UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING MAY 25, 2013

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA



In the week ending May 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 354,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 344,000. The 4-week moving average was 347,250, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average of 340,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending May 18, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 18 was 2,986,000, an increase of 63,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,923,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,986,500, a decrease of 11,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,998,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 317,732 in the week ending May 25, an increase of 13,653 from the previous week. There were 346,260 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending May 18, an increase 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 2,792,143, an increase of 15,423 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,776,720. A year earlier, the rate was 2.4 percent and the volume was 3,060,148.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending May 11 was 4,578,592, a decrease of 166,659 from the previous week. There were 6,138,246 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.

Extended Benefits were not available in any state during the week ending May 11.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,066 in the week ending May 18, a decrease of 405 from the prior week. There were 2,063 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 66 from the preceding week.

There were 17,311 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending May 11, a decrease of 1,038 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 35,330, a decrease of 827 from the prior week.

States reported 1,726,659 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending May 11, a decrease of 50,027 from the prior week. There were 2,618,445 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2012. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 11 were in Alaska (4.9), Puerto Rico (4.5), New Jersey (3.1), New Mexico (3.1), Connecticut (3.0), California (2.9), Pennsylvania (2.9), Nevada (2.8), Oregon (2.8), Illinois (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 18 were in South Carolina (+1,263), Tennessee (+1,191), Missouri (+785), Michigan (+634), and Massachusetts (+610), while the largest decreases were in California (-16,334), Georgia (-1,802), Illinois (-1,198), Kentucky (-902), and Ohio (-623).

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR MAY 30, 2013

U.S., Afghan soldiers and Afghan police conduct a presence patrol and resupply mission through Baraki Rajan near Combat Outpost Baraki Barak in Afghanistan’s Logar province, May 22, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Julieanne Morse

 FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill Insurgents in Kunduz
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, May 30, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed three insurgents who opened fire during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Archi district of Afghanistan's Kunduz province today, military officials reported.
The Taliban leader builds improvised explosive devices and suicide vests for insurgents. He also has directed and coordinated attacks resulting in the deaths of numerous Afghan national security forces personnel.
The security force also seized two assault rifles, a submachine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and eight rocket-propelled grenades.
In Afghanistan operations yesterday:
-- A combined force in Logar province's Pul-e Alam district arrested six insurgents during two operations in search of a senior Haqqani network leader who plans, facilitates and organizes attacks. He coordinates the movement of weapons and fighters and finances high-profile attack networks active in the Afghan capital of Kabul. He also manages insurgent network personnel decisions.
-- In Paktia province's Zurmat district, a combined force killed an insurgent during a search for a Haqqani network leader who is responsible for kidnapping-for-ransom operations in the area. He also conducts attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Remarks by the Vice President on U.S. - Brazil Relations | The White House

Remarks by the Vice President on U.S. - Brazil Relations | The White House

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

FDIC INSTITUTIONS SHOW RECOVERY WITH INCOME INCREASES

FROM: FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

Commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reported aggregate net income of $40.3 billion in the first quarter of 2013, a $5.5 billion (15.8 percent) increase from the $34.8 billion in profits that the industry reported in the first quarter of 2012. This is the 15th consecutive quarter that earnings have registered a year-over-year increase. Increased noninterest income, lower noninterest expenses, and reduced provisions for loan losses accounted for the increase in earnings from a year ago. Half of the 7,019 insured institutions reporting financial results had year-over-year increases in their earnings. The proportion of banks that were unprofitable fell to 8.4 percent, from 10.6 percent a year earlier.

FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg said: "Today's report shows further progress in the recovery that has been underway in the banking industry for more than three years. We saw improvement in asset quality indicators over the quarter, a continued increase in the number of profitable institutions, and further declines in the number of problem banks and bank failures. However, tighter net interest margins and slow loan growth create an incentive for institutions to reach for yield, which is a matter of ongoing supervisory attention."

The average return on assets (ROA), a basic yardstick of profitability, rose to 1.12 percent from 1.00 percent a year ago. This is the highest quarterly ROA for the industry since the 1.22 percent posted in the second quarter of 2007.

First quarter net operating revenue (net interest income plus total noninterest income) totaled $170.6 billion, an increase of $2.7 billion (1.6 percent) from a year earlier, as noninterest income increased by $5.1 billion (8.3 percent) and net interest income declined by $2.4 billion (2.2 percent). The average net interest margin fell to its lowest level since 2006. Total noninterest expenses were $5.3 billion (3.9 percent) below the level of the first quarter of 2012. Banks set aside $11 billion in provisions for loan losses, a reduction of $3.3 billion (23.2 percent) compared to a year earlier.

Asset quality indicators continued to improve as insured banks and thrifts charged off $16.0 billion in uncollectible loans during the quarter, down $5.8 billion (26.7 percent) from a year earlier. The amount of noncurrent loans and leases (those 90 days or more past due or in nonaccrual status) fell by $15.7 billion (5.7 percent) during the quarter, and the percentage of loans and leases that were noncurrent declined to the lowest level since 2008.

Financial results for the first quarter of 2013 are contained in the FDIC's latest Quarterly Banking Profile, which was released today. Also among the findings:

Total loan balances posted a seasonal decline. Loan balances fell by $36.8 billion (0.5 percent) in the first quarter, as credit card balances declined by $35.9 billion (5.2 percent). Balances also fell in home equity lines (down $16.0 billion, or 2.9 percent), other 1-4 family residential real estate loans (down $18.3 billion, or 1 percent), and agricultural production loans (down $7.2 billion, or 10.7 percent). The declines in credit card balances and agricultural loans reflect seasonal factors. Loans to commercial and industrial borrowers increased by $24.8 billion (1.6 percent), while loans to depository institutions rose by $17.5 billion (17.2 percent). For the 12 months through March 31, total loan and lease balances were up by $247.7 billion (3.3 percent).

The end of temporary unlimited deposit insurance for noninterest-bearing transaction accounts at year-end 2012 did not lead to large deposit outflows. Total deposits increased by $1.8 billion (0.02 percent), as deposits in domestic offices fell by $20.5 billion (0.2 percent) and foreign office deposits rose by $22.3 billion (1.6 percent). Noninterest-bearing transaction deposits with balances greater than $250,000 fell by $74.9 billion (4.3 percent) during the quarter. Balances in these accounts that were over the $250,000 basic FDIC coverage limit declined by $70.3 billion (4.6 percent).

The number of problem banks continued to decline. The number of banks on the FDIC's "Problem List" declined from 651 to 612 during the quarter. The number of "problem" banks reached a recent high of 888 institutions at the end of the first quarter of 2011. Four FDIC-insured institutions failed in the first quarter, the smallest number since the second quarter of 2008 when two institutions were closed. Thus far in 2013, there have been 13 failures, compared to 24 during the same period in 2012.

The Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) balance continued to increase. The DIF balance — the net worth of the fund — rose to $35.7 billion as of March 31 from $33.0 billion at the end of 2012. Assessment income was the primary contributor to growth in the fund balance. While the end of unlimited coverage for noninterest-bearing transaction accounts resulted in an 18.7 percent decline in estimated insured deposits in the first quarter, the estimated balances covered by the $250,000 insurance limit rose 2.6 percent during the quarter.

Interview With Doordarshan News

Interview With Doordarshan News

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 5/29/2013 | The White House

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 5/29/2013 | The White House

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK GUARANTEES $187 MILLION BOND ISSUANCE TO SUPPORT HELICOPTER SALES

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

Ex-Im Bank Provides $187.4 Million Guarantee for Bond Issuance Supporting Sikorsky Helicopters to Milestone Aviation Group

First Use of Capital-Markets Funding for Ex-Im-Backed Helicopter Exports

Washington, D.C. – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is providing a $187.4 million guarantee of a capital-markets bond to finance the export of Sikorsky S-92® helicopters to The Milestone Aviation Group Ltd. of Dublin, Ireland.

The transaction is Ex-Im Bank’s largest financing of US.-manufactured commercial helicopter exports and the agency’s first support of these exports to a helicopter-leasing company.

It is also the first Ex-Im Bank-guaranteed bond issuance in the capital markets to fund helicopter exports. Deutsche Bank Securities was the sole structuring agent and the lead book runner for the bond issuance on May 22. The bond was priced at par to yield 1.87 percent.

The export sale supports approximately 1,500 jobs in the U.S. helicopter industry, according to Ex-Im Bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology. The S-92® helicopters are being manufactured at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. facilities in Stratford, Conn., and Coatesville, Pa. Principal subcontractors also involved in the manufacture are Hamilton Sundstrand, Rockwell Collins and General Electric.

"Ex-Im Bank’s capital-markets financing has proven to be a successful way to fund exports of U.S.-made large commercial aircraft. Extending this type of funding to helicopter exports will help support more American jobs and more companies in the very competitive U.S. aerospace industry," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg.

The exports were initially financed by a commercial bridge facility that will be replaced by the funds raised by the issuance of the capital-markets bond. The helicopters are being delivered under a number of separate contracts, both directly with the Milestone Aviation Group and as part of sale-leaseback agreements. The end users are five different Milestone customers, and the S-92® helicopters will be operated in the United Kingdom, Norway and Brazil. Deliveries began in November 2012 and end in May 2013.

"The Sikorsky S-92® is a modern design, heavy-lift rotorcraft that brings economic efficiencies to our operators, and it is a very important part of the oil-and-gas and search-and-rescue market segments. Ex-Im Bank’s capital-markets financing facilitates the business transaction of this large capital investment. This financing vehicle makes the S-92® helicopter an even better fit for our customers," said Bob Kokorda, vice president of Worldwide Sales for Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of commercial and military rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft. The company has a U.S.-based workforce of approximately 13,000 employees, including 6,630 in Stratford, Conn., and 875 in Coatesville, Pa.

"We are proud to have been selected by Ex-Im Bank as the partner for their largest helicopter financing and the first capital-markets transaction to support the export of U.S.-manufactured helicopters," said Milestone Aviation Group Chairman Richard Santulli. "The support of Ex-Im Bank, and the dedication and professionalism of its Transportation team, has been instrumental in helping us place Sikorsky aircraft internationally and given us the confidence to order more units of the world-class S-92®."

Milestone Aviation Group is the first global aircraft leasing company to focus exclusively on helicopters. Milestone partners with helicopter operators globally and supports them through 100 percent operating-lease financing. The company provides financing for helicopters, serving primarily the offshore oil-and-gas industry as well as search-and-rescue, emergency medical services, police surveillance, mining and other utility missions. Since launching in August 2010, Milestone has acquired more than 90 aircraft valued at more than $1.3 billion and closed leases with 21 operators in 20 countries.

MARINE WITH A SECOND-DEGREE BLACK BELT



Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jeremy Meadows holds a Marine in a headlock while grappling at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., April 22, 2013. A martial arts instructor trainer, Meadows is one of only a few second-degree black belts assigned to the air station. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Melissa Eschenbrenner

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Face of Defense: Marine NCO Strives to Lead by Example
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Melissa Eschenbrenner
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif., May 23, 2013 - In the world's strongest fighting force, only a select few can say they've earned a second-degree black belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Meadows is one of the few who proudly wear two red tabs here.

Before enlisting in the Marine Corps, Meadows -- a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor trainer with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 and a Lubbock, Texas, native -- earned a black belt in taekwondo. When he joined, MCMAP was still new and unknown to many Marines.

During his grey belt training, the challenging physical training and combat conditioning was something that made MCMAP fun, Meadows said.

"I got my green belt instructor tab in 2006," he said. "From that point, I got back to my command and started training Marines, and I fell in love with it. I like being in the dirt with the Marines. I would do that any day of the week."

The course is designed not only to prepare Marines for hand-to-hand combat, but also to add to the quality of the Corps as a whole. MCMAP is based on a synergy of three elements: physical fitness, mental strength and soundness of character.

"I try to style my life around the three synergies," Meadows said. "I just keep that in my mindset and try to better myself that way."

Meadows said he constantly sustains and passes his knowledge to other Marines, noting that it's pointless to have knowledge and skills but not share them with others. "You do know a few things, but what do you have to prove?" he added. "You should use those techniques to help other people."

Meadows wouldn't expect anything out of his Marines that he could not do himself, said Marine Corps Cpl. James Vandling, a green belt MCMAP instructor and a Randolph, N.J., native.

Marine Corps Cpl. Daitoine Austin, an operations noncommissioned officer with HMH-462, said Meadows is the type of Marine his subordinates should strive to be.

"I take a lot from his leadership style," said Austin, who hails from Cleveland. "You don't have many Marines that will go the distance to better Marines. He's not afraid of a challenge, and he's definitely not afraid of change."

Meadows said he uses what he knows as a martial arts instructor trainer and as a staff NCO to better the upcoming generation and ensure the legacy of greatness continues.

"I hope they take bits and pieces of my leadership style and apply it to theirs and strive every day to lead by example," he added. "You have to step in front and show your Marines that you're willing to do everything they do."

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICAL TESTIFIES BEFORE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman Testifies Before the U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

~ Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Chairman McHenry, Ranking Member Green, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for inviting the Department of Justice to appear before you today to discuss our efforts to combat financial crime. I am pleased to be here and am privileged to oversee the important work of the Criminal Division.

The Justice Department is committed to vigorously investigating allegations of wrongdoing at financial institutions and, along with our many law enforcement partners, holding individuals and corporations to account for their conduct.

Our track record in recent years shows our commitment to pursuing the most challenging and complex financial crime investigations in the country. Over the last three fiscal years alone, the Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 14,500 defendants. These prosecutions have led to stiff prison sentences for many defendants. Last year, for example, the Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston secured a 110-year sentence for Robert Allen Stanford for orchestrating a 20-year, $7 billion investment fraud scheme – just one of numerous investment fraud schemes the Department has prosecuted in recent years.

We have been just as aggressive in bringing prosecutions involving the manipulation of the markets, as seen by the extraordinary success of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan in an unprecedented string of insider trading cases over the last several years.

Our prosecutors and agents also continue to doggedly pursue health care fraudsters. Our Medicare Fraud Strike Force has convicted over 1,000 defendants of felony health care fraud offenses since the Strike Force’s inception, and the average sentence in Strike Force cases is approximately 45 months in prison.

Our fight against foreign bribery, too, is as robust as it has ever been. In just the past two months, we have announced charges against 11 individuals – including corporate executives and employees, and one foreign official – in active Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations.

Similarly, our investigation of the manipulation at various banks of interbank lending rates, including LIBOR, has had reverberations across the globe. As detailed in my written statement, the consequences thus far for several multinational banks have been far reaching, ranging from replacement of senior leaders at Barclays, to criminal charges against traders at UBS, to detailed admissions of criminal wrongdoing and the payment of substantial penalties by three global banks, to felony guilty plea agreements by Japanese subsidiaries of UBS and RBS.

As is evident from this track record, we are deeply committed to holding wrongdoers – whether individuals or business entities – to account for their crimes. In our investigations of business entities, in particular, we are guided by firmly rooted Department policy, set out in the U.S. Attorneys’ Manual, which requires our prosecutors to consider a number of factors in determining how and whether to bring charges – including the seriousness of the entity’s conduct, the pervasiveness of the wrongdoing, the extent of the entity’s cooperation with our investigation, and the remedial actions taken by the company.

There has been some discussion in recent months about one of those factors – the potential collateral consequences of charging a corporate entity – and we appreciate your interest in better understanding the extent to which the Department may consider possible collateral consequences of criminal prosecutions against large, complex financial institutions.

The consideration of collateral consequences on innocent third parties, like the other factors we must consider when determining whether and how to proceed against a corporation, has been required by the U.S. Attorneys’ Manual since 2008. But the basic principles underlying that policy have a much longer history at the Department. The first Department-wide guidance on this subject was issued in 1999, and those basic principles have been reaffirmed multiple times since then, including in 2003, 2006, and 2008.

As more fully explained in my written statement, although the factors set forth in the U.S. Attorneys’ Manual, for good reason, inform our prosecutorial decisions, none of those factors, including potential collateral consequences, acts as a bar to prosecution, or has prevented the Justice Department from pursuing investigations and seeking criminal penalties in cases involving large, complex financial institutions. No individual or institution is immune from prosecution, and we intend to continue our aggressive pursuit of financial fraud with the same strong commitment with which we pursue other criminal matters of national and international significance.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide the Subcommittee with this overview of our financial fraud enforcement efforts. I look forward to answering any questions you may have.

TOTAL S.A. WILL PAY $398 MILLION TO SETTLE SEC'S BRIBERY CHARGES REGARDING AN IRANIAN OFFICIAL

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., May 29, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged France-based oil and gas company Total S.A. with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying $60 million in bribes to intermediaries of an Iranian government official who then exercised his influence to help the company obtain valuable contracts to develop significant oil and gas fields in Iran.

The SEC alleges that Total made more than $150 million in profits through the bribery scheme. Total attempted to cover up the true nature of the illegal payments by entering into sham consulting agreements with intermediaries of the Iranian official and mischaracterizing the bribes in its books and records as legitimate "business development expenses" related to the consulting agreements. Total had inadequate systems to properly review the consulting agreements and lacked sufficient internal controls to comply with federal laws prohibiting bribery.

Total, whose securities are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, agreed to pay more than $398 million to settle the SEC’s charges and a parallel criminal matter announced today by the U.S. Department of Justice.

"Total used illicit payments to win business in Iran, and reaped substantial financial benefits as a result," said Andrew M. Calamari, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office. "Total must now pay back all of its profits from the company’s corrupt conduct and additionally pay criminal penalties on top of that."

According to the SEC’s order instituting settled administrative proceedings, Total negotiated a development contract in 1995 with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for the country’s Sirri A and E oil and gas fields. Prior to executing the contract, Total held a meeting with the Iranian official and agreed to enter into a purported consulting agreement with an intermediary he designated. They agreed that Total would make payments to the intermediary under the guise of a consulting agreement when the real purpose was to induce the Iranian official to use his influence to help obtain NIOC’s approval of the development agreement. After the contract was executed, Total corruptly made the bribery payments that resulted in NIOC allowing Total to develop the Sirri A and E oil and gas fields and make more than $150 million in profits.

The SEC’s order requires Total to pay disgorgement of $153 million in illicit profits and retain an independent compliance consultant to review and report on Total’s compliance with the FCPA. Total also must cease and desist from committing or causing any violations of Section 30A, Section 13(b)(2)(A), and Section 13(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

In the parallel criminal proceedings, Total agreed to pay a $245.2 million penalty as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. Total also was charged today by the prosecutor of Paris (François Molins, Procureur de la République) of the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris for violations of French laws.

The SEC’s investigation was led by Sharon Binger, Alex Janghorbani, and Barry O’Connell of the New York Regional Office’s Enforcement Division with significant assistance from the SEC Enforcement Division’s FCPA Unit and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The SEC also appreciates the assistance of French regulatory authorities.

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - May 29, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - May 29, 2013

Department of Defense Press Briefing with Maj. Gen. Miller from the Pentagon Briefing Room

Department of Defense Press Briefing with Maj. Gen. Miller from the Pentagon Briefing Room

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR MAY 29, 2013

U.S. Army Staff Sgts. Matthew J. Bubb, left, and Jeremy N. Butler use the optic lenses on their weapons to scan rows of grapes after the unit received fire during a traffic control point in the Panjwai district in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, May 23, 2013. Bubb and Butler are assigned to 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Force Arrests Insurgent in Kandahar
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 29, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested an insurgent during a search for a Taliban facilitator in Kandahar province's capital of Kandahar today, military officials reported.

The facilitator builds improvised explosive devices and distributes them to insurgents operating in the Arghandab River Valley and the provincial capital. He also oversees weapons caches and plans attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined force in Balkh province's Chimtal district arrested a senior Taliban leader who plans and conducts IED attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitates the transfer, manufacturing and testing of IEDs, coordinates and conducts kidnappings for ransom to fund insurgent operations, and coordinates the movement of insurgent fighters.

-- In Logar province's Muhammad Aghah district, a combined force wounded an insurgent during a search for a Taliban facilitator who transports fighters, weapons and suicide bombers. He also controls a group that attacks Afghan and coalition forces, equips suicide bombers with IEDs and coordinates the locations of their attacks.

-- A combined force in Paktia province's Gardez district arrested a Haqqani network leader who coordinates and directs attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and facilitates the movement of weapons, equipment and money to local insurgent cells. He also serves as an intelligence operative for senior Haqqani leadership.

DVIDS - Video - DoD Briefing

DVIDS - Video - DoD Briefing

White House Kitchen Garden Summer Harvest | The White House

White House Kitchen Garden Summer Harvest | The White House

THE AIRMAN AND THE TORNADO

Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Tucker, a crew communication specialist with the 185th Air Refueling Squadron, steps through a space where a window once was at his home in Moore, Okla., May 22, 2013. Moore was heavily damaged following a deadly tornado that passed through central Oklahoma on May 20, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Nelson Jr.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Oklahoma Airman Experiences Moore Tornado's Wrath

By Army Sgt. Daniel Nelson Jr.
145th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MOORE, Okla., May 23, 2013 - The Midwest region is certainly no stranger to inclement weather, having heavy snow and ice in the winter months and severe thunderstorms and deadly tornados during the spring and summer.

However, the recent string of storms that have passed through the region have left the Oklahoma communities of Newcastle, Moore, Oklahoma City and Shawnee in tatters, displacing hundreds of families, and resulting in 26 confirmed deaths.

For many residents affected by the record EF-5 tornado that tore through the central Oklahoma landscape, the week began with an anticipation of thunderstorms and heavy rain. That all changed May 20 as a deadly tornado developed southwest of Oklahoma City. The tornado grew as it moved through southeastern Oklahoma City and across Moore.

In the wake of the destruction, first responders from across the country began to pour into Moore and Oklahoma City, including support from the Oklahoma National Guard.

For one Oklahoma Air National Guardsman, the tornado came only a month after he returned from a six-month deployment to the Middle East. Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Tucker, a crew communication specialist with the 185th Air Refueling Squadron, was at home working in his garage, getting his personal items moved back into his house after deciding to take his house off the real estate market.

"I was here right before the tornado came through," Tucker said. "I noticed that the wind had picked up quite a bit, and all of a sudden it just stopped, which I thought that was kind of odd. I walked inside in time to see Gary England announce that a tornado was heading toward the Newcastle Casino. I high-tailed it out of there."

The citizens of Oklahoma City and Moore sought cover wherever they could and braced for their lives. The tornado left a trail of destruction stretching 17 miles from Newcastle to southeast Oklahoma City.

Search-and-rescue efforts immediately began as first responders, Oklahoma National Guardsmen and citizens of surrounding communities converged on the area in hopes of finding survivors. As the nation anxiously watched, news reports shifted from severe weather coverage to rescues and how others could contribute through much-needed donations.

With entire neighborhoods having been being wiped out by the tornado's wrath, hundreds of Oklahomans were finding themselves homeless, and with only the clothes on their backs. Many of the residents started sifting through piles of debris and rubble in hopes of finding any personal items not swept away by the tornado's more than 200 mph winds. Some of the neighborhoods were unreachable other than by foot or were too dangerous to allow residents back into as first responders were faced with fires, natural gas leaks and unstable structures.

"It was a full 24 hours before I was able to get back home with the streets so littered with debris; you just couldn't get through any other way than by foot," Tucker said. "When I finally got back, I could hardly recognize my house. I was overwhelmed by the amount of damage."

Some of Tucker's fellow National Guardsmen went with him as he rummaged through a pile of debris that now stands where his house once was. With the support of his military family that includes his father, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Tucker, public affairs sergeant for the 137th Air Refueling Wing, Brandon Tucker has begun the long process of cleaning and rebuilding.

"I was able to find a couple of pictures that could not be replaced with just money, and my pet has also safely made it through all of this with me," Brandon Tucker said.

Oklahoma City has seen the effects of deadly tornados time and again in the past, and the resiliency of its citizens will help those who were most directly affected.

Like Brandon, the many people impacted have the support of the nation, the Oklahoma National Guard and the communities in which they live as they cope with loss and rebuild their lives.

SEED DISPERSAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN AFRICAN FORESTS

Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in Central Africa, site of the scientists' research. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Seed Dispersal, Environmental Conditions Matter in African Forests
Nouabale-Ndoki National Park is a tree-dotted enclave in Central Africa's Republic of Congo. Heavy logging surrounds the park, but it still has one of the largest intact forests in Africa. In recognition, it recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Trees--thousands of them--make up a forest. How did Nouabale-Ndoki's trees become so numerous, and how do they stay that way?

The answer, say biologists, lies far below the tree canopy, in the soil where seedlings sprout.

Today in the journal PLOS ONE, scientists report results of an extensive seedling experiment in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park.

The research, which involved sowing 40,000 seeds of five tree species, is a new look at "seeing the forest for the trees."

The findings, which show what limits seedling growth, are important to reforestation efforts in areas that have been logged.

Every tree can produce hundreds of thousands of seeds in its lifetime, but on average, only one seed survives to adulthood, says John Poulsen of Duke University, a co-author of the journal paper.

Other paper co-authors are Connie Clark, also of Duke, and Doug Levey, formerly of the University of Florida and now a program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology.

Which seeds have the best chance of making it to old age?

"There are basically two ways to look at successful seedling recruitment [survival]," says Levey. "Species may be seed-limited or establishment-limited."

A tree species is seed-limited if its ability to grow is determined by whether its seeds reach a particular location on the ground. The seeds may arrive on the wind or simply by falling from trees.

Establishment-limited trees are those that depend on the environment around them, rather than on seeds landing in just the right spot. If the soil is too wet or there is too much shade, a species is establishment-limited.

To test the importance of these two limitations on seedling recruitment, the scientists sowed tens of thousands of seeds.

They chose the species randomly, which allowed the results to be generalized to all tree species, not just the most common ones, says Poulsen.

The seeds were planted in different amounts in plots that stretched across an area the size of the state of Rhode Island.

Latter-day Johnny Appleseeds, the researchers couldn't do it alone, however.

"We hired a small army of indigenous, Mbendzélé hunter-gatherers," says Clark. "These families could easily locate seeds, and we were the beneficiaries of their intimate knowledge of the forest's natural history."

After the seeds were planted, the ecologists watched them grow into seedlings over two years.

They found that only a small fraction of seeds, some 16 percent, became seedlings. An even smaller amount, about six percent, survived to reach their second birthdays.

When numbers of seeds were at one end of a spectrum--rare or abundant--the trees' recruitment was seed-limited.

"When seeds were at intermediate densities," says Levey, "the chance of recruitment was influenced by environmental factors such as soil type and sunlight."

The importance of seed- and establishment-limitation changes over time, Levey says. "As individual trees get older, they need the correct soil and light exposure [become more establishment-limited]."

Not that different from our changing needs for the right nutrients and enough light as we reach our sunset years.

President Obama Speaks at the AAPI Heritage Month Celebration | The White House

President Obama Speaks at the AAPI Heritage Month Celebration | The White House

FORMER COP AND TWO MEMBERS OF LATIN KINGS GANG SENTENCED TO PRISON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, May 23, 2013

Former Chicago Police Officer and Two Members of Latin Kings Street Gang Sentenced in Indiana for Racketeering Conspiracy and Related Crimes

A former Chicago police officer and two members of the Latin Kings street gang were sentenced to prison today in Hammond, Ind., federal court for racketeering conspiracy and related crimes.

Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David Capp of the Northern District of Indiana made the announcement following the sentencing hearings before U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano in the Northern District of Indiana.

A former officer with the Chicago Police Department, Antonio C. Martinez, Jr., 40, of Chicago, was sentenced today to 144 months in prison after pleading guilty on Nov. 18, 2011, to racketeering, drug, and robbery conspiracies and other related charges. According to court records, Martinez and another officer committed armed robberies on behalf of a Latin Kings gang member – in some instances while in uniform and driving police-issued vehicles. They stole drugs, weapons and cash, and in some instances they were given a portion of the funds they stole as payment for committing the armed robberies.

Hiluterio Chavez, aka "Tails," 37, of Chicago, was sentenced today to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty on Jan. 24, 2012, to racketeering and drug conspiracies. Chavez, who became a Latin Kings member at an earlier age, admitted in court that he traveled with other Latin Kings leadership from the Chicago area to Texas to facilitate the organization of the Latin Kings in Texas and to ensure their allegiance to the Chicago Latin Kings. Among other crimes, Chavez participated in a robbery with Martinez and presented himself as a law enforcement officer.

Jermaine Ellis, aka "J-Dub," 21, of Chicago, was sentenced today to 205 months in prison after pleading guilty on July 30, 2010, to racketeering conspiracy. Ellis, who also became a Latin Kings member at an early age, admitted that while a juvenile he participated in the shooting deaths of James Walsh and Gonzalo Diaz in Griffith, Ind., on Feb. 25, 2007.

Court records allege that the Latin Kings is a nationwide gang that originated in Chicago and has branched out throughout the United States. The Latin Kings is a well-organized street gang that has specific leadership and is composed of regions that include multiple chapters.

The Latin Kings enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, assault and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the Latin Kings. Members are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, including taking on assignments often referred to as "missions."

Twenty-three Latin Kings members and associates have been indicted in this case. Aside from Martinez, Ellis and Chavez, 19 of the other defendants pleaded guilty and one remains a fugitive.

This case was investigated by the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; ICE Homeland Security Investigations; the National Gang Intelligence Center; the Chicago Police Department; the Houston Police Department; the Griffith Police Department; the Highland Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; and the East Chicago Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Joseph A. Cooley of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and David J. Nozick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana. Andrew Porter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois provided significant assistance.