AG HOLDER'S STATEMENT ON FERGUSON FOLLOWING BRIEFING BY PRESIDENT OBAMA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Monday, August 18, 2014

Attorney General Statement on Latest Developments in Federal Civil Rights Investigation in Ferguson, MO

Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Monday following his briefing of President Obama on the latest developments in the federal civil rights investigation in Ferguson, Missouri:

“As I informed the President this afternoon, the full resources of the Department of Justice are being committed to our federal civil rights investigation into the death of Michael Brown.

“During the day today, more than 40 FBI agents continued their canvassing of the neighborhood where Michael Brown was shot. As a result of this investigative work, several new interviews have already been conducted.

“Moreover, at my direction, an additional medical examination is being performed on the body of Michael Brown. This autopsy is being performed today by one of the most experienced medical examiners in the United States military. I am confident this additional autopsy will be thorough and aid in our investigation.

“In addition to updating the President on these developments, I informed him of my plan to personally travel to Ferguson Wednesday. I intend to meet with FBI investigators, and prosecutors on the ground from the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office officials about the ongoing investigation.

“I realize there is tremendous interest in the facts of the incident that led to Michael Brown’s death, but I ask for the public’s patience as we conduct this investigation. The selective release of sensitive information that we have seen in this case so far is troubling to me. No matter how others pursue their own separate inquiries, the Justice Department is resolved to preserve the integrity of its investigation. This is a critical step in restoring trust between law enforcement and the community, not just in Ferguson, but beyond.

“In order to truly begin the process of healing, we must also see an end to the acts of violence in the streets of Ferguson. Those who have been peacefully demonstrating should join with law enforcement in condemning the actions of looters and others seeking to enflame tensions.

“To assist on this front, the Department will be dispatching additional representatives from the Community Relations Service, including Director Grande Lum, to Ferguson. These officials will continue to convene stakeholders whose cooperation is critical to keeping the peace. Furthermore, as the President has announced, Ron Davis, our Director of the COPS office, will arrive on the ground in Ferguson Tuesday. Ron has been in touch with local and state officials since last week, providing technical assistance on crowd control techniques and facilitating communications between Missouri officials and other law enforcement officials whose communities have faced similar challenges in the past.”

SECRETARY KERRY'S STATEMENT ON NEUTRALIZING SYRIA'S CHEMICAL WEAPONS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Milestone in Eliminating Syria's Chemical Weapons Program

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 18, 2014

---

Today, we mark a milestone in our unrelenting work to ensure the end of the Assad regime’s deadly chemical arsenal: The United States has finished neutralizing the regime’s deadliest chemical weapons aboard the Cape Ray.

We do so mindful of a tragic milestone fast approaching this Thursday: The one year anniversary of Assad’s bone-chilling, deadly chemical weapons attack that killed more than 1,000 innocent Syrians, including so many children in the suburbs of Damascus. No one can or ever will wipe away that memory. The images of children suffering at the hands of a monster’s illicit arsenal reminded all the world why these weapons have long been shunned by the civilized world and revealed for any who still doubted the true face of Assad.

These two milestones, one born out of the other, more than just dates on the calendar, are also moments to take stock of the road ahead. In record time, even amid a civil war, we removed and have now destroyed the most dangerous chemicals in the regime’s declared stockpiles. But much more work must be done.

First, the international community has important questions with regard to discrepancies and omissions related to Syria’s chemical weapons declaration. Second, Syria must complete the destruction of its remaining chemical weapons production facilities within mandated timelines. Third, we also remain deeply concerned by reports of systematic use of chlorine gas in opposition areas, as described by the fact-finding mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Each and every one of these issues must be fully resolved.
Lastly, but most importantly, the Assad regime’s brutality must come to an end. Assad lost any legitimacy to lead Syria long before he gassed his own people to death. The United States will continue to provide political, financial, and other support to the moderate opposition because we are committed to help those who seek the right of all Syrians to choose a future of peace and oppose the violent extremists who exploit the chaos and ruin that Assad has brought to Syria. A free Syria where people can live without fear is a milestone we should all be committed to achieve together.

NSF VIDEO: BIODIVERSITY: A BOON FOR BRAIN RESEARCH

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR AUGUST 18, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

CONTRACTS

ARMY

Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Maryland (W91278-14-D-0088); Robins & Morton Group, Birmingham, Alabama (W91278-14-D-0089); Turner Construction Co., New York, New York (W91278-14-D-0090); United Excel Corp., Shawnee Mission, Kansas (W91278-14-D-0091); John J. Kirlin Special Projects, LLC, Rockville, Maryland (W91278-14-D-0092); and DMCA, Inc., Arlington, Texas (W91278-14-D-0093), were awarded a $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price, multiyear, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award task order contract for healthcare and laboratory facility repair and construction for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Funding and work location will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 18, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 14 received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, was awarded a $34,666,402 modification (P00054) to contract W15P7T-11-C-H267 for continued operations and sustainment of the Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar currently deployed in theater. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $16,296,359 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2014. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland; Hagerstown, Maryland; and Afghanistan. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

L-3 Fuzing and Ordinance System, Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $22,250,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with options for Fuze Munition Unit 160 A/B fuses. Funding and work location will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 13, 2019. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-14-D-0093).

Security Construction Services, Inc.,* Hudson, Massachusetts (W912TF-14-D-0500); Meridian Construction Corp.,* Gilford, New Hampshire (W912TF-14-D-0501); J.C.N. Construction Co., Inc.,* Manchester, New Hampshire (W912TF-14-D-0502); Ironclad Services, Inc.,* Springfield, Massachusetts (W912TF-14-D-0503); CCB, Inc.,* Westbrook, Maine (W912TF-14-D-0504); CPM Constructors, Freeport, Maine (W912TF-14-D-0505); Maron Construction Co., Inc.,* Providence, Rhode Island (W912TF-14-D-0506); Cornerstone Construction Services, LLC,* Woburn, Massachusetts (W912TF-14-D-0507); Turnstone Corp.,* Milford, New Hampshire (W912TF-14-D-0508); Classic Site Solutions, Inc.,* Springfield, Massachusetts (W912TF-14-D-0509); Ricci Construction Co. Inc.,* Portsmouth, New Hampshire (W912TF-14-D-0510); CMGC Catamount LLC,* Bedford, New Hampshire (W912TF-14-D-0511); Aulson Co. Inc.,* Methuen, Massachusetts (W912TF-14-D-0512); Cutter Enterprises, LLC,* Vernon Rockville, Connecticut (W912TF-4-D-0513); and Benaka Inc.,* New Brunswick, New Jersey (W912TF-14-D-0514), were each awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite- delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for sustainment/repair and maintenance, and military construction projects of various size and value for the National Guard, Pease Air National Guard Base, Concord Military Reservation, and all armories throughout New Hampshire. Funding and work location will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 12, 2019. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 20 received. National Guard Bureau, Concord, New Hampshire, is the contracting activity.

NAVY

The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is being awarded a $30,385,333 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-12-C-0112) for the development of a structural repair manual in support of the P-8A Poseidon Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be completed in November 2018. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $30,385,333 will be obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $19,522,980 firm-fixed-price contract for Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 1B3 FY14 Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) units. This contract provides for procurement of 15 SEWIP Block 1B3 LRIP systems and associated data. SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition program to upgrade the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) Electronic Warfare System through a modular, open-system approach. SEWIP provides enhanced shipboard electronic warfare for early detection, analysis, threat warning, and protection from anti-ship missiles. SEWIP Block 1 focuses on obsolescence mitigation and special signal intercept. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (50 percent): Fairfax, Virginia (18 percent); Thousand Oaks, California (17 percent); and San Diego, California (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2016. Fiscal 2011 and 2013 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy), and fiscal 2014 other procurement (Navy) funding, in the amount of $8,105,076, will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) and FAR 6.302-1 - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-14-C-5341).

General Dynamics Advanced Information System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, is being awarded a $16,286,671 firm-fixed-price contract for the full-rate production of 60 Lot 38 Type 3 Advanced Mission Computers for the E/A-18G aircraft for the U.S. Navy (48) and the government of Australia (12). Work will be performed in Bloomington, Minnesota, and is expected to be completed in August 2016. Fiscal year 2013 and 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds, and foreign military sales funds, in the amount of $16,286,671, will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 USC 2304 (c)(1). This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($9,772,003; 60 percent), and government of Australia ($6,514,668; 40 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-14-C-0068).

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, is being awarded a $13,744,643 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N00019-13-D-0007) to provide logistics services for aircraft availability of 96 TH-57 aircraft. Services to be provided include pre-flighting and fueling of the aircraft, as well as safe for flight release for designated missions. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, Florida, and is expected to be completed in May 2015. No funds are being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated against individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISITICS AGENCY

Chevron Products Company, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Louisville, Kentucky, has been awarded a maximum $9,355,150 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for lubricating engine oil. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and nine offers were received. This is a three-year base contract with a 30-day carry over period. Locations of performance are Kentucky, Oregon, South Carolina, and California, with an April 30, 2017, performance completion date. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2017 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SP0600-14-D-0758).

AIR FORCE

Spectro, Inc., Chelmsford, Massachusetts, has been awarded an estimated $9,024,628 firm-fixed-price, commercial, indefinite-delivery requirements contract for repair of spectrometers in support of U.S. Air Force and Army requirements. The award is a five-year ordering typecontract with no options. Work will be performed at Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and at each Air Force and Army location requiring repair. The contract is estimated to be completed Aug. 17, 2019. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. No funds are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Robbins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8517-14-D-0021).

*Small business

NASA VIDEO: ANTI-GEYSER TESTING FOR SLS LIQUID OXYGEN FEED SYSTEM UNDERWAY

SPAMMER SETTLES FTC CHARGES REGARDING FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT ACA

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

Email Spammer Settles FTC Charges: Tricked Consumers With False Information About the Affordable Care Act

An email spammer and his company will pay $350,000 to resolve Federal Trade Commission charges that they sent deceptive emails in advance of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) roll-out, falsely claiming that consumers would be violating the law if they did not immediately click a link to enroll in health insurance.

In January 2014, the FTC filed a complaint against Yair Shalev and Kobeni Inc.,  alleging that their misrepresentations violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. It also alleged that their spam emails violated the CAN-SPAM Act by failing to provide consumers the opportunity to decline to receive future emails, and to provide a valid physical postal address. According to the complaint, the defendants’ emails led to websites with advertisements for insurance. The websites’ operators paid the defendants when consumers clicked links in the ads. Insurance companies whose ads appeared on the websites did not authorize the email messages.

The settlement order imposes a $350,000 judgment and permanently prohibits the defendants from misrepresenting material facts about any product or service, including that consumers will violate federal law if they do not select health insurance by a certain date, or that the law requires consumers to buy something. The order also bars the defendants from violating the CAN-SPAM Act, including by engaging in the violations that occurred in this action.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the proposed stipulated order was 5-0.  The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida entered the order on August 7, 2014.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS VISITS VIETNAM

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Do Ba T?, Vietnamese chief of defense, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Aug. 14, 2014. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen.  
Dempsey Building Trust in Vietnam Visit
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2014 – Building trust and confidence is the theme for the first visit by a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Vietnam since 1971.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey met with his Vietnamese counterpart Lt. Gen. Do Ba Ty in Hanoi. The two men discussed the future of the military-to-military relationship between their countries, but also the legacy of the Vietnam War. The chairman will also visit Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City during his visit.
Dempsey’s visit is a message to the region that the United States is serious about the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific, even as the American military is confronted with challenges in other parts of the world, defense officials said.

Dempsey said in an interview with USA Today’s Tom Vanden Brook that his formative years were colored by the specter of the war in Vietnam. Dempsey graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1974 -- too late to serve in that war.
“I said to General Ty that ‘I spent the first four years of my military career preparing to fight you,’” Dempsey said. “There’s something profound about being here now trying to build a relationship on the basis of common interests.”
And the two countries do have common interests. Vietnam’s geostrategic position -- sitting between straddling China and Southeast Asia -- makes the nation an important factor player in finding a peaceful solution to the territorial issues in the South China Sea, the chairman said.

“They probably have more influence on the South China Sea and how it evolves than any other country,” he noted.

The two military leaders also discussed longstanding issues related to the Vietnam War, including the U.S. Agent Orange remediation program, finding and recovering U.S. personnel and addressing the problem of leftover unexploded ordnance. The two countries cooperate closely on all these issues, Dempsey said. “We owe it to each other to keep making progress on those [issues],” he said.
These programs were more prominent in discussions a year ago than they are today, Dempsey said. “We’re moving beyond those legacy war issues and toward a new relationship,” the chairman said.

All relationships are founded on trust “and that doesn’t happen overnight,” the general said.

The U.S. and Vietnamese militaries are working together in maritime security, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. “We’ve made a tentative agreement to increase the frequency and depth of our staff talks so we understand each others’ long-term strategies for the region,” Dempsey said. “That’s the place where we can make the most progress.”

Dempsey said he’s seeing more information sharing happening between the United States and Vietnam in the maritime domain as well as more work with maritime law enforcement.

“We’re working most closely right now with their coast guard, to establish a law enforcement capability to protect their economic exclusion zone … so they don’t get militarized,” he said.

U.S. officials are also working with Vietnamese counterparts to enhance the training program for maritime operations.

Dempsey stressed that the U.S. interest in Vietnam is not all about countering China. “The shadow of China hangs over the region,” he said. “Everyone thinks our interest here is just about China. It’s not.”

The rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific region is inevitable as the area grows and expands in economic, political and diplomatic clout, he said.

“This is important and we do have our shoulder behind it,” the chairman added.
This was Dempsey’s first visit to Vietnam and he said he was struck by the vibrancy of life and the colors of the city.

“…Standing on the platform for the honor ceremony, listening to the two national anthems and seeing the two national flags flying side-by-side, it occurred to me that often adversaries in the past can become our closest friends,” the chairman said. “That won’t happen without some effort, but I think there’s a possibility there.”

NASA VIDEO | SHOW ME THE WATER

NSF-FUNDED PSYCHOLOGISTS LOOK TO UNDERSTAND HOW KIDS THINK

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Harvard University psychologists seek to unlock secrets of children's complex thinking

Study aims to uncover processes that help improve theoretical knowledge
What is it about the human mind, as opposed to those of other animals, that makes it able to comprehend and reason about complex concepts such as infinity, cancer or protons?

That is what National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded research conducted by Harvard University professors Susan Carey and Deborah Zaitchik seeks to find out.

The two investigators are leading a new project that explores how children develop understanding of abstract concepts over time, specifically in mathematics and in science--biology, psychology and physics. Their research could prove transformative to the practice of education.

Carey and Zaitchik's project, "Executive Function and Conceptual Change," is one of 40 projects funded in the first round of an NSF initiative called INSPIRE that address extremely complicated and pressing scientific problems.

Specifically, the project aims to determine how children develop theoretical concepts of science and math and how the learning process might be modified to increase their level of understanding.

NSF's Developmental and Learning Sciences Program in its Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences partially funds the research. It is one item in a program portfolio that strives to understand how children learn, and what factors influence their social and thinking skills as they become productive members of society.

Past research shows children have intuitive theories about science and math before they begin formal learning. Their intuitive theories are often radically different from the theories taught in school, but through schoolwork, are transformed into standard, often abstract ideas that were previously unknown to the students.

For example, children believe the earth is flat and draw conclusions about the world based on that assumption. When they become aware the world is round, they must update their knowledge about the shape of the earth and also update the kinds of conclusions they can draw about the world in light of this new information, such as that it is impossible to fall off its edge.

This transformation involves what Carey and Zaitchik call conceptual change--a process by which a person's knowledge and beliefs are modified over time and evolve into a new conceptual system of interconnected knowledge and reasoning.

Conceptual change is extremely difficult to achieve. Studies show it requires more than gathering new facts to replace or modify old facts; it demands, in addition, sustained mental effort to integrate all related pieces of information into a coherent body of knowledge.

"The kind of knowledge we are talking about is hard to construct," says Carey, a Harvard psychologist and the project's lead principal investigator. "You just don't get it for free."

The difficulty of conceptual change is one of the reasons teaching science and math is such a challenge. It is also a reason the Research on Education and Learning program within NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources co-funds the project.

Carey and Zaitchik believe that if the cognitive processes needed to produce conceptual change can be identified, better understood and successfully manipulated through simple training, it might make a big difference in a student's academic success, whether that student is in kindergarten or college.

They are especially concerned with how a suite of cognitive processes called "executive function" impacts children's ability to both build new abstract knowledge and use it throughout their lifetimes.

The components of executive function under investigation by the research team include working memory, inhibitory control and set-shifting. Working memory involves the ability to actively hold information in mind, update it and mentally work with it. Inhibitory control is the ability to suppress interference, distractions and inappropriate responses, which is important for completing cognitive tasks. Set-shifting involves the ability to flexibly switch goals or modes of operation, such as recognizing that different problem-solving approaches will be more successful in different settings.

Previous research has shown that executive function is more predictive of school readiness than entry-level reading skills, entry-level math skills or IQ. In addition, executive function has been shown to play an important role throughout a person's school years, with working memory and inhibitory control independently predicting math and reading score success in every grade from preschool through high school.

Carey and Zaitchik say there is already a good deal of empirical evidence that these processes play a strong role in school children's ability to learn and express theoretical knowledge that does not require conceptual change. In this project, however, they are testing the hypothesis that executive function also underlies the ability to achieve conceptual change.

"For cognitive change, one needs to 'think outside the box,' look at things differently from the way one had been looking at them," says Adele Diamond, one of the founders of the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience and an expert on executive function. "To get to that point, it helps to be able to try out different perspectives and experiment with looking at things this way and that.

"Playing with ideas, relating things in new ways relies heavily on working memory," she says referencing one component of executive function examined in Carey's and Zaitchik's research project. Additionally, "to think in new ways, to see things in new ways, one needs to inhibit old ways of seeing things, old habits," she notes referencing inhibitory control, which the project leaders are also examining.

Diamond is an outside project observer at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she is the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience within the Psychiatry Department there.

Work by Diamond and her colleagues provides a backdrop for Carey's and Zaitchik's approach. In pioneering research, Diamond found school activities in early childhood--including play--could improve children's executive function and better their performance on standard academic testing. Her research also shows executive function can be improved in 4-5 year olds, ages that some researchers had thought was too early to try to improve executive function.

Carey and Zaitchik are conducting several experiments that explore how executive function relates to conceptual change. They are interested in exploring the possibility that providing training to enhance executive function can also facilitate conceptual change. They are also exploring whether diminished executive functioning might explain science and math difficulties in children at risk for school failure. (For more information on these studies see the article titled "Unlocking the secrets of children's complex thinking: the studies")

They are testing the hypothesis that executive function underlies the ability to achieve conceptual change in two very different groups. The first group is children who are engaged in new learning of specific science and math theories. The second group is healthy elderly adults who, despite decades of experience holding and using the theories involved, nonetheless make many of the same errors in reasoning that children do.

"This work has the potential to support and promote executive function in children in ways that will have broad and deep impacts on their learning and achievement," says Laura Namy, Developmental and Learning Sciences program director at NSF, pinning the research to important child development priorities.

Moreover, the research could have far-reaching importance to populations with particularly weak executive function, such as children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a population also studied in the project, as well as disadvantaged children, aging adults and patients with Alzheimer's disease.

"That executive function enhancement can directly impact a mental process so far downstream as conceptual reasoning is potentially extraordinarily transformative," says Namy. "It implies that a relatively straightforward intervention, such as executive function training, has the potential to ‘level the playing field' for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, for those with attention deficits and those experiencing age- and disease-related cognitive decline."

The relationship between executive function and conceptual change appears to be powerful, she says. "The goal of this investigation is to begin to discover why."

-- Bobbie Mixon, (
Investigators
Susan Carey
Deborah Zaitchik
Related Institutions/Organizations
Harvard University
Related Programs
Developmental and Learning Sciences
Related Awards
#1247396 INSPIRE: Executive Function and Conceptual Change
Years Research Conducted
2012 - 2017

Total Grants
$799,862

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY IN CASE INVOLVING ILLEGAL MOUNTAIN LION AND BOBCAT HUNTS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, August 15, 2014
Big Game Hunting Outfitter Pleads Guilty to Felony Conspiracy Charge in Connection with Illegal Mountain Lion and Bobcat Hunting Activities

Christopher W. Loncarich, 55, of Mack, Colorado, pleaded guilty in federal court in Denver to a felony conspiracy charge stemming from his sale of outfitting services for illegal mountain lion and bobcat hunts in Colorado and Utah, the Justice Department announced.

Loncarich pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act.   The Lacey Act is a federal law that makes it illegal to knowingly transport or sell in interstate commerce any wildlife that has been taken or possessed in violation of state laws or regulations.

According to an indictment returned by the grand jury for the District of Colorado on Jan. 7, 2014, and the plea agreement, Loncarich conspired with others to provide numerous illegal hunts of mountain lions and bobcats in Colorado and Utah from 2007 to 2010.   In particular, Loncarich and his confederates trapped, shot and caged mountain lions and bobcats prior to hunts in order to provide easier chases of the cats for clients.   Loncarich also admits that he and his assistants guided several hunters that did not possess a Utah mountain lion or bobcat license on mountain lion or bobcat hunts in Utah.   Loncarich’s base of operations in Mack, Colorado, is approximately five miles from the Utah-Colorado border.   Loncarich sold mountain lion hunts for between $3,500 and $7,500 and bobcat hunts for between $700 and $1,500 and shared a portion of the proceeds from successful hunts with his assistant guides.

Three of Loncarich’s assistant guides have previously pleaded guilty to Lacey Act violations in connection with their guiding activities with Loncarich.   On July 30, 2014, Loncarich’s lead assistant guide, Nicholaus J. Rodgers, pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act in connection with his work for Loncarich.

The maximum penalty for conspiring to violate the Lacey Act is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.   Under the terms of the plea agreement, the prosecution agreed to a sentencing calculation pursuant to the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines but did not agree on a term of imprisonment, an amount of fines or an amount of restitution.   A sentencing hearing for Loncarich is set for Nov. 20, 2014.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.   The case is being prosecuted by the Environmental Crimes Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

U.S. ATTACKS CONTINUE IN IRAQ NEAR MOSUL DAM

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL Near Mosul Dam

From a U.S. Central Command News Release

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2014 – U.S. Central Command forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Iraq today near the Mosul Dam using a mix of fighter, bomber, attack and remotely piloted aircraft.

Centcom conducted these strikes under authority to support humanitarian efforts in Iraq, as well as to protect critical infrastructure, U.S. personnel and facilities, and support Iraqi security forces and Kurdish defense forces who are working together to combat ISIL.

The 14 strikes conducted on Sunday in Iraq damaged or destroyed ten ISIL armed vehicles, seven ISIL Humvees, two ISIL armored personnel carriers and one ISIL checkpoint. These strikes are in addition to the nine U.S. airstrikes announced yesterday by Centcom.

All aircraft exited the strike areas safely.

NASA VIDEO: CARBON OBSERVATORY'S FIRST DATA ON THIS WEEK @NASA

PRESIDENT OBAMA PARTICIPATES IN THE U.S.-AFRICA LEADERS SUMMIT SESSION

DOJ, LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT REACH AGREEMENT TO PROTECT BAR CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, August 15, 2014

Department of Justice Reaches Agreement with the Louisiana Supreme Court to Protect Bar Candidates with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Louisiana Supreme Court that will resolve the department’s investigation of the court’s policies, practices and procedures for evaluating bar applicants with mental health disabilities.  The department’s investigation found that during the Louisiana bar admissions process licensing entities based recommendations about bar admission on mental health diagnosis and treatment rather than conduct that would warrant denial of admission to the bar.

The settlement agreement ensures the right of qualified bar applicants with mental health disabilities to have equal access to the legal profession as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  It prohibits the court from asking unnecessary and intrusive questions about bar applicants’ mental health diagnosis or treatment.  It also requires the court to refrain from imposing unnecessary and burdensome conditions on bar applicants with mental health disabilities, such as requests for medical records, compulsory medical examinations or onerous monitoring and reporting requirements.  Title II of the ADA prohibits public entities, including licensing entities, from imposing unnecessary eligibility criteria that tend to screen out individuals with disabilities, or imposing unnecessary burdens on individuals with disabilities that are not imposed on others.

The department found that diagnosis and treatment, without problematic conduct, did not effectively predict future misconduct as an attorney and did not justify restrictions on admission.  Yet the Louisiana bar admissions process imposed unnecessary burdens on applicants and attorneys based on their diagnosis and treatment, in violation of the ADA.  Questions about mental health diagnosis and treatment, such as those used by Louisiana, are counterproductive to licensing entities’ interest in attorney fitness because individuals who would benefit from mental health treatment may be deterred from obtaining it by the knowledge that they will have to disclose their treatment to licensing authorities.

“Today’s agreement will ensure that qualified bar applicants with mental health disabilities are able to pursue their dream of becoming licensed attorneys, without discrimination based on diagnosis or treatment,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division.  “Qualified individuals with disabilities, including mental health disabilities, have valuable contributions to make to the legal profession and to their communities.  Their diagnosis should not hinder or prevent them from doing so.  Though bar licensing entities have the important responsibility of ensuring that all licensed attorneys are fit to practice law, licensing entities must discharge this responsibility in a manner that is consistent with civil rights laws.”

“This agreement is a testament to the United States Department of Justice’s commitment to fighting discrimination against persons with disabilities and further ensures that qualified individuals will have the opportunity to pursue their career goals and make valuable contributions to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite Jr. for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  “The cooperation between the parties in reaching this agreement demonstrates a shared priority of protecting against discrimination.”

Under the agreement, the court will, among other actions:

•                           Revise its character and fitness screening questions so that they focus on applicants’ conduct or behavior, and ask about an applicant’s condition or impairment only when it currently affects the applicant’s ability to practice law in a competent, ethical and professional manner or is disclosed to explain conduct that may otherwise warrant denial of admission;

•                           Refrain from imposing unnecessary burdens on applicants with mental health disabilities by placing onerous disability-based conditions on their admission, invading their privacy, or violating their confidentiality;

•                           Re-evaluate prior and pending applications of applicants who disclosed mental health disabilities under the revised, non-discriminatory procedures set forth in the agreement; and

•                           Pay $200,000 to compensate a number of affected bar applicants and attorneys.

Since the department’s letter of findings concluding that the court was in violation of Title II of the ADA was issued in February, the court has worked cooperatively with the department to negotiate an agreement and to implement corrective measures.

The department has also raised issues about unnecessary bar application questions related to mental health disabilities with the states of Vermont and Connecticut and with the National Council of Bar Examiners (NCBE).  The NCBE revised two of its questions about mental health on February 24, 2014.

ROSE GOTTEMOELLER'S REMARKS AT ANNUAL DETERRENCE SYMPOSIUM

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Remarks at the Annual Deterrence Symposium

Remarks

Rose Gottemoeller

Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security 

U.S. Strategic Command

Omaha, Nebraska

August 14, 2014

---

Thank you for that kind introduction. I am always honored to be a speaker here at the Annual Deterrence Symposium and of course, I am glad to be here at the invitation of Admiral Cecil Haney. Turn about is fair play: The Admiral gave a great speech at my invitation last month in Washington to a group of young people on the threshold of their careers. More on that later. Thank you, Admiral, for all you do for this nation.

While we are gathered here today in Omaha, the world is facing serious challenges: The threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty and Russia’s flagrant disregard for international law, the continuing conflicts in the Middle East, a dangerous Ebola outbreak in West Africa. It goes without saying that most people are not focused on nuclear weapons or nuclear deterrence. But we all know that we have important work to do and we do it. My admiration for this community, in and out of uniform, knows no bounds. We are ready to work. That is the theme I’m striking today: We who focus on the foundation of our nation’s nuclear deterrent are ready to work.
Strategic stability is the cornerstone of American national security, but as all of you know, it is not a static state of being. Threats to strategic stability can surface quickly and it is incumbent upon all of us to recognize those threats, anticipate them when we can, and make moves to counter them. We must be prepared for the unpredictable, and constantly on the look-out so that we see threats emerging while they are still over the horizon. My role as a diplomat is different from your roles on the military side, but our goals are no different. As President Obama said five years ago in Prague, as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will maintain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear arsenal. And that is as we seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.

Violation of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)

One threat to strategic stability has made news in the last month. As you all know, the Department of State recently delivered the Annual Arms Control Compliance Report to Congress with the determination that the Russian Federation is in violation of its INF Treaty obligations not to possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles.
We have been attempting to address this very serious matter with Russia for some time, as the United States is wholly committed to the continued viability of the INF Treaty. We are asking Russia to return to compliance with the Treaty in a verifiable manner.

This groundbreaking treaty serves the mutual security interests of the parties – not only the United States and Russia, but also the 11 other states bound by its obligations. Moreover, this Treaty contributes to the security of our allies and to regional security in Europe and in the Far East.

When we notified Russia of our determination of a violation, we made it clear that we are prepared to discuss this in a senior-level bilateral dialogue immediately. We hope that this dialogue begins soon, with the goal that Russia return to compliance with its obligations under the Treaty.

There is an expert debate in Russia about its nuclear modernization programs and about the contribution of the INF Treaty to Russia’s security. It is important for Russia to take into account that no military decisions happen in a vacuum. Actions beget actions. Our countries have been down the road of needless, costly and destabilizing arms races. We know where that road leads and we are fortunate that our past leaders had the wisdom and strength to turn us in a new direction. Let us hope that debate in and out of the government leads to a decision to return Russia to compliance with all of its international obligations.

New START and Future Reductions

Despite our serious concerns about Russia’s violation of the INF Treaty, we believe that the New START Treaty is in the national security interest of the United States. The New START Treaty enhances our national security and strategic stability with Russia and both the United States and Russia are implementing the Treaty’s inspection regime.

Current tensions with Russia highlight the importance of both the verification and confidence provided by data exchanges and on-site inspections under the Treaty, and the security and predictability provided by verifiable mutual limits on strategic weapons. We take questions about compliance with arms control treaties very seriously and are closely monitoring Russian compliance with the New START Treaty. We assess that Russia is implementing and complying with the New START Treaty, and that the Treaty remains in our national security interest. The mutual predictability this gives to the U.S.-Russia relationship increases stability, especially during difficult times such as now.

With respect to future agreements, the United States will only pursue agreements that are in our national security interest and that of our allies. The offer that President Obama made in Berlin one year ago, of an up to one-third reduction in operationally deployed warheads beyond the New START limits, is a sound one, and worthy of serious consideration. We will continue to be open to discussion of agreements that would reduce nuclear and other military threats. Of course, we know that the situation is different than it was four years ago, four months ago, four weeks ago.

But cooperation in the arms control realm has been an important facet of strategic stability over the past forty years and it should remain so in the future. Moreover, we need nuclear cooperation with Russia and others to address new threats, first and foremost the risk that terrorists could acquire a nuclear weapon or the fissile materials needed to make one. We will continue to pursue arms control and nonproliferation tools, because they are the best - and quite frankly - the only path that we can take to effectively prevent a terrorist nuclear threat and reduce nuclear dangers more broadly.

The United States has taken steps to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy. We have clearly stated that it is in the U.S. interest, and that of all other nations, that the nearly 70-year record of non-use of nuclear weapons be extended forever.
We are taking time now to prepare the ground for the future. That includes more research into how we incorporate new technologies and innovations into verification and monitoring. We can also shape, maintain, and improve strategic stability through a variety of bilateral and multilateral dialogues, including in the Track 1.5 and Track 2 realms. These engagements reduce the potential for misunderstanding and provide the basis for future agreement and cooperation.

Multilateral agreements like a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) can also enhance global stability. The United States will continue to push for the commencement of negotiations on such an agreement.

And we are working to expand our public outreach and educational efforts on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. As stated in the April 2010 U.S. Nuclear Posture Review: “Ratification of the CTBT is central to leading other nuclear weapons states toward a world of diminished reliance on nuclear weapons, reduced nuclear competition, and eventual nuclear disarmament.”

As we consider arms control and nonproliferation priorities, we will continue to consult closely with our allies and partners every step of the way. Our security and defense – and theirs – is non-negotiable.

Conventional Deterrence Tools

While nuclear deterrence is and will remain an important part of protecting our nation and our allies, we must also make full use of our non-nuclear capabilities – that includes regional and homeland missile defenses, security cooperation, assurances and conventional arms control.
Of course, the Russian Federation’s challenge to the security of Europe and Ukraine’s territorial integrity has to be factored into our work to modernize conventional arms control.
First and foremost, we need to make the best use of the regimes currently in place. The Vienna Document 2011 and the Open Skies Treaty, which are part of the conventional arms control regime in Europe, are vital tools to maintain stability and have provided transparency about military activities in and around Ukraine.

Second, we must consider our options for the future. We will continue the process of modernizing the Open Skies Treaty, including the upgrade to digital sensors to replace obsolescent film cameras.

With regard to the Vienna Document mechanisms, it is clear to us that there is room to improve provisions for notification of military activity and risk reduction, among other issues. Moving forward, the United States will work with others to update the Vienna Document in a way that builds on our recent experiences. NATO will also continue its review of the future of conventional arms control in Europe. We recognize that now is not the time to engage Russia on this, but we need to be thinking now about how in the future a revitalization of conventional arms control in Europe could contribute to improving mutual security in the Euro-Atlantic region.
Of course, we are not without good examples to follow. We can and will benefit from the experience of the so-called Dayton Article IV states. Eighteen years ago, these states in the Western Balkans were emerging from years of bloody conflict. Through hard work, they established military stability and security, despite a range of differences.

The architects of Dayton created a comprehensive arms control agreement that led to significant reductions in heavy weapons and equipment in just six months. Without as much as a breather, the states involved then turned their efforts to the harder step of fulfilling the obligations laid out in the Agreement, to sustain disengagement of military forces and create a stable security environment for all. The Dayton Article IV experience is a testament to what can be achieved through conventional arms control measures at a time when they are being sorely tested elsewhere in Europe.

Space and Cyber Deterrence

In addition to fully realizing the potential of conventional deterrence, we must make sure that we are ahead of the curve on space and cyber issues. I know this was the subject of a panel yesterday and rightly so - it is critical that we identify ways to stabilize behavior in both realms.
My colleague, Deputy Assistant Secretary Frank Rose spoke about strategic stability in space yesterday, highlighting the point that it is essential that all nations work together to adopt approaches for responsible activity in space in order to preserve this domain for future generations. China’s recent irresponsible and provocative ASAT test accentuates the importance of these efforts. Russia’s pursuit of anti-satellite weapons is also a matter of concern. Destabilizing actions like these threaten the long-term security and sustainability of the outer space environment.

In the cyber realm, the Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues, led by Chris Painter, is leading our efforts to promote an open, secure, and reliable information and communications infrastructure that supports international trade and innovation, strengthens international security, and fosters free expression.

As we move forward, we should continue to cooperate and coordinate both internally and with our friends and allies. Such efforts as the UN Group of Government Experts that convened last month will continue to enhance our common understanding of the ways in which international law is essential to maintaining peace and stability in cyberspace. Cyberspace can be the source of both great societal advances and significant threats. There is no doubt that domain will only remain stable through our collective efforts.

Deterrence in the Future

Of course, you know all of this - all of what we have been talking about - is moot if we don’t attract the next generation to nuclear policy jobs. As I said at the outset, this community is ready to work, but we can’t work forever. We have some recruiting to do. Frank Klotz struck this same note this morning: we need to bring the next generation into the nuclear deterrence enterprise.
That is why I was so pleased that Admiral Haney was able to join the Department of State’s 5th Annual Generation Prague Conference that was focused on engagement with the next generation of nuclear experts. It is one piece of ongoing efforts, but it is not enough. We need to be actively recruiting political scientists, lawyers, physicists, geologists, engineers, and more, if we want to make sure that this essential part of national security will be supported as long as it needs to be.

In closing, I want to leave you with a thought.

History has shown us that when faced with obstacles, we always have several paths. When it comes to our current situation with the Russian Federation, I, for one, want to follow the path that President Reagan took, the path that President George H.W. Bush took. When confronted with a difficult and sometimes unpredictable partner in the Soviet Union, they did not take their ball and go home. They did not let strategic stability become a political punching bag. They set about the hard task of building up strategic stability through arms control treaties and agreements, and they succeeded in making this world a safer place. They worked hard, and achieved much.

So let’s leave Omaha ready to work. In the world of nuclear stability and deterrence, there is much to do.

Thank you.

FORMER OWNER L.A. MEDICAL CLINIC MANAGEMENT COMPANY PLEADS GUILTY IN MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, August 15, 2014

Former Owner of Los Angeles Medical Clinic Management Company Pleads Guilty in $3.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The former owner of a Los Angeles medical clinic management company pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Yonekura of the Central District of California and Assistant Director in Charge Bill L. Lewis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.

Mihran “Mike” Meguerian, 37, of Glendale, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beverly R. O’Connell in the Central District of California to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

According to court documents, Meguerian owned Med Serve Management (Med Serve), a medical clinic management company located in Van Nuys, California.   Meguerian admitted that from approximately July 2008 through February 2009, he engaged in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in part through the operation of Med Serve.   Meguerian admitted that he oversaw medical clinics that wrote prescriptions for medically unnecessary power wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment (DME).   Meguerian and his co-conspirators then sold the prescriptions to DME supply companies, knowing that the prescriptions were fraudulent.   The DME supply companies submitted the fraudulent prescriptions to Medicare in false and fraudulent claims.

From approximately July 2008 through February 2009, DME supply companies submitted approximately $3,367,661 in fraudulent claims to Medicare using fraudulent prescriptions from Meguerian’s clinics, and Medicare paid approximately $1,438,760 for those claims.   Meguerian’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 17, 2014.

This case was investigated by the FBI and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.   This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Fred Medick and Blanca Quintero of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,900 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program more than $6 billion.  In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

U.S. SENDS BEST WISHES TO INDONESIAN PEOPLE ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Indonesia's Independence Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 15, 2014

---

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the Indonesian people on the 69th anniversary of your independence this August 17.
Indonesia’s thriving democracy and dynamic regional and global leadership are critical to the Asia Pacific and the world. Our Comprehensive Partnership, inaugurated four years ago when President Obama traveled to Indonesia, has produced opportunities for closer cooperation on a wide-range of issues, such as education, security, climate change, energy, and trade. During my last two trips to Indonesia I saw this cooperation first hand, with our two governments and people working together to solve some of the world’s most intractable challenges.
I look forward to building even closer ties between our governments, civil society and people, and continuing our important work together promoting peace, prosperity, and democracy around the world.

I wish all Indonesians a safe and joyous celebration.

U.S. INTERIOR DEPARTMENT VIDEO: THIS WEEK AT INTERIOR AUGUST 15, 2014

Weekly Address: Everyone Should Be Able to Afford Higher Education

CHANDRA PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO CAUSE OF NEARBY SUPERNOVA

FROM:  NASA 

New data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has provided stringent constraints on the environment around one of the closest supernovas discovered in decades. The Chandra results provide insight into possible cause of the explosion, as described in our press release.   On January 21, 2014, astronomers witnessed a supernova soon after it exploded in the Messier 82, or M82, galaxy. Telescopes across the globe and in space turned their attention to study this newly exploded star, including Chandra.  Astronomers determined that this supernova, dubbed SN 2014J, belongs to a class of explosions called “Type Ia” supernovas. These supernovas are used as cosmic distance-markers and played a key role in the discovery of the Universe’s accelerated expansion, which has been attributed to the effects of dark energy.  Scientists think that all Type Ia supernovas involve the detonation of a white dwarf. One important question is whether the fuse on the explosion is lit when the white dwarf pulls too much material from a companion star like the Sun, or when two white dwarf stars merge.  

 This image contains Chandra data, where low, medium, and high-energy X-rays are red, green, and blue respectively. The boxes in the bottom of the image show close-up views of the region around the supernova in data taken prior to the explosion (left), as well as data gathered on February 3, 2014, after the supernova went off (right).  The lack  of the detection of X-rays detected by Chandra is an important clue for astronomers looking for the exact mechanism of how this star exploded.   The non-detection of X-rays reveals that the region around the site of the supernova explosion is relatively devoid of material. This finding is a critical clue to the origin of the explosion. Astronomers expect that if a white dwarf exploded because it had been steadily collecting matter from a companion star prior to exploding, the mass transfer process would not be 100% efficient, and the white dwarf would be immersed in a cloud of gas.   If a significant amount of material were surrounding the doomed star, the blast wave generated by the supernova would have struck it by the time of the Chandra observation, producing a bright X-ray source. Since they do not detect any X-rays, the researchers determined that the region around SN 2014J is exceptionally clean.

 A viable candidate for the cause of SN 2014J must explain the relatively gas-free environment around the star prior to the explosion.  One possibility is the merger of two white dwarf stars, in which case there might have been little mass transfer and pollution of the environment before the explosion. Another is that several smaller eruptions on the surface of the white dwarf cleared the region prior to the supernova.  Further observations a few hundred days after the explosion could shed light on the amount of gas in a larger volume, and help decide between these and other scenarios.   A paper describing these results was published in the July 20 issue of The Astrophysical Journal and is available online. The first author is Raffaella Margutti from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, MA, and the co-authors are Jerod Parrent (CfA), Atish Kamble (CfA), Alicia Soderberg (CfA), Ryan Foley (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Dan Milisavljevic (CfA), Maria Drout (CfA), and Robert Kirshner (CfA). Image Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/R.Margutti et al.