SUNRISE VIEW FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

 

FROM: NASA
Sunrise

On Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, International Space Station astronaut Ron Garan used a high definition camera to film one of the sixteen sunrises astronauts see each day. This image shows the rising sun as the station flew along a path between Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Image Credit: NASA

CHINA INVITED TO "RIM OF THE PACIFIC" NAVAL EXERCISE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks with Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of general staff, in Beijing, Sept. 17, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
Panetta: Navy Will Invite China to Pacific Rim Exercise
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

BEIJING, Sept. 18, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and his Chinese counterpart, Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie, told reporters here today they see progress and room for growth in the two nations' military relationship.

During a news conference following small- and large-group meetings the two attended this morning, Panetta said he informed the general today that "the United States Navy will invite China to send a ship to participate in the RIMPAC [Rim of the Pacific] 2014 exercise."

The biannual exercise, hosted by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, is the world's largest maritime exercise. It involved 22 nations' navies this year.

The secretary said he hopes China's participation in RIMPAC 2014 will build on the positive momentum generated by a counterpiracy exercise the two nations took part in last week in the Gulf of Aden.

"These exercises enhance the ability of our navies to work together to confront the common threat of piracy," Panetta said.

The secretary said he and Liang also discussed establishing peacekeeping exchanges between the two militaries, which "would enhance our capabilities in this critical area."

The United States hopes in particular, he added, that through such exchanges "we can learn from China's experience leading [United Nations] peacekeeping missions in Cyprus and in the Western Sahara"

As the two nations increase cooperation, the secretary said, it's important for both sides to recognize they won't always agree.

"The United States continues to be concerned about challenges to maritime security in East Asia," Panetta said, referring to recent clashes between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, known in China as the Diaoyu Islands. In that and other territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific region, Panetta said, he urges calm and hopes to see the nations involved keep communication channels open so they can resolve their claims peacefully, though diplomacy.

"It's in no country's interest for this situation to escalate into conflict that would undermine peace and stability in this very important region," he added. "This has been my consistent message throughout the week."

Map Credit:  U.S. Department Of Defense.

The secretary is midway through an Asia trip that began in Japan and will end later this week with a stop in New Zealand.

Panetta said in discussion with Liang, he also repeated the U.S. desire to have a military-to-military dialogue with China on conduct in cyberspace, which the secretary called a growing economic and security threat.

Finally, Panetta said, he focused during today's discussions on the U.S. strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region. The United States intends its strategy to add impetus to economic, diplomatic and security interests in the region, which is vital to world trade, the secretary added.

"As I pointed out, a key to that rebalancing is having a constructive relationship with China," he said.

Liang told reporters during the conference the Chinese government has placed "great value" on Panetta's visit.

The general confirmed the events on the secretary's schedule through today: meetings here with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who serves in a position roughly equivalent to the U.S. national security advisor; and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Caihou.

Liang also confirmed Panetta's schedule includes visits to the People's Liberation Army armored engineering college, where the secretary will deliver a speech, and a visit to the eastern port city of Qingdao, where he will meet with the commander of China's North Sea Fleet.

The general said that in today's meetings, "we have exchanged ideas and opinions on bilateral and military-to-military relations between our two nations, on international and regional situations, and ... other issues of common interest. We have reached some consensus."

Liang said both sides agreed "solid and steady development of China-U.S. relations is significant to the two countries, the two peoples, and to the entire world."

Liang said he and Panetta agreed that within the larger picture of relations between the two countries, they must develop a new military-to-military relationship "based on equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation."

He noted there are issues -- including U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the U.S. rebalancing strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, territorial disputes in the South and East China Sea, cybersecurity and outer space – on which better communication could "reduce suspicions and build trust."

The general added that discussions with Panetta have been conducted in a "candid, practical and constructive atmosphere."

NEBRASKA NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIER SERVES AS MENTOR TO AFGHAN FARMERS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Army Sgt. Alex Peyton, an agricultural specialist with the Nebraska National Guard's agribusiness development team, poses for a picture in the team's conference room at Forward Operating Base Gardez in Afghanistan's Paktia province, Sept. 1, 2012. The Nebraska team serves with the Paktia Provincial Reconstruction Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Bonebrake

Face of Defense: Nebraska Native Mentors Afghan Farmers
     By Army Sgt. Christopher Bonebrake
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Sept. 18, 2012 - Army Sgt. Alex Peyton, an agricultural specialist from Gothenburg, Neb., bristles with weapons and gear as he sits quietly in a wooden chair, surveying the world outside the wire at Forward Operating Base Gardez here.
Pulling guard duty is not one of his regular tasks, but as a member of the Nebraska National Guard's agribusiness development team, the agricultural section for the Paktia Provincial Reconstruction Team, he must do his part to keep his fellow service members safe.
In high school, Peyton was more interested in becoming a veterinarian than a veteran.
"I've always loved animals, and I worked for a local veterinarian during high school and pursued animal science during my first couple years in college," he said.
Peyton credits his grandfather with first sparking his interest in serving in the military. "My dad would tell me stories about my grandfather when he served in the Big Red One during World War II," he said.
Ever since Peyton joined the Nebraska National Guard in 2007, he has not looked back.
"It was one of the best decisions I ever made," he said. "I serve because when I wear the uniform, it's an honor that is hard to explain. It gives me a great feeling when I put it on."
Peyton deployed to Iraq in 2010 to serve as an intelligence analyst. While he was there, he heard about the agricultural development teams the National Guard was deploying to Afghanistan to help infrastructure development.
When he returned from Iraq, Peyton said, he was looking for summer work and started looking into agronomy -- the study of farming. He worked for a friend at his church taking soil samples and identifying pests, and found that he loved it.
"When I heard about this deployment, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get out in the field and do what I'm learning on the civilian side," he said. "I'm here to help the people of Afghanistan become better farmers, but at the same time learn about early farming practices."
There is no specific course designed to train agricultural specialists in the Army. Selection for being on an agribusiness development team is based upon experience in the civilian world, including education. Peyton was selected because of his work with animals and his current pursuit of a degree from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in agronomy. He said he believes that his experiences in Afghanistan will make him a better student and potential employee when he returns next year.
On a typical mission, Peyton talks with Afghan farmers to assess how the team can better help them improve the quality of their crops. The team also conducts quality assurance and quality control missions, examining the farmers' produce to see if the training they have received has made an impact.
Army Sgt. 1st Class John Ruden, Peyton's first-line leader, describes him as very capable.
"He has a lot of potential for more leadership roles and responsibilities," Ruden said. "He loves to engage with the local populace and teach them about agriculture. When there's a chance to go out, he's always eager to do the mission.
"His work ethic is really good, as well," Ruden added. "If I give him a task, he'll do it. He may ask me five different questions about how to do it, but that's because he wants to do it right, which is great."
Army Lt. Col. William Prusia, the team's officer in charge, described Peyton as a motivated and dedicated soldier who makes a significant contribution to the team.
"Sergeant Peyton is a very sharp and knowledgeable young man," Prusia said. "He brings a unique skill set to the team that is invaluable. I don't know many guys in their 20s who have the knowledge and experience he has."
When he gets home, Peyton said, he plans to finish his degree in agronomy and stay in the National Guard until he reaches at least the rank of master sergeant.
"I continue to serve because I have so many friends who got out early and regret it," he said. "Overall, I'm really happy I joined and enjoy what I do here. I'd rather stay in than get out and look back with regret."

U.S.-CHINA PARTICIPATED IN NAVAL EXERCISE TO CURB PIRACY

FROM: U.S. NAVY
120917-N-YF306-390 GULF OF ADEN (Sept. 17, 2012) A visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team member from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (Navy) frigate Yi Yang (FF 548) boards a rigid-hull inflatable boat after completing a bilateral counter-piracy exercise aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81). The focus of the exercise was American and Chinese naval cooperation in detecting, boarding, and searching suspected pirated vessels. Winston S. Churchill is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Chase/Released)

　

US and China Team Up for Counter-Piracy Exercise
By USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) Public Affairs

AT SEA (NNS) -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) and other U.S. Navy assets participated in a counter-piracy exercise with elements of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (Navy) PLA(N) near the Horn of Africa, Sept. 17.

The exercise, the first bilateral counter-piracy exercise ever conducted between the U.S. and China, paired Winston S. Churchill with PLA(N) frigate Yi Yang (FF 548) to conduct a combined visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) boarding.

The focus was on bilateral interoperability in detecting, boarding and searching suspected vessels as well as the ability of both Chinese and American naval assets to respond to pirated vessels.

"Piracy is a threat to the freedom of the seas, economic security, and the safety of mariners from all nations. Bilateral exercises such as this demonstrate the cooperative will of the international community and increases proficiency of multinational forces in confronting the threat," said Cmdr. Chris D. Stone, Winston S. Churchill's commanding officer. "We have common regional and global security challenges, and we are able to jointly address those by training together."

VBSS teams from both ships performed the boarding on Winston S. Churchill, which was simulating a pirated vessel. Executing the boarding side-by-side as a combined U.S.-Chinese team, the team successfully searched the vessel and provided assistance to the role-playing mariners.

Participants felt that the training was meaningful, providing a unique opportunity to operate alongside one another.

"It was exciting to interact with the Chinese Sailors and cooperate in a critical environment," said Lt. j.g. Edward R. Kellum, boarding officer for Winston S. Churchill's VBSS team. "Anytime we work with a foreign military, it adds a different perspective to how we operate. However, to collaborate with the Chinese in an anti-piracy framework is a rare opportunity and a real achievement for maritime security."

Following the exercise, leaders from both navies discussed the elements of the boarding in order to learn how to better operate together in the future.

U.S and Chinese leaders expressed how important and beneficial the training was, both in terms of building cooperative ties and development of techniques to counter piracy.

"We're appreciative of the opportunity to train with other nations to establish ties that will allow us to work together to face the piracy threat," said Stone. "As fellow mariners we have great admiration for our Chinese counterparts who are sailing alongside us and other coalition partners to keep the sea lanes safe."

Winston S. Churchill is currently deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts, and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom.

THE GREEN INVESTMENT PONZI SCHEME

Photo:  NYSE Shortly After 1929 Crash.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

SEC Obtains Final Judgments Ordering More Than $135 Million in Monetary Relief in "Green" Investment Ponzi Scheme
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on September 13, 2012, the Honorable Christine M. Arguello, U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Colorado, entered final judgments against Troy B. Wragg, Amanda E. Knorr, Speed of Wealth, LLC, Wayde M. McKelvy, and Donna M. McKelvy ordering disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and civil penalties totaling more than $135 million. The Court ordered Wragg and Knorr to pay $37,031,035.36 in disgorgement plus interest of $3,713,772.06 jointly and severally with Mantria Corporation and a civil penalty of $37,031,035.36 each; Speed of Wealth and Wayde McKelvy to pay $6,273,632.78 in disgorgement plus interest of $869,141.87 jointly and severally and a civil penalty of $6,273,632.78 each; and Donna McKelvy to pay $429,731.84 in disgorgement plus interest of $55,172.93 and a civil penalty of $214,865.92.

The parties were originally charged in a Complaint filed on November 17, 2009. The Complaint alleged that Wayde and Donna McKelvy, through their Denver-based company Speed of Wealth LLC, as well as Mantria executives Wragg and Knorr, raised funds for numerous Mantria "green" initiatives such as a supposed "carbon negative" housing community in rural Tennessee and a "biochar" charcoal substitute made from organic waste. The SEC alleged that Mantria’s "green" representations were fraudulent and that investors were falsely promised enormous returns on their investments ranging from 17 percent to "hundreds of percent" annually. Mantria’s environmental initiatives did not generate any significant cash, and any returns paid to investors were funded almost exclusively from other investors’ funds. In addition, none of the relevant offerings were registered with the Commission, nor were any of the defendants registered as a broker-dealer or associated with a registered broker-dealer.

Upon the Commission’s motion, the Court entered a temporary restraining order on November 16, 2009, and an order of preliminary injunction on December 2, 2009. After entry of the September 13, 2012 final judgments, permanent injunctions have now been entered against all Defendants.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

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Violent TV and kids’ bad nights

Violent TV and kids’ bad nights

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

 

FROM: U.S. NAVY
120916-N-SH953-389 ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Sept. 16, 2012) Retired Navy SEAL Jim Woods, a member of the U.S. Navy parachute demonstration team, The Leap Frogs, lands as the USS Constitution Honor Guard marches onto the field during the opening ceremonies of the Bills and Chiefs NFL football game during Buffalo Navy Week 2012. Buffalo Navy Week is one of 15 signature events planned across America in 2012. The weeklong event commemorates the bicentennial of the War of 1812, hosting service members from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kathryn E. Macdonald/Released)

The amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) pulls away from the pier for a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific region. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Elizabeth Merriam (Released) 120917-N-BB534-184

SPACECRAFT LANDS IN KAZAKHSTAN

FROM: NASA

Expedition 32 Landing
The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of Russia, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba and Russian Flight Engineer Sergie Revin in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, September 17, 2012. Padalka, Acaba and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.
Photo Credit- NASA-Carla
Cioffi

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK BACKS AIRCRAFT SALE IN BRAZIL

Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

Ex-Im Authorizes $900,000 in Export Insurance
to Back Texas Small Business’s Aircraft Sale in Brazil;
Supports 135 Jobs in Texas
Washington, D.C. – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized credit insurance to support the export by Air Tractor Inc. of nearly $900,000 worth of American-made crop-spraying aircraft to a biofuel and soybean grower in Brazil.

This Bank-supported export sale is the twentieth of approximately forty similar deals expected to benefit Air Tractor this year. The total body of export sales will support 135 American jobs in Olney, Texas, both in production and in sales management.

"We’re glad to see Air Tractor -a small business in Texas- winning this sale to Brazil, which is one of our nine key markets," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "This export transaction continues the long relationship we have had with Air Tractor that helped them dramatically grow their foreign sales while supporting American jobs."

Air Tractor employs 270 people to build its aircraft and custom equipment. Since 1972, the Air Tractor line has sold about 2,800 aircraft to buyers on six continents. Over the past 17 years, Air Tractor has utilized Ex-Im Bank’s medium-term insurance to export an estimated $70 million worth of its aircraft, primarily to small private-sector buyers in Argentina and Brazil. In 2009 and 2011, Air Tractor also obtained Bank-guaranteed working capital loans.

"The export finance products of Ex-Im Bank have been invaluable to Air Tractor in supporting our growth in the international market over the last 15 years," said David Ickert, chief financial officer for Air Tractor. "We continue to look to Ex-Im Bank for support as we expand our export sales in the future. The Bank’s products and hard-working employees are key to our export growth and job creation."

The financing will support the export of Air Tractor’s model AT-502B, a single-engine turbo prop aircraft outfitted with a 500-gallon hopper that can be utilized both to extinguish fires and to spray crops. The aircraft is specifically adapted to operational conditions in Brazil’s State of Mato Grosso.

Taua Biodiesel Ltda, headquartered in Nova Mutum, Brazil, purchased the medium-sized Air Tractor equipment for its agricultural operations. The Taua group produces biodiesel fuel, vegetable oil, and soybean meal on 40,000 acres now under cultivation. Taua plans to increase its operation to 100,000 hectares by 2015.

Ex-Im Bank concentrates market development efforts in Brazil because of that country’s massive and growing consumer population, which welcomes goods stamped "Made in USA." The Bank’s exposure in Brazil as of the end of fiscal year 2011 amounted to $2.7 billion.

JAPAN TO HAVE NEW ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE RADAR INSTALLATION



U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta meets with Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto in Tokyo, Sept. 17, 2012. DOD photo by Erin Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

U.S., Japan Agree to Add Second Radar Installation
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

TOKYO, Sept. 17, 2012 - The United States and Japan have agreed to add a second U.S. anti-ballistic missile radar installation in Japan, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced here today.

During a news conference following separate meetings with Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Koichiro Gemba and Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto, Panetta and Morimoto both discussed the radar's significance.

The agreement "reflects our joint commitment to this alliance, and to promoting peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region," Panetta said.

A defense official traveling with PanettaTPY-2, will augment one previously set up in Shariki on the northern part of Honshu island. A team from the United States arrived in Japan this week to work with Japanese officials in determining a site for the new radar, the official added.

The official said the radar is not a defense against China, but rather against the growing ballistic missile threat North Korea poses to "the U.S. homeland as well as U.S. citizens, our deployed forces, allies and partners in the region."

"U.S. missile defense and Japan are focused on deterring North Korean aggression," the official said, "and if deterrence fails, defending against the growing arsenal of North Korean ballistic missiles. North Korea has hundreds of ballistic missiles that can threaten our interests ... [as well as] other countries in the region."

The official said the land-based system will bolster regional security and allow flexibility in deploying ships equipped with the same radar, now stationed in the Asia-Pacific region, to other parts of the world as needed.

"The U.S. has been committed to the collective regional security of the Asia-Pacific region for decades, and to that end we cooperate with our partners on a broad range of capabilities, including missile defense," the official said.

According to a Missile Defense Agency fact sheet, the AN-TPY-2 is an X-band, high-resolution, phased-array radar designed specifically for ballistic missile defense, capable of tracking all classes of ballistic missiles and identifying small objects at long distances.

Used with the Ballistic Missile Defense System, the AN-TPY-2 acts as advanced "eyes" for the system, detecting ballistic missiles early in their flight and providing precise tracking information for the system's use.

EARTH SUSTAINABILITY

Photo:  Mountain Landscape.  Credit:  Wikimedia. 
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Maintaining Earth's Sustainability: Scientists, Engineers, Educators Take Coordinated Approach National Science Foundation makes second set of awards in sustainability Research Coordination Networks program

September 17, 2012

Coordinating phosphorus research to create a sustainable food system; studying urban heat islands; and advancing social and environmental understanding of mountain landscapes are all topics of new grants totaling $5 million recently made through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) portfolio.

The awards are through NSF's SEES-Research Coordination Networks (RCN) program.

Grants also include building a research network for promoting Arctic urban sustainability in Russia; multidisciplinary approaches to carbon capture, utilization and storage; creating an engineering research collaboratory for sustainable infrastructure in a changing climate; and developing an integrated network for social sustainability concepts, language and assessment.

"These collaborative projects address difficult challenges that threaten the sustainability of our country's natural resources and built environment," says Thomas Peterson, NSF assistant director for Engineering.

"With a sound base in science and engineering, sustainable development can benefit society, the economy and the environment over the long term."

SEES activities span the range of scientific domains at NSF.

SEES RCN awards are supported by NSF's Directorates for Biological Sciences; Computer & Information Science & Engineering; Education and Human Resources; Engineering; Geosciences; Mathematical & Physical Sciences; Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences; Office of Cyberinfrastructure; Office of International Science and Engineering; and Office of Polar Programs.

These NSF directorates and offices support interdisciplinary research and education projects that will move society toward global sustainability; build new links among existing projects and partners; add new participants in sustainability research; and develop the workforce needed to understand and address the complex issues of environmental sustainability.

"An important metric of the success of a program like SEES RCN is the legacy it will leave long after the program has been completed," says Marge Cavanaugh, NSF acting assistant director for Geosciences.

"The interdisciplinary partnerships that SEES RCN projects will create, along with the broadly educated and creative students and young researchers they will produce, are just as important as the new processes and links that will be discovered."

Sustainability science and engineering goes beyond adaptation to and mitigation of environmental change. A sustainable world is one in which human needs are met without harm to the environment, and without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs in turn.

This formidable task requires understanding the integrated system of society and the natural world, along with the alterations humans are making on Earth, scientists, engineers and educators believe.

NSF's SEES activities are addressing this need by supporting interdisciplinary research and education leading to a better understanding of, predictive capability for, and solutions to environmental challenges.

The RCN program's goal is to advance a scientific field or create new directions in research and education. Groups of investigators coordinate their research, training and education activities across disciplinary, organizational, geographic and international boundaries.

The program fosters new collaborations, including international partnerships, and addresses interdisciplinary topics.

By linking U.S. and international scientists in research on sustainable cities, energy, water, engineering and manufacturing sustainability, and related subjects, SEES RCNs are creating new directions in sustainability science and engineering.

European Space Agency United Kingdom (EN) Update

European Space Agency United Kingdom (EN) Update

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

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U.S. ENERGY SECURITY

FROM: U.S. NAVY

120908-N-QY430-010 NORFOLK (Sept. 08, 2012) Adm. John C. Harvey, Jr. commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, left, greets U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a tour of the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61). Secretary Vilsack made the visit to discuss efforts by the Departments of Agriculture and the Navy to strengthen energy security for our nation's military. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Rafael Martie/Released)

USDA and DON Visit to USS Monterey Reinforces Commitment to Greater Energy Security
NORFOLK (NNS) -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Tom Hicks toured the USS Monterey (CG 61) at Naval Station Norfolk Sept. 8, highlighting the commitment of both agencies to greater energy security for the nation's military.

During the tour, Vilsack and Hicks discussed the tremendous opportunities advanced biofuels hold for reducing America's dependence on foreign oil while creating more jobs in rural communities.

"Developing the next generation of advanced biofuels for our nation's military is both a national security issue and an economic issue," said Vilsack. "By utilizing renewable energy produced on American soil, our military forces will become less reliant on fuel that has to be transported long distances and often through choke points that can be disrupted during times of conflict.

"Meanwhile, a strong and diverse biofuels industry will support good-paying jobs in rural America that can't be shipped overseas," he continued. "Through this joint effort, USDA and the U.S. Navy have the opportunity to create a model for American energy security while ensuring the safety of our troops and the long term viability of our armed forces."

"Secretary Vilsack's leadership and the work carried out by USDA on alternative fuel is so critical to the Navy's efforts to address a critical military vulnerability: our reliance on foreign oil," stated U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. "I am grateful that he took the time today to tour USS Monterey and meet some of our Sailors. I am sure he came away as impressed with their professionalism and skill as I am always am."

This past July, the U.S. Navy completed a demonstration of the "Great Green Fleet" using a 50/50 blend of advanced hydroprocessed biofuel and conventional fuel to power helicopters, jets, a cruiser and two destroyers. The demonstration also incorporated technologies designed to enhance the combat capability of Navy warships, such as energy efficient solid state lighting, stern flaps and shipboard "smart voyage" planning decision aid software.

The July demonstration took place off the coast of Hawaii as part of the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC). Secretary Mabus observed operations, which included fueling helicopters and jets from the deck the USS Nimitz (CVN 68); completing arrested landings of aircraft onto a carrier, the first ever using biofuels; refueling a destroyer while underway; and air-to-air refueling.

"Today's event demonstrates our joint commitment to energy security and how the department is exploring ways to improve our combat capabilities." said Tom Hicks, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy. "We are excited about our partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy to produce advanced biofuels for military and commercial use."

Navy, USDA and DOE recently announced an agreement that makes $30 million in funding available to support commercialization of "drop-in" biofuel substitutes for diesel and jet fuel through the Defense Production Act Title III (DPA). The DPA dates back to 1950 and has been used to support the industrialization of defense-critical domestic industries such as steel, aluminum, titanium, semiconductors, beryllium, and radiation-hardened electronics.

At the same time, DOE announced an additional $32 million to support research into advanced biofuel technologies that are in earlier stages of development.

SEC ALLEGES BROKERS CHURNED ACOUNTS FOR FEES

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIOIN

Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2012 – The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged three former brokers at an Atlanta-based brokerage firm for "churning" the accounts of customers with conservative investment objectives, causing severe investor losses while the brokers collected handsome fees.

The SEC also charged the head supervisor at JP Turner & Company, Michael Bresner, as well as the firm’s president William Mello and the firm itself for compliance failures. JP Turner and Mello agreed to settle the SEC’s charges, while an administrative proceeding will continue against the three brokers and the supervisor.

Churning is a fraudulent practice in which brokers disregard the customer’s investment objectives and engage in excessive trading for the purpose of generating commissions and other revenue for themselves or their firms. The SEC’s Enforcement Division alleges that brokers Ralph Calabro, Jason Konner, and Dimitrios Koutsoubos engaged in churning while they worked at JP Turner. They collectively generated commissions, fees, and margin interest totaling approximately $845,000 while the defrauded customers suffered aggregate losses of approximately $2.7 million.

"Broker-dealers’ supervisory systems must provide customers with reasonable protection from churning and similar abuses. JP Turner’s supervisory systems failed to do that," said William P. Hicks, Associate Director of the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office.

According to the SEC’s order instituting administrative proceedings against the three brokers and the supervisor, Calabro lives in Matawan, N.J. and Konner and Koutsoubos each live in Brooklyn, N.Y. They all work at different firms now. While at JP Turner, they collectively churned the accounts of seven customers with conservative investment objectives and low or moderate risk tolerances. The churning occurred between January 2008 and December 2009.

According to the SEC’s order, Bresner lives in Atlanta and is an executive vice president and the head of supervision at JP Turner. He is charged with failing to reasonably supervise Konner and Koutsoubos, who generated such high commissions for some of their churned customers that it triggered a requirement in the firm’s procedures requiring that Bresner personally review the underlying trading activity. However, Bresner failed to take appropriate action in response to the trading in these accounts despite several red flags.

Specifically, the SEC’s Enforcement Division alleges that Calabro, Konner, and Koutsoubos violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, and Bresner failed reasonably to supervise Konner and Koutsoubos with a view to preventing and detecting their violations.

The settled administrative order against JP Turner and Mello finds that they failed to implement adequate procedures to detect and prevent the fraudulent churning of customer accounts. Mello as president was ultimately responsible for establishing and implementing the firm’s supervisory policies and procedures designed to detect and prevent churning violations. Although JP Turner had a monitoring system to identify actively traded accounts, the system imposed few requirements and no meaningful guidance for supervisors to review these accounts and take meaningful action to investigate the trading activity.

In settling the SEC’s charges without admitting or denying the findings, JP Turner agreed to hire an independent consultant to review the firm’s supervisory procedures in order to prevent future violations. The SEC’s order censures JP Turner and requires payment of $200,000 in disgorgement (JP Turner’s approximate share of the commissions and fees generated by the fraudulent churning) plus $16,051 in prejudgment interest and a $200,000 penalty. The order suspends Mello from association in a supervisory capacity with a broker, dealer, or investment adviser for a period of five months and requires him to pay a $45,000 penalty.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted in its Atlanta Regional Office by staff attorneys Natalie M. Brunson and Song P. Brandon under the supervision of Assistant Regional Director Matthew F. McNamara. The SEC’s litigation will be led by Regional Trial Counsel M. Graham Loomis, senior trial counsels Edward G. Sullivan and W. Shawn Murnahan, and staff attorney Natalie Brunson. Assistant Regional Director Anthony D. Russell and securities compliance examiner Charlotte E. Moncrieff conducted the examination that led to the investigation.

U.S. NAVY PHOTOS FROM HISTORY

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
020103-N-3653A-001.JPG - USS George Washington (CVN 73) Jan. 3, 2002. - Snow covering the flight deck of the USS George Washington after more than eight inches fell in the Norfolk, Virginia area. U.S Navy photo by PH3 Summer M. Anderson. (Released)

011014-N-XXXXL-002 Honolulu, Hawaii (Oct. 24, 2001) -- The Japanese fishing vessel "Ehime Maru" is lifted from the ocean floor by the Rockwater 2 to a shallow-water recovery site off the coast of Honolulu. In this photo, the "Quest" electric work-class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) observes the wreckage. The Ehime Maru went down off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii, after a collision at sea  with the submarine USS Greeneville (SSN 772). U.S. Navy Photo. (RELEASED)

SPACEDOCK

FROM:  NASA
Astronaut Ron Garan took this image during the spacewalk conducted on Tues., July 12, 2011. It shows the International Space Station with Space Shuttle Atlantis docked on the right and a Russian Soyuz on the far left. In the foreground is the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment installed during the STS-134 mission.


AMS is a state-of-the-art particle physics detector designed to use the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter and dark matter, and measuring cosmic rays.

Image Credit: NASA

25TH ANIVERSARY OF NUCLEAR RISK REDUCTION CENTERS

Photo:  Little Boy.  Credit:  Wikimedia

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
25 Years of Enhanced Strategic Security Through the Nuclear Risk Reduction CentersMedia Note

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

September 15, 2012

Today, the U.S. Department of State commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the creation of the Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers (NRRCs). Established under President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev with the purpose of opening a communications channel to reduce the risk of conflict, the Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and are equipped with secure and reliable lines of direct communication to perform the critical mission of sustaining strategic security.

Over the years, the U.S. NRRC has expanded its role in bilateral and multilateral security and confidence building arrangements, supporting conventional treaties and agreements with a wide variety of foreign partners and international institutions.

Today, the U.S. NRRC exchanges thousands of time-sensitive notifications a year under a multitude of arms control treaties and agreements such as the New START Treaty and is a key resource for the promotion of transparency and stability that enhances confidence and directly contributes to our national security interests.

As we meet the security challenges of the 21st century, we will continue to support future arms control measures and explore new ways at strengthening modern confidence building through technical and innovative means.

ALLEGED FOREX FRAUD UNCOVERED

FROM: U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION

CFTC Charges Florida Resident William Jeffery Chandler with Forex Fraud and Misappropriation

Federal court enters emergency order freezing defendant’s assets and protecting books and records

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced that on September 11, 2012, Judge James D. Whittemore of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida entered an emergency order freezing the assets of defendant William Jeffery Chandler of Ft Myers, Fla. The court’s order also prohibits Chandler from destroying or altering books and records. The judge set a hearing on the CFTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction for September 26, 2012.

The court’s order arises out of a civil enforcement action filed by the CFTC on September 10, 2012, charging Chandler with foreign currency (forex) fraud and misappropriation. Chandler has never been registered with the CFTC in any capacity, according to the complaint.

The CFTC complaint alleges that, since at least July 2010, and continuing to the present, Chandler has solicited at least six individuals to contribute at least $773,100 to a pooled account to trade off-exchange forex contracts in Chandler’s account at Dukascopy Bank SA, a Switzerland-domiciled bank. To entice prospective pool participants to invest, Chandler allegedly guaranteed a two percent to 12.5 percent monthly return on participants’ principal.

However, according to the complaint, Chandler’s Dukascopy Bank account was closed on or about July 15, 2011, due to changes in U.S. regulations. The Dukascopy Bank account was transferred to Alpari US LLC, a U.S.-based registered Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer, on August 8, 2011, according to the complaint. At that time, the pooled account allegedly had a balance of only $292.49, far less than the amount contributed by pool participants.

Chandler allegedly continues to solicit and receive funds from pool participants to trade in his Dukascopy Bank account, even after it had closed, and continues to represent to pool participants that their funds remain in the pool in his Dukascopy Bank account. Although Chandler has received requests from many pool participants to return their funds, he refuses to refund participant’s principal, instead asserting a litany of fabricated excuses, according to the complaint. Chandler has misappropriated the vast majority of the pool’s funds for his personal use, the complaint charges.

Furthermore, pool participants received statements from a purported accounting firm named A.R. Watkins; however, upon information and belief, A.R. Watkins is a fictitious entity controlled by Chandler, according to the complaint.

In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks civil monetary penalties, restitution, rescission, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, trading and registration bans, and preliminary and permanent injunctions against further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations, as charged.

The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are Jo Mettenburg, Jeff Le Riche, Stephen Turley, Rick Glaser, and Richard Wagner.