NASA LOOKS AT SNOW-COVERED DESERT

FROM: NASA
Snow-Covered Desert

Snow-covered deserts are rare, but that’s exactly what the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite observed as it passed over the Taklimakan Desert in western China on Jan. 2, 2013. Snow has covered much of the desert since a storm blew through the area on Dec. 26. The day after the storm, Chinese Central Television (CNTV) reported that the Xinjian Uygyr autonomous region was one of the areas hardest hit.

The Taklimakan is one of the world’s largest—and hottest—sandy deserts. Water flowing into the Tarim Basin has no outlet, so over the years, sediments have steadily accumulated. In parts of the desert, sand can pile up to 300 meters (roughly 1,000 feet) high. The mountains that enclose the sea of sand—the Tien Shan in the north and the Kunlun Shan in the south—were also covered with what appeared to be a significantly thicker layer of snow in January 2013.

Image Credit-NASA-Aqua

West Wing Week: 01/04/13 or "Welcome to 2013: The Annual Resolutions Edition!" | The White House

West Wing Week: 01/04/13 or "Welcome to 2013: The Annual Resolutions Edition!" | The White House

White House White Board - American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 | The White House

White House White Board - American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 | The White House

CURRENT STATUS OF THE MARS ROVER MISSION



The NASA Mars rover Curiosity used its left Navigation Camera to record this view of the step down into a shallow depression called "Yellowknife Bay." Image credit: NASA-JPL-Caltech

FROM: NASA

Mission status report

PASADENA, Calif. -- The NASA Mars rover Curiosity this week is driving within a shallow depression called "Yellowknife Bay," providing information to help researchers choose a rock to drill.

Using Curiosity's percussive drill to collect a sample from the interior of a rock, a feat never before attempted on Mars, is the mission's priority for early 2013. After the powdered-rock sample is sieved and portioned by a sample-processing mechanism on the rover's arm, it will be analyzed by instruments inside Curiosity.

Yellowknife Bay is within a different type of terrain from what the rover has traversed since landing inside Mars' Gale Crater on Aug. 5, PDT (Aug. 6, UTC). The terrain Curiosity has entered is one of three types that intersect at a location dubbed "Glenelg," chosen as an interim destination about two weeks after the landing.

Curiosity reached the lip of a 2-foot (half-meter) descent into Yellowknife Bay with a 46-foot (14-meter) drive on Dec. 11. The next day, a drive of about 86 feet (26.1 meters) brought the rover well inside the basin. The team has been employing the Mast Camera (Mastcam) and the laser-wielding Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) for remote-sensing studies of rocks along the way.

On Dec. 14, Curiosity drove about 108 feet (32.8 meters) to reach rock targets of interest called "Costello" and "Flaherty." Researchers used the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) at the end of the rover's arm to examine the targets. After finishing those studies, the rover drove again on Dec. 17, traveling about 18 feet (5.6 meters) farther into Yellowknife Bay. That brings the mission's total driving distance to 0.42 mile (677 meters) since Curiosity's landing.

One additional drive is planned this week before the rover team gets a holiday break. Curiosity will continue studying the Martian environment from its holiday location at the end point of that drive within Yellowknife Bay. The mission's plans for most of 2013 center on driving toward the primary science destination, a 3-mile-high (5-kilometer) layered mound called Mount Sharp.

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Project is using Curiosity during a two-year prime mission to assess whether areas inside Gale Crater ever offered a habitable environment for microbes. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 29, 2012

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
 
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA


In the week ending December 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 372,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 362,000. The 4-week moving average was 360,000, an increase of 250 from the previous week's revised average of 359,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.5 percent for the week ending December 22, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending December 22 was 3,245,000, an increase of 44,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,201,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,224,250, an increase of 6,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,217,750.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 495,588 in the week ending December 29, an increase of 40,459 from the previous week. There were 540,057 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent during the week ending December 22, a increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,293,218, an increase of 43,722 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.0 percent and the volume was 3,779,025.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending December 15 was 5,402,987, a decrease of 68,727 from the previous week. There were 7,223,309 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.

Extended Benefits were not available in any state during the week ending December 15.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,732 in the week ending December 22, an increase of 52 from the prior week. There were 2,575 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 1 from the preceding week.

There were 22,220 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending December 15, an increase of 1,125 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 39,789, a decrease of 772 from the prior week.

States reported 2,065,706 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending December 15, a decrease of 30,537 from the prior week. There were 2,932,561 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending December 15 were in Alaska (6.6), Puerto Rico (3.9), New Jersey (3.8), Pennsylvania (3.8), Montana (3.6), California (3.4), Nevada (3.4), Oregon (3.4), Connecticut (3.3), and Wisconsin (3.3).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 22 were in Ohio (+8,795), Michigan (+6,641), Pennsylvania (+5,530), Kentucky (+4,745), and Massachusetts (+4,330), while the largest decreases were in California (-11,789), West Virginia (-473), Florida (-450), Arizona (-192) and South Dakota (-186).

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - January 3, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - January 3, 2013

U.S. Navy Photos of the Day Update

U.S. Navy Photos of the Day Update

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JANUARY 3, 2013

Credit:  U.S. Department Of Defense.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Security Force Arrests Taliban Leader in Kandahar Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 3, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader during an operation in the Shah Wali Kot district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested Taliban leader was responsible for the planning and execution of vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also oversaw the transfer and delivery of IEDs to insurgents operating throughout the district.

Also today, a combined force arrested three insurgents during a search for a Haqqani facilitator in the Khost district of Khost province. The sought-after Haqqani facilitator coordinates the movement and transfer of weapons, explosives and IED components to insurgents within the district.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- Taliban leader Mubariz Jaan was killed by a combined force in the Andar district of Ghazni province. Mubariz Jaan was responsible for gathering intelligence and directing attacks against Afghan civilians and government officials. Prior to his death, Mubariz Jaan was coordinating attacks against Afghan police in the province.

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader and killed one other insurgent in the Pul-e Khumri district of Baghlan province. The arrested Taliban leader financed IEDs, other weapons and ammunition for insurgent attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Prior to his detention, he was facilitating the movement of IEDs and suicide bombers for attacks in the province.

-- In the Hisarak district of Nangarhar province, a combined force killed Taliban leader Abdullah and four other insurgents. Abdullah was responsible for directing and participating in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Prior to his death, Abdullah was reporting the movement of Afghan and coalition forces to insurgent leaders.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SUES LA RAZA OVER FIRED WHISTLE-BLOWER

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia Commons.

 FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

US Department of Labor sues National Council of La Raza Action Fund Inc., ordering reinstatement of whistle-blower fired for mold exposure complaint


ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued National Council of La Raza Action Fund Inc., successor to Democracia USA, a nonprofit community engagement and Hispanic voter registration organization in Orlando, for allegedly terminating an employee who raised health concerns about potential exposure to mold and other environmental factors in his workplace. The lawsuit follows an investigation by the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration that found that the company unlawfully and intentionally terminated the worker for engaging in activity protected by Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

The suit seeks to have the employee reinstated and paid back wages, interest, and compensatory and punitive damages, along with expunging adverse information in the employee's personnel records. Finally, it seeks to bar the employer from commission of future violations of the OSH Act by a permanent injunction.

"Every American worker has the right to raise health concerns regarding potential exposures to environmental hazards, such as mold, without fearing retaliation," said Cindy Coe, OSHA's regional administrator in Atlanta. "We will continue to ensure that these basic worker rights are protected and will prosecute every employer found to have violated them."

In mid-September 2009, the employee began reporting concerns to management about potential exposure to mold and other environmental factors in the workplace, which were making him sick. In November 2009, an air quality test was performed that showed the presence of mold in the workplace. The office was closed for several months. After it reopened, the employee filed a health complaint with the OSHA Tampa Area Office. OSHA conducted an inspection and issued a citation against the employer for violation of OSHA's housekeeping standard. Upon receipt of the OSHA citation, the employee was informed that his employment was terminated. The employee then filed a whistle-blower complaint with OSHA.

The department is represented in court by its Regional Office of the Solicitor in Atlanta. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division.

OSHA enforces the whistle-blower provisions of the OSH Act and 21 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various commercial motor vehicle; airline; nuclear; pipeline; environmental; railroad; public transportation; maritime; consumer product; health care reform; securities; food safety; and consumer financial reform regulations.

Teens and marijuana

Teens and marijuana

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY, USS BREMERTON

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) prepares to moor alongside the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39). Bremerton is on a deployment tot he western Pacific and emory S. Land is undergoing repairs in the Philippines while conducting coordinated tending moorings and afloat maintenance in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jared Aldape (Released) 121229-N-IN807-018

121229-N-IN807-122 SUBIC BAY, Republic of the Philippines (Dec. 29, 2012) The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) maneuvers alongside the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39). Bremerton is on a deployment to the western Pacific. emory S. Land is undergoing repairs in the Philippines while conducting coordinated tending moorings and afloat maintenance in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jared Aldape/Released)

U.S. DOD OFFERING NON-MEDICAL COUNSELING TO TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES

U.S. Navy photo Antonio P. Turretto Ramos. Blurred 01-02-2013 BRGNR.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DOD Offers Non-medical Counseling to Troops, Families

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2013 - The Defense Department continues to ensure the well-being of service members and their families through no-cost, short-term, non-medical counseling in the interests of military and family readiness, a defense official said.

Jena M. Moore, program analyst for counseling in the Office of Military Community and Family Policy, explained the program during an interview with The Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.

"The Military and Family Life Counseling program ... offers short-term, non-medical counseling," Moore said. "And it's confidential for our service members and family members."

The program, administered by licensed professionals with master's or doctorate degrees in a mental health-related field, provide services for active duty, National Guard and reserve members and their families, as well as DOD civilians "serving as part of the expeditionary workforce and their families."

The program's goal, she said, is to prevent the development of or the exacerbation of mental health conditions that can detract from military readiness.

"Another goal of the program was to establish a different avenue of counseling for service members and family members, in addition to what's already available through their military community," Moore said.

Data indicates usage of non-medical counseling has increased from 10 percent of active-duty service members in 2003 to about 35 percent, she said.

According to Moore, the program provides non-medical counseling for issues that can be resolved or supported through short-term support.

"These are daily issues that come to our lives like dealing with work or dealing with family," she said. "And, specifically for the military community, it's those normal reactions that service members and family members can have to the stressful attributes that can come with being a military family member."

Moore said medical counseling is not provided through the program since such care typically would be used for health issues requiring longer-term care. Counselors ensure service members or family members are connected with the right resource before finishing the counseling sessions, she said.

"Examples of [medical counseling] would be issues related to child abuse, spouse abuse, or suicidal ideations," Moore said. "These are counseling sessions that you could find within a military medical treatment facility or through TRICARE."

Moore explained how the MFLC program delivers counseling to the military community in a variety of ways.

"One of the largest ways that we're utilized is on installations on rotations up to 180 days," she said. "And typically these MFLCs are found within our family support centers, but they also can be found throughout military installations as well as embedded in military units.

"We also have our child and youth behavioral MFLCs that support child and youth on installations," Moore continued. "Those can be found in our child development centers as well as public schools that have high populations of military children."

For commanders, Moore noted, there are surge support services available to units that are returning from combat. And there are on-demand medical services that primarily support National Guard and reserve members, she said, which are usually available at family events and during drill weekends and deployment-related events.

"If a commander is interested in receiving surge support for their unit that is returning from deployment, they would request through their family program manager at service headquarters," Moore said, "and then that request would come through to the MFLC program where we'd review it, and provide support as needed."

For troops with privacy concerns, the sessions with the MFLC counselors are confidential -- even their commander won't know -- and the counseling will not impact their security clearances, she said.

Additionally, Moore said, full-time program counselors can be accessed through joint family support assistance programs, available in all 50 states, territories and the District of Columbia.

And MFLC program options include speaking to a military chaplain, or going to a family support center, she said.

Moore said research data indicates the program is working.

"In a recent review of the MFLC program that was conducted by Virginia Tech, [of] those that were surveyed, 98 percent indicated that the MFLC counseling program was effective in dealing with their issues," she said.

Senior commanders like retired Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson, who led U.S. Special Operations Command, also have provided feedback, Moore said.

"In 2010, [Olson] spoke to the MFLC program and the support that the MFLC program provided his service members and family members," she said. "[Olson] mentioned how the MFLC program is flexible, and it's so accessible ... that his families and service members feel comfortable in utilizing it."

Olson "really thinks that it's a value added for his service members and family members to have that resource," Moore said.

RETIRMENT OF THE FIREFIGHTER

Donald Warner, the chief of the Fire Emergency Services Division in the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Readiness Directorate, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., retired Dec. 28, 2012, completing 46 years of military and civilian service as a firefighter. U.S. Air Force photo by Eddie Green

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Air Force's Top Firefighter Retires
By John Burt
Air Force Civil Engineer Center

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Jan. 2, 2013 - The Air Force's top firefighter has stepped down after 46 years of military and civilian service.

Donald Warner, chief of the Fire Emergency Services Division in the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Readiness Directorate here retired on Dec. 29, 2012, ending a career in firefighting that has spanned six decades.

"When I enlisted in 1965, the Air Force chose the firefighting career field for me," Warner said. "They did a good job because I have loved it. I can't think of anything else I would have rather done."

Over his career, Warner has seen Air Force firefighting evolve and, as the Air Force Fire Chief for the past 11 years, he has helped guide many of those changes.

"Our career field has become more technical and our duty responsibilities have expanded tremendously," he said. "When I came in, we were almost exclusively crash-response firefighters. Now we are an all-hazards response force."

Warner said the principal call received by Air Force firefighters today is for emergency medical services response.

"We provide the first level of care typically on Air Force bases and have a lot of success stories," he said. "Our firefighters save about 30 people per year. I'm very proud of that."

The most apparent changes in Air Force firefighting have been technological advances in vehicles and equipment, Warner said. In the past, the Air Force only used firefighting vehicles specified and built for the military.

"They were very basic," he said. "We now buy commercial, off-the-shelf equipment. This change was a significant departure from our business practices of the past, but it enables us to keep up with technology and allows our firefighters to be more competitive and better prepared for a career after they leave the Air Force."

In overseeing Air Force fire department operations and about 10,000 airmen and civilian firefighters, Warner has faced numerous challenges. Key among these was addressing staffing requirements in the face of budget constraints.

"We had to dramatically change how we operated and were forced to make some tough decisions on the size of our total [firefighting] force," he said.

Warner and his team at AFCEC and major commands found that varying the number of firefighters on duty was the only means of achieving the manpower savings required -- making more firefighters available during higher risk periods and fewer firefighters at other times.

"We incorporated a risk management approach into our business to make certain our fire chiefs had the appropriate number of personnel according to local risk factors," he said.

Warner says one of the biggest advancements in vehicle and equipment modernization is the development of ultra-high pressure firefighting technology.

"With ultra-high pressure, we can put out fires using significantly less ... firefighting agent and sustain our firefighting operations longer," he said. "With conventional vehicles, we have about three minutes of firefighting time. UHP gives us three-and-a-half times that."

When fully fielded and trained, UHP will transform the way Air Force firefighters respond to crashes and will eventually change civil firefighting as well, the Air Force fire chief said.

One achievement that Warner said brought him personal satisfaction was garnering recognition for Department of Defense firefighters who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

"I was the catalyst for getting our military firefighters added to the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md. Their omission had been a serious oversight and I was pleased to get that corrected," he said. "The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation went back and retroactively memorialized all DOD firefighters who had died in the line of duty since 1983. We have 13 on the memorial now, including an airman who was killed in the line of duty last year."

Warner said he retires with mixed emotions and many memories.

"There are things that a firefighter will never forget," he said. "It's a lifetime memory. I will miss the association with other firefighters. We have a good team. I won't miss, however, the heartbreak I feel every time we are unable to save someone. It is very emotional for me and all our firefighters. It's not just a number on a report, it represents a person."

The chief of the AFCEC Readiness Directorate said Warner leaves an indelible legacy.

"Mr. Warner has guided Air Force firefighting through significant changes," said Col. Mike Mendoza. "He has represented not only Air Force firefighters, but military firefighters with integrity, honor and dedication to service. He will be sorely missed."

SEC ANNOUNCES RESOLUTION OF OMR CASE

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today the resolution of an enforcement action filed by the Commission on October 19, 2010 in federal district court in Rhode Island against defendants David G. Stern and Online-Registries, Inc. (d/b/a Online Medical Registries) ("OMR") and relief defendant Michele Ritter. The court entered final judgment by consent against Stern on December 5, 2012 and entered a stipulation of dismissal of the claims against the relief defendant on December 27, 2012. The court previously had entered a final judgment by default against OMR on September 25, 2012.

The Commission's complaint alleged that Stern and OMR made false and misleading statements to investors in OMR, a web-based company founded and controlled by Stern, in connection with investors' purchase of stock in OMR. The misrepresentations generally related to OMR's business ventures, the status of its technology, its number of customers, and Stern's personal background, consisting of disbarment from the practice of law and a prior criminal conviction in federal district court in Massachusetts relating to financial wrongdoing. Based upon these and other allegations, including the misuse of investor funds, the Commission obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freeze on October 20, 2010, and a stipulated preliminary injunction on February 28, 2011 against Stern and OMR. On April 3, 2012, the court held Stern in contempt for violations of the preliminary injunction.

Without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's complaint, Stern agreed to the entry of a final judgment that: (i) permanently enjoins him from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; (ii) holds him liable for disgorgement of $197,875, representing amounts received as a result of the conduct alleged in the Commission's complaint, together with prejudgment interest thereon in the amount of $27,800.71, for a total of $225,675.71; and (iii) waives the payment of disgorgement and prejudgment interest and does not impose a civil penalty based upon the representations in Stern's sworn statement of financial condition. The final judgment by default entered against OMR (i) enjoins OMR from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and (ii) orders OMR to pay disgorgement of $197,875 and prejudgment interest in the amount of $24,997.22. The Commission had initially charged that relief defendant Michele Ritter received some investor funds from Stern and sought the return of those funds. The Commission has now agreed to dismiss its charges against relief defendant Michele Ritter.

SEQUESTRATION ON HOLD

Left:  Pentagon Spokesman George Little

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Legislators Avoid Fiscal Cliff, Delay Sequester Process

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
 
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2013 - Congress has avoided the fiscal cliff, but Pentagon Press Secretary George Little called on the body to continue efforts to permanently eliminate the threat of sequestration.

The House of Representatives passed a Senate proposal that avoided the fiscal cliff last night. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is pleased Congress acted, Little said, but notes there is more work to be done.

Had Congress not acted, sequestration -- taking an additional $500 billion from the DOD budget -- would have kicked in. The legislation passed yesterday delays that process for two months. Panetta hopes that within that time Congress can find a way to end sequestration once and for all, Little said. If not, sequestration will trigger automatically, leaving little time to make the required cuts.

"While we have whistled by this fiscal cliff, we need to keep our eye on the ball and make sure sequestration does not take effect, ever," Little said.

Little emphasized that the threat of sequestration still hangs over the department.

"It is very important that we avoid sequester permanently," he said. "This can't be a situation where we delay every two months. The specter of sequestration -- of guns to the head -- none of that is anything that we welcome. We hope to avoid it at all costs."

Panetta has repeatedly stressed that sequestration would be devastating to national defense.

The department was preparing for the worst, Little said. If sequestration were triggered, he said, DOD would try to make monetary reductions via furloughs rather than in reductions in force.

"We were prepared to do the prudent thing and tell our civilian workforce that many of them might face some kind of furlough if sequestration had taken effect," Little said.

"Our first assumption is we are not going to try to punish a small group of civilian employees by firing them because Congress can't do its job," he said. "Furlough is the preferred course of action."

The potential for furloughs shows that sequestration isn't just some abstract circumstance affecting only dollars and decimal points, he said.

"This is something that will have an impact on real people, doing real work and on real missions in the department," Little said.

The deal that Congress reached is likely to have some effect on the fiscal 2013 defense budget and for planning for the fiscal 2014 budget, Little said. DOD officials are waiting for guidance on this from the Office of Management and Budget, he added.

LEADER OF INTERNET PIRACY GROUP "IMAGINE" WILL SPEND 60 MONTHS IN PRISON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Leader of Internet Piracy Group "IMAGiNE" Sentenced in Virginia to 60 Months in Prison for Criminal Copyright Conspiracy

WASHINGTON – The leader of the Internet piracy group "IMAGiNE" was sentenced today to serve 60 months in prison, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride and Special Agent in Charge John P. Torres of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C.

Jeramiah B. Perkins, 40, of Portsmouth, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen in the Eastern District of Virginia. In addition to his prison term, Perkins was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution. On Aug. 29, 2012, Perkins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.

Perkins was indicted along with three other defendants on April 18, 2012, for their roles in the IMAGiNE Group, an organized online piracy ring that sought to become the premier group to first release Internet copies of movies only showing in theaters.

According to court documents, Perkins directed and participated in using receivers and recording devices in movie theaters to secretly capture the audio sound tracks of copyrighted movies and then synchronized the audio files with illegally recorded video files to create completed movie files suitable for sharing over the Internet among members of the IMAGiNE Group and others.

Perkins admitted he took the lead in renting computer servers in France and elsewhere for use by the IMAGiNE Group. He also admitted he registered domain names for use by the IMAGiNE Group, and opened e-mail and PayPal accounts to receive donations and payments from persons downloading or buying IMAGiNE Group releases of pirated copies of motion pictures and other copyrighted works.

According to testimony by a representative of the Motion Picture Association of America, the IMAGiNE Group constituted the most prolific motion picture piracy release group operating on the Internet from September 2009 through September 2011.

Co-defendants Sean M. Lovelady, Willie O. Lambert and Gregory A. Cherwonik each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on May 9, June 22 and July 11, 2012, respectively. Lambert and Lovelady were sentenced on Nov. 2, 2012, to 30 months and 23 months in prison, respectively. Cherwonik was sentenced on Nov. 29, 2012, to 40 months in prison. A fifth co-defendant, Javier E. Ferrer, was charged in an information on Sept. 13, 2012, for his role in the IMAGiNE Group, and he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on Nov. 29, 2012. Ferrer is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2013.

The investigation of the case and the arrests were conducted by agents with HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Krask of the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Counsel John H. Zacharia of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. Significant assistance was provided by the CCIPS Cyber Crime Lab and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

This case is part of efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force) to stop the theft of intellectual property. Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work. The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders.
This investigation was supported by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in Washington. The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government's key weapons in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy. Working in close coordination with the Department of Justice’s IP Task Force, the IPR Center uses the expertise of its 21-member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to IP theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and our war fighters.

U.S.-NIGERIA RELATIONS



Map:  Nigeria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The United States established diplomatic relations with Nigeria in 1960, following its independence from the United Kingdom. Post-independence, the country saw a mix of coups, military rule, assassinations, massacres, civil war, and elections. The 1999 inauguration of a civilian president ended 16 consecutive years of military rule. Following this, the U.S.-Nigerian relationship began to improve, as did cooperation on foreign policy goals such as regional peacekeeping.

Nigeria's economic growth has been largely fueled by oil revenues. Although the country conducted successful elections in 2011, it faces formidable challenges in consolidating democratic order, including terrorist activities, sectarian conflicts, and public mistrust of the government. Nigeria has yet to develop effective measures to address corruption, poverty, and ineffective social service systems, and mitigate the violence. Under the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission, the two countries hold bilateral talks on four key areas: good governance, transparency, and integrity; energy and investment; Niger Delta and regional security; and agriculture and food security.

U.S. Assistance to Nigeria

The United States seeks to help improve the economic stability, security, and well-being of Nigerians by strengthening democratic institutions, improving transparency and accountability, and professionalizing security forces. U.S. assistance also aims to reinforce local and national systems; build institutional capacity in the provision of health and education services; and support improvements in agricultural productivity, job expansion in the rural sector, and increased supplies of clean energy. A partnership among the U.S., the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and international organizations to focus on improved governance, non-oil economic growth, and human development ensures closer coordination of donor activities, more effective support, and greater impact for ordinary citizens.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Nigeria is the United States' largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly due to the high level of petroleum imports from Nigeria. The United States is the largest foreign investor in Nigeria, with U.S. foreign direct investment concentrated largely in the petroleum/mining and wholesale trade sectors. U.S. imports from Nigeria include oil, cocoa, rubber, returns, and food waste. U.S. exports to Nigeria include wheat, vehicles, machinery, oil, and plastic. Nigeria is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The United States and Nigeria have signed a bilateral trade and investment framework agreement.

Nigeria's Membership in International Organizations

Nigeria and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Nigeria also is an observer to the Organization of American States.

Locator Map.  Nigeria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND NATIONAL SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MONTH

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DOD Heightens Training, Prevention to Target Human Trafficking

By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2013 - To spark awareness and vigilance against a growing global human rights crisis, President Barack Obama has proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Linda Dixon, the Defense Department's program manager for combating trafficking in persons, told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service in a recent interview that DOD has strengthened training modules and reporting avenues to combat trafficking in persons, a criminal enterprise that generates roughly $32 billion per year worldwide.

"That's the second-largest source of revenue for criminal enterprises, and it's growing," Dixon said. "Trafficking is a zero-tolerance policy; it's not only immoral, but it is illegal."

The United Nations International Labor organization estimates more than 12 million human trafficking victims worldwide, with an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 new victims each year.

Some victims are Americans, Dixon said, but most victims come from elsewhere. "Source countries are usually areas that are poverty-stricken," she said, "but trafficking is everywhere."

The Trafficking Victim Protection Act defines trafficking in persons as the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person to provide labor or services or commercial sex.

The crime, Dixon explained, can run the gamut of exploitation, and includes elements of recruiting, harboring, transportation, providing or obtaining a person for the purpose of exploitation.

State Department officials said the three most common forms of trafficking are labor trafficking, sex trafficking and child soldiering.

Child soldiering entails the unlawful recruitment of minors who, as young as age 7, are sexually and physically abused and forced to commit atrocities in more than 57 armed conflicts worldwide, according to State Department officials.

DOD's demand-reduction and prevention program is a mechanism to report violations and thwart offenses, Dixon said.

In addition to a general awareness training module, she added, the program also includes law enforcement, contractor and leadership-specific training modules.

"We have put together training modules ... [and] a clause in our contracts to prohibit contractors from being involved in trafficking," Dixon said. "All of the agencies have a [trafficking in persons] point of contact -- the services, the combatant commands [and] defense agencies."

Indicators include heavily guarded areas where workers appear intimidated or are being escorted from a facility to their home, or who lack personal documents such as passports or other identification, Dixon explained.

"You should report it to your local authorities; report it through your chain of command," Dixon said.

If DOD personnel are involved in trafficking offenses, she added, the inspector general investigates the type and scope of the offense to determine a course of action.

Noting that 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, Dixon said the year will feature summits, events and conferences to sharpen awareness and eradicate trafficking.

"In DOD, we're charged with making sure that we protect our country's security, and trafficking in persons is a threat to that security," she said.

Dixon said great strides have been made at the highest level to stop this modern-day slavery and restore human dignity.

"There's an education process that's taking place, not only with people in general, but with our law enforcement, to recognize it, understand and know that it is a chargeable offense," Dixon said. "It is a danger to our troops. It's a danger to national security."

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
130102-N-LR347-090 BALA BOLUK, Afghanistan (Jan. 2, 2013) Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Daniel Baudin, right, assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah, talks with an Afghan elder. PRT Farah's mission is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels in Farah province Afghanistan. Their civil military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup/Released)

130102-N-LR347-101 BALA BOLUK, Afghanistan (Jan. 2, 2013) An Afghan elder speaks with Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Daniel Baudin, assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah. PRT Farah's mission is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels in Farah province Afghanistan. Their civil military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup/Released)

 

1st HIPAA breach settlement involving less than 500 patients

1st HIPAA breach settlement involving less than 500 patients