released)


George Washington Wraps Up Sea Trials
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kaitlyn R. Breitkreutz, USS George Washington Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) returned to its homeport of Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka May 16, after completing sea trials.

Sea trials is the testing phase of a U.S. Navy warship designed to measure a vessel's performance and general seaworthiness.

During this five-day evolution, George Washington completed drop tests on both anchors; conducted several aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) countermeasures drills and high-speed runs and rudder swing checks; as well as on-loaded both JP-5 jet fuel and various ordnance.

"Sea trials are where we put the past six months of maintenance to the test," said Capt. David Lausman, USS George Washington commanding officer. "The crew worked extremely hard to make this warship the best in the Navy, and I could not be happier to see the way the crew and this ship have responded."

George Washington's Deck department spent the first day of sea trials conducting anchor drop tests that tested the durability and integrity of the ship's two 30-ton anchors.

The anchor drop tests were conducted by 40 deck Sailors and involved lowering both anchors more than 60 feet to the sea below. These tests not only ensured the stability of the anchor and chain, but familiarized the crew with this dangerous evolution.

"This was the first time we released the anchor in quite some time," said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class John McNeil, from Conway, S.C. "I feel that our Sailors gained a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge. And that will translate into them getting the job done faster and safer when they are called upon."

George Washington was coated with foam from a chemical fire-fighting agent known as AFFF. This was a part of a two-day long test of the ship's counter-measure washdown system conducted by the ship's engineering department.

Over three football fields of AFFF covered the ship, but all hands picked-up brooms to join the ship's air department and scrubbed the aircraft carrier from stem to stern.

George Washington also conducted rudder swing checks and high-speed runs to test not only the ship's seaworthiness, but the crew's ability to perform in extreme high seas conditions. The ship maneuvered approximately 60,000 tons of steel and traveled more than 30 knots while conducting sharp turns. George Washington also conducted a 'raging bull' maneuver that began with the ship moving at top speed and then braking to a complete stop.

The crew worked diligently for a full two days of replenishments-at-sea (RAS) and vertical replenishments (VERTREP) with the USNS Tippacanoe (T-AO-199) and USNS Earhart (T-AKE-6). The ship received more than 1.9 million gallons of JP-5 jet fuel and approximately 3.7 million pounds of ammunition.

Each department contributed to the ship's overall mission readiness by conducting its own set of evolutions and tasks - including the ship's Air department, which is preparing for Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5's arrival.

"We're using our time wisely," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Yves Marlo Aguirre, from Manila, Philippines. "When we embark the air wing, we'll be ready to go. "

CVW-5 will combine with George Washington to support U.S. 7th Fleet operations during its upcoming patrol.
The ship is working diligently to complete sea trials and pre-deployment preparations before returning to Yokosuka, Japan.

George Washington was commissioned July 4, 1992, and is the fifth of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. Aircraft carriers exercise the Navy core capabilities of power projection, forward presence, humanitarian assistance, deterrence, sea control and maritime security.

LABOR DEPARTMENT ACCUSES MAN OF USING MILLIONS OF WORKERS RETIREMENT MONEY FOR PERSONAL EXPENCES

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Department of Labor alleges Idaho plan administrator misused funds
Matthew D. Hutcheson allegedly took more than $3.2 million from retirement plans
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho against Matthew D. Hutcheson alleging that he violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The complaint alleges that, toward the end of 2010, Hutcheson used more than $3.2 million representing the retirement plan savings of workers from multiple employers for his own personal expenses and in an attempt to purchase an interest in the Tamarack Resort — a failed ski and golf resort in Idaho. This prohibited transaction has left affected retirement plans without sufficient funds to pay participants all the benefits owed to them. Hutcheson also faces a separate criminal indictment, which was filed in the same court on April 10, in connection with the same transaction.

"This is a case of a fiduciary violating the trust of retirement plan participants who relied on him to invest and grow their hard-earned savings," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits Security Phyllis C. Borzi. "The Labor Department is taking all actions necessary to recover money for workers who are counting on these savings for a secure retirement."

The department also has filed an application for a temporary restraining order and for an order to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not be granted. The department seeks to remove Hutcheson and other named defendants as fiduciaries of the affected plans, and to appoint an independent fiduciary to administer the plans. In addition to Hutcheson, defendants include Hutcheson Walker Advisors LLC; Green Valley Holdings LLC; and the Retirement Security Plan and Trust, formerly known as the Pension Liquidity Plan and Trust.

The case was investigated by staff from the Labor Department's Employee Benefits Security Administration's Dallas Regional Office. The case is being litigated by the Labor Department's Office of the Solicitor in Washington, D.C. Employers and workers can contact

ARIZONA POLITICIAN CHARGED WITH BRIBER, FRAUD, ATTEMPTED EXTORTION AND FALSE STATEMENTS

Photo:  Lady Justice.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Arizona State Representative Charged with Bribery, Fraud, Attempted Extortion and Making False Statements
WASHINGTON – A member of the Arizona House of Representatives was charged today by a federal grand jury in the District of Arizona with bribery, fraud, attempted extortion and false statements in connection with receiving more than $6,000 in tickets to sporting and special events while serving as a Tempe, Ariz., City Council councilmember and member-elect of the Arizona House, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge James L. Turgal of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office.

The indictment charges Paul Ben Arredondo, 63, of Tempe, with one count of federal programs bribery, two counts of honest services mail fraud, one count of attempted Hobbs Act extortion and one count of making false statements.  Arredondo will be arraigned on May 30, 2012, in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence O. Anderson.

According to the indictment, Arredondo was a councilmember in Tempe for 16 years, until July 2010.  He was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in November 2010.  The indictment alleges that from February 2009 to November 2010, Arredondo accepted, agreed to accept and solicited things of value from representatives of a company whose purported business objective was to acquire city-owned property in Tempe for real estate development purposes.  The representatives were, in fact, undercover agents with the FBI.  According to the indictment, Arredondo received from the undercover agents more than $6,000 worth of tickets to sporting and other special events.  Those tickets included 18 tickets for Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games valued at a total of approximately $2,400, and four tickets to an American League Championship Series baseball game valued at a total of approximately $1,225.

According to the indictment, in return for those tickets, Arredondo took and agreed to take action in his capacity as a Tempe city councilmember and as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives to facilitate the undercover agents’ purported purchase of city-owned property and development project.  The indictment alleges that Arredondo brokered meetings between the undercover agents and other public officials, divulged information regarding the city of Tempe’s bidding process, and attempted to persuade other city officials to approve the purported development project.
The indictment further alleges that Arredondo lied to the FBI about his conduct during an interview in January 2012.

The federal programs bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Each count of honest services mail fraud and attempted extortion carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The indictment also contains a notice of forfeiture.

An indictment is merely a charge and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Edward T. Kang and Monique T. Abrishami of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick A. Battista of the District of Arizona.  The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office.

ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF GEN. ODIERNO ADDRESSES EXPANDING COMBAT ROLE FOR WOMEN

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno addresses the press about future changes in the Army's structure and size, including the expansion of women's roles in combat forces, at the Pentagon, May 16, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett  

Odierno: Army 'Moving Toward' Opening Combat Arms to Women
By Karen Parrish
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2012 - Army leaders are asking whether -- and how -- to open infantry and armor ranks to women, the service's senior soldier said today.
Officers in charge of training and force development are now gathering data to help answer those questions, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno told reporters during a Pentagon briefing.

In line with Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta's policy, the service has already opened 13,000 previously all-male positions to female soldiers, the general noted.
"Earlier this week more than 200 women began reporting to the maneuver battalions in nine of our brigade combat teams, selected to participate in the exception to the direct ground combat assignment rule," he said. "Additionally, co-location [with combat units] as an assignment restriction is rescinded."

A Defense Department report to Congress in February outlining the assignment policy changes included a vision statement that said the department "is committed to removing all barriers that would prevent service members from rising to the highest level of responsibility that their talents and capabilities warrant."

Odierno noted the changes open new opportunities to women, who comprise 16 percent of the Army's ranks. "This revision ... allows us to leverage the tremendous talent resident in our ranks," he added.

Women will likely filter in to the new positions for "several months," the Army chief said. Two categories of assignments are now open to women: jobs such as tank mechanic and field artillery radar operator that are necessarily performed close to combat units, and a limited "exception to policy" opening select positions at the battalion level in jobs women already occupy.

"My guess is, based on my experience in Iraq and what I've seen in Afghanistan, we'll then move forward with a more permanent solution [involving those two assignment categories] inside of the Army probably sometime this fall," he said.
Odierno said the next step is "to look at, do we open up infantry and armor [military occupational specialties] to females?"

He emphasized no decisions have yet been made on the question, but noted the answer will have implications for all-male Army formations, including the Rangers.
Army Rangers are rapidly deployable, light infantry troops trained to engage conventional and special operations targets. While there are only three Ranger battalions, with a special troops battalion and a separate Ranger training brigade, Odierno pointed out the "Ranger tab" denoting completion of Ranger training is a key to advancement among infantry officers.

Ranger school consists of three phases -- mountain, desert and swamp – over 61 days, and combines rigorous infantry training with famously sparse amounts of food and sleep.
While Odierno cautioned, "I don't want to get ahead of myself," he noted that some 90 percent of Army senior infantry officers -- all male -- are Ranger-qualified.
"So, if we determine that we're going to allow women to go into infantry, to be successful they are probably, at some time, going to have to go through Ranger school," he said. "We have not made that decision, but it's a factor that I've asked them to take a look at."
If combat arms jobs open to female soldiers, "We want the women to be successful," the general said.

The Army, like DOD, is committed to providing maximum opportunity for its members, Odierno said.

"We're going to move toward it," he said. "It's how we do that, what we have to do, [that we're assessing] as we move forward."