Thursday, July 3, 2014

NSF ON WALKING FOR ENERGY

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
Walking can recharge the spirit, but what about our phones?

Device captures energy from walking to recharge wireless gadgets
Smartphones, tablets, e-readers, not to mention wearable health and fitness trackers, smart glasses and navigation devices--today's population is more plugged in than ever before.

But our reliance on devices is not problem-free:

Wireless gadgets require regular recharging. While we may think we've cut the cord, we remain reliant on outlets and charging stations to keep our devices up and running.
According to a 2009 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), consumer electronics and information and communication technologies currently account for nearly 15 percent of global residential electricity consumption. What's more, the IEA expects energy consumptions by these devices to double by 2022 and to triple by 2030--thereby slowly but surely adding to the burden on our power infrastructure.
With support from the National Science Foundation, a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology may have a solution to both problems: They're developing a new, portable, clean energy source that could change the way we power mobile electronics: human motion.

Led by material scientist Zhong Lin Wang, the team has created a backpack that captures mechanical energy from the natural vibration of human walking and converts it into electrical energy. This technology could revolutionize the way we charge small electronic devices, and thereby reduce the burden of these devices on non-renewable power sources and untether users from fixed charging stations.

Smaller, lighter, more energy efficient

Wearable generators that convert energy from the body's mechanical potential into electricity are not new, but traditional technologies rely on bulky or fragile materials. By contrast, Wang's backpack contains a device made from thin, lightweight plastic sheets, interlocked in a rhombic grid. (Think of the collapsible cardboard containers that separate a six pack of fancy soda bottles.)

As the wearer walks, the rhythmic movement that occurs as his/her weight shifts from side to side causes the inside surfaces of the plastic sheets to touch and then separate, touch and then separate. The periodic contact and separation drives electrons back and forth, producing an alternating electric current. This process, known as the triboelectrification effect, also underlies static electricity, a phenomenon familiar to anyone who has ever pulled a freshly laundered fleece jacket over his or her head in January.

But the key to Wang's technology is the addition of highly charged nanomaterials that maximize the contact between the two surfaces, pumping up the energy output of what Wang calls the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG).

"The TENG is as efficient as the best electromagnetic generator, and is lighter and smaller than any other electric generators for mechanical energy conversion," says Wang. "The efficiency will only improve with the invention of new advanced materials."

Charging on the go

In the laboratory, Wang's team showed that natural human walking with a load of 2 kilograms, about the weight of a 2-liter bottle of soda, generated enough power to simultaneously light more than 40 commercial LEDs (which are the most efficient lights available).

Wang says that the maximum power output depends on the density of the surface electrostatic charge, but that the backpack will likely be able to generate between 2 and 5 watts of energy as the wearer walks--enough to charge a cell phone or other small electronic device.

The researchers anticipate that this will be welcome news to outdoor enthusiasts, field engineers, military personnel and emergency responders who work in remote areas.

As far as Wang and his colleagues are concerned however, human motion is only one potential source for clean and renewable energy. In 2013, the team demonstrated that it was possible to use TENGs to extract energy from ocean waves.

The research report, "Harvesting Energy from the Natural Vibration of Human Walking", was published in the journal ACS Nano on November 1, 2013.

-- Valerie Thompson, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
Investigators
Zhong Wang
Related Institutions/Organizations
Georgia Tech Research Corporation

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center: Advancing Technology and Scien...

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON ANNIVERSARY OF CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Statement by the President on the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

In 1964, President Johnson put pen to paper and signed the Civil Rights Act into law.  Fifty years later, few pieces of legislation have defined our national identity as distinctly, or as powerfully.  By outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, the Civil Rights Act effectively ended segregation in schools, workplaces, and public facilities.  It opened the door for the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act.  And it transformed the concepts of justice, equality, and democracy for generations to come.
The Civil Rights Act brought us closer to making real the declaration at the heart of our founding – that we are all created equal.  But that journey continues.  A half a century later, we’re still working to tear down barriers and put opportunity within reach for every American, no matter who they are, what they look like, or where they come from.  So as we celebrate this anniversary and the undeniable progress we’ve made over the past 50 years, we also remember those who have fought tirelessly to perfect our union, and recommit ourselves to making America more just, more equal and more free.

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR JULY 2, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

Lockheed Martin Corporation, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for an amount not to exceed $200,000,000 for the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile Accelerated Acquisition program. Work will be performed at: Orlando/Melbourne, Florida; Troy, Alabama; Nashua, New Hampshire; Boulder, Colorado; and Cincinnati, Ohio, with an expected completion date of July 6, 2016. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $33,000,000 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-14-C-0079).

ARMY

Zieson Construction Co. LLC, Riverside, Missouri (W912DQ-14-D-4000); Lavastida Development Group, Wichita, Kansas (W912DQ-14-D-4001); Blackhawk Constructors, San Antonio, Texas (W912DQ-14-D-4002); (Hanke Construction, Wentzville, Missouri W912DQ-14-D-4003); Ruiz-Tidewater JV, San Antonio, Texas (W912DQ-14-D-4004); and HGL Construction, Inc., Midwest City, Oklahoma (W912DQ-14-D-4005), were awarded a $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price multiple award multi-year contract to provide design and building services or construction to support military construction and design-build projects within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 25 received. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of July 1, 2017. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity.

Alliant Techsystems Operations, LLC, Plymouth, Minnesota, was awarded a $23,005,070 modification (P00053) to contract W15QKN-10-C-0050 for a low rate initial production of the M829E4 120mm armor-piercing, fin-stabilized, discarding sabot, with tracer cartridge. Fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $23,005,070 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2015. Work will be performed at Plymouth, Minnesota; Jonesborough, Tennessee; Orange, California; Cabot Pennsylvania; Radford, Virginia; Elkton, Maryland; and Rocket City, West Virginia. Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
Carothers Construction, Inc., Oxford, Mississippi, was awarded a $15,630,000 firm-fixed-price contract with options to construct a 36,000 square foot regional simulation center to include a controlled area, simulation communication rooms, simulation suites, secure communication infrastructure, network distribution nodes, operation centers, work cells, classrooms and administrative offices. Work will be performed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of April 22, 2016. Bids were solicited via the Internet with five received. Fiscal 2014 military construction funds in the amount of $15,630,000 are being obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-14-C-4008).

ChemImage Bio Threat LLC*, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was awarded a $13,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to procure the enhancement, testing, and delivery of vehicle mounted Light Guard Mercury explosive detection systems. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of July 1, 2015. One bid was solicited with one received. Fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $6,370,000 are being obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-14-C-0059).

Northrop Grumman, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $10,844,000 modification (P00031) to foreign military sales (Afghanistan) contract W31P4Q-11-D-0019 to provide tactical support of the Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar (C-RAM) Program Office including field level engineering, field level technical support, reset support, logistics support, training support and technical manuals. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Jan. 2, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Academi Training Center, Moyock, North Carolina, was awarded a $7,384,413 modification (P00006) to contract W560MY-12-C-0006 for a five-month partial exercise of option year two providing private security services at Forward Operating Base Dwyer, Afghanistan. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $7,384,413 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Oct. 31, 2014. Work will be performed in Afghanistan. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

NAVY

Safe Boats International, LLC*, Bremerton, Washington, is being awarded a $34,518,536 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of four MK VI Patrol Boats. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total cumulative value of this contract to $52,295,843. Work will be performed in Tacoma, Washington (82 percent); Kent, Washington (7 percent); Wichita, Kansas (6 percent); New Zealand (3 percent); and in Canada and Berwick, Louisiana (less than 2 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2018. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 National Guard and Reserve Component equipment account funds in the amount of $34,518,536 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Under FAR Part 8.405-6 (a)(1)(i)(C) the new work is a logical follow on to an original Federal Supply Schedule delivery order, number N00024-l2-F-2223. The original order was placed competitively in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-14-C-2230).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $29,574,329 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-02-C-3002) to define the tasks required to update the F-35 Lightening II Joint Strike Fighter Air System to be in compliance with informational security functional constraints. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (70 percent) and Fort Worth, Texas (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2017. No funds are being obligated at time of award. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Defense, Simsbury, Connecticut, is being awarded a $20,777,054 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of MK 165, MK 166, MK 167, MK 168, and MK 169 detonators in support of U.S. Special Operations Command. Work will be performed in Graham, Kentucky, and work is expected to be completed by July 2019. Fiscal 2014 defense procurement funds in the amount of $316,007 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-14-D-JR02).

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Inc., Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $20,210,437 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-6246) to migrate the AN/BYG-1 Weapons Control System from a Technology Insertion (TI-14) baseline to a TI-16, integrate Advanced Processing Build (APB-13 and APB-15), and deliver this capability in multiple variants to multiple submarine platforms. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (86.36 percent) and the Royal Australian Navy (13.64 percent), under the Armament Cooperative Project. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by June 2015. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds; fiscal 2012 and 2014 other procurement (Navy)funds; Armament Cooperative Project funds; and fiscal 2010 and 2011 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $3,297,231 will be obligated at the time of award, and $1,530 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Accenture Federal Services, LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is being awarded $8,701,870 for delivery order 0007 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00104-13-D-QA04) for finance and audit business integration contractor support for the Navy Enterprise Resource Planning efforts. This contract contains a one year option, which, if exercised, will bring the contract value to $17,387,160. All work will be performed in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and the expected completion date is June 30, 2015. If the option is exercised, work will continue through June 30, 2016. Navy working capital funds and fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds will be used on the contract. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount $6,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, and three offers were received in response to this solicitation. The NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, office is the contracting activity.

* Small Business

SECRETARY KERRY SAYS ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS CONDEMN MURDER OF PALESTINIAN TEENAGER

FROM:  THE STATE DEPARTMENT 

Abduction and Murder of Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir

Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
July 2, 2014


The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the despicable and senseless abduction and murder of Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir. It is sickening to think of an innocent 17 year old boy snatched off the streets and his life stolen from him and his family. There are no words to convey adequately our condolences to the Palestinian people.

The authorities are investigating this tragedy, a number of Israeli and Palestinian officials have condemned it, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has been emphatic in calling for all sides “not to take the law into their own hands”. Those who undertake acts of vengeance only destabilize an already explosive and emotional situation. We look to both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to take all necessary steps to prevent acts of violence and bring their perpetrators to justice. The world has too often learned the hard way that violence only leads to more violence and at this tense and dangerous moment, all parties must do everything in their power to protect the innocent and act with reasonableness and restraint, not recrimination and retribution.

WHITE HOUSE REPORT ON CONSEQUENCES OF STATES NOT EXPANDING MEDICAID

FROM:   THE WHITE HOUSE 

White House Report: Missed Opportunities and the Consequences of State Decisions Not to Expand Medicaid

 Today, the Council of Economic Advisers released a report, Missed Opportunities: The Consequences of State Decisions Not to Expand Medicaid, which details the effects of state decisions regarding Medicaid expansion on access to care, financial security, overall health and well-being of residents, and state economies. 
The Affordable Care Act has expanded high‐quality, affordable health insurance coverage to millions of Americans. One important way in which the Affordable Care Act is expanding coverage is by providing generous financial support to States that opt to expand Medicaid eligibility to all non‐elderly individuals in families with incomes below 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
To date, 26 States and the District of Columbia have seized this opportunity, and since the beginning of the Affordable Care Act’s first open enrollment period, 5.2 million people have gained Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage in these States, a tally that will grow in the months and years ahead as Medicaid enrollment continues. In contrast, 24 States have not yet expanded Medicaid—including many of the States that would benefit most and sometimes because State legislatures have defied even their own governors—and denied health insurance coverage to millions of their citizens. Researchers at the Urban Institute estimate that, if these States do not change course, 5.7 million people will be deprived of health insurance coverage in 2016. Meanwhile, these States will forgo billions in Federal dollars that could boost their economies.
This analysis uses the best evidence from the economics and health policy literatures to quantify several important consequences of States’ decisions not to expand Medicaid. That evidence, which is based primarily on careful analysis of the effects of past policy decisions, is necessarily an imperfect guide to the future, and the actual effects of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act could be larger or smaller than the estimates presented below. However, this evidence is clear that the consequences of States’ decisions are far‐reaching, with implications for the health and well‐being of their citizens, their economies, and the economy of the Nation as a whole.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS SAYS WORLD SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IS CONFUSED

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with service members during a town hall on Fort Shafter, Hawaii, June 30, 2014. Dempsey told U.S. Army Pacific soldiers that he hopes the military services can retain their own unique field uniforms, adding that having separate military services brings perspectives to the table that are the epitome of “jointness.” DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton.  

World Faces Confused Security Environment, Chairman Says
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii, July 1, 2014 – The world faces a confused security environment, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday, but the United States can deal with it.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told soldiers of U.S. Army Pacific during an all-hands call that it is the right time and the right thing to rebalance U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific theater.

Different areas of the world mean different security situations, the chairman explained.

“In this region of the world, there’s a rising sense of nationalism among the countries,” the chairman said. “The effort and intent of China to emerge on the world stage presents a different type of security challenge.”

In the Middle East, he told the soldiers, nationalism is breaking down amid fragmentation of national identity and the emergence of extremist groups.
The situation in Europe is somewhere between that in Asia and the Middle East, the general said. “There’s a group of nations trying to pull Europe together with organizations like NATO and the European Union,” he added, but he noted that in parts of Europe, there’s also a countervailing trend to see things in terms of national interests and ethnic identities.

Worldwide, Dempsey said, the security environment is confused. “It’s something we have to address,” he added. “You take the world as you find it, not as you hope it to be. And fortunately, we’ve got a great group of leaders and men and women in uniform that are willing to do just that.”

This security environment means the U.S. military must be prepared for different operations in different parts of the world, the nation’s top military officer said. “In this region, it is nations competing with other nations,” Dempsey said. “In the Middle East, it is about groups who don’t even care about borders competing with each other. In Europe, it is something in-between. That makes it very difficult to understand how to build the force.”

In the Asia-Pacific region, the threat of conventional conflict -- nation versus nation -- is higher than anywhere else, he said. In the Middle East, the risk is the long campaign against global terrorism.

“The use of military power in the Middle East is very much different than it would be if something broke out in the Pacific,” Dempsey said. “In Europe is a new challenge with Russian aggressiveness and assertiveness that we are trying to shape through NATO.”

American service members need to be ready to confront a myriad of threats, Dempsey said. “I wouldn’t put away your field manuals that describe how to do maneuver and combined arms effects and traditional conflict,” the chairman said. “It’s probably a little early. We need to do both.”

The Asia-Pacific region has many security interests for the United States -- so many interests and implications for the region and the world, the chairman said, that the U.S. rebalance really is the right thing to do and the right time to do it.
South Asia and Southeast Asia alone have 17 percent of the world’s land mass, he noted, but 50 percent of its population.

“Frankly, the distractions we are facing elsewhere shouldn’t distract from our interests and to posture ourselves better in the Pacific,” Dempsey said.

FTC WARNS PEOPLE ABOUT PENSION ADVANCES

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

If you’re trying to make ends meet, here’s a pitch that might catch your interest:

“Convert tomorrow’s pension checks into hard cash today.”

Sound tempting? Think again. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, advises consumers that pension advances, also known as pension sales, loans, or buyouts, come at a very steep price.

Most pension advances require you to sign over all or some of your monthly pension checks for five to 10 years. The lump sum payment you get in return is less than the pension payments you sign over, so you’re signing over money you need to live on. And pension advances often require retirees to buy a life insurance policy – with the pension advance company as the beneficiary – to insure that the repayments continue.

Pension Advances: Not So Fast

“Convert tomorrow’s pension checks into hard cash today.”
If you’re looking for a way to generate cash to make ends meet, a pitch like this may pique your interest. But before you sign on the dotted line, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into.


Pension advances, also known as pension sales, loans, or buyouts, require you to sign over all or some of your monthly pension checks for a period of time — typically five to 10 years. In return, you get a lump sum payment, less than the pension payments you sign over. So, unlike other types of cash advances or loans, taking out a pension advance means signing over money you need to live on.

Pension advances aren’t cheap: The transactions often include fees that can push the effective annual percentage rate (APR), the cost of credit on a yearly basis, over 100%. In addition, retirees often are required to buy a life insurance policy — with the pension advance company named as the beneficiary — to insure that the repayments continue.

Questions to Ask

If you’re considering a pension advance loan, get answers to the following questions:

Are you eligible? Depending on the type of pension you have, you may not be able to sign it over. It might be against the law. Check with your pension administrator for details.

What are the costs? Be aware of all costs and fees. Ask for the APR, which is based on several things, including the amount you borrow, the interest rate and credit costs you’re being charged, and the length of your contract. This information may not be disclosed in ads or contracts, so it’s important to ask and get it in writing. In addition, there may be other costs or fees, including commissions and life insurance.

Do you have to buy life insurance? Some pension advance companies may require you to buy a life insurance policy naming them as beneficiary. If you die before all the payments you assigned have been received, funds will be paid out from the life insurance policy to cover any remaining balance.

What are the tax implications? Getting a large lump sum can put you in a higher tax bracket. Consult with a tax advisor for information and advice.

Can you cancel the transaction? Maybe not. Some pension advance companies might not let you cancel once you’ve completed the deal. Make sure you ask the company about its cancellation policy, before you sign the contract, so you know what you’re getting into.

Are there complaints about the company? Your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General's Office, and the Better Business Bureau can tell you whether any complaints have been filed about a company. Just keep in mind that a lack of complaints doesn’t mean the business is on the up-and-up. You may want to do an internet search with the name of the company and words like review, scam, or complaint. Look through several pages of search results. And check out articles about the company in newspapers, magazines, or online, as well.
Alternatives to Pension Advances

Before you decide to take an advance against your pension, weigh your options.

Consider a small loan from your credit union or a small loan company. Some banks may offer short-term loans for small amounts at competitive rates. A cash advance on a credit card also may be possible, but it may have a higher interest rate than other sources of funds: find out the terms before you decide. In any case, shop first and compare all available offers.

Shop for the offer with the lowest cost. Compare the APR and the finance charges, which includes loan fees, interest and other costs.

If you’re considering a pension advance because you’re having trouble paying your bills, contact your creditors or loan servicer as quickly as possible and ask for more time. Many may be willing to work with consumers whom they believe are acting in good faith. They may offer an extension on your bills; make sure to find out what the charges would be for that service — a late charge, an additional finance charge, or a higher interest rate.

Contact your local, non-profit consumer credit counseling service if you need help working out a debt repayment plan with creditors or developing a budget. These groups offer credit guidance to consumers in every state for no or low cost.

ACTING ASSISTANT AG SAMUELS SPEECH ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels Speaks at “Celebrating Our History & Commissioning Our Future: a Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”
Milwaukee ~ Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Thank you for that kind introduction.  I’d like to thank United States Attorney James Santelle for inviting me to speak today and for the remarkable work that this office does to protect the civil rights of those in the Milwaukee community and across the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  Just last month, the Civil Rights Division worked hand-in-hand with the Eastern District’s talented team to prosecute a Milwaukee man for sex trafficking.  Thanks to this close collaboration we were able to secure guilty pleas on five counts.

I’d also like to thank the cosponsors of today’s event – the NAACP Milwaukee Chapter, the Milwaukee Urban League and Centro Hispanico – both for their support of this event and for all of their work to advance the cause of civil rights.  Finally, thank you to all of you who came here today to celebrate this milestone in the continued fight for equality under the law.

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  With its landmark protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion, the act ended the era of legal segregation in America, relegating the age of Jim Crow to the history books.  As he prepared to sign the bill, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the goal of the law – to ensure that all should “be equal in the polling booths, in the classrooms, in the factories, and in hotels, restaurants, movie theaters and other places that provide service to the public.”

Prior to the passage of the act, there were no effective federal protections against discrimination based on race.  No effort to accommodate language minorities.  No federal protections for Americans with disabilities.  Elite colleges and universities set quotas capping admission of women or prohibited them from attending altogether.  African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Asian-Americans were excluded from hospitals, restaurants and theaters.

Thankfully, in the decades since the passage of the Civil Rights Act, there is no doubt that we as a country have come a long way.  The act laid the groundwork for other critical federal civil rights statutes, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  Many of the rights for which civil rights pioneers fought, bled and gave their lives are now guaranteed by law.

Yet civil rights is not an issue for the history books.  Sixty years after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, too many children remain in segregated schools or are denied equal access to advanced courses.  Students are disciplined unfairly due to their race or separated by race in prom and homecoming events.  Discrimination in employment and housing contributes to social inequalities.  LGBT Americans continue to face discrimination and animus.  And for too many, the right to vote is still not effectively guaranteed.

Fifty years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the Civil Rights Division’s robust caseload remains a stark reminder that too many in our nation continue to face barriers to equal opportunity.  As we contemplate a half-century of progress—and look to the work that remains—the Civil Rights Division does not waver in its responsibility to address both longstanding and emerging civil rights challenges.

Five decades after its passage, the Civil Rights Act continues to touch the lives of Americans across the country – and to serve as a potent tool for combating discrimination.  The Civil Rights Division maintains nearly 200 long-standing desegregation cases where we strive to ensure that Brown’s promise is realized in all aspects of a school district’s operations.  We aggressively enforce Title VII to ensure equal opportunity in the workplace.  In March, for example, the Department of Justice reached a settlement with the city of New York to resolve allegations that New York’s fire department discriminated against African-American and Hispanic applicants through its entry-level test.  The division uses Title VI of the act to work with court systems across the country to ensure that people with limited English proficiency are not denied equal justice.  And the Civil Rights Act’s core principle of equality under the law animates the work of the Civil Rights Division to the present day.

The Civil Rights Division is committed to eliminating crimes of hate, as true legal equality necessitates a freedom from fear.  The ability to live safely in one’s community is one of the most basic civil rights.  Throughout a diverse nation like ours, we all must be able to live and work without fear of being attacked because of how we look, what we believe, where we come from or whom we love.
The Milwaukee Sikh community recognizes this reality all too well.  Two years ago, a gunman fatally shot six people who were gathered in prayer at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek.  Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at the memorial service on behalf of the President of the United States, saying:
“In the recent past, too many Sikhs have been targeted and victimized simply because of who they are, how they look and what they believe.
“This is wrong.  It is unacceptable.  And it will not be tolerated.  We must ask necessary questions of ourselves: what kind of nation do we truly want to have?  Will we muster the courage to demand more of those who lead us and, just as importantly, of ourselves?  What will we do to prevent that which has brought us here today from occurring in the future?”

Today, as we near the two year anniversary of the attack, and remember those who lost their lives, I can promise you that the Justice Department will continue to combat hate crimes wherever they occur.

Last week, I visited Philadelphia, Mississippi, to mark the 50th anniversary of the murders of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman – civil rights workers who were killed while investigating a church burning as part of the Freedom Summer movement.  In 1964, when the state declined to prosecute their murderers, then-Assistant Attorney General John Doar flew down to personally investigate.  He pursued the investigation relentlessly, and ultimately convicted Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price, Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard Samuel Bowers and five others for that cold-blooded murder.

Today, the Civil Rights Division continues to seek justice for the hate crimes of the 1960s: in 2003, a Civil Rights Division attorney working alongside the United States Attorney’s office in Jackson, Mississippi, successfully convicted former Klansman Ernest Avants for the 1966 murder of an African-American sharecropper named Ben Chester White.  In 2007, a Civil Rights Division attorney working alongside the same United States Attorney’s Office successfully convicted former Klansman James Ford Seale for the murders of 19-year-olds Charles Moore and Henry Dee.

In recent years, the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act has greatly increased the federal government’s ability to prosecute hate crimes.  Signed by President Obama in 2009, the act removed unnecessary jurisdictional obstacles in previous federal criminal laws that made the prosecution of certain racial and religious hate crimes unduly difficult.  It also empowers the department, for the first time, to prosecute crimes committed because of a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender or disability as hate crimes.  Since 2009, we have used this law to indict individuals in 28 hate crimes cases, including at least eight cases involving attacks on LGBT individuals, and the first ever hate crimes case involving the abuse of individuals with disabilities.

The division’s expanded ability to prosecute hate crimes reflects our effort to address the civil rights challenges of the 21st century.  To name but a few, these challenges include addressing racial disparities in school discipline, defending the rights of LGBT Americans, combating discrimination in both housing and in lending, ensuring the fair treatment of youth in the juvenile justice system and defending the right to vote in the 21st century.

Sixty years ago, in his opinion in Brown v. Board of Education, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote, “it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education.”  Yet nearly six decades after this landmark decision, considerable work remains to provide equal educational opportunities to all of our nation’s students.

In recent months, we have devoted considerable resources to addressing a modern form of school exclusion: disparities in school discipline.  Too often, the effects of school discipline policies are not felt equally—students of color and those with disabilities receive more severe punishments than their peers for comparable misbehavior.

Last year, a division investigation into disciplinary practices in the Meridian, Mississippi, public school system found that black students frequently received far harsher disciplinary consequences than white students for comparable misbehavior.  A minor school discipline offense should not land a student in a police precinct.  In too many cases, the adverse effects of this early interaction with the juvenile or criminal justice systems can be permanent, depriving those caught up in the system of opportunities for educational advancement, employment, access to housing and even the right to vote.

With the cooperation of the Meridian School Board, the division entered into a first-of-its-kind settlement to prevent and address racial discrimination in school discipline.  Under the consent decree, the district will provide students with supports and interventions before excluding them from school; establish clear guidelines for the limited and extremely serious circumstances when law enforcement intervention is appropriate; and ensure that discipline consequences are fair and consistent.

Earlier this year, the Departments of Justice and Education released guidance to public schools across the country on their obligations to administer student discipline without discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin.  This guidance provides templates for schools to adopt effective disciplinary practices that avoid discrimination and take steps to keep all students in school.  Through technical assistance documents like the discipline guidance, the Civil Rights Division attempts to ensure that our schools receive the support they need to keep young people in the classroom and out of the criminal justice system.

Additionally, the Civil Rights Division has achieved significant victories in its efforts to defend the rights of LGBT students.  Students cannot learn if they are afraid to go to school.  Students cannot learn if they are being harassed and threatened.  Students cannot learn if they feel that school administrators don’t or won’t protect them.

In a speech earlier this year, Attorney General Holder called LGBT rights one of the “civil rights challenges of our time.”  And under his leadership, the Civil Rights Division has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that our schools foster safe and nurturing learning environments for all students, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In 2010, working with the Department of Education, the Civil Rights Division began investigating a complaint that the learning environment in the Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota was unsafe and unwelcoming for students who did not conform to gender stereotypes, including LGBT students.  Many students reported being harassed because they did not dress or act in ways that conform to gender stereotypes.  Some students faced threats, physical violence, derogatory language or other forms of harassment every day at school.  Several of these students stopped attending school; a few even contemplated or attempted suicide.

In 2012, the division reached a landmark settlement with the Anoka-Hennepin school district to address this harassment.  The consent decree systemically reforms the district’s policies and practices related to harassment, and we hope it will serve as a blueprint for other districts who wish to accommodate their students’ needs.

Additionally, in 2013, the division and the Department of Education entered into a first-of-its-kind settlement agreement with the Arcadia Unified School District to resolve allegations of discrimination against a transgender student based on the student’s sex.  The student’s gender identity is male, and he has presented as a boy at school and in all other aspects of his life for several years.  Yet prior to the agreement, the district prohibited the student from accessing facilities consistent with his male gender identity—including restrooms and locker rooms at school as well as sex-specific overnight accommodations at a school-sponsored trip.  Under the agreement, the district will treat the student like other male students in all activities, and it will also adopt policies to ensure nondiscrimination for all students going forward.

Through our enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the division works hard to prevent discrimination on the basis of disability status.  Work is a fundamental part of adult life for people with and without disabilities.  It provides a sense of purpose, shaping who we are and how we fit into our community.  Meaningful work – being a contributing part of society – is essential to economic self-sufficiency, as well as self-esteem and well-being.  That’s why the division works hard to ensure implementation of the Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead v. L.C. decision, which made clear the right of individuals with disabilities to live and receive services in their communities rather than in institutions or other segregated settings.  Our Olmstead enforcement work from 2009 to 2014 has helped protect the rights of over 46,000 people with disabilities, ensuring they will have the opportunity to participate fully in their communities.  In Fiscal Year 2013, the division continued its strong track record on this issue, participating in 18 Olmstead matters across the country.  These cases have benefitted people of all ages and all types of disabilities.

In April of this year, the Justice Department reached a settlement with the state of Rhode Island on behalf of more than 3,000 Rhode Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Prior to this year, the vast majority of these Rhode Islanders were consigned to sheltered workshops, where they rarely had contact with people without disabilities, performed rote menial tasks and were paid well below the minimum wage.  These workers were capable of working integrated jobs within their communities, and yet were unauthorized to do so.  This unnecessary segregation was harmful, both to those directly affected and to the community as a whole.

In response, the Justice Department, the state of Rhode Island and the business community came together to embrace real integration of people with disabilities – committing to make the state a model for others to follow.

As a result of this settlement, Rhode Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities will have opportunities to work real jobs with competitive wages.  State funding previously used for segregated, separate day programs will be re-directed to provide integrated options for non-work hours.  And students with disabilities will get transition services starting at age 14 so that when they leave school, they can transition into the work force.

This settlement is already improving the lives of Rhode Islanders.  For 30 years, a Rhode Island man with disabilities named Steven did what millions of Americans do every day: he got up and reported to work.  But for most of Steven's life, he had little choice other than to work in a sheltered workshop where he earned $2 an hour.  Steven didn’t expect to spend 30 years working there – even the name of the program, “Training Thru Placement,” suggested that a brighter future lay ahead.  But a lack of employment services and supports kept Steven in a segregated low-wage work environment.  Now, Steven has transitioned to an integrated office setting, where he earns minimum wage and has been receiving computer training.

A young man named Pedro, who spent his high school years unpacking and sorting buttons, was forced on graduation to take a sheltered workshop job paying just 48 cents an hour.  Now, he is working in a restaurant, where he was recently named employee of the month.  His progress has been so rapid that he no longer needs a job coach – instead, he helps his former coach assist other employees with disabilities.  These stories illustrate the transformative power of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Olmstead decision; the Civil Rights Division is proud to continue to build on their promises.

Let me turn to access to housing, which stands at the heart of the American dream.  A family’s access to housing determines far more than whether they have a roof over their heads—it affects their access to good schools, to transportation and to jobs.  Ensuring that local governments and private housing providers offer safe and affordable housing on a non-discriminatory basis has been a division priority for decades.  But in 2014, a family’s access to housing is almost always linked to its access to credit.  That’s why the division has maintained its robust fair housing enforcement efforts while also reinvigorating its efforts to ensure that all qualified borrowers have equal access to fair and responsible lending.

Since its creation in 2010, the division’s Fair Lending Unit has obtained more than $1 billion in monetary relief for impacted communities—sending a clear message that financial institutions of all sizes will be held accountable for lending discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs.

While many communities nationwide were devastated during the housing and foreclosure crises, African-American and Latino families were hit especially hard.  Across the country, the division found cases where qualified African-American and Latino families paid more for loans because of their race or national origin, or were steered to more expensive and risky subprime loans.  We also found some lenders who failed to offer credit in African-American and Latino communities on an equal basis with white communities.

Two weeks ago, the division joined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to announce an $169 million settlement with GE Retail Capital Bank, recently renamed to Synchrony.  The bank engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of discrimination by excluding Hispanic borrowers from two of its credit card debt-repayment programs.  The bank offered credit relief to its cardholders, but denied that relief to borrowers who requested information in Spanish, or who had mailing addresses in Puerto Rico.  Lending discrimination in any form is unacceptable, and this settlement – the largest credit card discrimination settlement in history – was an important victory in the fight for equal financial opportunity.

The division has also recently expanded our enforcement efforts to include auto lending.  For example, working with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Civil Rights Division reached a $98 million settlement with Ally Bank and Financial last year for pricing discrimination in its automobile lending practices.  This complaint was the division’s first against a national auto lender as well as its first joint fair lending enforcement action with the CFPB.  The settlement provided $80 million in relief to the more than 200,000 minority borrowers who received higher interest rates due to their national origin or the color of their skin.  Ally also agreed to pay an $18 million civil penalty to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and to institute safeguards to ensure that these discriminatory lending practices come to an end.

In addition, the division is acutely aware of the impact that the criminal justice system has on communities of color.  It remains an inescapable fact that disparities at nearly every stage of the criminal process keep too many African-Americans, Latinos and other minorities in poverty and deny them the opportunities that so many in the civil rights movement fought to achieve.

Over the last five years, the division has obtained groundbreaking reform agreements with police departments that will serve as models for effective and constitutional policing nationwide.  Every investigation involves a thorough examination of the challenges facing the police department, which may include the excessive use of force; unlawful stops, searches, or arrests; or policing that unlawfully discriminates against protected minority groups or women.

In recent years, the division has expanded its efforts to better protect the rights of youth in the juvenile justice system.  In Shelby County, Tennessee, a division investigation found that the juvenile court systemically violated the due process rights of youth in delinquency proceedings, as well as the equal protection rights of African-American youth.  At every critical inflection point, we found that African-American youth were statistically more likely than similarly situated whites to be driven deeper into the juvenile justice system.  And there was a significantly higher risk for young black men to be removed to the adult system than their white peers.

In response to these findings, the division entered into a comprehensive settlement to ensure that children in Shelby County will receive the full protections provided under our Constitution.  This agreement has already led to significant improvements, including the hiring of a juvenile defender, and will help make Shelby County a model for juvenile courts across the country.  Moreover, data collected from this settlement will help us better understand what interventions work to keep children in the community and out of detention.

Finally, I want to discuss the Civil Rights Division’s work in safeguarding every eligible citizen’s access to the ballot box.  When he signed the Voting Rights Act in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson announced, “Millions of Americans are denied the right to vote because of their color.  This law will ensure them the right to vote.  The wrong is one which no American, in his heart, can justify.  The right is one which no American, true to our principles, can deny.”

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has played a critical role in ensuring that the right to vote is not abridged based on discrimination against racial or language minorities.  In thehalf-century since its passage, the Voting Rights Act has consistently enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress, as well as support from the executive branch.  Notably, after extensive hearings, Sections 4 and 5 of the act were reauthorized most recently in 2006, with the unanimous support of the U.S. Senate and the near-unanimous support of the House of Representatives.  Yet in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder invalidated an essential part of this cornerstone civil rights law.  This decision represents a serious setback for voting rights – and has the potential to negatively affect millions of Americans across the country.

There are many examples demonstrating that discrimination in voting has not been consigned to history.  Our country has changed for the better since 1965, but the destination we seek has not yet been reached.  This is why the Department of Justice will continue to carefully monitor jurisdictions around the country for voting changes that may hamper voting rights.  We will not hesitate to take swift enforcement action – using every legal tool that remains available to us – against any jurisdiction that seeks to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s ruling by hindering eligible citizens’ full and free exercise of the franchise.

Since the Supreme Court’s decision, the Civil Rights Division has filed three cases under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.  One complaint challenges the legality of Texas’ congressional and legislative redistricting maps - maps which prior to the Shelby County decision were blocked by federal courts for intentionally discriminating against Latino and African-American citizens.  A second complaint challenges Texas’s restrictive photo identification requirement as racially discriminatory in both purpose and effect.

And a third complaint challenges portions of a restrictive North Carolina voting law, passed within days of the Shelby County decision, that limits the number of early voting days, eliminates same-day registration during early voting; imposes a restrictive photo identification requirement for in-person voting; and prohibits the counting of otherwise legitimate provisional ballots that are mistakenly cast in the right county, but in the wrong precinct.  These changes were made despite evidence before the North Carolina General Assembly that such action would make it harder for many minority voters to participate in the electoral process.  Trials in all three of these voting rights cases are beginning this summer.

In June, Attorney General Holder announced the administration’s plans to consult with tribes on ensuring that American Indians and Alaska Natives have a meaningful opportunity to claim their right to vote.  It is a tragic irony that in this country – history's greatest democratic experiment – it is First Americans who have, for decades, too often been deprived the right to vote.  Standing by as Native voices are shut out of the democratic process is not an option.  That is why the Justice Department supports providing voters on Indian reservations and in Alaska Native villages with an effective opportunity to cast a ballot.  We seek formal consultation on a proposal that would give American Indian and Alaska Natives a polling place in their community, somewhere to cast their ballots and ensure their voices are heard – something most other citizens already take for granted.

Last week, the Attorney General made a statement on the one-year anniversary of the Shelby decision.  In addition to discussing the work just described, he referred to a voting rights controversy happening here in Wisconsin.  I’d like to read you what he said:

“In April, a federal district court in Wisconsin ruled that Wisconsin’s unnecessarily restrictive voter-ID law, which disproportionately impacted the state’s African-American and Latino voters, violated both the equal protection clause of the Constitution and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

“The Wisconsin law erected significant barriers to equal access without serving any legitimate government interest – because, as the judge found, and I quote, ‘The defendants could not point to a single instance of known voter impersonation occurring in Wisconsin at any time in the recent past.’

“By restricting access and decreasing voter participation, laws such as those in Wisconsin would shrink – rather than expand – access to the franchise.

“This is inconsistent not only with our history, but with our ideals as a nation – a nation founded on the principle that all citizens are entitled to equal opportunity, equal representation, and equal rights.

“And that’s why, across this country, the Department of Justice will continue to take aggressive steps to stand against disenfranchisement wherever it exists – and in whatever form.”

The Civil Rights Division recognizes that case-by-case litigation is no substitute for Congressional action on legislation to fill the void left by the Supreme Court’s Shelby decision.  President Obama and Attorney General Holder remain committed to working with leaders from across the political spectrum to ensure that modern voting protections are adequate to the challenges of the 21st century.  History shows that advances in voting rights have been hard-won, and that progress is not inevitable: the Department of Justice will never abdicate its responsibility to protect and preserve this critical right.

I’ve touched on only a few of the division’s activities.  We enforce the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure employers do not deny employment opportunities to immigrants who are legally authorized to work or to subject these men and women to discriminatory verification procedures.  And our Policy Section works to develop policy and legislative proposals to close the gaps in our nation’s civil rights protections.

Five decades after its passage, the Civil Rights Act continues to touch the lives of Americans across the country – and to serve as a potent tool for combating discrimination.  As we contemplate a half-century of progress—and look to the work that remains—the Civil Rights Division remains committed to its mission to protect, defend and advance civil rights in our nation.  Together, in collaboration with all here today, we will continue to work to ensure equal justice under the law.  Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY'S STATEMENT ON SAUDI ARABIA'S PLEDGE TO HELP IRAQIS IN NEED

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Welcomes Saudi Arabia's 500 Million Dollar Pledge To Help Iraqis in Need

Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
July 1, 2014


Saudi Arabia has made an enormous and very significant commitment to help its neighbor, underscoring that the entire region has a stake in seeing Iraq overcome today's crisis, and achieve stability. Iraq's grave humanitarian crisis affects Shia, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, and all other religious and ethnic groups. It is worsening by the day and Saudi Arabia's strong show of support will be crucial to alleviating the suffering of all Iraqis displaced by the violence. This half a billion dollar commitment is a powerful statement of solidarity.

We commend the generosity and compassion demonstrated by Saudi Arabia and other donors, and urge others in the international community to join in the international humanitarian response for Iraqi internally displaced persons and to swiftly follow through with their pledges.

SUPERCOMPUTERS AND THE WEATHER

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Today's forecast: Better forecasts
Stampede supercomputer helps researchers design and test improved hurricane forecasting system

Working with researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Fuqing Zhang and a team of weather modelers at Penn State University have created an improved method of hurricane forecasting that incorporates high-resolution airborne radar observations from the inner core of the storms. This approach has shown great promise for hurricane systems, but requires significant additional computation.

Using the National Science Foundation-supported Stampede supercomputer, Zhang re-forecast the more than 100 tropical storms that occurred between 2008-2012, applying his new method. He showed that the new system reduces Day-2-to-Day-5 intensity forecast errors by 25 percent compared to the National Hurricane Center's official forecasts. The simulations are described in detail in a research paper in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

A more accurate prediction system will allow emergency management officials, the private sector, and the general public to make more informed decisions during major storms, minimizing the losses of life and property.

In order to assimilate large amounts of Doppler radar data and merge it with physical models of hurricane formation and information about historical precedents, Zhang made extensive use of Stampede and its advanced technologies.

"The increased computing power of Stampede has allowed us to run numerous sensitivity experiments for hurricane models at a higher resolution, allowing us to see details more clearly," Zhang said. "Especially for the hybrid data assimilation system, the improved computational performance of Stampede over previous supercomputer platforms gives us more flexibility in configuring the domain size and grid spacing that will be used."

The methodology of incorporating airborne Doppler measurements was fully adopted by NOAA's operational hurricane prediction model in 2013. This breakthrough in hurricane prediction recently received the 2014 Banner Miller Award bestowed by the American Meteorological Society.

-- Aaron Dubrow, NSF (703) 292-4489 adubrow@nsf.gov
Investigators
Fuqing Zhang
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Texas at Austin
Pennsylvania State Univ University Park

BNP PARIBAS PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGALLY PROCESSING TRANSACTIONS FOR SANCTIONED COUNTRIES

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Monday, June 30, 2014
BNP Paribas Agrees to Plead Guilty and to Pay $8.9 Billion for Illegally Processing Financial Transactions for Countries Subject to U.S. Economic Sanctions

According to court documents submitted today, BNP Paribas S.A. (BNPP), a global financial institution headquartered in Paris, agreed to enter a guilty plea to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) by processing billions of dollars of transactions through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Sudanese, Iranian, and Cuban entities subject to U.S. economic sanctions.   The agreement by the French bank to plead guilty is the first time a global bank has agreed to plead guilty to large-scale, systematic violations of U.S. economic sanctions.

The announcement was made by Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for the Southern District of New York, FBI Director James B. Comey, Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. of New York County.

“BNP Paribas went to elaborate lengths to conceal prohibited transactions, cover its tracks, and deceive U.S. authorities. These actions represent a serious breach of U.S. law,” Attorney General Holder said. “Sanctions are a key tool in protecting U.S. national security interests, but they only work if they are strictly enforced.   If sanctions are to have teeth, violations must be punished.   Banks thinking about conducting business in violation of U.S. sanctions should think twice because the Justice Department will not look the other way.”

“BNP ignored US sanctions laws and concealed its tracks. And when contacted by law enforcement it chose not to fully cooperate,” Deputy Attorney General Cole said.   “This failure to cooperate had a real effect -- it significantly impacted the government’s ability to bring charges against responsible individuals, sanctioned entities and satellite banks.  This failure together with BNP’s prolonged misconduct mandated the criminal plea and the nearly $9 billion penalty that we are announcing today.”

“By providing dollar clearing services to individuals and entities associated with Sudan, Iran, and Cuba – in clear violation of U.S. law – BNPP helped them gain illegal access to the U.S. financial system,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.   “In doing so, BNPP deliberately disregarded U.S. law of which it was well aware, and placed its financial network at the services of rogue nations, all to improve its bottom line.   Remarkably, BNPP continued to engage in this criminal conduct even after being told by its own lawyers that what it was doing was illegal.”

“BNPP banked on never being held to account for its criminal support of countries and entities engaged in acts of terrorism and other atrocities,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara.   “But that is exactly what we do today.  BNPP, the world's fourth largest bank, has agreed to plead guilty and pay penalties of almost $9 billion for performing the hat trick of sanctions violations, unlawfully opening the doors of the U.S. financial markets to three sanctioned countries, Sudan, Iran, and Cuba.  For years, BNPP provided access to billions of dollars to these sanctioned countries, as well as to individuals and groups specifically identified and designated by the U.S. government as being subject to sanctions.  The bank did so deliberately and secretly, in ways designed to evade detection by the U.S. authorities.  For its years-long and wide-ranging criminal conduct, BNPP will soon plead guilty in a federal courthouse in Manhattan.”

According to documents released publicly today, over the course of eight years, BNPP knowingly and willfully moved more than $8.8 billion through the U.S. financial system on behalf of sanctioned entities, including more than $4.3 billion in transactions involving entities that were specifically designated by the U.S. Government as being cut off from the U.S. financial system.   BNPP engaged in this criminal conduct through various sophisticated schemes designed to conceal from U.S. regulators the true nature of the illicit transactions.   BNPP routed illegal payments through third party financial institutions to conceal not only the involvement of the sanctioned entities but also BNPP’s role in facilitating the transactions. BNPP instructed other financial institutions not to mention the names of sanctioned entities in payments sent through the United States and removed references to sanctioned entities from payment messages to enable the funds to pass through the U.S. financial system undetected.

“The significant financial penalties imposed on BNP Paribas sends a powerful deterrent message to any company that places its profits ahead of its adherence to the law,” said FBI Director James Comey.  “We will continue to work closely with our federal and state partners to ensure compliance with U.S. banking laws to promote integrity across financial institutions and to safeguard our national security.”

“Today’s outcome is a testament to U.S. efforts to stem the exploitation of the American financial system and ensure that if you chose to do business in our country you must abide by our laws,” said IRS-CI Chief Weber.  “BNP Paribas will forfeit the historic figure of almost $8.9 Billion representing the proceeds of criminal activity.  BNPP had many opportunities to take corrective action and abide by the law, and yet, despite warnings from American regulators and other banks, consciously chose to ignore those warnings and commit literally thousands of flagrant violations.  IRS-CI, and our domestic and international law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue these cases and follow the money trail – wherever it may lead.”

“The most important values in the international community – respect for human rights, peaceful coexistence, and a world free of terror – significantly depend upon the effectiveness of international sanctions,” said District Attorney Vance. “Today’s guilty plea marks the seventh major case involving sanctions violations by a large international bank that my Office has pursued and resolved since 2009. These cases are critically important for international public safety and the security of our banking system, which is put at risk when it is used to further criminal activity.  The seven investigations have revealed a series of widespread schemes to falsify the business records of financial institutions in Manhattan and have resulted in the forfeiture of approximately $12 billion in total. But, more importantly, they have resulted in a fundamental change in the way all banks conduct their business, have heightened vigilance worldwide with respect to dealing with sanctioned entities, and have increased the integrity of our Manhattan-based financial institutions.”

BNPP will waive indictment and be charged in a one-count felony criminal information, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, charging BNPP with knowingly and willfully conspiring to commit violations of IEEPA and TWEA, from 2004 through 2012.   BNPP has agreed to plead guilty to the information, has entered into a written plea agreement, and has accepted responsibility for its criminal conduct.   BNPP is scheduled to formally enter its guilty plea before United States District Judge Lorna Schofield on July 9, 2014 at 4:30 p.m.

The plea agreement, subject to approval by the court, provides that BNPP will pay total financial penalties of $8.9736 billion, including forfeiture of $8.8336 billion and a fine of $140 million.

In addition to the joint forfeiture judgment, the New York County District Attorney’s Office is also announcing today that BNPP has pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to falsifying business records and conspiring to falsify business records.   In addition, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is announcing that BNPP has agreed to a cease and desist order, to take certain remedial steps to ensure its compliance with U.S. law in its ongoing operations, and to pay a civil monetary penalty of $508 million. The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) is announcing BNPP has agreed to, among other things, terminate or separate from the bank 13 employees, including the Group Chief Operating Officer and other senior executives; suspend U.S. dollar clearing operations through its New York Branch and other affiliates for one year for business lines on which the misconduct centered; extend for two years the term of a monitorship put in place in 2013, and pay a monetary penalty to DFS of $2.2434 billion.   In satisfying its criminal forfeiture penalty, BNPP will receive credit for payments it is making in connection with its resolution of these related state and regulatory matters.   The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has also levied a fine of $963 million, which will be satisfied by payments made to the Department of Justice.

According to documents released publicly today, including a detailed statement of facts admitted to by BNPP, BNPP has acknowledged that, from at least 2004 through 2012, it knowingly and willfully moved over $8.8 billion through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Sudanese, Iranian and Cuban sanctioned entities, in violation of U.S. economic sanctions.     The majority of illegal payments were made on behalf of sanctioned entities in Sudan, which was subject to U.S. embargo based on the Sudanese government’s role in facilitating terrorism and committing human rights abuses.   BNPP processed approximately $6.4 billion through the United States on behalf of Sudanese sanctioned entities from July 2006 through June 2007, including approximately $4 billion on behalf of a financial institution owned by the government of Sudan, even as internal emails showed BNPP employees expressing concern about the bank’s assisting the Sudanese government in light of its role in supporting international terrorism and committing human rights abuses during the same time period.   Indeed, in March 2007, a senior compliance officer at BNPP wrote to other high-level BNPP compliance and legal employees reminding them that certain Sudanese banks with which BNPP dealt “play a pivotal part in the support of the Sudanese government which . . . has hosted Osama Bin Laden and refuses the United Nations intervention in Darfur.”

One way in which BNPP processed illegal transactions on behalf of Sudanese sanctioned entities was through a sophisticated system of “satellite banks” set up to disguise both BNPP’s and the sanctioned entities’ roles in the payments to and from financial institutions in the United States.   As early as August 2005, a senior compliance officer at BNPP warned several legal, business and compliance personnel at BNPP’s subsidiary in Geneva that the satellite bank system was being used to evade U.S. sanctions: “As I understand it, we have a number of Arab Banks (nine identified) on our books that only carry out clearing transactions for Sudanese banks in dollars. . . . This practice effectively means that we are circumventing the US embargo on transactions in USD by Sudan.”

Similarly, BNPP provided Cuban sanctioned entities with access to the U.S. financial system by hiding the Cuban sanctioned entities’ involvement in payment messages.   From October 2004 through early 2010, BNPP knowingly and willfully processed approximately $1.747 billion on behalf of Cuban sanctioned entities.   In the statement of facts, BNPP admitted that it continued to do U.S. dollar business with Cuba long after it was clear that such business was illegal in order to preserve BNPP’s business relationships with Cuban entities.   BNPP further admitted that its conduct with regard to the Cuban embargo was both “cavalier” and “criminal,” as evidenced by the bank’s 2006 decision, after certain Cuban payments were blocked when they reached the United States, to strip the wire messages for those payments of references to Cuban entities and resubmit them as a lump sum in order to conceal from U.S. regulators the bank’s longstanding, and illicit, Cuban business.

Further according to court documents, BNPP engaged in more than $650 million of transactions involving entities tied to Iran, and this conduct continued into 2012 – nearly two years after the bank had commenced an internal investigation into its sanctions compliance and had pledged to cooperate with the Government.  The illicit Iranian transactions were done on behalf of BNPP clients, including a petroleum company based in Dubai that was effectively a front for an Iranian petroleum company, and an Iranian oil company.

This case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Washington Field Division and FBI’s New York Field Office.   This case is being prosecuted by the Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section (AFMLS), and the Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Trial Attorneys Craig Timm and Jennifer E. Ambuehl of AFMLS and Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Goldstein, Martin S. Bell, Christine I. Magdo and Micah W.J. Smith of the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution.

The New York County District Attorney’s Office also conducted its own investigation alongside with the Department of Justice on this investigation.   The Department of Justice expressed its gratitude to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for their assistance with this matter.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

ScienceCasts: El Niño - Is 2014 the New 1997?

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR JULY 1, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

CONTRACTS

NAVY

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, is being awarded a $151,365,660 indefinite-delivery requirements contract to provide organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance and logistics services in support of approximately 200 T-45 aircraft based at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi; NAS Kingsville, Texas; NAS Pensacola, Florida; and NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. Logistics services to be provided include sustaining engineering, supply and government property management, and procurement of associated parts and materials. Work will be performed in Kingsville, Texas (48 percent); Meridian, Mississippi (44 percent); Pensacola, Florida (7 percent); and Patuxent River, Maryland (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2015. Contract funds will not be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; four offers were received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-14-D-0011).

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, California, is being awarded a $19,990,000 unpriced-letter contract for long-lead material and the labor, planning and scheduling necessary to support the fiscal 2015 Trident II D-5 missile production schedule. Work will be performed at Sunnyvale, California, with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2014 weapons procurement (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $19,990,000 are being obligated at time of award. The contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole source acquisition pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). Strategic Systems Program, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00030-14-C-0100).

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a $12,481,100 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide support services to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) in the areas of training and education; engineering; program and financial management; plans and programs; communications, command, control, computers and intelligence (C4I); naval operations; manpower and personnel management; technical support; logistics and supply; English language training; special studies and management. This contract contains options, which if exercised will bring the contract value to $37,264,370. Work will be performed in Saudi Arabia (90 percent), Washington, District of Columbia (5 percent), and Pensacola, Florida area (5 percent), and work is expected to be completed by July 31, 2015. If all options are exercised, work will continue through July 31, 2017. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $4,800,000 will be obligated at the time of award and these funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received in response to the solicitation. NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-14-C-Z039).
Pacific Ship Repair and Fabrication, Inc., San Diego, California, is being awarded a $9,093,866 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-12-C-4400 for repair and modernization of USS Shoup (DDG 86). For modernization, typical work performed may include ship alterations, blasting, painting, and surface preparation for complete or touch preservation of the underwater hull, freeboard, struts, rudders, running gear, ground tackle and sea chest, as well as various interior tanks. Work will be performed in Everett, Washington, and is expected to be completed by December 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,093,866 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Center Facility, Northwest Regional Maintenance Center, Bremerton, Washington, is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

Universal Technology Corp., Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $100,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for research and development. The goal of this contract is to provide the Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory/RQ, with research in three core technology areas of propulsion research which are aircraft gas turbine engines; energy, aerospace power and thermal management; and advanced propulsion. The effort will include research in internal combustion engines, propulsion safety and affordable readiness, advanced instrumentation, improved materials, power management and distribution, fuels research, innovative high speed propulsion concepts and integration of high speed aerospace engines with air vehicles, weapons, and launch vehicles. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by June 26, 2021. This award is the result of a competitive Broad Agency Announcement, BAA-12-06-PKP, in which two offers were received. Fiscal 2014 research and development funds in the amount of $25,000 are being obligated at time of award to the first task order (0001). Fiscal 2014 research and development funds in the amount of $277,750 are being obligated at time of award to the second task order (0002). Fiscal 2014 research and development funds in the amount of $10,000 are being obligated at time of award to the third task order (0003). AFRL/RQKPA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-14-D-2411).
University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $100,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for research and development. The goal of this contract is to provide the Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory/RQ, with research in three core technology areas of propulsion research which are aircraft gas turbine engines; energy, aerospace power and thermal management; and advanced propulsion. The effort will include research in internal combustion engines, propulsion safety and affordable readiness, advanced instrumentation, improved materials, power management and distribution, fuels research, innovative high speed propulsion concepts and integration of high speed aerospace engines with air vehicles, weapons, and launch vehicles. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by June 26, 2021. This award is the result of a competitive Broad Agency Announcement, BAA-12-06-PKP, in which two offers were received. Fiscal 2014 research and development funds in the amount of $10,000 are being obligated at time of award to the first task order (0001).The contracting activity is AFRL/RQKPA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-14-D-2412).
Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $12,932,500 firm-fixed-price modification (P00004) to contract FA8806-13-C-0001 for the Hybrid site upgrade at Vandenberg Tracking Station B-Side. The Core Hybrid contract is an approach the government is taking in order to upgrade the remaining sides of the eight Air Force Satellite Control Network sites. The Core Hybrid will modernize the electronics with each of the sites and integrate those electronics with the existing Antenna. The work will be performed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2017. Fiscal 2013 other procurement funds in the amount of $12,932,500 are being obligated at time of award. The cumulative face value of this contract is $38,932,500. Space and Missile Systems Center/Range and Network Systems Directorate, Los Angeles AFB, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Information Technology Inc. Defense Group, McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $9,240,820 modification (Q615-04) for FA8771-04-D-0004 for services in support of the Product Data Systems Data Management and Migration Support Program. The contractor will continue data system support for the Joint Engineering Data Management Information and Control System, Parts Configuration Management System, and Technical Data-Product Data Management System systems. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $37,866,840.00. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for the continuation of services for six months. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance and materiel support division funds in the amount of $9,240,820 are being obligated at time of award. This option is multiyear. Air Force Sustainment Center/PZIOA-R, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

Ageiss, Inc,* Evergreen, Colorado (W9126G-14-D-0007); Labat Environmental, Inc.,* Bellevue, Nebraska (W9126G-14-D-0008); Potomac-Hudson Engineering,* Gaithersburg, Maryland (W9126G-14-D-0009); and Stell Environmental Enterprise, Inc.,* Elverson, Pennsylvania (W9126G-14-D-0010), were awarded a $22,000,000 firm- fixed- price indefinite- delivery/indefinite- quantity contract for environmental consulting services for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwest, Fort Worth District, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 12 received. Funding and exact work location will be determined with each order. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity.

Deutschmark Express,* Charlestown, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0002); Sherrick Construction,* Tennessee (W912L9-14-D-0003); Synergid Commercial,* Fort Wayne, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0004); Graves Plumbing,* Switz City, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0005); Roederer Construction,* La Grange, Kentucky (W912L9-14-D-0006); Charpie Construction,* Chicago, Illinois (W912L9-14-D-0007); Dunlap and Co.,* Columbus, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0008); Sycamore Engineering,* Terre Haute, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0009); Strebig Construction,* Fort Wayne, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0010); Patterson Horth,* Indianapolis, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0011); Industrial Maintenance & Construction Services,* Munster, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0012); LD Docsa,* Kalamazoo, Michigan (W912L9-14-D-0013); AML, Inc.,* Floyds Knobs, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0014); Nuvo Construction,* Milwaukee, Wisconsin (W912L9-14-D-0015); Wycliffe Enterprises,* Louisville, Kentucky (W912L9-14-D-0016); Driftwood Builders,* Columbus, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0017); Fetters Construction,* Auburn, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0018); Veterans Construction Services,* Livonia, Michigan (W912L9-14-D-0019); Valiant Construction,* Louisville, Kentucky (W912L9-14-D-0020); Avantti Builders Group,* Milwaukee, Wisconsin (W912L9-14-D-0021); Krempp Construction,* Jasper, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0022); Building Associates,* Bloomington, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0023); R.E. Crosby,* Fort Wayne, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0024); JDH Contracting,* Plainfield, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0025); Davis & Associates,* Indianapolis, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0026); CMS Corp.,* Bargersville, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0027); Hannig Construction,* Terre Haute, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0028); Koetter Construction,* Floyds Knobs, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0029); Maven Construction,* Odon, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0030); Bruns-Gutzwiller,* Batesville, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0031); Sunco Construction,* Mooresville, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0032); Kings Trucking,* Seymour, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0033); CDI Inc.,* Terre Haute, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0034); Hal-PE,* Covington, Kentucky (W912L9-14-D-0035); K&T Construction,* Franklin, Ohio (W912L9-14-D-0036); JDM LLC,* Rolling Meadows, Illinois (W912L9-14-D-0037); DC Design Construction,* St. Louis, Missouri (W912L9-14-D-0038); Integrated Environmental Solutions, Crestwood, Illinois (W912L9-14-D-0039); IMR Development Corp.,* Hollywood, Florida (W912L9-14-D-0040); TJB Air Conditioning,* Sebring, Florida (W912L9-14-D-0041); Ohio Paving & Construction Co.;* Willoughby, Ohio (W912L9-14-D-0042); Puente Construction Enterprises,* Woodbury, New Jersey (W912L9-14-D-0043); Timus Nasco,* Jacksonville, Florida (W912L9-14-D-0044); Northwind Engineering,* Shelocta, Pennsylvania (W912L9-14-D-0045); TMG Services,* Cleveland, Ohio (W912L9-14-D-0046); MKS Inc.,* Fort Wayne, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0047); Hamilton Hunter Builders,* Fort Wayne, Indiana (W912L9-14-D-0048); J&B Builders,* St. Charles, Illinois (W912L9-14-D-0049); Coburn Contractors,* Montgomery, Alabama (W912L9-14-D-0050), were awarded a $30,000,000 firm- fixed- price multiple award indefinite- delivery/indefinite- quantity contract for sustainment/repair and maintenance, and military construction projects for the National Guard. Work will be performed in Indiana at Camp Atterbury, Mascatatuck Urban Training Center, Jefferson Proving Ground, Terre Haute and Fort Wayne, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2019. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 59 received. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. National Guard Bureau, Indianapolis, Indiana, is the contracting activity.

Howard W. Pence*, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was awarded a $16,301,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of one, two-story classroom facility and two, three-story dormitories on a reinforced concrete foundation and concrete floor slab consisting of approximately 46,871 square feet. Work will be performed in Louisville, Tennessee, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2016. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Fiscal-year 2010 ‘Military Construction’ funds in the amount of $815,357; and fiscal-year 2014 ‘Military Construction funds in the amount of $15,485,642 are being obligated at the time of the award. National Guard Bureau – Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, is the contracting activity (W912L7-14-C-0004).

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

Analytic Services Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, is being awarded a $6,490,089 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (HQ0034-12-A-0003) to provide the following support to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics: medical program support; physical program support; planning, programming, budgeting, and executing ,and financial support; international and interagency strategic relations support; science and technology support; and operations and administrative support. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2016. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,490,089 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured, with three proposals received. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
*Small business

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