PEANUT COMPANY OFFICIALS AND BROKER CONVICTED BY JURY IN SALMONELLA-TAINTED PEANUTS CASE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, September 19, 2014

Peanut Corporation of America Former Officials and Broker Convicted on Criminal Charges Related to Salmonella-Tainted Peanut Products

A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against two former officials of and one broker for the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), the Department of Justice announced today.

Stewart Parnell, of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Michael Parnell, of Midlothian, Virginia, were convicted of conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, and the introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce.  Steward Parnell was also convicted of the introduction of adulterated food.  Stewart Parnell and Mary Wilkerson, of Edison, Georgia, were also convicted of obstruction of justice.  The convictions all arise from the unlawful sale of salmonella-tainted peanuts and peanut products.

Expert evidence at trial showed that tainted food led to an outbreak in 2009 with more than 700 reported cases of salmonella poisoning.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based on epidemiological projections, that number translates to more than 22,000 total cases.

The verdicts followed a seven-week trial in the Middle District of Georgia during which prosecutors presented the testimony of 45 witnesses and introduced 1,001 documents into evidence.  Among those who testified were Samuel Lightsey and Daniel Kilgore, both of Blakely, Georgia, both former operations managers for PCA and both of whom earlier pleaded guilty to several crimes for their roles in the sale of the salmonella-tainted food by PCA.

“As this verdict confirms, the salmonella outbreak that caused nationwide panic five years ago was a direct result of the actions of these individuals,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.  “This verdict demonstrates that the Department of Justice will never waver in our pursuit of those who break our laws and compromise the safety of America’s food supply for financial gain.  All Americans must be able to rely on the safety of the food they purchase.  And any individual or company who puts the health of consumers at risk by criminally selling tainted food will be caught, prosecuted, and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

The government presented evidence at trial to establish that Stewart Parnell and Michael Parnell – with Lightsey and Kilgore – participated in several schemes by which they defrauded PCA customers and jeopardized the quality and purity of their peanut products.  Specifically, the government presented evidence that defendants misled customers about the presence of salmonella in their products.  For example, as the evidence demonstrated, the Parnells, Lightsey and Kilgore fabricated certificates of analysis (COAs) accompanying various shipments of peanut products.  COAs are documents that summarize laboratory results, including test results concerning the presence or absence of pathogens in food.  According to the evidence, on several occasions, the Parnells, Lightsey and Kilgore participated in a scheme to fabricate COAs that stated that the food at issue was free of pathogens when in fact there had been no testing of the food or tests had revealed the presence of pathogens.

The government also presented evidence that when FDA officials visited the plant to investigate the outbreak, Stewart Parnell, Lightsey and Wilkerson gave untrue or misleading answers to questions posed by those officials.

“We are gratified by the jury’s verdict,” said Joyce R. Branda, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.  “The jury delivered a powerful message that there will be serious consequences for criminals who put profit above the welfare of their customers and knowingly sell contaminated food.  The Department of Justice will not hesitate to pursue any person whose criminal conduct risks the health of Americans and the safety of the nation’s food supply.”

“In this great country, we take for granted the safety of the food we feed our families,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore of the Middle District of Georgia.  “We expect, and rightfully so, for food suppliers to follow the rules and regulations, and to never sacrifice public safety for profits.  In this case, these defendants were willing to put tainted food onto the shelves of stores across the country.  After this trial, it should be clear that individual accountability, not just corporate responsibility, for criminal conduct that puts public safety in jeopardy is now the norm in the eyes of the Department of Justice.  And while the evidence over the last few weeks has focused on the criminal acts  of these defendants, let’s not forget that there were real victims in this case who became ill and suffered greatly because making money, at least to the defendants, was more important than making sure that the peanut products they put into the marketplace were safe.”

Attorney General Holder, Acting Assistant Attorney General Branda and U.S. Attorney Moore thanked the jury for its service, and, especially, for its careful consideration of the evidence.

In all, the jury convicted Stewart Parnell of multiple counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, the sale of misbranded food, the sale of adulterated food, and obstruction; Michael Parnell of multiple counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and the sale of misbranded food; and Mary Wilkerson of one count of obstruction.  The judge has not yet set a date for sentencing.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Patrick Hearn and Mary M. Englehart of the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Dasher of the Middle District of Georgia.

NSF FUNDS MUSCLE FARM RESEARCH

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

How to grow mussels

Researchers optimize growing conditions and practices to improve mussel farming

Blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, live on northern Atlantic shores in the area between high and low tides.

"Mussels are one of the most significant filter-feeders in the marine environment," said Brian Beal, a marine ecologist at the University of Maine at Machias. "They are responsible not only for efficiently producing high-quality protein but for cleaning the waters around them through their feeding activities."

Because many creatures--especially humans--enjoy eating blue mussels, farmers grow mussels using aquaculture, or aquatic farming. More than 650,000 pounds of blue mussels were cultured and harvested in Maine in 2012, according to the state's Department of Marine Resources.

Young mussels may be cultivated in the wild, or they may grow on ropes that are submerged in culture tanks, where they are protected from storms and predators. Once the mussels reach a certain size, they are moved into ocean pens to mature.

But practitioners often struggle in their efforts to increase the number, size and overall health of their mussels. Like many farmers, they turn to science and engineering to improve their harvest.

Beal, along with a team of National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded researchers at the University of Maine at Machias and the Downeast Institute, is investigating the growing conditions and practices that will reliably yield healthy and plentiful blue mussels.

"Our goal is to develop methods in the hatchery to create consistent quantities of seed-size mussel juveniles," Beal said. "At present, mussel farmers rely on wild settlement, which can be very spotty from year to year and from place to place." Maine's annual harvest of cultured blue mussels commonly varies by hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Young mussels go through several stages of development. After swimming for their first few weeks of life, mussel larvae adhere to an underwater surface such as a rope. They attach themselves using byssus threads, which are flexible strands of protein.

"A narrow range of seawater temperatures combined with relatively high salinities results in healthy, active juveniles," Beal said, "and different phytoplankton diets fed to the swimming larvae affect their ability to settle effectively onto substrates such as rope."

Beal's team plans to use what they learn about blue mussel development to optimize how many and how well larvae secure themselves to rope used in aquaculture. They are now conducting field studies to examine the effects of stocking densities on mussel growth and survival.

The researchers also are investigating exactly when to transition the young mussels into ocean pens, and where in the pens they grow best.

With better understanding of their cultivation, the researchers and their partner New DHC, an aquaculture company, hope to improve commercial prospects for sustainably grown blue mussels.

"A consistent seed supply also will allow aquaculturists to create business plans that project their annual production more realistically," Beal explained.

The collaboration is supported by the NSF Partnerships for Innovation program, which stimulates regional innovation based on science and engineering discoveries.

In speaking of Beal, NSF program director Sally Nerlove said, "His life's work is of tremendous potential importance to the economy and the ethos of region, and, at the same time, his accomplishments track the evolution of the NSF Partnerships for Innovation program."

-- Cecile J. Gonzalez,
Investigators
Brian Beal
Susan White
David Markow
Stuart Swain
Kevin Athearn
Sandra Shumway
Christopher Davis
Sherrie Sprangers
Related Institutions/Organizations

U.S. OFFICIAL'S REMARKS ON MASS ATROCITIES

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

You are subscribed to U.S. Mission to the UN for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

U.S. Mission to the United Nations: Remarks at a High Level Meeting on Mass Atrocities

09/26/2014 04:27 PM EDT

Samantha Power

U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations 

New York, NY

September 25, 2014

AS PREPARED

Thank you, Minister Fabius and Minister Meade, for your leadership in convening this meeting.

It is difficult to imagine a more important objective than preventing mass atrocities and genocide. The horrific atrocities of the Second World War galvanized the international community to create the United Nations.

If we are to prevent these atrocities, we must respond earlier, we must respond systematically, and we must respond together. States must do more than endorse statements about the responsibility to protect. States must take real action to prevent mass atrocities.

President Obama has declared that the prevention of mass atrocities and genocide is a “core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States.”

To translate those words into deeds, President Obama has taken unprecedented steps to ensure that our government can anticipate mass atrocities – because we know that the sooner we act, the more options we have.

He has established a standing body - the Atrocities Prevention Board - to focus our government on the risk of mass atrocities, and develop options for responding to potential mass atrocities before they metastasize and slaughter begins.

We are constantly considering what tools can best be deployed to prevent them, or to stop them from occurring. Our diplomats have exerted pressure on capitals, regional bodies, and here at the UN. Our Treasury Department has applied targeted sanctions on perpetrators, and blocked the flow of money to abusive regimes. And in certain circumstances, our military has intervened to stop atrocities from occurring, as it recently did to halt the mass killing of those trapped on Mt. Sinjar.

At the international level, the Security Council has a special responsibility for the preservation of international peace and security, and none of us should take this responsibility lightly.

In recent months, the Council has shown that it can act responsibly, mobilizing attention, resources, and support to end horrific cycles of violence. In South Sudan, we have surged forces to enable UNMISS to respond to a deadly civil war that has already claimed over 10,000 lives. And in the Central African Republic, we have authorized a new peacekeeping mission to support French forces in curbing a wave of sectarian violence that has caused thousands of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

I would single out France for its leadership in helping prevent mass atrocities in Libya and helping halt them in Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, and the Central African Republic. And I would applaud Mexico for its announcement this week that it will deploy military personnel to UN peacekeeping operations for the first time in 60 years. Over time, this will prove a decision that helps prevent atrocities.

We have all seen how the irresponsible use of the veto by Security Council members can deprive this body, and the international community, of some of its most effective tools for preventing and responding to atrocities. In Syria, the Assad regime has committed widespread and systematic violations against its own people. Yet – in the face of some of the worst horrors in modern history – four vetoes by members of this Council stood in the way of holding its leaders accountable.

We can ask ourselves whether some 200,000 lives would have been lost in Syria if the Security Council had been able to come together. We can even ask whether ISIL – the monstrous terrorist movement the international community is uniting against – would have gained the foothold it has if we had been united.

The Security Council has the power to play a critical role in stopping atrocities. That power carries with it great responsibility. All five permanent members have a responsibility to respond with acute urgency in the face of mass atrocities that take the lives of innocents and that threaten international peace and security.

U.S. GOVERNMENT FACT SHEET ON GETTING AHEAD OF EPIDEMIC THREATS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

September 26, 2014

FACT SHEET: Global Health Security Agenda: Getting Ahead of the Curve on Epidemic Threats

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa highlights the urgency for immediate action to establish global capacity to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to biological threats like Ebola.  Beginning in his 2011 speech at the United Nations General Assembly, the President has called upon all countries to work together to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks before they become epidemics.

The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) was launched on February 13, 2014 to advance a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats and to bring together nations from all over the world to make new, concrete commitments, and to elevate global health security as a national leaders-level priority. The G7 endorsed the GHSA in June 2014; and Finland and Indonesia hosted commitment development meetings to spur action in May and August.

On September 26, President Obama, National Security Advisor Rice, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Monaco, and Secretaries Kerry, Hagel, and Burwell will meet with Ministers and senior officials from 44 countries and leading international organizations to make specific commitments to implement the GHSA and to work toward a commitment to assist West Africa with needed global health security capacity within 3 years.

Commitments to Action

In 2014, countries developed 11 lines of effort in support of the GHSA – known as Action Packages.  The Action Packages are designed to outline tangible, measurable steps required to prevent outbreaks, detect threats in real time, and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats —whether naturally occurring, the result of laboratory accidents, or an act of bioterrorism. The Action Packages include specific targets and indicators that can be used as a basis to measure how national, regional, and global capacities are developed and maintained over the long-term.  Since February, countries have made over 100 new commitments to implement the 11 Action Packages.  For its part, the United States has committed to assist at least 30 countries over five years to achieve the objectives of the GHSA and has placed a priority for our actions on combating antibiotic resistant bacteria, to improve biosafety and biosecurity on a global basis, and preventing bioterrorism.

Next Steps: Governance and Tracking

Going forward, 10 countries have agreed to serve on the GHSA Steering Group, which will be chaired by Finland starting in 2015, with representation from countries around the world, including: Canada, Chile, Finland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea, and the United States.  The Steering Group is charged with tracking progress, identifying challenges, and overseeing implementation for achieving the objectives of the GHSA in support of international standards set by the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Organization for Animal Health. This includes the implementation of internationally agreed standards for core capacities, such as the World Health Organization International Health Regulations, the World Organization for Animal Health Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway, and other global health security frameworks. To provide accountability and drive progress toward GHSA goals, an independent, objective and transparent assessment process will be needed.  Independent evaluation conducted over the five-year course of the GHSA will help highlight gaps and needed course corrections to ensure that the GHSA targets are reached.

All nations share a responsibility to provide health security for our world and for accelerating action toward a world safe and secure from all infectious disease threats.

Participating Nations—Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, and Yemen.

U.S. OFFICIALS REMARK'S TO UN HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON SOUTH SUDAN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on South Sudan

Thomas A. Shannon, Jr.

Counselor to the Department 

New York, NY

September 25, 2014

AS DELIVERED

Madame Chair, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Attendees, I am very pleased to represent Secretary of State John Kerry at this very important gathering. There are many pressing issues facing the United Nations today and I applaud the organizers for giving visibility and attention to South Sudan where the political, security, and humanitarian aspects are having enormous regional and international consequences.

I would like to join Madame Chair in expressing our regret that President Kiir is not here with us today, and respectfully request that his excellency, the Foreign Minister of South Sudan, to express that regret to the President.

I recently traveled to Nairobi and Addis Ababa to discuss with our African friends a great many issues of mutual interest, including the events taking place in South Sudan. As many of you know, the political and humanitarian crisis is sure to worsen if fighting continues between the Government of South Sudan and opposition forces. The two are inextricably linked. As a result of the fighting, more than 40 percent of the population requires emergency humanitarian assistance. 1.7 million people have been forced from their homes, including nearly 100,000 individuals who are seeking refuge at UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) compounds in fear for their safety should they leave. The thousands of deaths in South Sudan that have occurred since the parties signed the Cessation of Hostilities agreement in January are deeply troubling, and unnecessary.

Resolving the conflict will require serious negotiations toward a political solution that honors the commitments made on May 9 and June 10 to implement the Cessation of Hostilities agreement and establish a transitional government of national unity. Despite IGAD’s efforts, we have yet to see the two factions come to an agreement on the substantive political issues.

If the talks in Bahir Dar do not result in the parties moving from finger pointing to real negotiations and concessions needed for peace, it is evident that greater external pressure will be needed. South Sudan’s neighbors and the international community need to speak with one voice and should not hesitate to use tools that will increase pressure on both parties. The purpose of these tools is to compel the government and opposition forces to shape and outline the tasks of a transitional government. Punitive measures, including multilateral targeted sanctions on individuals who have undermined peace and security in South Sudan, is one such instrument. The United States has acted accordingly by sanctioning on September 18 two South Sudanese individuals.

The humanitarian situation that we are witness to is a man-made catastrophe and a direct outgrowth of the intransigence of the Government of South Sudan and opposition forces. If security issues are not properly addressed, if the violence continues, and if humanitarian access remains hindered, a large-scale food insecurity crisis is unavoidable in 2015. The Government of South Sudan and opposition forces must cooperate fully with the humanitarian relief effort. They should stop arbitrary and needless obstruction and delays of humanitarian relief activities. We strongly condemn the attacks on IDPs and aid workers. Forced military recruitment of refugees, IDPs, humanitarian staff and especially of children must end immediately. While we welcome the reversal of policies that would have limited foreign aid workers and humanitarian access to critical infrastructure at Juba airport, these policies should never have been contemplated in the first place, especially not in the midst of the ongoing humanitarian disaster.

UNMISS has an important role to play on the ground, including in addressing the humanitarian crisis. It will be essential for the mission to be proactive in implementing the revised UN Security Council mandate as it relates to protecting civilians while building conditions to allow internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return home. The United States supports SRSG Løj’s efforts to manage and resource the mission in accordance with the mandate and to maintain active coordination with and force protection to the IGAD Monitoring and Verification Mechanism.

The United States is committed to the people of South Sudan and is the leading humanitarian assistance donor, having allocated more than $636 million in humanitarian assistance this fiscal year. We are grateful to our international partners, including members of the NGO community, for their contributions and efforts to address the crisis. Despite these combined efforts, additional resources will be needed to continue life-saving aid operations that are desperately needed. To date, the international community has contributed only about half of the $2.5 billion the United Nations is calling for to meet critical humanitarian needs of both South Sudanese who have been affected and those who have fled as refugees. We urge other donors to join us in seizing the moment and responding robustly to prevent the worst possible consequences. Our call also extends to the Government of South Sudan since the ultimate price is now being paid for by the South Sudanese people. It is high time the Government of South Sudan and opposition forces heed the call of neighbors and the international community to prevent needless suffering and to make peace. Such actions are emblematic of leadership and responsible governance that the people of South Sudan so desperately need.

Thank you very much, Madame Chair.

Vice President Biden Speaks at the TAACCCT Grant Announcement

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE: THE MEDAL OF HONOR

THE PRESIDENT ADDRESSES THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

U.S. PRESS STATEMENT CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT GHANI AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ABDULALLAH OF AFGHANISTAN ON INAUGURATION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

United States Congratulates President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 29, 2014

Today we congratulate President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah on this historic inauguration. I have known both of them for many years, and they are both patriots committed to the success of their country. Never has that been more evident than in the spirit of cooperation and partnership that united them in establishing a government of national unity to fulfill Afghan aspirations for peace, prosperity and stability.

Afghans have taken a moment of challenge and turned it into a moment of real opportunity.

I also want to recognize President Karzai's contributions to the cause of democracy, development and security. It's no secret that our relationship with President Karzai has been punctuated by disagreements. But always, always, the world has recognized that he is a nationalist, a patriot, and an important figure who stepped forward when his country needed him, and helped profoundly shape one of the most challenging periods in Afghan history that has seen remarkable progress.

No one should forget for a minute what's been accomplished in Afghanistan. Thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of so many from around the world, in addition to the strides it has made in consolidating its democratic system, Afghanistan has made unprecedented gains in the life expectancy, health, and education of its people– particularly women and girls.

If I learned anything from my recent visits to Kabul, it's that the Afghan people are determined to choose unity over division and ensure that the first peaceful democratic transition in the history of their country will not be its last.

This is a beginning not an ending, and with all beginnings the toughest decisions are still ahead. As Afghanistan enters this new chapter in its history, the United States looks forward to deepening its enduring partnership with a sovereign, unified and democratic Afghanistan.

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS AT U.N. MEETING ON EBOLA

NASA VIDEO: ISS CREW MEMBER DISCUSSES FUTURE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY MAKES REMARKS AT UNAIDS

FROM:  THE STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks at UNAIDS

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

UN Headquarters

New York City

September 25, 2014

Well, thank you very much. Thank you for a generous introduction. Mr. Deputy Secretary General, thank you for your leadership and thank you for your important words here today. And thank you to the many activists out here, those of you who are championing this effort on the frontlines. We certainly welcome Victoria Beckham. Thank you for taking this on.

And I want to note that my old friend and our leader, Eric Goosby, Dr. Eric Goosby, is here. Happy to see him and all his great work. And I’m happy to see – (applause). I’m happy to see a colleague of mine who I got to serve with for a few years before I came onto this, but delighted to see Senator from Delaware Chris Coons here, his passionate voice in the Senate for this – (applause). And all of you, thank you for – now I’m getting whispered who I have to start – my good friend Michel is saying got to recognize – (laughter) there, there. If I do that, I’m never going to get through this. (Laughter.)

Mr. Deputy Secretary General, three years ago you set a tremendous goal for all of us. You said, "Zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS." And that goal has been set for us to achieve by 2020. In the refusal to allow AIDS to ravage yet another generation, you have showed an even bigger determination than we might have anticipated to meet our global responsibilities. And I want to thank you for the tremendous efforts by setting that target for all of us. And I believe it’s achievable, notwithstanding the difficulties that Jan just mentioned to all of us.

I want to thank President Burkhalter of Switzerland and President Mahama of Ghana and President Zuma of South Africa, and my good old friend Michel Sidibe, the executive director of UNAIDS, for their commitment to helping to write a new chapter in the fight against AIDS.

It’s more than fair to say that the work that we’re doing together here is work that was once just a distant dream. And we are making an AIDS-free generation a closer reality for a lot of folks all around the world.

Now I think about what the word " AIDS" meant when I became a United States Senator in 1985. Back then it was a death sentence. Back then many people in positions of responsibility – and I knew them, some of them – were not even comfortable saying the word or talking about it in a meeting or being present when it was discussed.

I think about what the word " AIDS" meant on a global scale back in the 1990s, back when Senator Bill Frist and I first began working together on this issue and when we started to join three words together in a sentence: " AIDS in Africa." It meant a looming death sentence for an entire continent, and thank God people of conscience and conviction decided that was unacceptable.

The truth is that in many ways, we’ve ended 1985’s meaning of " AIDS" as we knew it. It’s not an unspoken word, nor is it an automatic death sentence. And thanks to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which grew out of our initial efforts in the Senate I am proud to say, we are on the road to do the same globally, notwithstanding pockets of greater emergence or pockets of resistance. But the reason we’re on the road is we know what we can achieve. We’ve seen what we’re able to do. We now have to complete the task to end the era of AIDS, period, full stop end the era. (Applause.)

Last year, I was honored to stand with President Obama as he announced that PEPFAR had not only met but exceeded his goal. That’s what I mean about we know we have the capacity: 6.7 million people are now receiving life-saving treatment, and that’s an astounding number, a fourfold increase since the beginning of this Administration, since Barack Obama came into office. And today, more than one million babies have been born HIV-free because of PEPFAR’s support. Now, these are a lot more than just numbers, and I think everybody in this room knows that better than any other people. Every one of these men, women, children has a unique contribution to make, and every one of those babies can now grow up to be a person, healthy, go to school, contribute to the workforce, realize dreams, and maybe even have sons and daughters of their own. Their lives remind us of what we have achieved, but more importantly, they remind us still of the miles we have yet to go in order to achieve the full-fledged AIDS-free generation.

So first, we need to continue to make strategic and creative investments that are based on the latest science and best practices. In a tight budget environment – and everybody faces that – every dollar, yen, and euro counts. And that’s why we need to focus on data, on mutual accountability, transparency for impact, and put our weight behind HIV prevention, treatment, and care interventions that work. We also need to continue to set benchmarks, and I’m very pleased that PEPFAR’s investment supports UNAIDS’s 90-90-90 targets. (Applause.) PEPFAR is laser-focused on achieving ambitious targets in the areas of high HIV prevalence, and the challenge is obviously big and it’s obviously important.

Second, we need to focus on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children, young women, and vulnerable populations. And that’s why the United States announced a new partnership last month between PEPFAR and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation called Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS Treatment. This ambitious partnership will help 300,000 more children living with HIV to get the treatment that they need, and I’m proud to announce today that we are making nearly 500 million in PEPFAR funds available this year to support efforts for children, young women, and vulnerable populations. (Applause.)

Third, we need to double down on our new country health partnerships, which are focused on using data to change people’s lives on the ground. South Africa, Rwanda, Namibia are on the front lines of the transformation from direct aid to providing support for locally run, self-sustaining investments, and we need to back these efforts every step of the way.

Finally, we need to ensure that the post-2015 development agenda reflects the United States’s continued commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and creating an AIDS-free generation. I want to emphasize: The United States commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS is undiminished, just as our work is unfinished. And our commitment has only been strengthened by the progress that we’ve made, the lives we’ve saved, and the fact that we’ve learned we know what to do, we just have to do it. That’s a story worth telling and it’s a story that compels all of us to continue.

So I will never forget just a few months ago walking into the Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa. And as I passed the front gate in the back with a group of doctors, nurses, and patients all assembled, I saw this big sign on the wall that read, " Ethiopia and the United States of America: Investing in a Healthy Future Together." That sign tells it all, and that sign is replicated all across communities in one place or another where this kind of help is coming to people. We know – we know that achieving an AIDS-free generation will continue to pose an incredible test. But we also know that with our work together, we can pass this test, we can see this fight across the finish line. And I’m convinced with the folks here and this commitment we are going to do just that. Let’s not stop. Let’s get the job done. Thank you. (Applause.)

CONSUMERS HURT BY BUSINESS COACHING SCAM RECEIVING REFUNDS IN THE MAIL FROM FTC

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

FTC Sends More Than $4.4 Million in Refunds to Consumers Harmed by Business Coaching Scam

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing more than $4.4 million in refund checks to 2,004 consumers harmed by the Ivy Capital business “coaching” scheme, which falsely claimed that it would help them develop their own Internet businesses.

Ivy Capital Inc. and 29 co-defendants allegedly took more than $130 million from people who paid thousands of dollars – some paid up to $20,000 – believing they would earn up to $10,000 per month. But the promised coaching program was worthless. Most of the defendants agreed to settle FTC charges that they misrepresented the program and its earning potential, and failed to fully disclose and honor their refund policy. A district court granted summary judgment against five defendants. Litigation continues against Benjamin Hoskins, Dream Financial, and three relief defendants, Leanne Hoskins, Oxford Financial LLC, and Mowab Inc., who filed an appeal. Five defendants defaulted.

Affected consumers will receive more than 55 percent of the amount they lost. Those who receive checks from the FTC’s refund administrator should cash them within 60 days of the mailing date. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or to provide information before refund checks can be cashed. Those with questions should call the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, Inc., at 1-866-591-7254, or visit www.FTC.gov/refunds for more general information.

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.

NSF ARTICLE ON FOOD BANK ENGINEERING

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Engineering a better food bank

Key nodes in a vast national food distribution system, food banks manage complex logistics that help connect families to farms

For the past few years, a team of engineers has spent long hours poring over data files and complex computer models. They weren't designing nuclear reactors or high-tech cars--they were using their technology and expertise to improve programs that feed the hungry.

Food banks are enormous enterprises, serving as the linchpin for hunger relief efforts across the United States. But they are as complex as the nation's food system itself, collecting food from sources ranging from local farmers to charitable donations and distributing it to myriad agencies that then share it with people in need. Their goal is to do this as fairly and efficiently as possible. But, like many complicated systems, this is easier said than done. That's where engineering comes in.

Julie Ivy is an industrial and systems engineer at North Carolina State University. Industrial and systems engineering (ISE) focuses on understanding processes (like those at a food bank) and using computational models to find ways to improve them.

In 2009, an ISE researcher at North Carolina A&T State University named Lauren Davis contacted Ivy with an idea. One of Davis's students was volunteering at an area food bank and had noticed inefficiencies in the system. What did Ivy think about working with food banks to make them run more smoothly?

That conversation launched a National Science Foundation-funded project that plunged Ivy, Davis and a team of fellow researchers into the intricacies of how food banks operate.

To get a handle on food bank operations, the researchers teamed up with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (FBCENC), based in Raleigh, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, based in Winston-Salem. Both food banks serve extremely large areas and work with many partners. For example, FBCENC alone works with more than 800 agencies to feed more than 550,000 people in 34 counties covering hundreds of square miles.

Each food bank is dedicated to providing its partner agencies with its "fair share" of the food that is available.

The fair share is determined using a formula that is designed to ensure each agency receives food in proportion to its percentage of the overall need. For example, if a county's residents have 17 percent of the need within FBCENC's service area, FBCENC wants to make sure that county's agencies receive 17 percent of the available food.

"But, as we learned, it can be difficult to meet that 'fair share' standard," Ivy says.

"The supply is primarily generated from donations, which adds a degree of complexity not typically present in for-profit supply chains," Davis adds. "The uncertainty associated with both the supply and demand processes make food distribution challenging."

Furthermore, some agencies face limitations on the amount of food they are able to retrieve from the food bank. These limitations may be due to financial pressures, constraints on the availability of personnel, lack of access to adequate transportation, or limited storage space.

"An agency's limitations on receiving food can in turn constrain a county's ability to receive food," Ivy says. "We call these 'bottleneck' counties, because their fair share might be 17 percent, but they might only be able to collect and distribute 14 percent of the available food."

With support from two three-year NSF collaborative research grants, Ivy and Davis assembled a team to collect food bank data, analyze it, and create computational models of supply and distribution processes. The team included Reha Uzsoy and Irem Sengul at NC State, Steven Jiang and Luther Brock at NC A&T, and Charlie Hale and Earline Middleton of FBCENC--as well as a host of undergraduates.

There were several significant outcomes from their work, designed to make the food distribution process more efficient--work that could help limit waste in food distribution systems nationally.

First, the researchers were able to characterize the role that bottleneck counties play in preventing food banks from meeting their fair share goals.

"Food banks have historically focused on demand, and our work made clear that the capacity of agencies to retrieve and store food is actually a key factor in reaching fair-share targets," Ivy says.

Second, the research team developed tactics and policies to help food banks feed more people. For example, the researchers identified ways to distribute food by targeting resources--such as mobile food pantries--on bottleneck counties and giving food banks increased flexibility in meeting fair-share goals.

"If County A is unable to retrieve and distribute its fair share of the food, that food should not be wasted," Ivy says. "It makes sense to distribute that food in areas that have the capacity to make use of it. But then you need to help County A improve its capacity."

The research team demonstrated that food access for charitable agencies located in remote parts of the service area can be improved using satellite delivery locations. The researchers also identified transportation schedules that incorporate both collection and delivery of donated food and take into consideration the unique constraints faced by food banks: perishability, quality control, distribution equity, and capacity.

Lastly, the researchers developed a dynamic modeling technique that provides a more accurate picture of demand at the county level--which would help to make fair share calculations more precise.

"These findings are new, and we're in the process of determining how to implement them with our food bank partners," Ivy says. "But when we do, we think our work could be useful almost anywhere in the United States. That's because FBCENC is part of Feeding America, the largest network of food banks in the U.S. As a result, its processes are similar to the processes of food banks across the country."

-- Matt Shipman, NC State matt_shipman
Investigators
Julie Ivy
Reha Uzsoy
Lauren Davis
Steven Jiang
Related Institutions/Organizations
North Carolina State University
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS ON EBOLA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

September 25, 2014

Remarks by President Obama at U.N. Meeting on Ebola

United Nations Building

New York City, New York

11:15 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Mr. Secretary-General, thank you for bringing us together today to address an urgent threat to the people of West Africa, but also a potential threat to the world.  Dr. Chan, heads of state and government, especially our African partners, ladies and gentlemen:  As we gather here today, the people of Liberia and Sierra Leone and Guinea are in crisis.  As Secretary-General Ban and Dr. Chan have already indicated, the Ebola virus is spreading at alarming speed.  Thousands of men, women and children have died.  Thousands more are infected.  If unchecked, this epidemic could kill hundreds of thousands of people in the coming months.  Hundreds of thousands.

Ebola is a horrific disease.  It’s wiping out entire families.  It has turned simple acts of love and comfort and kindness -- like holding a sick friend’s hand, or embracing a dying child -- into potentially fatal acts.  If ever there were a public health emergency deserving an urgent, strong and coordinated international response, this is it.

But this is also more than a health crisis.  This is a growing threat to regional and global security.  In Liberia, in Guinea, in Sierra Leone, public health systems have collapsed.  Economic growth is slowing dramatically.  If this epidemic is not stopped, this disease could cause a humanitarian catastrophe across the region.  And in an era where regional crises can quickly become global threats, stopping Ebola is in the interest of all of us.

The courageous men and women fighting on the front lines of this disease have told us what they need.  They need more beds, they need more supplies, they need more health workers, and they need all of this as fast as possible.  Right now, patients are being left to die in the streets because there’s nowhere to put them and there’s nobody to help them.  One health worker in Sierra Leone compared fighting this outbreak to “fighting a forest fire with spray bottles.”  But with our help, they can put out the blaze.

Last week, I visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is mounting the largest international response in its history.  I said that the world could count on America to lead, and that we will provide the capabilities that only we have, and mobilize the world the way we have done in the past in crises of similar magnitude.  And I announced that, in addition to the civilian response, the United States would establish a military command in Liberia to support civilian efforts across the region.

Today, that command is up and it is running.  Our commander is on the ground in Monrovia, and our teams are working as fast as they can to move in personnel, equipment and supplies.  We’re working with Senegal to stand up an air bridge to get health workers and medical supplies into West Africa faster.  We’re setting up a field hospital, which will be staffed by personnel from the U.S. Public Health Service, and a training facility, where we’re getting ready to train thousands of health workers from around the world.  We’re distributing supplies and information kits to hundreds of thousands of families so they can better protect themselves.  And together with our partners, we’ll quickly build new treatment units across Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where thousands will be able to receive care.

Meanwhile, in just the past week, more countries and organizations have stepped up their efforts -- and so has the United Nations.  Mr. Secretary-General, the new UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response that you announced last week will bring all of the U.N.’s resources to bear in fighting the epidemic.  We thank you for your leadership.

So this is all progress, and it is encouraging.  But I want us to be clear:  We are not moving fast enough.  We are not doing enough.  Right now, everybody has the best of intentions, but people are not putting in the kinds of resources that are necessary to put a stop to this epidemic.  There is still a significant gap between where we are and where we need to be.  We know from experience that the response to an outbreak of this magnitude has to be fast and it has to be sustained.  It’s a marathon, but you have to run it like a sprint.  And that’s only possible if everybody chips in, if every nation and every organization takes this seriously.  Everybody here has to do more.

International organizations have to move faster, and cut through red tape and mobilize partners on the ground as only they can.  More nations need to contribute critical assets and capabilities -- whether it is air transport, or medical evacuation, or health care workers, or equipment, or treatment.  More foundations can tap into the networks of support that they have, to raise funds and awareness.  More businesses, especially those who already have a presence in the region, can quickly provide their own expertise and resources, from access to critical supply chains to telecommunications.  And more citizens -- of all nations -- can educate themselves on this crisis, contribute to relief efforts, and call on their leaders to act.  So everybody can do something.  That’s why we’re here today.

And even as we meet the urgent threat of Ebola, it’s clear that our nations have to do more to prevent, detect and respond to future biological threats -- before they erupt into full-blown crises.  Tomorrow, in Washington, I’ll host 44 nations to advance our Global Health Security Agenda, and we are interested in working with any country that shares this commitment.

Just to emphasize this issue of speed again.  When I was down at the CDC -- and perhaps this has already been discussed, but I want to emphasize this -- the outbreak is such where at this point more people will die.  But the slope of the curve, how fast we can arrest the spread of this disease, how quickly we can contain it is within our control.  And if we move fast, even if imperfectly, then that could mean the difference between 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 deaths versus hundreds of thousands or even a million deaths.  So this is not one where there should be a lot of wrangling and people waiting to see who else is doing what.  Everybody has got to move fast in order for us to make a difference.  And if we do, we'll save hundreds of thousands of lives.

Stopping Ebola is a priority for the United States.  I've said that this is as important a national security priority for my team as anything else that's out there.  We'll do our part.  We will continue to lead, but this has to be a priority for everybody else.  We cannot do this alone.  We don't have the capacity to do all of this by ourselves.  We don't have enough health workers by ourselves.  We can build the infrastructure and the architecture to get help in, but we're going to need others to contribute.

To my fellow leaders from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, to the people of West Africa, to the heroic health workers who are on the ground as we speak, in some cases, putting themselves at risk -- I want you to know that you are not alone.  We’re working urgently to get you the help you need.  And we will not stop, we will not relent until we halt this epidemic once and for all.

So I want to thank all of you for the efforts that are made. But I hope that I'm properly communicating a sense of urgency here.  Do not stand by, thinking that somehow, because of what we've done, that it's taken care of.  It's not.  And if we don't take care of this now we are going to see fallout effects and secondary effects from this that will have ramifications for a long time, above and beyond the lives that will have been lost.

I urge all of you, particularly those who have direct access to your heads of state, to make sure that they are making this a top priority in the next several weeks and months.

Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

END
11:25 A.M. EDT

NASA VIDEO | THE MYSTERIOUS HOLES IN THE ATMOSPHERE ON VENUS

NASA VIDEO: MARS BALANCE CHALLENGE

FRAUD VERDICT IN PONZI SCHEME CASE LEADS TO $80 MILLION IN SANCTIONS AGAINST MAN AND HIS COMPANIES

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 

Court Imposes Injunctions and Monetary Sanctions of Over $80 Million Against Marlon Quan and His Companies Based On Fraud Verdict

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that, on September 19, 2014, Judge Ann D. Montgomery, of the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota, issued an Opinion and Order imposing sanctions against defendants Marlon Quan, Acorn Capital Group, LLC ("Acorn"), Stewardship Investment Advisors, LLC ("SIA") and ACG II, LLC ("ACG II"). In the Opinion and Order, Judge Montgomery imposed permanent injunctions against the defendants, and imposed financial sanctions of over $80 million against Marlon Quan and the three other defendants that he controlled.

The Commission's complaint, which was filed in March 2011, alleged that Marlon Quan helped to facilitate the massive fraud of Tom Petters by funneling several hundred million dollars of investor money into the Petters Ponzi scheme. According to the SEC's 2009 complaint against Tom Petters, he sold promissory notes to feeder funds like those controlled by Quan and his firms. Petters used some of the note proceeds to pay returns to earlier investors, diverting the rest of the cash to his own purposes. Petters had promised investors that their money would be used to finance the purchase of vast amounts of consumer electronics by vendors who then re-sold the merchandise to such retailers as Wal-Mart and Costco. In reality, this "purchase order inventory financing" business was merely a Ponzi scheme -- there were no inventory transactions.

The SEC alleged that Quan and his firms (SIA and Acorn) invested hundreds of millions of hedge fund assets with Petters while pocketing tens of millions of dollars in fees. Marlon Quan and his companies falsely assured investors that their money would be protected by various safeguards such as "lock box accounts." The complaint also alleged that when Petters was unable to make payments on investments held by the funds that Quan managed, Quan and his firms concealed Petters's defaults from investors.

The Commission had previously charged Petters and Illinois-based fund manager Gregory M. Bell with fraud, and filed additional charges against Florida-based hedge fund managers Bruce F. Prévost and David W. Harrold for similarly defrauding their investors in connection with investments in the Petters Ponzi scheme. Subsequent to filing the complaint against Marlon Quan and his companies, the SEC also charged James Fry, a Minnesota-based hedge fund manager, with similar misconduct.

After a nine-day trial, on February 11, 2014, the jury returned a verdict for the Commission and against the defendants, finding Marlon Quan and his three companies liable for securities fraud. In her September 19th Opinion and Order, Judge Montgomery permanently enjoined the Marlon Quan, Acorn, SIA and ACG II from violating, or aiding and abetting violations of, Section 17(a)(2) and (3) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and Section 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-8 thereunder. Judge Montgomery further ordered that Marlon Quan and the other defendants were liable, jointly and severally, for disgorgement of $80,6213,589 together with prejudgment interest.

The trial team from the Commission's Chicago Regional Office consisted of attorneys John E. Birkenheier, C.J. Kerstetter, Timothy Leiman, Michael Mueller, Senior Accountant Don Ryba, and paralegal Sarah Renardo.

HHS SAYS REPORT PROJECTS $5.7 BILLION DECREASE IN HOSPITAL UNCOMPENSATED CARE COSTS

HHS SAYS REPORT PROJECTS $5.7 BILLION DECREASE IN HOSPITAL UNCOMPENSATED CARE COSTS
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HHS,

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

September 24, 2014

Contact: HHS Press Office

New report projects a $5.7 billion drop in hospitals’ uncompensated care costs because of the Affordable Care Act

Hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid will receive about 74 percent of the total savings nationally

A report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services projects that hospitals will save $5.7 billion this year in uncompensated care costs because of the Affordable Care Act, with states that have expanded Medicaid seeing about 74 percent of the total savings nationally compared to states that have not expanded Medicaid.

For over a decade prior to the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of the American population that was uninsured had been growing steadily.  But with the significant expansion of coverage under the health care law through the Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid, the uninsurance rate is at historic lows.  As a result, the volume of uncompensated care provided in hospitals and emergency departments has fallen substantially in the last year, particularly in Medicaid expansion states.

“Hospitals have long been on the front lines of caring for the uninsured, who often cannot pay the full costs of their care,” said HHS Secretary M. Sylvia Burwell. “Today’s news is good for families, businesses, and taxpayers alike.  It’s yet another example of how the Affordable Care Act is working in terms of affordability, access, and quality.”

Projections from today’s report suggest that hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act will see greater savings than hospitals in states that have not expanded Medicaid. Hospitals in states that have expanded Medicaid are projected to save up to $4.2 billion, which makes up about 74 percent of the total savings nationally this year.  Hospitals in states that have opted not to expand Medicaid are projected to save up to $1.5 billion this year, and which is only 26 percent of the total savings nationally.

Medicaid expansion continues to help an unprecedented number of Americans access health coverage, many for the very first time.  According to a recent report, as of July, nearly 8 million additional individuals are now enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), compared to before open enrollment in the Marketplace began in October 2013.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, states have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to individuals with family incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes non-elderly adults without dependent children, who have not previously been eligible for Medicaid in most states. Twenty-eight states, including the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

FRANK ROSE MAKES REMARKS ON SECURITY OF SPACE ENVIRONMENT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Ensuring the Long-Term Sustainability and Security of the Space Environment

Remarks

Frank A. Rose

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Capital Section, Army Navy Country Club

Arlington, VA

September 25, 2014

Introduction

Good afternoon. Today, I’d like to discuss a vital interest of the United States, as well as the entire global community: ensuring the long-term sustainability, stability, safety, and security of the space environment.

This audience is not one that needs to be convinced of the importance of the space environment to our national security. We all know very well that space assets are integral to our national security, as well as that of our allies and coalition partners.

For over five decades the global community has been inspired by humanity's space endeavors and reaped the benefits of the use and exploration of outer space. Some may take these benefits for granted so we must educate the public about the consequences if the space environment were to become unusable.

Outer space is a domain that no nation owns but on which all rely. Today the outer space environment is becoming increasingly congested from orbital debris, and contested from man-made threats—such as debris-generating Anti-Satellite systems—that may disrupt the space environment, upon which we all depend. The world’s growing dependence on the globe-spanning and interconnected nature of space capabilities mean that it is more important than ever for all citizens to understand that irresponsible acts in space by one entity can have damaging consequences for all. Therefore, it is essential that all nations work together to adopt approaches for responsible activity in space in order to preserve this domain for future generations.

In my remarks today, I would like to cover two aspects in regard to ensuring the security and sustainability of the space environment: first, the risks and dangers to space systems from debris generating anti-satellite or ASAT tests; second, the role of international diplomatic initiatives in protecting the long-term sustainability and security of the space environment.

Threats to Outer Space

Let me start with the risks and dangers. On July 23, the Chinese Government conducted a non-destructive test of a missile designed to destroy satellites in low Earth orbit. Despite China’s claims that this was a missile defense test; let me assure you the United States has high confidence in its assessment, that the event was indeed an ASAT test.

And China is not the only one pursuing these capabilities. As Director of National Intelligence James Clapper noted in his February 2014 congressional testimony, "Russian leaders openly maintain that the Russian armed forces have antisatellite weapons and conduct antisatellite research."

The United States believes that these threats, which include the continued development and testing of destructive anti-satellite systems, are both destabilizing and threaten the long-term security and sustainability of the outer space environment including all who benefit from outer space including the scientific, commercial, and civil space communities. Indeed, thousands of pieces of debris from the 2007 Chinese ASAT test continue to endanger space systems—as well as astronauts—from all nations, including China.

On the security side, ASAT weapons directly threaten satellites and the strategic and tactical information those satellites provide, and their use could be escalatory in a crisis or conflict. They also pose a direct threat to key assets used in arms control verification monitoring, command and control and communication, and warning and attack assessment. A debris generating test or attack may only be minutes in duration, but the consequences can last decades and indiscriminately threaten the space-based assets of all space-faring nations, and the information from space upon which all nations depend. On the civil space side, there have been numerous examples of the need to raise the orbit of the International Space Station due to a conjunction with a piece of debris from the 2007 Chinese ASAT test. And just as these systems threaten our national security space systems, they can threaten the civil satellites that are so essential to our everyday lives like weather satellites.

Multilateral Efforts toward a Stable and Sustainable Space Environment

Given these threats and the current era where dozens of States and nongovernmental organizations are harnessing the benefits of outer space, we have no choice but to work with our allies and partners around the world to ensure the long-term sustainability of the space environment. We also must speak clearly and publicly about what behavior the international community should find both acceptable and unacceptable. Over the past few years, the United States has worked to support a number of multilateral initiatives that seek to establish “rules of the road” for space that are both in the national security interests of the United States, and will further the long-term stability and sustainability of the space environment.

Just last year, I served as the United States expert on a United Nations-sponsored Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) study of outer space transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBMs). The GGE report which was published in July of last year and agreed to by China and Russia endorsed voluntary, non-legally binding TCBMs to strengthen stability in space. The GGE recommended that States implement measures to promote coordination to enhance safety and predictability in the uses of outer space. The GGE also endorsed “efforts to pursue political commitments, for example, a multilateral code of conduct, to encourage responsible actions in, and the peaceful use of, outer space.”

This International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities is another important multilateral initiative. Among the Code’s commitments for signatories is to refrain from any action which brings about, directly or indirectly, damage, or destruction, of space objects and to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, the creation of space debris, in particular, the creation of long-lived space debris. The Code could also help solidify safe operational practices, reduce the chance of collisions or other harmful interference with nations’ activities, contribute to our awareness of the space environment through notifications, and strengthen stability in space by helping establish norms for responsible behavior in space.

Lastly, the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) is also doing important work to move forward in the development of new international long-term sustainability guidelines. U.S. experts from the private sector as well the federal government have played a leading role in the COPUOS Working Group on Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, including key contributions from AIAA experts on space technical standards. These efforts contribute to the development of multilateral and bilateral space TCBMs. Exchanges of information between space operations centers also can serve as useful confidence building measures.

Multilateral diplomatic initiatives contribute greatly to defining acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in space and therefore are key components of the United States deterrence strategy. In addition, if we are serious about maintaining the space environment for future generations, we must support such measures that promote positive activities in space and further the creation of norms which dissuade countries from taking destabilizing actions such as the testing of debris-generating ASAT systems. By working with the international community, we can, and must, advance the long-term sustainability and security of the outer space environment for all nations and future generations

With that, I would like to thank you for your time and stop here in order to leave time for questions.

THREE PLEAD GUILTY, SEVEN MORE INDICTED IN $56 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD CASE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Seven Defendants Indicted and Three Other Defendants Plead Guilty for Their Roles in $56 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A New Orleans grand jury today indicted seven defendants for their roles in a $56 million Medicare fraud scheme that operated in New Orleans and surrounding communities.  Thirteen defendants have now been charged in this case, three of whom pleaded guilty to their conduct yesterday.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Eastern District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Michael Anderson of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

Paige Okpalobi, 57, of Slidell, Louisiana; Joe Ann Murthil, 57, of New Orleans; Latausha Dannel, 34, of Laplace, Louisiana; Dr. Winston Murray, 62, of Hammond, Louisiana; Dr. Divini Luccioni, 53, of Kenner, Louisiana; Christopher White, 48, of Destrehan, Louisiana; and Beverly Breaux, 66, of New Orleans, were charged in connection with their roles in a home health care fraud scheme involving thousands of Medicare recipients.  Mark Morad, 51, of Slidell; Dr. Barbara Smith, 65, of Metairie, Louisiana; and Dr. Roy Berkowitz, 68, of Slidell, had been previously charged for their participation in the scheme, and today’s indictment added new charges against them.

The second superseding indictment comes one day after Dr. Alvin Darby, 58, of Slidell; Demetrius Temple, 54, of New Orleans; and Nicole Oliver, 44, of Napoleonville, Louisiana, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in the scheme.  Sentencing for each is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2015 before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance of the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The indictment alleges that the defendants operated a number of companies in and around New Orleans that purported to offer home health services and durable medical equipment to Medicare beneficiaries.  The companies, Interlink Health Care Services Inc., Memorial Home Health Inc., Lakeland Health Care Services Inc., Lexmark Health Care LLC, Med Rite Pharmacy Inc. and Medical Specialists of New Orleans, billed Medicare claiming that they provided home health services and durable medical equipment to Medicare beneficiaries, but the vast majority of these services and equipment were not medically necessary or not provided.

The indictment further alleges that Morad and Okpalobi owned and directed operations at these companies.  Morad allegedly paid kickbacks to patient recruiters, including Temple and Oliver, to provide Medicare beneficiary numbers that were then used to bill Medicare.  To conceal these kickbacks, Morad allegedly laundered Medicare money through a separate company he owned.

Court documents also allege that Okpalobi instructed doctors, including Smith, Berkowitz, Murray, Luccioni, and Darby, to falsely certify that beneficiaries were qualified for home health services, and to prescribe durable medical equipment that was not medically needed.  These false certifications and prescriptions were then used to bill Medicare for the unnecessary services and equipment.

Murthil and Dannel were office managers who allegedly oversaw daily operations at the home health companies.  White allegedly performed accounting services for these companies, and helped conceal the scheme by fabricating false tax and employee records.  Breaux was a registered nurse who is alleged to have falsely certified that home health clients were homebound, and that she had provided home health care services when she had not.

From 2007 through 2014, the companies allegedly involved in the scheme submitted more than $56 million in claims to Medicare, the majority of which are allegedly fraudulent.  Medicare paid approximately $50.7 million on those claims.

The charges contained in this indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney William G. Kanellis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrice Harris Sullivan of the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 2,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6 billion.  In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

EXPEDITION 41/42 LAUNCEHS TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

RECENT DOD PHOTOS: MARINES PATROLLING IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Marines use optic sensors on vehicles to observe the surrounding area during a security patrol in Shorab in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 20, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John A. Martinez Jr.

U.S. Marines patrol in a tactical column in Shorab in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 20, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John A. Martinez Jr.

Weekly Address: America is Leading the World

9/26/14: White House Press Briefing

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AT FRIENDS OF COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR-TEST-BAN MINISTERIAL

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Remarks At The Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Ministerial

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

United Nations Headquarters

New York City

September 26, 2014

Thank you, Fumio. Thank you very, very much. Mr. Secretary-General, let me begin by thanking you for an extraordinary week here at the United Nations. I think this has been an UNGA that’s been as seized with the issues of the day as forcefully and as directly as at any time, and we’re very appreciative for all of the UN’s efforts to make that happen. And I can tell you that everybody here with respect to the CTBT will say “Ban forever,” I promise you. (Laughter.)

It’s a privilege to join the friends of the CTBT ministerial because we are here in pursuit of a very noble goal, and that is to ensure that one day our children and our grandchildren will live in a world where the very real threat of nuclear weapons is a subject to be read about in the history books and not in the newspapers, not as a matter of daily currency. And I am mindful of what Fumio said about representing the one country in the world that has seen nuclear weapons in time of war. We learned, all of us, the awesome power that we’ve sought to contain ever since that time, and I believe it is containable. And I might say that I’m proud that President Obama has been pushing to reduce America’s arsenal along with Russia, and that we did manage to pass, when I was in the Senate, the START Treaty.

But the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban treaty has thus far eluded for various reasons. It remains a critical part of our effort to strip the world of these weapons. Some people don’t think that’s possible. I don’t agree. It’s interesting when you have Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, former secretaries of Defense and State all joining together saying it is possible. So people need, obviously, to embrace the notion that how we resolve conflicts has to change dramatically. That’s the purpose of the UN. How we deal with each other has to change. But if we lose the ability to envision that change, we lose something very special in the human spirit, and I think everybody here understands what I mean. We have to believe in the possibility of changing the way we resolve conflict, and if we do, then deterrence by nuclear weapons is something that can change.

So any time we work cooperatively to address the threat of nuclear weapons, we do make the world a safer place, and I have said to people who are doubters about the capacity to take this deterrence away – I’ve said to them, “Every step you take towards it – whether you get there tomorrow or in 50 years or what – makes the world a safer place. There is no question about that.”

The interim agreement that we struck with Iran, the P5+1, has made the world safer because a nuclear stockpile that was at 20 percent has been reduced to 1 – and nothing. And inspections are taking place and there is greater certainty about possibilities than there was before it went into place. And it remains our fervent hope that Iran and the P5+1 can in the next weeks come to an agreement that would benefit the world and it would deal, ultimately, with the issues that are contained in the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty.

So I come here to reiterate the Obama Administration’s unshakable commitment to seeing this treaty ratified and entered into force. And though we have not yet succeeded in ratifying it for pure political, ideological reasons – not substance, I assure you – we nevertheless are pledged to live by it, and we do live by it, and we will live by it.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz made clear a very compelling case for the value of stockpile stewardship in the context of this treaty. And I’ll say just a word about our commitment to the verification regime. Part of that commitment means engaging the American people, our citizens, on the treaty’s merits. And I know some members of the United States Senate still have concerns about this treaty. I believe they can be addressed by science, by facts, through computers and the technology we have today coupled with a legitimate stockpile stewardship program.

So let me be crystal-clear about what this treaty is and what it isn’t. This treaty is about diminishing our reliance on nuclear weapons. It’s about reducing dangerous competition among nuclear powers. It’s about responsible disarmament, and ultimately it’s about advancing international peace and security by building a different structure on which we can all rely.

I also want to be clear about what this treaty isn’t. This treaty isn’t just a feel-good exercise. It’s in all of our national security interests, and it’s verifiable. In fact, its verification regime is one of the great accomplishments of the modern world. The international monitoring system is nearly complete; it is robust, it is effective, and it has contributed critical scientific data on everything from tsunami warnings to tracking radioactivity and nuclear reactor accidents.

What this treaty does is simple: It sets standards and enforces the kind of verification measures that the United States already has in place, and that’s why we remain a strong supporter of the treaty. And we continue to be the single largest contributor to its budget. In fact, we’ve already provided more than 40 million above our assessment over the past two years. As the United States Senate considers ratification, it will require assurances not only that an effective, operational, and sustainable verification regime is in place, but that other nations are committed to sustaining it. That’s why we urge the seven other Annex II states to accelerate their efforts to ratify the treaty and urge all signatory states to provide the resources necessary to complete the verification regime. Let me be clear: There is no reason for the Annex II states to wait for the United States before completing their own ratification process, and this treaty is a national security imperative for all of us.

So I close by just saying that President Obama and I believe that this time we’re living in, with all the conflict of ISIL and failed and failing states and Ebola and conflicts that we wish did not exist, still could become an age of construction, not destruction. A lot of that depends on the people in this room and on the leaders who are not here but were here this week, and it certainly depends on our willingness to fulfill a promise to our children and what they will inherit.

So we have to act with courage in the months ahead – days, weeks, and months ahead, and we know that our goal of a nuclear-free world may be a lofty one. But believe me, it is absolutely one worth fighting for, especially in an age where dirty bombs and nuclear materials and all of these other dangers exist. We would be better off, clearly, emphasizing the passage of the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty so that we will never again see additional nuclear powers, and so that the existing nuclear powers will continue to move to eliminate these weapons from Earth.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. (Applause.)

NASA VIDEO: SPACE SCOOP: X-RAY VISION REVEALS INSIDE OF STARS

DOJ FILES STATEMENT OF INTEREST IN NEW YORK CASE INVOLVING DEFENDANTS RIGHT TO COUNCIL

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Department of Justice Files Statement of Interest in New York State Right to Counsel Case

The Department of Justice today filed a statement of interest with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Albany County in Hurrell-Harring v. State of New York.  In this class action litigation, the plaintiffs allege that, due to systemic failures in four New York counties, indigent criminal defendants have been constructively denied the right to counsel.

In Hurrell-Harring the plaintiffs allege that a lack of funding for indigent defense deprives public defenders of the time or resources to prepare cases or meaningfully represent their clients and amounts to the denial of counsel in violation of Gideon v. Wainwright and the Sixth Amendment.  In its statement of interest, the department advised the court that under resourcing public defense may force even otherwise competent and well-intentioned public defenders into a position where they are, in effect, a lawyer in name only.  The statement of interest added that if the court finds that the plaintiffs have been constructively denied the right to counsel on a systemic basis, the court has broad injunctive authority to remedy those constitutional violations.

“To truly guarantee adequate representation for low-income defendants, we must ensure that public defenders’ caseloads allow them to do an effective job,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.  “The Department of Justice is committed to addressing the inequalities that unfold every day in America’s courtrooms, and to fulfilling the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Gideon v. Wainwright.  America’s indigent defense systems exist in a state of crisis, and over 50 years after it was made, the promise of Gideon is not being met.”

“This case is emblematic of a national crisis in indigent criminal defense,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran of the Civil Rights Division.  “The right to counsel is one of the core guarantees of the Bill of Rights, and yet, as countless cases and studies show, indigent defense systems across the country are facing significant challenges in meeting their Sixth Amendment obligations.”

The purpose of the statement of interest is to provide the court with a framework to assess the plaintiffs’ claim of constructive denial of counsel.  As the department explained in the statement of interest, “An analysis of Gideon cases informs the United States’ position that constructive denial of counsel may occur when: (1) on a systemic basis, counsel for indigent defendants face severe structural limitations, such as a lack of resources, high workloads, and understaffing of public defender offices; and/or (2) indigent defenders are unable or are significantly compromised in their ability to provide the traditional markers of representation for their clients, such as timely and confidential consultation, appropriate investigation, and meaningful adversarial testing of the prosecution’s case.”

The Hurrell-Harring case was filed in 2007 and brought by former indigent defendants who faced criminal charges in five New York counties.  The plaintiffs seek systemic reform to prevent future violations of the right to counsel. The state court trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 7, 2014.

BIOFUELS: POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS STUDIED

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Building the framework for the future of biofuels

Do plant-based fuels offer a realistic reprieve from a fossil-powered future? An ASU engineer examines the full cycle

Biofuels--fuels made from plants--are seen by many as one of the better options for brightening the national energy outlook.

They offer a promising renewable resource as a replacement for nonrenewable fossil fuels, and a way to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions being pumped into the atmosphere as a result of our use of conventional petroleum-derived fuels.

They could help the United States take major steps to reduce the country's dependence on oil from other parts of the world.

For more than five years Amy Landis has led research that is revealing the potential rewards of developing large-scale biofuels production, as well as the potential drawbacks we would face in the effort.

"We are documenting that there would be environmental benefits, but also trade-offs in growing biofuels that would have to be dealt with," said Landis, an associate professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, one of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU).

Two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants combined to provide about $650,000 for projects directed by Landis, enabling her to paint a clearer picture of the impacts of developing a major biofuels industry. Both grants were through the NSF's Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems Division.

One project looked at the feasibility of growing bioenergy crops on marginal lands where soil nutrients first have to be restored to enable agricultural use. A second project involved forecasting the environmental impacts of next-generation biofuels.

According to Landis, lands damaged by industrial waste or other pollutants could be restored sufficiently to support agriculture for growing bioenergy crops.

Landis' team was able to use other forms of nonhazardous industrial waste materials to neutralize the acidity of soil at polluted sites--particularly abandoned mining lands. The method restored fertility to a level that allowed many of the plants, from which biofuels are derived, to grow.

As a result, biofuels agriculture could become a significant contributor to soil remediation, land reclamation and natural storm water management that fertile, absorbent ground can provide.

A complex system

A downside is that many biofuel crops, like food crops, require fertilizers that cause water degradation, and the water carrying the fertilizers can be transported by runoff into other areas where they can do environmental harm.

To fully understand the ramifications of a big commitment to cultivation of biofuel sources, Landis said she took a holistic approach that examines the entire life cycle of bio-based products.

She looked beyond the benefits of greenhouse gas reductions and energy savings to the challenges of weighing long-term benefits and potential problems.

Landis has been able to quantify some potential future nationwide impacts of growing the various kinds of bioenergy plants--corn grain, soybeans, switchgrasses, canola and algae, for example--to extensively assess economic, social and environmental effects.

That included evaluating the feasibility of bioenergy crops to meet the Energy Independence and Security Act Renewable Fuel Standards, which sets challenging goals for fuel production quantity.

The project involved consideration of the various agricultural and environmental management strategies that would be critical to preventing or mitigating undesirable consequences that could result from growing bioenergy crops to manufacturing biofuels.

The work was also intended to provide a framework for a life-cycle assessment method that can be applied to future evaluations of biofuels cultivation and production, and for gauging the sustainability of various fuel development strategies throughout the United States.

"Our work shows there is no silver-bullet biofuel that provides a perfect sustainability solution," Landis explained. "Developing domestic sustainable fuels is a complex problem and we must consider the wide range of environmental impacts, economic ramifications and social factors.

"In particular for biofuels that rely heavily on fertilizer, our work shows that we should pay particular attention to protecting water quality," she said. "However, it's not all doom and gloom. Our NSF-funded research also developed some creative solutions to utilize abandoned lands and waste materials to produce biofuels."

Broader impacts

The NSF support enabled Landis to use her research findings for education outreach. Much of the information is being incorporated into undergraduate and graduate courses. In addition, in the past several years the grants have supported research activities of four undergraduate students and five graduate students, while also allowing another seven graduate students to engage in work related to the research projects.

Outreach efforts have also included demonstrations to K-12 students and their families. For example, Landis and her lab team have brought plants out of the greenhouse to show how biofuels are made from plants.

This and similar learning activities at ASU's annual Engineering Open House, DiscoverE Day, Night of the Open Door events and Engineering Adventure programs are reaching more than 14,000 younger students each year.

In addition, Landis volunteers at an annual Geared for Girls summer camp, where she talks about what her research is showing about the life cycles of energy and products.

Landis has been able to bring a multifaceted perspective to her biofuels research, drawing on the broad range of expertise reflected in her diverse academic and research roles at ASU.

Those roles include that of research director for the Center for Earth Systems Engineering and Management; senior sustainability scientist with the Julie Ann WrigleyGlobal Institute of Sustainability; a Fellow of Sustainable Development and Ethics with the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics; and her appointment as a Tooker Professor of STEM Education in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

-- Joe Kullman, Arizona State University
Investigators
Amy Landis
Jason Monnell
Related Institutions/Organizations
Arizona State University
University of Pittsburgh

HHS SAYS $212 MILLION WILL BE GOING TO PREVENT CHRONIC DISEASES

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

September 25, 2014

HHS announces nearly $212 million in grants to prevent chronic diseases
Funded in part by the Affordable Care Act, grants focus on preventing tobacco use, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell today announced nearly $212 million in grant awards to all 50 states and the District of Columbia to support programs aimed at preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.  Funded in part by the Affordable Care Act, the awards will strengthen state and local programs aimed at fighting these chronic diseases, which are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, and help lower our nation’s health care costs.

A total of 193 awards are being made  to states, large and small cities and counties, tribes and tribal organizations, and national and community organizations, with a special focus on populations hardest hit by chronic diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will administer the grants.

“These grants will empower our partners to provide the tools that Americans need to help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes,” said Secretary Burwell. “Today’s news is important progress in our work to transition from a health care system focused on treating the sick to one that also helps keep people well throughout their lives.”

The goals of the grant funding are to reduce rates of death and disability due to tobacco use, reduce obesity prevalence, and reduce rates of death and disability due to diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

“Tobacco use, high blood pressure, and obesity are leading preventable causes of death in the United States,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “These grants will enable state and local health departments, national and community organizations, and other partners from all sectors of society to help us prevent heart disease, cancer, stroke, and other leading chronic diseases, and help Americans to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives.”

This is one of many ways the Affordable Care Act is improving access to preventive care, and coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Under the Affordable Care Act, 76 million Americans in private health insurance have gained access to preventive care services without cost-sharing and issuers can no longer deny coverage to anyone because of a pre-existing condition.

Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths among Americans each year, and they account for more than 80 percent of the $2.7 trillion our nation spends annually on medical care.