OPERATION ICE BRIDGE

FROM: NASA

Operation IceBridge: Getz Mission in 3 Minutes
Can you stuff all the sights and science of a 12-hour mission into just three minutes? Maybe not, but here's our first try, chronicling NASA's recent flight to Antarctica's remote Getz Ice Shelf, where Operation IceBridge measured everything from the ice surface to the bedrock below, flew low over giant icebergs, and even scanned a lengthy new crack in the ice. Credit-NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Weekly Address: A Balanced Approach to Growing the Economy in 2013 | The White House

Weekly Address: A Balanced Approach to Growing the Economy in 2013 | The White House

THE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Inaugural Meeting of Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee
Highlighting its continued emphasis on protecting the rights of whistleblowers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration hosted the inaugural meeting of the Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee. Acting Secretary of Labor Harris commended the new committee members on their passion for whistleblower protections during the January 29 meeting, which brought together the 12 voting and three ex-officio members. Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, stressed the importance of whistleblowers to the broad economy, to worker safety, the environment, and the integrity of the financial system, transportation safety and food safety. He also updated the committee on the selection of Beth Slavet to head the whistleblower program, and a recent accord signed between OSHA and BNSF Railway Company that protects workers' rights to report safety concerns or injuries without fear of retaliation. In his closing remarks, Michaels reiterated the importance of whistleblowers who can "play an important role in preventing the next Deepwater Horizon or avoiding the next Enron."

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HOLDS MEETING RELATED TO SYRIA



Credit:  The White House

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Biden, in Munich, Holds Syria-related Meetings
From a White House News Release

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2013 - Vice President Joe Biden, attending the Munich Security conference, today met with United Nations and Arab League Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi on the conference's margins.

Biden thanked Brahimi for his steadfast work to resolve the ongoing crisis in Syria and pledged that the United States would continue to support his efforts, officials said. The vice president and Brahimi discussed the dire humanitarian situation inside Syria and the regional implications of the crisis, officials said.

Biden also met separately on the margins of the conference with Syrian Opposition Coalition President Moaz al-Khatib. The vice president praised al-Khatib's personal courage and leadership of the coalition, the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, officials said.

Biden urged al-Khatib to continue his efforts to maintain unity among the coalition's leadership, officials said, and to isolate extremist elements within the broader opposition. The vice president also encouraged the coalition president to reach out to, and be inclusive of, a broad range of communities inside Syria, including Alawites, Christians and Kurds.

Officials said during the meeting, Biden reaffirmed the U.S. call for an end to the Assad regime and a transition that leads to a peaceful, inclusive and democratic Syria, where the rights of all Syrians are protected. The vice president also commended al-Khatib's recent statements, including in Munich, expressing openness, under certain circumstances, to the possibility of negotiations to bring the Syrian people the leadership they deserve, officials said.

TWO ARYAN BROTHERHOOD OF TEXAS GANG MEMBERS PLEAD GUILTY TO RACKETEERING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Thursday, January 31, 2013
Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Plead Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) pleaded guilty to racketeering charges related to their membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.

Ben Christian Dillon, aka "Tuff," 40, of Houston, and James Marshall Meldrum, aka "Dirty," 40, of Dallas, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.

According to court documents, Dillon, Meldrum and other ABT gang members and associates, agreed to commit multiple acts of murder, robbery, arson, kidnapping and narcotics trafficking on behalf of the ABT gang. Dillon, Meldrum and numerous ABT gang members met on a regular basis at various locations throughout Texas to report on gang-related business, collect dues, commit disciplinary assaults against fellow gang members and discuss acts of violence against rival gang members, among other things.

Dillon and Meldrum admitted to being ABT gang members and engaging in multiple acts in support of the criminal enterprise. Dillon admitted to trafficking in methamphetamine, acting as an enforcer to collect drug debts owed to the ABT enterprise, committing acts of arson for the gang and attempting to kill a fellow ABT gang member who had been marked for death by senior ABT officials. Meldrum admitted to trafficking in methamphetamine and severely beating a subordinate gang member.

According to the superseding indictment, the ABT was established in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system. The gang modeled itself after and adopted many of the precepts and writings of the Aryan Brotherhood, a California-based prison gang that was formed in the California prison system during the 1960s. According to the superseding indictment, previously, the ABT was primarily concerned with the protection of white inmates and white supremacy/separatism. Over time, the ABT has expanded its criminal enterprise to include illegal activities for profit.

Court documents allege that the ABT enforced its rules and promoted discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, arson, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise. Members, and oftentimes associates, were required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, often referred to as "direct orders."

According to the superseding indictment, in order to be considered for ABT membership, a person must be sponsored by another gang member. Once sponsored, a prospective member must serve an unspecified term, during which he is referred to as a prospect, while his conduct is observed by the members of the ABT.

At sentencing, Dillon and Meldrum each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Dillon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 24, 2013, and Meldrum’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2013.

Dillon and Meldrum are two of 34 defendants charged in October 2012 with conducting racketeering activity through the ABT criminal enterprise, among other charges.

This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Rangers; Texas Department of Public Safety; Montgomery County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General; Harris County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office; Atascosa County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Orange County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Waller County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Fort Worth, Texas, Police Department; Alvin, Texas, Police Department; Carrollton, Texas, Police Department; Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office; Atascosa County District Attorney’s Office; and the Kaufman County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman of the Southern District of Texas.

THE MODIFICATION OF THE B-1 LANCER AIRCRAFT

A B-1 Lancer near a KC-135 Stratotanker during contact training April 10, 2012, in western Wyoming. The B-1 is with the 34th Bomb Squadron out of Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and the KC-135 is with the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo)

　
FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
Airmen gear up for largest B-1 modification
by Airman 1st Class Charles V. Rivezzo
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs


1/31/2013 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Members of the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron are gearing up for the largest B-1 Lancer modification in program history, as part of the Integrated Battle Station and Sustainment-Block 16 upgrade.

Because of the magnitude of this upgrade, additional work is being done to make sure members of the 337th TES are ready to test and develop tactics needed to take full advantage of the new equipment and software.

Sustainment-Block 16, or SB-16, includes significant upgrades to the B-1, including the Fully Integrated Data Link and Central Integrated Test System in the aft station and the Vertical Situation Display Upgrade in the front station. Included under the umbrella of SB-16, the B-1 will also receive navigation, radar and diagnostic upgrades.

The VSDU upgrades the B-1's forward cockpit by replacing two unsupportable, monochrome pilot and co-pilot displays with four multifunctional color displays, giving the pilots more situational awareness data in a user-friendly format.

The B-1 FIDL will give the aft cockpit new digital avionics including a Link 16 data link that adds line-of-sight capability to the B-1's existing beyond line-of-sight Joint Range Extension Applications Protocol data link and integrates the JREAP, data onto new, full-color displays with intuitive symbols and moving maps.

The CITS upgrade adds a new color display in the aft cockpit and replaces an obsolete computer that continuously monitors the aircraft's performance. It is used by flight and ground support personnel to identify and troubleshoot B-1 system anomalies.

These three modifications fall under the Integrated Battle Station initiative, which is slated to be installed concurrently through 2019.

"The IBS upgrades will provide B-1 aircrews with a higher level of situational awareness and a faster, secure digital communication link," said Maj. Michael Jungquist, from the 337th TES. "This will enable the aircrews to perform at an even more effective level and will make the B-1 cockpit more reliable and supportable."

Developmental testing of SB-16 is scheduled to begin in April at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., while the 337th TES is on track to receive its first fully modified B-1 later this year to begin operational testing.

To test the new datalink capabilities, the 337th TES members are constructing a Link-16 network for use in local airspace. The squadron has spent nearly $1.5 million to create a control room capable of sending and receiving Link-16 and JREAP messages in addition to ultra-high frequency voice communications.

"The groundwork we lay here will enable the 7th Bomb Wing to conduct more effective training, in addition to our ability to test new capabilities in the future," Jungquist said.

Furthermore, 337th TES members have begun writing test plans, creating training plans and even recruited several members of the FIDL and VSDU developmental test teams for expertise and training.

In addition to aircrew training, the maintenance element of the 337th TES has begun preparing for the arrival of the initial IBS configured aircraft. The 337th TES maintainers and maintainers from the 7th Maintenance Group will undergo significant classroom and on-aircraft training at Edwards AFB and Tinker AFB, Okla., prior to the aircraft's arrival.

"The enhancements are so dramatic that, for all intents and purposes, B-1 aviators will need to treat an IBS modified B-1 like a new aircraft," said Jungquist, who flew during both FIDL and VSDU testing.

"The IBS/SB-16 upgrade to the B-1 enhances the ability of this amazing aircraft to integrate and operate with the most advanced air, sea, land and cyber platforms of our military forces," said Lt. Col. George Holland, the 337th TES commander. "Whether providing air support over ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan or shifting focus to support maritime operations in the Pacific, the IBS upgrade to the B-1 provides more capability to the quiver of our combatant commanders. The 337th TES looks forward to leading the B-1 community through the IBS upgrade."

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

 

  FROM: U.S. NAVY
An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Dusty Dogs of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 delivers cargo from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) to the guided-missile frigate USS Kaufman (FFG 59) during a vertical replenishment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brandon Parker (Released) 130130-N-HG389-082

130127-N-OY799-372 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 27, 2013) An F/A-18C Hornet from the Golden Dragons of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 192 launches from the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis 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 Kenneth Abbate/Released)

 

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON SAYS 'FAREWELL'

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Farewell Remarks to State Department Employees
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
C Street Lobby
Washington, DC
February 1, 2013
　

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Good afternoon, everyone. Madam Secretary, four years ago, I stood on this same spot and had the honor of introducing you to the men and women of the Department of State. From that first day on, you’ve touched the lives of millions and millions of people around the world, you have left a profoundly positive mark on American foreign policy, and you have done enormous good for all of us and for the country we serve. We will miss you deeply, but none of us – (applause) – but none of us will ever forget your extraordinary leadership, and each of us will always be deeply proud to say that we served in Hillary Clinton’s State Department. (Applause.)

And so now it’s my great honor to introduce, one last time, the 67th Secretary of State of the United States of America, Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you. Well, just standing here looking out at all of you, the people I have been honored to serve and lead and work with over the last four years, is an incredible experience.

When I came into this building as the Secretary of State four years ago and received such a warm welcome, I knew there was something really special about this place, and that having the honor to lead the State Department and USAID would be unique and singular, exciting and challenging. It has been all of those things and so much more. I cannot fully express how grateful I am to those with whom I have spent many hours here in Washington, around the world, and in airplanes. (Laughter.)

But I’m proud of the work we’ve done to elevate diplomacy and development, to serve the nation we all love, to understand the challenges, the threats, and the opportunities that the United States faces, and to work with all our heart and all of our might to make sure that America is secure, that our interests are promoted, and our values are respected. As I look back over these past four years, I am very proud of the work we have done together.

Of course, we live in very complex and even dangerous times, as we saw again just today at our Embassy in Ankara, where we were attacked and lost one of our Foreign Service nationals and others injured. But I spoke with the Ambassador and the team there, I spoke with my Turkish counterpart, and I told them how much we valued their commitment and their sacrifice.

I know that the world we are trying to help bring into being in the 21st century will have many difficult days, but I am more optimistic today than I was when I stood here four years ago, because I have seen, day after day, the many contributions that our diplomats and development experts are making to help ensure that this century provides the kind of peace, progress, and prosperity that not just the United States, but the entire world, especially young people, so richly deserve. I am very proud to have been Secretary of State.

I will miss you. I will probably be dialing Ops just to talk. (Laughter and applause.) I will wonder what you all are doing, because I know that because of your efforts day after day, we are making a real difference. But I leave this Department confident – confident about the direction we have set, confident that the process of the QDDR, which we started for the first time, has enabled us to ask hard questions about what we do, how we do it, and whether we can do it even better. Because State and AID have to always be learning organizations. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the President, we owe it to the American people. And so I will be an advocate from outside for the work that you continue to do here and at AID.

So it’s been quite a challenging week saying goodbye to so many people and knowing that I will not have the opportunity to continue being part of this amazing team. But I am so grateful that we’ve had a chance to contribute in each of our ways to making our country and our world stronger, safer, fairer, and better.

Those of you who are staying, as many of you will, please know that I hope you will redouble your efforts to do all that you can to demonstrate unequivocally why diplomacy and development are right up there with defense; how, when we think about who we are as Americans, it’s because we are united and committed across our government to do whatever is required to fulfill the missions we have assumed as public officials and public servants.

So next week, I would expect that all of you will be as focused and dedicated for Secretary Kerry as you have been for me, and that you will continue to serve President Obama and our nation with the same level of professionalism and commitment that I have seen firsthand.

On a personal basis, let me wish all of you the very best, whether you’ve been here a week or 30 or even 40 years, Pat. (Laughter.) Let me give you the very best wishes that I can, because I’m proud to have been a part of you. I leave thinking of the nearly 70,000 people that I was honored to serve and lead as part of a huge extended family. And I hope that you will continue to make yourselves, make me, and make our country proud.

Thank you all, and God bless you. (Applause.)

Press Briefing | The White House

Press Briefing | The White House

U.S. CONDEMNS TERRORIST ACTS IN BEIRUT

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Acts of Terrorism in Beirut
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
October 19, 2012

The United States condemns in the strongest terms the acts of terrorism that took place in Beirut’s Achrafieh neighborhood today. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who were killed.

The assassination of the Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan, who was a strong defender of Lebanon’s security and its people, is a dangerous sign that there are those who continue to seek to undermine Lebanon’s stability. Lebanon must close the chapter of its past and bring an end to impunity for political assassinations and other politically motivated violence. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and respect for Lebanon’s stability and security.

The United States remains committed to an independent, sovereign, and stable Lebanon. We will continue to work with our partners to preserve Lebanon’s security and stability.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE NOMINEE HAGEL SAYS ACCOUNTABILITY IMPORTANT

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel: Accountability Key Factor to Defense Management
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2013 - Accountability is at the heart of managing the Defense Department, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday.

Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice to succeed retiring Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, provided eight hours of testimony to the Senate panel.

Senators asked Hagel how he will manage the largest institution in the United States.

Hagel said you don't really manage the department, you lead it.

"It's not about me. The secretary of defense, he leads, he advises the president, but it's really about the people who have the accountability and the responsibility to manage every aspect of our defense apparatus," Hagel said.

The department has roughly 50 presidential appointees, so that leaves most of the day-to-day management to officers and senior civilians, and those officials must be accountable, he said.

"We're all accountable, and the emphasis on accountability I don't think could ever be overstated," Hagel said.

It is important to give managers the resources they need and the flexibility to make the best use of them, he said.

"You give them direction and expectations ... but not to the point where you don't want their input and their ability to be flexible with their management," Hagel said. "I think that's the ... key to anything, but surely it is the key to something as large as the Department of Defense."

Hagel said he has a lot of learning to do if he is confirmed as the next defense secretary.

"I will be the leader. I'll be responsible. I'll be accountable," he said. "But I've got to rely on the right teams, the right people, bring those people together."

SEC CHARGES DAY TRADER WITH PROVIDING FALSIFIED BROKERAGE RECORDS TO INVESTORS



Credit:  SEC

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., Jan 29, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a day trader in Sugar Land, Texas, with defrauding investors in his supposed high-frequency trading program and providing them falsified brokerage records that drastically overstated assets and hid his massive trading losses.

The SEC alleges that Firas Hamdan particularly targeted fellow members of the Houston-area Lebanese and Druze communities, raising more than $6 million during a five-year period from at least 33 investors. Hamdan told prospective investors that he would pool their investments with his own money and conduct high-frequency trading using a supposed proprietary trading algorithm. Hamdan promised annual returns of 30 percent and assured investors that his program was safe and proven when in reality it was a dismal failure, generating $1.5 million in losses. As he failed to deliver the promised profits, Hamdan told investors that his funds were tied up in the Greek debt crisis and the MF Global bankruptcy among other phony excuses.

The SEC is seeking an emergency court order to halt the scheme and freeze Hamdan’s assets and those of his firm, FAH Capital Partners.

"Hamdan’s affinity scam preyed upon people’s tendency to trust those who share common backgrounds and beliefs," said David R. Woodcock, Director of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office. "Hamdan raised money by creating the aura of a successful day trader among friends and family in his community, and he continued to mislead them and hide the truth while trading losses mounted."

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in Houston, Hamdan is well-known in the Lebanese and Druze communities in the Houston area and is a former treasurer of the Houston branch of the American Druze Society. Hamdan found investors for his trading program by talking with his friends and family in these communities. As word spread about his purported trading success, he asked existing investors to solicit their friends for investments.

The SEC alleges that Hamdan misrepresented to investors that he generated positive returns in 59 of 60 months between 2007 and 2012. He showed them phony documentation to support his false claims. For instance, a purported brokerage statement he provided investors for the first quarter of 2010 showed an opening balance of more than $2.3 million with quarterly trading gains of $2.7 million for a closing balance above $5.1 million. An actual brokerage statement obtained by SEC investigators for Hamdan’s account during that same period shows the opening balance at just $27,970.76 and the closing balance at $148,210.02, with quarterly trading losses of $7,452.80.

According to the SEC’s complaint, Hamdan made several other false claims to potential investors. For instance, he lied about the existence of a cash reserve account that secured their investments. Hamdan falsely stated that investments were further secured by a $5 million "key-man" insurance policy. He also falsely claimed that a well-known hedge fund manager in the Dallas area made a million-dollar investment with him and promised to invest more based on Hamdan’s continuing success.

The SEC’s complaint alleges that Hamdan violated the antifraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The complaint seeks various relief including a temporary restraining order, preliminary and permanent injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, and financial penalties.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Jonathan Scott, Timothy Evans, and Mark Pittman of the Fort Worth Regional Office. Bret Helmer will lead the SEC’s litigation.

SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE NEW MOBILE PHONE APP

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Mobile App Provides Biofeedback For Patients
National Center for Telehealth and Technology News Release

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash., Feb. 1, 2013 - The Department of Defense has released a smart phone mobile application to help service members use the therapeutic benefits of biofeedback.

BioZen, a mobile app from the Defense Department's National Center for Telehealth and Technology based here, known as T2, uses wireless sensors to show users their physical level of relaxation. It is the first portable, low-cost method for clinicians and patients to use biofeedback in and out of the clinic.

"Mastering biofeedback successfully is difficult and frustrating for many people," said Dr. David Cooper, T2 psychologist. "This app takes many of the large medical sensors found in a clinic and puts them in the hands of anyone with a smart phone. BioZen makes it easier for anyone to get started with biofeedback."

BioZen shows real-time data from multiple body sensors including electroencephalogram, electromyography, galvanic skin response, electrocardiogram, respiratory rate, and skin temperature. Each sensor sends a separate signal to the phone so users can see how their body is responding to their behavior.

The system can display Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma brain waves. It can also combine the brain waves to show meditative and attentive cognitive states. Users can document their session with biofeedback data recorded in the phone or tablet. BioZen generates graphical feedback from the recording sessions to show the user's progress over time.

The mobile application, free for Android devices, is built on an open source framework Bluetooth Sensor Processing for Android, also known as B-SPAN, developed by T2.

Users need to purchase compatible medical sensors to use the app. A sensor can range in price depending on quality. The cost of compatible sensors begins between $75 and $150. A list of compatible sensors is on the BioZen website.

The National Center for Telehealth and Technology, a component center of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, serves as the primary Department of Defense office for cutting-edge approaches in applying technology to psychological health.

Las estrellas pueden tener una maternidad tardía

Las estrellas pueden tener una maternidad tardía

Active families, active kids

Active families, active kids

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT ON MERCURY POLLUTION AGREEMENT

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
The United States Applauds the Adoption of the First Global Agreement to Reduce Mercury Pollution
Press Statement
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
Washington, DC
January 31, 2013

The United States is pleased to have worked with more than one hundred and forty other governments to adopt an historic agreement on mercury that will help protect not only the health of the U.S. public, but human health and the environment all over the world. Mercury warrants global attention due to its long-range atmospheric transport, its persistence in the environment, and its significant negative effect on human health and the environment. Mercury exposure is a major public health threat, particularly for children and women of child-bearing age. Mercury can damage or impair the functioning of nerve tissue and even permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus. According to most estimates, global sources contribute at least 70 percent of total U.S. mercury deposition.

The agreement, known as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, calls for the reduction of mercury emissions to the air and a decrease in the use of mercury in products and industrial processes. It will help reduce the supply of mercury by, among other things, ending primary mercury mining. The Convention will ensure environmentally sound storage of mercury and disposal of waste. The agreement also calls on governments to address the use of mercury in small-scale gold mining, which uses and releases large amounts of mercury.

"We are very pleased with the outcome of these negotiations. Transboundary air emissions are a significant global challenge that no single country can solve on its own," said Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Kerri-Ann Jones. "This agreement is an enormous success that will allow us to work together in coming years with countries around the world to make a meaningful difference in addressing mercury pollution."

The Minamata Convention negotiations ended in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 19, following four years of negotiation efforts. The convention will be open for signature at a Diplomatic Conference in Japan in October. The name of the convention pays respect to Minamata, the Japanese city that experienced severe mercury pollution in the mid-20^{th century. Many local citizens of Minamata suffered from a neurological syndrome caused by mercury poisoning, which became known as Minamata disease, from consuming contaminated fish and shellfish from Minamata Bay.}

Press Briefing For January 31, 2013 | The White House

Press Briefing | The White House

ASSISTANT AG BREUER, RESPONSIBLE FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS OF FRAUDSTERS, LEAVES JUSTICE

FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Announces Departure from Department of Justice

The Justice Department announced today that Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division will leave the department on March 1, 2013.

"Lanny has led one of the most successful and aggressive Criminal Divisions in the history of the Department of Justice, accomplishing record penalties in corruption cases at home and abroad and dismantling major organized crime and health care fraud networks around the country while also protecting the integrity of our banking systems and fighting financial fraud," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "Throughout his tenure, Lanny has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the mission of this Department and I want to thank him for his dedication and exceptional service."

"Serving as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division has been the greatest privilege of my professional life," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. "From my first day on this job, nearly four years ago, I have loved it, and I am so proud of what the Criminal Division has accomplished over the past four years. I have had no higher honor than to work alongside the talented and dedicated men and women of the Criminal Division, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to serve the American people together with them."

Assistant Attorney General Breuer was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 20, 2009, and is the longest-serving head of the Criminal Division in recent history.

Under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General Breuer, the Criminal Division has taken significant steps to fight corruption at home and abroad, including by developing the innovative Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative to identify and forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption – ensuring that corrupt officials from other countries are prevented from hiding their ill-gotten gains in the United States. The Criminal Division has also substantially increased enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), convicting three dozen individuals for FCPA-related offenses – a record number – and entering into more than 40 corporate resolutions involving eight of the top 10 largest FCPA penalties in history. The Criminal Division also partnered with the Securities and Exchange Commission to publish groundbreaking guidance on FCPA enforcement.

Assistant Attorney General Breuer was asked by the Attorney General to oversee the Deepwater Horizon Task Force – created to investigate conduct leading up to, and following, the Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20, 2010. The Task Force reached the largest criminal resolution in U.S. history with BP. On Jan. 29, 2013, BP was ordered to pay $4 billion in criminal fines and penalties after previously having agreed to plead guilty to 11 felony manslaughter charges, environmental crimes and obstruction of congress. The Criminal Division brought charges against four individuals in connection with the explosion and its aftermath as part of the ongoing investigation. Additionally, Assistant Attorney General Breuer has overseen efforts to combat fraud arising from the oil spill, as well as to detect and deter fraud in the wake of natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, through the Disaster Fraud Task Force.

Protecting the integrity of the banking system and fighting financial fraud have been hallmarks of the Criminal Division during Assistant Attorney General Breuer’s tenure. The division’s aggressive, ongoing investigation into manipulation of the London Interbank Offered Rate by global financial institutions has thus far led to nearly $2 billion in criminal penalties, as well as a guilty plea by a UBS subsidiary and charges against individuals. Assistant Attorney General Breuer also spearheaded the development of the division’s Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit to pursue financial institutions and individuals who violate money laundering statutes and the Bank Secrecy Act. Along with U.S. Attorney partners, the groundbreaking unit already has secured approximately $3.1 billion in criminal forfeitures from major financial institutions – including the largest forfeiture ever by a bank.

The Criminal Division has also prosecuted, together with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, numerous significant perpetrators of financial fraud, including Lee Bentley Farkas, former chairman of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker, who perpetrated an approximately $3 billion bank fraud; and R. Allen Stanford, former chairman of Stanford International Bank, who perpetrated a $7 billion investment fraud scheme. Both were convicted at trial and are serving 30 and 110 years in prison, respectively.

Assistant Attorney General Breuer has also focused on combating healthcare fraud, helping to expand the Medicare Fraud Strike Force from two to nine cities and to carry out the two largest Medicare fraud takedowns in history, one involving 111 defendants charged and the other involving $452 million in alleged fraudulent billings.

The Criminal Division under Assistant Attorney General Breuer’s leadership, working alongside its partners at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, has pursued innovative cybercrime and intellectual property crime prosecutions. Those prosecutions include the indictment of Megaupload and its leadership for intellectual property infringement in one of the largest criminal copyright cases brought by the United States.

During Assistant Attorney General Breuer’s tenure, the Criminal Division has made great strides in the fight against violent crime along the southwest border and across the country. Among other successes, the division, along with several U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, brought charges against 127 members and associates of La Cosa Nostra in the largest traditional organized crime takedown in U.S. history. The Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney partners also have brought prosecutions against 35 Barrio Azteca gang members and associates – including those allegedly responsible for the death of a U.S. Consular official and others in Juarez, Mexico, on March 13, 2010; individuals allegedly responsible for the murder of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata; and dozens of members and associates of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, including the gang’s top "generals." Assistant Attorney General Breuer has traveled frequently to Mexico to develop close relationships with Mexican counterparts and created new prosecutorial units dedicated to targeting Mexican cartels and seizing their assets. In 2012, the Criminal Division secured 115 extraditions from Mexico, a record for a calendar year.

Along with these new or expanded teams and initiatives, Assistant Attorney General Breuer has taken significant steps to reform the Criminal Division to meet the needs of the modern law enforcement climate, including creating the Organized Crime and Gang Section and the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and hiring hundreds of talented prosecutors and several new Section Chiefs into the division.

In his role as head of the Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General Breuer has engaged on issues of criminal law policy throughout the United States and around the world, delivering dozens of keynote and special addresses across the country as well as in Russia, the Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Romania, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Spain and at the World Bank and United Nations.

Prior to joining the Justice Department, Assistant Attorney General Breuer was a partner in the law firm of Covington and Burling LLP. He earlier served as special counsel to President William Jefferson Clinton, and began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan. He is a graduate of Columbia College and Columbia Law School.

SMART FLUIDS IN SPACE VIDEO

FROM:  NASA

ISS Update: Studying Smart Fluids in Space
Dr. Eric Furst from the University of Delaware joins NASA Public Affairs Officer Kelly Humphries in the Mission Control Center in Houston via telephone to discuss the InSpace-3 experiment taking place aboard the International Space Station

FORMER EXECUTIVE CONVICTED FOR ROLE IN PRICE-FIXING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

WASHINGTON — Following a two-week trial, a federal jury in Puerto Rico today convicted a former executive of a Florida-based coastal water freight transportation company for his participation in a conspiracy to fix rates and surcharges for water transportation of freight between the continental United States and Puerto Rico, the Department of Justice announced.

Frank Peake, the former president of Sea Star Line LLC, was found guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, of participating in a conspiracy to fix rates and surcharges for water transportation of freight between the continental United States and Puerto Rico from at least as early as late 2005, until at least April 2008.

"The coastal shipping price-fixing conspiracy affected the price of nearly every product that was shipped to and from Puerto Rico during the conspiracy," said Bill Baer, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division. "This successful prosecution shows that the division will hold accountable high-level executives who perpetuate these crimes."

Sea Star pleaded guilty on Dec. 20, 2011, and was sentenced by Judge Daniel R. Dominguez to pay a $14.2 million criminal fine for its role in the conspiracy from as early as May 2002, until at least April 2008. Sea Star transports a variety of cargo shipments, such as heavy equipment, perishable food items, medicines and consumer goods, on scheduled ocean voyages between the continental United States and Puerto Rico.

According to evidence presented at trial, Sea Star, Peake and co-conspirators carried out the conspiracy by agreeing during meetings and communications to allocate customers of Puerto Rico freight services and to rig bids and fix the rates and surcharges to be charged to purchasers of water transportation of freight between the continental United States and Puerto Rico. The department said the conspirators also engaged in meetings for the purpose of monitoring and enforcing adherence to the agreed-upon rates and sold Puerto Rico freight services at collusive and noncompetitive rates.

Including today’s jury conviction, as a result of this ongoing investigation, three companies and six individuals have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial. The five individuals and three companies that have been sentenced have been ordered to serve a total of more than 11 years in prison and to pay more than $46 million in criminal fines.

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

Today’s conviction arose from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the coastal water freight transportation industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s National Criminal Enforcement Section; the Baltimore Resident Agency of the Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); the Miami Field Office of the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General; and the Jacksonville Field Office of the FBI.