U.S. SECRETARY OF LABOR SOLIS COMMENTS ON THE INDUSTRIAL FIRE IN BANGLADESH

Map:  Bangladesh. Credit:  CIA World Factbook 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the tragic fire in Bangladesh:"This past Saturday, Bangladesh suffered one of the worst industrial accidents in its history. A devastating fire swept through the Tazreen Fashion garment factory, killing more than 100 and injuring many more. I join U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena in extending heartfelt condolences to the people of Bangladesh and the many families who lost their loved ones. "Just over a century ago, in March 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City burned to the ground, killing 146 people, mainly young women. That fire was our call to action. It galvanized support for stronger worker protections and institutions to enforce them, from workplace health and safety to workers' right to organize and bargain collectively.

"The Tazreen Fashion factory fire is a similar call to action for Bangladesh and also for the many international buyers supplied by the country's garment factories. Investigations should be conducted and the perpetrators punished, but things cannot then return to business as usual. I know that change is not easy. The U.S. Department of Labor stands ready to help, with technical assistance and expertise, to work with the government of Bangladesh to ensure that this horrific tragedy becomes a watershed moment for Bangladeshi workers' rights."

U.S. SECRETARY PANETTA'S REMARKS ON U.S. TROOPS IN POST-2014 AFGHANISTAN

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak speak to reporters at the Pentagon, Nov. 29, 2012.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Panetta Outlines Objectives For Troops in Post-2014 Afghanistan

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today laid out three missions for the post-2014 troop presence in Afghanistan, and made it clear the U.S. is not arming rebels fighting to topple the Assad regime in Syria.

During a joint press conference here with visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Panetta was asked what the focus in Afghanistan should be following the transition to Afghan-led security.

"The fundamental mission in Afghanistan is to establish [a nation] that can secure and govern itself and ensure that al-Qaida, never again, finds a safe haven within Afghanistan from which to conduct attacks on the United States or any other country," he said.

The goal for remaining troops, Panetta said, is an enduring presence that will direct itself towards three important missions.

"One is obviously [counterterrorism] to ensure that we continue to go after whatever al-Qaida targets remain in Afghanistan," he said.

"Although we clearly have had an impact on their presence in Afghanistan, the fact is that they continue to show up, and intelligence continues to indicate that they are looking for some kind of capability to be able to go into Afghanistan as well," Panetta said. He noted that forces have to be continually vigilant to protect against the terrorist group's resurgence.

"So that's going to be the fundamental thrust of the CT effort in the enduring presence," Panetta said. "We also are going to continue to have a train-and-assist mission to help develop the capability of the Afghan Army."

"The third mission will be to continue to provide some enabling capability so that we can provide the support needed for our forces as well," he said.

Panetta noted the necessary troop levels to accomplish these missions is "exactly what's being discussed" now.

In addition to discussing Afghanistan, the defense secretary also re-emphasized that the United States has had no involvement in equipping rebel forces in Syria with weapons or surface-to-air missiles.

"With regards to Syria, let me say, unequivocally, that we have not provided any of those kinds of missiles to the opposition forces located in Syria," Panetta said. "We do provide ... non-lethal assistance to the opposition."

"We obviously are continuing to work on humanitarian relief to the refugees that have been impacted," he added.

Panetta noted the U.S., with assistance from Israel and other countries in the region, also continues to monitor fighting in areas with chemical or biological weapons sites.

Our main focus right now, he said, has been working with other countries to try to provide whatever assistance we can to the opposition so it can ultimately become not only an effective force, but one that will be "needed once Assad comes down."

EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION SAVES MOTHER'S LIFE

Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Jeremy Cannon, right, and Dr. Jeremy Pamplin place a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, in September 2012 at San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas. ECMO is a heart-lung bypass system that circulates blood through an external artificial lung and sends it back into the patient's bloodstream. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Military Docs Use Cutting-edge Device to Save Patient
By Elaine Sanchez
Brooke Army Medical Center

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Nov. 29, 2012 - Doctors from San Antonio Military Medical Center here saved a young mother's life last month using cutting-edge technology historically reserved for infants and young children.

The case marked the first time the medical center has treated an adult with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, a heart-lung bypass system that circulates blood through an external artificial lung and sends it back into the patient's bloodstream.

"This is a true success story," said Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Jeremy Cannon, the hospital's trauma chief and a key player in the case. "I firmly believe this patient would not be here if it wasn't for ECMO and a tremendous team effort."

Cannon first heard of the case a few months ago, while he was in the midst of a surgery. He had asked to be paged whenever patients in the hospital developed severe lung injury so he could assess them for ECMO treatment.

The patient -- referred to as "Jane" in this article to protect her privacy -- woke up several days earlier with itchy, irritated eyes, but she and her doctor chalked it up to an infection or a virus. It wasn't until her symptoms spread and worsened that she decided an emergency room visit was in order.

A few hours later, Jane was diagnosed with severe toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TENS, an autoimmune reaction to medication. She was flown by helicopter from her south Texas hometown to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research's Burn Center, the Defense Department's only burn center, which is located in the medical center here.

The TENS progressed quickly, and by the time she reached the hospital, Jane's skin was sloughing off, her lungs were filling with fluid and tissue, and her vital organs were failing. She was admitted to the Burn Center on Sept. 15 and initially was stabilized. However, when her condition worsened, Cannon was alerted.

Cannon and his ECMO team members had one thought after assessing Jane: "She's going to die if we don't use ECMO."

Cannon and a select team of specialists had been training for this moment for more than a year, thanks to a Defense Department grant that provided ECMO supplies, training funds and equipment to explore the use of ECMO on adults.

ECMO is commonly used in neonatal intensive care units around the world on newborns with lung issues such as meconium aspiration, a medical condition that occurs when infants ingest their first stool before or during delivery. However, adult applications are much less common, mainly due to a lack of recent patient data.

Cannon, however, had been observing ECMO successes since his residency and strongly believed in its outcomes for adults, particularly for patients on the brink of death. He had transferred to SAMMC from the Air Force's Wilford Hall Medical Center, which had the military's only infant and child ECMO center, so he had ongoing exposure to the technology. Along with its experts, the neonatal ECMO center transferred to SAMMC last year.

Cannon said he brought his strong convictions about the lifesaving potential of the technology to his leadership and requested for Jane to be SAMMC's first adult ECMO patient. "I've been involved in ECMO cases for 15 years," he said. "I saw the benefit and felt confident we had the team structure and protocols in place."

The same day she checked in, Jane was put on ECMO, and stayed on it for 23 days.

It was touch-and-go at first, Cannon noted. "It was agonizing for 22 of those 23 days," he recalled.

Finally, on Day 21, Jane's lungs started to clear, and two days later, staff transitioned her from ECMO to a standard ventilator. "Within a day and a half, she went from profoundly ill to greatly improved," Cannon said, noting the team effort of experts across the hospital.

"It was exhilarating to see her get better, thanks to a concerted effort," he added.

Maria Serio-Melvin, ISR nurse research consultant, also credited the procedure's success to an "intense, collaborative, cooperative effort" between the ISR and ECMO teams.

A few weeks later, Jane is now an outpatient, staying with her mother in town until she gains enough strength to return home. "It's been tough, but I'm not going to give up," Jane said in a recent interview at the hospital. "I can't say enough about the care I've received here."

Jane's lungs and skin are still healing, but Cannon said he has high hopes for his patient, as well as for other SAMMC patients who can be helped through ECMO.

Cannon also said he hopes to see an increased use of adult ECMO in the war zone, where it's already proved lifesaving for several troops. In 2010, an ECMO-trained team picked up a soldier in Kandahar, Afghanistan, who had been shot in the chest. His right lung had to be removed, a procedure that typically carries a 100 percent mortality rate. However, the lung team placed him on ECMO and he quickly recovered in a hospital in Germany.

Cannon recalled meeting this patient a few weeks after he arrived at SAMMC. "He's married now and enjoying life," he said. Since then, there have been five ECMO transports from the battlefield to Germany, he added.

Cannon said his long-term vision is to see ECMO patients transported directly from the battlefield to a stateside location, such as the medical center here, for their recovery.

"We've proven we can very safely take care of even most critically ill patients, and I'm very optimistic we'll be able to offer these services to wounded warriors throughout their continuum of care," he said.

Based on recent successes around the nation, Cannon said, he expects to see a resurgence in ECMO research around the world, which will help to build confidence in the technology for adults. A trial with strict research protocols based in France is now under way and promises to answer some of the unknowns that remain about the use of ECMO in adults, he noted.

Whatever the future holds, Cannon said, he'll never forget the lifesaving impact of ECMO for Jane. "All of this came together beautifully, and it worked," he said. "She's alive because of an amazing team effort."

The day she improved, he added, "was the pinnacle day in my medical career."

US Navy Videos: Former USS Enterprise Sailors Reminisce on the Past

US Navy Videos

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 29, 2012

FROM:  NASA

U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 24, 2012



Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

 
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending November 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 393,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 416,000. The 4-week moving average was 405,250, an increase of 7,500 from the previous week's revised average of 397,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending November 17, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending November 17 was 3,287,000, a decrease of 70,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,357,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,296,250, an increase of 6,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,290,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 357,015 in the week ending November 24, a decrease of 46,541 from the previous week. There were 372,640 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending November 17, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,820,064, a decrease of 124,308 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,167,053.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending November 10 was 5,182,815, a decrease of 58,623 from the previous week. There were 7,004,413 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.

Extended Benefits were only available in New York during the week ending November 10.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,629 in the week ending November 17, a decrease of 447 from the prior week. There were 2,385 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 416 from the preceding week.

There were 18,606 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending November 10, a decrease of 762 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 39,318, a decrease of 285 from the prior week.

States reported 2,119,054 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending November 10, a decrease of 37,451 from the prior week. There were 2,972,894 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending November 3 were in Alaska (5.1), New Jersey (4.1), Puerto Rico (3.8), Pennsylvania (3.6), Connecticut (3.2), Oregon (3.1), California (3.0), New York (2.9), Nevada (2.8), Virgin Islands (2.8), and West Virginia (2.8).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending November 17 were in Florida (+1,534), Michigan (+1,427), Massachusetts (+1,189), Kentucky (+945), and Minnesota (+872), while the largest decreases were in New York (-30,603), California (-26,337), Pennsylvania (-11,451), Oregon (-1,997) and North Carolina (-1,851).

SEC CHARGES FORMER CEO OF PASSING ON INSIDER INFORMATION ON A STOCK TO A FRIEND

FROM: U.S SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., Nov. 28, 2012 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against the former CEO of a Denver-based oil-and-gas company at the center of an insider trading scheme that the SEC began prosecuting last month.

According to the SEC’s complaint, the insider trading occurred in advance of Delta Petroleum Corporation’s public announcement that Beverly Hills-based private investment firm Tracinda had agreed to purchase a 35 percent stake in the company, which shot its stock value up by nearly 20 percent. The SEC initially charged insurance executive Michael Van Gilder for his illegal trading in the case, and is now additionally charging his source: Delta’s then-CEO Roger Parker.

The SEC’s amended complaint alleges that Parker, who lives in Englewood, Colo., illegally tipped his close friend Van Gilder and at least one other friend with confidential information about Tracinda’s impending investment. Despite his duty as CEO to protect nonpublic information, Parker repeatedly communicated with Van Gilder following meetings and other developments as the deal progressed. Parker also illegally tipped information about Delta’s quarterly earnings. The insider trading in this case generated more than $890,000 in illicit profits.

"Parker was entrusted with highly confidential information, and he betrayed that trust to help line the pockets of his close friends," said Sanjay Wadhwa, Deputy Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Market Abuse Unit and Associate Director of the New York Regional Office. "Company officials who exploit their insider status must realize that they do so at the risk of inviting SEC scrutiny."

According to the SEC’s amended complaint filed late yesterday in federal court in Denver, Parker tipped Van Gilder and another friend on several occasions in late November and December 2007 as the Tracinda investment was developing. Based on the inside information, Van Gilder and the other friend loaded up on Delta stock and highly speculative options contracts, and Van Gilder advised his relatives, his broker, and a co-worker to do the same.

The SEC alleges that the Tracinda announcement was not the only nonpublic information that Parker tipped to Van Gilder. In November 2007, Van Gilder received an e-mail from a mutual friend of Parker’s that included a news article expressing a negative view of Delta’s future prospects. After sending an e-mail to his broker indicating he might want to sell the Delta securities that he owned, Van Gilder called Parker three times that evening. Parker conveyed to Van Gilder confidential details about Delta’s third quarter 2007 earnings results that were to be announced later that week. Rather than sell his Delta stock, Van Gilder purchased an additional 1,250 shares and responded to the e-mail from the mutual friend by writing, "I had a dialogue with a friend, of whom you know. Do not sell this stock, rather buy more ... Delta will hit their numbers at this Thursday’s announcement." When Delta announced its earnings, it reported production and revenue numbers above the company’s previously stated guidance.

The SEC’s amended complaint charges Parker and Van Gilder with violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. The amended complaint seeks a final judgment ordering them to disgorge their and their tippees’ ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest, ordering them to pay financial penalties, and permanently enjoining them from future violations of the above provisions of the federal securities laws. The SEC also seeks to prohibit Parker from acting as an officer or director of a public company.

The SEC’s investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by members of the SEC’s Market Abuse Unit – Michael Holland and Joseph Sansone in New York and Jeffrey Oraker and Jay Scoggins in Denver – with substantial assistance from Neil Hendelman of the New York Regional Office. The SEC’s litigation is being handled by Thomas Krysa, who is Regional Trial Counsel in the Denver office, as well as Mr. Oraker and Mr. Holland.

The SEC thanks the U.S. Attorney offices in the Southern District of New York and the District of Colorado as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in this matter.

Surveying a woman’s risk

Surveying a woman’s risk

Joint Press Conference with Secretary Panetta and Minister Barak in the Pentagon Briefing Room

Joint Press Conference with Secretary Panetta and Minister Barak in the Pentagon Briefing Room

2 BROOKLYN CLINIC EMPLOYEES PLEAD GUILTY TO ROLES IN $71 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Two Brooklyn Clinic Employees Plead Guilty in Connection With $71 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Co-Defendant Pleaded Guilty Yesterday for Role in Scheme

WASHINGTON – Two Brooklyn, N.Y., residents pleaded guilty today for their roles in a $71 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta E. Lynch; Acting Assistant Director in Charge Mary E. Galligan of the FBI’s New York Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas O’Donnell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).

Katherina Kostiochenko, 34, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon in the Eastern District of New York to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay kickbacks. Sergey V. Shelikhov, 51, pleaded guilty today before Judge Gershon to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Co-conspirator Leonid Zheleznyakov, 28, pleaded guilty yesterday before Judge Gershon to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud for his role in the scheme.

Kostiochenko, Shelikhov and Zheleznyakov were employees of a clinic in Brooklyn that operated under three corporate names: Bay Medical Care PC, SVS Wellcare Medical PLLC and SZS Medical Care PLLC (Bay Medical clinic). According to court documents, owners, operators and employees of the Bay Medical clinic paid cash kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries and used the beneficiaries’ names to bill Medicare for more than $71 million in services that were medically unnecessary or never provided. The defendants billed Medicare for a wide variety of fraudulent medical services and procedures, including physician office visits, physical therapy and diagnostic tests.

According to the criminal complaint, the co-conspirators allegedly paid kickbacks to corrupt Medicare beneficiaries in a room at the clinic known as the "kickback room," in which the conspirators paid approximately 1,000 kickbacks totaling more than $500,000 during a period of approximately six weeks from April to June 2010.

Kostiochenko, Shelikhov and Zheleznyakov pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud for their roles in the Bay Medical scheme. Kostiochenko also pleaded guilty to paying cash kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries as part of the scheme.

At sentencing, Kostiochenko faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, and Shelikhov and Zheleznyakov both face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Kostiochenko and Zheleznyakov are scheduled for sentencing on March 12, 2013, and Shelikhov is scheduled for sentencing March 13, 2013.

In total, 16 individuals have been charged in the Bay Medical scheme, including two doctors, nine clinic owners/operators/employees and five external money launderers. To date, 10 defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. Six individuals await trial before Judge Gershon on Jan. 22, 2013.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah M. Hall of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Jones of the Eastern District of New York. The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS.

The case was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), a joint initiative announced in May 2009 between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON AND AFRICAN UNION CHAIRPERSON DLAMINI-ZUMA MAKE REMARKS AFTER MEETING

Photo:  Hillside In Rwanda.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Remarks With African Union Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma After Their Meeting

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
November 28, 2012

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon, everyone. It is such a personal pleasure for me to welcome the Chairperson here for our high-level meetings. This is our third high-level meeting, and we highly value the relationship and the increasing cooperation that we are enjoying with the African Union. And of course, I want to congratulate the Chairperson for becoming the first woman chair of the African Union.

I want to start by saying a few words about the ongoing situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The humanitarian impact of this conflict in the eastern part of the country is devastating. More than 285,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since this rebellion began back in April. They are in critical need of assistance. Health workers in Goma have been killed and abducted. Members of civil society, human rights activists, judicial authorities throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo have received death threats. The United States strongly condemns these tactics of fear and intimidation. And those who abuse human rights must be held accountable.

Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson has been in the region holding discussions with leadership from the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda to try to help bring about a ceasefire. We strongly support continued cooperation among the leaders of these countries and throughout the region and commend the African Union for its recent decision to send a special envoy to the Great Lakes.

With regard to the M23 rebel group, there is only one way forward: They must meet their commitments under the Kampala Accords to cease their attacks, withdraw from Goma, and pull back to the July lines. Under the Kampala Accords, President Kabila’s government has agreed to hear and address the grievances of the M23 leaders, and we call on leaders and governments from throughout the region to halt and prevent any support to the M23 from their territory.

Now this is just one issue that illustrates the importance of enhanced, strong cooperation between the African Union and the United States. First, on peace and security, we strongly support the AU missions in Somalia and Darfur as well as the AU’s facilitation efforts in Sudan and South Sudan. And we are working to support the AU’s leadership with respect to the crises in Mali, and as I said, eastern DRC.

The AU is the partner who is best able to empower and mobilize the resources and the will throughout the continent to address crises, and we are very pleased to see this strong role getting even stronger. Secondly, we want to work together to promote credible elections and foster good governance, strong transparent institutions, and democracy. Third, we want to enhance trade and investment between the United States and Africa. As I never tire of saying, seven of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies are located in Africa. And we want to do more to really see greater prosperity across the continent.

We have a lot of work ahead of us. This high-level meeting builds on President Obama’s presidential policy directive on Sub-Saharan Africa, and we are going to do all that we can to promote peace and prosperity. So it’s a great pleasure to have this meeting, which is a two-day set of meetings here in the State Department and in agencies across our government, and to work together on a framework for implementation with timelines and accountability, something that both the Chairperson and I believe strongly in doing, so that everyone knows what we are trying to achieve together.

So, thank you so much.

CHAIRPERSON DLAMINI-ZUMA: Well, thank you very much. We are very happy to be here, and our approach to this meeting is that we have to have a balance between dealing with crises and peace and security matters with development, because we feel that these are two sides of the same coin. If we delay development, there’ll be more crises and more instability. But at the same time, if we don’t deal with the security situation, we can’t develop. So that balance for us is very important. And going forward, we are working as the AU towards a prosperous Africa which is at peace with itself and the world. And so all our efforts are geared towards those – towards that vision. And we have had very fruitful discussions. And obviously, discussions are as good as the follow-up, and we are going to make sure that we follow up on all the decisions that – and discussions that we’ve had. Thank you.

MS. NULAND: Good. We’ll take two this evening. We’ll start with CNN, Jill Doughterty.

QUESTION: Madam Secretary, thank you. I wanted to ask you about tomorrow. The Palestinians go to the United Nations, asking for non-observer status. We know that the U.S. objects, and we know many of the reasons. But why are you adamant about it at this point when Mahmoud Abbas could use some shoring up at home – he’s losing support – and even as Hamas is gaining support?

And then if I could ask you one question on Benghazi: Some are saying since the State Department is responsible for embassies, why wasn’t it you who was on the talk shows on Sunday, as opposed to Ambassador Rice?

Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first with regard to the Palestinian question, I have said many times that the path to a two-state solution that fulfills the aspirations of the Palestinian people is through Jerusalem and Ramallah, not New York. We have made very clear to the Palestinian leadership – you know I met with President Abbas just last week – that we oppose Palestinian efforts to upgrade their status at the UN outside of the framework of negotiations to achieve a two-state solution, because no matter what happens at the United Nations, it will not produce the outcome that this government, this President, and certainly I strongly support. And the only way to get a lasting solution is to commence direct negotiations, and we need an environment conducive to that. And we’ve urged both parties to refrain from actions that might in any way make a return to meaningful negotiations that focus on getting to a resolution more difficult. So I may have more to say about that later, but certainly that’s our overall view.

Let me just say, first of all, that Susan Rice has done a great job as our Ambassador to the United Nations. And of course, this decision about my successor is up to the President, but I’m very happy he has the opportunity with a second term to make a decision. And I’m not going to answer any hypothetical questions about what could’ve happened but didn’t happen. I’m looking forward to being able to discuss all of the issues pertaining to this after the conclusion of the Accountability Review Board. My responsibility was to appoint such a board, which I did immediately. They have been hard at work. We are hoping that they will be finished with their work very soon, and we intend to make the results of their investigation publicly, and at that time I will be able to address all of these issues.

MS. NULAND: Last one this evening, (inaudible).

QUESTION: Madam Chairperson, Madam Secretary, can Rwanda be part of the solution in Kivu if it continues to deny that it’s part of the problem, specifically its support for M23? And do you think President Kagame has any personal responsibility to bear on what’s going on there now?

CHAIRPERSON DLAMINI-ZUMA: Well, our approach to this matter is that it doesn’t help us in fingerprinting – finger-pointing. We just need a solution. And we met in Kampala on Saturday, the summit took decisions that the M23 must be out, that there must be a special force, a neutral force to deal with that area, and that President Kabila should listen and evaluate the concerns of the M23. And so for us, what is important is to get that resolution of that problem, and the rest will be taken care of because Rwanda is part of the Great Lakes. They have taken a decision that there must be a neutral force there. And Rwanda was there. It supported that decision that M23 must move out of Goma. Rwanda was there. It supported that decision. So for us, that’s what is important.

SECRETARY CLINTON: And I would fully support the Chairperson’s comments. We have consistently called on all parties, including Rwanda, to play a positive role in helping to bring about a peaceful resolution of this conflict. And that includes ending any and all support for the M23. Any military assistance from anyone to the M23 is in violation of the UN arms embargo. And we were very heartened by the results of the Kampala summit. And as the Chairperson said, now we want to see it implemented. There was an agreement. There’s a path forward. But it is up to the parties now to hold themselves accountable, and each other, for acting on those agreements.

Thank you.

MS. NULAND: Thank you all very much.

AIR FORCE CYBER TAKES PART IN USCYBERCOM CYBER FLAG EXERCISE

 

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command, administers the Oath of Enlistment to basic training graduates on the parade grounds at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 15. The importance of defending cyberspace was taken to a new level last week when cyber training became a permanent fixture of the Air Force Basic Military Training curriculum. (U.S. Air Force photo/Robbin Cresswell)

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE

AFCYBER takes part in second USCYBERCOM Cyber Flag exercise
by Tech. Sgt. Scott McNabb
24th Air Force Public Affairs
11/21/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- 24th Air Force, the U.S. Air Force's cyber component to U.S. Cyber Command, took part in the Cyber Flag 13-1 training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Oct. 29-Nov. 8.

USCYBERCOM designed Cyber Flag to bring together Department of Defense cyber and information technology professionals to hone their cyber skills against a realistic adversary in a tactical virtual environment.

"Our increasing dependency on reliable and efficient network connectivity and the growing threat posed by cyber adversaries highlight the importance of practicing combined operations in defense of the DOD information infrastructure," said Capt. Christian Mapp, 24th Air Force exercise branch chief. "As the service provider for Air Force networks, 24th Air Force participation with the other service components is critical to ensuring a synchronized and coordinated approach to DOD network defense being available and capable should the need ever arise."

Mapp said the Air Force assembled a total force team comprised of more than 70 active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard cyber warriors from across the nation.

This year's Cyber Flag was larger than the first Cyber Flag held in 2011 on the same cyber range. This year's exercise saw approximately 700 participants, up from last year's 300, and doubled the network size. All participants had a specific role to play, playing the part of a U.S. team or role-playing an adversary.

"Exercises like Cyber Flag test participants' readiness when faced with a realistic cyber event in a stressed environment against a dynamic and skilled adversary. This was not a simple 'capture the flag' event," said Col. George Lamont, director of USCYBERCOM Joint Exercises and Training.

The exercise included an opposing force whose mission was to penetrate and disrupt the computer networks of the "good guys," or Blue Force - made up of DOD cyber service components.

Lt. Col. Jamie Maki, 24th Air Force chief of exercise and training chief, said Cyber Flag is designed to provide realistic training opportunities for a number of DOD commands to deter and, if necessary, defeat a cyber attack. Additionally, much like Red Flag is to the air world, Cyber Flag aims to give cyber operators experience with tactics, techniques and procedures of our cyber adversaries and test our own tactics, techniques and procedures. The teams were given opportunities to coordinate actions across the offensive and defensive spectrum as well as partnering with our sister services.

Despite this only being the second Cyber Flag, Maki said some of the key successes of the exercise included such efforts as the integration of cyber intelligence analysts proving invaluable to the mission planning cell, ultimately enhancing the defensive posture and virtually eliminating stovepipe efforts. Additionally, the collaboration between teams detecting cyber intrusions and first responders leveraged tactical insights and skill sets yielding greater synergy and mission effectiveness. Finally, the exercise partnered service teams with coalition partners highlighting the global nature of the cyber domain.

"Through the use of a virtual network environment, individuals supporting Cyber Flag benefited by gaining exposure to problem sets they may not normally experience in their day-to-day jobs. Furthermore the event affords the opportunity to work in concerted effort with their sister-service counterparts to operate and defend DOD networks across the full spectrum of operations against a realistic adversary," Mapp explained.

Cyber security continues to be a priority across the government. The DOD has a critical role in developing and supporting the nation's cyber security efforts.

"Cyber Flag highlights the interconnected nature of the DOD information infrastructure, making the key takeaway from Air Force Cyber Command's participation in Cyber Flag the necessity to demonstrate a holistic approach for clearing the net and securing the high ground," said Mapp.

U.S. VA SUPPORTS WORLD AIDS DAY

Photo:  U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Mercy.  Credit:  U.S. Navy

FROM: U.S. VETERANS ADMINISTRATION

December 1 is World AIDS Day
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently released its recommendations that all Americans ages 15 to 65 should be tested for HIV at least once in their lifetime.

VA is ahead of the curve and has recommended routine HIV testing for all Veterans since 2009. VA policy is to test every Veteran at least once in their lifetime.

Currently, over 1.2 million Veterans, representing 20 percent of Veterans in care, have a documented HIV test in their electronic medical record. Routine HIV screening allows for care for HIV positive Veterans and reduces the potential for the virus to be transmitted to others.

VA’s Office of Public Health is encouraging VA staff to offer every Veteran an HIV test. Working together, we can create an AIDS-free generation!

To reinforce the importance of World AIDS Day, VA is issuing a unique and comprehensive HIV Prevention Manual, which is a compilation of VA policies and strategies to address primary and secondary HIV prevention.

Designed as a tool for front-line health care providers, it is an extremely valuable resource.

On World AIDS Day, VA joins the AIDS community in its "Facing AIDS" initiative, a campaign to help reduce stigma and promote HIV testing by putting a face to those with HIV and the people who support them.
"An estimated 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, and yet one out of five doesn’t know it," according to Dr. Maggie Czarnogorski, Deputy Director of VA’s HIV, Hepatitis, and Public Health Pathogen Program. "World AIDS Day is an opportunity to take action. VA is the largest provider of care to those living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. By diagnosing HIV infection as soon as possible, Veterans can receive excellent care and remain healthy for many years to come."

Join VA in recognizing World AIDS Day. Say yes to the test!

 

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Photo Credit:  U.S. Army

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests District-level Taliban Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 29, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a district-level Taliban leader in Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested insurgent leader had been in charge of coordinating the storage and transfer of Taliban weapons and ammunition, officials said, and also oversaw the construction of improvised explosive devices.

In other recent Afghanistan operations:
-- Coalition forces in Helmand province found and destroyed 538 pounds of heroin.

-- An Afghan security force, supported by coalition troops, killed several insurgents and detained two others in Laghman province Nov. 27.

-- A Taliban facilitator who oversaw the construction and emplacement of IEDs was arrested in Kandahar province Nov. 26.

THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL "WALL" GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY

Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, Jan Scruggs, founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and retired Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial "Wall" in Washington, D.C., Nov. 28, 2012. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Panetta Honors Vets at 'Wall' Education Center Groundbreaking
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2012 - The education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial "Wall" will be a place to join the past to the future, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said at the center's groundbreaking ceremony today.

By telling the stories of service members whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country will not be forgotten, he said.

Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, joined Panetta at the ceremony, held near the memorial on the National Mall here. The groundbreaking included a large delegation of congressional and military leaders and members of Gold Star Families -- an organization for families that have lost loved ones in military service.

"It will be a site for future generations of Americans to learn, think and reflect on our nation's wars and those who fought them," Panetta said of the education center. "This is a very poignant moment, for a very special place in my heart for [Vietnam veterans]."

The center, which will honor veterans from several U.S. wars, will bring to life the stories of the more than 58,000 U.S. service members who were lost during the Vietnam War. Stories and photos of the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan also will be featured until those veterans have their own national place of honor, event officials said.

"As I travel across the country and the world, I am always inspired by the strength and the resilience of our military families," Biden, also a military mom, told the audience.

"But there are many Americans who don't know anyone in the military," she added. "As a life-long educator, that's why the education center is so important. It will help ensure our veterans will always be remembered -- not just in name, by but by their actions. Those actions will become part of the lessons that educate and inspire us for years to come."

This year begins the 50th anniversary commemoration of the United States' participation in the Vietnam War, Panetta told the audience.

"We remember their bravery and heroism and we will never forget their sacrifices during that conflict," he said of U.S. service members who fought in Vietnam.

Panetta spoke of his recent travels to Vietnam, noting that Defense Department officials were working diligently in Hanoi to find and identify remains of U.S. service members who are missing in action there and throughout the region.

"It is our sacred duty to leave no one behind," Panetta said. "We will not rest until every MIA is brought home. I assure you that your government is committed to the fullest possible accounting of our missing service members from the Vietnam War."

Panetta said Americans failed to acknowledge the sacrifices of the nation's service members when they returned home after the war.

"America's recognition came too late," he said. "The Vietnam generation is graying now. Preserving stories requires more than a place of remembrance. It needs a place of education. [These veterans] must never be forgotten."

The center will focus on a divisive time in the nation's history from which it learned meaningful lessons, the secretary said.

"That war is always a last resort, that we must have a clear mission [to fight], that people can oppose a war and still support the troops, and that we should always cherish the legacy of valor and self-sacrifice our veterans represent and make America strong," he said.

Panetta said the center will honor the nation's military heroes "by telling the stories of brave American warriors, past and present, we help ensure we'll never forget the sacrifices of those who paid the ultimate price for their country."

"The torch of freedom these heroes carried into battle must be passed from generation to generation, so we never stop fighting for a better future for our children," the secretary said.

HURRICANE SANDY CAUSED ELECTRICAL FIRES IN BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY

FROM: FEMA
Belleville, N.J., Nov. 27, 2012 -- When Hurricane Sandy blew through Belleville, New Jersey on the night of Oct. 28, 2012, her high winds caused sparking in electrical wires in this home that resulted in a fire. Walt Jennings-FEMA

Belleville, N.J., Nov. 27, 2012 -- Electrical wiring problems spark fires. When Hurricane Sandy blew through Belleville, New Jersey on the night of October 28, 2012, her high winds caused sparking in electrical wires in this home that resulted in a fire. Walt Jennings-FEMA

International Space Station salutes the Sun

International Space Station salutes the Sun

DVIDS - Video - Military Families at the White House

DVIDS - Video - Military Families at the White House

U.S. ADMIRAL WINNEFELD SPEAKS OF U.S. DEFENSE STRATEGY AND BUDGET

PEARL HARBOR (Nov. 21, 2012) The guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) arrives at its homeport of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for the first time.

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
　
Winnefeld Discusses Defense Strategy, Budget Link
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2012 - The fiscal 2014 defense budget request will be a chance for the department to adjust funding to support the defense strategic guidance issued in January this year, Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said here yesterday.

The admiral spoke at the Atlantic Council's Commanders Series.

"We are continuing to filter and refine the decisions we made ... last year," Winnefeld said. "It is going on now and it is going on pretty well."

Winnefeld took office the same day that Congress passed the Budget Control Act -- Aug. 4, 2011. "I arrived in this job at the high-water mark of the defense budget for the last 20 years," he said.

Defense leaders had already termed the national deficit as a threat to national security, he said, noting that DOD will do its part to reduce it. "We would forcefully state that we are not necessarily the cause of this problem, but we all need to pitch in," he said.

Since 9/11, the department had virtually unlimited resources, the admiral said.

"Now we're in a different place, and as Winston Churchill said, 'Gentlemen, we're out of money, and now we have to think,'" he added.

Under the old strategy, cutting $489 billion out of the department over 10 years increased the risk to the nation, Winnefeld said. DOD leaders needed to work together to examine the department's core missions, he said, and how to accomplish those missions with declining resources..

"We knew we had to link strategy with the budget-making process," the admiral said.

At the same time, leaders had to account for changes in warfare, he said. This included changes across the range of combat bred by the efficacy of networks to speed awareness. It also included understanding the benefits interagency partners provide to the military and the importance of cross-service cooperation at all levels.

On the equipment side, the strategy had to consider the effect of unmanned vehicles, cyber capabilities, stealth technology and the contributions of "the best people we have ever had in the U.S. military," Winnefeld said. The talent that young people bring to the military was actually folded into the new strategy, he said.

The plan made a number of changes in a shift to the Pacific, the emphasis on cyber operations, being able to project power and increased emphasis on efficiency in the department, he said. The strategy keeps the counterterrorism force robust and retains the nuclear deterrent, Winnefeld noted.

The strategy calls for less emphasis on long-term stability operations, the admiral said.

"The way President [Barack] Obama has put it was, 'Give me fewer Iraqi Freedoms and more Desert Storms,'" Winnefeld said. "The point was, go in, do the 'defeat,' and get the job done. Don't end up there for 10 years trying to do nation building. We're just not going to be allowed to do that. We can't afford it."

The guidance took three months to publish, and then leaders used this guidance to build the fiscal 2013 DOD budget request. "It was the first time in my career that I have seen such a tight connection between the strategy document ... to 'means' decisions -- the things we were going to buy or not buy," the admiral said.

The bottom line, he said, is that the strategy covers national interests -- the security of the United States and its citizens; a strong U.S. economy; respect for universal values; and an international order that promotes peace, stability and security through stronger cooperation.

Senior leaders measure their decisions against this strategy, Winnefeld said, and will continue to do so with the new budget.

Winnefeld said he's optimistic that Congress will avoid sequestration, but if it takes place and the department has to cut another $500 billion from the budget, then the strategic guidance could be made moot. A new plan would have to be drawn up, increasing the risk to the nation, the admiral said.

SEC CHARGES THREE TOP EXECUTIVES AT KCAP FINANCIAL INC., WITH OVERSTATING ASSETS DURING FINANCIAL CRISIS

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., Nov. 28, 2012 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged three top executives at a New York-based publicly-traded fund being regulated as a business development company (BDC) with overstating the fund’s assets during the financial crisis. The fund’s asset portfolio consisted primarily of corporate debt securities and investments in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs).

An SEC investigation found that KCAP Financial Inc. did not account for certain market-based activity in determining the fair value of its debt securities and certain CLOs. KCAP also failed to disclose that the fund had valued its two largest CLO investments at cost. KCAP’s chief executive officer Dayl W. Pearson and chief investment officer R. Jonathan Corless had primary responsibility for calculating the fair value of KCAP’s debt securities, while KCAP’s former chief financial officer Michael I. Wirth had primary responsibility for calculating the fair value of KCAP’s CLOs. Wirth, a certified public accountant, prepared the disclosures about KCAP’s methodologies to fair value its CLOs, and Pearson reviewed those disclosures.

The three executives agreed to pay financial penalties to settle the SEC’s charges.

"When market conditions change, funds and other entities must properly take into account those changed conditions in fair valuing their assets, said Antonia Chion, Associate Director in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. "This is particularly important for BDCs like KCAP, whose entire business consists of the assets that it holds for investment."

This is the SEC’s first enforcement action against a public company that failed to properly fair value its assets according to the applicable financial accounting standard — FAS 157 — which became effective for KCAP in the first quarter of 2008.

According to the SEC’s order instituting administrative proceedings against the fund and the three executives, KCAP did not record and report the fair value of its assets in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and in particular FAS 157, which requires assets to be fair valued based on an "exit price" that reflects the price that would be received to sell an asset in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

The SEC’s order found that Pearson and Corless concluded that any trades of debt securities held by KCAP in the fourth quarter of 2008 reflected distressed transactions, and therefore KCAP determined the fair value of its debt securities based solely on an enterprise value methodology. However, this methodology did not calculate or inform KCAP investors of the FAS 157 "exit price" for that security. Wirth calculated the fair value of KCAP’s two largest CLO investments to be their cost, and did not take into account the market conditions during that period.

According to the SEC’s order, in May 2010, KCAP restated the fair values for certain debt securities and CLOs whose net asset values had been overstated by approximately 27 percent as of Dec. 31, 2008. Moreover, KCAP’s internal controls over financial reporting did not adequately take into account certain market inputs and other data.

"KCAP should have accounted for market conditions in the fourth quarter of 2008 in determining the fair values of its assets," said Julie M. Riewe, Deputy Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Asset Management Unit. "FAS 157 is critically important in fair valuing illiquid securities, and funds must consider market information in making FAS 157 fair value determinations and comply with their disclosed valuation methodologies."

KCAP’s overvaluation and internal controls failures violated the reporting, books and records, and internal controls provisions of the federal securities laws, namely Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act, and Rules 12b-20, 13a-1, 13a-11, and 13a-13 thereunder. Pearson, Corless, and Wirth caused KCAP’s violations and directly violated Exchange Act Rule 13b2-1 by causing KCAP’s books and records to be falsified. Pearson and Wirth also directly violated Exchange Act Rule 13a-14 by falsely certifying the adequacy of KCAP’s internal controls.

Pearson and Wirth each agreed to pay $50,000 penalties and Corless agreed to pay a $25,000 penalty to settle the SEC’s charges. KCAP and the three executives, without admitting or denying the findings, consented to the SEC’s order requiring them to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations or any future violations of these federal securities laws.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Adam Aderton of the Asset Management Unit, Noel Gittens, and Richard Haynes, and was supervised by Assistant Director Ricky Sachar