PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS ON THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON PUBLIC HEALTH

PRESIDENT OBAMA GIVES NOTICE OF CONTINUATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SOMALIA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
April 08, 2015
Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Somalia
NOTICE
- - - - - - -
CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH
RESPECT TO SOMALIA

On April 12, 2010, by Executive Order 13536, I declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, which have repeatedly been the subject of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and violations of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council.

On July 20, 2012, I issued Executive Order 13620 to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536 in view of United Nations Security CouncilResolution 2036 of February 22, 2012, and Resolution 2002 of July 29, 2011, and to address:  exports of charcoal from Somalia, which generate significant revenue for al-Shabaab; the misappropriation of Somali public assets; and certain acts of violence committed against civilians in Somalia, all of which contribute to the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia.

Because the situation with respect to Somalia continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on April 12, 2010, and the measures adopted on that date and on July 20, 2012, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond April 12, 2015.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

FORMER GAMBLING SUPPLY STORE OWNER PLEADS GUILTY IN CASE INVOLVING ILLEGAL GAMBLING AND CHARITY

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Former Owner of Ohio Gambling Supplies Store Pleads Guilty to Gambling, Tax and Obstruction Offenses

The former co-owner of R&J Partnership Ltd. doing business as Reece’s Las Vegas Supply (RLVS), a gambling supplies store located in Dayton, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and operating an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to defraud the United States and witness tampering.  The charges were part of an indictment unsealed on Sept. 26, 2014, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

The other defendants charged in the indictment, including Douglas A. Sanders, Jason S. Pulaski, Michael E. Gedeon, Jennifer Williams and Walter F. Dyer, previously pleaded guilty to illegal gambling and obstruction of justice offenses.

According to the indictment and the statement of facts as part of the plea agreement, between February 2004 and May 2011, Reece Powers II oversaw the recruitment of local 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organizations to sponsor poker fundraisers that included casino-like card games.  Powers entered into arrangements with the charitable organizations to control all of the funds generated from the poker fundraisers.

These poker fundraisers were exempted from the general prohibition against games of chance under then-existing Ohio laws, subject to the requirement that all the funds received from the games of chance, after deducting only prizes paid out and necessary expenses sanctioned under law, be transferred to the charitable organization for their sole benefit and use.  Powers, with the help of his co-conspirators, took a portion of the money generated from the poker fundraisers and used those funds to pay the events’ workers, among other things, in violation of Ohio law and federal gambling laws.

Powers provided false accountings to the charitable organizations of the funds received from the events and skimmed a portion of the money.  Powers either supervised or personally distributed illegal cash payments to his co-conspirators and employees who worked as card dealers, cashiers, chip sellers, pit bosses, tournament directors and managers.  Powers and his co-conspirators also falsely held themselves out as uncompensated volunteers at the poker fundraisers.

In 2009, Powers and Allen Beck, a former business broker, conspired to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in attempting to sell RLVS.  Beck previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge.  In an effort by Powers to evade taxes, Powers and Beck arranged the sale to make it appear as if the business and its associated real estate was sold for an amount less than its actual sale price.

In February 2010, Powers also tampered with a witness testifying before a federal grand jury by instructing the witness to testify falsely that the witness and other RLVS staffers did not get paid for working at the poker fundraisers.  Previously, Pulaski, Gedeon, Williams and Dyer each pleaded guilty to committing obstruction of justice by falsely testifying before a federal grand jury that they were uncompensated volunteers at the poker fundraisers.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Black of the Southern District of Ohio did not schedule a sentencing date.  Powers faces a statutory maximum sentence of 35 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant Chief Jorge Almonte and Trial Attorneys Christopher P. O’Donnell and Austin F. Furman of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.  Ciraolo also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Ohio for their substantial assistance.

NORAD, NORTHCOM COMMANDER BRIEFS REPORTERS ON HOMELAND DEFENSE

FROM:   U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Navy Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, briefs reporters at the Pentagon, April 7, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.  

NORTHCOM, NORAD Strengthen Homeland Defense, Says Commander
By Amaani Lyle
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2015 – Four months into his tenure as leader of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Navy Adm. Bill Gortney conducted a Pentagon press briefing today on priority efforts in homeland defense.

Currently the Defense Department’s only bilateral command, 58-year-old NORAD brings Americans and Canadians together, Gortney said. NORAD works in tandem with Northcom, established in 2002, to protect the homeland from external threats as well as respond to natural disasters, homeland extremists and cyberattacks, he explained.

“[The mission set] encompasses the traditional NORAD role of air defense, as well as … maritime warning,” Gortney said.

Northcom, the admiral noted, rounds out the mission set with its maritime defense and control elements and includes Operation Noble Eagle, U.S.-Canadian homeland security operations that have been ongoing since just after 9/11.

The commands’ responsibilities also include homeland ballistic missile defense and countering transnational criminal networks to thwart smugglers or others who engage in nefarious activity, he said.

Federal military forces provide defense support of civil authorities, which Gortney said has expansive functions across myriad mission requirements.

“Many people think [that support] involves Hurricane Katrina or Super Storm Sandy, an earthquake or a flood, but it encompasses much more than that,” the admiral said. “It’s helping our interagency … and law enforcement partners, predominantly homeland security, in their particular missions.”

Importance of Homeland Partnerships

Gortney described homeland partnerships as NORAD’s and Northcom’s “center of gravity,” with not only a large interagency and law enforcement presence, but some 60 senior federal and senior executive service employees whose tasks cross mission sets.

NORAD and Northcom, he added, also work with governors, the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, and the functional and geographic combatant commands. “[They all work] together to close those seams that the enemy will try and exploit to get after us,” Gortney said.

International Partnerships

Gortney said that as the unified command plan directs, his people emphasize international partnerships with Canada, the Bahamas and Mexico to assess and solve shared problems.

DoD is also “the advocate of the arctic,” Gortney said, adding that he and his team are working to better define roles and doctrine by determining operational requirements, necessary investments and partnerships that will best inform DoD plans for the region.

Focus on Professionalism, Warfighters, Families

Along with professionalism and excellence, which Gortney described as full-time jobs, he told reporters NORAD and Northcom’s people focus on warfighters and their families.

“We rely on those who wear the cloth of our nation to defend our nation,” Gortney said. “It’s both an away game and a near game, and our families are the very stitches that hold [it] together.”

SEC CHARGES 12 COMPANIES, 6 INDIVIDUALS FOR ROLES IN ALLEGED FRAUD SCHEME INVOLVING CELLULAR SPECTRUM LICENSES

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
04/06/2015 02:40 PM EDT

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged 12 companies and six individuals with defrauding investors in a scheme involving applications to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for cellular spectrum licenses.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal district court in Arizona, David Alcorn and Kent Maerki orchestrated the offering fraud through Janus Spectrum LLC, a Glendale, Ariz.-based company they founded and managed.  Janus Spectrum held itself out as a service provider that prepares cellular spectrum license applications on behalf of third parties.  The complaint alleges that although Alcorn and Maerki had third parties offer and sell securities based on the licenses to investors, they were personally involved in presentations to investors and Maerki appeared in misleading videos, including one called “Money from Thin Air.”

The SEC alleges that investors in the scheme were promised potentially lucrative returns based on Janus Spectrum obtaining FCC licenses in the Expansion Band and Guard Band portions of the 800 megahertz (MHz) band.  Janus Spectrum and the fundraising entities claimed that investors could profit because Sprint and other major wireless carriers needed licenses in this spectrum.  In fact, the value of the licenses was small because this spectrum cannot support cellular systems and is generally used for “push-to-talk” services for local law enforcement or businesses like pizza delivery companies that require less bandwidth.

“Janus Spectrum and its fundraising entities allegedly engaged in the unregistered offer and sale of securities in violation of the federal securities laws and repeatedly lied to investors regarding the value and use of the FCC licenses,” said Michele W. Layne, Director of the SEC’s Los Angeles Regional Office.

The SEC’s complaint alleges that the scheme raised more than $12.4 million from investors from May 2012 to October 2014.  The fundraising entities funneled a significant percentage of the investors’ funds to Janus Spectrum, which used only a small portion to prepare applications for FCC licenses.  The complaint alleges that instead, all of the individuals in the scheme kept a significant portion of investor funds for personal use.

Four individuals and 11 companies were named as fundraising entities:

Daryl G. Bank of Port St. Lucie, Fla., and his companies Dominion Private Client Group LLC, Janus Spectrum Group LLC, Spectrum Management LLC, Spectrum 100 LLC, Spectrum 100 Management LLC, Prime Spectrum LLC and Prime Spectrum Management LLC all based in Virginia Beach, Va.
Bobby D. Jones of Phoenix and his company Premier Spectrum Group PMA, a Texas private membership association based in Phoenix.
Terry W. Johnson of Heath, Texas and Raymon G. Chadwick Jr. of Grand Prairie, Texas and their companies Innovative Group PMA, Premier Group PMA and Prosperity Group PMA, Texas private membership associations based in Grand Prairie, Texas or Heath, Texas.
As alleged in the SEC’s complaint, in conducting this fraudulent scheme and lying to investors, Janus Spectrum, Alcorn, Maerki, Bank, Jones, Johnson, Chadwick, and the fundraising entities violated the antifraud provisions and the securities registration provisions of the federal securities laws, and Janus Spectrum and all six individuals violated the broker-dealer registration provisions.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Sana Muttalib and Lorraine Pearson and supervised by Victoria A. Levin of the Los Angeles office.  The litigation will be handled by Sam Puathasnanon.  The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Texas State Securities Board and the Federal Communications Commission.

USING 3-D DIGITAL LASER MICROSCOPY TO RECOVER DATA FROM DAMAGED OPTICAL MEDIA

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Restoring lost data

Researchers developing 3-D digital laser microscopy to create visual roadmap
It can be disheartening to learn that something precious, such as a one-of-a-kind family photo, has disappeared from a scratched or broken CD or DVD. It also can become serious, dangerous and potentially costly if it happens to a disc containing criminal forensic evidence, corporate records or scientific data.

But there may be a way in the future to bring the material back.

Optical media, that is, CDs and DVDs, have been in widespread use for the past two decades, and burners are in many homes and elsewhere, making it possible for consumers to create any number of their own personal discs. But the products have not turned out to be as durable as originally believed, a situation that can turn tragic if a disc containing the only available copy of important material has become damaged.

Although still a work-in-progress, researchers have developed a process with the potential to restore much of what was thought to be lost.

"While we haven't solved all of the challenges necessary for efficient data recovery from damaged optical media, we have moved forward in terms of refining what is possible," says Greg Gogolin, a professor of information security and intelligence at Michigan's Ferris State University, stressing that the work of his team at this point was aimed solely at demonstrating "proof of concept."

Equally important, the development of new security techniques to ensure that data is unrecoverable, similar to advances that now prevent the retrieval of information on destroyed paper documents.

"A common way to destroy a paper document used to be to burn it," Gogolin says. "Forensic techniques, however, were developed that allowed for the recovery of information that was on a burned document. Document destruction techniques were then improved."

The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded researcher, in collaboration with colleagues James Jones, associate professor in the computer forensics program at George Mason University; Charles Bacon, a Ferris professor of physical science; Tracey Boncher, a Ferris associate professor of pharmacy; and Derek Brower, a Ferris graduate student at the time of the research, theorized that using three-dimensional digital laser microscopy to capture 3-D image of the disc could provide a visual roadmap of the data. This and a special computer algorithm capable of recognizing its patterns then could aid in recovering the vast majority of it.

"If a disc is broken in half, you've still got 99 percent of the data still there," Gogolin says. "The media is quite elastic and the data is pretty much intact up to the cut line. There is, of course, a region that is destroyed near where the disc has been cut. But for most part, you didn't destroy the data, you just made it unreadable because you can't spin the disc."

The researchers, funded by a $356,318 grant awarded in 2011 from NSF's Division of Computer and Network Systems, tested their idea by breaking a disc, putting it together and taking a picture of it using the high-powered 3-D digital laser microscope.

"It was like sticking it into a kind of copy machine," Gogolin says. "There are patterns to represent the data, that is, the different letters." After determining the data patterns, "we then read them with a computer program to determine what data was on the disc."

At this early stage of development, the computer program the scientists wrote contains and recognizes only simple alphabetic encoding.

But, "there are many different types of data that could be on there, including letters, numbers and special characters," he says. "There is a huge range of possible data elements, and we don't have recognition set up for all of them, only for a subset, part of the alphabet."

The ultimate goal is "to expand the capabilities of the recovery program to be able to recognize all the different types of data and encoding that could be present on an optical disc," he adds, stressing that big hurdles remain. "It's a huge deal in that there are many different combinations and variations of data that make it a significant challenge to be able to recognize everything that would be on an optical disc. You can have different types of discs and Blu Ray discs. Different manufacturers use different inks. You could have encryption. There are a lot of variables."

Also, the larger the file, the more difficult the recovery, he says.

"If it's a small file, the chances of recovering it are much better than if it's a large file, because the chances of the file running into that ‘destruction zone' are greater," he says. "If you need a complete file to affect the recovery, and it's a large file, it becomes a bigger issue."

The researchers now are trying to decide if they want to test their ideas on other types of memory, such as flash drives "like that in your phone," he says, or solid state drives, rather than hard drives. "That's where everything is going," he says. "Would time be better spent trying to perfect a way to recover material from a flash or finishing what is needed for optical?"

The team is a long way from making the process widely available. Nevertheless, "we wanted to prove the concept that it could be done, so that every time you see a broken disc, you won't necessarily think, 'oh, it's lost forever,"' Gogolin says.

-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Investigators
Greg Gogolin
James Jones
Charles Bacon
Tracey Boncher
Barbara Ciaramitaro
Related Institutions/Organizations
Ferris State University

COMPANY AND PARENT MUST PAY OVER $16 MILLION FOR ALLEGEDLY USING FAKE NEWS SITES TO PROMOTE DIET PILLS

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

Federal Court Rules Affiliate Marketing Network and its Parent Company Must Turn Over $16 Million They Received From Deceptive Marketing Scheme
FTC and State of Connecticut Charged LeadClick Media with Operating A Network That Used Fake News Sites to Promote Diet Pills

A U.S. district court has ruled that LeadClick Media, an affiliate marketing network, and its parent company, CoreLogic, Inc., must turn over $16 million in ill-gotten gains they received from a deceptive marketing scheme that sold purported weight-loss products.

In granting the FTC’s request for summary judgment, the court ruled that LeadClick was responsible for the false claims made by affiliate marketers it recruited on behalf of LeanSpa, LLC, a company that sold acai berry and “colon cleanse” weight-loss products. According to the FTC’s Complaint, LeanSpa used a “free trial” ploy to enroll consumers into its recurring purchase program that cost $79.99 a month and that was difficult to cancel.

LeadClick’s network lured consumers to LeanSpa’s online store through fake news websites designed to trick consumers into believing that independent news outlets and independent customers, rather than paid advertisers, had reviewed and endorsed LeanSpa’s products.

“This ruling is good news because it takes ill-gotten gains out of the hands of companies who knew they were promoting a scam and gives them back to the consumers who lost millions of dollars,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “It also makes clear that a parent company cannot retain ill-gotten gains of its subsidiaries.”

The FTC’s case dates back to December 2011, when the Commission and the State of Connecticut first sued LeanSpa and its principal, Boris Mizhen. In January 2014, the FTC and the State of Connecticut settled with LeanSpa and Mizhen, who agreed to stop their deceptive practices and surrender assets for redress to consumers.

In the summary judgment ruling, the court held that the fake news sites developed by LeadClick’s affiliates deceived consumers by using real news organization names and logos along with purported testimonials from users of LeanSpa’s products. In finding LeadClick responsible for the deceptive content on its affiliates’ websites, the court noted that LeadClick  recruited the affiliates, had the power to approve or reject their marketing websites, paid the affiliates, purchased advertising space for them, and gave them feedback about the content of their sites. The court also rejected LeadClick’s claim that it was immune from liability under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, because it was responsible in part for the fake news sites promoting LeanSpa’s products.

The court ordered LeadClick to give up the nearly $12 million it received from LeanSpa as payment for its affiliate marketing services. It also ruled that LeadClick’s parent company, CoreLogic, must disgorge $4 million in ill-gotten gains it received from LeadClick. LeadClick and CoreLogic are appealing the decision.

Funds recovered from the defendants will be used by the FTC to provide redress to consumers affected by the scam.

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.

SECRETARY KERRY MAKES REMARKS WITH ALGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RAMTANE LAMAMRA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
April 8, 2015

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody, and it’s my great pleasure to welcome Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, the foreign minister of Algeria. And I’m really happy to welcome him and his entire delegation here. (Inaudible) happy to have you here.

Ramtane and I met last September to discuss regional security issues in Algiers a year ago, I guess, we met during our second annual Strategic Dialogue. So we’ve had a chance to be able to share thoughts and to find common ground, and I’m very, very appreciative for the relationship that we have. And I thank him very much for his hospitality when I was in Algiers. I had a chance to be able to play soccer with a bunch of young kids at a clinic. And I’m very happy that a lot of them were much too young to remember Landon Donovan’s extra-time goal for America that won the – (laughter). I won’t even repeat it. Diplomacy – (laughter) – diplomacy brings countries together and overcomes last-minute World Cup goals. (Laughter.) So thank God for that.

I am very, very grateful to Ramtane for his very generous hospitality, but most importantly, President Obama and our entire Administration are very grateful for the very significant cooperation that we have. It’s a difficult region. There are enormous challenges today. Partners need to work together effectively, and we have been doing so with Algeria, and we thank you for that.

The ties between the United States and Algeria are actually very, very long and longstanding. Many people are not aware that the city of St. Augustine, Florida was founded 450 years ago, and it was named in honor of a man who lived in what is now Algeria, the great scholar Augustine of Hippo. And ever since 1783, when Algeria became one of the very first nations to officially recognize the now-United States, the people of our two countries have actually had a great deal in common.

Those shared interests were reflected today throughout the Strategic Dialogue that has been taking place, and that included expert discussions on four critical sets of issues: energy and commerce; security collaboration; education and cultural exchanges; and the political cooperation. So I just want to offer very quickly a thought on each.

First, we are committed to strengthening the economic and energy ties between our two countries. And just last month, Assistant Secretaries Patterson and Rivkin of the State Department and Jadotte of the Commerce Department led a trade delegation to Algeria. And these delegations enabled top-level American firms to share insights with their Algerian counterparts and to be able to explore new ways of doing business together.

I should emphasize that we’ve been working very intensively with our partners in Algeria to identify and to remove barriers that impede increased trade and investment, including the trade and investment framework, the agreement – the trade and investment agreement council that was reached on February – I think February 17th. And today’s dialogue, Ramtane, contributed to the progress and moving in the right direction on that.

We also appreciate enormously Algeria’s leadership in the climate negotiations that are going to take place in the final meeting in Paris later this year. We’re particularly grateful for your partnership as the co-chair of this important process. And as you know, the United States just submitted its emission reduction target and we strongly encourage Algeria now to also join in putting forward its target. In order for this agreement to succeed – and it is vital for everybody that this agreement does succeed – we need to have everybody participate. And President Obama is deeply engaged, as I am, in crisscrossing the world in order to encourage people to come to Paris ready to make an agreement.

Second, security cooperation is a cornerstone of the U.S.-Algeria relationship. And as we were reminded tragically in Kenya last week, terrorist groups such as Daesh, al-Qaida, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram all pose a serious challenge to every single one of us. And that is why the United States welcomes Algeria’s plan to host an international summit this summer on the issue of de-radicalization, one of several follow-on events to the conference on Countering Violent Extremism that President Obama held here in Washington in February.

I’m grateful to Algeria for agreeing to share the lessons from its own battle against violent extremists, and we greatly appreciate Algeria’s engagement in the Global Counterterrorism Forum and its partnership with us in the leaders meeting in September on the margins of the UN General Assembly.

Our counterterrorism coordinator, who I see sitting here with Ambassador Patterson, Ambassador Kaidanow and Algerian Minister-Delegate Masaha (ph) will continue to work together closely on counterterrorism issues. And we’re going to deepen all the aspects of our security partnership with Algeria, and I look forward to building on our work to promote justice sector reform, the rule of law, and border security.

Third, it is vital for us to continue to strengthen people-to-people ties. The United States is committed to supporting Algeria with more English language learning opportunities, expanding our cultural exchanges, and making it easier for Algerian students to study in the United States. And every person in Algeria who wants to learn English should have the chance to do so. That’s what we believe and we’re going to work on making that a reality. And we’ll continue our efforts to promote citizen engagement with the government and a strong, active, and independent civil society, including through the Middle East Partnership Initiative.

Finally, our political cooperation remains absolutely critical, especially in the face of the growing instability throughout the region. Here Algeria is playing an important, highly constructive role, and we’re grateful for that. I especially appreciate Ramtane’s mediation efforts in support of the inter-Malian peace agreement, a blueprint for restoring security, supporting economic development, and promoting good governance, as well as reconciliation and justice.

Going forward, we believe the parties must abide by their pledge to resolve peacefully their remaining differences and to work together to promote good governance and security for their people.

Algeria has also been a vital backer of UN-led efforts to reach a political solution in the embattled and deeply divided nation of Libya. The recent meeting of Libyan political parties and activists in Algiers was a very important milestone. It underscored not only Algeria’s leadership in the region, but also the commitment of the parties to dialogue as the only viable solution to this crisis. So the United States, I pledge to you, will continue to support this process, the goal of a stable and united Libya at peace with both its neighbors and itself.

Obviously, our delegations had a lot to talk about today, as you can tell from my comments. This dialogue could not be more timely. We value deeply our friendship and we believe strongly that an Algeria that is stable, that is increasingly prosperous and working in partnership with the international community is vital for the region and vital really for the world.

So I warmly welcome our guests today, particularly the new Algerian ambassador here in Washington, Madjid Bouguerra, and I thank them for a very productive and useful set of discussions today. We have to build off of these discussions. I’m confident that we will, and I look forward to visiting with all of you in Algiers sometime in the not-too-distant future.

Now it is my pleasure to recognize Foreign Minister Lamamra. (Applause.)

FOREIGN MINISTER LAMAMRA: Thank you very much, John. Thank you for reminding us of so many commonalities and including those fond memories that we keep of your not-too-distant stay in Algeria, though we would have loved to have you again in between. And I’m delighted that we had so many things to discuss, including between yourself and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who is sending his greetings as well as his best wishes to you and through you to President Barack Obama.

I was of the view that we could set aside things, but I think that now it’s better for me also to take advantage of my speaking notes so that I would cover as much ground as you have so ably done. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, you should have told me ahead of time. I would have saved time. (Laughter.)

FOREIGN MINISTER LAMAMRA: So it’s nice to be here again during this cherry blossom season. I would like to thank you, John, for your warm welcome and promising remarks. My team is pleased to be part of the third session of the Algeria-U.S. Strategic Dialogue and ready to engage with a positive spirit in a wide-ranging discussion about the implementation of what they have been working on during the day’s session.

Since its inception three years ago, the Algeria-U.S. Strategic Dialogue is having a tangible and positive impact in terms not only of its achievements, but more importantly with regard to the new spirit it had infused to our multidimensional cooperation. This forum has been, indeed, very instrumental in providing the needed holistic approach to our bilateral interactions, and I’m glad to see that we share the same desire and commitment to reinforce them in order to serve the best interests of our two countries. Our ambition is to enlarge the scope of this forum, thus making it an oriented action, policy and decision-making body. Algeria is satisfied indeed with the way this dialogue is evolving and with the results so far achieved.

Dear John, dear friends and colleagues, your visit, John, to Algeria last year was fruitful and it has opened many avenues for both countries to work closely together. In the political field, the two countries have developed strategic partnership that covers many areas. We can say today, safely, that the Algeria-American partnership is effective.

Let me add that Algeria is committed to deepen its political, security, economic and commercial relationship with the United States. Moreover, thanks to the trust, mutual respect and shared values that characterize our relations, Algeria and the United States have been able to maintain continued political dialogue and close consultations on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

On the issue of terrorism, the quality and effectiveness of our cooperation are a source of satisfaction. Indeed, Algeria and the U.S. are playing a leading role in shaping a coordinated global response to this multifaceted threat to the international peace and security. Both our countries are founding members of the Global Forum Against Terrorism. Last month, we hosted a meeting of the Working Group on the Sahel that Algeria co-chairs with Canada. In the months ahead, Algiers will, as you mentioned, host a high-level conference organized by the African Union on the issue of terrorism financing. While the fight against terrorism groups – against terrorist groups must continue to be waged vigorously, there is an urgent need for the international community, we believe, to adjust its preventive strategy in order to be in a better position to counter what we see as a shift in the modus operandi and the targets of these terrorist groups.

In this context, the recently-held White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism was timely. It was also very useful as it sought to consider the phenomenon of the radicalization especially among the youth in a multidimensional approach. Algeria expressed during that meeting its readiness to share the lessons it has learned the hard way from its own experience in dealing with this very sensitive problem, by organizing a very important international meeting devoted to de-radicalization.

We are of the view that to be successful in this endeavor, we must effectively combat Islamophobia throughout the world. The stigmatization of Muslims is not only unacceptable, but it further damages our collective efforts to countering the propaganda of violent extremism.

Our economic cooperation has reached, during the last months, an unprecedented dynamic in terms of exchange of high-level visits and the holding of business forums and trade missions. These interactions between our respective government representatives and business communities are of the utmost importance. I do believe that the visit of the Algerian minister of industry and mining to the United States last October and the holding last February in Algiers of the second session of Algeria-U.S. Council on Trade and Investment can be considered as a significant progress. I welcome in this regard the holding of this session, and I do hope that the council will be able to meet annually, as stipulated.

Algeria has endeavored to fulfill its obligations under this agreement, and particularly, those obligations relating to the setting of an open and predictable environment for trade and investment, the elimination of non-tariff barriers, and the protection of intellectual property rights. At the same time, Algeria expects that this agreement will effectively encourage investments that are generating wealth, job creation, and transfer of technology. The Algerian Government seeks to diversify the national economy, and it has consequently taken significant and concrete measures for setting up a friendly environment for national and foreign investments. As a matter of fact, we have already asked our international partners, including the U.S., obviously, to support us in this challenging process.

Ladies and gentlemen, in leading an international mediation effort for the resolution of the crisis in Mali – an action that you have mentioned, and I thank you for the kind words you have used in this respect to describe my own personal role in it – Algeria designed a solution that ensures the preservation of the unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Mali and creates the necessary conditions for its national reconstruction and economic development. The recently-concluded Algiers Agreement represents the best compromise, which serves the interests of Mali while recognizing the legitimate claims and aspirations of the populations of the northern Mali regions.

Algeria is convinced that the restoration of a lasting peace in Mali will have a positive impact on the whole situation in the Sahel region, as well as on the global fight against terrorism. Algeria is committed to building an integrated, united and prosperous Maghreb beyond mere rhetoric. My country has demonstrated in deeds its act of solidarity whenever any one of our neighbors was in need of it. We lent our support, full support to Tunisia to successfully go through the democratic transition and take its responsibilities in the face of terrorism and instability. We are guided by the same spirit of solidarity with regard to the tragic situation prevailing in Libya. Algeria has constantly pleaded for a political solution as the only way to preserve the unity and territorial integrity of Libya. Any military intervention would further exacerbate the conflict and would more than likely annihilate the chances of a peaceful settlement based on national reconciliation. We are glad that Algeria and the U.S. share the same vision and stand by the same position.

In close coordination with the UN Secretary-General Special Representative Bernardino Leon, Algeria has already hosted the meeting of leaders of political parties and prominent Libyan personalities. We see this as a promising step in a process that needs to be supported by the international community as a whole.

On Syria, we believe that there can be no military solution to the conflict. We think also the time has come for the international community to engage all the political actors in an inclusive dialogue with the aim of finding a consensual solution to this destructive and senseless war.

Concerning the situation in the Middle East, Algeria supports the legitimate of the Palestinian people to a state with East Jerusalem, Al-Quds, as its capital. We urge the international community to live up to its obligations towards the peace process, which should resume without delay in order to achieve the just and lasting solution the Middle East is so desperately looking for. I certainly take this opportunity to salute your personal efforts, John, in these regards.

With respect to Western Sahara, Algeria continues to support the UN secretary general and his personal envoy, Chris Ross, in their efforts to achieve a mutually acceptable political solution which provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in accordance with the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.

Algeria strongly believes that there is no other alternative for the settlement of this conflict than the holding of a free and fair referendum of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

Let me conclude, John, by expressing once again my sincere appreciation for you, to you, and for all your colleagues, bearing in mind that the outcomes of this third session of our strategic dialogue are so positive and so promising. I believe that these outcomes will give a real impetus to the already strong and mutually beneficial strategic partnership between our two countries. I very much look forward to receiving you again and again in Algiers. (Applause.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you.

4/8/15: White House Press Briefing

DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY WORK MAKES REMARKS ON FUTURE OF WAR

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DEPUTY

Right:  Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work makes remarks at the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., April 8, 2015. Work was invited to be a guest speaker. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz  

Work Details the Future of War at Army Defense College
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2015 – On stage today at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania, Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work summoned up scenes from a future war where soldiers and machines join forces in a multidimensional “informationalized” zone, using advanced tools to fight adversaries from space to cyberspace.

During a keynote address on international security and future defense strategy on Carlisle Barracks, Work described a daunting array of challenges for warfighters.
“In the future, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine forces and our allies who fight with us are going to have to fight on a battlefield that is swept by precision-guided munitions but also one that is swept by persistent and effective cyber and electronic warfare attacks,” he said.

That fighting will include regular warfare, hybrid warfare, nonlinear warfare, state-sponsored proxy hybrid warfare, and high-end combined-arms warfare, Work added, like what might be seen on the Korean peninsula.

To prepare for the threats, the deputy secretary offered three principles of future war.

The Future of War

The first is that the future of ground warfare, regardless of the type, will see a proliferation of guided munitions and advanced weaponry, he said.

“We should just assume that is the case. If we're wrong, so much the better,” Work said. “If we're right, we'd better be prepared for it. And this proliferation of precision will continue because we see it continuing today.”

Ground forces will be faced with what many call G-RAMM -- guided rockets, artillery, mortars and missiles with GPS capability and laser guidance, infrared homing, anti-radiation weapons, and fire-and-forget anti-armor weapons, he added.

“We're not too far away from guided .50 caliber rounds. We’re not too far away from a sensor-fused weapon that instead of going after tanks will go after the biometric signatures of human beings,” Work said.

Informationalized Warfare

The second principle of future ground combat on the front lines will have to contend with what the Chinese call “informationalized” warfare, he said.

Work defined informationalized warfare as the combination of cyber, electronic warfare, information operations, and deception and denial to disrupt command and control and give the enemy an advantage in the decision cycle.

The third principle is that the combination of guided munitions and informationalized warfare will span all types of ground combat, meaning that the foundation for ground-force excellence will be combined-arms operational skill, Work said.

Defense Innovation Initiative

“It's also why we applaud the fact that the U.S. Army will not declare its [brigade combat teams] full-spectrum combat ready until they have completed two decisive-action rotations at the National Training Center,” the defense secretary said.

Training and the familiar operational and organizational constructs will take U.S. forces only so far, the deputy secretary said.

New operational and organizational constructs and technological capabilities must be deliberately identified, he said, and that’s what the Defense Innovation Initiative is all about.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has expanded the initiative, which was announced in November, and Work said Carter wants the department focused on three things:

Increasing Competitiveness

-- Increasing competitiveness by attracting talent. This includes the future of the all-volunteer force, the way the services train the force and their leaders, and the way the department trains the future civilian and contractor force.

-- Improving competitiveness through technological superiority and operational excellence.

-- Increasing competitiveness through accountability and efficiency throughout the department.

Work said a key part of the initiative is called the “third offset strategy.”
Third Offset Strategy

“The whole purpose of the third offset strategy,” the deputy secretary said, “is to identify the technologies, the operational and organizational constructs, and the new operational concepts to fight our future adversaries.”

A big part of the offset strategy will be to identify, develop and field breakthrough technologies and to use current capabilities in different ways, he added.

“We just demonstrated firing the Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile against a ship without changing its seeker-head, completely doing it by off-board sensing. Well,” Work said, “now we have 2,000 potential 1,000-mile-range anti-ship missiles.”

Work said that since World War II, American military strategy and the national defense strategy have been built on an assumption of technological superiority and better-trained men and women organized to employ the technologies in an innovative way.

A Wall of Flesh and Blood

“I like the way Dwight Eisenhower explained it after World War II,” he said. “While some of our allies were compelled to throw up a wall of flesh and blood as their chief defense against the aggressor's onslaught, we were able to use machines and technology to save lives.”

After 40 years of an all-volunteer force, Work said, the United States has an enduring advantage in its people.

“I will stack this all-volunteer force up against any potential opponent and especially those that are authoritarian in nature, because they will never, ever be able to match the creativity, the initiative, the mission drive that our people have,” the deputy secretary said.

“But our technological superiority is slipping,” he said. “We see it every day … the fact is we want to achieve an overmatch over any adversary from the operational theater level all the way down to the fighter plane, Navy ship or infantry squad.”

New Ways to Fight

The department’s focus on innovation is about finding new ways to fight, train and create organizational constructs, he said.

“Battlefield advantages in the future are going to be very short-lived because the amount of technology that is out there right now is unbelievable,” Work said.
Work said he believes the third offset strategy will revolve around something called three-play combat in each dimension of combat.

The deputy secretary described a book called “Average is Over” by an avid chess player named Tyler Cowen.

Three-Play Combat

Cohen wrote about how people used to think that a computer could never beat a grand master at chess. That proved to be wrong, but he found out that in a person-machine chess game, in three-play chess, the combination of a person and a machine always beats a machine and always beats a person.

“How far do we take three-play combat in air-sea battle 2? How does it affect our command and control? Where are we comfortable having autonomous decision-making? Where are you going to have a person in the loop? How will you net all of this together to give you a decisive, enduring advantage on the battlefield?’ he said.

Work added that these are fundamental questions for organizations like the Army War College to think through.

Another aspect of future war will be at the squad level, which will be operating in a far more disaggregated way than they have in the past, the deputy secretary said.

Disaggregating Infantry Battalions

“When I went to Afghanistan to visit Marine units, I asked [Marine Corps] Gen. Joe ‘Fighting Joe’ Dunford about the record for the disaggregation of a single infantry battalion across the battlefield,” the deputy secretary said. “He said the record was a single battalion disaggregating into 77 discreet units spread over a wide area.”

This has big implications for leadership and command and control, Work said, “especially in an informationalized warfare environment in which the enemy is constantly trying to get into your networks and disrupt your command and control.”

The key to ensuring that these disaggregated small units have overmatch is by providing support in fires, intelligence and logistics, Work said.

“If we combine them into well-trained, cohesive combat teams with new advances in robotics and autonomy and unmanned systems, three-play combat at the squad level, we can create super-empowered squads, super-empowered small units with enhanced situational awareness and lethality,” he added.
Exciting Times for the Force

The Defense Advanced Projects and Research Agency's Squad X program, among others, is working on several ideas now to increase human and machine collaboration at the lowest tactical level, including ground robots and small microdrones, Work said.

The deputy secretary said this is an exciting time for the force.

“This problem requires thinking,” Work added. “We need to tackle it together and not worry so much about the resources as the intellectual capital that we need to put in the bank to allow our joint force to be successful in the future.”

U.S. ATTACKS CONTINUE AGAINST ISIL IN SYRIA, IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 8, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Bomber and attack aircraft conducted two airstrikes in Syria:
-- Near Hasakah, an airstrike struck four ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Kobani, an airstrike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions.
Airstrikes in Iraq

Fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted four airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:

-- Near Beiji, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Hit in Anbar province, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Kirkuk, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Tal Afar, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL mortar system.

All aircraft returned to base safely.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

AUSTRALIA, PHOTOGRAPHED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

FROM:  NASA 

From the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly (stationcdrkelly on Instagram) took this photograph and posted it to social media on April 6, 2015. Kelly wrote, "Australia. You are very beautiful. Thank you for being there to brighten our day. #YearInSpace" Kelly and Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko began their one-year mission aboard the space station on March 27. Most expeditions to the space station last four to six months. By doubling the length of this mission, researchers hope to better understand how the human body reacts and adapts to long-duration spaceflight. Image Credit: NASA.

FDA ARTICLE ON FOCUSING ON FOOD SAFETY ON WORLD HEALTH DAY

FROM:  U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Focus on Food Safety on World Health Day
Apr 07, 2015
By: Howard Seltzer, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is devoting World Health Day, April 7, 2015, to the critical importance of food safety, with the theme “From Farm to Plate, Make Food Safe.” WHO estimates that unsafe food is linked to the deaths of 2 million people annually – including many children.  Food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances can cause more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhea to cancers, a major health concern for all people on the planet.

Even though our food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world, the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness in the U.S. annually, sickening 1 in 6 Americans. And each year these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. The people most likely to become ill from unsafe food, and to be hospitalized or die as a result, are people with weakened or undeveloped immune systems: older adults, very young children, pregnant women, and people with diseases or medical treatments that affect their immune systems, such as diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and organ transplants.
Foodborne illnesses occur because of environmental pollution or mishandling somewhere along the food chain from farm to table. Food may become unsafe because of contaminants in soil or water or inadequate safety measures in processing, transportation, or storage. It can also occur because of unsafe handling by workers in the food industry, or by consumers preparing food at home. Ensuring the safety of our food supply requires a farm-to-table approach. This means we are all a part of the food chain—including farmers, processors, transporters, retailers and food service workers, and consumers—and have responsibility for minimizing the risk of food contamination and helping to lower the danger of foodborne illness.

In the U.S., two federal agencies are responsible for regulation and safety standards for both domestic and imported foods:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture – for meat, poultry and processed egg products , and
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration – for all other foods.

They work with state and local government, as well as the governments of countries that export food to the U.S., to help ensure that the food Americans buy is safe. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has provided new tools to help build modern concepts and techniques into our food safety standards and compliance programs to help prevent the contamination that can make people sick. The work that government does at every level  to make sure that food in commerce is safe is indispensable, but it’s just as essential that consumers do their part to make sure that food in the home is safe as well. It isn’t very hard or complicated to do. WHO and U.S. health authorities advocate these keys to safe food handling:

Clean  Illness-causing bacteria can survive in many places around your kitchen, including your hands, utensils, and cutting boards. Unless you wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces properly, you could spread bacteria to your food, and your family.

Separate  Even after you’ve cleaned your hands, utensils, and surfaces thoroughly, raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can still spread illness-causing bacteria to ready-to-eat foods—unless you keep them separate.

Cook  The bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply quickest in the “Danger Zone,” between 40˚ and 140˚F.  While many people think they can tell when food is “done” simply by checking its color and texture, there’s no way to be sure it’s safe without using a food thermometer.

Chill  Illness-causing bacteria can grow in perishable foods within two hours unless you refrigerate them. Putting foods promptly into a refrigerator with a temperature between 32˚F and 40˚F will help keep them safe. An appliance thermometer is the only way to be sure the refrigerator is cold enough.

Click on the links above for more information about food safety at home. All of us need to practice these four simple steps to keep food as safe as possible in our homes.

ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Exploring the human side of climate change adaptation

Maria Carmen Lemos is looking to develop conceptual models that can help policymakers around the world make solid decisions about adapting to climate change

In public policy, communities often measure their ability to respond to the effects of climate change and natural disasters in terms of traditional emergency resources--the number of sandbags available, or access to ambulances and hospitals. But Maria Carmen Lemos' research indicates that they need also to look at the human side: behavioral, social and economic factors including income, education, health and understanding of technology to build "adaptive capacity" to respond to these events.

Lemos, a professor of natural resources and environment at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, studies the impact of climate change, and efforts by governments to address growing concerns about their vulnerabilities to weather-related disasters. During a recent lecture at National Science Foundation (NSF) headquarters, Lemos discussed the possibility of developing a conceptual model that can help governments make effective decisions about adaptation that could work anywhere from rural South America to cities in the U.S. Great Lakes region.

"This involves thinking about basic relationships between different kinds of capacities, to understand how those things build off each other, or trade off on each other," she said in an interview.

Her key metric, adaptive capacity, involves the resources available to a community to adapt to climate threats. The measure of a community's adaptive capacity can change, though, depending on the level and type of threat it's facing. Something like a drought can have devastating effects, but is slow-moving and easy to spot, as disasters go. A flood, on the other hand, hits quickly.

Adaptive capacity is shaped not just by the nature of the specific climate event, but also by generic stressors that affect people such as economic crisis, social instability, unemployment, lack of education, safety, and poor access to healthcare and social services. That's why Lemos looks at how people are sensitive to those generic stressors, starting by asking them about the vulnerabilities that already cause them the most distress. The research, in short, looks at the human side of coping with climate change.

Although some of Lemos' research has taken her to areas of the world where climate change effects have already created hardships on communities, her central concept of measuring capacity at the societal level resonates everywhere. Communities across the United States and around the world are starting to think about adaptive capacity in relation to climate change, even if they're not using those words to talk about it.

"We found in a lot of assessments that people don't call it ‘adaptation,'" Lemos said. "They call it sustainability for the most part, because it's more palatable. And from sustainability they move to resilience."

She cautioned, however, that measuring adaptive capacity, and building strategies to adapt to climate change or natural disasters should not be confused with making a community invulnerable to weather events. In fact, that assumption could actually be harmful if communities become overconfident and then find themselves facing a threat greater than anything they expected. Prosperous nations like the United States, she said, could actually slip into that overconfidence more easily than nations that have to confront their lack of capacity more frequently.

"You cannot climate-proof anything," she said. "You might think you have a lot of capacity. You might think you're invulnerable--until you're not."

Building a model

Getting to the point of building a model for strategic thinking about adaptive capacity requires an enormous amount of study and data analysis, because adaptive capacity involves so many variables--and those factors can vary wildly among different locations and communities.

"In this field, we don't talk about one-size fits all," Lemos said.

In Brazil, where Lemos has conducted some of her NSF-supported research, droughts are frequent, and can be catastrophic. In response, the government has tried to build drought-specific capacities, including maintaining irrigation systems and developing a program to distribute higher-quality hybrid seed.

But deficiencies in some general, societal capacities can derail effective implementation of those specific measures, she said.

In the hybrid seed program's early years the government only had a limited number of distribution centers, sometimes requiring farmers to travel long distances to access them. Many poor farmers, however, could not afford to take time out of their fields to get the seed, or afford the bus fare they would need to travel. If farmers were illiterate, they could not read crucial instructions saying how to successfully raise the hybrid crops.

A key part of Lemos' work is coming up with a conceptual model that will work in many parts of the world, where different countries face much different challenges with respect to their specific and generic capabilities. To that end, she's connected her research in Brazil to studies her lab is conducting in six cities in the Great Lakes region, with support from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association. That research has uncovered a completely different set of behavioral and social issues at play.

"Education and literacy might not be such a big deal here in the U.S., but communication of risk? Now that becomes a problem," Lemos said.

Those Great Lakes communities already have some specific weather-mitigation resources in place, but they're largely geared toward harsh winters. They're less prepared for events such as increased flooding or the emergence of "heat islands," urban areas that are significantly warmer than their surroundings because of their concentrations of roofs, pavements and other surfaces that absorb sunlight.

The potential for multiple, different threats highlights something important about adaptive capacity--it's not a measure of resources to address one particular threat. Instead, it deals with a community's level of resilience in the face of a variety of challenges. Given the high degree of uncertainty about possible future climate change effects, Lemos contends, it makes more sense to focus on total capacity than on adaptations to specific threats.

Thus far, Lemos' research has shown that cities with flexibility to shift their resources to quickly build up capacities are ahead of the pack. Ann Arbor can take advantage of the resources made available by the University of Michigan's campus. Those include skilled labor and innovation--for instance, the school, along with Michigan State University, is home to the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessment team, a group Lemos helped found that seeks to overcome traditional institutional barriers and provide useful climate change data to stakeholders in the community that can make use of them.

Lemos also cited Grand Rapids as a flexible community. The city is home to a community foundation that can fund innovation-fostering projects in more flexible ways than other communities could.

For Lemos, the research is an ongoing process. Her lab is still working to find ways to categorize the different social, behavioral and economic stressors that will influence how people respond to climate change, and to see how they relate to climate models that measure the manifestations of climate change. The goal is to come up with a theoretical model that can help policymakers in places as diverse as Brazil and the United States make decisions about how to invest in capacity. That research could help communities respond and recover from even those climate change effects they don't see coming.

-- Rob Margetta,
Investigators
Maria Carmen Lemos
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Michigan Ann Arbor

FORMER EXEC PLEADS GUILTY IN CASE INVOLVING PRICE FIXING OF CERTAIN POSTERS SOLD THROUGH AMAZON MARKETPLACE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

FORMER E-COMMERCE EXECUTIVE CHARGED WITH PRICE FIXING IN THE ANTITRUST DIVISION’S FIRST ONLINE MARKETPLACE PROSECUTION

WASHINGTON — A former executive of an e-commerce seller of posters, prints and framed art has agreed to plead guilty for conspiring to fix the prices of posters sold online, the Department of Justice announced.

A one-count felony charge was filed today in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California in San Francisco against David Topkins.  According to the charge, Topkins and his co-conspirators fixed the prices of certain posters sold online through Amazon Marketplace from as early as September 2013 until in or about January 2014.  Topkins also has agreed to pay a $20,000 criminal fine and cooperate with the department’s ongoing investigation.  The plea agreement is subject to court approval.

“Today’s announcement represents the division’s first criminal prosecution against a conspiracy specifically targeting e-commerce,” said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.  “We will not tolerate anticompetitive conduct, whether it occurs in a smoke-filled room or over the Internet using complex pricing algorithms.  American consumers have the right to a free and fair marketplace online, as well as in brick and mortar businesses.”

According to the charge, Topkins and his co-conspirators agreed to fix the prices of certain posters sold in the United States through Amazon Marketplace.  To implement their agreements, the defendant and his co-conspirators adopted specific pricing algorithms for the sale of certain posters with the goal of coordinating changes to their respective prices and wrote computer code that instructed algorithm-based software to set prices in conformity with this agreement.

“These charges demonstrate our continued commitment to investigate and prosecute individuals and organizations seeking to victimize online consumers through illegal anticompetitive conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson of the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office.  “The FBI is committed to investigating price fixing schemes and remains unwavering in our dedication to bring those responsible for theses illegal conspiracies to justice.”

Topkins is charged with price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of $1 million for individuals.  The maximum fine for an individual may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

This prosecution arose from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing in the online wall décor industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office with the assistance of the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office.

TWO COMPANIES SETTLE CHARGES THEY MADE FALSE CLAIM OF COMPLYING WITH SAFE HARBOR

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Settles with Two Companies Falsely Claiming to Comply with International Safe Harbor Privacy Framework

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

FTC complaints against TES Franchising, LLC, and American International Mailing, Inc. allege that the companies’ websites indicated they were currently certified under the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework and U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor Framework, when in fact their certifications had lapsed years earlier.

“We remain strongly committed to enforcing the U.S.-EU and U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor Frameworks,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “These cases send an important message that businesses must not deceive consumers about whether they hold these certifications, and by extension, the ways in which they protect consumers.”

The complaint against TES also alleges that TES deceived consumers about the nature of its dispute resolution procedures. On its website, the company stated that Safe Harbor-related disputes would be settled by an arbitration agency, would take place in Connecticut, and costs would be split between the consumer and the company. According to the FTC’s complaint, the company had agreed in its Safe Harbor certification filing that it would resolve disputes through the European data protection authorities, which do not require in-person hearings and resolve disputes at no cost to the consumer. The complaint also alleges that the company deceptively claimed to be a licensee of the TRUSTe Privacy program.

To participate in the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework or U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor Frameworks, a company must self-certify annually to the Department of Commerce that it complies with the seven privacy principles required to meet the EU’s adequacy standard: notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement. A participant may also highlight for consumers its compliance with the Safe Harbor by displaying the Safe Harbor certification mark on its website.

Under the proposed settlement agreements, which are subject to public comment, the companies are prohibited from misrepresenting the extent to which they participate in any privacy or data security program sponsored by the government or any other self-regulatory or standard-setting organization. The settlement with TES further prohibits the company from misrepresenting its participation in or the terms of any alternative dispute resolution process or service.

These cases are being brought with the valuable assistance of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The Commission votes to issue the administrative complaints and accept the proposed consent agreements were 5-0.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON 21ST ANNIVERSARY OF RWANDA GENOCIDE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
April 07, 2015
Statement by the President on the 21st Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda

Twenty-one years ago today, a genocide began that would claim the lives of more than 800,000 Rwandan men, women, and children and mark the beginning of one hundred days of horror for Rwanda’s people.  Today is a day to commemorate those who lost their lives, to honor the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and to grieve with the Rwandan people.  It is also a day to reaffirm what our common humanity demands—that we stand together to prevent mass atrocities and continue to do all we can to make good on the pledge of “never again.”  We also renew our commitment to help finish the task of bringing to justice those who inflicted such tragedy upon such a beautiful land.    

While we remain haunted by the genocide, we also draw hope and inspiration from the people of Rwanda, who are building a brighter future.  We commend their determination to continue to make important progress toward healing old wounds and lifting people out of poverty.  The United States will continue to work tirelessly in partnership with Rwanda and with other nations to help prevent such atrocities and advance dignity and peace for all.

SEC ALLEGES PONZI SCHEME RAISED $31 MILLION BY TARGETING PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Litigation Release No. 23232 / April 7, 2015
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Capital Financial Partners, LLC et al., Civil Action No. 15-cv-11447-IT
SEC Obtains Asset Freezes in Ponzi Scheme Involving Loans to Professional Athletes

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced fraud charges against a former professional football player and others, alleging they operated a Ponzi scheme that raised more than $31 million from investors who were promised profits from loans to professional athletes.

The SEC's complaint was unsealed late yesterday after being filed in federal court in Boston on April 1. The court entered asset freezes and other preliminary relief that same day against the defendants.

According to the SEC's complaint, former professional football player William D. Allen and his business partner Susan C. Daub claimed to make loans to professional athletes who were short of cash. Allen and Daub told investors that they could profit by funding the loans and receiving interest of up to 18 percent paid by the athletes. The complaint alleges that from July 2012 through February 2015, the defendants paid approximately $20 million to investors while receiving a little more than $13 million in loan repayments from athletes. To fill the nearly $7 million gap, Allen and Daub used money from some investors to pay other investors, the hallmark of a Ponzi scheme.

The SEC's complaint alleges that Allen of Davie, Fla., and Daub, a financial professional formerly of Acton, Mass. who now lives in Coral Springs, Fla, advanced approximately $18 million to athletes while raising more than $31 million from investors. Allen and Daub allegedly misled investors about the terms, circumstances, and even the existence of some of the loans and used some investor funds to pay personal expenses such as charges at casinos and nightclubs, or to fund other business ventures.

The SEC's complaint alleges that Allen, Daub, Florida-based Capital Financial Partners Enterprises LLC, and Boston-based Capital Financial Partners LLC and Capital Financial Holdings LLC violated federal anti-fraud laws and related SEC anti-fraud rules. In addition to the relief obtained last week, the SEC is seeking a court order to restrain the defendants from violating the same laws and to require them to return their allegedly ill-gotten gains with interest and pay civil monetary penalties.

Four other entities owned or controlled by Allen, Daub, or both are named in the complaint as relief defendants based on their receipt of investor funds. The SEC is seeking to have the entities - WJBA Investments LLC, Insurance Depot of America LLC, Simplified Health Solutions LLC, and Simplified Health Solutions 2 LLC - return their allegedly ill-gotten gains with interest.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Michael J. Vito, Frank C. Huntington, Patrick Noone, and Celia D. Moore of the Boston Regional Office.

DOD REPORTS ON COALITION AIRSTRIKES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Coalition Airstrikes Continue in Syria, Iraq
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 7, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Airstrikes in Syria

Bomber and remotely-piloted aircraft conducted three airstrikes in Syria:
-- Near Aleppo, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Kobani, two airstrikes destroyed six ISIL fighting positions.

Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:

-- Near Rutbah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Bayji, two airstrikes struck an ISIL vehicle and destroyed an ISIL excavator.

-- Near Fallujah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroyed an ISIL excavator, an ISIL mortar tube, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL-created dam.

-- Near Hit in Anbar Province, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Mosul, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL heavy machine guns, three ISIL buildings, an ISIL artillery piece and an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Tal Afar, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL excavators.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

6/7/15: WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING