OTEZLA APPROVED BY FDA TO TREAT ADULT ACTIVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 21, 2014
Media Inquiries: Morgan Liscinsky, 301-796-0397, morgan.liscinsky@fda.hhs.gov 
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA approves Otezla to treat psoriatic arthritis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Otezla (apremilast) to treat adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

PsA is a form of arthritis that affects some people with psoriasis. Most people develop psoriasis first and are later diagnosed with PsA. Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are the main signs and symptoms of PsA. Currently approved treatments for PsA include corticosteroids, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers, and an interleukin-12/interleukin-23 inhibitor.

“Relief of pain and inflammation and improving physical function are important treatment goals for patients with active psoriatic arthritis,” said Curtis Rosebraugh, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Office of Drug Evaluation II in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Otezla provides a new treatment option for patients suffering from this disease.”

The safety and effectiveness of Otezla, an inhibitor of phosphodieasterase-4 (PDE-4), were evaluated in three clinical trials involving 1,493 patients with active PsA. Patients treated with Otezla showed improvement in signs and symptoms of PsA, including tender and swollen joints and physical function, compared to placebo.

Patients treated with Otezla should have their weight monitored regularly by a healthcare professional. If unexplained or clinically significant weight loss occurs, the weight loss should be evaluated and discontinuation of treatment should be considered. Treatment with Otezla was also associated with an increase in reports of depression compared to placebo.

The FDA is requiring a pregnancy exposure registry as a post-marketing requirement to assess the risks to pregnant women related to Otezla exposure.
 
In clinical trials, the most common side effects observed in patients treated with Otezla were diarrhea, nausea, and headache.  

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. NAVY 

140322-N-RB579-323 ICE CAMP NAUTILUS (March 22, 2014) Sailors aboard the Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) tie mooring lines after the submarine surfaces through the arctic ice during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2014. ICEX 2014 is a U.S. Navy exercise highlighting submarine capabilities in an arctic environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Davies/Released)

140321-N-CP762-171 WATERS NEAR GUAM (March 21, 2014) A torpedo is launched from the deck of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) during Multi-Sail 2014. Multi-Sail is an annual exercise in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Fidel Hart/Released).

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CITES FIRST CONVICTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF COUNTERFEIT APPS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Monday, March 24, 2014

Leader and Co-Conspirator of Android Mobile Device App Piracy Group Plead Guilty

Florida Individuals Represent First U.S. Convictions for Distributing Counterfeit Apps

The leader of a piracy group engaged in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android mobile device applications and a co-conspirator have pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme that distributed more than one million copies of copyrighted apps with a total retail value of more than $700,000.

Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. O’Neil of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates of the Northern District of Georgia and Special Agent in Charge J. Britt Johnson of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.

“These mark the first convictions secured by the Justice Department against those who illegally distribute counterfeit mobile apps,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General O’Neil.  “These men trampled on the intellectual property rights of others when they and other members of the Appbucket group distributed more than one million copies of pirated apps.  The Criminal Division has made fighting intellectual property crime a top priority, and these convictions demonstrate our determination to prosecute those who undermine the innovations of others in new technologies.”

“Copyright infringement discourages smart, innovative people from using their talents to create things that the rest of society can use and enjoy,” said U.S. Attorney Yates.   “Theft is theft – whether the property taken is intellectual or tangible – and we will continue to prosecute those who steal copyrighted material.”

“The wholesale theft of intellectual property as seen in this case cannot and will not go unaddressed,” said FBI SAC Johnson.  “The FBI will continue to work with its various law enforcement partners in identifying, investigating and presenting for prosecution those individuals and groups engaged in such criminal activities that involve the attempt to profit from the hard work and the developed creative ideas of others.”

Nicholas Anthony Narbone, 26, of Orlando, Fla., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, and Thomas Allen Dye, 21, of Jacksonville, Fla., pleaded guilty to the same change on March 10, 2014.   Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2014, and June 12, 2014, respectively.

An information filed on Jan. 24, 2014, charged Narbone, Dye and others with one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.  According to the information, Narbone, Dye and their fellow conspirators identified themselves as the Appbucket group, with Narbone as the leader, and, from August 2010 to August 2012, they conspired with other members of the Appbucket group to reproduce and distribute more than one million copies of copyrighted Android mobile device apps through the Appbucket alternative online market without permission from the copyright owners of the apps.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bly of the Northern District of Georgia and Assistant Deputy Chief for Litigation John H. Zacharia of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).  Significant assistance was provided by the CCIPS Cybercrime Lab, and the Office of International Affairs also provided assistance in this matter.

JUSTICE FILES SUIT TO ENFORCE REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OF TEMPORARILY DISABLED SERVICEMEMBER

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Monday, March 24, 2014

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Con-Way Freight Inc. to Enforce Reemployment Rights of Temporarily Disabled Servicemember
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against Con-Way Freight Inc. alleging that the company violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by failing to promptly reassign Naval Reservist Dale Brown to his former position as a driver with appropriate seniority once he notified the company that he had fully recovered from a temporary service-related medical disability.
                                         
According to the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Brown began working for Con-Way on Nov. 9, 1987, as a driver sales representative (DSR).  In 2006, Brown was working at Con-Way’s Rock Island, Ill., facility when he deployed for active duty.  While in Iraq, Brown suffered a serious shoulder injury in a truck accident during a night mission and returned to Con-Way in 2009 following an honorable discharge.  Con-Way placed him in a lower-paying position due to medical restrictions that prevented him from returning to the DSR position.  By 2012, Brown had made a full recovery and notified the company that he was able to resume work as a DSR without medical restrictions.  Con-Way refused to return Brown to the DSR position and instead made him apply for open positions as they became available.  Months later, Brown was eventually hired as a DSR, but, Con-Way treated him as a new employee with no seniority to bid on assignments.  As a result, Brown effectively received a 40 percent reduction in pay compared to what he was earning as a DSR prior to his military leave.  He also no longer has a regular work schedule because his seniority was not restored upon resinstatement and he must call in each day to see if and for how long he will work on a given day.

USERRA obligates employers to promptly reemploy returning servicemembers and place them as near as possible in the position that they would have been in absent military service, or a position of similar seniority, status and pay.  For servicemembers like Brown who return with a service-connected disability, the reemployment obligation extends to providing accommodations to the servicemember, which can include a temporary position until the servicemember has recovered and is able to return to his or her proper reemployment position.  Contrary to these requirements, Con-Way violated USERRA by treating Brown as a newly hired DSR, with no accrued seniority, rather than placing him in the position that he would have held had he not served his country and suffered a serious and debilitating injury that required temporary accomodation.

The lawsuit seeks an adjustment to Brown’s seniority date as a DSR to his pre-deployment date with back wages for Con-Way’s six month delay in reemploying Brown once he asked for reinstatement as a DSR following his medical clearance, and his inability to bid on desirable shifts and routes due to his lack of seniority.

“Employers have a legal obligation under USERRA to accommodate servicemembers who suffer a disability while serving their country,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division.  “The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting the rights of those who have served their country through military service.”

This case stems from a referral by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) following an investigation by the DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service.  The case is being handled by the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division.

DISEASE SCREENING ACCORDING TO AN INDIVIDUAL'S RISKS

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
Tailoring disease screening programs to individuals

Researcher developed a customized computer algorithm that provides a better decision support tool

Oguzhan Alagoz believes that many existing disease screening programs all too often take a one-size-fits-all approach. To be sure, "it is important to catch a disease early," he says. "But still, most screening programs treat everyone the same."

In breast cancer, for example, "they say any woman who turns 40, or 50, should start screening every year, and they don't differentiate women by individual risks," says Alagoz, an associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"The common characteristic of all of these guidelines is age," he adds. "They specify age, but don't specify whether women with higher or lower risk should or should not be screened, nor do they take into consideration a woman's personal preferences about mammography. We have to start tailoring screening recommendations to the individual woman."

To try to address this, the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientist has developed a computer algorithm that will allow women to reach a decision customized for them. "You enter your age, your risk factors and how you personally feeling about screening," he says. "Then our model helps you make a decision about mammography."

Although implementation is beyond the scope of his research, he believes the ideal scenario would be to have a woman use the computer model in consultation with her personal physician. "We shouldn't over-trust the model," says Alagoz, who also holds a secondary appointment as an associate professor of population sciences in the university's school of medicine and public health.

"Over-trusting technology in medicine may not be the best thing to do, but it will help you," he adds. "It also will help the physician and the women who might be missing certain things. I see this not as a method to guide the whole decision, but as a decision support tool."

Ultimately, he sees the research as a framework for developing better screening policies for other cancers as well, including prostate and colorectal cancers as well as other conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy.

"Any improvement on cancer screening and diagnosis would directly affect millions of people being screened for cancer, and indirectly affect almost the whole population being screened for other diseases," he says. "Furthermore, the potential life savings and dollar savings of the proposed research are substantial."

Alagoz is conducting his work with an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, which he received in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The award supports junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organization. NSF is funding his work with about $430,000 over five years.

As part of the grant's educational component, he is training doctoral students to use such operations research techniques to solve complicated decision problems in medicine, and plans to integrate his findings into new courses. "The research will introduce operations research tools to the medical community through a successful application of these tools to a complicated and controversial problem in medicine," he says.

He says there were a number of computational challenges he had to overcome in developing the model, and hopes to soon test it in a local clinic, although widespread clinical practice is likely several years away. "This is really very much still only on paper and in the computer," he says.

His description of the algorithm and how it works appeared in the journal Operations Research.

"Every model is a representation of a real life system," he says. "For this algorithm to work, we have to somehow represent the existence of cancer and probability of getting it over a lifetime."

For this, he used the so-called Markov decision process model, a popular operations research tool used in various areas of applications. His model only considers the present state--for example, the current condition of a patient--to predict the probability of a future state, in this case, the chances of a patient's developing cancer over a certain time period.

"There are already several risk assessment/predictions models that can tell you the probability of getting cancer over the next five or ten years, but this model also will consider your preferences and your risk and tell you at what age you should get a mammogram," Alagoz says. "Then it will tell you, if it is negative, you should get it at such and such an age. It makes a recommendation to you about when you should get your next mammogram and all kinds of other statistics."

The major difference between this model and other existing predictive algorithms "is that it takes into account how the woman feels about the procedure," he says, citing fears over mammography, the risk of false positives that could result in unnecessary biopsies and other tests. "We have to somehow translate your feelings into numbers, that is, how much quality of life is lost due to your feeling toward mammography, a false positive, a biopsy, and the possibility of breast cancer."

Alagoz hopes to include compliance as a factor in the next generation model. "What if she doesn't come back, how should we adjust our model to recommend more or less aggressive screening?" he says. "If compliance is very high, then less aggressive screening recommendations make more sense."

He also is using the model for investigating important screening policy questions such as what age to stop screening, what ages should be screened more aggressively, and the role of compliance in screening recommendations, among other things.

Alagoz is conducting his research with input from the medical community.

"The physicians are helping me build the models," he says. "When you build these models, you have to make some assumptions. I am not a physician, so I meet with physicians/epidemiologists every week who help me build the correct models."

-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Investigators
Oguzhan Alagoz
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Wisconsin-Madison

FTC STUDY RELEASED ON ALCOHOL ADVERTISING AND UNDERAGE AUDIENCES

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
FTC Releases Fourth Major Study on Alcohol Advertising and Industry Efforts to Reduce Marketing to Underage Audiences
Study Shows Over 93 Percent Compliance with Placement Guidelines

The Federal Trade Commission released its fourth major study on alcohol industry compliance with self-regulatory guidelines, including those designed to address concerns about youth access to alcohol marketing.

For the study, the FTC ordered 14 major alcohol companies to provide information on advertising and marketing expenditures from the 2011 calendar year, and advertising placement data (including audience data) for the first six months of 2011.   For the first time, the agency obtained substantial information on Internet and digital marketing and data collection and use practices.

Presented in an aggregate, anonymous fashion, the findings include:

How Companies Allocate Marketing Dollars: 31.9 percent of expenditures were directed to advertising in traditional media such as television, radio, magazine, and newspaper advertising.  The study found that 28.6 percent of expenditures were used to help wholesalers and retailers promote alcohol; 17.8 percent were allocated to sponsorships (sports and non-sports) and public entertainment; 7.9 percent were directed to online and other digital marketing – almost a four-fold increase from the 2 percent reported in the 2008 study; and 6.8 percent were directed to outdoor and transit marketing efforts.

Meeting Industry Standards on Ad Placement.  In the first half of 2011, 93.1 percent of all measured media combined (including traditional media and online/other digital) met the alcohol industry’s placement standard at the time, which required that 70 percent or more of the audience viewing the ads be 21 years old or older, based on reliable data.  Further, because compliance shortfalls were primarily in media with smaller audiences (such as local radio), over 97 percent of individual consumer exposures to alcohol ads were from placements meeting the 70 percent standard.  The industry has since adopted a new ad placement standard requiring that 71.6 percent of the audience viewing alcohol ads be 21 years old or older.

Ad Placement on Online and Other Digital Media. In the first half of 2011, 99.5 percent of alcohol ads that advertisers placed on sites owned by others – such as news, entertainment, and sports sites – met the alcohol industry’s 70 percent placement standard.  The alcohol companies’ web sites and social media pages are “age gated,” meaning that a consumer must either enter a date of birth that shows him or her to be 21 years old or older, or must certify to being over 21 to enter the site.

Privacy Concerns on Online and Other Digital Media. The report stated that alcohol industry members appear to have considered privacy impacts in the marketing of their products.  It appears that, at least in the context of online registration opportunities, alcohol companies generally advise consumers how their information will be used and that they require consumers to opt-in to receive marketing information and consumers can readily opt-out when they want to stop receiving such information.  Use of cookies and tracking tools on brand websites appears to be limited to those needed to ensure that only consumers who have stated they are 21 or older can re-enter the site.

Product Placements.  Product placement in movies, television shows, and other entertainment media accounted for a very small portion – about one-tenth of one percent – of expenditures.   Most product placements involve the provision of props (such as bottles and signs) rather than money.

Outside Review of Complaints.  The report found that all three major alcohol industry trade groups – the Beer Institute, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and the Wine Institute – have procedures for external review of complaints regarding alcohol advertising, but only the Distilled Spirits Council received any complaints between January 2009 and December 2012.  In the majority of cases (including all cases involving Council members), the advertiser agreed to comply with the decision of the Council’s review board.
The report’s key recommendations include:

When placement compliance levels fall below 90 percent for a brand in a particular media, and lack of compliance is due to wide fluctuations in measured audience composition due to small sample size, the company should consider using a higher audience composition threshold at the time of placement, to increase the likelihood of meeting the standard at the time the ad actually appears.
Because audience demographic data for radio is now available for larger markets showing all audience members age 6 and older, the companies should review this more comprehensive data when making placements.

Companies should take advantage of age-gating technologies offered by social media, including YouTube, and age gates on company websites should require consumers to enter their date of birth, rather than simply asking them to certify that they are of legal drinking age.

Companies should improve posted privacy policies to make them brief, transparent regarding data collection and use, and understandable to ordinary consumers.

Regarding user-generated content, companies should use blocking technologies and engage in frequent monitoring to reduce the potential for violations of the voluntary advertising and marketing codes established by the Beer Institute, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and the Wine Institute.
Alcohol companies and the industry as a whole should continue their efforts to facilitate compliance with the voluntary codes, including staff training and cross-company identification of best practices.

State regulatory authorities, consumer advocacy organizations, and others who are concerned about alcohol marketing should participate in the industry’s external complaint review system when they see advertising that appears to violate the voluntary codes.

Industry and others concerned with reducing underage access to alcohol are encouraged to use the free “We Don’t Serve Teens” alcohol education materials available on DontServeTeens.gov.

The FTC released previous studies in 1999, 2003, and 2008.  Recommendations from past reports have resulted in agreements by the Beer Institute, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and the Wine Institute, to adopt improved voluntary advertising placement standards; buying guidelines for placing ads on radio, in print, on television, and on the Internet; a requirement that suppliers conduct periodic internal audits of past placements; and systems for external review of complaints about compliance.

The Commission vote to authorize release of the report was 4 - 0.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER TIMMERMANS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans

Remarks

John Kerry
Secretary of State

Deputy Chief of Mission Residence

The Hague, Netherlands

March 24, 2014

---

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Frans, thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER TIMMERMANS: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY KERRY: Nice to see you again. I’m happy to see you – very very much so.

FOREIGN MINISTER TIMMERMANS: Absolutely.

SECRETARY KERRY: Let me say how very grateful we are to The Netherlands for hosting the nuclear summit, and I am particularly grateful to Frans for his friendship and for the extraordinary efforts of The Netherlands with respect to human rights, freedom, standing up on Ukraine, a partner in so many different respects. We’re very, very grateful for that.
We also recognize that The Netherlands is the third-largest investor in the United States, responsible for some 700,000 jobs in our country, a great friend, and also importantly, a helpful advocate for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which we all recognize will help lift our countries economically.

So we’re really delighted to be here with you and thank you very much for a generous welcome.

FOREIGN MINISTER TIMMERMANS: Well, thank you very much for attending. And I have to say you have shown us great leadership on Syria, on the Middle East peace process, on Ukraine, all these things that preoccupy foreign ministers, you’re the leader of the pack in terms of our values, in terms of where we want to go, and in terms of the solutions we want to bring to the table. And I believe we from The Netherlands, the European Union, and the United States – we need to stand together in this period of great challenges to the international system. Especially on Ukraine, I believe we have the great responsibility to break with the logic that you
can change borders by military means if you don’t agree with the policy of our government.
SECRETARY KERRY: Couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Frans.

FOREIGN MINISTER TIMMERMANS: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you for your hospitality. Thank you. Thank you all very much, appreciate it.

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR MARCH 24, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

General Electric Co., Waukesha, Wis., has been awarded a maximum $72,955,840 modification (P00101) exercising the first option period on a two-year base contract (SPM2D1-12-D-8310) with one two-year option and one one-year option period for digital imaging network-picture archive communication system.  This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract.  Location of performance is Wisconsin with a March 26, 2016 performance completion date.  Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2016 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.

FLIR Systems Inc., Wilsonville, Ore., has been awarded a maximum $18,191,712 firm-fixed-price contract for weapon system turret unites.  This is a sole-source acquisition.  Location of performance is Oregon with a May 30, 2014 performance completion date.  Using military service is Navy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPRPA1-14-C-U003).

DeRossi & Son Company Inc.*, Vineland, N.J., has been awarded a maximum $13,824,000 modification (P00100) exercising the fourth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM1C1-10-D-1029) with four one-year option periods for men’s poly/wool, dress blue, Army coats.  This is a firm-fixed-price contract.  Location of performance is New Jersey with a March 25, 2015 performance completion date.  Using military service is Army.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, N.Y., has been awarded a maximum $8,053,848 firm-fixed-price contract for radar data processors.  This is a sole-source acquisition.  Location of performance is New York with a Feb. 28, 2017 performance completion date.  Using military service is Navy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPRWA1-13-D-2000-THAG).

AIR FORCE

InDyne Inc., Reston, Va., has been awarded a $30,805,507 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00500) to contract (F04684-03-C-0050) to exercise option 12 for the operations and maintenance support services, training, command, control, communications, information and computer systems services, testing, modification and installation of communications, electronic, and security systems at launch facilities, launch control centers and test facilities for the 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.  Work will be performed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2014.  Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds will be obligate upon availability of funds.  The 30th Contracting Squadron/LGCZ, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity.

NAVY

Systems Application & Technologies Inc.*, Oxnard, Calif., is being awarded a $15,934,440 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N68936-13-C-0083) to exercise an option for maintenance and operations of aerial and seaborne target assets in for the U.S. Navy and the governments of Japan and Australia.  Work will be performed at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), Point Mugu, Calif. (40 percent); the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, Calif. (30 percent); various at sea locations (15 percent); NAWCWD China Lake, Ridgecrest, Calif. (7 percent); the White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces, N.M. (3 percent); the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii (2 percent); the Utah Test and Training Range, Salt Lake City, Utah (2 percent) and Vandenburg Air Force Base, Lompoc, Calif. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2015.  Fiscal 2014 Major Range and Test Facility Base funds in the amount of $7,400,554 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($15,456,406, 97 percent), and the governments of Japan ($318,689, 2 percent), and Australia ($159,345, 1 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program.  The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Bilbro Construction Co., Inc.*, Escondido, Calif., is being awarded $11,009,552 for firm-fixed-price task order 0007 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-09-D-1653) for the design, engineering, and construction of a tracked vehicle maintenance cover at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms.  The work to be performed provides for the design, engineering, and construction of primary and supporting facilities for the 1st Tank Battalion.  The task order also contains four unexercised options and one planned modification, which if exercised would increase cumulative task order value to $13,232,180.  Work will be performed in Twentynine Palms, Calif., and is expected to be completed by December 2015.  Fiscal 2012 military construction, Navy contract funds in the amount of $11,009,552 are being obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Three proposals were received for this task order.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded an $8,292,793 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (N00019-09-C-0069) to exercise an option for the procurement of AN/ARC-210(V) electronic radios and ancillary equipment for a variety of aircraft.   Equipment being procured includes 57 control radio sets, 57 high power amplifiers, 57 low noise amplifier diplexers and 62 receiver transmitters.  Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in May 2015.  Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $8,292,793 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

ARMY

Mike Hooks Inc., Westlake, La., is being awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-delivery contract to provide tools in support of dredging projects in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Performance location will be determined with each order.  Funding will be obligated on each order.  The contract is expected to be completed in June 2015.  The Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-14-D-0024).

CACI Inc. – Federal, Chantilly, Va., is being awarded a $27,114,681 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for logistics and engineering services performed at contingency locations. Work is expected to be completed in December 2014.  A combination of fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds and fiscal 2014 procurement funds in the amount of $5,446,985 are being obligated on this award. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The Army Intelligence and Security Command, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (W911W4-14-C-0006).

Donal L. Mooney LLC, San Antonio, Texas, is being awarded a $23,717,819 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, sole-source contract to provide licensed vocational nurses at San Antonio Military Medical Center over the period of one year. Work will be performed in San Antonio, and is expected to be completed in March 2015. Funding will be obligated with each order. The Army Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K00-14-D-0015).

MedTrust LLC, San Antonio, Texas, is being awarded a $20,746,074 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, sole-source contract to provide registered nurses of various specialties, ranging from clinical to intensive care to the burn unit. Performance location will be determined with each order. Funding will be obligated on each order. The estimated completion date of the contract is September 2014. The Army Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K00-14-D-0014).

Baum, Romstedt Technology Research Corp., Vienna, Va., is being awarded a $9,608,333 time-and-materials contract to provide operational and field-support services for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. Work will be performed in Afghanistan; Warren, Mich.; Vienna, Va.; El Paso, Texas; and Chambersburg, Penn., and is expected to be completed in December 2014. A combination of fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds and fiscal 2014 procurement funds are being obligated on this award.  Fifteen bids were solicited, with five bids received. The Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-A-A909).


*Small Business

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT EXPANDS LOAN OPPORTUNITIES FOR FARMERS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Increased Opportunity for Producers as part of New Farm Bill

Farm Loan Program Modifications Create Flexibility for New and Existing Farmers and Ranchers Alike

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2014 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced increased opportunity for producers as a result of the 2014 Farm Bill. A fact sheet outlining modifications to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Loan Programs is available here.

"Our nation's farmers and ranchers are the engine of the rural economy. These improvements to our Farm Loan Programs will help a new generation begin farming and grow existing farm operations," said Secretary Vilsack. "Today's announcement represents just one part of a series of investments the new Farm Bill makes in the next generation of agriculture, which is critical to economic growth in communities across the country."

The Farm Bill expands lending opportunities for thousands of farmers and ranchers to begin and continue operations, including greater flexibility in determining eligibility, raising loan limits, and emphasizing beginning and socially disadvantaged producers.

Changes that will take effect immediately include:

Elimination of loan term limits for guaranteed operating loans.
Modification of the definition of beginning farmer, using the average farm size for the county as a qualifier instead of the median farm size.
Modification of the Joint Financing Direct Farm Ownership Interest Rate to 2 percent less than regular Direct Farm Ownership rate, with a floor of 2.5 percent. Previously, the rate was established at 5 percent.
Increase of the maximum loan amount for Direct Farm Ownership down payments from $225,000 to $300,000.
Elimination of rural residency requirement for Youth Loans, allowing urban youth to benefit.
Debt forgiveness on Youth Loans, which will not prevent borrowers from obtaining additional loans from the federal government.
Increase of the guarantee amount on Conservation Loans from 75 to 80 percent and 90 percent for socially disadvantaged borrowers and beginning farmers.
Microloans will not count toward loan term limits for veterans and beginning farmers.

REMARKS BY SECRETARY KERRY AND PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER SHARIF

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
The Hague, Netherlands
March 24, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: (In progress) – it is to meet with Prime Minister Sharif of Pakistan. We – Pakistan and the United States – have enormous mutual interests. We are both striving to combat extremism, terrorism, deal with the challenge of global energy, as well as to provide for the prosperity of our people and deal with nuclear security. And it’s nuclear security that particularly brings us here to The Hague.

But we are working very, very closely together. I visited with the prime minister in August of last year. We began a strategic dialogue again. We have worked together with our Security, Strategic Stability, and Nonproliferation Working Group. That group is engaged in dealing with issues of nuclear security as well as other challenges. And in addition, we met recently in Washington. Dr. Aziz and I engaged in our strategic dialogue. And we look forward to welcoming Finance Minister Dar, who will be coming to Washington for our finance component of that discussion.

So we are deeply engaged, and I might add that we affirmed recently and we reaffirm that we have great confidence in Pakistan’s nuclear security. They’ve really done an enormous amount of work. I know the prime minister will probably talk about that here at the summit. But we do have important issues of cooperation with respect to the extremism, terror, counterterrorism, and Afghanistan. And we look forward to discussing those issues this morning.

PRIME MINISTER SHARIF: Thank you, John. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir.

PRIME MINISTER SHARIF: It’s always a pleasure to welcome you, and you’ve been a great friend of Pakistan. Of course, we are very happy to have met here also. And as John has been saying, that there are a lot of challenges – we are meeting these challenges in Pakistan. We have been in office for almost about nine months and we’ve had very constructive discussions with our American friends. I had a very good meeting with President Obama a few months ago in Washington, and we are now following up all that we have discussed and agreed.

SECRETARY KERRY: Good.

PRIME MINISTER SHARIF: Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Nawaz. Thank you.

U.S. & ALLIES WILL NOT ATTEND G-8 SUMMIT IN SOCHI, RUSSIA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

The Hague Declaration

1. We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission met in The Hague to reaffirm our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.

2. International law prohibits the acquisition of part or all of another state’s territory through coercion or force.  To do so violates the principles upon which the international system is built.  We condemn the illegal referendum held in Crimea in violation of Ukraine’s constitution.  We also strongly condemn Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Crimea in contravention of international law and specific international obligations.  We do not recognize either. 

3. Today, we reaffirm that Russia’s actions will have significant consequences.  This clear violation of international law is a serious challenge to the rule of law around the world and should be a concern for all nations.  In response to Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to demonstrate our determination to respond to these illegal actions, individually and collectively we have imposed a variety of sanctions against Russia and those individuals and entities responsible.  We remain ready to intensify actions including coordinated sectoral sanctions that will have an increasingly significant impact on the Russian economy, if Russia continues to escalate this situation. 

4. We remind Russia of its international obligations, and its responsibilities including those for the world economy.  Russia has a clear choice to make.  Diplomatic avenues to de-escalate the situation remain open, and we encourage the Russian Government to take them.  Russia must respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, begin discussions with the Government of Ukraine, and avail itself of offers of international mediation and monitoring to address any legitimate concerns.

5.  The Russian Federation’s support for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine is a step in the right direction.  We look forward to the mission’s early deployment, in order to facilitate the dialogue on the ground, reduce tensions and promote normalization of the situation, and we call on all parties to ensure that Special Monitoring Mission members have safe and secure access throughout Ukraine to fulfill their mandate.

6.  This Group came together because of shared beliefs and shared responsibilities.  Russia’s actions in recent weeks are not consistent with them.  Under these circumstances, we will not participate in the planned Sochi Summit.  We will suspend our participation in the G-8 until Russia changes course and the environment comes back to where the G-8 is able to have a meaningful discussion and will meet again in G-7 format at the same time as planned, in June 2014, in Brussels, to discuss the broad agenda we have together.  We have also advised our Foreign Ministers not to attend the April meeting in Moscow.  In addition, we have decided that G-7 Energy Ministers will meet to discuss ways to strengthen our collective energy security.

7.  At the same time, we stand firm in our support for the people of Ukraine who seek to restore unity, democracy, political stability, and economic prosperity to their country.   We commend the Ukrainian government’s ambitious reform agenda and will support its implementation as Ukraine seeks to start a new chapter in its history, grounded on a broad-based constitutional reform, free and fair presidential elections in May, promotion of human rights and respect of national minorities.

8. The International Monetary Fund has a central role leading the international effort to support Ukrainian reform, lessening Ukraine's economic vulnerabilities, and better integrating the country as a market economy in the multilateral system.  We strongly support the IMF's work with the Ukrainian authorities and urge them to reach a rapid conclusion.  IMF support will be critical in unlocking additional assistance from the World Bank, other international financial institutions, the EU, and bilateral sources.  We remain united in our commitment to provide strong financial backing to Ukraine, to co-ordinate our technical assistance, and to provide assistance in other areas, including measures to enhance trade and strengthen energy security.

SECRETARY KERRY AND OPCW DIRECTOR-GENERAL UZUMCU MAKE REMARKS BEFORE MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry
Secretary of State

The Hague, Netherlands

March 24, 2014

---

DIRECTOR GENERAL UZUMCU: Mr. Secretary, we are very pleased to receive you here at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. This is the first visit by a Secretary of State from the United States to our organization. We are, of course, very grateful for the continued support by the United States to the OPCW, and the latest one is the fact that in Syria we think that the success of this operation mission in Syria will further strengthen the norm against chemical weapons throughout the world. And we’ll look forward to our exchange of views today. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much, Director General. I’m very happy to be here at the OPCW. Obviously, Foreign Minister Lavrov and I relied very heavily on the capacity of the OPCW as we negotiated a removal of the weapons from Syria, and we’re very grateful for OPCW’s expertise, for their commitment, for their courage, their willingness to help get the job done.

We are just about at the 50 percent removal mark. That’s significant, but the real significance will only be when we get all of the weapons out. Regrettably, the Syrians missed a March 15^th date for destruction of facilities. We have some real challenges ahead of us now in these next weeks. We in the United States are convinced that if Syria wanted to, they could move faster. And we believe it is imperative to achieve this goal and to move as rapidly as possible because of the challenges on the ground.

So I really look forward to exchanging views. We have great admiration for the work done here quietly over a long period of time in a steady basis. And I think everybody who works here should be very, very proud of the fact that a weapon of mass destruction will be taken out of a country for the first time in its entirety in this kind of an arrangement, and we all look forward to achieving that important goal.

Thank you.

QUESTION: Secretary Kerry, do you see the Crimea situation having an impact on the cooperation with Russia when it comes to the Syria chemical weapons?

SECRETARY KERRY: I hope not. All I can say is I hope the same motivations that drove Russia to be a partner in this effort will still exist. This is bigger than either of our countries. This is a global challenge, and I hope Russia will stay hard to the task. Thank you.

BELGIUM-U.S. JOINT STATEMENT ON 2014 NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Joint Statement by President Obama and Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo of Belgium on the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit

Belgium and the United States of America are pleased to announce that they have jointly completed the removal of a significant amount of excess highly enriched uranium (HEU) and separated plutonium from Belgium.

At the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, Belgium and the United States pledged to work together to remove this material prior to the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit.  This removal entailed extremely complex operations that required the joint team to develop a new glovebox facility for plutonium packaging, to train and certify personnel in specialized packaging operations, to validate certificates for a U.S.-designed nuclear material package in Belgium, and to address materials in unique and unusual forms.  Despite the significant technical challenges, the team successfully completed the operation on schedule.

The material was safely packaged in transport containers certified by regulators in both the United States and Belgium.  The United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) worked seamlessly together and in accordance with all relevant regulations and internationally-recognized recommendations to securely transport this material to its final destination.

Belgium and the United States plan to continue their cooperation to eliminate additional stocks of excess special nuclear material, consistent with their commitment to prevent nuclear terrorism.  They also pledge to work with others in the international community to assist them with the elimination of such materials.

Joint statement by the United States and the Netherlands on Climate Change and Financing the Transition to Low-Carbon Investments Abroad

The Netherlands and the United States share a common interest in urgent action to address global climate change.  We affirm the importance of reaching a global climate change agreement in 2015 that can attract broad and ambitious participation.  The agreement should reflect the continuous evolution of capabilities of countries in tackling this global challenge.  It should also take account of the important role played by the private sector, sub-national actors, and civil society in finding solutions to addressing carbon pollution while improving the resilience of nations to the impacts of climate change.  Our two countries pledge to continue our cooperation towards adopting such an agreement at the United Nations climate conference in Paris in 2015.

We reaffirm our support of internationally agreed commitments to scale up the mobilization of climate finance and recognize that different forms of financing are needed to support countries making the transition to a low-emission, climate resilient economy.  We strive to deploy public resources to catalyze private climate finance in and to developing countries.

We emphasize that our work to scale up climate friendly investments in developing countries is most effective when combined with reducing public incentives for high-carbon infrastructure.  To this end, the Netherlands is joining the United States, the United Kingdom, and others in agreeing to end support for public financing of new coal-fired power plants abroad except in rare circumstances.  This includes our bilateral development finance institutions and projects financed through the multilateral development banks, where it should be noted that the Netherlands is a member of mixed constituencies.  Complementing action already taken by the United States, our two countries are working together to promote a technology-neutral standard in the OECD Export Credit Group that limits support for high carbon intensity power plants by export credit agencies.

JAPAN-U.S. JOINT STATEMENT REGARDING GLOBAL MINIMIZATION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE  
Joint Statement by the Leaders of Japan and the United States on Contributions to Global Minimization of Nuclear Material

Recalling the history of Japan-U.S. bilateral collaboration on advanced nuclear activities as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) conclusion that all nuclear materials in Japan stay in peaceful activities;

Recalling Japan-U.S. cooperation including through the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) which strengthened nuclear security worldwide by reducing sensitive nuclear material in Japan and other countries and securely transporting the material to the United States; and,

Recalling President Obama’s remarks at Hradcany Square, Prague, Czech Republic on April 5, 2009;

Japan and the United States reaffirm our determination to strengthen nuclear security and to further cooperate, through activities such as our bilateral Nuclear Security Working Group and the GTRI, toward our mutual goal of preventing nuclear terrorism.

Today in The Hague, the Netherlands, on the occasion of the third Nuclear Security Summit, Prime Minister Abe and President Obama pledged to remove and dispose all highly-enriched uranium (HEU) and separated plutonium from the Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in Japan.  This effort involves the elimination of hundreds of kilograms of nuclear material, furthering our mutual goal of minimizing stocks of HEU and separated plutonium worldwide, which will help prevent unauthorized actors, criminals, or terrorists from acquiring such materials.  This material, once securely transported to the United States, will be sent to a secure facility and fully converted into less sensitive forms.  The plutonium will be prepared for final disposition.  The HEU will be downblended to low enriched uranium (LEU) and utilized for civilian purposes.

By committing to remove and dispose all HEU and separated plutonium from the FCA, Japan and the United States reaffirm our belief that the most cutting edge sciences do not necessarily require the use of the most proliferation sensitive materials.  In this context, our two countries plan to work together to design new enhancements to the FCA, expanding the facility’s scope to include important research on the transmutation and disposition of nuclear waste.  Additionally, to ensure that Japan can safely and securely further its important work on nuclear research and medical isotope production, the United States will continue to accept research reactor spent fuel from several Japanese facilities that utilize LEU.

This pledge complements the significant role that both Japan and the United States are playing in finding new ways to continue improving global nuclear security.  Many of the remaining gains that the international community can make in this area will require difficult decisions, and Japan has demonstrated its leadership by resolving to remove all special nuclear material from the FCA, consistent with all Summit Communiqués’ spirit to minimize stocks of nuclear material.  Our two countries encourage others to consider what they can do to further HEU and plutonium minimization.

REMARKS: PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRIME MINISTER RUTTE OF THE NETHERLANDS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands After Bilateral Meeting

Gallery of Honor
The Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

10:49 A.M. CET

PRIME MINISTER RUTTE:  Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Netherlands.  Welcome to Amsterdam.  And, Barack, welcome to this very special location. 

We are standing here on historic grounds, surrounded by the finest paintings that Holland has produced and only a stone’s throw away from the house of John Adams, the first American ambassador to the Netherlands and second President of the United States.  It’s a location that symbolizes the enduring partnership between the U.S. and the Netherlands.  Our shared history and heritage go back a long way.

As an historian, it was a special moment for me when earlier this morning I was able to show President Obama two original documents from our National Archives that played an important role in the age-old friendship between our two countries.  The first was our own Declaration of Independence, the Plakkaat van Verlatinghe of 1581, which inspired Thomas Jefferson and his peers.  The second was the American-Dutch Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 1782, another remarkable document from an age when peace between countries was usually a heartfelt affair.  And today, friendship is still at the heart of the relationship between the United States and the Netherlands, along with trade, shared values, and joint responsibilities.

Since that first treaty we have worked together in the growing awareness that economic prosperity, a safe and stable world and international cooperation go hand in hand.  With this in mind, the President and I talked about a wide range of subjects, starting with a joint climate initiative and the new steps we will take today in that regard.  The Netherlands is joining with the United States and a group of other countries in a bid to stop international public funding of new coal-fired power plants, for example, by multilateral development banks.  We want to achieve an international level playing field to ensure that private and public parties invest in green growth wherever possible.

We also discussed the important topic of the Transatlantic Investment Partnership between the EU and U.S.  Once concluded, this agreement will create more economic growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.  Importantly, it will set new standards that will benefit global trade and third countries as well.  This partnership will bolster our excellent bilateral economic ties even further.

During our conversation I stressed how much we value this partnership.  The Netherlands is the world’s third largest investor in the United States and we are home to some 1,800 American businesses. 

And of course, we also spoke about the major international security issues in Syria, Iran and Ukraine.  Concerning the last, we both regard Russia’s attempts to annex the Crimea as a flagrant breach of international law and we condemn its actions in the strongest possible terms.  The presence of so many world leaders in the Netherlands this week presents an important opportunity for the international community to discuss this subject, as well as other pressing issues that affect our common interests.

Finally, we looked ahead at the Nuclear Security Summit today and tomorrow.  President Obama deserves all the credit for getting this topic high on the agenda.  In 2010, Washington hosted the first summit on this seat.  In 2012, it was Seoul’s turn.  And now the Netherlands is proud to host the summit today and tomorrow in The Hague that will bring us closer to the goal of securing potentially dangerous nuclear material.

Barack, your presence underlines the importance of the summit, and this event, too, demonstrates the strength of the bilateral ties between our countries and of our joint commitment to peace, security and democracy.  I’m delighted to be able to hear from you publicly here at this splendid location.

Again, thank you for coming.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Mark, thank you.  And it is a splendid location.  I’m so grateful for your kind words.  We were very pleased to welcome you back in 2011 to the White House, and I appreciate your warm welcome today.  This is my first visit to Amsterdam and to The Hague and to the Netherlands, and I’m so pleased that I’ve had a chance already to meet some wonderful students.  I want to thank the Mayor and the curator for their hospitality as well.  I’m proud to be with some of the Dutch masters who I studied in school, and to see just the extraordinary traditions of this great country. 

I’d be remiss if I did not mention that I’m proud of both of our teams at the Olympics.  So in addition to painting, you really know how to speed skate.  (Laughter.)

As the Prime Minister said, we just had an excellent opportunity to experience the museum and to see those documents, including the Treaty of Friendship that John Adams negotiated more than 200 years ago, as a reminder of the historic ties between our countries.  And this is -- of all the press conferences I’ve done, this is easily the most impressive backdrop that I’ve had to a press conference. 

Of course, we’re here for our third Nuclear Security Summit. And I want to thank His Majesty, King Willem-Alexander, as well as Mark, the people of the Netherlands, for all the preparations that go into bringing together so many heads of state.  This is just one more example of Dutch leadership -- not just on nuclear security, but on many global challenges. 

As you know, the Netherlands is one of our closest allies, and our cooperation underscores a larger point -- our NATO allies are our closest partners on the world stage.  Europe is the cornerstone of America’s engagement with the world.  And today we focused on several priorities -- in Europe and beyond.

First, we obviously spent a considerable amount of time on the situation in Ukraine.  Europe and America are united in our support of the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people.  We’re united in imposing a cost on Russia for its actions so far. Prime Minister Rutte rightly pointed out yesterday the growing sanctions would bring significant consequences to the Russian economy.  And I’ll be meeting with my fellow G7 leaders later today, and we’ll continue to coordinate closely with the Netherlands and our European partners as we go forward.

Second, I thanked the Prime Minister for the Netherlands’ strong commitment and contributions to NATO.  Dutch forces have served with distinction in Afghanistan and joined us in confronting piracy off the Horn of Africa.  Through NATO, the Netherlands contributed to the deployment of Patriot air batteries in Turkey and are making important investments in NATO defense capabilities.  Dutch forces are also making critical contributions to the international stabilization mission in Mali. So, across the board, the Dutch are making their presence felt in a very positive way, and we’re very grateful for that.

Third, we discussed how we can keep expanding the trade that creates jobs for our people.  We’re already among each other’s largest trade and investment partners, but we can always do more. And so I appreciated the Netherlands’ strong support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or T-TIP, which can fuel growth both in the United States and in Europe, especially for our small and medium-sized companies.

Fourth, we discussed a range of global challenges.  And as the United States and the P5-plus-1 partners continue negotiations with Iran, we have the basis for a practical solution that resolves concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.  But at the same time, I think it’s important that everyone remember during these negotiations we’ll continue to enforce the overall sanctions architecture that helped bring Iran to the table in the first place. 

I also wanted to commend the Netherlands for its leadership in the international effort to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons, and that includes your role as the host of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.  And more broadly, our two countries are going to keep working together to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people.

And, finally, we reaffirmed our shared determination to confront climate change and its effects, including rising sea levels, which obviously is something that the Netherlands is concerned about, given your experience with seas and tides.  We’re pleased that the Netherlands has joined our initiative that will virtually end all public financing for coal-fired plants abroad.  It’s concrete action like this that can keep making progress on reducing emissions while we develop new global agreements on climate change.

So, a final note.  When John Adams was negotiating the treaty that we saw earlier, he wrote that the Dutch have -- and I’m quoting here -- have always “distinguished themselves by an inviolable attachment to freedom and the rights of nations.”  That was true then; it remains true today. 

So, Mark, I want to thank you and the Dutch for your hospitality, for your organization, for your partnership and for your leadership on the world stage.  And I want to thank you for sharing these extraordinary paintings with me this morning.

Dank u wel.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
11:00 A.M. CET

ADVANCING GLOBAL NUCLEAR SECURITY FACT SHEET

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
FACT SHEET: Advancing Global Nuclear Security

In 2009, President Obama launched an ambitious global agenda to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands.  During his visit to Prague, the President called on the international community to prevent terrorists from getting access to the building blocks needed for a nuclear bomb by putting an end to dedicated production of weapons-grade materials and securing all of the world’s vulnerable nuclear material within four years.  He urged countries to lock down sensitive materials, break up black markets, detect and intercept materials in transit, and use financial tools to disrupt their trade.

Translating ambition into action, the President convened an unprecedented Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC in 2010.  Forty seven countries from every region in the world committed to work together to ensure that nuclear materials could not be sold or stolen and fashioned into nuclear weapons.

The stakes are high and the threat is real.  The danger of nuclear terrorism is one of the greatest threats to our collective security.  The hardest part of making a nuclear weapon is getting the material.  Even a small amount of nuclear material could kill and injure hundreds of thousands of innocent people.  Terrorist networks could acquire the materials to assemble their own nuclear weapon, wreaking havoc on global peace and stability, and resulting in extraordinary loss of life and global economic damage.

Since 2009, the world has made substantial progress.  The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1887, endorsing a comprehensive agenda to secure all nuclear materials.  Individual countries have taken specific and concrete actions to secure nuclear materials in their countries and to prevent illicit trafficking and smuggling.  The world has worked to strengthen the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to ensure it has the resources and authorities it needs to meet its responsibilities.  And we have worked to build the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism into a durable international institution.

Earlier this year, the United States and Russia completed implementation of the 1993 U.S.-Russia Highly Enriched Uranium Purchase Agreement, one of the most successful non-proliferation programs in our history.  Low-enriched uranium derived from 500 metric tons of highly enriched uranium blended down from 20,000 Russian nuclear warheads, became fuel for U.S. nuclear power reactors.  The program supplied nearly ten percent of all U.S. electricity over the last fifteen years.  Since 2010, the U.S. has also blended down 24 MT of excess Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) from our own weapons program, and assisted in removing or confirming the disposition of over 2400 kilograms of HEU and plutonium from other countries.

Through the Summit process, we have established a global network of experts who work on nuclear security at senior levels in 53 governments and multiple international organizations.  We have expanded bilateral cooperation on nuclear security with dozens of countries worldwide.  And the trends we’re seeing are very positive:

The number of countries and facilities with HEU and plutonium is decreasing:

Twelve countries have completely eliminated HEU or separated plutonium from within their borders.
Twenty seven countries removed or disposed of nearly 3000 kilograms of HEU and separated plutonium.
Twenty four HEU nuclear reactors in 14 countries were successfully converted to Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel use or verified as shut down.
Security at storage sites is increasing:

The United States has helped secure 218 buildings in 5 countries storing weapons-usable nuclear materials through physical security upgrades.
We responded effectively to security issues at the Y-12 HEU site in Tennessee and are applying those lessons throughout our nuclear complex.
More countries are prepared to counter nuclear smuggling:

The United States is working with 20 countries to enhance their ability to detect, interdict, attribute and prosecute nuclear smugglers.
260 sites and ports have been equipped with radiation detection systems, and 41 mobile radiation detection cans have been deployed to internal checkpoints in 15 partner countries.
We are providing training to U.S. and partner nation officials in law enforcement, customs, and border security.
More countries are seeking international advice:

The United States hosted its first-ever international advisory security review in October 2013.
Twelve other countries have requested international advisory reviews since the first Summit.
The nuclear security architecture is stronger:

Over two dozen countries have ratified the key nuclear security treaties since the 2010 Summit.  The United States continues to pursue ratification of these critical instruments.
The IAEA’s nuclear security team has been elevated and better funded, and has a more rigorous standards development process.
INTERPOL’s radnuke support team has been enhanced.
The United States is committed to continuing its leadership on this vitally important issue.  With our allies and partners, we will continue to work to put in place a strong and sustainable global nuclear security architecture designed to reduce the dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism while allowing countries to more safely and effectively pursue peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

We have fulfilled our commitments, improved security at our facilities, and forged new partnerships.  We have removed nuclear materials, and in some cases gotten rid of them entirely.  As a result, more of the world’s nuclear materials can never fall into the hands of terrorists who would use them against us.  While there is much more to be done, we should be proud of all that we have achieved since the first Summit in 2010, and seize this opportunity to move that progress forward.

U.S. CONTINUES SEARCH FOR FLIGHT 370 WITH TOWED PINGER LOCATOR 25

FROM:   U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Navy Prepares Black Box Locator for Flight 370 Search
From a U.S. 7th Fleet News Release

PHILIPPINE SEA, March 24, 2014 – U.S. Pacific Command has ordered U.S. Pacific Fleet to move a black box locator into the region where searchers are continuing efforts to locate Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared March 8 shortly after leaving Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bound for Beijing.
Officials said the order is a precautionary measure in case a debris field is located.

If a debris field is confirmed, officials added, the Navy's Towed Pinger Locator 25 will add a significant advantage in locating the missing aircraft's black box.
"In the event a debris field is located, we're moving some specialized locator equipment into the area,” said Navy Cmdr. Chris Budde, U.S. 7th Fleet operations officer. “The Towed Pinger Locator has some highly sensitive listening capability so that if the wreck site is located, we can hear the black box pinger down to a depth of about 20,000 feet. Basically, this super-sensitive hydrophone gets towed behind a commercial vessel very slowly and listens for black box pings.
"This movement is simply a prudent effort to pre-position equipment and trained personnel closer to the search area,” he continued, “so that if debris is found, we will be able to respond as quickly as possible, since the battery life of the black box's pinger is limited."

If found, the acoustic signal of the pinger is transmitted up the cable and is presented audibly, and can be output to either an oscilloscope or a signal processing computer, 7th Fleet officials explained. The operator monitors the greatest signal strength and records the navigation coordinates. This procedure is repeated on multiple track lines until the final position is triangulated.

LABOR DEPARTMENT REMINDER REGARDING SAFETY AS SURFACE MINES REOPEN

FROM:  U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT 
As Mines Reopen for Spring, Think Safety
by BRIAN GOEPFERT on MARCH 18, 2014 

The arrival of spring means it’s time for hundreds of surface mines to reopen after the winter freeze. It’s a busy but potentially dangerous period, as miners return to work and prepare equipment for the new season. There’s no better time to brush up on safety procedures that can carry mining operations through the summer.

Of the 12,000 metal and nonmetal mines overseen by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, nearly half – 5,800 – are operated on an intermittent basis, closing in the winter months when snow and freezing temperatures make operations difficult or impossible. Most of these intermittent mines are crushed stone operations, primarily sand and gravel pits, but they also include limestone, granite and other stone operations.

According to MSHA data, injuries at these aggregate mines typically climb sharply in the spring, then drop in the fall to a mid-winter low, as shown by the chart below.

Through the past decade, overall injury rates have been reduced, but the pattern of increases in the spring remains. MSHA reminds all miners and mine operators to review the safety information at www.msha.gov, particularly this page for metal and nonmetal mines, and attend spring safety workshops if any are offered in your area.

For more information about how to stay safe, and to find out whether spring safety workshops are planned in your area, please contact the nearest district office, which can be found here.

Brian Goepfert is the safety division chief for metal and nonmetal mines within the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

FOREX COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR CHARGED WITH FRAUD, MISAPPROPRIATION, AND REGISTRATION VIOLATIONS

FROM:  COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 
CFTC Charges Dallas-based Steven Lyn Scott with Solicitation Fraud, Misappropriation, and Registration Violations in Connection with a Forex Commodity Pool Scheme

Washington, DC ­ The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed an enforcement action March 19, 2014 against Defendant Steven Lyn Scott (a/k/a Stevon Lyn Scott) of Dallas, Texas, charging him with solicitation fraud, misappropriation of customer funds, and registration violations in connection with operating a fraudulent commodity pool scheme.

According to the CFTC Complaint, from at least January 5, 2009 and through at least March 30, 2011, Scott fraudulently solicited at least $1,146,000 from at least 43 pool participants to participate in pooled investment vehicles to trade in off-exchange agreements, contracts, or transactions in foreign currency (forex) on a leveraged or margined basis. Scott, directly and by word of mouth, allegedly solicited pool participants located in Texas and solicited at least some pool participants by email. Pool participants allegedly included Scott’s friends, family members, and other members of the general public.

Specifically, according to the Complaint, Scott solicited pool participants to participate in pooled investment vehicles in the name of an entity he owned and controlled, Stewardship Financial Exchange, Inc. In his solicitations, Scott allegedly guaranteed monthly returns between two percent and five percent to pool participants who entered into six-month contracts, purportedly generating such returns by pooling participants’ funds and trading in off-exchange forex transactions on a leveraged or margined basis.

However, instead of trading pool participants’ funds, Scott initially directly misappropriated 50 percent of pool participants’ funds by depositing their funds into his personal and corporate bank accounts, and then using the funds for personal expenses, the Complaint alleges. Scott then subsequently misappropriated the remaining funds throughout the relevant period by trading them in his personal trading accounts.

In soliciting actual and prospective customers, Scott allegedly omitted material facts, including but not limited to (1) that he failed to trade pool participants’ funds as promised, 2) that he misappropriated pool participants’ funds, (3) that he did not generate the monthly “profits” guaranteed to pool participants, and (4) that he was acting as a Commodity Pool Operator without being registered as such, as required by the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC Regulations. Scott’s omissions were material and operated as a fraud or deceit upon pool participates, according to the Complaint.

In its continuing litigation against Scott, the CFTC seeks civil monetary penalties, restitution, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, trading and registration bans, and a permanent injunction against further violations of the federal commodities laws, as charged.

The CFTC thanks the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas for its assistance in this matter.

CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are Jason Mahoney, Michael Amakor, George Malas, Timothy J. Mulreany, and Paul Hayeck.

VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL ENTERS AGREEMENT TO COMPLY WITH AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT

FROM:  U.S. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 
U.S. Department of Education Announces Resolution of South Carolina Virtual Charter Schools Civil Rights Investigation
MARCH 20, 2014
Contact:   Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov 

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has entered into an agreement with South Carolina Charter School District to ensure compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1972 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act for students with disabilities in the District.

OCR initiated a compliance review in 2013 to assess whether the seven Internet-based public charter schools that serve more than 8,700 students who live throughout the state of South Carolina provide equal access to persons with disabilities, including students and parents. Specifically, OCR's investigation sought to determine whether persons with disabilities had an equal opportunity to access each school's website and online learning environment.

"All persons—with and without disabilities—must be able to obtain school information on a full, equal and independent basis. This agreement will ensure that persons with disabilities are afforded equal access to the District's internet-based public charter schools and any future District schools that will provide all or a portion of instruction via the internet," said Catherine E. Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. "I commend the South Carolina Charter School District for addressing these issues as part of its agreement with OCR."

OCR determined that the schools' websites and online learning environments were not readily accessible to persons with disabilities, including those who required assistive technology to access the Internet. The most frequent concerns were lack of alternative text attributes on buttons, especially on video controls; lack of synchronized captioning; inaccessible PDFs; and animations that were not fully labeled. Additionally, some materials provided by third party vendors were inaccessible. These problems prevent persons with disabilities, particularly those with visual, hearing, or manual impairments, or who otherwise require the use of assistive technology to access the website or the online learning environment in an equally effective and equally integrated manner as persons without a disability.

South Carolina Charter School District is the local educational agency for 24 charter schools in South Carolina. Seven of these schools are Internet-based and deliver instruction completely online. These schools include Palmetto State e-Cademy, Provost Academy South Carolina, South Carolina Virtual Charter School, South Carolina Calvert Academy, South Carolina Connections Academy, South Carolina Whitmore School, and Cyber Academy of South Carolina.

Under the agreement, the District will ensure that all websites and on-line learning environments are accessible to persons with disabilities, including those who use assistive technology to access the internet. The agreement provides that:

The District will create a web accessibility committee to direct resources and provide technical assistance as schools work to ensure web accessibility.
The District will develop and implement an accessibility policy that requires all schools that provide instruction via the internet to be readily accessible and useable.

Each school will develop and implement a detailed accessibility plan to ensure that all programs and activities meet the standards in the accessibility policy, including recruiting material, online textbooks, mobile applications, testing, resources for parent/guardians, and audio and video recording recasts.
Each school will regularly complete an accessibility report that measures the school's compliance with the accessibility policy and will submit audit reports annually that describe steps taken to maintain the website's accessibility, as well as steps taken to ensure that new programs and content are accessible.
The District will develop and provide training on how to ensure accessible web design and implementation.

The District will certify to OCR that the District meets the requirements of the accessibility policy.

OCR will closely monitor the District's implementation of the agreement.