U.S.-RUSSIAN LEADERS TALK

U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with his Russian counterpart during a NATO meeting for defense chiefs in Brussels, Jan. 21, 2014. Dempsey is on a three-day trip where he is slated to meet with his NATO and Russian counterparts. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton.

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
U.S., Russian Leaders Discuss Afghanistan, Sochi, History
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

BRUSSELS, Jan. 21, 2014 – Two tankers who as young men could have squared off against each other on the East German border sat in the Russian Embassy here today and talked about ways their two nations could cooperate.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met his Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov, with an eye to improving the military-to-military relations between the two nations.

Dempsey spoke of the shared military history of the two nations and proposed a ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the meeting of the U.S. and Russian armies at Torgau, Germany, in April 1945.

That meeting sealed the defeat of Nazi Germany.

On political tracks, the U.S.-Russia relationship is a bit bumpy, but on the military track, Dempsey noted, there are ways these two powerful forces can cooperate.
“I always find it encouraging when I can meet with my counterparts -- especially the most influential militarily around the world,” the chairman said following the meeting. “I was encouraged by his candor … and his warmth in seeking to find ways that we can continue to advance the issues where we agree and where we can contribute to resolving those on which we disagree.”

The two men also signed the 2014 Work Plan for the nations. It was the first time the chiefs of defense signed such a document. “We felt it important enough to come together and do it ourselves,” Dempsey said. The Work Plan calls for 67 activities in which military personnel from both countries will work together.

“These are generally staff exercises, not maneuver exercises, although there are maneuver exercises in all domains -- air, land, sea,” the chairman said during an earlier interview. “Maneuver exercises tend to be small -- battalion level or below.”

Some areas of disagreement exist between the two militaries, and ballistic missile defense tops that list. Russia is opposed to ballistic missile defense for political and technical reasons. “But I’m encouraged, because we’re still talking about it,” Dempsey said. “The alternative would be we would all go our separate ways and we would generate another form of an arms race on that particular issue, and nobody wants that.”

The points of disagreement have “never driven us to the point in our mil-to-mil contacts where we can’t have the conversation,” Dempsey added.
The chairman said he believes there is still room for a better understanding not only about the technical capabilities related to missile defense, “but also the threat and our intentions vis-à-vis our allies and protecting ourselves.”
But the nations agree on Afghanistan.

“We agree that a stable Afghanistan and an Afghanistan that is not a sanctuary for terrorism is in our common interests,” the chairman said. “They are concerned that if the Afghan security forces don’t continue to receive a certain amount of support, and if the environment in Afghanistan deteriorates to the point where the central government can’t control, or at least influence, events, they are concerned it will destabilize fairly quickly. [The Russians] are supportive of our continued presence there.”

The Russians asked a number of questions about U.S. retrograde activities from Afghanistan, Dempsey said, to “gauge how quickly events in Afghanistan could change.”

“In their view,” he added, “it does relate to the amount of structure that NATO continues to provide there.”

The Russians are looking for a tipping point in Afghanistan, the general said. “They didn’t share what they thought the tipping point is,” he continued, “but in their view, there clearly is one.”

Other areas of mutual interest include antipiracy and counterterrorism efforts and Arctic issues.

The two men also discussed security at the upcoming Sochi Winter Olympic Games. The Russian military is working in support of civilian security organizations, and Dempsey heard Gerasimov’s assessment of the task. The Russian armed forces are bringing unique military capabilities to the effort, he said, including air defense, the maritime domain, chemical and biological defense, backup medical support for civilian authorities, management of the electronic spectrum and electronic warfare and the like.

“I reiterated the fact that we would favorably consider requests from them,” Dempsey said.

In a statement released yesterday, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said U.S. commanders in the region are conducting prudent planning and preparations should support be required. Air and naval assets,including two Navy ships in the Black Sea, will be available if requested for all manner of contingencies in support of -- and in consultation with -- the Russian government, Kirby said, noting that there is no such requirement at this time.

No matter where the Olympics were being held this year, it would be a problem, Dempsey said, as international terrorists would seek to disrupt the games no matter where they were held. But having the games near Chechnya and Dagestan brings its own set of threats, he noted.

Gerasimov has “a hand-picked, highly trained task force that’s been in place for some time,” Dempsey said. “He believes they have in place the intelligence apparatus, as well as the response apparatus, to deal with the threats as they know them this year in Sochi.”

And, the Russian general is interested in American technology for countering improvised explosive devices that the Russian military might be able to use, the chairman said. The United States would share technical information on the counter-IED efforts, he added, and if it is compatible with Russian equipment, will look to provide that information to Russia in time for the games.

The Russian military is holding a tank biathlon next year, and the United States will observe “with the eye on participating downstream,” Dempsey said. The biathlon, he added, could have a Russian T-90 tank competing against a U.S. M-1 tank sometime in the future.

TRANSITIONAL PRESIDENT OF C.A.R. WELCOMED BY U.S.

FROM:  STATE DEPARTMENT 
U.S. Welcomes Selection of New Transitional President of the Central African Republic

Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 21, 2014

The United States welcomes the selection of Catherine Samba-Panza as Transitional President in the Central African Republic (C.A.R.). As C.A.R.'s first woman head of state since the country’s independence, and with her special background in human rights work and mediation, she has a unique opportunity to advance the political transition process, bring all the parties together to end the violence, and move her country toward elections not later than February 2015.

We also commend the Transitional National Council for conducting the selection process for the new C.A.R. Transitional President in a deliberate, open, and transparent manner that ensured the airing of a full range of views from C.A.R.’s civil society.

The United States has been deeply engaged in the work to help pull C.A.R. back from the brink, including the pivotal visits of Ambassador Power and Assistant Secretary Thomas-Greenfield less than a month ago. The United States, along with regional leaders of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the African Union, and other members of the international community, hopes to support President Samba-Panza and call on the people of C.A.R. to work constructively with her, participate in the political process, and avoid any resurgence in violence.

AN OPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

A U.S. Special Forces soldier scans over the valley as a patrol of U.S. and Afghan army special forces return from clearing further compounds during an operation in the Ghorband district of Afghanistan's Parwan province, Jan. 15, 2014. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Connor Mendez .

A U.S. Special Forces soldier uses binoculars to survey the valley for any suspicious activity during an operation in the Ghorband district of Afghanistan's Parwan province, Jan. 15, 2014. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Connor Mendez.

PRESIDENT'S LETTER: NATIONAL EMERGENCY RESPECTING TERRORISTS THREATENING MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Letter -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Terrorists Who Threaten to Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

January 21, 2014

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared with respect to foreign terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process is to continue in effect beyond January 23, 2014.

The crisis with respect to grave acts of violence committed by foreign terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process that led to the declaration of a national emergency on January 23, 1995, has not been resolved. Terrorist groups continue to engage in activities that have the purpose or effect of threatening the Middle East peace process and that are hostile to United States interests in the region. Such actions continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to foreign terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process and to maintain in force the economic sanctions against them to respond to this threat.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

12 COMPANIES SETTLE FTC CHARGES REGARDING INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER OF CONSUMER DATA

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
FTC Settles with Twelve Companies Falsely Claiming to Comply with International Safe Harbor Privacy Framework

Twelve U.S. businesses have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they falsely claimed they were abiding by an international privacy framework known as the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor that enables U.S. companies to transfer consumer data from the European Union to the United States in compliance with EU law.

The companies settling with the FTC represent a cross-section of industries, including retail, professional sports, laboratory science, data broker, debt collection, and information security. The companies handle a variety of consumer information, including in some instances sensitive data about health and employment. The twelve companies are:

Apperian, Inc.: Company specializing in mobile applications for business enterprises and security;
Atlanta Falcons Football Club, LLC: National Football League team;
Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP: Accounting firm;
BitTorrent, Inc.: Provider of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing protocol;
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.: Global developer of early-stage drug discovery processes;
DataMotion, Inc.: Provider of platform for encrypted email and secure file transport;
DDC Laboratories, Inc.: DNA testing lab and the world’s largest paternity testing company;
Level 3 Communications, LLC: One of the six largest ISPs in the world;
PDB Sports, Ltd., d/b/a Denver Broncos Football Club: National Football League team;
Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.: Maker of foil and other consumer products;
Receivable Management Services Corporation: Global provider of accounts receivable, third-party recovery, bankruptcy and other services; and
Tennessee Football, Inc.: National Football League team.
“Enforcement of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework is a Commission priority. These twelve cases help ensure the integrity of the Safe Harbor Framework and send the signal to companies that they cannot falsely claim participation in the program,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez.

According to the twelve complaints filed by the FTC, the companies deceptively claimed they held current certifications under the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor framework and, in three of the complaints, also deceptively claimed certifications under the U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor framework. The U.S.-EU and U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor frameworks are voluntary programs administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce in consultation with the European Commission and Switzerland, respectively.  To participate, a company must self-certify annually to the Department of Commerce that it complies with the seven privacy principles required to meet the EU’s adequacy standard: notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement. A participant in the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor framework may also highlight for consumers its compliance with the Safe Harbor by displaying the Safe Harbor certification mark on its website.

The FTC complaints charge each company with representing, through statements in their privacy policies or display of the Safe Harbor certification mark, that they held current Safe Harbor certifications, even though the companies had allowed their certifications to lapse. The Commission alleged that this conduct violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. However, this does not necessarily mean that the company committed any substantive violations of the privacy principles of the Safe Harbor frameworks.

Under the proposed settlement agreements, which are subject to public comment, the companies are prohibited from misrepresenting the extent to which they participate in any privacy or data security program sponsored by the government or any other self-regulatory or standard-setting organization.

Consumers who want to know whether a U.S. company is a participant in the U.S-EU or U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor program may visit http://export.gov/safeharbor to see if the company holds a current self-certification.

These cases are being brought with the valuable assistance of the U.S. Department of Commerce. These companies were also the subject of complaints filed in 2013 by Chris Connolly and Galexia, Inc.

The Commission votes to accept the consent agreement packages containing the proposed consent orders for public comment were 4-0. The FTC will publish descriptions of the consent agreement packages in the Federal Register shortly. The agreements will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through Feb. 20, 2014, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent orders final. Interested parties can submit written comments electronically or in paper form by following the instructions in the “Invitation To Comment” part of the “Supplementary Information” section. Comments in electronic form should be submitted using the following Web links:

Apperian, Inc.
Atlanta Falcons Football Club, LLC
Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
BitTorrent, Inc.
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.
DataMotion, Inc.
DDC Laboratories, Inc.
Level 3 Communications, LLC
PDB Sports, Ltd., d/b/a Denver Broncos Football Club
Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.
Receivable Management Services Corporation
Tennessee Football, Inc.
Comments in paper form should be mailed or delivered to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.

NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.

READOUT: SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL'S MEETING WITH IRAQI SPEAKER

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
January 21, 2014
Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Meeting with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi

Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Hagel met with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi today at the Pentagon.

The secretary lauded the Government of Iraq's continued outreach to local Sunni tribal leaders and officials to evict terrorist fighters from Fallujah and other parts of western Iraq.

Secretary Hagel provided an update on U.S. efforts to accelerate delivery of critical defense equipment to resupply the Iraqi Security Forces conducting missions in Anbar Province.  The secretary also underscored the importance of proceeding with federal Iraqi elections as scheduled, and encouraged the Government of Iraq's efforts to implement local and national political initiatives.

The secretary concluded the meeting by reaffirming the steadfastness of the U.S-Iraq bilateral relationship and the U.S. commitment to helping the Iraqi government ensure the safety and security of all Iraqi people.

CDC WARNS HOSPITALS TO RESERVE ZINC SUPPLIES DURING NATIONAL SHORTAGES

FROM:  CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION 
Zinc Deficiency–Associated Dermatitis in Infants During a Nationwide Shortage of Injectable Zinc — Washington, DC, and Houston, Texas, 2012–2013

Duke J. Ruktanonchai, M.D.
Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer
Texas Department of State Health Services

During national shortages of injectable zinc, hospitals should consider reserving supplies for infants at highest risk for deficiency. Injectable zinc, a vital component of parenteral nutrition (PN) formulations, was reported to be in short supply in 2012. Early reports resulted in the publication of a MMWR notice regarding the shortage and early reports of problems in premature infants. Premature and low birth weight (LBW) infants are especially vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.  This report discusses investigation into the effects of the shortage on a group of premature infants in two states. Through collaboration of CDC, FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, hospitals, and clinicians, public health actions were taken to prevent zinc deficiency disorders in vulnerable infants during the shortage.

STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN ON SERVICES FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS RELEASED BY WHITE HOUSE

FROM:  DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Rebuilding Lives for Victims of Human Trafficking

In recognition of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the White House has released the first-ever Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States. The plan lays out a five-year path for increased coordination, collaboration, and capacity across the federal government and in partnership with other governmental and nongovernmental entities. It describes the steps that federal agencies will take to ensure that victims of human trafficking in the United States are identified and have access to the services they need to recover and to rebuild their lives. At the department, that means enhancing the ability of Wage and Hour investigators to detect potential cases and refer them to law enforcement partners. It also means enhancing the public workforce system's ability to provide employment and training services to survivors. The plan builds on commitments expressed by President Obama to provide support to trafficking victims, whom he addressed when he said, "We see you. We hear you. We insist on your dignity. And we share your belief that if just given the chance, you will forge a life equal to your talents and worthy of your dreams"

U.S. SAYS SHIPS IN BLACK SEA AVAILABLE TO AID IN OLYMPIC SECURITY

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
January 20, 2014
Pentagon Press Secretary Statement on Olympic Winter Games Security

The following press release is attributed to Rear Admiral John F. Kirby, USN
The United States has offered its full support to the Russian government as it conducts security preparations for the Winter Olympics.

To that end, U.S. commanders in the region are conducting prudent planning and preparations should that support be required.

Air and naval assets, to include two Navy ships in the Black Sea, will be available if requested for all manner of contingencies in support of -- and in consultation with -- the Russian government.

There is no such requirement at this time.

USING FICTITIOUS POWERS OF ATTORNEY LANDS MAN IN JAIL FOR TAX REFUND FRAUD

FROM:  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, January 16, 2014

Check Casher Sentenced to Jail for Involvement in Fraudulent Tax Refund Scheme
David Haigler of Montgomery County, Ala., was sentenced today to serve 37 months in federal prison for his involvement in a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division, U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.  Haigler was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $606,781.  Haigler previously pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama on Sept. 6, 2013.

According to court documents, between November 2011 and July 2012, Haigler obtained 263 fraudulent U.S. Treasury refund checks and Refund Anticipation Loan checks totaling $606,781.  The refund checks were in the names of different individuals and those individuals did not authorize Haigler to cash the checks.  Haigler obtained fictitious powers of attorney in the names of the individuals on the checks, which purportedly appointed Haigler to handle financial affairs, including the cashing of checks.  Haigler cashed all of the fraudulent refund checks at a store in Millbrook, Ala., and provided the store with copies of the fictitious powers of attorney.  Haigler retained a portion of the checks and provided the remainder to the individuals who brought him the fraudulent checks.

This case was investigated by special agents of the IRS - Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service.  Trial Attorneys Michael Boteler and Jason Poole of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown prosecuted the case.

FOUR VIOLENT ROVING JEWELRY ROBBERS PLEAD GUILTY

FROM:  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Four Members of Jewelry Theft Ring Plead Guilty

Four men have pleaded guilty for their roles in a highly sophisticated and violent organization that targeted jewelry couriers in Georgia and Texas.   The defendants were caught as part of a national effort to find and prosecute roving groups of robbers who travel around the country targeting jewelry couriers and other business people.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman and U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates of the Northern District of Georgia made the announcement.

Honorio Sanchez-Valencia, 46, of Gwinnett, Ga., and Jose Vicente Ramirez-Rodriguez, 38, John Rodriguez, 37, and Ali Alejandro Godoy-Maximo, 25, each of Los Angeles, Ca., pleaded guilty this week in the Northern District of Georgia to Hobbs Act robbery for participating in the robbery of a jewelry courier on Jan. 31, 2013, at a QuikTrip gas station in Buford, Ga.   The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.   In addition, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a handgun, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.   Sentencing has not been scheduled.

Court records show that on Jan. 31, 2013, as part of a plan to identify and rob a jewelry courier, the courier-victim was followed by Ramirez-Rodriguez to a QuikTrip gas station.   As he was following the courier, Ramirez-Rodriguez contacted Sanchez-Valencia to help him with the robbery.   Sanchez-Valencia, in turn, contacted the other defendants, all of whom came to the gas station together.   When the courier was putting gas in his vehicle, two of the defendants approached him, with one restraining him with a knife while another smashed the vehicle window and took a briefcase containing over $125,000 in assorted jewelry.

Sanchez-Valencia also admitted his involvement in a similar robbery that occurred in Dallas on Aug. 27, 2012.   In that robbery, two jewelry couriers were at a restaurant when Sanchez-Valencia briefly came into the restaurant to conduct surveillance on them and to determine the layout of the restaurant.   Within a few minutes after Sanchez-Valencia left, three masked men with a gun came into the restaurant and robbed the jewelry couriers of two briefcases containing over $500,000 of jewelry.   Some of that jewelry was recovered during the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit rented by Sanchez-Valencia.

This case was investigated by the FBI, ICE and the Gwinnett County Police Department, with assistance from the Dallas Police Department.   This case is being prosecuted by Laura Gwinn of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Dammers of the Northern District of Georgia.

NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE SHOWN WITH ARTIFACTS AT SNA SYMPOSIUM

FROM:  U.S. NAVY 
Naval Artifacts Amplify Surface Impact at SNA Symposium
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tim Comerford, Naval History and Heritage Command Communication and Outreach Division

CRYSTAL CITY, Va. (NNS) -- Naval History and Heritage Command's (NHHC) archivists, curators, scientists and historians helped make the Surface Naval Association (SNA) Symposium an historic event by bringing artifacts and interactive learning to symposium visitors, Jan. 14-16.

NHHC's exhibit displayed an ever-changing array of artifacts, histories and personnel that engaged the SNA audience to paint an indelible picture of history's importance to the Navy's missions.

Alexis Catsambis (PhD), a scientist from NHHC's Underwater Archeology Branch, spoke to many visitors about the Sunken Military Craft Act, a law which provides protection of sunken U.S. military ships and aircraft wherever located, protection for the graves of lost military personnel and protection of sensitive archaeological artifacts and historical information. On display were brass uniform buttons, a rotator indicator and ale bottle from USS Tulip.

The ship was a wooden-hulled, steam lighthouse tender that sank in 1964, while en route to the Washington Navy Yard for repairs.

"The U.S. Navy's sunken military craft are a multi-faceted collection of approximately 17,000 sites located around the globe," said Catsambis. "It was particularly rewarding to observe that visitors and participants of the 2014 SNA symposium recognized the importance of protecting these sites due to their potential nature as maritime graves, their archaeological or historical importance, as well as for national security, public safety and environmental stewardship reasons."

Using such diverse learning methods as pamphlets, videos, three-dimensional interactive maps, presentations and artifact displays, NHHC continued the conversation on the impact history plays on Navy missions and provide a touchstone to the public and military personnel. It is integral to the command's mission that, not only do they collect the wide variety of information and objects to tell the Navy's story, but also that they instill pride in Sailors pride for their heritage and history.

Regina Akers (PhD), an historian with NHHC's Histories and Archives Division, talked with visitors about Navy history and her specialty - Navy diversity. Akers was particularly interested in one of her visitors, Vice Adm. Michelle Howard, deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy, who was a panelist for a discussion on the Pacific. A surface warfare officer, Howard was confirmed by the Senate Dec. 20 for promotion to admiral and to serve as the next vice chief of naval operations, making her the Navy's first female four-star admiral.

"She appeared to enjoy herself very much," Akers said of the vice admiral. "She had answered a question about Zumwalt right before [she visited NHHC's exhibit] and our team was thoughtful enough to have a volume with pictures of Zumwalt during a tour of duty."

Akers and Howard talked about former Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. as they looked at the photo album, along with copies of Z-Gram 66 (Equal Opportunity). Published in December 1970, then-CNO Adm. Zumwalt expressed his "wholehearted support of the policies on equal opportunity," and also indicated that he was "distressed by the numerous examples of discrimination black families still experience" in finding housing, for example.

Akers believes that a new world has opened up to women that could not have been conceived of, when the academies opened their doors to women in 1975. When Howard graduated from the academy in 1982, she was in the third class of women to graduate since the act passed.

"I am sure if we looked at [Howard] or any one of those persons graduating from the early classes of women at the academy, we probably couldn't have anticipated the options and opportunities that women have today. Vice Admiral Michelle Howard, Vice Admiral Nora Tyson, deputy Fleet Forces Command, Vice Admiral Nannette Derenzi, Judge Advocate General of the Navy - we just could not have imagined it at that time."

HOW FDA REGULATES HUMAN TISSUE AND TISSUE PRODUCTS

FROM:   FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION 
Tissue & Tissue Products

Human cells or tissue intended for implantation, transplantation, infusion, or transfer into a human recipient is regulated as a human cell, tissue, and cellular and tissue-based product or HCT/P. The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) regulates HCT/Ps under 21 CFR Parts 1270 and 1271.

Examples of such tissues are bone, skin, corneas, ligaments, tendons, dura mater, heart valves, hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells derived from peripheral and cord blood, oocytes and semen. CBER does not regulate the transplantation of vascularized human organ transplants such as kidney, liver, heart, lung or pancreas. The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) oversees the transplantation of vascularized human organs.

Parts 1270 and 1271 require tissue establishments to screen and test donors, to prepare and follow written procedures for the prevention of the spread of communicable disease, and to maintain records. FDA has published three final rules to broaden the scope of products subject to regulation and to include more comprehensive requirements to prevent the introduction, transmission and spread of communicable disease. One final rule requires firms to register and list their HCT/Ps with FDA. The second rule requires tissue establishments to evaluate donors, through screening and testing, to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases through tissue transplantation. The third final rule establishes current good tissue practices for HCT/Ps. FDA's revised regulations are contained in Part 1271 and apply to tissues recovered after May 25, 2005. The new requirements are intended to improve protection of the public health while minimizing regulatory burden.

U.S. TRADE POLICY AND PROGRAMS AS OUTLINED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT

FROM:  STATE DEPARTMENT 

Trade Policy and Programs (TPP), led by Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert Manogue, advances U.S. trade policy objectives by opening new export opportunities for American businesses, farmers, ranchers and workers through global, regional and bilateral trade initiatives - including free trade agreements (FTAs) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). In partnership with agencies across the federal government, the more than 50 TPP professionals and staff work to maximize the benefits of open markets for global economic development, address and resolve trade disputes, strengthen intellectual property enforcement, and improve access for U.S. goods and services abroad.

TPP is composed of four offices:

Office of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Textile Trade Affairs
Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs
Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement
Office of Multilateral Trade Affairs

Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Textile Trade Affairs

The Office of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Textile Trade Affairs, led by Office Director Edward Kaska, supports and advances American agricultural interests, which are integral to the State Department’s critical global trade and food security goals. We address trade barriers to open markets for American farm products. In Fiscal Year 2013, the United States is forecasted to export $145 billion in agricultural products, which is $9.2 billion above fiscal 2012 exports, and have a trade surplus of $30 billion in our agricultural sector. We contribute to the development of effective food aid policies, promote rural development and increasing agricultural productivity through biotechnology, and handle issues within the State Department regarding textiles, including wool and cotton. We work to ensure the health and well-being of our consumers by monitoring food safety, animal health, and plant health. On food security, we bring stakeholders and policymakers together to address the needs of small scale farmers. Additionally, our office leads new agricultural technologies outreach to promote transparent, predictable, and science-based regulatory frameworks.

Bilateral Trade Affairs

The Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs (BTA), led by Director Robert Manogue, is at the center of U.S. bilateral trade relations with countries around the world. We are frequently called on by the Secretary, Deputy Secretaries and other senior officials because of our expertise in trade and economic relations with all the regions of the world. BTA plays a key role in the development, negotiation and implementation of Free Trade Agreements, Trade and Investment Framework Agreements, and trade preference programs. We also collaborate closely with State Department regional bureaus, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Departments of Agriculture, Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Security. Additionally, we engage with Congress, foreign government officials, the private sector, academia, and think tanks.

Intellectual Property Enforcement

The Office of International Intellectual Property Enforcement (IPE) promotes U.S. innovation by advocating for the effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) around the world. IPE’s advocacy seeks to strengthen economic rules and norms, increase U.S. business and private sector growth and investment, and create market access for U.S. goods and services. The IPE team works closely with economic, commercial, and public diplomacy officers at the State Department’s embassies, consulates, and missions to ensure that the interests of American rights holders are represented overseas, and to highlight the integral role of IPR protection in supporting global economic stability.

IPE actively participates in multilateral and bilateral negotiations and discussions on IPR-related issues, and distributes training and technical assistance funds to help build IPR law enforcement capacity in developing countries. The office also directs an international public diplomacy initiative to broaden awareness of IPR’s important role in addressing international concerns, such as counterfeit medicines and internet piracy. IPE is also active in interagency efforts to combat trade in counterfeit and pirated goods worldwide.

Multilateral Trade Affairs

The Office of Multilateral Trade Affairs, headed by Director Paul A. Brown, leads the State Department's trade policy activities in multilateral institutions, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It provides technical expertise in regional and bilateral trade negotiations including labor, environment, services, government procurement, customs trade remedies, and trade capacity building. MTA also supports bilateral WTO accession negotiations and U.S. Trade programs to include the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.

ALABAMA TAX PREPARER INDICTED FOR FILING FRAUDULENT TAX RETURNS

FROM:  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Thursday, January 16, 2014

Alabama Tax Preparer Indicted for Preparing False Returns for Clients
Russell Burroughs, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., was indicted on 33 counts of filing false tax returns, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today following the unsealing of the indictment yesterday.

According to the indictment, Burroughs owned and operated Computer Services, a tax return business located in Montgomery, Ala.  Burroughs allegedly prepared and filed 33 false tax returns.  The indictment alleges that the false items on the tax returns included false energy and education credits, false deductions and other false information.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Burroughs faces a statutory maximum potential sentence of three years in prison for each count of filing a false return.

The case was investigated by special agents of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.  Trial Attorneys Charles Edgar Jr., Katherine Reinhart and Michael Boteler of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.

U.S. SENDING SMALL ARMS AND AMMUNITION IN SUPPORT OF IRAQI GOVERNMENT

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Preparing Small Arms, Ammunition Support for Iraq
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2014 – The Defense Department is preparing small arms and ammunition for shipment to Iraq in response to a request from that country’s prime minister, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said today.
Nouri al-Maliki asked for the help as extremists have launched devastating attacks throughout the country.

In accordance with the security framework established when U.S. troops departed Iraq in December 2011, discussions about ways to improve the Iraqi military are ongoing, Warren said.

“No one has asked, nor have we offered direct military involvement because of the underlying religious issues and extremist issues,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told NPR this week.

The situation in Iraq has deteriorated since U.S. troops left the country. Suicide bombing have become more frequent and Iraqi government statistics indicate that about 8,000 Iraqis were killed in 2013.

Fighting in Anbar province intensified at the end of 2013 and the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant -- an al-Qaida affiliated group -- took control of Fallujah and made inroads in Ramadi, the provincial capital.

Dempsey said he was disappointed by the setbacks in Iraq, but also noted he hadn’t yet given up on the country.

“It’s a little premature to declare that this conflict in Ramadi and Fallujah portends the collapse of the state of Iraq or an irreversible setback,” the chairman told NPR’s Tom Bowman.

SIMULATIONS USED TO PREDICT CHARACTERISTICS OF SUBATOMIC PARTICLES

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
Putting quarks on a virtual scale
MILC Collaboration team uses supercomputer simulations to predict characteristics of subatomic particles

For the last several years, much of the attention in particle physics has focused on the Higgs Boson, so one could be forgiven thinking that the rest of the subatomic particle world has been figured out. In reality, however, many open questions remain.

The precise masses, decay rates and relationships among other particles--including mesons, quarks and gluons, which make up the protons, neutrons and electrons with which we're familiar--are a few of the topics that need further study.

For four decades, a group of researchers called the MIMD Lattice Computation (MILC) Collaboration have been doing just that. MILC has been using many of the nation's most powerful supercomputers to simulate the conditions inside the nucleus of atoms and to quantify the masses and decay properties of still-mysterious particles.

Specifically, they investigate a theory called quantum chromodynamics, or QCD, which describes the strong interactions of subatomic physics. First theorized by David Politzer, Frank Wilczek and David Gross in the early 1970s (for which they won the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), QCD is the fundamental theory that governs the interactions of quarks and gluons inside the nucleus of atoms.

The MILC Collaboration uses large scale numerical simulations to study QCD. The most well established approach to solving the problems of the strong force is called lattice QCD, a numerical method that treats space and time as points on a grid or "lattice" and then models QCD on this grid.

Simulating physical systems on a grid is employed in many disciplines, but unlike most, QCD requires that the theory obey a special symmetry, called gauge symmetry, which means that the force fields can be changed in certain ways at every point in space and time without changing the physics--a quality that gives rise to the perpetually-bound nature of quarks. These "lattice-gauge" theories, as they are called, have been incredibly effective at determining many important aspects of particle physics.

As effective as lattice-gauge theories have been, solving QCD calculations efficiently and accurately has been a challenge.

"There are two big problems," explained Robert Sugar, a member of the MILC Collaboration at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "You perform the calculations on a lattice or a grid, but the real physics is when the grid spacing goes down to zero." This is because the universe appears to be continuous and not discrete. "That's the bad news. The good news is, you actually know how various quantities behave as the lattice spacing goes to zero."

This allows QCD theorists to extrapolate solutions. But to do so, requires major computing muscle.

The second problem involves the quarks themselves. Quarks are not only almost impossible to perceive as individual components, the lightest ones--the ones that make up the protons and neutrons--are very light compared to all other mass scales of strongly interacting matter.

"Until the last year or two, we couldn't perform simulations at the physical masses of the lightest quarks, we had to perform them at higher masses," Sugar said. "The great thing that's happened in the last couple of years is that as computers and the algorithms have gotten better, we can now do the simulations at the physical masses of the quarks. This was a major advance for the field."

At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the spotlight has mainly focused on experiments run on two big detectors: Atlas and CMS. But there is also a smaller experiment called LHCb that is doing physics with charm and bottom quarks, which are an important component of the MILC Collaboration's work.

"We have less data on particles containing charm and the bottom quarks than on those made up solely of lighter quarks. Learning more about the properties of this quarks is particularly important," he explained. "That's also the place where there's the most room for problems or contradictions with the Standard Model. The LHC and other accelerators are providing data on those reactions to compare with simulations."

Using petascale supercomputers, Sugar and his colleagues have been performing very precise calculations to compare with experiments and also to determine some of the underlying parameters of the Standard Model, such as how quarks interact with the weak force. (The Standard Model is the reigning theory that encompasses current understanding of the fundamental interactions of sub-atomic physics.)

In a recent paper submitted to Arxiv, Sugar and his colleagues calculated the decay of kaons (or K mesons, a type of unstable particle composed of a strange quark and an up or down quark) using lattice QCD and working, for the first time, at the physical light-quark masses. The calculations served to check the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix that underpins all quark flavor-changing interactions. The researchers were able to reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the first row of the CKM matrix in a way that sharpens the test of CKM unitarity--a restriction on the allowed evolution of quantum systems that ensures the sum of probabilities of all possible outcomes of any event is always one.

"We're just beginning to get the first results from the simulations at the physical masses of the quarks," he said. "These simulations will enable us to determine decay properties of at least some of the strongly interacting particles to a precision which is beginning to rival that of experiment. We even have some cases where we performed calculations before the experimentalists, which is always good. Then the experimenters came in and showed we were right."

"Lattice gauge theory is remarkably interdisciplinary," said Marc Sher, program director for Theoretical High-Energy Physics and Cosmology at the National Science Foundation. "It's critical for high energy collider physics, since high energy collider beams are composed of protons and antiprotons, and understanding proton structure is critical in extracting the results of these experiments. It's fundamental for nuclear physics, since all of nuclear structure depends on the strong interactions, whose study is the raison d'etre of lattice gauge theory. And it's important for computational physics, since large massively-parallel computation is needed."

The results of the QCD simulations help to refine the parameters that go into the Standard Model, which, according to Sugar is "maddeningly successful." But they have another more revolutionary purpose.

"One of the things we most want to do is make very accurate theoretical calculations and compare these with very accurate experiments to see if you can find places where new physics ideas are needed," Sugar said. "That's the holy grail because nobody believes that our present ideas are the last word."

What might lie beyond the Standard Model is an open question. But most in the scientific community agree that the answer will only emerge from the careful, incremental investigations of particle interactions, both through experiments and numerical simulations.

"Now is a really exciting time in QCD," Sugar said. "We believe that we are on the verge of making a lot of progress."

ROBOSIMIAN

FROM:  NASA 

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's official entry, RoboSimian, as it awaited the first event at the DARPA Robotics Challenge in December 2013, created to develop ground robots that can work in dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environments. Also known as "Clyde," the robot is four-footed but can also stand on two feet. It has four general-purpose limbs and hands capable of mobility and manipulation.

Multiple points of contact increase stability during operations that range from climbing stairs to turning a valve. The design also allows RoboSimian to reverse direction without reorienting itself.

The RoboSimian team is led by JPL. Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., collaborated on the development of the robot's unique hands.

The California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages JPL for NASA.

FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER RENAMED AFTER NEIL A. ARMSTRONG

FROM:  NASA, DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER 

President Barack Obama has signed HR 667, the congressional resolution that redesignates NASA's Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center, into law. The resolution also names Dryden's Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range. Both Hugh Dryden and Neil Armstrong are aerospace pioneers whose contributions are historic to NASA and the nation as a whole. NASA is developing a timeline to implement the name change.

Neil A. Armstrong was born Aug. 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. He earned an aeronautical engineering degree from Purdue University and a master's in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. He was a naval aviator from 1949 to 1952. During the Korean War he flew 78 combat missions. In 1955 he joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA's predecessor, as a research pilot at Lewis Laboratory in Cleveland. Armstrong later transferred to NACA's High Speed Flight Research Station at Edwards AFB, Calif., later named NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. As a research project test pilot over the course of seven years at the center from 1955 through 1962, he was in the forefront of the development of many high-speed aircraft. This photograph shows Neil Armstrong next to the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft after a research flight. He was one of only 12 pilots to fly the hypersonic X-15 as well as the first of 12 men to later walk on the moon. In all, he flew more than 200 different types of aircraft. Image Credit: NASA

DETROIT AUTO SHOW VISITED BY GOVERNMENT DIGNITARIES

FROM:  LABOR DEPARTMENT 

Ingenuity, Training Make American Goods Shine in Detroit

American ingenuity, jobs and workers were the focus of a whirlwind tour of Detroit by U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez on Jan. 13. Perez began his day at the North American International Auto Show, where he was joined by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and members of the Michigan congressional delegation. He assessed the new lineup of automobiles and talked to industry leaders about growth in the auto industry. Later that day, the group of dignitaries met with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and William F. Jones Jr., director of Focus: HOPE Family Learning Center for Advanced Technologies, where they participated in a roundtable discussion on opportunities to strengthen transportation career pathways, and enhance skills training, industry and community partnerships. Perez then met students and staff while touring the training facility. "I look at the Department of Labor as the Department of Opportunity," he said. "We try to match the right worker with the right employer. We do that by supporting strong community programs like Focus: HOPE." Perez also meet with staff and students at the UAW-Ford Technical Training Center and visited Shinola, a company that manufactures watches, bicycles and leather goods. The visit was part of the Obama administration's efforts to enhance local economic revitalization and ensure that existing resources effectively support local priorities.