Tuesday, July 8, 2014
ROBOCALL/TEXT SPAM NETWORK RECEIVES ADDITIONAL CRAMMING CHARGE FROM FTC
FROM: FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Adds Mobile Cramming to Charges Against Text Spam and Robocall Network
Amended Complaint Charges Unwanted Cell Phone Billing and Adds Five Defendants
The Federal Trade Commission added new charges of mobile cramming to a complaint the agency previously filed against a group of scammers who allegedly sent millions of unwanted text messages and robocalls to consumers.
The amended complaint adds the mobile cramming charges to the Commission’s original complaint allegations that the operation used text messages promising free $1,000 gift cards and iPads as a way to deceive consumers into signing up for costly subscriptions and giving up personal information.
When consumers followed links in the spam text messages, they were prompted to enter personal information, including their mobile phone number. The defendants told consumers that the personal information was necessary to ship them the free prize. However, the defendants used the personal information for several other purposes, including placing robocalls to consumers. Many consumers who entered their personal information allegedly were then prompted to “confirm” their mobile phone number and were then sent a text message telling them to enter a PIN number on the defendants’ website in order to “claim their prize.”
The amended complaint alleges that, in fact, by confirming their mobile phone number and entering the provided PIN, consumers were being signed up for unwanted premium text messaging services, resulting in a charge of $9.99 per month on their mobile phone bill. According to the FTC’s amended complaint, consumers were not given adequate notice that confirming their number would lead to monthly charges – this notice appeared only in small print at the bottom of the screen or in a separate hyperlinked page.
Two defendants, Burton Katz, also doing business as Polling Associates, Inc. and Boomerang International, LLC, and Jonathan Smyth, also doing business as Polling Associates, Inc., are accused of overseeing the mobile cramming operation along with the creators of the websites.
In addition to adding the defendants involved in the mobile cramming, the amended complaint also adds three new defendants to the case who were believed to be responsible for sending millions of spam text messages and operating the websites to which those messages would direct consumers. The additional defendants are Scott Modist, Joshua Greenberg and Gregory Van Horn. All three are named individually and as officers of Acquinity Interactive, LLC; Modist and Greenberg are also named as officers of 7657030 Canada, Inc.
The Commission vote to file the amended complaint was 5-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The case will be decided by the court.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
RETIRED NAVY OFFICIAL PLEADS GUILTY IN BRIBERY SCANDAL
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Former U.S. Navy Officer Pleads Guilty in International Bribery Scandal
Defendant Admits Overcharging Navy by up to $2.5 Million for Port Services in Japan
A retired Navy official who started a second career working for defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he and others overcharged the Navy by up to $2.5 million for port services to American ships and then used some of the proceeds to treat Navy officials to lavish dinners, cocktails and entertainment.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy for the Southern District of California, Director Andrew L. Traver of Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Acting Deputy Inspector General of Investigations James R. Ives of the Department of Defense (DCIS) made the announcement.
“There is an old Navy saying: ‘Not self, but country.’ Edmond Aruffo instead put self before country when he stole from the U.S. Navy as part of a massive fraud and bribery scheme that cost the U.S. Navy more than $20 million ,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.
“This corruption scandal continues to lead us in new directions, and we continue to marvel at the extent of it,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “If there are others who, like Edmond Aruffo, have traded integrity and honesty for greed and profit, we will find them and prosecute them.”
“Retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Edmond A. Aruffo, who previously held a position of trust and responsibility conferred on him by the Navy, betrayed his former service for personal gain by rigging invoices and deserves to be held accountable for his criminal actions,” said Director Traver. “NCIS will continue to work with DCIS and the Department of Justice in vigorously investigating and prosecuting these crimes of corruption and fraud.”
“The guilty plea of Edward Aruffo is part of an ongoing effort by the DCIS and its law enforcement partners to bring to justice individuals who seek to illegally enrich themselves at the expense of U.S. taxpayers,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General Ives. “While the vast majority of DOD contractors engage in lawful business practices, a few are driven by greed to break the law. Those who do will be caught and punished. American taxpayers will accept nothing less.”
Edmond A. Aruffo, who retired in 2007 at the rank of lieutenant commander after a military career spanning more than 20 years, is the seventh defendant charged – and the fourth to plead guilty – in the expanding corruption scandal involving GDMA’s illicit relationships with Navy officials. GDMA is a Singapore-based contractor that has serviced Navy ships and submarines in the Pacific for decades.
Aruffo, who became manager of GDMA’s Japan operations in 2009, entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen S. Crawford of the Southern District of California to a single count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Aruffo’s bond was set at $40,000; however, he indicated to the court he not post bond and immediate self-surrender. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Oct. 3, 2014, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino of the Southern District of California.
According to court documents, GDMA owner and CEO Leonard Francis enlisted the clandestine assistance of Navy personnel – including Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, Commander Jose Luis Sanchez, NCIS Special Agent John Beliveau and Petty Officer First Class Daniel Layug – to provide classified ship schedules and other sensitive information about an ongoing criminal investigation of GDMA. Court documents also allege that Francis and his cousin, GDMA executive Alex Wisidagama, conspired to defraud the United States through a number of overbilling schemes. In total, GDMA allegedly overcharged the Navy under its contracts and submitted bogus invoices for more than $20 million. Wisidagama, Beliveau and Layug have pleaded guilty while the others are awaiting trial.
According to Aruffo’s plea agreement, Aruffo was hired by GDMA’s Francis, who is accused of bribing Navy personnel with cash, luxury travel, expensive meals, consumer electronics and prostitutes in exchange for classified and proprietary information to win contracts and favorable treatment for his company.
According to the plea agreement, Aruffo was serving as the operations officer of the USS Blue Ridge when he met Francis. GDMA was providing “husbanding” services, such as tug boats, harbor pilots, trash removal, line handlers and transportation to that ship and numerous others.
In the plea agreement, Aruffo admitted that he and others defrauded the U.S. Navy in connection with charges for port services provided to nearly every Navy ship that came to port in Japan from July 2009 to September 2010.
As part of its contract with the Navy, GDMA was required to coordinate various vendors to provide port services for the Navy ships. Those vendors were to submit invoices directly to the Navy, rather than through GDMA.
The plea agreement said that Aruffo and others obtained letterhead from the Japanese vendors and used it to prepare bogus invoices which inflated the cost for services by tens of thousands of dollars. Aruffo admitted he arranged kickbacks to GDMA from the vendors, once they were paid by the Navy.
For example, according to the plea agreement, in February of 2010 the USS Lake Erie visited the port of Sukomo, Japan. Aruffo arranged for a Japanese vendor to provide a variety of husbanding services. The vendor invoiced the Navy $145,229.77 – an amount inflated by about $50,000, which the vendor ultimately gave to GDMA as a kickback.
A few days later, Aruffo arranged for another Japanese vendor to provide such services to the USS Blue Ridge at the port of Otaru, Japan, the plea agreement said. The vendor billed the Navy in the amount of $432,476.14 and then kicked back $204,961.20 to GDMA.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by NCIS, DCIS and the Defense Contract Audit Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Director of Procurement Fraud Catherine Votaw and Trial Attorneys Brian Young and Wade Weems of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Pletcher and Robert Huie of the Southern District of California.
U.S. MARSHALS TARGETED GANG OPERATIONS NET 104 ARRESTS
FROM: U.S. MARSHALS
Joe Palmer, Deputy U.S. Marshal
Northern District of California
U.S. Marshals Conclude Targeted Gang Operation
Multi Agency Two Week Operation leads to 104 Arrests
Centered in the cities of Oakland and Sacramento, the United States Marshals Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, along with several state and local agencies, conducted a two week high-risk fugitive initiative targeting gang members and violent offenders. These fugitives, whose charges ranged from probation violations to murder, were singled out because of their propensity to commit violence in the streets of California, whether through the crime itself or through their gang associations and their violent backgrounds.
The operation resulted in the arrests of 104 individuals, 27 of whom were known gang members. During the operation, 8 firearms were also recovered. Additionally, 10 grams of Cocaine, 2 pounds of Methamphetamine, and one pound of black tar heroin were seized. Of the 9 arrests for murder/attempted murder, 7 were wanted by the Oakland Police Department. The 104 arrests were broken down as follows:
104 Total Arrests
9 Murder/Attempted Murders
9 Assaults
14 Burglary/Robberies
10 Weapons Offenses
3 Sexual Offenses
2 Failure-to-appear/report
32 Narcotics/Drug Offenses
1 Fraud
24 Parole/Probation Violations
“This operation, as with past operations we have conducted in a similar fashion, continue to highlight the efforts and the ability of the federal government to fight crime at the local, as well as regional and national level,” said U.S. Marshal Don O’Keefe. “As we all know, crime is not contained to major cities, and criminals have vast networks throughout the region and the nation which help them to hide from justice and facilitate the commission of additional crimes. As we continue to discover, crime in Oakland does not always stay in Oakland. Criminals move in and out of city borders, using their regional and national criminal associations and networks to avoid capture. With the resources of the United States Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Forces, we are uniquely positioned to be able to intercept these criminals and bring them to justice.”
“My office applauds the extraordinary work of the U.S. Marshals Service and all the other law enforcement agencies in removing these high-risk fugitives from our communities and keeping our cities safe,” U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said. “These people need to understand that no matter where they go, or how hard they try to hide, we will use the resources of the federal government to find them and hold them accountable for their actions.”
Among those arrested during the operation were the following individuals:
Alpacino McDaniels – DOB: 07/01/1985 - Charged with Murder – McDaniels was wanted for his role in a murder which took place on the 800 block of Meade Ave, in West Oakland, in 2013. McDaniels was located in Rancho Cordova, CA, by the US Marshals Task Force on June 17, 2014, and taken into custody without incident. McDaniels is alleged to have been associated with the “Meade Street Boys.”
Brian Infante – DOB: 01/05/1973 – Charge with Rape - Infante was wanted for rape by the San Francisco Police Department since early 2014. Infante was found and apprehended without incident in San Leandro, CA, by a team from the U.S. Marshals Northern District of California.
Julian Contreras – DOB: 04/18/1992 - Charged as a Parolee at Large and with Attempted Murder - Contreras was wanted by the Napa Police Department with attempted murder after an incident in 2014 where Contrares, along with several other individuals, allegedly robbed a home and accosted and individual inside. Contreras is alleged to have ties to the “Norteno” gang in Napa, CA. Contreras was located at a home in Sacramento, CA, by a team from the U.S. Marshals Service and taken into custody without incident.
Douglas Chenelle – DOB: 04/27/1942 - Charged with Sexual Battery – Chenelle was wanted by the Vallejo Police Department for an assault of a person in a wheelchair. Chanelle was a caregiver at a Vallejo facility which cared for mentally and physically disabled adults and children. Chanelle was located by Vallejo Police Detectives and U.S. Marshals on June 19, 2014, in Vallejo, and taken into custody without incident.
This operation was a joint effort, consisting of teams from the U.S. Marshals Eastern District and Northern Districts of California, the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the following agencies:
Fairfield Police Department
Vallejo Police Department
Solano County Sheriff’s Department
Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)
California Highway Patrol
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF)
Sacramento County Probation
Stockton Police Department
California Department of Corrections
Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office
Oakland Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
San Jose Police Department
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office
Fremont Police Department
Long Beach Police Department
San Francisco Sheriff’s Office
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Santa Clara Co Specialized Enforcement Team (SCCSET)
The U.S. Marshals Service is the primary federal agency charged with conducting fugitive investigations throughout the United States. The U.S. Marshals Service regularly works in concert with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sex offenders, and has established task forces throughout the nation to facilitate the apprehension of fugitives.
CHINESE HOSPITAL SHIP PEACE ARK HOSTS RIMPAC MEDICAL CONFERENCE
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Chinese Hospital Ship Hosts RIMPAC Medical Exchange Conference
By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Pyoung K. Yi
USNS Mercy
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, July 7, 2014 – The Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark hosted a medical exchange conference as part of the 2014 Rim of the Pacific exercise here July 3.
Chinese and U.S. naval medical officers gave presentations during the multinational conference, which opened with a video presentation about Peace Ark.
“We wanted the attendees to learn about our experiences on humanitarian assistance relief missions,” said Lt. Cmdr. Xin Du, a medical officer who serves aboard Peace Ark. “But more importantly, I wanted to learn from others’ experience helping out on humanitarian relief efforts. I like the idea of exchanging ideas with other countries. It promotes friendship and subsequent joint missions.”
Military medical personnel from Canada, Indonesia, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and the United States attended the conference, which encouraged the exchange of medical knowledge and discussion of ways to help humanity using military resources.
“I was impressed with the sheer capacity of Peace Ark's resources in treating people in a disaster,” said Master Cpl. Katarina Vasic, a dental technician with the Canadian army.
A telemedicine presentation by Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Gilbert Seda, a pulmonary medicine specialist aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy, caught the attention of many Peace Ark personnel. Telemedicine is the electronic exchange of medical information between sites.
“Most of us are very interested in telemedicine,” said Du. “Our cardiologist, nephrologist, and other officers were very interested in his presentation.”
This year’s RIMPAC marks the first time in the exercise’s history that hospital ships have participated. Peace Ark and Mercy will continue to hold medical exchanges while in Pearl Harbor and during simulated disaster-relief operations at sea.
Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the RIMPAC exercise, which began June 26 and runs to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.
MATHEMATICS AND THE MODEL STRAWBERRY
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Strawberries with a thirst
Mathematicians help California drought-weary berry growers address water issues
Just as representative of this season's delights are those joys we associate with water: sparkling swimming pools, cooling mists of summer hoses and the scent of warm pavement suddenly accosted by raindrops.
As much as these two images fit snugly in sentimental minds, they do not coexist in California's berry farmlands, which reportedly produce 80 percent of the nation's strawberries.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, "In 119 years of recorded history, 2013 was the driest calendar year for the state of California." To be sure, California, and specifically coastal Central California, is never overflowing with water in any year, but recent, yearly water-supply needs caused serious concern.
In January 2014, California's snowpack, which normally provides about one-third of the water used by California's cities and farms, was measured at 12 percent, the lowest for January in more than a half-century of record keeping. Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the state, long before the "dry season," which usually occurs during the summer months.
Then, on April 1, the California Department of Water Resources measured water content of statewide snowpack at 32 percent of normal expectations for that time of year. California's water managers saw the result as truly foreboding since April typically is considered the snowpack's peak when snow and ice begin to melt into streams and reservoirs, and conditions were only expected to worsen.
Drought conditions like these, occurring annually, prompted policymakers, conservationists, geologists, hydrologists, farmers and business owners to creatively address the state's water problems. And, in an interesting turn, mathematicians factored into this mix with one of the most unique perspectives of all.
The berry business
John Eiskamp, owner and president of JE Farms describes the Pajaro Valley in Central Coastal California as the "berry capital of the world." Strawberries reign supreme, followed by raspberries and then blackberries, but ultimately, it's a berry world in his Santa Cruz County.
"This is an agricultural area," he said. "It's the driver of the economy. It provides the majority of the jobs. It provides the majority of the support industries that are here for agriculture--the companies that sell the product, the supplies, and the inputs that we growers use to produce the crops."
So, water shortage issues--even for berries that aren't the thirstiest crops by a long shot--still need water to produce saleable, harvestable fruit. According to Eiskamp, agriculture represents 85 percent of the valley's water usage, but because of that the growers know they must be good stewards of the limited water supply. Not surprisingly, they already have explored various crop rotation and water conservation strategies. However, this problem only worsens as each year passes. So, in 2011, a National Science Foundation-funded math institute, the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) in Palo Alto, Calif., got involved in what they describe as an "optimization problem."
Math: It's not just for spreadsheets and bottomlines
One of eight NSF-funded math institutes, AIM brings 800 mathematicians from around the world to Palo Alto each year to study a "whole variety of programs," according to its deputy director Estelle Basor. Small research groups with "applied" objectives come for weeklong stints, modeling neural effects related to migraine headaches, more efficient medical imaging or, in this case, improved water use in drought-stricken areas. Additionally, the institute spends even more time on its initial focus of "pure math" research.
"I grew up in California. My father was an apple grower, and my mother's family was also involved in farming," mathematician Basor said. "So many aspects to farming are difficult. There are so many unknowns--weather, what other people are doing in other countries, pests, and supply and demand. I'm not sure that a lot of the public actually realize the risks involved. So, if we [mathematicians] can just help smooth out some of the decision-making process and help solve a few of the problems that growers might have, I think it's a really good step forward."
So, Basor talked to Driscoll Associates, familiar to many as purveyors of of Driscoll's berries, and invited them to participate in an institute workshop that brought together 30 mathematicians from around the world to discuss sustainability problems. Nine of the participants worked on the berry problem, and along with three industry representatives, got the ball rolling. These collaborators then formed a smaller group to focus on the water supply's confined aquifer and its chronic overdraft of water that had persisted over many years.
"We were given a list of possible changes that could happen in terms of crop rotation, fallowing land, looking at developing recharge areas to capture rainfall to reduce the amount of water that's being taken out of the aquifer or the ground water region," said Katie Fowler, an associate professor of mathematics at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y., and member of this math team.
She explained how they could look at the problem simplistically by just considering crops' water consumption and different planting strategies. But, more sophisticated, elegant modeling included soil properties, precipitation data, topography and run-off measurements. With essentially two tiers of data, they could create a model that minimized aquifer impact and found ways to recharge it naturally.
"The approach is an example of 'multi-objective optimization,'" she said. "We've developed three performance metrics. A person is going to want to try to make as much profit as possible using the least amount of water while meeting market demands. And those [goals] are naturally competing. So our most recent work has been towards offering a set of possible solutions with a clear description of those trade-offs."
In fact, another researcher, Lea Jenkins, an associate professor in mathematical sciences at Clemson University, describes the model as "stochastic," which means values of variables are random, versus "deterministic," when a problem has parameters with fixed values.
"This problem is about math," said Dan Balbas, vice president of operations for Reiter Affiliated Companies, a grower for Driscoll's, and who attended the 2011 workshop. "You've got a given resource, so how do you maximize it to maintain sustainability and do the right thing from an economic and environmental standpoint, marrying the two. It's math. It really is math. I think the hard thing is getting the input numbers right because it's a tricky thing to quantify, but it's absolutely a mathematical situation. It's how much water do we have, and how do we best use it. It's numbers."
And it's involvement from growers that make this process work.
"Part of the reason we like to come out here is to get farmers to help us--to make sure that the models we use are reasonable or are somewhat accurate and represent a reality that they're living in," Jenkins said. "And the best we can do is give them possible solutions to a very complicated problem and then ask them how they can help us improve those solutions."
Interestingly enough, as the mathematicians talk about their process thus far, they admit that while they have collaborated with a variety of players in this issue, they still need to bring in sociologists and environmental economists to improve their model.
A better future for berries
So, this team of mathematicians has now created models that help identify which crops to plant where and when. With iPad in hand, growers like Eiskamp and Balbas can go to the fields connecting to wireless tensiometers in real time to essentially tell them when plants have been watered sufficiently, minimizing waste and ensuring fertilizers stay in the root zone where plants can most efficiently access them and keep from contaminating the water aquifer.
"The thing the math institute best did was shed light on per-unit of water--what is the best crop to grow?" Balbas said. "We found that raspberries--from a per-unit-of-water standpoint--were a better crop, so we've grown the raspberry program a little bit. Of course, that changed the economics. In fact we have so many more raspberries now, it would be good to do the analysis again. It's a moving target. There are a lot more raspberries in the valley, partly because of water, but partly because it was just good business."
Ultimately, this mathematical perspective to addressing irrigation, crop rotation and drought mitigation is something that can be applied elsewhere.
"You have a set of crops that you're planting where you are realizing a profit," Jenkins said. "The crops need certain resources to survive. It might be a berry farm here, but it might be a wheat farm in the Midwest. And it might be a soy bean or a corn farm in the Southeast."
The nuances that customize the models come with specific local or state government regulations or water management requirements.
"Water is a resource that needs to be conserved, and there are competing interests," Jenkins added. "There are environmental and ecological interests associated with keeping certain wetlands that might go dry if an underlying aquifer is overused. And the economy of a local region may depend on the economies of the farmers, so if the farmers aren't realizing the profit they need, then that impacts the economy of the whole region.
"There are not only ag users, but also urban users and recreational users. To get a unified perspective, ultimately everybody needs to get involved."
-- Ivy F. Kupec
Investigators
Lea Jenkins
David Farmer
Katie Fowler
Estelle Basor
J. Brian Conrey
Related Institutions/Organizations
American Institute of Mathematics
Monday, July 7, 2014
U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR JULY 7, 2014
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CONTRACTS
NAVY
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems, Bethpage, New York, is being awarded a $52,444,840 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for material and services to perform an Equivalent Flight Hours fatigue test to substantiate the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Aircraft service life. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California (68 percent); Melbourne, Florida (30 percent); and Bethpage, New York (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2019. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,820,000 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-14-C-0036).
Spin Systems, Inc.,* Sterling, Virginia, is being awarded a $8,447,038 cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00039-14-D-0009) for the technical refresh and deployment, and operations and sustainment of the Department of Defense Information Technology Portfolio Repository and the Department of the Navy Application and Database Management System information technology platform. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2016. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $181,036 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Sea Warrior Program (PMW 240), Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00039-14-D-0009).
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $6,785,176 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-12-C-0004) to provide maintenance for Lot VII F-35 air systems in support of the U.S. Marine Corps and the government of the Netherlands. Work will be performed in Beaufort, South Carolina (55 percent) and Yuma, Arizona (45 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2015. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps), and international partner funds in the amount of $6,785,176 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Marine Corps ($6,143,467; 90.5 percent) and the government of the Netherlands ($641,709; 9.5 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Petroleum Traders Company,* Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been awarded a maximum $15,838,744 modification (P00010) to add additional line items on a three-year base contract (SP0600-13-D-8523). This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel. Locations of performance are South Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas and Georgia, with an Oct. 31, 2016, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Federal Prison Industries, Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $9,687,600 modification (P00103) exercising the fourth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM1C1-10-D-F016), with four one-year option periods. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for physical fitness uniform t-shirts. Locations of performance are the Washington, District of Columbia area and Georgia, with a July 11, 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, Pennsylvania.
AIR FORCE
World Wide Technology, Maryland Heights, Missouri, has been awarded a $6,542,299 firm-fixed-price contract for Medical Systems Infrastructure Modernization Multi-Site Phase II A and B Electronic List of Materials. This requirement is for the purchase of a list of Information Technology Network products such as network power supplies, switches, cables, etc., to be delivered to various CONUS and OCONUS Air Force Medical Treatment Facilities. Work will be performed at Maryland Heights, Missouri, and the items are expected to be delivered by Aug. 7, 2014. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition under AF NETCENTS-2 Products indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts, in which 25 offers were solicited and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2012 Defense Health Program other procurement funds, in the amount of $6,542,299, will be obligated at time of award. 773 ESS/PK, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8732-13-D-0012-RV01).
*Small business
U.S. OFFERS CONDOLENCES ON PASSING OF FORMER GEORGIAN PRESIDENT EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
On the Passing of Former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
July 7, 2014
I offer my deepest condolences on the passing of former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.
As foreign minister of the Soviet Union in the 1980s, Shevardnadze played an instrumental role with President Gorbachev, President Reagan, and Secretary Shultz in bringing the Cold War to an end. He reduced the risk of nuclear confrontation by giving new life to arms control negotiations. He opposed the hardliners and refused to use force against Central and Eastern European countries when they began political and economic reforms, and he advocated reform within the Soviet Union as well.
As Georgia's second president following the restoration of independence, Shevardnadze helped ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that fragile state during the 1990s, and put Georgia on its irreversible trajectory toward Euro-Atlantic integration.
As Georgia pauses to reflect on the life of one of its great statesmen, we urge all Georgians to remain committed to a united, democratic Georgia.
As foreign minister of the Soviet Union in the 1980s, Shevardnadze played an instrumental role with President Gorbachev, President Reagan, and Secretary Shultz in bringing the Cold War to an end. He reduced the risk of nuclear confrontation by giving new life to arms control negotiations. He opposed the hardliners and refused to use force against Central and Eastern European countries when they began political and economic reforms, and he advocated reform within the Soviet Union as well.
As Georgia's second president following the restoration of independence, Shevardnadze helped ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that fragile state during the 1990s, and put Georgia on its irreversible trajectory toward Euro-Atlantic integration.
As Georgia pauses to reflect on the life of one of its great statesmen, we urge all Georgians to remain committed to a united, democratic Georgia.
STATE DEPARTMENT PRESS STATEMENT ON AFGHAN ELECTIONS
Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DCFROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Department Spok
July 7, 2014
We note that the United Nations, invited by President Karzai and both candidates to facilitate the process, has proposed a series of additional audits of suspect ballots, and that other measures have been under discussion. As the Independent Election Commission (IEC) statement noted, four additional measures have been accepted by both camps. Those measures affect more than 7000 ballot boxes, and potentially more than 3 million ballots. It is essential that the IEC work with the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission and the United Nations to execute the UN proposed audits and to answer all the legitimate questions raised by the two campaigns and independent observers.
A full and thorough review of all reasonable allegations of irregularities is essential to ensure that the Afghan people have confidence in the integrity of the electoral process and that the new Afghan President is broadly accepted inside and outside Afghanistan. It is the two electoral Commissions’ responsibility to address all credible allegations of fraud. They must implement a thorough audit whether or not the two campaigns agree.
We call upon both campaigns and their supporters to cooperate with these audits and to refrain from provocative statements or actions. As the Commission made clear, these results are not final and neither candidate should claim victory on the basis of this announcement. It is especially important that both campaigns send agents to observe the audit process. We believe that UN recommended audit process, provided it begins immediately, can be completed in time to allow the inauguration of the next President to proceed as scheduled on August 2.
The United States does not support any individual candidate. We have long stated our support for a credible, transparent, and inclusive process that is broadly supported by the Afghan people and produces a president who can bring Afghanistan together and govern effectively. We call on all sides to work toward this goal and to avoid steps that undermine national unity. The continued support of the United States for Afghanistan requires that Afghanistan remains united and that the result of this election is deemed credible.
U.S. NAVY GETS READY FOR SUPER TYPHOON NEOGURI
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Sailors in Okinawa Brace for Super Typhoon
By Navy Chief Petty Officer Kimberley Martinez
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1
OKINAWA, Japan, July 7, 2014 – Sailors from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 are bracing and preparing for the impact of Super Typhoon Neoguri, forecasted to arrive here as a Category 5 strength storm tomorrow.
NMCB 1 sailors spent July 6 and 7 storing items, sandbagging ground-level entrances subject to flooding and staging tactical vehicles, water dispensers and packaged meals throughout Camp Shields.
“Right now, we’re finishing up securing the camp, tying up and putting away anything that is not immobile so that nothing will become a projectile hazard throughout Camp Shields,” said Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Dean Fischer, the battalion’s command master chief.
Although Super Typhoon Neoguri has wind gusts at more than 150 mph according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the Seabees are adept in natural disaster preparation and the relief efforts, which may be needed in the storm’s aftermath, Fischer said.
“Typhoon season pretty much aligns with hurricane season back home in Mississippi, so Gulfport Seabees have a very long history of dealing with TCCOR [tropical storm condition of readiness] conditions,” the command master chief said. “All of the engineering assets on Okinawa will be in contact before, during and after the storm coordinating anything they would need. For us, the primary mission would be to support the Navy bases, the Marine Corps and the Air Force bases.”
Typhoon season officially runs from June through November. According to AccuWeather.com meteorologists, Neoguri will still be a super typhoon when it crosses the gap between the Ryukyu Islands of Miyako Jima and Okinawa.
NMCB 1 sailors are making the best of a stormy outlook, preparing to hunker down in their barracks until they receive an all-clear notice from their chain of command.
“I will take accountability of all of the personnel in my building continue to maintain their safety throughout the storm and make sure they have food and water,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Johnny Turner, a yeoman. “Our mustering point will be in our lounge area, where we will meet and get accountability to the command mustering point of contact, and while we ride out the storm, it will be an opportunity for us to bond [and] relax after working hard to secure the base.”
Master Chief Petty Officer Benno Lederer, Camp Shields officer in charge, said that because of NMCB 1’s diligent efforts in preparing for the typhoon, Camp Shields is braced for the storm well ahead of schedule.
“All NMCB 1 and 30th Naval Construction Regiment typhoon preparations are done, and we are prepared for the storm,” he said. The sailors will begin lockdown for Tropical Cyclone Conditions of Readiness 1 late today or early tomorrow and are expected to be in that state until July 9 or 10, he added.
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 is deployed to Okinawa as part of its 2014 deployment.
STAMPEDE SUPERCOMPUTER HELPS SCEINTISTS UNDERSTAND JET ENGINES AND THE HUMAN EAR
FROM: THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The aeroacoustics of jets
Simulations helps scientists understand and control turbulence in humans and machines
Jet engines generate intense sound waves that bother people who live near active airports. The noise can be so bothersome that limits are often placed on how loud aircraft can be and how many aircraft can fly over residential communities. Making jet aircraft quieter requires new engine designs; however, no simple explanation of how jets generate noise is available.
Daniel Bodony and his colleagues are trying to solve this problem. They are using Stampede to simulate the turbulent motion generated by air moving from the jet engines and then virtually testing the shape and location of actuators and acoustic liners that can reduce jet noise. This research has been published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics and Physics of Fluids.
In related research, Bodony is seeking to understand how the voice is created, which also relies on the research around the aeroacoustics of jets. However, this time the unsteady jet of air is created by vocal folds, or vocal chords, when a person speaks.
Once speech production is understood, Bodony and his team will use Stampede to determine how to design synthetic vocal chords to restore speech when it is lost due to strokes or other pathologies.
"Stampede has been a very easy platform on which to run our production simulations, and its more-than-two-times speed advantage over Ranger quickly made it a favorite," Bodony said. "It is our workhorse platform and enables our fundamental research that supports science and engineering objectives, including jet noise reduction, human voice prediction and control, and analysis of future high-speed aircraft systems."
-- Aaron Dubrow, NSF
Investigators
Daniel Bodony
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Texas at Austin
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sunday, July 6, 2014
U.S. CONGRATUALTES THE PEOPLE OF THE UNION OF THE COMOROS' ON THEIR NATIONAL DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT UNION OF THE COMOROS' NATIONAL DAY
On the Occasion of the Union of the Comoros' National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
July 3, 2014
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Comoros as you mark the 39th anniversary of your independence on July 6.
As you continue down the path toward democratic rule, the governments of our two nations have deepened their mutual respect and friendship. We look forward to working in partnership with Comoros to promote education, economic growth, cultural exchange, and regional security.
The United States shares your hopes for a safe and prosperous future, where all Comorans have a voice in society and can enjoy the benefits of liberty and peace.
As you continue down the path toward democratic rule, the governments of our two nations have deepened their mutual respect and friendship. We look forward to working in partnership with Comoros to promote education, economic growth, cultural exchange, and regional security.
The United States shares your hopes for a safe and prosperous future, where all Comorans have a voice in society and can enjoy the benefits of liberty and peace.
EPA WARNS OF SWIMMING RELATED ILLNESSES
FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Human Health
Illnesses.
hildren, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are most likely to develop illnesses or infections after coming into contact with polluted water, usually while swimming. The most common illness is gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and the intestines that can cause symptoms like vomiting, headaches, and fever. Other minor illnesses include ear, eye, nose, and throat infections
Fortunately, while swimming-related illnesses are unpleasant, they are usually not very serious - they require little or no treatment or get better quickly upon treatment, and they have no long-term health effects. In very polluted water, however, swimmers can sometimes be exposed to more serious diseases like dysentery, hepatitis, cholera, and typhoid fever.
Most swimmers are exposed to waterborne pathogens when they swallow the water. People can get some infections simply from getting polluted water on their skin or in their eyes. In rare cases, swimmers can develop illnesses or infections if an open wound is exposed to polluted water.
Not all illnesses from a day at the beach are from swimming. Food poisoning from improperly refrigerated picnic lunches may also have some of the same symptoms as swimming-related illnesses, including stomachache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
It is also possible that people may come into contact with harmful chemicals in beach waters during or after major storms, especially if they swim near what we call “outfalls,” where sewer lines drain into the water. You can learn more about this by visiting our web site for stormwater.
Finally, the sun can hurt you if you're not careful. Overexposure can cause sunburn, and over time, it can lead to more serious problems like skin cancer. The sun can also dehydrate you and cause heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, and heat stroke. Learn more about sun safety at our SunWise site or heat-related illnesses at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site.
How to Stay Safe
There are several things you can do to reduce the likelihood of getting sick from swimming at the beach. First, you should find out if the beach you want to go to is monitored regularly and posted for closures or swimming advisories. You are less likely to be exposed to polluted water at beaches that are monitored regularly and posted for health hazards.
In areas that are not monitored regularly, choose swimming sites in less developed areas with good water circulation, such as beaches at the ocean. If possible, avoid swimming at beaches where you can see discharge pipes or at urban beaches after a heavy rainfall.
To find out about the beaches you want to visit, contact the local beach manager.
Since most swimmers are exposed to pathogens by swallowing the water, you will be less likely to get sick if you wade or swim without putting your head under water.
7 COLOMBIANS EXTRADITED TO U.S. TO FACE CHARGES IN DEATH OF DEA AGENT JAMES TERRY WATSON
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Seven Colombian Nationals Charged in Connection with the Murder of a DEA Agent Extradited to the United States
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart and Director Bill A. Miller of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) made the announcement.
“With the extradition of these suspects, we are one step closer to ensuring that justice is served for the kidnapping and murder of an American hero,” said Attorney General Holder. “Special Agent Watson gave his life in the service of his country. We owe him, and his family, a debt of gratitude we can never fully repay. The Justice Department will never waver in our commitment to ensure that those who commit acts of violence against our best and bravest can be caught and held accountable.”
“DEA Special Agent James ‘Terry’ Watson was a brave and talented special agent who represented everything good about federal law enforcement and our DEA family,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart. “We will never forget Terry’s sacrifice on behalf of the American people during his 13 years of service, nor will DEA ever forget the outstanding work of the Colombian National Police and our other law enforcement partners. Their efforts quickly led to the arrest and extradition of those accused of committing this heinous act.”
All of the defendants were indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia on July 18, 2013. Gerardo Figueroa Sepulveda, 39; Omar Fabian Valdes Gualtero, 27; Edgar Javier Bello Murillo, 27; Hector Leonardo Lopez, 34; Julio Estiven Gracia Ramirez, 31; and Andrés Alvaro Oviedo-Garcia, 22, were each charged with two counts of second degree murder, one count of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to kidnap. Oviedo-Garcia was also charged with two counts of assault. Additionally, the grand jury indicted Wilson Daniel Peralta-Bocachica, 31, also a Colombian national, for his alleged efforts to destroy evidence associated with the murder of Special Agent Watson.
The defendants arrived in the United States on July 1, 2014, and made their initial appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, today before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas Rawles Jones Jr. A detention hearing is scheduled for July 9, 2014, before United States Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis.
According to the indictment, Figueroa, Valdes, Bello, Lopez, Gracia and Oviedo-Garcia were part of a kidnapping and robbery conspiracy that utilized taxi cabs in Bogotá, Colombia, to lure victims into a position where they could be attacked and robbed. Once an intended victim entered a taxi cab, the driver of the taxi cab would signal other conspirators to commence the robbery and kidnapping operation.
The indictment alleges that on June 20, 2013, while he was working for the U.S. Mission in Colombia, Special Agent Watson entered a taxi cab operated by one of the defendants. Special Agent Watson was then allegedly attacked by two other defendants – one who stunned Special Agent Watson with a stun gun and another who stabbed Special Agent Watson with a knife, resulting in his death.
On July 1, 2014, the Government of Colombia extradited the defendants to the United States.
This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA and DSS, including the Office of Special Investigations and the Regional Security Office at Embassy Bogatá, in close cooperation with Colombian authorities, and with assistance from INTERPOL and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The case is being prosecuted by Special Counsel Stacy Luck of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Department of Justice gratefully acknowledges the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, Colombian National Police, Colombian Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (DIJIN), DIJIN Special Investigative Unit, Bogotá Metropolitan Police, Bogotá Police Intelligence Body (CIPOL) Unit and Colombian Technical Investigation Team for their extraordinary efforts, support and professionalism in responding to this incident.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. SENDS WARMEST WISHES TO PEOPLE OF SOLOMON ISLANDS ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Solomon Islands Independence Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
July 3, 2014
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States of America, I send my warmest wishes to the people of Solomon Islands as you celebrate the 36th anniversary of your nation’s independence on July 7.
Our two countries have a long friendship, forged in battle, which has only been strengthened through our strong cooperation since our nations fought side by side in the Guadalcanal campaign.
In the decades since, we have continued to work together not only on issues of key interest to Pacific nations but on broader global concerns as well. We have promoted peace, stability, a strong commitment to democracy, respect among nations, and joint action against threats like unexploded ordnance and climate change.
Our countries share many common values and we look forward to working with the Solomons to further advance these goals in the future.
As you celebrate your independence day, know that the United States remains a partner and friend to your country.
Our two countries have a long friendship, forged in battle, which has only been strengthened through our strong cooperation since our nations fought side by side in the Guadalcanal campaign.
In the decades since, we have continued to work together not only on issues of key interest to Pacific nations but on broader global concerns as well. We have promoted peace, stability, a strong commitment to democracy, respect among nations, and joint action against threats like unexploded ordnance and climate change.
Our countries share many common values and we look forward to working with the Solomons to further advance these goals in the future.
As you celebrate your independence day, know that the United States remains a partner and friend to your country.
STAMPEDE SUPERCOMPUTER AND DRIVING DNA THROUGH THE NANOPORE
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Blueprint for the affordable genome
Aleksei Aksimentiev, a professor of physics at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, used the National Science Foundation-supported Stampede supercomputer to explore a cutting-edge method of DNA sequencing. The method uses an electric field to drive a strand of DNA through a small hole, or "nanopore," either in silicon or a biological membrane.
By controlling this process precisely and measuring the change in ionic current as the DNA strands move through the pore of the membrane, the sequencer can read each base pair in order.
"Stampede is by far the best computer system my group has used over the past 10 years," Aksimentiev said. "Being able to routinely obtain 40-80 nanoseconds of molecular dynamic simulations in 24 hours, regardless of the systems' size, has been essential for us to make progress with rapidly evolving projects."
Aksimentiev and his group showed that localized heating can be used to stretch DNA, which significantly increases the accuracy of nanopore DNA sequencing. In addition, he and his team used an all-atom molecular dynamics method to accurately describe DNA origami objects, making it possible to engineer materials for future applications in biosensing, drug delivery and nano-electronics. These results were published in ACS Nano and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
-- Aaron Dubrow, NSF
Investigators
Aleksei Aksimentiev
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Texas at Austin
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Saturday, July 5, 2014
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