FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending August 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 331,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 337,000. The 4-week moving average was 331,250, an increase of 750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 330,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending August 17, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 17 was 2,989,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,003,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,996,250, an increase of 9,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,986,750.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 277,359 in the week ending August 24, a decrease of 2,959 from the previous week. There were 312,542 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending August 17, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,821,658, a decrease of 58,419 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,880,077. A year earlier, the rate was 2.4 percent and the volume was 3,117,558.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending August 10 was 4,467,574, an increase of 28,918 from the previous week. There were 5,530,828 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.
No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending August 10.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,104 in the week ending August 17, a decrease of 333 from the prior week. There were 2,164 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 197 from the preceding week.
There were 21,083 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending August 10, a decrease of 125 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 33,778, an increase of 543 from the prior week.
States reported 1,511,619 persons claiming Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for the week ending August 10, an increase of 10,551 from the prior week. There were 2,273,317 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 August 17 were in Puerto Rico (4.7), New Jersey (3.6), Alaska (3.4), Connecticut (3.4), California (3.3), Pennsylvania (3.2), New Mexico (3.1), Virgin Islands (3.1), Nevada (2.8), and Rhode Island (2.8).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending August 17 were in California (+5,867), Missouri (+1,757), New Jersey (+677), Kansas (+460), and New York (+445), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-1,017), Pennsylvania (-899), Maryland (-722), Washington (-720), and Florida (-601).
Thursday, August 29, 2013
SECRETARY HAGEL DISCUSSES SYRIA WITH GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Discusses Syria With German Defense Minister
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke by phone with German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere to discuss the ongoing violence in Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
Hagel is in Brunei, where he is attending a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers.
In a statement summarizing the call, Little said Hagel pledged to continue consultations with de Maiziere on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
"They discussed the need for the international community to consider responses to this tragic development in Syria," the press secretary said, "and noted that the use of chemical weapons violates core tenets of international law."
In an interview yesterday with "BBC World News," Hagel said most U.S. allies, most U.S. partners and most of the international community have little doubt that the most basic international humanitarian standard was violated by the Syrian regime in using chemical weapons against its own people.
"The deeper we get into this, it seems to me it's clearer and clearer that the government of Syria was responsible," he added.
The secretary also said the Defense Department has complied with President Barack Obama's request for options.
"We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfill and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take," he said. "We are ready to go."
(Cheryl Pellerin of American Forces Press Service contributed to this report.)
Hagel Discusses Syria With German Defense Minister
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke by phone with German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere to discuss the ongoing violence in Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
Hagel is in Brunei, where he is attending a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers.
In a statement summarizing the call, Little said Hagel pledged to continue consultations with de Maiziere on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
"They discussed the need for the international community to consider responses to this tragic development in Syria," the press secretary said, "and noted that the use of chemical weapons violates core tenets of international law."
In an interview yesterday with "BBC World News," Hagel said most U.S. allies, most U.S. partners and most of the international community have little doubt that the most basic international humanitarian standard was violated by the Syrian regime in using chemical weapons against its own people.
"The deeper we get into this, it seems to me it's clearer and clearer that the government of Syria was responsible," he added.
The secretary also said the Defense Department has complied with President Barack Obama's request for options.
"We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfill and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take," he said. "We are ready to go."
(Cheryl Pellerin of American Forces Press Service contributed to this report.)
THIS IS NATIONAL LABOR RIGHTS WEEK
FROM: U.S. NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
NLRB and National Labor Rights Week: Working to Fulfill the Promise of the National Labor Relations Act
August 25 through August 31 is National Labor Rights Week. Throughout the country, staff members working in regional offices of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are meeting with immigrant workers, community groups, employees and employers to discuss the rights guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act.
“We are placing a particular emphasis on educating Mexican workers employed in the United States by partnering with Mexican consulates in many communities,” said NLRB Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce. “Along with other federal labor agencies, including the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, we are participating in events designed to ensure that Mexican employers and workers in the United States understand their rights and obligations under American law.”
“Since its passage in 1935, the National Labor Relations Act has promised generations of workers the right to join together, with or without a union, to seek improvements and a voice in their working lives,” notes Acting NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon. “But that promise can only be fulfilled if individuals understand and are able to exercise their rights under the law.”
Among the events taking place this week:
In California, NLRB Regional Directors will attend the Los Angeles and San Francisco Mexican Consulates’ opening celebration for Labor Rights Week, representatives will hold briefings on the NLRB for the Los Angeles consulate’s professional staff, and attorneys will participate in a telethon designed to provide callers with information on their rights and the agencies best suited for assisting them; in San Francisco, staff will participate in outreach programs hosted by the consulate.
In Illinois, the Regional Director signed a Local Agreement with the Consul General of Mexico in Chicago as part of the opening ceremonies for Labor Rights Week, while Regional staff will participate in numerous events throughout the week at the consulate and throughout the community;
In New Jersey, the Regional office is participating in the Mexican Consulate’s New Brunswick Labor Week events, scheduled for August 27 and 29;
In Raleigh, North Carolina, attorneys from the Regional office will participate in a presentation at the Mexican Consulate, including an overview of the rights of employers and employees under the NLRA;
In Oregon, NLRB staff will pass out literature and meet with the public at booths in The Dalles, Portland and Woodburn;
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, attorneys from the Regional office will participate in a briefing sponsored by the Mexican Consulate, highlighting the work of the NLRB and responding to questions;
In Texas, Regional staff are participating in events planned in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio;
In Washington State, representatives from the NLRB Seattle office will discuss employee and employer rights and obligations at a booth located in Centro de la Raza.
“These activities around the country build on the letter of agreement I signed last month with Mexican Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza,” Acting General Counsel Solomon said. “We are committed to working together to provide outreach, education, and training on the rights of workers under the National Labor Relations Act.”
“All of this week’s activities will help to guarantee the right of workers to engage in protected-concerted activity to improve their working conditions without fear of discrimination, harassment or retaliation,” Chairman Pearce said.
NLRB and National Labor Rights Week: Working to Fulfill the Promise of the National Labor Relations Act
August 25 through August 31 is National Labor Rights Week. Throughout the country, staff members working in regional offices of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are meeting with immigrant workers, community groups, employees and employers to discuss the rights guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act.
“We are placing a particular emphasis on educating Mexican workers employed in the United States by partnering with Mexican consulates in many communities,” said NLRB Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce. “Along with other federal labor agencies, including the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, we are participating in events designed to ensure that Mexican employers and workers in the United States understand their rights and obligations under American law.”
“Since its passage in 1935, the National Labor Relations Act has promised generations of workers the right to join together, with or without a union, to seek improvements and a voice in their working lives,” notes Acting NLRB General Counsel Lafe Solomon. “But that promise can only be fulfilled if individuals understand and are able to exercise their rights under the law.”
Among the events taking place this week:
In California, NLRB Regional Directors will attend the Los Angeles and San Francisco Mexican Consulates’ opening celebration for Labor Rights Week, representatives will hold briefings on the NLRB for the Los Angeles consulate’s professional staff, and attorneys will participate in a telethon designed to provide callers with information on their rights and the agencies best suited for assisting them; in San Francisco, staff will participate in outreach programs hosted by the consulate.
In Illinois, the Regional Director signed a Local Agreement with the Consul General of Mexico in Chicago as part of the opening ceremonies for Labor Rights Week, while Regional staff will participate in numerous events throughout the week at the consulate and throughout the community;
In New Jersey, the Regional office is participating in the Mexican Consulate’s New Brunswick Labor Week events, scheduled for August 27 and 29;
In Raleigh, North Carolina, attorneys from the Regional office will participate in a presentation at the Mexican Consulate, including an overview of the rights of employers and employees under the NLRA;
In Oregon, NLRB staff will pass out literature and meet with the public at booths in The Dalles, Portland and Woodburn;
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, attorneys from the Regional office will participate in a briefing sponsored by the Mexican Consulate, highlighting the work of the NLRB and responding to questions;
In Texas, Regional staff are participating in events planned in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio;
In Washington State, representatives from the NLRB Seattle office will discuss employee and employer rights and obligations at a booth located in Centro de la Raza.
“These activities around the country build on the letter of agreement I signed last month with Mexican Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza,” Acting General Counsel Solomon said. “We are committed to working together to provide outreach, education, and training on the rights of workers under the National Labor Relations Act.”
“All of this week’s activities will help to guarantee the right of workers to engage in protected-concerted activity to improve their working conditions without fear of discrimination, harassment or retaliation,” Chairman Pearce said.
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S STATEMENT ON U.S. CITIZENS DETAINED OR MISSING IN IRAN
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Citizens Detained or Missing in Iran
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 28, 2013
The United States respectfully asks the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to work cooperatively with us in our efforts to help U.S. citizens Robert Levinson, Amir Hekmati, and Saeed Abedini to return to their families after lengthy detentions.
Mr. Levinson went missing from Kish Island, Iran, in March 2007. Mr. Levinson is not only a husband, but a caring father to seven children. His family has endured with courage and quiet dignity the pain of spending so many important family milestones without him there. They shouldn’t have to endure additional worry about his whereabouts and well being. We call again on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to uphold its offer to help find Mr. Levinson and return him safely to his family.
The United States is also deeply concerned about the fate of dual U.S. citizens Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini. Tomorrow marks the two-year anniversary of Mr. Hekmati’s detention in Iran on false espionage charges. On September 26, Mr. Abedini will have spent a year in detention in Iran. He was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges related to his religious beliefs.
President Rouhani has shared in his speeches and interviews over the past few months his hope and vision to improve the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s relationship with the world.
We urge the Iranian Government to release Mr. Hekmati and Mr. Abedini and to help us locate Mr. Levinson so that they may be reunited with their families as safely and as soon as possible.
These men belong at home with those who love them and miss them.
U.S. Citizens Detained or Missing in Iran
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 28, 2013
The United States respectfully asks the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to work cooperatively with us in our efforts to help U.S. citizens Robert Levinson, Amir Hekmati, and Saeed Abedini to return to their families after lengthy detentions.
Mr. Levinson went missing from Kish Island, Iran, in March 2007. Mr. Levinson is not only a husband, but a caring father to seven children. His family has endured with courage and quiet dignity the pain of spending so many important family milestones without him there. They shouldn’t have to endure additional worry about his whereabouts and well being. We call again on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to uphold its offer to help find Mr. Levinson and return him safely to his family.
The United States is also deeply concerned about the fate of dual U.S. citizens Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini. Tomorrow marks the two-year anniversary of Mr. Hekmati’s detention in Iran on false espionage charges. On September 26, Mr. Abedini will have spent a year in detention in Iran. He was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges related to his religious beliefs.
President Rouhani has shared in his speeches and interviews over the past few months his hope and vision to improve the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s relationship with the world.
We urge the Iranian Government to release Mr. Hekmati and Mr. Abedini and to help us locate Mr. Levinson so that they may be reunited with their families as safely and as soon as possible.
These men belong at home with those who love them and miss them.
INTERNATIONAL SENIOR MILITARY GATHER TO LEARN USE OF NONLETHAL WEAPONS TO PUT DOWN CIVIL UNREST
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2013 - Senior military leaders from 22 nations, most in the Asia-Pacific region, are gathered in Mongolia this week to learn about nonlethal weapons and how their forces can more effectively use them, when circumstances require, such as to maintain order during low-intensity conflict or civil unrest.
The two-day leadership seminar, sponsored by U.S. Marine Forces Pacific, began yesterday with demonstrations of nonlethal tactics, techniques and procedures at a training area about 30 miles west of Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, Marine Corps Col. Brad Bartelt, the senior U.S. seminar representative, told American Forces Press Service.
The session continues through tomorrow in the capital city, with participants discussing how they might apply the principles demonstrated.
The leadership seminar is the second phase of a two-part program conducted to promote awareness of nonlethal weapons and increase interoperability among those that use them, Bartelt said.
The training kicked off Aug. 17 with a bilateral field training exercise between U.S. and Mongolian forces at Mongolia's Five Hills Training Area. Fifteen 15 nonlethal weapons instructors from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force's 3rd Law Enforcement Battalion conducted hands-on training for more than 150 members of the Mongolian armed forces and general police, Bartelt reported.
Together, they rehearsed nonlethal tactics and procedures such as control holds and pressure-point techniques. They also got hands-on training with various nonlethal weapons systems, including oleoresin capsicum, or "pepper spray," the X26 Taser, 40-millimeter sponge and "stingball" grenades and nonlethal shotgun rounds.
"The extensive, tactical-level training that took place during the FTX greatly increased the nonlethal proficiency of both the U.S. Marines who led the training, as well as the Mongolian personnel who might have been exposed to these nonlethal procedures for the first time," Bartelt said.
Marine Corps Sgt. Ben Eberle, a combat correspondent who witnessed the training, said he was impressed how quickly the Mongolians absorbed on the information covered. "Show them once, and they had it," he said. "And it's all even more impressive since everyone communicated with each other through interpreters."
Each experienced firsthand how it feels to be hit with a nonlethal weapon, designed to intimidate or inflict pain or discomfort rather than to kill. "No matter what language we speak, everyone runs through the [observer-controller] course in pain, and everyone takes a stun from a Taser the same way," Eberle said. "Just because it's nonlethal doesn't mean it's pain-free. I think whoever said friends are made through hardship hit the nail right on the head."
The training could prove valuable for the Mongolian armed forces, a major contributor to peacekeeping operations around the world, Bartelt said. The Mongolians have deployed in support of U.N. peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Sierra Leon and the Balkans, and continue to augment the coalition in Afghanistan, he noted.
In many instances during these missions, nonlethal weapons can be valuable additions to ground commanders, he said.
"There are times when lethal force is not the best option," Bartelt said. "For example, the effective use of nonlethal weapons can prove extremely valuable during rescue missions, situations in which civilians are used to mask a military attack, as well as riots and cases of civil disturbance during humanitarian assistance-disaster relief operations."
Nonlethal weapons are designed to incapacitate equipment and people, minimizing fatalities and permanent injury and collateral property damage, Bartelt said. "Being able to use them effectively greatly increases the options a commander has while operating in the full spectrum of conflict," he said.
As the Defense Department's executive agent for nonlethal weapons and devices, the Marine Corps frequently leads related training, not only within the U.S. military, but also with partner nations.
Since 2002, Marine Corps Forces Pacific has sponsored the executive seminar series 12 times with partners throughout the region. This year's exercise is the third to be hosted by Mongolia, and New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia have hosted previous sessions.
The training, Bartelt said, promotes closer partnership across the region, a pillar of the U.S. military rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific as nations work together to confront common challenges.
Recognizing that nonlethal capabilities and procedures vary significantly across nations, Bartelt called the exercise an opportunity to increase interoperability with partners "in the event we ever find ourselves side by side in a situation where we need to put this training to use."
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2013 - Senior military leaders from 22 nations, most in the Asia-Pacific region, are gathered in Mongolia this week to learn about nonlethal weapons and how their forces can more effectively use them, when circumstances require, such as to maintain order during low-intensity conflict or civil unrest.
The two-day leadership seminar, sponsored by U.S. Marine Forces Pacific, began yesterday with demonstrations of nonlethal tactics, techniques and procedures at a training area about 30 miles west of Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, Marine Corps Col. Brad Bartelt, the senior U.S. seminar representative, told American Forces Press Service.
The session continues through tomorrow in the capital city, with participants discussing how they might apply the principles demonstrated.
The leadership seminar is the second phase of a two-part program conducted to promote awareness of nonlethal weapons and increase interoperability among those that use them, Bartelt said.
The training kicked off Aug. 17 with a bilateral field training exercise between U.S. and Mongolian forces at Mongolia's Five Hills Training Area. Fifteen 15 nonlethal weapons instructors from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force's 3rd Law Enforcement Battalion conducted hands-on training for more than 150 members of the Mongolian armed forces and general police, Bartelt reported.
Together, they rehearsed nonlethal tactics and procedures such as control holds and pressure-point techniques. They also got hands-on training with various nonlethal weapons systems, including oleoresin capsicum, or "pepper spray," the X26 Taser, 40-millimeter sponge and "stingball" grenades and nonlethal shotgun rounds.
"The extensive, tactical-level training that took place during the FTX greatly increased the nonlethal proficiency of both the U.S. Marines who led the training, as well as the Mongolian personnel who might have been exposed to these nonlethal procedures for the first time," Bartelt said.
Marine Corps Sgt. Ben Eberle, a combat correspondent who witnessed the training, said he was impressed how quickly the Mongolians absorbed on the information covered. "Show them once, and they had it," he said. "And it's all even more impressive since everyone communicated with each other through interpreters."
Each experienced firsthand how it feels to be hit with a nonlethal weapon, designed to intimidate or inflict pain or discomfort rather than to kill. "No matter what language we speak, everyone runs through the [observer-controller] course in pain, and everyone takes a stun from a Taser the same way," Eberle said. "Just because it's nonlethal doesn't mean it's pain-free. I think whoever said friends are made through hardship hit the nail right on the head."
The training could prove valuable for the Mongolian armed forces, a major contributor to peacekeeping operations around the world, Bartelt said. The Mongolians have deployed in support of U.N. peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Sierra Leon and the Balkans, and continue to augment the coalition in Afghanistan, he noted.
In many instances during these missions, nonlethal weapons can be valuable additions to ground commanders, he said.
"There are times when lethal force is not the best option," Bartelt said. "For example, the effective use of nonlethal weapons can prove extremely valuable during rescue missions, situations in which civilians are used to mask a military attack, as well as riots and cases of civil disturbance during humanitarian assistance-disaster relief operations."
Nonlethal weapons are designed to incapacitate equipment and people, minimizing fatalities and permanent injury and collateral property damage, Bartelt said. "Being able to use them effectively greatly increases the options a commander has while operating in the full spectrum of conflict," he said.
As the Defense Department's executive agent for nonlethal weapons and devices, the Marine Corps frequently leads related training, not only within the U.S. military, but also with partner nations.
Since 2002, Marine Corps Forces Pacific has sponsored the executive seminar series 12 times with partners throughout the region. This year's exercise is the third to be hosted by Mongolia, and New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia have hosted previous sessions.
The training, Bartelt said, promotes closer partnership across the region, a pillar of the U.S. military rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific as nations work together to confront common challenges.
Recognizing that nonlethal capabilities and procedures vary significantly across nations, Bartelt called the exercise an opportunity to increase interoperability with partners "in the event we ever find ourselves side by side in a situation where we need to put this training to use."
MAN THREATENS SYNAGOGUE CHARGED WITH CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, August 26, 2013
Man Who Threatened Synagogue in Fargo, North Dakota, Charged with Civil Rights Violation
Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels and U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota Timothy Q. Purdon announced that Dominique Jason Flanigan was arraigned today on civil rights and threats charges.
Flanigan was indicted under seal by a grand jury on Dec. 12, 2012, for threatening a synagogue in Fargo, N.D. The two-count indictment charges Flanigan with issuing a threatening interstate communication and with interfering with a federally protected activity. The indictment was unsealed prior to his arraignment.
The indictment alleges that, on Jan. 4, 2011, Flanigan called Temple Beth El in Fargo, and left a voice mail message threatening the employees of the synagogue. The indictment charges that this threat intimidated and interfered with Temple Beth El employees because of their religion.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lynn C. Jordheim and Megan A. Healy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division
Monday, August 26, 2013
Man Who Threatened Synagogue in Fargo, North Dakota, Charged with Civil Rights Violation
Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels and U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota Timothy Q. Purdon announced that Dominique Jason Flanigan was arraigned today on civil rights and threats charges.
Flanigan was indicted under seal by a grand jury on Dec. 12, 2012, for threatening a synagogue in Fargo, N.D. The two-count indictment charges Flanigan with issuing a threatening interstate communication and with interfering with a federally protected activity. The indictment was unsealed prior to his arraignment.
The indictment alleges that, on Jan. 4, 2011, Flanigan called Temple Beth El in Fargo, and left a voice mail message threatening the employees of the synagogue. The indictment charges that this threat intimidated and interfered with Temple Beth El employees because of their religion.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lynn C. Jordheim and Megan A. Healy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division
RED SKY AT NIGHT
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Is it a bird, a plane, a UFO? It's a...red sprite
Strange lights in the sky studied by atmospheric scientists
Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it a UFO? Strange lights in the sky are being closely watched by atmospheric scientists.
Dubbed red sprites by researchers, these dancing fairies-of-the-clouds are sometimes glimpsed as blood-red bursts of light in the shape of jellyfish.
At other times, they appear as trumpet-shaped blue emissions, called blue jets. Like the most elusive of nymphs, however, red sprites and blue jets come out on only one occasion: during severe thunderstorms.
Although sporadically reported for years by airline pilots, only in the past decade or two has there been enough evidence to convince atmospheric scientists to investigate the phenomenon.
What's that in the skies?
Now baffled researchers asking "What in the world is this?" may have found answers.
Above a thunderstorm's black clouds, sprites appear as bursts of red light flashing far into Earth's atmosphere, according to scientist Hans Nielsen of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
The brief flashes look like glowing jellyfish, with red bells and purple tentacles. In a single night, a large thunderstorm system can emit up to one hundred sprites.
Into the wild blue--or red--yonder
Nielsen, Jason Ahrns, also of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Matthew McHarg of the U.S. Air Force Academy and researchers from Fort Lewis College teamed up this summer to study sprites.
They used the National Science Foundation (NSF)/National Center for Atmospheric Research Gulfstream-V aircraft, a high-flying plane capable of reaching altitudes of 50,000 feet, to conduct their research. Their project is funded by NSF.
Sprites are similar to lightning, say Nielsen and McHarg, in that they are electrical discharges from the atmosphere.
But while sprites mimic lightning "in some ways," says McHarg, "they're different in others. Lightning happens below and within clouds, at altitudes of two to five miles. Sprites occur far above the clouds, at about 50 miles up--10 times higher than lightning."
They're also huge, he says, reaching 30 miles high.
"Red sprites don't last very long, though, about one-one thousandth of a second. That's 300 times quicker than the time it takes us to blink!"
Blue jets, which weren't directly part of the scientists' study, stick around longer than red sprites, originate at the tops of storm clouds, and shoot up to an altitude less than half that of red sprites. Blue jets are narrower than red sprites, and fan out like trumpet-shaped flowers in blue or purple hues.
"This field of research is fast evolving, and is important for understanding the global electric circuit," says Anne-Marie Schmoltner, program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, which supports the research. "The red sprite airborne field campaign this summer provided observations at unprecedented time resolutions."
What makes thunderstorms' celestial lights
Atmospheric researchers have developed theories to try to explain these celestial lights.
Red sprites may happen at the time of positively charged cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, which make up about ten percent of all lightning and are many times more powerful than more common, negatively charged lightning.
The flashes may be akin to giant electric sparks.
After a powerful ground strike, the electric field above a thunderstorm may become strengthened to the point that it causes an "electrical breakdown," an overload that weakens the atmosphere's resistance to electric current flow. The result is an immense red spark, or sprite, in the atmosphere.
Although still something of a mystery, red sprites have helped solve other long-standing questions.
Scientists have found that red sprites create some of the low-frequency radio bursts picked up for years by instruments around the world, but whose source was unknown.
Large bursts of gamma rays, emanating from Earth rather than space, originate during thunderstorms, although their exact relationship to red sprites remains unclear.
Researchers now wonder whether red sprites (and blue jets) might affect the atmosphere in important ways.
For example, sprites and jets might alter the chemical composition of the upper atmosphere. Though brief, they could set off lasting charges.
Sprites' deep red color is caused by the light emitted from nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, says McHarg. Red sprites may turn out to be important to atmospheric chemistry and global climate by changing concentrations of nitric oxides high in the atmosphere.
The researchers are using a technique called high-speed spectroscopy to study sprites' different colors to determine the amount of energy the sprites carry, and to find out more about their chemical composition.
How to see a sprite
Can thunderstorm-watchers on the ground glimpse red sprites and blue jets with the naked eye? Yes, if they know where to look.
Viewers must be able to see a distant thunderstorm with no clouds in the way, in an area without city lights. Then they must look above the storm, not at the lightning within the clouds.
It's likely, say the scientists, that if watchers wait long enough, they'll see a red sprite. Blue jets are more elusive. The best viewing would probably come from a plane flying very high, and located miles and miles away from a thunderstorm.
With its rubber tires, a car may be the safest vehicle from which to hunt for ephemeral sprites of the thunderclouds.
Is it a bird, a plane, a UFO? It's a...red sprite
Strange lights in the sky studied by atmospheric scientists
Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it a UFO? Strange lights in the sky are being closely watched by atmospheric scientists.
Dubbed red sprites by researchers, these dancing fairies-of-the-clouds are sometimes glimpsed as blood-red bursts of light in the shape of jellyfish.
At other times, they appear as trumpet-shaped blue emissions, called blue jets. Like the most elusive of nymphs, however, red sprites and blue jets come out on only one occasion: during severe thunderstorms.
Although sporadically reported for years by airline pilots, only in the past decade or two has there been enough evidence to convince atmospheric scientists to investigate the phenomenon.
What's that in the skies?
Now baffled researchers asking "What in the world is this?" may have found answers.
Above a thunderstorm's black clouds, sprites appear as bursts of red light flashing far into Earth's atmosphere, according to scientist Hans Nielsen of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
The brief flashes look like glowing jellyfish, with red bells and purple tentacles. In a single night, a large thunderstorm system can emit up to one hundred sprites.
Into the wild blue--or red--yonder
Nielsen, Jason Ahrns, also of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Matthew McHarg of the U.S. Air Force Academy and researchers from Fort Lewis College teamed up this summer to study sprites.
They used the National Science Foundation (NSF)/National Center for Atmospheric Research Gulfstream-V aircraft, a high-flying plane capable of reaching altitudes of 50,000 feet, to conduct their research. Their project is funded by NSF.
Sprites are similar to lightning, say Nielsen and McHarg, in that they are electrical discharges from the atmosphere.
But while sprites mimic lightning "in some ways," says McHarg, "they're different in others. Lightning happens below and within clouds, at altitudes of two to five miles. Sprites occur far above the clouds, at about 50 miles up--10 times higher than lightning."
They're also huge, he says, reaching 30 miles high.
"Red sprites don't last very long, though, about one-one thousandth of a second. That's 300 times quicker than the time it takes us to blink!"
Blue jets, which weren't directly part of the scientists' study, stick around longer than red sprites, originate at the tops of storm clouds, and shoot up to an altitude less than half that of red sprites. Blue jets are narrower than red sprites, and fan out like trumpet-shaped flowers in blue or purple hues.
"This field of research is fast evolving, and is important for understanding the global electric circuit," says Anne-Marie Schmoltner, program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, which supports the research. "The red sprite airborne field campaign this summer provided observations at unprecedented time resolutions."
What makes thunderstorms' celestial lights
Atmospheric researchers have developed theories to try to explain these celestial lights.
Red sprites may happen at the time of positively charged cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, which make up about ten percent of all lightning and are many times more powerful than more common, negatively charged lightning.
The flashes may be akin to giant electric sparks.
After a powerful ground strike, the electric field above a thunderstorm may become strengthened to the point that it causes an "electrical breakdown," an overload that weakens the atmosphere's resistance to electric current flow. The result is an immense red spark, or sprite, in the atmosphere.
Although still something of a mystery, red sprites have helped solve other long-standing questions.
Scientists have found that red sprites create some of the low-frequency radio bursts picked up for years by instruments around the world, but whose source was unknown.
Large bursts of gamma rays, emanating from Earth rather than space, originate during thunderstorms, although their exact relationship to red sprites remains unclear.
Researchers now wonder whether red sprites (and blue jets) might affect the atmosphere in important ways.
For example, sprites and jets might alter the chemical composition of the upper atmosphere. Though brief, they could set off lasting charges.
Sprites' deep red color is caused by the light emitted from nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, says McHarg. Red sprites may turn out to be important to atmospheric chemistry and global climate by changing concentrations of nitric oxides high in the atmosphere.
The researchers are using a technique called high-speed spectroscopy to study sprites' different colors to determine the amount of energy the sprites carry, and to find out more about their chemical composition.
How to see a sprite
Can thunderstorm-watchers on the ground glimpse red sprites and blue jets with the naked eye? Yes, if they know where to look.
Viewers must be able to see a distant thunderstorm with no clouds in the way, in an area without city lights. Then they must look above the storm, not at the lightning within the clouds.
It's likely, say the scientists, that if watchers wait long enough, they'll see a red sprite. Blue jets are more elusive. The best viewing would probably come from a plane flying very high, and located miles and miles away from a thunderstorm.
With its rubber tires, a car may be the safest vehicle from which to hunt for ephemeral sprites of the thunderclouds.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
DEFENSE SECRETARY HEGEL MEETS WITH ASEAN DEFENSE MINISTER
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting with ASEAN Defense Ministers in Brunei
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
"Today in Brunei, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with his counterparts from the 10 ASEAN nations and the ASEAN secretary general. The group discussed the need to advance practical cooperation to build trust and lower tensions throughout the region.
The ASEAN defense ministers accepted Secretary Hagel's invitation for a first-ever meeting in the U.S. with all ten ASEAN defense ministers in Hawaii next year. The meeting provides an additional opportunity to deepen regional cooperation.
Secretary Hagel noted the need to continue progress toward peaceful resolution of territorial disputes, and committed to continued U.S. support for ASEAN, including its defense ministers' meeting, as a strong organization for achieving shared goals and upholding common good."
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Meeting with ASEAN Defense Ministers in Brunei
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
"Today in Brunei, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with his counterparts from the 10 ASEAN nations and the ASEAN secretary general. The group discussed the need to advance practical cooperation to build trust and lower tensions throughout the region.
The ASEAN defense ministers accepted Secretary Hagel's invitation for a first-ever meeting in the U.S. with all ten ASEAN defense ministers in Hawaii next year. The meeting provides an additional opportunity to deepen regional cooperation.
Secretary Hagel noted the need to continue progress toward peaceful resolution of territorial disputes, and committed to continued U.S. support for ASEAN, including its defense ministers' meeting, as a strong organization for achieving shared goals and upholding common good."
LANL GIVES RELIABILITY TECHNOLOGY AWARD
FROM: LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Reliability Technology earns prestigious Los Alamos award
Technology transferred to Procter & Gamble basis for first-ever Feynman Prize
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Aug. 27, 2013—Los Alamos National Laboratory has honored Michael Hamada, Harold Martz and a team of LANL researchers with its first Richard Feynman Prize for Innovation Achievement for the team’s long and successful collaboration with Procter & Gamble.
Hamada, Martz and their colleagues worked with Procter & Gamble for years developing a concept known as Reliability Technology—a statistical method that P&G has used to streamline its manufacturing processes and save more than a billion dollars a year in costs by increasing uptime in their plants worldwide.
“Now that the Reliability Technology system has been fully developed by Procter & Gamble, they are bringing the system back to Los Alamos to help us improve our manufacturing operations related to our national security mission,” said Terry Wallace, Principal Associate Director for Global Security at Los Alamos, who awarded the Feynman Prize to Martz and Hamada. “This is an example of ‘full-cycle’ innovation: We bring mission-essential tools to bear on an important complementary problem for industry; it helps us perform our primary mission job, and the innovation comes back to help the Laboratory in another area.”
The team was honored last week during the Laboratory’s 15th-annual outStanding innOvation Awards Reception—an event honoring Laboratory staff members who contribute to the development and transfer of LANL technology for commercialization. Other Los Alamos members of the Reliability Technology team are: Joanne Wendelberger, Ben Sims, Dave Higdon, Brian Williams, Christine Anderson-Cook, Earl Lawrence, Brian Weaver, Leslie Moore, and Richard Picard.
“Los Alamos has a long history of providing solutions to some of our nation's most challenging problems,” said Wallace. “Turning science and engineering into solutions is ‘innovation’ in the truest sense of the word, and the Technology Transfer awards are a celebration of our scientists' and engineers' creativity and success in making a difference, not only to our national security mission, but to society as well.”
The Feynman Prize is named after the iconic physicist who came to Los Alamos during the Manhattan project. Feynman was one of the Laboratory’s first patent holders and Wallace noted that Feynman is also regarded as one of the greatest science communicators of the 20th Century.
“Once a scientific concept is successfully translated into something that can be widely used, understood and accepted, it suddenly becomes something extraordinary,” Wallace said. “Therefore, the Feynman connection is highly relevant to the concept of true innovation.”
“Harry and I are deeply honored to have received the first Richard Feynman Prize for Innovation Achievement,” Hamada said. “We are delighted that LANL provides a work environment that encourages innovation and collaboration. We especially wish to thank our LANL and Procter & Gamble colleagues and management who made this work possible.”
This year’s outStanding innOvation Awards Reception included a keynote speech by Pete Tseronis, Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Energy. Tseronis was introduced by Duncan McBranch, who is Los Alamos’ CTO. McBranch spoke about the role that innovation and technology transfer play in improving the quality and security of the outside world.
Los Alamos National Security LLC, sponsored the celebration, which was held at the Pajarito Mountain ski lodge.
Reliability Technology earns prestigious Los Alamos award
Technology transferred to Procter & Gamble basis for first-ever Feynman Prize
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Aug. 27, 2013—Los Alamos National Laboratory has honored Michael Hamada, Harold Martz and a team of LANL researchers with its first Richard Feynman Prize for Innovation Achievement for the team’s long and successful collaboration with Procter & Gamble.
Hamada, Martz and their colleagues worked with Procter & Gamble for years developing a concept known as Reliability Technology—a statistical method that P&G has used to streamline its manufacturing processes and save more than a billion dollars a year in costs by increasing uptime in their plants worldwide.
“Now that the Reliability Technology system has been fully developed by Procter & Gamble, they are bringing the system back to Los Alamos to help us improve our manufacturing operations related to our national security mission,” said Terry Wallace, Principal Associate Director for Global Security at Los Alamos, who awarded the Feynman Prize to Martz and Hamada. “This is an example of ‘full-cycle’ innovation: We bring mission-essential tools to bear on an important complementary problem for industry; it helps us perform our primary mission job, and the innovation comes back to help the Laboratory in another area.”
The team was honored last week during the Laboratory’s 15th-annual outStanding innOvation Awards Reception—an event honoring Laboratory staff members who contribute to the development and transfer of LANL technology for commercialization. Other Los Alamos members of the Reliability Technology team are: Joanne Wendelberger, Ben Sims, Dave Higdon, Brian Williams, Christine Anderson-Cook, Earl Lawrence, Brian Weaver, Leslie Moore, and Richard Picard.
“Los Alamos has a long history of providing solutions to some of our nation's most challenging problems,” said Wallace. “Turning science and engineering into solutions is ‘innovation’ in the truest sense of the word, and the Technology Transfer awards are a celebration of our scientists' and engineers' creativity and success in making a difference, not only to our national security mission, but to society as well.”
The Feynman Prize is named after the iconic physicist who came to Los Alamos during the Manhattan project. Feynman was one of the Laboratory’s first patent holders and Wallace noted that Feynman is also regarded as one of the greatest science communicators of the 20th Century.
“Once a scientific concept is successfully translated into something that can be widely used, understood and accepted, it suddenly becomes something extraordinary,” Wallace said. “Therefore, the Feynman connection is highly relevant to the concept of true innovation.”
“Harry and I are deeply honored to have received the first Richard Feynman Prize for Innovation Achievement,” Hamada said. “We are delighted that LANL provides a work environment that encourages innovation and collaboration. We especially wish to thank our LANL and Procter & Gamble colleagues and management who made this work possible.”
This year’s outStanding innOvation Awards Reception included a keynote speech by Pete Tseronis, Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Energy. Tseronis was introduced by Duncan McBranch, who is Los Alamos’ CTO. McBranch spoke about the role that innovation and technology transfer play in improving the quality and security of the outside world.
Los Alamos National Security LLC, sponsored the celebration, which was held at the Pajarito Mountain ski lodge.
LA COMPANY PLEAD GUILTY IN POWER WHEELCHAIR FRAUD
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, August 26, 2013
Former Owner of Los Angeles Medical Equipment Supply Company Pleads Guilty to $2.6 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
A former owner of a Los Angeles-area medical equipment supply company pleaded guilty today to a $2.6 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California; Special Agent in Charge Glenn R. Ferry of the Los Angeles Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Assistant Director in Charge Bill L. Lewis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
Akinola Afolabi, 54, of Long Beach, Calif., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez in the Central District of California to one count of health care fraud.
According to court documents, Afolabi was the owner and president of Emmanuel Medical Supply, a durable medical equipment (DME) supply company located in Long Beach. Afolabi admitted that from approximately June 2006 through September 2009, he engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud through the operation of Emmanuel by providing medically unnecessary power wheelchairs and other DME to Medicare beneficiaries and by submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. Afolabi admitted that he obtained Medicare beneficiary information through various means, including “marketers,” whom he paid to refer Medicare beneficiaries to Emmanuel for the purpose of using that information to submit, and cause the submission of, false and fraudulent claims to Medicare on behalf of Emmanuel. Afolabi admitted knowing that the prescriptions and medical documents were fraudulent and that some of the beneficiaries did not receive the DME, yet he certified to Medicare with the submission of each claim that the DME was received and was medically necessary.
From approximately June 7, 2006, through Sept. 28, 2009, Afolabi, through Emmanuel, submitted approximately $2,668,384 in fraudulent claims to Medicare for power wheelchairs and related services, and Medicare paid Emmanuel approximately $1,490,532 on those claims.
At sentencing, scheduled for Nov. 25, 2013, Afolabi faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Fred Medick of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers
Monday, August 26, 2013
Former Owner of Los Angeles Medical Equipment Supply Company Pleads Guilty to $2.6 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
A former owner of a Los Angeles-area medical equipment supply company pleaded guilty today to a $2.6 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California; Special Agent in Charge Glenn R. Ferry of the Los Angeles Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Assistant Director in Charge Bill L. Lewis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
Akinola Afolabi, 54, of Long Beach, Calif., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez in the Central District of California to one count of health care fraud.
According to court documents, Afolabi was the owner and president of Emmanuel Medical Supply, a durable medical equipment (DME) supply company located in Long Beach. Afolabi admitted that from approximately June 2006 through September 2009, he engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud through the operation of Emmanuel by providing medically unnecessary power wheelchairs and other DME to Medicare beneficiaries and by submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. Afolabi admitted that he obtained Medicare beneficiary information through various means, including “marketers,” whom he paid to refer Medicare beneficiaries to Emmanuel for the purpose of using that information to submit, and cause the submission of, false and fraudulent claims to Medicare on behalf of Emmanuel. Afolabi admitted knowing that the prescriptions and medical documents were fraudulent and that some of the beneficiaries did not receive the DME, yet he certified to Medicare with the submission of each claim that the DME was received and was medically necessary.
From approximately June 7, 2006, through Sept. 28, 2009, Afolabi, through Emmanuel, submitted approximately $2,668,384 in fraudulent claims to Medicare for power wheelchairs and related services, and Medicare paid Emmanuel approximately $1,490,532 on those claims.
At sentencing, scheduled for Nov. 25, 2013, Afolabi faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Fred Medick of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers
STUDY SAYS LATE WORKERS EAT MORE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
Some of us are morning people; some of us are evening people. A lot of us, in addition, don’t get enough sleep and weigh more than we should. And a study indicates people who stay up late, sleep too little and are obese also have signs that raise concern about potential heart attack risk.
At the National Institutes of Health, Giovanni Cizza looked at data on 119 people who fit those categories. He says they had higher resting heart rates and higher stress hormone levels. And he says:
“If you are an evening person, you tend to eat more, you tend to eat more fat than carbohydrate, and eat more often after 8 p.m.”
The study is in the journal PLOS One.
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
Some of us are morning people; some of us are evening people. A lot of us, in addition, don’t get enough sleep and weigh more than we should. And a study indicates people who stay up late, sleep too little and are obese also have signs that raise concern about potential heart attack risk.
At the National Institutes of Health, Giovanni Cizza looked at data on 119 people who fit those categories. He says they had higher resting heart rates and higher stress hormone levels. And he says:
“If you are an evening person, you tend to eat more, you tend to eat more fat than carbohydrate, and eat more often after 8 p.m.”
The study is in the journal PLOS One.
U.S. TREASURY DESIGNATES FORMER CAPTAIN IN VENEZUELA'S NATIONAL GUARD AS A DRUG KINGPIN
FROM: U.S. TREASURY
Action Designates Former Venezuelan Military Official, Previously Indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, Who Aided Mexican Drug Cartels
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Venezuelan national, Vassyly Kotosky Villarroel Ramirez, as a drug kingpin pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Villarroel Ramirez, a former Captain in Venezuela’s National Guard (Guardia Nacional), was designated for the significant role he plays in international narcotics trafficking in both Colombia and Venezuela. While serving as a Captain in Venezuela’s National Guard, Villarroel Ramirez arranged for the transportation of loads of cocaine as well as the U.S. dollar proceeds from the sale of the cocaine, using various airports, seaports, and official government vehicles in Venezuela. Today’s action complements a 2011 indictment against Villarroel Ramirez by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) on multiple cocaine trafficking charges.
“Villarroel Ramirez is a prime example of a narcotics trafficker who exploited his former military position and connections to facilitate the transport of cocaine to Mexico and profit from the sales that followed,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement colleagues to target this type of abusive behavior which perpetuates the criminal violence linked to the narcotics trade.”
Villarroel Ramirez provided security and protection when cocaine loads and the proceeds from Mexico were smuggled from or into Venezuela’s Maiquetía International Airport via commercial or private aircraft. He facilitated the cocaine loads from Colombia through Venezuela in partnership with known drug traffickers such as Daniel Barrera Barrera (alias “El Loco Barrera”), Javier Antonio Calle Serna (alias “Comba”), and Jose Gerardo Alvarez Vazquez (alias “El Indio”) – all of whom have been designated as foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act. The cocaine shipments benefited Mexican drug trafficking organizations, specifically the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas, and the Beltran Leyva Organization – all of which have been identified by the President as significant foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act.
On March 30, 2011, Villarroel Ramirez and a co-conspirator were indicted in the EDNY on six counts of cocaine trafficking-related charges. According to the indictment, between January 2004 and December 2009 Villarroel Ramirez and the co-conspirator imported thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Venezuela to Mexico, for transportation to and distribution within the United States. Also, Villarroel Ramirez is reportedly charged with narcotics trafficking and money laundering in Venezuela since 2008.
Today’s action, taken pursuant to the Kingpin Act, generally prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with Villarroel Ramirez and freezes any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
This action would not have been possible without the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Since June 2000, the President has identified 103 drug kingpins, and OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals, pursuant to the Kingpin Act. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.
Action Designates Former Venezuelan Military Official, Previously Indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, Who Aided Mexican Drug Cartels
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Venezuelan national, Vassyly Kotosky Villarroel Ramirez, as a drug kingpin pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Villarroel Ramirez, a former Captain in Venezuela’s National Guard (Guardia Nacional), was designated for the significant role he plays in international narcotics trafficking in both Colombia and Venezuela. While serving as a Captain in Venezuela’s National Guard, Villarroel Ramirez arranged for the transportation of loads of cocaine as well as the U.S. dollar proceeds from the sale of the cocaine, using various airports, seaports, and official government vehicles in Venezuela. Today’s action complements a 2011 indictment against Villarroel Ramirez by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) on multiple cocaine trafficking charges.
“Villarroel Ramirez is a prime example of a narcotics trafficker who exploited his former military position and connections to facilitate the transport of cocaine to Mexico and profit from the sales that followed,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement colleagues to target this type of abusive behavior which perpetuates the criminal violence linked to the narcotics trade.”
Villarroel Ramirez provided security and protection when cocaine loads and the proceeds from Mexico were smuggled from or into Venezuela’s Maiquetía International Airport via commercial or private aircraft. He facilitated the cocaine loads from Colombia through Venezuela in partnership with known drug traffickers such as Daniel Barrera Barrera (alias “El Loco Barrera”), Javier Antonio Calle Serna (alias “Comba”), and Jose Gerardo Alvarez Vazquez (alias “El Indio”) – all of whom have been designated as foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act. The cocaine shipments benefited Mexican drug trafficking organizations, specifically the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas, and the Beltran Leyva Organization – all of which have been identified by the President as significant foreign narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act.
On March 30, 2011, Villarroel Ramirez and a co-conspirator were indicted in the EDNY on six counts of cocaine trafficking-related charges. According to the indictment, between January 2004 and December 2009 Villarroel Ramirez and the co-conspirator imported thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Venezuela to Mexico, for transportation to and distribution within the United States. Also, Villarroel Ramirez is reportedly charged with narcotics trafficking and money laundering in Venezuela since 2008.
Today’s action, taken pursuant to the Kingpin Act, generally prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with Villarroel Ramirez and freezes any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
This action would not have been possible without the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Since June 2000, the President has identified 103 drug kingpins, and OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals, pursuant to the Kingpin Act. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.
CDC RELEASES ON 2012 SCHOOL HEALTH POLICIES AND PRACTICES STUDY
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
CDC releases 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study results
School districts show positive trends
School districts nationwide are showing improvements in measures related to nutritional policies, physical education and tobacco policies, according to the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS). SHPPS is the largest and most comprehensive survey to assess school health policies.
"Schools play a critical role in the health and well-being of our youth," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Good news for students and parents – more students have access to healthy food, better physical fitness activities through initiatives such as ‘Let’s Move,’ and campuses that are completely tobacco free."
Key findings include:
Nutrition:
The percentage of school districts that allowed soft drink companies to advertise soft drinks on school grounds decreased from 46.6 percent in 2006 to 33.5 percent in 2012.
Between 2006 and 2012, the percentage of districts that required schools to prohibit offering junk food in vending machines increased from 29.8 percent to 43.4 percent.
Between 2006 and 2012, the percentage of districts with food procurement contracts that addressed nutritional standards for foods that can be purchased separately from the school breakfast or lunch increased from 55.1 percent to 73.5 percent.
Between 2000 and 2012, the percentage of districts that made information available to families on the nutrition and caloric content of foods available to students increased from 35.3 percent to 52.7 percent.
Physical education/physical activity:
The percentage of school districts that required elementary schools to teach physical education increased from 82.6 percent in 2000 to 93.6 percent in 2012.
More than half of school districts (61.6 percent) had a formal agreement, such as a memorandum of agreement or understanding, between the school district and another public or private entity for shared use of school or community property. Among those districts, more than half had agreements with a local youth organization (e.g., the YMCA, Boys or Girls Clubs, or the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts) or a local parks or recreation department.
Tobacco:
The percentage of districts with policies that prohibited all tobacco use during any school-related activity increased from 46.7 percent in 2000 to 67.5 percent in 2012.
SHPPS is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. SHPPS assesses the characteristics of eight components of school health: health education, physical education and activity, health services, mental health and social services, nutrition services, healthy and safe school environment, faculty and staff health promotion, and family and community involvement.
SHPPS was conducted at all levels in 1994, 2000, and 2006. The 2012 study collected data at the state and district levels only. The school- and classroom-level data from SHPPS will be collected in 2014 and released in 2015.
CDC releases 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study results
School districts show positive trends
School districts nationwide are showing improvements in measures related to nutritional policies, physical education and tobacco policies, according to the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS). SHPPS is the largest and most comprehensive survey to assess school health policies.
"Schools play a critical role in the health and well-being of our youth," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Good news for students and parents – more students have access to healthy food, better physical fitness activities through initiatives such as ‘Let’s Move,’ and campuses that are completely tobacco free."
Key findings include:
Nutrition:
The percentage of school districts that allowed soft drink companies to advertise soft drinks on school grounds decreased from 46.6 percent in 2006 to 33.5 percent in 2012.
Between 2006 and 2012, the percentage of districts that required schools to prohibit offering junk food in vending machines increased from 29.8 percent to 43.4 percent.
Between 2006 and 2012, the percentage of districts with food procurement contracts that addressed nutritional standards for foods that can be purchased separately from the school breakfast or lunch increased from 55.1 percent to 73.5 percent.
Between 2000 and 2012, the percentage of districts that made information available to families on the nutrition and caloric content of foods available to students increased from 35.3 percent to 52.7 percent.
Physical education/physical activity:
The percentage of school districts that required elementary schools to teach physical education increased from 82.6 percent in 2000 to 93.6 percent in 2012.
More than half of school districts (61.6 percent) had a formal agreement, such as a memorandum of agreement or understanding, between the school district and another public or private entity for shared use of school or community property. Among those districts, more than half had agreements with a local youth organization (e.g., the YMCA, Boys or Girls Clubs, or the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts) or a local parks or recreation department.
Tobacco:
The percentage of districts with policies that prohibited all tobacco use during any school-related activity increased from 46.7 percent in 2000 to 67.5 percent in 2012.
SHPPS is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. SHPPS assesses the characteristics of eight components of school health: health education, physical education and activity, health services, mental health and social services, nutrition services, healthy and safe school environment, faculty and staff health promotion, and family and community involvement.
SHPPS was conducted at all levels in 1994, 2000, and 2006. The 2012 study collected data at the state and district levels only. The school- and classroom-level data from SHPPS will be collected in 2014 and released in 2015.
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