THE BATTLE OF BALTIMORE BAY REMEMBERED IN FLAG DAY COMMEMORATIONS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
The amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) transits past Naval Station Norfolk, Va., as part of OpSail 2012 in Norfolk, Va., commemorating the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, June 6, 2012. The parade includes an international fleet of naval vessels as well as waterborne and air assets from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Army Corps of Engineers and other government and private organizations. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Julie Matyascik







Navy Ships Participate in Flag Day, War of 1812 Commemorations
By Donna Miles
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 - Ten Navy ships, including USS Fort McHenry, are commemorating Flag Day today at the site of the historic War of 1812 battle 200 years ago that inspired the National Anthem.

Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen will take part in Flag Day events at Fort McHenry, the star-shaped fortress that endured what's become one of the most remembered engagements of the war.

On the night of Sept. 13, 1814, British ships in Baltimore harbor bombarded the outgunned U.S. resistance at the fort for 25 solid hours. Francis Scott Key, a civilian lawyer who was sent to Baltimore to negotiate an American hostage's release, found himself in a front-row seat to the battle aboard a British ship.

As dawn broke the following morning, Key stood on the ship's deck, amazed to see the U.S. flag still flapping in the breezes over the battered fort. He was so moved that he penned the poem that became the lyrics of the National Anthem.

The Navy ships in Baltimore are part of a flotilla making its way up the Eastern Seaboard to mark the bicentennial of the war that historians say marked the dawn of U.S. naval power.

Eighteen tall ships, including the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, and navy vessels from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Norway are accompanying the Navy gray hulls in the "Star Spangled Sailabration."
The flotilla spent 12 days in Norfolk before arriving today in Baltimore for a week of activities including a tall ship parade, an air show by the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron, fireworks and a parachute jump into Camden Yards.

The festivities, co-sponsored by Operation Sail Inc., are part of a lineup of bicentennial commemorations that kicked off in April in New Orleans and will continue through 2015. Organizers hope to engage the public with educational events and programs across the South, the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions and into Canada to highlight America's maritime heritage and the War of 1812.

Beyond the Battle of Fort McHenry, many Americans have little understanding of what's been called America's first forgotten war.

The War of 1812 centered on maritime disputes between the United States and Great Britain. In the early 1800s, the Royal Navy, which was at war with France, was stopping American ships to search for sailors born in England, then forcibly pressing them into service for the crown. Both the French and English began seizing American ships, and later imposed an embargo on American vessels going to Europe that nearly bankrupted the industry. President James Madison ultimately declared war against England in 1812.
Among the most remembered events was the burning of the White House, the Capitol and the Washington Navy Yard. Dolly Madison, alone with her servants when British troops torched the White House, personally saved the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington by carting it off in a wagon to Georgetown.

Army Gen. Andrew Jackson became a national hero as he led the Battle of New Orleans, ending Britain's long string of land victories.

But with naval battles in North America, off South America and Great Britain, and in the Pacific and Indian oceans, the War of 1812 was predominantly a sea campaign. It served as a defining moment for the fledging U.S. Navy, which fought the British as they tried to blockade the Atlantic coast and support land forces from Lake Erie and Lake Champlain, leading to the birth of America's modern sea services.

"The War of 1812 is significant because it paved the way for future development of the U.S. Navy," said U.S. Naval War College Professor Kevin McCranie, author of the soon-to-be-released book, "Utmost Gallantry: The U.S. and Royal Navies at Sea in the War of 1812."

"Challenging the most dominant naval power of the time, the less powerful U.S. Navy found ways to protract the war and incurred significant costs for Great Britain," he said. "That's why the War of 1812 is important for national leaders to study."

The war also helped establish the Navy's legacy of heroes. Oliver Hazard Perry, who had been dispatched from Newport, R.I., constructed ships on the shores of Lake Erie that went on to defeat a large British armada assembled there. Capt. James Lawrence, aboard the U.S. frigate Chesapeake as it was taken by HMS Shannon, uttered as his last words, the famous battle cry, "Don't give up the ship."

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who announced the bicentennial celebration last year, said the activities will recognize the men and women who continue to carry on this tradition. He called the bicentennial an opportunity to celebrate the U.S. Navy's heritage and its continued commitment to securing unobstructed access and free use of the world's oceans that are vital to national security and prosperity.

"This 'second war of independence,' fought 200 years ago, established U.S. sea power as a force in the world, and our continuing presence in the great blue and beyond," he said. "As we commemorate Old Glory and the War of 1812, we ought to remember the delicate weaving of history that has brought America to this place of great influence and greater responsibility."

Event organizers also call it a way to underscore the importance of a strong international goodwill. William Armstrong Jr., from Operation Sail pointed out that the three combatants in the conflict have become close allies.

The United States and Canada share the longest unprotected national boundary in the world, he noted during the May Parade of Sail event in Norfolk. Meanwhile, the United States and Great Britain have become not only trading partners, but also military and political allies.

U.S. ECONOMIC RELATIONS IN AFRICA AND THE AGOA FORUM

Photo:  Cargo Ship.  Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Briefing on U.S. Trade and Investment Policy in Africa and the Upcoming AGOA Forum
Special Briefing Johnnie Carson
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs Deputy Trade Representative Ambassador Demetrios Marantis
Via Teleconference
June 13, 2012

MR. VENTRELL: Hi, everyone, and good afternoon. Thanks for being patient as we’re a couple minutes late here today. But today’s call is on-the-record. We have with us Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, and Deputy Trade Representative Ambassador Demetrios Marantis. They’re both here to discuss and to preview U.S. participation in the upcoming AGOA Forum.
And so without further ado, I’m going to turn it over to Assistant Secretary Carson. Go ahead.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: Okay. Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be with all of you this afternoon to talk a little bit about the African Growth and Opportunity Act. AGOA was created in May of 2000, and the session which begins tomorrow is the 12th in a row. Last year’s African Growth and Opportunity Forum was held in Lusaka, Zambia. The AGOA is our most important trade legislation in respect to opening up our markets for African goods and services. We remain committed to AGOA. We believe that it has brought substantial economic, commercial, and trade benefits to a number of the countries that have participated. It is a program which is widely valued across the African continent. And it is a program which has resulted in a substantial increase in African exports into the United States market.

At this AGOA Forum, we will be hearing from the U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Ron Kirk, but we will also be hearing from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has been very, very engaged in the AGOA Forum since becoming Secretary of State in 2009. She has been a co-host with Ambassador Kirk of the forum here in Washington in 2010. She attended the forum in Kenya in 2009, and also, again, the AGOA Forum in Lusaka, Zambia in 2011.
I’ll stop right there.

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: And hi, this is Demetrios Marantis from USTR. I just want to echo that – what Johnnie said. We are really excited to be hosting the AGOA Forum this year. You all know that AGOA really is the cornerstone of our trade and economic relationship with Sub-Saharan Africa. As Johnnie said, we have had major success with AGOA over the years. It’s really helped to promote new nontraditional and value-added exports from Africa. There’s been a pretty substantial increase in trade over the past year. In particular with AGOA trade, it’s up 22 percent over last year.
But the big purpose, I think, of the AGOA Forum over the next two days is to talk about how to enhance Africa’s infrastructure for trade. And that’s important because our market is fully open to products coming from Africa. And the challenge over the years that AGOA has been in place is: How do African countries best avail themselves of the opportunities presented by AGOA? And one of the key bottlenecks has been in the area of infrastructure. And so by working through this AGOA Forum to help enhance Africa’s trade infrastructure, we hope that we will help our partners in Sub-Saharan Africa better take advantage of the opportunities that AGOA provides so that they may have better access to our market.

Another key issue that will come up that many of you have heard a lot about is third-country fabrics, which, as many of you know, is a critical provision of AGOA. It expires in September of this year if Congress doesn’t renew it. This provision really is fundamental to the survival of Africa’s textile and apparel sector, as well as to the continued effectiveness and success of AGOA. President Obama is ready to sign a third-country fabric legislation as soon as it gets to his desk once it’s passed by Congress, and I expect this issue will be front and center of the minds of our African counterparts who rely on third-country fabrics to help promote growth and opportunity in Africa.
So with that, I think we can move on to questions.

MR. VENTRELL: Operator, can we go ahead and get our first question?

OPERATOR: Thank you. And once again, if you do have a question, please press *1 to ask a question. The first question comes from Matt Schewel with the Inside U.S. Trade. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi, thank you for taking the call. This question is for Ambassador Marantis. You mentioned the third-country fabric provision, and Ambassador Kirk earlier today said he shared the frustration that Congress has delayed passing that. I guess in the Senate, it appears that Senator Hatch stopped an effort by Senator Baucus to move that forward. Has USTR and State engaged with Senator Hatch on this? And what’s been the outcome?

And secondly, would you say – how high on your priority list would you say that the passage of this AGOA third-country fabric bill along with the CAFTA fixes – how big of a priority is it for the Administration prior to when it expires in September? And if you can’t get it done by then, would you make those provisions retroactive so that they would apply from September 2012, whenever it is passed? Thanks.

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: Thank you. This is a huge priority of the Administration, from the President on down. We have been working very hard interagency to urge Congress to renew the third-country fabric provision. We strongly support the bill that’s out there that contains renewal of third-country fabric as well as the CAFTA fixes, and we will continue to do everything we can to urge Congress to pass this as quickly as possible. The danger is the longer this stays out there the certainty that’s essential to buyers who want to source their goods from Africa, it becomes much less certain. And so the sooner Congress passes third-country fabric, the more certainty we can provide for both our African colleagues as well as for the U.S. companies that rely on AGOA third-country fabric for their sourcing.

QUESTION: Would you say that it’s a top priority? I mean, maybe after Russia PNTR? Or how would you characterize it on your trade policy legislative agenda?

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: No one likes to pick among their children, but this is a top priority for us. This is critical that we get it done. And as I think Ambassador Kirk said today in his speech, the President intends to sign legislation renewing the third-country fabric provision as soon as Congress sends it to his desk. So we’re ready to go, and we will continue to do whatever we can to urge Congress to get it done.

QUESTION: Would you make it retroactive, or is that even a thought right now?

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: I mean, that’s a question for Congress in terms of what legislation they pass. But we are working very hard to get this done quickly, and I hope we’re not in that position.

OPERATOR: Our next question comes from Emily Glass with newspaper Le Mauriciem. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Yes. Hi. This is actually Pamela Glass with Le Mauriciem (inaudible). In follow-up to that good question about the third-country fabric, I had actually two parts. First of all, it was mentioned by your earlier questioner about Senator Hatch having a hold on this really in getting it to the floor. And I was wondering what the Administration is planning to do as part of its strategy to get the senator to finally release this, if I could use that term, and support the legislation. And also, how aware is Congress, do you think, that this is such an important issue to the economies of many countries like Mauritius in terms of employment and trade issues? And those are my two questions. Thank you.

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: Sure. On your first one, I mean, we have a very close working relationship with our committees of jurisdiction on trade issues, the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committee. And we are working closely with them to urge swift passage of the third-country fabric provision. I do think that there is increased awareness in Congress about how essential this is, as you said, to employment and to the continued survival of Africa’s textile and apparel sector. What’s going to be, I think, very valuable at the AGOA Forum is we are providing opportunities for interaction between our African counterparts and congressional staff and members of Congress so that they can have a continued dialogue amongst themselves about how important third-country fabric is to many countries from Mauritius to Lesotho to Kenya, you name it.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: Demetrios, Johnnie Carson. Let me, if I could, add to what you’ve just said and note that we also in the Department of State have a very close relationship with the senior members of – in the House and the Senate on the Africa subcommittees. To this end, at the AGOA Forum, we have set aside time for the ranking Democrat and the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to actually address the AGOA Forum participants about third-country fiber and where it stands on the Hill, as well as to talk about other trade-related issues. So the Democratic chairman, Senator Coons, is scheduled to speak, and his counterpart, Senator Johnny Isakson, the ranking Republican from Georgia, is also scheduled to speak.

I and my other senior colleagues here in the Department of State have talked with both of those senators as well as others on the House and the Senate side on the Foreign Relations Committee about this. We also know that delegations of African ambassadors have also met with members of the House and the Senate, and there is, in fact, widespread discussion, at least on the Foreign Affairs committee, as we can see about this issue.

QUESTION: What do you think is the real hang up on this? Are we playing some politics going into the elections?

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: I think there’s a widespread recognition that it’s important to renew third-country fabric. And I think we are – we the Administration – State, USTR – are working closely with Congress in order to do that.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: But I would underscore that we have worked with members on both sides of the aisle and in both parties on this. And as I point out that Senator Johnny Isakson and Senator Coons will both be sharing of the stage together tomorrow on this issue. And both of them have a similar set of principles.

QUESTION: But what is your understanding as to why this hasn’t moved forward, with all the support coming out of the Administration?

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: Should we move – I mean, I think we should probably move on to the next question.

QUESTION: Can we get an answer to that one, please?

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: As I said, the – we are working very closely with our – with the House and Senate to try to get this done. I mean, we’re not in a position to speculate as to why something is moving quickly or not moving quickly. We are all working together with the same goal, which is to get third-country fabric done as soon as possible.

OPERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from Len Bracken with Bloomberg. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Oh, hi, Ambassador Marantis. If I remember right, last year you spoke a little bit about possible AGOA reform. And I wonder if you could give us an update on some of the conversations you’ve had in that regard over the course of the past year. And also if you could remind me, what it will take – I mean, sort of the – for the seamless renewal of AGOA, when does it expire, and that sort of thing, and also what you would be on the lookout for in terms of infrastructure. Will there be any new initiatives on that front?

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: Sure. Well, as you pointed out, at last year’s AGOA Forum, Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Kirk both announced that the Obama Administration supports a seamless renewal of AGOA. AGOA – the third-country fabric provision of AGOA expires in September, but the larger AGOA statute expires in 2015. And we are working to ensure, as Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Kirk said, that there is a seamless renewal. Again, it’s important for the certainty that our African counterparts, as well as those who rely on AGOA, that they have the certainty that AGOA will not expire and that there is a very smooth transition between the current AGOA and the future AGOA.

What AGOA will look like will ultimately be a decision for Congress, since they will have to work very carefully through the current statute and whether and how to amend it. But we are working very closely on an interagency basis to think about a lot of the questions that we are asked about AGOA and how to make the program work better. And I think the conference over the next two days will help answer some of the questions about infrastructure. For example, I think the participants in this year’s AGOA forum will focus on questions like how to develop the infrastructure to improve Africa’s competitiveness, how to improve the business climate, and how to improve effective regulation of key infrastructure sectors to promote more investment in infrastructure so that these countries in Sub-Saharan Africa can better take advantage of AGOA. How do you advance Africa’s regional economic integration by promoting things like trade facilitation, regulatory harmonization, et cetera?

So there are a lot of questions about how to secure a seamless renewal of AGOA and what a post-2015 AGOA should look like. And I hope that this forum this year we will get a lot of input from our counterparts in Africa as to what’s been working, what’s not been working, and that can help factor into the decisions that we and Congress will have to make before 2015.

OPERATOR: Next question comes from Doug Palmer with Reuters. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for doing this. Hey, Ambassador Marantis, could you just briefly explain to me, since I haven’t been following the issue, what it is the CAFTA fixes would do?

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: Sure, Doug. The CAFTA fixes are designed to help promote the use of regional fabric in our trade with our CAFTA partners. We will get you, after this call, a more detailed fact sheet, because there are a number of prongs to the CAFTA fixes that I don’t remember off the top of my head.

QUESTION: Okay. Okay. And then my other questions have all been asked, kind of, in one way or another, but I thought I would try one more time. I mean, at the Brookings Institution today, Ambassador Kirk said that he’s – it seemed like there was almost universal support in Congress for this measure, but it seems like partisan politics was getting in the way of getting it done. So, I mean, are you all saying that Republicans for one reason or another, perhaps to embarrass the Administration by not having this done before the forum, have held up action on this?

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: No, decidedly not, actually. I mean, we have strong bipartisan support, as Johnnie was saying, for third-country fabric. There is a wide recognition among Democrats and Republicans in Congress that AGOA third-country fabric is a vital provision for AGOA, for the competitiveness of Africa’s textile and apparel sector, and for the kinds of jobs that AGOA produces in Africa by creating opportunities to trade with the United States. So this is not a partisan issue. It is an issue of just getting – how do we best get it done as quickly as possible, what’s the right legislative vehicle to do it, and just how to move this quickly through the House and Senate calendars.

OPERATOR: The next question comes from Mr. Akande with the Empowered Newswire. Your line is open.

Mr. Akande, please check your mute button. Your line is open.
Mr. Akande, did you have a question?

MR. VENTRELL: Let’s go ahead to the next question.

QUESTION: Yes. My name is Laolu Akande. I’m sorry. I just got (inaudible). I just wanted to ask specifically, how will – how can the U.S. Government summarize the impact of AGOA on sub-Saharan countries, especially like Nigeria, in the last two years? And while we are still in the area of the economy, I’d like to know whether the United States as a leading member of the G-20 is ever going to consider bringing Nigeria to the G-20 or what it thinks a country like Nigeria ought to be doing to be a member of the G-20 club. Thank you.

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: I can talk about that from the economic perspective, and Johnnie will, I’m sure, have things to add. I mean, AGOA has been a big success. It’s achieved measurable results over the years in terms of increasing bilateral trade between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa to, I believe, the figure is approximately $95 billion. And what’s been so important, I think, is that what AGOA has helped to do is to diversify trade between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa in terms of new products, value-added ag products, textile and apparel products, processed food, things that really weren’t traded between the U.S. and Africa before.

Nigeria has been a big beneficiary of AGOA. I believe that two-way trade between the U.S. and Nigeria is approximately $38 billion, and that’s up roughly 12 percent from last year. Nigeria has been a benefit – a big beneficiary under AGOA for petroleum products. But they’ve – but Nigeria has also benefitted from non-oil products, particularly cocoa, rubber, seeds, grains, nuts, and those types of products. And our challenge with Nigeria, as with any of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, is how do we take the success that we’ve had in AGOA and multiply it, and how do we work to increase the opportunities that Nigerians and other Sub-Saharan exporters have under AGOA to export to the United States.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: Let me just add just two quick comments to say that since the inception of AGOA in the year 2000, there has been a 300 percent increase in total two-way trade between the United States and in Africa. And this shows substantial growth in non-oil sectors but especially textiles and leather-related goods, including shoes. South Africa has taken probably the greatest advantage in the diversity of products that it exports from that country into the U.S. market, including some exports of motor vehicles coming in from that country.

Let me say something about Nigeria otherwise as well. Nigeria is one of the two most important countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, along with South Africa. Its market is one of the largest given the fact that it has a population of 160-170 million people. It stands to benefit enormously from continued economic growth there. We hope that the benefit that it derives from AGOA will help to stimulate even further its economic growth and development, and we want generally to be a strong, engaged trading partner with Nigeria, given its large population and the enormous economic promise and potential that it holds for those who are engaged in commerce with it.

OPERATOR: The next question comes from Ababe with the Voice of Germany African Disk. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you so much. I have two questions. One is for Mr. Marantis. As we all know, there seems to be a shift in international trade and infrastructure in the Horn of Africa especially. China is becoming a major player in trade and economic infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. I can mention Ethiopia. How do you think this shift of partnership in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Ethiopia, affect U.S. access to African markets?

And the second question is for Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson. How do you relate building economic partnership with Sub-Saharan African countries with addressing the situation of democracy and human rights and good governance in those countries?
Thank you.

AMBASSADOR MARANTIS: On your first question, I mean, what’s been remarkable about particularly the past decade in Sub-Saharan Africa is the expansion of trade with the United States, with China, but more importantly the expansion of trade among Sub-Saharan African countries. And I think the work – whether it’s us, whether it’s the Chinese, whether it’s the EU does in terms of helping to develop Africa’s infrastructure – really helps to reinforce Africa’s own efforts to achieve regional economic integration. And that’s a huge priority of ours in the United States is to help underpin the initiatives underway, whether it’s through the tripartite negotiations to achieve a free trade agreement in Sub-Saharan Africa, whether it’s efforts that the East African Community is undertaking to further liberalize trade amongst its members. And there’s just – it’s been, and we’ve seen the effects of that in terms of increased trade – increased trade, increased investment, and increased prosperity.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON: On the issue of democracy and economic development, there is no tension between strengthening democratic institutions and promoting good governance and economic development and sustained economic growth. In fact, we like to believe – and I think we’re right – that countries that do in fact practice democracy, who do in fact have good governance, that have good government institutions, good rule of law, good judicial systems, and that have respect for contracts that fight corruption – all things that are common in democratic societies – also help to produce better environments for free market economic activities.

We think that democratic values help to put in place a respect for the rules of the game, whether it is respect for human rights or respect for labor contracts or respect for contracts between two companies or a company and an individual or a company and a government. Democratic values help to underpin respect for corporate contracts, protection of patents, protection of mining agreements, and protection of intellectual property. So there is no tension between democracy and market economies. And as I say, democracy with good institutions and judicial systems help to strengthen the opportunity for greater economic development and market growth.

MR. VENTRELL: Okay, everyone. I don’t think we have any additional questions in the queue, so thank you all for joining and take care this afternoon.

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE "FATHERHOOD BUZZ"

Photo Credit:  White House.
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Obama Meets Military Dads on Fathers' Initiative
By Lisa Daniel
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 - President Barack Obama met today with two active-duty military men in honor of the upcoming Father's Day weekend and as part of a new "Fatherhood Buzz" campaign.

The president met Army 1st Lt. Bill Edwards and Army Capt. Joubert Paulino, as well as two local barbers, for lunch here at Kenny's BBQ Smokehouse as part of the campaign sponsored by the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Buzz campaign is designed to reach out to fathers with positive information through barber shops. The campaign is currently focused on distributing information on financial literacy and job training through barbers to fathers around the country, according to White House officials. Barbers have signed on to the program in at least eight major cities, including Washington, the Clearinghouse website says.

Obama talked about the initiatives with the four men over a platter of beef ribs, greens, black-eyed peas and rice, according to a press pool report. The president said he wants to work with the barbers to spread information about local resources to help fathers.

"It makes a huge difference" to men and their families when fathers are involved with their children, Obama said.

Edwards is the National Fatherhood Initiative's 2012 Military Fatherhood Award Winner. He is based at Fort Jackson, S.C., where he lives with his wife Esther, and their four children. He was deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division Band in 2007-2008 for 14 months in Iraq. While Edwards was deployed, he sent a flag that had flown over Camp Victory headquarters in Iraq to his daughter's preschool as a reminder of how much he cared about his family.

Paulino is based at Fort Meade, Md., where he lives with his wife, Ginamarie, and their two children, Jonah and Julia. Paulino travels frequently with his specialized emergency response team, part of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense.

CDC: Nearly half of U.S. adults were not receiving key preventive health services before 2010

CDC: Nearly half of U.S. adults were not receiving key preventive health services before 2010

THE HIDDEN CRIME OF ELDER ABUSE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 
Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the White House World Elder Abuse Awareness Day EventWashington, D.C. ~ Thursday, June 14, 2012
Thank you for that kind introduction.

The Attorney General very much wanted to be here, but is headed to Canada, where he will be meeting with his foreign counterparts.   It is therefore my privilege to join my colleagues, Secretary Sebelius and Director Cordray, and all of you today to commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

At the outset, I want to commend Secretary Sebelius for forming the Elder Justice Coordinating Council.   This critical first step firmly demonstrates this Administration’s commitment to protecting our older Americans and we look forward to working with our federal partners on the Council.

It’s worth noting that in anticipation of the Coordinating Council, the Department of Justice, with support from HHS, began working earlier this year on developing an Elder Justice Roadmap.  The Elder Justice Roadmap project has already sought input from hundreds of stakeholders from around the country in order to help identify potential policy, practice, and research priorities in the field of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.  We expect the results of this Roadmap to help inform the Coordinating Council as it moves ahead in developing its strategic agenda.

I also want to thank Kathy Greenlee and her staff at the Administration on Aging for their tireless efforts to protect our older Americans and for organizing today’s event.

Elder abuse is a hidden epidemic that annually impacts the health and well-being of six million older people, as well as their families and caretakers.   It includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse; neglect; and what we’re here to talk about today -- financial exploitation.   Victims come from all ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.   And sadly, perpetrators of financial exploitation are more likely to be family members than strangers.

This type of elder abuse depletes the resources of individuals, families, businesses, and public programs including Medicare and Medicaid, by billions each year, placing enormous burdens on our health care, financial, and judicial systems.

For me, and for today’s Department of Justice, protecting older Americans is a top priority that we advance on multiple fronts.

For example, in order to protect the financial integrity of the Medicare program, upon which so many of our older Americans rely, both the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services decided early on to make combating healthcare fraud an enforcement priority and created the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team, or HEAT.

Since HEAT began in May 2009, we’ve recovered over $8 billion dollars in cases involving fraud against the Medicare program and other federal health care programs.   We believe this has sent a strong and clear message that Medicare fraud will not be tolerated and that DOJ and HHS will act swiftly to where it does occur.          

Just as important as protecting the fiscal integrity of the Medicare program, is our commitment to ensuring that our nation’s nursing homes and other health care providers are actually providing the care and services to which our Medicare beneficiaries are entitled, rather than exploiting those beneficiaries (and the Medicare program) for their own profit.   Tony West, the Department’s Acting Associate Attorney General, has taken a particularly active role in supporting these cases and will discuss a particularly egregious example of financial exploitation this afternoon.  

Protecting older Americans from consumer scams and fraud is also a top priority of the Department.   Just this past March, the Department hosted an historic consumer protection summit that brought together federal and state law enforcement and regulators with consumer advocates to harness our collective experiences, to discuss strategies for enhancing our civil and criminal enforcement of consumer fraud crimes, and to increase public awareness about common schemes so that ordinary citizens can fight back themselves.  

Likewise, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch has done terrific work combating fraud on the elderly as part of a broader emphasis on fraud targeting vulnerable populations.   We have had successful prosecutions of a number of fraudsters targeting the elderly through reverse mortgage fraud scams and lottery scams. And we have enhanced public awareness about these schemes through collaboration with others such as AARP.

Our health care fraud and consumer protection efforts are just some of the ways that the Department protects our nation’s older Americans from financial exploitation.   But while we have made strides to address this form of elder abuse, enforcement alone is not a complete strategy.   We can’t simply prosecute our way out of this problem.

Everyone here today knows that the way we can be most effective in protecting older Americans from financial exploitation is by combining our resources and expertise, and by collectively deploying the myriad tools at our disposal.

We need the federal agencies represented on this stage, Adult Protective Services workers, long term care ombudsmen, domestic violence advocates, geriatric specialists, the financial services industry, health care providers, advocates, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors, and – what has been a “missing link” in this area – civil legal aid lawyers.

Legal services programs have a unique opportunity to prevent and remedy elder abuse, especially the scourge of financial exploitation.   For example, they can  help prevent mortgage foreclosures resulting from a family member’s theft of a senior’s life savings; they can counsel worried older clients about legal options for responding to debt brought on by a financial scam, or better yet counsel them on how to avoid the scam in the first place; they can advise clients on how to revoke a power of attorney that is being used by someone unscrupulous to exploit them; and they can offer elders a safer future by representing abused clients in obtaining a protective order.

While this expertise can be critical to preventing or addressing abuse, legal services program staff too often don’t have the specialized training on how to identify and support older victims, and how to harness their existing expertise to respond to older victims’ special needs.

That’s why, with the essential cooperation of Legal Services Corporation President Jim Sandman, who is with us here today, I’m delighted to announce the “Missing Link Project,” a new collaborative effort by the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative, our Office for Victims of Crime, and our Access to Justice Initiative to develop such training materials for legal services providers.   President Sandman has pledged that when the training has been developed, it will be made available to all LSC programs, which together provide critically needed services to every county in this country.   We are hopeful that the trained legal aid lawyers’ efforts will be further leveraged by private lawyer pro bono volunteers, thus increasing the overall capacity to serve elderly victims.   Jim, we thank you for your commitment.   And I also want to thank Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary and the staff of the various offices involved for their strong support of this effort.

Too many elderly Americans are suffering alone.   Together we can change that.

We know the importance of your work on the front lines of the battle against elder abuse and financial exploitation.   What you do every day makes an extraordinary difference in ordinary lives.   I want you to know that the U.S. Department of Justice is honored to be your partner.

Thank you.

U.S. & INDIA COOPERATION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Photo Credit NASA.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S.-India Bilateral Cooperation on Science and Technology
Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
June 13, 2012
Science and technology cooperation strengthens the U.S.-India strategic partnership by promoting economic growth and enhancing the well being of our citizens. While government policies aim to create an enabling environment for joint research and the commercialization of that research, we also work to foster ties with the private sector and at the scientist-to-scientist and institution-to-institution level, which are critical to the long-term sustainability of our science and technology partnership. A number of recent developments highlight the strong momentum in our science, technology, and innovation cooperation:

Science and Technology
Second Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation: The United States hosted a second U.S.-India Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation in Washington on June 11, 2012. The U.S. and India Joint Commission for Science and Technology Cooperation is working to finalize a new 2012-2014 Action Plan to enhance cooperation over the next two years, and recently established three new standing expert working groups to implement activities in the following areas: basic and applied sciences, health and medical sciences, and atmospheric, environment, and earth sciences. The second Joint Commission meeting featured thematic discussions on policy initiatives to strengthen bilateral research cooperation and best practices for retaining and advancing women in science. The U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Board also reported its progress. The Endowment Board, established by Secretary Clinton and Minister Krishna in 2009, announced in May the Board’s first grant recipients for entrepreneurial projects that commercialize technologies to improve health and empower citizens. In preparation for this meeting, the United States and India also held several workshops June 8 to explore ways the United States and India can work together to build innovative capacity and technology commercialization and to foster science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT) Project: India committed more than $100 million to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)-led consortium that is developing a 30-meter telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, potentially one of the world’s most-powerful telescopes. The Indian consortium partners include the Indian Institute for Astrophysics, the Inter-University Center for Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Araybhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences. The Indian government’s latest step makes it a 10-percent shareholder in the consortium, providing it Partner status alongside institutions from Canada, Japan, and China. Then-Minister of Science and Technology Chavan announced India’s decision to join the TMT Project as an observer in June 2010.[1]

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fermilab “Project X”: DOE and India’s Department of Atomic Energy signed an Implementing Agreement on Discovery Science that would provide the framework for India’s participation at Fermilab in the research, development and construction of a next-generation, high-intensity superconducting radio frequency proton accelerator, also known as “Project X/HISPA.” The resulting facility will be used by U.S. and Indian scientists for research in particle physics and other related fields.

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO): The United States’ LIGO Laboratory and India’s Indian Initiative in Gravitational Observations (IndIGO) are jointly working on a plan to create a world-class gravitational wave detector in India. India will contribute $250 million (with $150 million to be spent during India’s 12th five-year plan, commencing April 1, 2012) toward implementation of this project in India. The United States will provide the interferometer components to be placed in the host facility in India. The placement of this detector in India will greatly enhance a wide network of detectors in the United States, Europe, and Japan to test fundamental physics in the form of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and to study some of the most unusual astronomical objects in our universe – black holes, neutron stars, and supernovas – and possibly shed light on the Big Bang.

Science and Engineering Research Board: The United States and India are eager to share science and technology knowledge and experience to enhance research capacity and infrastructure. The United States National Science Foundation (NSF) is receiving visitors from India’s Department of Science & Technology (DST) and the National Science and Engineering Research Board (NSERB) who are interested in learning more about NSF processes including merit review as DST develops an NSERB to be modeled after the NSF. Prime Minister Singh announced plans to establish the NSERB in December 2008.

The Indo-U.S. Science & Technology Forum: The Indo-U.S. Science & Technology Forum (IUSSTF) was endowed in 2000 with PL-480 funds to facilitate bilateral scientific cooperation by funding exchanges, workshops, and joint research projects. Over the past ten years the IUSSTF has facilitated travel of more than 11,000 scientists between the United States and India, established 24 virtual joint research centers and organized more than 30 training programs and 150 bilateral conferences, many of which have resulted in long-term partnerships. IUSSTF serves as a secretariat for U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy and U.S.-India S&T Endowment Board.

U.S.-India Dialogue on Women in Science (WIS) Issues: WIS is a priority area for engagement between the United States and India, and both countries discussed cooperation in this area at the U.S.-India Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation on June 11, 2012. The joint statement of the 2011 U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue prioritized WIS as an area for bilateral engagement. Embassy New Delhi’s annual workshops in 2009, 2010, and 2011 in association with India’s Department of Science & Technology identified areas for collaboration on WIS issues. The upcoming 2012 WIS workshop will focus on best-enabling practices for women in science. The United States, India, and Brazil co-sponsored an event focusing WIS on the sidelines of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2011.

Innovation
U.S.-India S&T Endowment Board: In May 2012, Secretary Clinton and Minister Deshmukh announced the first grantee award of the U.S.-India S&T Endowment Board, which was established in 2009 with an annual budget of $2 to $3 million per year to promote commercialization of innovative technologies in part through grants of up to $500,000 for jointly-developed technology solutions with the potential to improve health and empower citizens in both countries. The first-round winner and runners up include a partnership to create a cold-chain storage solution to keep farmers’ produce fresh, the development of a shoe to help Parkinson’s sufferers to walk, and metabolic screening for newborns. The Board has established a biannual process to solicit proposals and has selected six finalists for the second round of awards.

Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development (GLORIAD): On June 9, 2012, the first direct U.S.-India advanced science and education network began supporting enormous data flows between the United States and the science center of India in Bangalore. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation—and as part of a public-private partnership featuring a $6M contribution by Tata Communications and housed by the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) of the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research in Bangalore—the new link is part of the NSF-funded advanced global GLORIAD network. GLORIAD is designed to support the most advanced big-data research today, as well as education and health-related research, and its Indian partners at the ICTS are also launching the first open, science-driven, science-managed network exchange in India.

Millennium Alliance: In May 2012, the Indian Government pledged $5 million toward the Millennium Alliance, a joint initiative announced in December 2011 by USAID and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) that will identify, support, and scale innovative, game-changing, and cost-effective solutions to the base of the pyramid development challenges in India and around the world. USAID has contributed $7.7 million to the Alliance, which is being matched by FICCI, with the goal of raising $50 million in the coming year.

Open Government Platform: As part of the India-U.S. Dialogue on Open Government launched in November 2010, the two countries in March jointly launched an open-source web portal called the “Open Government Platform” (OGPL), which will be provided to third countries later this year, starting with Rwanda. Leveraging the ICT strengths and the democratic commitment to robust civic engagement of both India and the United States, this open-source platform will provide public access to government information via a user-friendly website. The open source code for OGPL was released into the public domain May 21, 2012.

U.S.-India Innovation Exchange: Then-U.S. Chief Technology Officer Chopra in November 2011 attended the Government of India’s “Global Innovation Roundtable,” which included participants from 15 governments and highlighted innovation’s role in addressing economic growth and development challenges. During the June 2010 U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Minister of External Affairs S. M. Krishna announced the U.S.-India Innovation Exchange. The first delegation under the Exchange traveled to India in September 2010. India plans to host a second Global Innovation Roundtable in November of this year.

Space
U.S.-India Joint Working Group on Civil Space Cooperation: Both countries are committed to using their space programs to expand the frontiers of scientific knowledge and produce tangible benefits for their populations. By exchanging and utilizing satellite-based scientific data about the Earth, its climate, weather, and geophysical features, the United States and India are working together to share information on ocean winds, tropical weather and monsoons, and climate change for a number of applications, including improved agricultural productivity. The bilateral Civil Space Working Group last met in July 2011, with a follow-up discussion on Earth Science in December 2011. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed an implementing agreement in March 2012 that formalized the exchange of data obtained from instruments onboard ISRO’s Oceansat 2 satellite. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and ISRO signed implementing agreements in March 2012 that formalized the exchange of data obtained from the Oceansat-2 and the Global Precipitation Measurement/Megha-Tropiques satellite missions

MARIJUANA GROWERS FORFEIT 1,000 ACRES OF LAND AFTER CONVICTIONS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Justice Department Transfers 1,000 Acres of Land in Cannon County, Tenn., to State of Tennessee Land to Be Used for Conservation, Recreation
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice has transferred to the state of Tennessee approximately 1,000 acres of undeveloped land in Cannon County, Tenn., as a result of a federal criminal conviction of two individuals for distribution of marijuana.

The transfer was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Harry S. Sommers of the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Marshal Denny W. King for the Middle District of Tennessee.

The land, located on Short Mountain in Woodbury, Tenn., will be managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and will be known as the Headwaters Wildlife Management Area.  Short Mountain is a critical habitat for plant and animal species, and contains the headwaters for three Tennessee watersheds.  The property will be open to the public for small game hunting, hiking and wildlife viewing.

The land was forfeited to the United States as part of the 2007 federal criminal convictions of Morris Roller and Jeffory Carl Young for distribution of marijuana.  Roller and Young are currently serving federal sentences of 200 and 224 months, respectively.  The transfer was made under a law that allows the Justice Department to convey forfeited property to states for public use for recreation or conservation purposes upon request by the governor or chief executive officer of the state.

The Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division coordinated the transfer.  The federal criminal investigation was assisted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Tennessee Alcohol Control Board; Warren County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Department; Hamilton County, Tenn., Sheriff’s Department; and Chattanooga, Tenn., Police Department.

“This land transfer highlights the benefits of asset forfeiture as a crime-fighting tool,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.  “Our law enforcement efforts put an end to illegal drug production on this land and secured its preservation for years to come.”

“The transfer of this property was accomplished through the cooperative efforts of local, state and federal government agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Killian.  “This historic conveyance of forfeited property, which is the largest transfer for conservation purposes in the past 15 years by the federal government to a governmental entity, will leave a lasting legacy of this wildlife management area for the state of Tennessee and its citizens.  Now, rather than being used for growing marijuana or violating other laws, it will be used for recreational activities such as hiking, fishing and hunting.  Russ Dedrick, my predecessor as U.S. Attorney, is to be congratulated for arranging this donation of land.”
A dedication ceremony was held today on the land.

The Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program allows for the transfer of federally forfeited real property to serve various purposes including:  supporting state recreational, preservation or historic purposes; supporting a continuing federal purpose; and assisting a state or local government, or a non-profit entity, in carrying out educational, drug treatment, rehabilitation, housing and other community-based initiatives.  Through these real property transfers the Asset Forfeiture Program contributes to our communities nationwide.

MICHIGAN AIR NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYED TO ESTONIA FOR "SABRE STRIKE EXERCISE 2012"

Michigan Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker hooks up with an A-10 Thunderbolt II for an aerial refueling near the border between Latvia and Estonia, June 12, in support of Exercise Saber Strike 2012. Michigan Air National Guard Airmen deployed to Estonia in mid June for the Exercise, which is a multinational exercise based in Latvia and Estonia that promotes trust and interoperability among participating nations. (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel Barton) 

Master Sgt. George Hall, a KC-135 boom operator with the Michigan Air National Guard,refuels an A-10 Thunderbolt II Aircraft, June 12, 2012 while Lieutenent Col. Janek Lehiste, Air Surveillence Wing commander with the Estonian air force at Amari Air Base observes. Michigan Air National Guard Airmen deployed to Estonia in mid June 2012 in support of the Saber Strike Exercise, a multinational exercise based in Latvia and Estonia which promotes trust and interoperability among participating nations. (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt Rachel Barton)

A formation of U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft fly over Amari Air Base, Estonia, prior to landing, June 8, 2012. The aircraft, flown by the 107th Fighter Squadron, Michigan Air National Guard, are believed to be the first A-10s to ever land in Estonia. The aircraft and their Airmen were in Estonia to participate in Saber Strike 2012, a multi-national exercise based in Estonia and Latvia. (National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel Barton)

SENATORS URGE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO INVESTIGATE FOREIGN TRADE PRACTICES

Photo Credit:  Wikipedia.
FROM:  U.S. SENATOR CARL LEVIN’S WEBSITE
Ohio, Michigan Senators Urge Obama Administration to Investigate Foreign Trade Practices, Defend Manufacturing Jobs at Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool, based in Benton Harbor, has largest U.S. factory in Clyde, Ohio
Tuesday, June 5, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ohio and Michigan U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) this week urged the Obama Administration to investigate unfair foreign trade practices and defend manufacturing jobs at the Whirlpool Corporation.

The senators sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce Department asking the agency to enforce trade laws that level the playing field for companies like Whirlpool. In December 2011, Whirlpool—which is based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and whose largest American factory is in Clyde, Ohio—filed a case with the Commerce Department regarding the dumping of large residential washers, made in South Korea and Mexico, into the U.S. market. These unfairly dumped imports place companies that manufacture their product in America, like Whirlpool, at an unfair disadvantage.

“In order to create an environment to encourage [the] repatriation [of jobs], we must ensure that companies that do bring jobs home to the United States, such as Whirlpool, are not handicapped by unfair trade practices perpetrated by their foreign competitors,” the senators wrote. “When companies engage in dumping and benefit from unfair foreign government subsidies, it harms American companies and workers and the communities in which they operate.”

“Whirlpool Corporation has nine manufacturing plants in the United States – and five of them are located in Ohio. We know why—because of our state’s strong manufacturing heritage and because our workers are second-to-none.  And our companies, like Whirlpool, can compete with anyone in the world when there is a level playing field,” said Brown, who visited Whirlpool’s Clyde plant this week. “But what’s happening to Whirlpool has happened to too many American industries—our manufacturers are being undermined and undercut by illegal trade practices carried out by our trading partners. Unfairly-subsidized imports harm our ability to innovate and compete.

“Our workers don’t mind competition. Competition is healthy. It breeds innovation, and it’s the American way. But it’s not competing when foreign competitors dump their products in our market, undercutting the products made here in Clyde—it’s cheating,” Brown added. “Today, I am urging the Obama Administration to be aggressive in investigating the unfair trade practices of Whirlpool’s competitors, who make their products in South Korea and Mexico. If we want to encourage companies like Whirlpool to continue moving jobs back to the U.S., then we also have to get tough on countries that don’t play by the rules.”

“Ohio companies who play by the rules should not be penalized by the unfair practices of foreign competitors,” said Portman. “Manufacturers such as Whirlpool, who provide good jobs for hardworking Ohioans, can compete with anyone as long as trade rules are being enforced. The Obama administration should continue to investigate the harmful practices of foreign companies who cut corners and put domestic companies at a competitive disadvantage.”

“Workers at Whirlpool and other American manufacturers can compete and win against any in the world – if the playing field is level,” Levin said. “Taking action against foreign competitors engaged in dumping is vital to maintaining that level playing field for companies and their workers making products in the United States.”
“American workers and businesses can out-compete anyone as long as there is an even playing field,” said Stabenow.  “Michigan-based Whirlpool became the global leader in major home appliances through hard work and innovation.  We need to make sure foreign competitors are playing by the rules and not engaging in anti-competitive trade practices that undermine our businesses.”

The senators asked the Commerce Department to strongly enforce trade law in Whirlpool’s case, applying antidumping and countervailing duties on these washers if need be, in order to create a level playing field and ensure that Whirlpool’s American manufacturing footprint can be preserved. In the letter, the senators state that in order to encourage the creation of new jobs, Whirlpool—which has previously brought jobs to the United States from overseas—should be able to trade on a fair global market. According to the company, the Whirlpool Corporation has more U.S. manufacturing jobs than all its major competitors combined, and more than 80 percent of the products it sells in America are made in the U.S.

The text of the letter is below.
The Honorable John Bryson
Secretary of Commerce
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, D.C. 20230
Dear Secretary Bryson,
We write to urge the strong enforcement of trade laws in the ongoing antidumping and countervailing duty investigations requested by Whirlpool Corporation involving U.S. imports of large residential washers (“LRWs”) from South Korea and Mexico.

Whirlpool – which has more than 22,000 employees in the United States -- celebrated its l00th anniversary of manufacturing in the United States in 2011. Whirlpool has long been known as a leader in the home appliance industry, and with its signature quality products and innovation, has been the largest major appliances manufacturer for many years.  While Whirlpool is a global company, in recent years it has increasingly repatriated production to the United States.  Today, 80 percent of what Whirlpool sells in America is manufactured in America, while its foreign competitors make no appliances here.

LRWs are a case in point.  In 2010, Whirlpool brought the production of front load washer production home to its plant in Clyde, Ohio.  In a volatile period, that move secured 500 jobs on the line and more in support in the nearby communities. Clyde employment reached approximately 3,600 at the end of 2010.

Manufacturing lies at the heart of the economies of Ohio and Michigan.  The continued repatriation of manufacturing jobs is essential to strengthening our states’ economies and creating opportunities for workers and their families in our communities.

However, in order to create an environment to encourage repatriation, we must ensure that companies that do bring jobs home to the United States, such as Whirlpool, are not handicapped by unfair trade practices perpetrated by their foreign competitors.
It is imperative that the Department of Commerce vigorously and carefully enforce the trade laws to ensure that companies like Whirlpool are provided a level playing field on which to compete -- both for their current U.S. production, and when they bring overseas production home and invest in America.

When companies engage in dumping and benefit from unfair foreign government subsidies, it harms American companies and workers and the communities in which they operate. The Department’s work on these cases has important real world implications with substantial consequences for workers and communities in our states.  While there will no doubt be many issues that will arise as these cases move forward, at this stage in the proceedings, we encourage the Department to focus closely, as required under the antidumping and countervailing duty laws,  on:

Ensuring that the Respondent companies fully and accurately report their prices net of all rebates and discounts, as well as their costs of production and adjustments to price.
Exploring the ways in which the Korean chaebol system and the relationships between the large South Korean conglomerates and their much smaller suppliers may mask the true measure of prices and costs.
Utilizing whatever public information that the Department gleaned in the recently completed bottom mount refrigerator freezer (“BMRF”) investigations to inform and advance the Department’s efforts to develop a full and transparent record in these investigations.

Prices, costs, supplier relationships, and accurate reporting are always important issues in antidumping and countervailing duty cases, and these cases are no exception.  With the Department’s vigilance, however, a clear record can be developed and any unfair trade practices can be effectively addressed.
Thank you for your careful consideration of this matter.

NATIONAL GUARD STILL BATTLING WESTERN WILDFIRES

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Colorado Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 135th General Support Aviation, drops 500 gallons of water from a specialized bucket onto the Lower North Fork Fire in the vicinity of Conifer Colo. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Bethany Fehringer  


Guard Members Battle Western Wildfires
By Army Sgt. Darron Salzer
National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va., June 13, 2012 - Citizen-soldiers and airmen from five states are working alongside civilian first responders as they continue to battle wildfires in Colorado and New Mexico, according to National Guard officials.

New Mexico Army National Guard members are still battling the Little Bear wildfire near Ruidoso, N.M., which is approximately 35 percent contained, officials said.
The number of New Mexico Guard members has increased from 117 to approximately 218 since June 11, officials said. The New Mexico Guard has deployed three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, two equipped with Bambi buckets and one on standby for medical evacuations.

Guard members in New Mexico are also performing roving walking patrols, setting up traffic control points, and handing out information to residents who could be affected by the wildfire, officials said.

Guard members in Colorado are continuing to battle the High Peak wildfire near Fort Collins, officials said.

There are approximately 90 Colorado National Guard soldiers and airmen providing support and performing missions such as communication support, refueling, and security.
Additionally, the Colorado Guard has deployed UH-60 helicopters equipped with Bambi buckets, said officials, who said the fire has destroyed approximately 46,600 acres.

The Kansas National Guard and Nebraska National Guard are also assisting with wildfire suppression in Colorado, each sending one UH-60 helicopter equipped with a Bambi bucket and a crew of nine and four soldiers respectively.

Wildfire suppression operations in Wyoming have concluded in Guernsey State Park, Guard officials said. Currently, two Wyoming Air National Guard members are working in the communications center augmenting civilian first responders.

Wyoming is also scheduled to send one UH-60 helicopter equipped with a Bambi bucket, and a crew of four, to assist with the Colorado wildfires, officials said.

THE GREAT GREEN FLEET FLOATS WITH BIOFUELS

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
100610-N-5319A-212 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 10, 2010) The amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans pulls alongside the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187) for refueling during a scheduled three-month deployment. New Orleans and embarked Navy and Marine Corps units are participating in Southern Partnership Station 2010, an annual deployment of U.S. military training teams to the U.S. Southern Command areas of responsibility in the Caribbean and Latin America. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brien Aho/Released) 

USNS Henry J. Kaiser Loads Biofuel For RIMPAC 2012'S Great Green Fleet Demo
By Sarah Burford, Sealift Logistics Command Pacific, Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187) commenced the load of 900,000 gallons of a 50/50 blend of advanced biofuels and traditional petroleum-based fuel at Defense Fuel Support Point, Manchester, Wash. June 13.

Kaiser will deliver the biofuel to the platforms participating in the Great Green Fleet demonstration, which will take place in July during the 2012 Rim of the Pacific exercise.

This demonstration allows the Navy to test, evaluate, and demonstrate the cross-platform utility and functionality of advanced biofuels in an operational setting, and will achieve one of the five energy goals established by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus: to demonstrate a Great Green Fleet in local operations by 2012.

"The Navy has been at the forefront of energy innovation throughout its history," said Mabus. "From sail to coal-fired steam to oil and nuclear powered submarines and carriers, we have sought and achieved technological advancement in how we power the fleet because it has made us better warfighters. The Great Green Fleet demonstration is a significant milestone in the Navy's progress to greater energy security."

Kaiser will take on 700,000 gallons of hydro-treated renewable diesel fuel, or HRD76, and 200,000 gallons of hydro-treated renewable aviation fuel, or HRJ5. Both fuels are a 50/50 blend of traditional petroleum-based fuel and biofuel comprised of a mix of waste cooking oil and algae oil.

While underway, Kaiser will transfer the HRJ5 fuel to U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), and the HRD76 fuel to the Navy's guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and destroyers USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and USS Chaffee (DDG 90).

Military Sealift Command operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.

"Our mission is service to the fleet," said Navy Capt. Sylvester Moore, commander, Military Sealift Command Pacific. "Delivering advanced biofuel to the fleet is a great opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities, and to be a part of the continued efforts of the Navy to develop new technologies that will advance mission capabilities."

COURT ORDERS CHICAGO-AREA INVESTMENT SERVICE PROVIDER TO REPLACE $1.2 MILLION TO WORKER RETIREMENT PLAN

Photo:  Justice and Humanity.  Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Labor Department suit results in court order requiring Chicago-area investment service provider to restore $1.2 million to worker retirement plans
CHICAGO — Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor and resulting lawsuit, a federal court has issued a default judgment against the co-founder and director of the now defunct Elmhurst-based investment management company Results One Financial LLC. Steven Salutric has been ordered to restore $1,211,902.25 to four pension plan client accounts from which he allegedly withdrew funds from 2005 through 2009 in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

"It is particularly egregious when those entrusted with protecting workers' retirement assets jeopardize them by committing illegal acts for personal gain," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The Labor Department is committed to taking all necessary actions to ensure that workers' hard-earned income and benefits are protected. America's workers deserve and are entitled to keep what they have rightfully earned for themselves and their families."

The department's suit, filed in federal district court in Chicago, alleged that Salutric misdirected the assets of client plans to entities in which he had an interest, including a film distribution company, a restaurant and a real estate partnership, and to a church where he served as treasurer. Results One Financial LLC was a registered investment advisory company that provided services to a wide range of clients, including ERISA-covered employee benefit plans.

"Worker retirement savings accounts were given special protections by Congress due to the significant role they play in providing a secure retirement," said Phyllis C. Borzi, assistant secretary of labor for employee benefits security. "The Labor Department's Employee Benefits Security Administration will continue to help workers understand their rights and fight to protect their assets."

The court order requires Salutric to restore all losses, including lost opportunity costs, to the four pension plan clients and to correct the prohibited transactions involved. The judgment also bars Salutric from serving as a fiduciary or service provider to any employee benefit plan governed by ERISA in the future.

EBSA's Chicago Regional Office investigated the case in coordination with the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Employers and workers can contact EBSA's Chicago office at 312-353-0900 or the agency's toll-free number at 866-444-3272 for help with problems related to private sector health and pension plans.

CO-OWNER OF HOUSTON-AREA HEALTH CARE AGENCY GOES TO PRISON FOR MEDICARE FRAUD

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Co-Owner of Houston-Area Home Health Care Agency Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Role in $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud

WASHINGTON – The former co-owner of a Houston-area home health care company was sentenced today in Houston to 108 months in prison for his participation in a $5.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Clifford Ubani, a former co-owner and chief financial officer at Family Healthcare Group, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas in the Southern District of Texas.  In addition to his prison term, Ubani was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $4.2 million in restitution jointly and severally with his co-defendants.  In January 2011, Ubani pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks to patient recruiters and 16 counts of paying such illegal kickbacks.

According to court documents and other evidence presented to the court, Family Healthcare Group, a Houston home health care company, purported to provide skilled nursing to Medicare beneficiaries.  According to court documents and other evidence, Clifford Ubani paid co-conspirators to recruit Medicare beneficiaries for the purpose of Family Healthcare Group filing claims with Medicare for skilled nursing that was medically unnecessary or not provided.  Ubani’s co-conspirators would then falsify documents to support the fraudulent payments from Medicare.  Ubani also paid co-conspirators to sign fraudulent plans of care stating that the beneficiaries needed home health care when in fact they knew the beneficiaries were not home-bound and not in need of skilled nursing.
Ubani is the eighth defendant sentenced in connection with this scheme.  Two other defendants, co-owner Princewill Njoku and patient recruiter Cynthia Garza Williams, await sentencing.

The sentences were announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent-In-Charge Stephen L. Morris of the FBI’s Houston Field Office; Special Agent-in-Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office of HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU).

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Charles D. Reed and Deputy Chief Sam S. Sheldon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, Texas OAG-MFCU and the Federal Railroad Retirement Board-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

Since their inception in March 2007, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,330 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $4 billion.  In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA SAYS A SENSE OF URGENCY IS NEEDED REGARDING CYBER ATTACKS

Photo Credit:   Los Alamos National Laboratory.

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Panetta: Sense of Urgency Needed to Defend Against Cyber Attacks

By Jim Garamone

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 - The increasing threat of cyber attacks against the nation's computer networks requires a commensurate growth in resources dedicated to protecting them, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told Congress today.

"I think there has to be a greater sense of urgency with regards to the cyber potential, not only now but in the future," Panetta told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense. "Obviously it's a rapidly developing area."

Enemies launch hundreds of thousands of attacks every day on U.S. computer networks, government and non-government alike. "I'm very concerned at the potential in cyber to be able to cripple our power grid, to be able to cripple our government systems, to be able to cripple our financial systems," Panetta said. "It would virtually paralyze this country. And as far as I'm concerned, that represents the potential for another Pearl Harbor ... using cyber."

Testifying alongside Panetta, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the nature of cyber attacks has changed quickly. A few years ago, he said, hackers launched denial of service attacks on computer systems. Today, sophisticated users, criminal groups and even nations participate in intellectual property and technology theft and have progressed to destructive cyber attacks. "I can't overstate my personal sense of urgency about that," he said.

Panetta feels "very good" about DOD's ability to defend its computer systems, but he is concerned about the security of non-governmental systems. "I think that's the area where we have to deal with the additional authorities," he said.

Dempsey stressed that he, too, supports legislation that encourages information sharing with civilian systems.

The chairman said the department has the authority it needs in the cyber world, but must develop rules of engagement that work at network speed.

"This is not something where we can afford to ... convene a study after someone has knocked out the East Coast power grid," he said.

OPENING OF U.S. CONSULATE IN HERAT (WESTERN AFGHANISTAN)

Map:  Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. State Department.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the Ceremony to Open the U.S. Consulate in Herat
Remarks William J. Burns
Deputy Secretary Herat , Afghanistan
June 13, 2012
Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador. And thank you, Governor Saba, for your commitment to a strong partnership between the United States and Afghanistan.
I am truly honored to mark the opening of the U.S. Consulate in Herat, the first American consulate in Afghanistan. As a city with a rich cultural history and considerable economic potential, Herat is a vital place for the United States to have a diplomatic presence. The opening of this consulate reaffirms our long-term commitment to Afghanistan’s success and the enduring bonds of friendship between our peoples.

The opening of this consulate builds on a long history of American engagement in western Afghanistan. In the 1950s and 1960s, American educators assisted the new teacher training institute in Herat, which is now the Faculty of Education at Herat University. In the 1960s and early 70s, American Peace Corps volunteers served here. After the fall of the Taliban, the United States undertook a number of projects and programs in Herat, such as the construction of the Department of Women’s Affairs office and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission building.

U.S. interest and involvement in this region flourishes today. The Ring Road that we drove in from the airport on was funded and constructed by USAID. The basic health services available to almost all citizens of Herat province are funded by on-budget support to your Ministry of Public Health. In the last ten years, more than 100 of your best and brightest professionals and students have traveled to the United States on education exchange programs. There are exciting partnerships between American universities and Herat University to advance education in agriculture, engineering, journalism, English, law and political science. And the single largest cultural preservation project the U.S. government has ever funded through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation is right here in Herat – the preservation of the citadel.

And so we are here to celebrate the opening of the consulate -- this remarkable refurbished facility, leased from the Municipality of Herat. This was truly a community effort – we purchased local products to use in the refurbishment, some of which you can see on display in the waiting room next door. World-class quality, Chesht-e-Sharif marble now graces some of the floors. Every week, on average, more than 70 Afghans contributed their time and skills to the consulate’s construction. One expert carpenter turned plain packing crates into beautifully carved room dividers. And artwork produced by students from Herat University is displayed on the walls of the consulate.

President Obama and President Karzai signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement last month to signal that America will remain by your side for years to come. The SPA protects the gains of the last decade. It is a positive vision for the future of the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship that contrasts starkly with the vision of violence and extremism offered by the Taliban and al-Qaida.

This agreement comes at a time when we have made significant progress toward defeating al-Qaida, transitioning security responsibility to Afghan forces, and denying extremists a safe-haven from which to threaten the United States. Let me discuss briefly our strategy moving forward.

First, we have begun a transition to Afghan responsibility for security. Already, nearly half the Afghan people live in areas where Afghan Security Forces are moving into the lead, and this number will rise to 75 percent by summer’s end. Herat City has been under the security responsibility of Afghanistan for almost one year, and I am pleased to see first-hand the progress you all have made in that time.

Second, we are training Afghan Security Forces to get the job done. As our troops draw down, Afghan forces have surged and become more capable.

Third, we are building an enduring partnership with Afghanistan. The SPA sends a clear message to the Afghan people: as you stand up, you will not stand alone.

Fourth, we are supporting Afghan-led reconciliation. In coordination with the Afghan government, our redlines are clear - if the Taliban wants to be a part of Afghanistan’s future, they will need to break with al-Qaida, renounce violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution. Many members of the Taliban – from foot soldiers to leaders – have indicated an interest in a settlement. A pathway to peace is now set before them. Those who refuse to walk that path will have to contend with strong Afghan Security Forces, backed by the United States and our allies.

And finally, we are building an international consensus to support peace, stability and a sense of economic hope for the people of South and Central Asia. Tomorrow, I will take part in the latest round of the Istanbul Process, where Afghanistan’s neighbors and near neighbors will affirm their significant commitments to developing regional security and economic development. I commend the Government of Afghanistan for the strong leadership it has shown in this process.

This consulate, built with so many Afghan hands and so much Afghan talent, is a small reminder of what the people of Herat can accomplish. And it gives us hope for the greater effort facing Afghans—which is not merely the building of a single structure, but the building of an entire nation that deserves a future better than its recent past. Let this building stand as a sign of our commitment: As you build this future, one day at a time, you can count on the steadfast support and friendship of the United States of America.

Thank you.