Saturday, December 13, 2014
NAVY ADOPTING MODIFIED LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP FOR SMALL SURFACE COMBATANT
FROM: U.S. NAVY
Navy Moving Forward With LCS
Story Number: NNS141211-10 Release Date: 12/11/2014 5:59:00 PM
From the office of the Secretary of the Navy
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has directed the Navy "to move forward with a multi-mission small surface combatant based on modified Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) hull designs."
Consistent with the Fleet's views on the most valued capabilities delivered by a small surface combatant, the modified LCS ship will be more lethal and survivable. It will provide multi-mission anti-surface warfare (SUW) and anti-submarine warfare capabilities (ASW), as well as continuous and effective air, surface and underwater self-defense. Adding to current LCS Flight 0+ baseline configurations, which include the 57mm gun and SeaRAM missile system, this ship will be equipped with over-the-horizon surface-to-surface missiles, air defense upgrades (sensors and weapons), an advanced electronic warfare system; advanced decoys; a towed array system for submarine detection and torpedo defense, two 25mm guns, an armed helicopter capable of engaging with either Hellfire missiles or MK-54 torpedoes, and an unmanned FireScout helicopter for surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting.
Modularity design features will also be retained to augment SUW and ASW capabilities as directed by the Fleet Commanders. Available mission modules include Longbow Surface to-Surface Missiles (Hellfire), two MK46 30mm guns, and two 11M RHIBs for Surface Warfare, or a variable depth sonar for submarine warfare which, when added to the ship's organic multi-function towed array and embarked helicopter, make this an extremely effective anti-submarine warfare platform.
In addition to the improved weapon systems capabilities for this ship, which reduce its susceptibility to being hit by a threat weapon, the small surface combatant will also include improved passive measures - measures that will reduce the ship's signature against mine threats, and measures that will harden certain vital spaces and systems against potential damage caused by weapon impact - to further enhance its overall survivability.
From an operational perspective, the sum of these improvements will increase the ship's capability and availability to participate in SUW Surface Action Groups, ASW Search and Attack Units; escort of High Value Units, and support of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) SUW and ASW operations.
With increased lethality and survivability, the modified LCS will provide the flexibility to operate both independently and as a part of an aggregated force. This decision allows the Navy to add organic multi-mission capabilities to the small surface combatant force while leveraging the benefits and affordability of the LCS program. The modified LCS ships will complement the planned 32 LCS ships, resulting in a 52 ship Small Surface Combatant Fleet in keeping with the Navy's Force Structure Analysis. The 32 LCS ships, with their full modular capability, will allow the Navy to deploy assets to meet the Navy's mine warfare, SUW, and ASW demands.
Navy Moving Forward With LCS
Story Number: NNS141211-10 Release Date: 12/11/2014 5:59:00 PM
From the office of the Secretary of the Navy
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has directed the Navy "to move forward with a multi-mission small surface combatant based on modified Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) hull designs."
Consistent with the Fleet's views on the most valued capabilities delivered by a small surface combatant, the modified LCS ship will be more lethal and survivable. It will provide multi-mission anti-surface warfare (SUW) and anti-submarine warfare capabilities (ASW), as well as continuous and effective air, surface and underwater self-defense. Adding to current LCS Flight 0+ baseline configurations, which include the 57mm gun and SeaRAM missile system, this ship will be equipped with over-the-horizon surface-to-surface missiles, air defense upgrades (sensors and weapons), an advanced electronic warfare system; advanced decoys; a towed array system for submarine detection and torpedo defense, two 25mm guns, an armed helicopter capable of engaging with either Hellfire missiles or MK-54 torpedoes, and an unmanned FireScout helicopter for surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting.
Modularity design features will also be retained to augment SUW and ASW capabilities as directed by the Fleet Commanders. Available mission modules include Longbow Surface to-Surface Missiles (Hellfire), two MK46 30mm guns, and two 11M RHIBs for Surface Warfare, or a variable depth sonar for submarine warfare which, when added to the ship's organic multi-function towed array and embarked helicopter, make this an extremely effective anti-submarine warfare platform.
In addition to the improved weapon systems capabilities for this ship, which reduce its susceptibility to being hit by a threat weapon, the small surface combatant will also include improved passive measures - measures that will reduce the ship's signature against mine threats, and measures that will harden certain vital spaces and systems against potential damage caused by weapon impact - to further enhance its overall survivability.
From an operational perspective, the sum of these improvements will increase the ship's capability and availability to participate in SUW Surface Action Groups, ASW Search and Attack Units; escort of High Value Units, and support of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) SUW and ASW operations.
With increased lethality and survivability, the modified LCS will provide the flexibility to operate both independently and as a part of an aggregated force. This decision allows the Navy to add organic multi-mission capabilities to the small surface combatant force while leveraging the benefits and affordability of the LCS program. The modified LCS ships will complement the planned 32 LCS ships, resulting in a 52 ship Small Surface Combatant Fleet in keeping with the Navy's Force Structure Analysis. The 32 LCS ships, with their full modular capability, will allow the Navy to deploy assets to meet the Navy's mine warfare, SUW, and ASW demands.
WEBSITE OPERATOR PLEADS GUILTY TO FACILITATING PROSTITUTION
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EXPORT-IMPORT BANK FINANCES BRIDGE COMPONENTS DESTINED FOR CAMEROON
FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Bank Finances Export of American-made Bridge Components to Cameroon
Transaction will support 200 U.S. jobs across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
Washington, DC – In keeping with its congressional mandates to boost small business exports and increase exports to sub-Saharan Africa, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) will guarantee a $50 million loan to finance the export of 55 American-made bridge sets to Cameroon and support 200 U.S. jobs.
The loan, extended by Société Générale to Cameroon’s Ministry of Public Works, facilitates the export of modular steel bridges manufactured by the Acrow Corporation of America, a small business based in Parsippany, N.J.
According to Bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology, this transaction will support approximately 200 U.S. jobs in Parsippany, N.J., Milton, Pa.; and New Castle, Del.
“Ex-Im Bank-has a long track record of supporting American small business exports to sub-Saharan Africa,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “These bridges will contribute to a strong, reliable infrastructure in Cameroon, while supporting quality small business manufacturing jobs here at home.”
Awarded the President’s Award for Excellence in Export in 2011, Acrow is a leading manufacturer and supplier of modular steel bridge systems. The company has sold bridges in over 60 countries, and more than 1,000 Acrow bridges have been installed in developing countries since 2007.
The modular steel bridges, which are prefabricated in the U.S., will contribute to the development of regional trade through the repair and modernization of Cameroon’s rural infrastructure networks. Currently, parts of Cameroon’s transportation infrastructure are in disrepair, preventing access to schools, medical clinics, and other basic goods and services.
“Ex-Im Bank helped Acrow level the competitive playing field,” said Bill Killeen, President and CEO of Acrow. “Acrow competed against European and Chinese companies all offering packages robustly supported by their local export credit agencies. Without the support of Ex-Im, the contract for the supply of these Acrow Bridges would not have been consummated, and good jobs in the U. S. would not have been created. I look forward to our U. S. Congress doing what is right and necessary by reauthorizing for a longer term the Ex-Im Bank, which through its products adds to the competitiveness of U. S. businesses.”
Ex-Im Bank Finances Export of American-made Bridge Components to Cameroon
Transaction will support 200 U.S. jobs across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
Washington, DC – In keeping with its congressional mandates to boost small business exports and increase exports to sub-Saharan Africa, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) will guarantee a $50 million loan to finance the export of 55 American-made bridge sets to Cameroon and support 200 U.S. jobs.
The loan, extended by Société Générale to Cameroon’s Ministry of Public Works, facilitates the export of modular steel bridges manufactured by the Acrow Corporation of America, a small business based in Parsippany, N.J.
According to Bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology, this transaction will support approximately 200 U.S. jobs in Parsippany, N.J., Milton, Pa.; and New Castle, Del.
“Ex-Im Bank-has a long track record of supporting American small business exports to sub-Saharan Africa,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “These bridges will contribute to a strong, reliable infrastructure in Cameroon, while supporting quality small business manufacturing jobs here at home.”
Awarded the President’s Award for Excellence in Export in 2011, Acrow is a leading manufacturer and supplier of modular steel bridge systems. The company has sold bridges in over 60 countries, and more than 1,000 Acrow bridges have been installed in developing countries since 2007.
The modular steel bridges, which are prefabricated in the U.S., will contribute to the development of regional trade through the repair and modernization of Cameroon’s rural infrastructure networks. Currently, parts of Cameroon’s transportation infrastructure are in disrepair, preventing access to schools, medical clinics, and other basic goods and services.
“Ex-Im Bank helped Acrow level the competitive playing field,” said Bill Killeen, President and CEO of Acrow. “Acrow competed against European and Chinese companies all offering packages robustly supported by their local export credit agencies. Without the support of Ex-Im, the contract for the supply of these Acrow Bridges would not have been consummated, and good jobs in the U. S. would not have been created. I look forward to our U. S. Congress doing what is right and necessary by reauthorizing for a longer term the Ex-Im Bank, which through its products adds to the competitiveness of U. S. businesses.”
NSF HELPS FUND RESEARCH ON GENETIC ORIGINS OF BIRDS
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
'Big bang' of bird evolution mapped by international research team
Genes reveal histories of bird origins, feathers, flight and song
The genomes of modern birds tell a story: Today's winged rulers of the skies emerged and evolved after the mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs and almost everything else 66 million years ago.
That story is now coming to light, thanks to an international collaboration that has been underway for four years.
The first findings of the Avian Phylogenomics Consortium are being reported nearly simultaneously in 23 papers--eight papers in a special issue this week of Science, and 15 more in Genome Biology, GigaScience and other journals.
The results are funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Scientists already knew that the birds that survived the mass extinction experienced a rapid burst of evolution.
But the family tree of modern birds has confused biologists for centuries, and the molecular details of how birds arrived at the spectacular biodiversity of more than 10,000 species was barely known.
How did birds become so diverse?
To resolve these fundamental questions, a consortium led by Guojie Zhang of the National Genebank at BGI in China and the University of Copenhagen; neuroscientist Erich Jarvis of Duke University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and M. Thomas P. Gilbert of the Natural History Museum of Denmark has sequenced, assembled and compared the full genomes of 48 bird species.
The species include the crow, duck, falcon, parakeet, crane, ibis, woodpecker, eagle and others, representing all major branches of modern birds.
"BGI's strong support and four years of hard work by the entire community have enabled us to answer numerous fundamental questions on an unprecedented scale," said Zhang.
"This is the largest whole genomic study across a single vertebrate class to date. The success of this project can only be achieved with the excellent collaboration of all the consortium members."
Added Gilbert, "Although an increasing number of vertebrate genomes are being released, to date no single study has deliberately targeted the full diversity of any major vertebrate group.
"This is what our consortium set out to do. Only with this scale of sampling can scientists truly begin to fully explore the genomic diversity within a full vertebrate class."
"This is an exciting moment," said Jarvis. "Lots of fundamental questions now can be resolved with more genomic data from a broader sampling. I got into this project because of my interest in birds as a model for vocal learning and speech production in humans, and it has opened up some amazing new vistas on brain evolution."
This first round of analyses suggests some remarkable new ideas about bird evolution.
The first flagship paper published in Science presents a well-resolved new family tree for birds, based on whole-genome data.
The second flagship paper describes the big picture of genome evolution in birds.
Six other papers in the special issue of Science report how vocal learning may have independently evolved in a few bird groups and in the human brain's speech regions; how the sex chromosomes of birds came to be; how birds lost their teeth; how crocodile genomes evolved; and ways in which singing behavior regulates genes in the brain.
New ideas on bird evolution
"This project represents the biggest step forward yet in our understanding of how bird diversity is organized and in time and space," said paper co-author Scott Edwards, on leave from Harvard University and currently Director of NSF's Division of Biological Infrastructure.
"Because this information is so fundamental to our understanding of biodiversity, it will help everyone--from birdwatchers to artists to museum curators--better organize knowledge of bird diversity."
The new bird tree will change the way we think about bird diversity, said Edwards. "The fact that many birds associated with water--loons, herons, penguins, petrels and pelicans--are closely related suggests that adaptations to lakes or seas arose less frequently than we thought."
Added paper co-author David Mindell, an evolutionary biologist and program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology, "We found strong support for close relationships that might be surprising to many observers.
"Grebes are closely related to flamingos, but not closely related to ducks; falcons are closely related to songbirds and parrots but not closely related to hawks; and swifts are closely related to hummingbirds and not closely related to swallows."
Genome-scale datasets allowed scientists to "track the sequence of divergence events and their timing with greater precision than previously possible," said Mindell.
"Most major types of extant birds arose during a 5-10 million year interval at the end of the Cretaceous period and the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs about 66 million years ago."
It takes a consortium...of 200 scientists, 80 institutions, 20 countries
The Avian Phylogenomics Consortium has so far involved more than 200 scientists from 80 institutions in 20 countries, including the BGI in China, the University of Copenhagen, Duke University, the University of Texas at Austin, the Smithsonian Institution, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Louisiana State University and others.
Previous attempts to reconstruct the avian family tree using partial DNA sequencing or anatomical and behavioral traits have met with contradiction and confusion.
Because modern birds split into species early and in such quick succession, they did not evolve enough distinct genetic differences at the genomic level to clearly determine their early branching order, the researchers said.
To resolve the timing and relationships of modern birds, consortium scientists used whole-genome DNA sequences to infer the bird species tree.
"In the past, people have been using 10 to 20 genes to try to infer the species relationships," Jarvis said.
"What we've learned from doing this whole-genome approach is that we can infer a somewhat different phylogeny [family tree] than what has been proposed in the past.
"We've figured out that protein-coding genes tell the wrong story for inferring the species tree. You need non-coding sequences, including the intergenic regions. The protein-coding sequences, however, tell an interesting story of proteome-wide convergence among species with similar life histories."
Where did all the birds come from?
This new tree resolves the early branches of Neoaves (new birds) and supports conclusions about relationships that have been long-debated.
For example, the findings support three independent origins of waterbirds.
They also indicate that the common ancestor of core landbirds, which include songbirds, parrots, woodpeckers, owls, eagles and falcons, was an apex predator, which also gave rise to the giant terror birds that once roamed the Americas.
The whole-genome analysis dates the evolutionary expansion of Neoaves to the time of the mass extinction event 66 million years ago.
This contradicts the idea that Neoaves blossomed 10 to 80 million years earlier, as some recent studies have suggested.
Based on this new genomic data, only a few bird lineages survived the mass extinction.
They gave rise to the more than 10,000 Neoaves species that comprise 95 percent of all bird species living with us today.
The freed-up ecological niches caused by the extinction event likely allowed rapid species radiation of birds in less than 15 million years, which explains much of modern bird biodiversity.
For answers, new computational tools needed
Increasingly sophisticated and more affordable genomic sequencing technologies, and the advent of computational tools for reconstructing and comparing whole genomes, have allowed the consortium to resolve these controversies with better clarity than ever before, the researchers said.
With about 14,000 genes per species, the size of the datasets and the complexity of analyzing them required new approaches to computing evolutionary family trees.
These were developed by computer scientists Tandy Warnow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, funded by NSF, Siavash Mirarab of the University of Texas at Austin, and Alexis Stamatakis at the Heidelburg Institute for Theoretical Studies.
Their algorithms required the use of parallel processing supercomputers at the Munich Supercomputing Center, the Texas Advanced Computing Center, and the San Diego Supercomputing Center.
"The computational challenges in estimating the avian species tree used around 300 years of CPU time, and some analyses required supercomputers with a terabyte of memory," Warnow said.
The bird project also had support from the Genome 10K Consortium of Scientists (G10K), an international science community working toward rapidly assessing genome sequences for 10,000 vertebrate species.
"The Avian Genomics Consortium has accomplished the most ambitious and successful project that the G10K Project has joined or endorsed," said G10K co-leader Stephen O'Brien, who co-authored a commentary on the bird sequencing project in GigaScience.
-NSF-
Media Contacts
Cheryl Dybas, NSF,
'Big bang' of bird evolution mapped by international research team
Genes reveal histories of bird origins, feathers, flight and song
The genomes of modern birds tell a story: Today's winged rulers of the skies emerged and evolved after the mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs and almost everything else 66 million years ago.
That story is now coming to light, thanks to an international collaboration that has been underway for four years.
The first findings of the Avian Phylogenomics Consortium are being reported nearly simultaneously in 23 papers--eight papers in a special issue this week of Science, and 15 more in Genome Biology, GigaScience and other journals.
The results are funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Scientists already knew that the birds that survived the mass extinction experienced a rapid burst of evolution.
But the family tree of modern birds has confused biologists for centuries, and the molecular details of how birds arrived at the spectacular biodiversity of more than 10,000 species was barely known.
How did birds become so diverse?
To resolve these fundamental questions, a consortium led by Guojie Zhang of the National Genebank at BGI in China and the University of Copenhagen; neuroscientist Erich Jarvis of Duke University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and M. Thomas P. Gilbert of the Natural History Museum of Denmark has sequenced, assembled and compared the full genomes of 48 bird species.
The species include the crow, duck, falcon, parakeet, crane, ibis, woodpecker, eagle and others, representing all major branches of modern birds.
"BGI's strong support and four years of hard work by the entire community have enabled us to answer numerous fundamental questions on an unprecedented scale," said Zhang.
"This is the largest whole genomic study across a single vertebrate class to date. The success of this project can only be achieved with the excellent collaboration of all the consortium members."
Added Gilbert, "Although an increasing number of vertebrate genomes are being released, to date no single study has deliberately targeted the full diversity of any major vertebrate group.
"This is what our consortium set out to do. Only with this scale of sampling can scientists truly begin to fully explore the genomic diversity within a full vertebrate class."
"This is an exciting moment," said Jarvis. "Lots of fundamental questions now can be resolved with more genomic data from a broader sampling. I got into this project because of my interest in birds as a model for vocal learning and speech production in humans, and it has opened up some amazing new vistas on brain evolution."
This first round of analyses suggests some remarkable new ideas about bird evolution.
The first flagship paper published in Science presents a well-resolved new family tree for birds, based on whole-genome data.
The second flagship paper describes the big picture of genome evolution in birds.
Six other papers in the special issue of Science report how vocal learning may have independently evolved in a few bird groups and in the human brain's speech regions; how the sex chromosomes of birds came to be; how birds lost their teeth; how crocodile genomes evolved; and ways in which singing behavior regulates genes in the brain.
New ideas on bird evolution
"This project represents the biggest step forward yet in our understanding of how bird diversity is organized and in time and space," said paper co-author Scott Edwards, on leave from Harvard University and currently Director of NSF's Division of Biological Infrastructure.
"Because this information is so fundamental to our understanding of biodiversity, it will help everyone--from birdwatchers to artists to museum curators--better organize knowledge of bird diversity."
The new bird tree will change the way we think about bird diversity, said Edwards. "The fact that many birds associated with water--loons, herons, penguins, petrels and pelicans--are closely related suggests that adaptations to lakes or seas arose less frequently than we thought."
Added paper co-author David Mindell, an evolutionary biologist and program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology, "We found strong support for close relationships that might be surprising to many observers.
"Grebes are closely related to flamingos, but not closely related to ducks; falcons are closely related to songbirds and parrots but not closely related to hawks; and swifts are closely related to hummingbirds and not closely related to swallows."
Genome-scale datasets allowed scientists to "track the sequence of divergence events and their timing with greater precision than previously possible," said Mindell.
"Most major types of extant birds arose during a 5-10 million year interval at the end of the Cretaceous period and the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs about 66 million years ago."
It takes a consortium...of 200 scientists, 80 institutions, 20 countries
The Avian Phylogenomics Consortium has so far involved more than 200 scientists from 80 institutions in 20 countries, including the BGI in China, the University of Copenhagen, Duke University, the University of Texas at Austin, the Smithsonian Institution, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Louisiana State University and others.
Previous attempts to reconstruct the avian family tree using partial DNA sequencing or anatomical and behavioral traits have met with contradiction and confusion.
Because modern birds split into species early and in such quick succession, they did not evolve enough distinct genetic differences at the genomic level to clearly determine their early branching order, the researchers said.
To resolve the timing and relationships of modern birds, consortium scientists used whole-genome DNA sequences to infer the bird species tree.
"In the past, people have been using 10 to 20 genes to try to infer the species relationships," Jarvis said.
"What we've learned from doing this whole-genome approach is that we can infer a somewhat different phylogeny [family tree] than what has been proposed in the past.
"We've figured out that protein-coding genes tell the wrong story for inferring the species tree. You need non-coding sequences, including the intergenic regions. The protein-coding sequences, however, tell an interesting story of proteome-wide convergence among species with similar life histories."
Where did all the birds come from?
This new tree resolves the early branches of Neoaves (new birds) and supports conclusions about relationships that have been long-debated.
For example, the findings support three independent origins of waterbirds.
They also indicate that the common ancestor of core landbirds, which include songbirds, parrots, woodpeckers, owls, eagles and falcons, was an apex predator, which also gave rise to the giant terror birds that once roamed the Americas.
The whole-genome analysis dates the evolutionary expansion of Neoaves to the time of the mass extinction event 66 million years ago.
This contradicts the idea that Neoaves blossomed 10 to 80 million years earlier, as some recent studies have suggested.
Based on this new genomic data, only a few bird lineages survived the mass extinction.
They gave rise to the more than 10,000 Neoaves species that comprise 95 percent of all bird species living with us today.
The freed-up ecological niches caused by the extinction event likely allowed rapid species radiation of birds in less than 15 million years, which explains much of modern bird biodiversity.
For answers, new computational tools needed
Increasingly sophisticated and more affordable genomic sequencing technologies, and the advent of computational tools for reconstructing and comparing whole genomes, have allowed the consortium to resolve these controversies with better clarity than ever before, the researchers said.
With about 14,000 genes per species, the size of the datasets and the complexity of analyzing them required new approaches to computing evolutionary family trees.
These were developed by computer scientists Tandy Warnow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, funded by NSF, Siavash Mirarab of the University of Texas at Austin, and Alexis Stamatakis at the Heidelburg Institute for Theoretical Studies.
Their algorithms required the use of parallel processing supercomputers at the Munich Supercomputing Center, the Texas Advanced Computing Center, and the San Diego Supercomputing Center.
"The computational challenges in estimating the avian species tree used around 300 years of CPU time, and some analyses required supercomputers with a terabyte of memory," Warnow said.
The bird project also had support from the Genome 10K Consortium of Scientists (G10K), an international science community working toward rapidly assessing genome sequences for 10,000 vertebrate species.
"The Avian Genomics Consortium has accomplished the most ambitious and successful project that the G10K Project has joined or endorsed," said G10K co-leader Stephen O'Brien, who co-authored a commentary on the bird sequencing project in GigaScience.
-NSF-
Media Contacts
Cheryl Dybas, NSF,
REFUNDS SENT TO CONSUMERS WHO BOUGHT SPRINKLE-ON WEIGHT-LOSS SUPPLEMENT
FROM: U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Sends Refund Checks Totaling More Than $26 Million to Consumers Who Bought Sensa Weight-Loss Supplement
Checks Being Mailed This Week
The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 477,083 refund checks totaling $26,023,329 this week to consumers who bought the sprinkle-on weight-loss supplement Sensa. They are legitimate refund checks, and must be cashed within 60 days of the date they are issued, or will become void.
The refunds stem from a January 2014 settlement with the marketers of Sensa, who claimed that consumers could “sprinkle, eat, and lose weight” by using the product. According to the FTC’s complaint, the California-based company, its parent company, and two individuals, including the product’s inventor, deceptively advertised that the powder enhances food’s smell and taste, making users feel full faster, so they eat less and lose weight without changing their diet or exercise routine. The FTC’s complaint alleged, among other things, that the defendants did not have competent and reliable scientific evidence to support the weight-loss claims. The defendants charged $59 for a one-month supply of Sensa.
The FTC’s complaint also charged the defendants with failing to disclose that they paid some consumer endorsers for promoting the product, and controlled a purportedly independent study. The complaint also alleged that Sensa’s inventor deceptively endorsed the product and provided others with the tools for deception. In addition to requiring consumer refunds, the settlement with the FTC prohibits such practices.
Epiq Systems, Inc., the redress administrator for this matter, will mail refund checks to eligible consumers this week. The average amount each consumer will receive is $54, but may differ based on how much they lost. The checks must be cashed within sixty days of the date they are issued. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide information before redress checks can be cashed.
FTC Sends Refund Checks Totaling More Than $26 Million to Consumers Who Bought Sensa Weight-Loss Supplement
Checks Being Mailed This Week
The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 477,083 refund checks totaling $26,023,329 this week to consumers who bought the sprinkle-on weight-loss supplement Sensa. They are legitimate refund checks, and must be cashed within 60 days of the date they are issued, or will become void.
The refunds stem from a January 2014 settlement with the marketers of Sensa, who claimed that consumers could “sprinkle, eat, and lose weight” by using the product. According to the FTC’s complaint, the California-based company, its parent company, and two individuals, including the product’s inventor, deceptively advertised that the powder enhances food’s smell and taste, making users feel full faster, so they eat less and lose weight without changing their diet or exercise routine. The FTC’s complaint alleged, among other things, that the defendants did not have competent and reliable scientific evidence to support the weight-loss claims. The defendants charged $59 for a one-month supply of Sensa.
The FTC’s complaint also charged the defendants with failing to disclose that they paid some consumer endorsers for promoting the product, and controlled a purportedly independent study. The complaint also alleged that Sensa’s inventor deceptively endorsed the product and provided others with the tools for deception. In addition to requiring consumer refunds, the settlement with the FTC prohibits such practices.
Epiq Systems, Inc., the redress administrator for this matter, will mail refund checks to eligible consumers this week. The average amount each consumer will receive is $54, but may differ based on how much they lost. The checks must be cashed within sixty days of the date they are issued. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide information before redress checks can be cashed.
Friday, December 12, 2014
THREE COLOMBIANS SENTENCED FOR MURDER OF DEA AGENT TERRY WATSON
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, December 12, 2014
Three Colombian Nationals Sentenced to Prison for the Kidnapping and Murder of DEA Agent Terry Watson
Two Additional Colombian Nationals Also Plead Guilty For Their Roles
Three Colombian nationals were sentenced to decades in prison today in the Eastern District of Virginia for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent James “Terry” Watson in Bogotá, Colombia, on June 20, 2013.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of 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 Bill A. Miller, Director, U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service made the announcement.
“Throughout his law enforcement career, Special Agent Watson’s service was both selfless and courageous,” said Attorney General Holder. “With this action, we continue our work to hold accountable those who were responsible for his murder. In the weeks ahead, we expect to take additional steps to bring the perpetrators to justice. And in all that we do, our nation’s Department of Justice will continue to honor Special Agent Watson’s sacrifice, to safeguard the nation he served, and to protect the values and principles he defended all his life.”
“Terry Watson was a courageous and accomplished DEA Special Agent who we will forever honor and remember for his dedicated career and sacrifice,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart. “DEA is grateful that those who carried out this reprehensible and senseless act are now facing U.S. justice. We will honor his life and career by continuing our global crusade with our domestic and international partners to defeat violent drug trafficking networks.”
Héctor Leonardo López, 34, Julio Estiven Gracia Ramírez, 32, and Andrés Álvaro Oviedo García, 22, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting the murder of an internationally protected person. Today, U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the Eastern District of Virginia sentenced López to 25 years, Gracia Ramírez to 27 years, and Oviedo García to 20 years.
In addition, Wilson Daniel Peralta-Bocachica, 31, pleaded guilty today to obstruction of justice and Edwin Gerardo Figueroa Sepúlveda, 39, pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2014, to conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting the murder of an internationally protected person. Sentencing hearings for Peralta-Bocachica and Figueroa Sepúlveda are scheduled for Feb. 18, 2015.
In the statements of facts filed with their plea agreements, López, Gracia Ramírez, Oviedo García, and Figueroa Sepúlveda admitted that they conspired to conduct “paseo milionarios” or “millionaire’s rides” in which victims were lured into taxi cabs, kidnapped and then robbed. They admitted that on the evening of June 20, 2013, they were part of a robbery crew that targeted Special Agent Watson. Gracia Ramírez picked up Special Agent Watson in his taxi, while López drove a second taxi carrying the assailants. Figueroa Sepúlveda entered the taxi carrying Special Agent Watson and shocked him with a stun gun while another defendant stabbed him. Special Agent Watson was able to escape from the taxi, but he later collapsed and died from his injuries. Oviedo García was part of the robbery crew, but shortly before Special Agent Watson was targeted, a third taxi encountered mechanical issues and Oviedo García stayed with the disabled taxi. Peralta-Bocachica admitted that in the days following the kidnapping and murder, he washed the taxi in which Special Agent Watson was stabbed, removing blood from the back seat then discarding the cleaning rags, before turning the taxi over to the Colombian National Police.
Two other defendants, Omar Fabián Valdes Gualtero, 27, and Édgar Javier Bello Murillo, 27, are charged with second degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap in connection with their alleged involvement in the murder. Trial is set for Jan. 12, 2015. The charges in the indictment against these defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA and the Diplomatic Security Service, 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 Stacey Luck of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of 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.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Three Colombian Nationals Sentenced to Prison for the Kidnapping and Murder of DEA Agent Terry Watson
Two Additional Colombian Nationals Also Plead Guilty For Their Roles
Three Colombian nationals were sentenced to decades in prison today in the Eastern District of Virginia for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent James “Terry” Watson in Bogotá, Colombia, on June 20, 2013.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of 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 Bill A. Miller, Director, U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service made the announcement.
“Throughout his law enforcement career, Special Agent Watson’s service was both selfless and courageous,” said Attorney General Holder. “With this action, we continue our work to hold accountable those who were responsible for his murder. In the weeks ahead, we expect to take additional steps to bring the perpetrators to justice. And in all that we do, our nation’s Department of Justice will continue to honor Special Agent Watson’s sacrifice, to safeguard the nation he served, and to protect the values and principles he defended all his life.”
“Terry Watson was a courageous and accomplished DEA Special Agent who we will forever honor and remember for his dedicated career and sacrifice,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart. “DEA is grateful that those who carried out this reprehensible and senseless act are now facing U.S. justice. We will honor his life and career by continuing our global crusade with our domestic and international partners to defeat violent drug trafficking networks.”
Héctor Leonardo López, 34, Julio Estiven Gracia Ramírez, 32, and Andrés Álvaro Oviedo García, 22, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting the murder of an internationally protected person. Today, U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the Eastern District of Virginia sentenced López to 25 years, Gracia Ramírez to 27 years, and Oviedo García to 20 years.
In addition, Wilson Daniel Peralta-Bocachica, 31, pleaded guilty today to obstruction of justice and Edwin Gerardo Figueroa Sepúlveda, 39, pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2014, to conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting the murder of an internationally protected person. Sentencing hearings for Peralta-Bocachica and Figueroa Sepúlveda are scheduled for Feb. 18, 2015.
In the statements of facts filed with their plea agreements, López, Gracia Ramírez, Oviedo García, and Figueroa Sepúlveda admitted that they conspired to conduct “paseo milionarios” or “millionaire’s rides” in which victims were lured into taxi cabs, kidnapped and then robbed. They admitted that on the evening of June 20, 2013, they were part of a robbery crew that targeted Special Agent Watson. Gracia Ramírez picked up Special Agent Watson in his taxi, while López drove a second taxi carrying the assailants. Figueroa Sepúlveda entered the taxi carrying Special Agent Watson and shocked him with a stun gun while another defendant stabbed him. Special Agent Watson was able to escape from the taxi, but he later collapsed and died from his injuries. Oviedo García was part of the robbery crew, but shortly before Special Agent Watson was targeted, a third taxi encountered mechanical issues and Oviedo García stayed with the disabled taxi. Peralta-Bocachica admitted that in the days following the kidnapping and murder, he washed the taxi in which Special Agent Watson was stabbed, removing blood from the back seat then discarding the cleaning rags, before turning the taxi over to the Colombian National Police.
Two other defendants, Omar Fabián Valdes Gualtero, 27, and Édgar Javier Bello Murillo, 27, are charged with second degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap in connection with their alleged involvement in the murder. Trial is set for Jan. 12, 2015. The charges in the indictment against these defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA and the Diplomatic Security Service, 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 Stacey Luck of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of 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.
FTC TAKES ON AUTO DEALERSHIPS FOR DECEPTIVELY ADVERTISING COST OF BUYING,LEASING A CAR
FROM: U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Takes Action Against Two Auto Dealership Chains For Violating 2012 Orders Prohibiting Deceptive Advertising of Vehicle Costs
The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against two auto dealer groups, operating in five states with more than two dozen retail stores, for civil penalties for violations of FTC administrative orders, which prohibit them from deceptively advertising the cost of buying or leasing a car.
“If auto dealers make advertising claims in headlines, they can’t take them away in fine print,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “These actions show there is a financial cost for violating FTC orders.”
Billion Auto, a chain of 20 family-owned automobile dealerships in Iowa, Montana, and South Dakota, and a family-controlled advertising company, Nichols Media, Inc., have agreed to settle charges that they violated a 2012 FTC administrative order. That order prohibits Billion Auto, and any companies in active participation with it, from misrepresenting material costs and terms of vehicle finance and lease offers and requires specific disclosures, mandated by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z, and the Consumer Leasing Act (CLA) and Regulation M. The Billion Auto defendants have agreed to pay $360,000 in civil penalties to settle the FTC’s charges.
According to the complaint against Billion and Nichols, the dealerships and advertising company violated the 2012 FTC administrative order by frequently focusing on only a few attractive terms in their ads while hiding others in fine print, through distracting visuals, or with rapid-fire audio delivery. For example, some dealership ads promoted low monthly payments or attractive annual percentage rates and finance periods, while concealing other material items, such as low payments were for leases, not sales; major limits existed on who could qualify for discounts; and offers often included significant added costs.
In a separate action seeking civil penalties, the FTC has charged Ramey Motors, Inc., and three affiliated dealerships, in several locations in Virginia and West Virginia, with violating a similar 2012 FTC administrative order. Among other things, Ramey Motors’ ads allegedly misrepresented the costs of financing or leasing a vehicle by concealing important terms of the offer, such as a requirement to make a substantial down payment. The complaint also charges Ramey Motors with failing to make credit disclosures clearly and conspicuously, as required by the TILA. The FTC also alleges that the auto dealer group failed to retain and produce appropriate records to the Commission to substantiate its offers. Ramey Motors and its affiliates are subject to $16,000 in civil penalties for each alleged violation of the FTC administrative order.
The Commission vote to refer the Billion complaint and proposed stipulated order to the Department of Justice for filing was 5-0. The Justice Department filed the complaint and proposed stipulated order on behalf of the Commission in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa on Dec. 11, 2014.
The Commission vote to authorize filing the complaint against Ramey Motors, Inc., Ramey Automotive Group, Inc., Ramey Automotive, Inc., and Ramey Chevrolet, Inc. was 5-0. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on Dec. 11, 2014.
The FTC has brought more than 20 enforcement actions in the auto marketplace in recent years to protect consumers. Anyone looking for a new or used vehicle can check out the agency’s tips in Buying and Owning a Car.
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. Stipulated orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge. In the Ramey matter, the case will be decided by the court.
FTC Takes Action Against Two Auto Dealership Chains For Violating 2012 Orders Prohibiting Deceptive Advertising of Vehicle Costs
The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against two auto dealer groups, operating in five states with more than two dozen retail stores, for civil penalties for violations of FTC administrative orders, which prohibit them from deceptively advertising the cost of buying or leasing a car.
“If auto dealers make advertising claims in headlines, they can’t take them away in fine print,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “These actions show there is a financial cost for violating FTC orders.”
Billion Auto, a chain of 20 family-owned automobile dealerships in Iowa, Montana, and South Dakota, and a family-controlled advertising company, Nichols Media, Inc., have agreed to settle charges that they violated a 2012 FTC administrative order. That order prohibits Billion Auto, and any companies in active participation with it, from misrepresenting material costs and terms of vehicle finance and lease offers and requires specific disclosures, mandated by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z, and the Consumer Leasing Act (CLA) and Regulation M. The Billion Auto defendants have agreed to pay $360,000 in civil penalties to settle the FTC’s charges.
According to the complaint against Billion and Nichols, the dealerships and advertising company violated the 2012 FTC administrative order by frequently focusing on only a few attractive terms in their ads while hiding others in fine print, through distracting visuals, or with rapid-fire audio delivery. For example, some dealership ads promoted low monthly payments or attractive annual percentage rates and finance periods, while concealing other material items, such as low payments were for leases, not sales; major limits existed on who could qualify for discounts; and offers often included significant added costs.
In a separate action seeking civil penalties, the FTC has charged Ramey Motors, Inc., and three affiliated dealerships, in several locations in Virginia and West Virginia, with violating a similar 2012 FTC administrative order. Among other things, Ramey Motors’ ads allegedly misrepresented the costs of financing or leasing a vehicle by concealing important terms of the offer, such as a requirement to make a substantial down payment. The complaint also charges Ramey Motors with failing to make credit disclosures clearly and conspicuously, as required by the TILA. The FTC also alleges that the auto dealer group failed to retain and produce appropriate records to the Commission to substantiate its offers. Ramey Motors and its affiliates are subject to $16,000 in civil penalties for each alleged violation of the FTC administrative order.
The Commission vote to refer the Billion complaint and proposed stipulated order to the Department of Justice for filing was 5-0. The Justice Department filed the complaint and proposed stipulated order on behalf of the Commission in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa on Dec. 11, 2014.
The Commission vote to authorize filing the complaint against Ramey Motors, Inc., Ramey Automotive Group, Inc., Ramey Automotive, Inc., and Ramey Chevrolet, Inc. was 5-0. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on Dec. 11, 2014.
The FTC has brought more than 20 enforcement actions in the auto marketplace in recent years to protect consumers. Anyone looking for a new or used vehicle can check out the agency’s tips in Buying and Owning a Car.
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. Stipulated orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge. In the Ramey matter, the case will be decided by the court.
DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL THANKS TROOPS IN BAGHDAD
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel addresses service members during a visit to Baghdad, Dec. 9, 2014. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.
In Iraq, Hagel Praises Troops’ Commitment, Service, Sacrifice
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jake Richmond
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked service members in Baghdad yesterday and told them they are “doing something very, very special that very few people in life ever can do.”
Hagel said the world is going through an incredible time of redefinition, but that the one constant that always determines outcomes of everything is service, sacrifice, leadership and commitment.
“Your commitment and your service and your sacrifice to what you believe is something that should be recognized [and] acknowledged,” he said.
Being separated from family is another part of the sacrifice made by service members, Hagel said, which is especially difficult during the holidays. He asked the troops to thank their family members on his behalf.
‘Defined by the End Game’
The secretary told the troops in attendance –- who included Americans and Australians -- that he knows they believe they’re just doing their jobs. But he reminded them that their service will make a “such a difference” in the future.
“I think when you look out over the long sweep of history -– and certainly we’ve had an interesting last 13 years in the world -- it’s always determined by not just the day-to-day developments or battles, but it’s always determined by the will and commitment of the people,” the secretary said. “And we, being the United States and our coalition partners, including Australia, are countries that have played important roles in history to help other countries and help other people.”
Hagel said such efforts are “always defined by the end game,” which he described as the determination of whether a country can be free to defend itself, support itself, and provide its people peace, prosperity and opportunity. However, the inclusiveness of an Iraqi government that its people can join and trust is essential, Hagel said.
“It is their country,” Hagel said. “They have to lead. They are the ones that are going to have to be responsible for end results. We can help, we can train, we can assist, we can advise, and we’re doing that.”
ACCOUNTANT SENTENCED IN CASE INVOLVING $300 MILLION FICTITIOUS FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Utah Accountant Sentenced for Filing Over $9 Million in False Tax Refund Claims and $300 Million Fictitious Financial Instrument
A Heber City, Utah, man was sentenced today to serve 78 months in prison for filing false claims for income tax refunds and for filing a fictitious financial instrument, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Larry J. Wszalek for the Department’s Tax Division and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups also ordered Dick Reid Jenkins, to pay $250,340 in restitution to the IRS and to serve three years of supervised released upon his release from prison.
In June 2014, Jenkins, a certified public accountant, was convicted at trial of 18 counts of filing false claims for tax refunds and one count of presenting a fictitious financial instrument to the United States. According to the superseding indictment and the proof at trial, in September 2008, Jenkins filed a false individual income tax return for himself for tax year 2007 which claimed an income tax refund of $402,920. Then, in October 2008, Jenkins filed a false amended 2004 individual income tax return, which claimed an income tax refund of $434,261. Both false claims were based on the use of a falsified IRS Form 1099-OID (Original Issue Discount), which is a form of accrued interest, to claim the false refunds. From 2009 through 2014, the IRS has listed this scheme as one of its “Dirty Dozen” worst tax scams.
According to both the superseding indictment and the proof at trial, in addition to his own false returns, from September 2008 through February 2009, Jenkins caused 16 other false federal individual income tax returns to be filed on behalf of other individuals. These false tax returns also used false Forms 1099-OID and claimed federal income tax refunds totaling $8,407,623.
Additionally, according to the superseding indictment and the proof at trial, on June 30, 2008, Jenkins presented a false and fictitious financial instrument to the U.S. Department of the Treasury in the amount of $300 million.
The case was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorney Stuart Wexler for the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Utah Accountant Sentenced for Filing Over $9 Million in False Tax Refund Claims and $300 Million Fictitious Financial Instrument
A Heber City, Utah, man was sentenced today to serve 78 months in prison for filing false claims for income tax refunds and for filing a fictitious financial instrument, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Larry J. Wszalek for the Department’s Tax Division and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups also ordered Dick Reid Jenkins, to pay $250,340 in restitution to the IRS and to serve three years of supervised released upon his release from prison.
In June 2014, Jenkins, a certified public accountant, was convicted at trial of 18 counts of filing false claims for tax refunds and one count of presenting a fictitious financial instrument to the United States. According to the superseding indictment and the proof at trial, in September 2008, Jenkins filed a false individual income tax return for himself for tax year 2007 which claimed an income tax refund of $402,920. Then, in October 2008, Jenkins filed a false amended 2004 individual income tax return, which claimed an income tax refund of $434,261. Both false claims were based on the use of a falsified IRS Form 1099-OID (Original Issue Discount), which is a form of accrued interest, to claim the false refunds. From 2009 through 2014, the IRS has listed this scheme as one of its “Dirty Dozen” worst tax scams.
According to both the superseding indictment and the proof at trial, in addition to his own false returns, from September 2008 through February 2009, Jenkins caused 16 other false federal individual income tax returns to be filed on behalf of other individuals. These false tax returns also used false Forms 1099-OID and claimed federal income tax refunds totaling $8,407,623.
Additionally, according to the superseding indictment and the proof at trial, on June 30, 2008, Jenkins presented a false and fictitious financial instrument to the U.S. Department of the Treasury in the amount of $300 million.
The case was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorney Stuart Wexler for the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
AG HOLDER'S REMARKS AT CRIMINAL DIVISION AWARDS CEREMONY
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at the Criminal Division Awards Ceremony
Washington, DCUnited States ~ Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Thank you, Leslie [Caldwell], for those kind words – and for your outstanding leadership as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. It’s a pleasure to share the stage with you, with Deputy Attorney General [Jim] Cole, and with so many other distinguished members of the Justice Department family. And it’s a great privilege, as always, to join you in recognizing the extraordinary contributions of our dedicated colleagues; as we call attention to their inspiring individual efforts and collective accomplishments; and as we express our thanks and appreciation for their tireless work over the past year – to help achieve justice in every case, in every circumstance, and in every community.
I’d like to thank all of the Criminal Division leaders and support staff members who have worked so hard to make this event a success – as well as the numerous department leaders, colleagues, former colleagues, and past award recipients who are here today for this important celebration. It’s a particular honor to join such a distinguished group in welcoming all of the proud family members, friends, and special guests who have taken the time to be here in the Great Hall, and whose support – and sacrifices – have been essential to everything that our awardees have accomplished. Make no mistake: every one of you shares in the recognitions that we are about to bestow.
Every day, this year’s Criminal Division awards recipients – and so many other dedicated men and women both in, and far beyond, this room – make a profound, positive difference on behalf of the American people. Your work is central to the mission of this department, and to the promise of our nation: the promise of equal justice under law. Your efforts help to protect, and to realize, the rights – of safety, security, opportunity, and justice – to which your fellow citizens are entitled. And all across the country – from our biggest cities, to our smallest towns; from rural areas to tribal lands – you play a crucial role in improving public safety, keeping dangerous criminals off the streets, cracking down on financial and health care fraud, and safeguarding the most vulnerable members of society from violence, exploitation, and abuse.
Especially over the past year, your work has led the Department of Justice to make remarkable – and, in some cases, even historic – progress in fulfilling the responsibilities we share. And that’s why, today, although we single out 136 extraordinary, talented, and deserving Criminal Division attorneys, investigators, paralegals, support staff members, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and law enforcement personnel, I also want to take this opportunity to thank every one of this division’s employees, and their family members, for all that they’ve done in the name of public service.
It’s worth noting, in particular, that this year’s awardees helped to secure the largest financial penalty ever imposed in a criminal case, in United States v. BNP Paribas. You helped to execute a groundbreaking take-down operation that dismantled the notorious Gameover Zeus botnet. You’ve led our national efforts to implement “Smart on Crime” reforms that are strengthening – and recalibrating – America’s criminal justice system for the 21st century. And you’ve made tremendous strides in a variety of additional areas – from ensuring the vigorous enforcement of federal laws and protecting national security, to restoring the integrity of our financial markets; from intervening in communities devastated by the cycle of poverty, incarceration, and crime, to forging relationships of trust and mutual respect where these bonds have been eroded over the years.
In so doing, you have achieved justice for so many who have been victimized, and shielded others from crime. And you’ve extended the record of achievement that has surely defined today’s Criminal Division as one of the most effective in American history.
Most impressively, you’ve accomplished all of this in a time of evolving challenges and escalating global threats. I know that, in many ways, your jobs have never been tougher, and the work you perform has never been more complex – or more urgent. Yet the leaders in this room have persevered – not just to overcome significant obstacles, but to secure the progress, and bring about the extraordinary results, we celebrate today.
I know I speak for President Obama, for our counterparts at every level of government – and for the American people we’re privileged to serve – when I say: thank you for your service, for your leadership, and for all that you continue to help us achieve. It has been the honor of my career to count you as colleagues, as partners, and as friends in the work with which we’ve been entrusted. As you know, I first joined the Justice Department – more years ago than I’d like to admit – as an attorney in this division’s Public Integrity Section. Although my time at this department will soon be drawing to a close, and my individual path will soon take me in a new direction, I will continue to seek ways to contribute to the work we share – and which has become the cause of my life. And I will always be tremendously proud of this division, this department, and every one of you.
As we carry this work into the future – and resolve to keep extending the record of achievement we celebrate today – I challenge you to keep asking tough questions and taking on tough assignments. Keep striving to build on the momentum you’ve established, and the great work that’s underway. And keep inspiring your coworkers to reach for excellence, to demand the best from one another, and to serve the country we all love with humility, with patriotism, and with fidelity to the law.
Thank you, once again, for all that you do. And please keep up the great work.
At this time, I’d like to welcome Leslie back to the podium to begin the award presentations. Once again, congratulations on earning these prestigious awards.
Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at the Criminal Division Awards Ceremony
Washington, DCUnited States ~ Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Thank you, Leslie [Caldwell], for those kind words – and for your outstanding leadership as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. It’s a pleasure to share the stage with you, with Deputy Attorney General [Jim] Cole, and with so many other distinguished members of the Justice Department family. And it’s a great privilege, as always, to join you in recognizing the extraordinary contributions of our dedicated colleagues; as we call attention to their inspiring individual efforts and collective accomplishments; and as we express our thanks and appreciation for their tireless work over the past year – to help achieve justice in every case, in every circumstance, and in every community.
I’d like to thank all of the Criminal Division leaders and support staff members who have worked so hard to make this event a success – as well as the numerous department leaders, colleagues, former colleagues, and past award recipients who are here today for this important celebration. It’s a particular honor to join such a distinguished group in welcoming all of the proud family members, friends, and special guests who have taken the time to be here in the Great Hall, and whose support – and sacrifices – have been essential to everything that our awardees have accomplished. Make no mistake: every one of you shares in the recognitions that we are about to bestow.
Every day, this year’s Criminal Division awards recipients – and so many other dedicated men and women both in, and far beyond, this room – make a profound, positive difference on behalf of the American people. Your work is central to the mission of this department, and to the promise of our nation: the promise of equal justice under law. Your efforts help to protect, and to realize, the rights – of safety, security, opportunity, and justice – to which your fellow citizens are entitled. And all across the country – from our biggest cities, to our smallest towns; from rural areas to tribal lands – you play a crucial role in improving public safety, keeping dangerous criminals off the streets, cracking down on financial and health care fraud, and safeguarding the most vulnerable members of society from violence, exploitation, and abuse.
Especially over the past year, your work has led the Department of Justice to make remarkable – and, in some cases, even historic – progress in fulfilling the responsibilities we share. And that’s why, today, although we single out 136 extraordinary, talented, and deserving Criminal Division attorneys, investigators, paralegals, support staff members, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and law enforcement personnel, I also want to take this opportunity to thank every one of this division’s employees, and their family members, for all that they’ve done in the name of public service.
It’s worth noting, in particular, that this year’s awardees helped to secure the largest financial penalty ever imposed in a criminal case, in United States v. BNP Paribas. You helped to execute a groundbreaking take-down operation that dismantled the notorious Gameover Zeus botnet. You’ve led our national efforts to implement “Smart on Crime” reforms that are strengthening – and recalibrating – America’s criminal justice system for the 21st century. And you’ve made tremendous strides in a variety of additional areas – from ensuring the vigorous enforcement of federal laws and protecting national security, to restoring the integrity of our financial markets; from intervening in communities devastated by the cycle of poverty, incarceration, and crime, to forging relationships of trust and mutual respect where these bonds have been eroded over the years.
In so doing, you have achieved justice for so many who have been victimized, and shielded others from crime. And you’ve extended the record of achievement that has surely defined today’s Criminal Division as one of the most effective in American history.
Most impressively, you’ve accomplished all of this in a time of evolving challenges and escalating global threats. I know that, in many ways, your jobs have never been tougher, and the work you perform has never been more complex – or more urgent. Yet the leaders in this room have persevered – not just to overcome significant obstacles, but to secure the progress, and bring about the extraordinary results, we celebrate today.
I know I speak for President Obama, for our counterparts at every level of government – and for the American people we’re privileged to serve – when I say: thank you for your service, for your leadership, and for all that you continue to help us achieve. It has been the honor of my career to count you as colleagues, as partners, and as friends in the work with which we’ve been entrusted. As you know, I first joined the Justice Department – more years ago than I’d like to admit – as an attorney in this division’s Public Integrity Section. Although my time at this department will soon be drawing to a close, and my individual path will soon take me in a new direction, I will continue to seek ways to contribute to the work we share – and which has become the cause of my life. And I will always be tremendously proud of this division, this department, and every one of you.
As we carry this work into the future – and resolve to keep extending the record of achievement we celebrate today – I challenge you to keep asking tough questions and taking on tough assignments. Keep striving to build on the momentum you’ve established, and the great work that’s underway. And keep inspiring your coworkers to reach for excellence, to demand the best from one another, and to serve the country we all love with humility, with patriotism, and with fidelity to the law.
Thank you, once again, for all that you do. And please keep up the great work.
At this time, I’d like to welcome Leslie back to the podium to begin the award presentations. Once again, congratulations on earning these prestigious awards.
EPA STARTS ACTION PROTECTING PUBLIC FROM GLYMES CHEMICALS
FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the following press release earlier today:
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to protect the public from seven ethylene glycol ethers or glymes chemicals that can cause health effects including birth defects and blood toxicity.
“Today’s action is part of our continuing efforts to help ensure that chemicals in products we use every day are safe for the American public,” said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Finalizing this action could prevent an increase in the use of these chemicals and reduce human exposure through ingestion and inhalation.”
Some of these chemicals are currently used in consumer products, including paints, inks, and glues. The final rule will allow EPA to review any proposed new uses of these chemicals to ensure that human health and the environment are protected. EPA believes that new uses of these chemicals should not be allowed without an opportunity for review and, if necessary, to place restrictions on these chemicals, as warranted.
EPA has also added one of the more toxic of these ethylene glycol ethers, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (monoglyme), to the Work Plan for Chemical Assessments. Monoglyme met the criteria for priority assessment because of its toxicity and use in some commercial and consumer products. EPA will conduct a risk assessment for this chemical and determine if further risk reduction action should be taken.
This rule, known as a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR), is issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act and will require manufacturers (including importers) to notify EPA at least 90 days before starting or resuming new uses of these chemicals in consumer products. This notification allows EPA the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity. SNURs ensure that once a chemical has been phased out or taken off the market for certain uses, no use can resume without notification and review by the agency.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the following press release earlier today:
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to protect the public from seven ethylene glycol ethers or glymes chemicals that can cause health effects including birth defects and blood toxicity.
“Today’s action is part of our continuing efforts to help ensure that chemicals in products we use every day are safe for the American public,” said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Finalizing this action could prevent an increase in the use of these chemicals and reduce human exposure through ingestion and inhalation.”
Some of these chemicals are currently used in consumer products, including paints, inks, and glues. The final rule will allow EPA to review any proposed new uses of these chemicals to ensure that human health and the environment are protected. EPA believes that new uses of these chemicals should not be allowed without an opportunity for review and, if necessary, to place restrictions on these chemicals, as warranted.
EPA has also added one of the more toxic of these ethylene glycol ethers, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (monoglyme), to the Work Plan for Chemical Assessments. Monoglyme met the criteria for priority assessment because of its toxicity and use in some commercial and consumer products. EPA will conduct a risk assessment for this chemical and determine if further risk reduction action should be taken.
This rule, known as a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR), is issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act and will require manufacturers (including importers) to notify EPA at least 90 days before starting or resuming new uses of these chemicals in consumer products. This notification allows EPA the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity. SNURs ensure that once a chemical has been phased out or taken off the market for certain uses, no use can resume without notification and review by the agency.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF BURKINA FASO ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Burkina Faso National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 11, 2014
On behalf of the American people and President Obama, I congratulate the people of Burkina Faso on the 54th anniversary of your independence.
The United States is dedicated to supporting Burkina Faso’s efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, expand economic opportunities, and maintain regional security. We welcome the establishment of the civilian-led transitional government. It is important that preparations begin now to ensure that the national elections scheduled for November 2015 are successful. We look forward to working closely with the transitional government, the electoral commission, and civil society to support this important election.
The United States is committed to building on the strong bond between our two countries and creating peace and prosperity for all the people of Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 11, 2014
On behalf of the American people and President Obama, I congratulate the people of Burkina Faso on the 54th anniversary of your independence.
The United States is dedicated to supporting Burkina Faso’s efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, expand economic opportunities, and maintain regional security. We welcome the establishment of the civilian-led transitional government. It is important that preparations begin now to ensure that the national elections scheduled for November 2015 are successful. We look forward to working closely with the transitional government, the electoral commission, and civil society to support this important election.
The United States is committed to building on the strong bond between our two countries and creating peace and prosperity for all the people of Burkina Faso.
DOD THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY BUILDING RESPONSE TO EBOLA OUTBREAK
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
DoD Threat Reduction Agency Builds Anti-Ebola Capacity
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2014 – The Defense Department agency whose mission is to reduce biological, chemical and other threats to troops worldwide began ramping up its response early in the Ebola outbreak and now, with many partners, is steadily building capabilities in Liberia as it extends capacity into Sierra Leone and Mali.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, known as DTRA, protects the United States and its allies from chemical, biological, nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
The fast-moving nature of West Africa’s Ebola crisis, which so far accounts for 17,145 cases of Ebola virus disease and at least 6,070 deaths, according to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has driven the need for constant, close collaboration within DTRA itself and among U.S. agencies, entities such as U.S. Africa Command, international organizations and private companies.
One of Many Stakeholders
DTRA Deputy Director Air Force Maj. Gen. John P. Horner recently spoke with DoD News about DTRA’s Ebola response in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, the U.S. lead for Ebola efforts in West Africa.
“DTRA is one of many stakeholders -- we are not necessarily the lead for any of this,” Horner said. “But between our [research, testing, development and evaluation] efforts and providing protective gear, diagnostic capabilities and vaccines, to modeling and analysis and data-sharing capabilities, we’ve made a lot of contributions” with a range of partners.
These include CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Department’s Biosecurity Engagement Program, many other U.S. interagency partners, and international partners that include the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders.
Together, DTRA and its partners provide support to Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa and contribute assay development and laboratory services, funding and capacity building to fight this and future deadly outbreaks.
In the Realm of Basic Research
Dr. Ronald K. Hann Jr., director of research and development in the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, described the process for DTRA’s work on Ebola diagnostic assays.
“Here at DTRA we work in the realm of basic research up through developing prototypes, but we aren't the ones who do the follow-on procurement, life-cycle management or distribution,” he explained.
“We try to anticipate threats in the future and make sure we have resources prepared to meet those threats,” Hann added.
As products progress, DTRA works directly with its DoD acquisition partner, the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense in Maryland, or with interagency partners such as the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, part of HHS, and the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or NIAID.
“We work in an early discovery role, up through prototypes,” Hann said. “Often we’re looking to answer the question, can I do a certain thing, not necessarily whether it’s the best or cheapest way to do it. Looking to make something more cost efficient or how to mass produce it, those are questions that go on to our interagency partners … who carry the product further.”
Threat Detection and Surveillance
Dr. Richard Schoske, chief of the diagnostic detection and threat surveillance division in the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, described DTRA’s role in diagnostic development.
As far back as 2010, Schoske said, the agency and its advanced developers funded and developed more than seventy assays to detect 19 different pathogens such as hemorrhagic fever viruses like Ebola and Marburg that are both filoviruses.
The assays received pre-Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Pre-EUA is a step toward EUA, which allows unapproved medical products to be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat or prevent serious diseases.
Generally, Schoske said, DTRA provides funding to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, or USAMRIID, and scientists there do further development and present packages of information about the assays to the advanced developer -- the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense.
Then the JPEO-CBD and DTRA’s Cooperative Biological Engagement Program, or CBEP, partners fund the manufacturing, procurement and distribution to analytic laboratories like the ones DTRA is putting in place in Liberia, Schoske said.
“Those are the assays currently being used by laboratories, in West Africa,” he added.
Labs in Sierra Leone, Assessment in Mali
Now, at Sierra Leone’s request and with CBEP funding and DTRA’s international partners, the agency is moving two contractor-staffed diagnostic labs into Sierra Leone and helping build capacity in that country to deal with Ebola and other infectious diseases.
CBEP division chief Dr. Lance Brooks said the labs will go out in stages. One is expected to be ready by the end of December and full operating capability is expected by early January.
Also in the region, DTRA, with CDC and the State Department’s Biosecurity Engagement Program, has sent an assessment team to Mali, the most recent West African country affected by the Ebola epidemic.
Major General Horner said one of DTRA’s most critical capabilities as a combat support agency is “our agility in terms of working with our lawmakers and colleagues at the Pentagon to get money programmed and on a contract in a hurry.”
He added, “As part of [President Barack Obama’s] Global Health Security Agenda we will sustain our efforts and the capabilities we are putting forward into the future as part of our medical countermeasures-biosurveillance effort.”
Dr. Ronald Meris, branch chief for DTRA Technical Reachback, where modeling is performed for Ebola and other infectious diseases, said, “If we could go out on a limb I would say our modeling is showing that the U.S. government response is making a difference in West Africa.”
He added, “I would say the rate of uptick is lower with each bit of interdiction we do to help combat this [outbreak] and build capacity in the countries. So I'm not going to say that it's a good news story yet but I'm saying the response is taking hold.”
DoD Threat Reduction Agency Builds Anti-Ebola Capacity
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2014 – The Defense Department agency whose mission is to reduce biological, chemical and other threats to troops worldwide began ramping up its response early in the Ebola outbreak and now, with many partners, is steadily building capabilities in Liberia as it extends capacity into Sierra Leone and Mali.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, known as DTRA, protects the United States and its allies from chemical, biological, nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
The fast-moving nature of West Africa’s Ebola crisis, which so far accounts for 17,145 cases of Ebola virus disease and at least 6,070 deaths, according to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has driven the need for constant, close collaboration within DTRA itself and among U.S. agencies, entities such as U.S. Africa Command, international organizations and private companies.
One of Many Stakeholders
DTRA Deputy Director Air Force Maj. Gen. John P. Horner recently spoke with DoD News about DTRA’s Ebola response in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, the U.S. lead for Ebola efforts in West Africa.
“DTRA is one of many stakeholders -- we are not necessarily the lead for any of this,” Horner said. “But between our [research, testing, development and evaluation] efforts and providing protective gear, diagnostic capabilities and vaccines, to modeling and analysis and data-sharing capabilities, we’ve made a lot of contributions” with a range of partners.
These include CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Department’s Biosecurity Engagement Program, many other U.S. interagency partners, and international partners that include the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders.
Together, DTRA and its partners provide support to Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa and contribute assay development and laboratory services, funding and capacity building to fight this and future deadly outbreaks.
In the Realm of Basic Research
Dr. Ronald K. Hann Jr., director of research and development in the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, described the process for DTRA’s work on Ebola diagnostic assays.
“Here at DTRA we work in the realm of basic research up through developing prototypes, but we aren't the ones who do the follow-on procurement, life-cycle management or distribution,” he explained.
“We try to anticipate threats in the future and make sure we have resources prepared to meet those threats,” Hann added.
As products progress, DTRA works directly with its DoD acquisition partner, the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense in Maryland, or with interagency partners such as the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, part of HHS, and the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or NIAID.
“We work in an early discovery role, up through prototypes,” Hann said. “Often we’re looking to answer the question, can I do a certain thing, not necessarily whether it’s the best or cheapest way to do it. Looking to make something more cost efficient or how to mass produce it, those are questions that go on to our interagency partners … who carry the product further.”
Threat Detection and Surveillance
Dr. Richard Schoske, chief of the diagnostic detection and threat surveillance division in the Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, described DTRA’s role in diagnostic development.
As far back as 2010, Schoske said, the agency and its advanced developers funded and developed more than seventy assays to detect 19 different pathogens such as hemorrhagic fever viruses like Ebola and Marburg that are both filoviruses.
The assays received pre-Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Pre-EUA is a step toward EUA, which allows unapproved medical products to be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat or prevent serious diseases.
Generally, Schoske said, DTRA provides funding to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, or USAMRIID, and scientists there do further development and present packages of information about the assays to the advanced developer -- the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense.
Then the JPEO-CBD and DTRA’s Cooperative Biological Engagement Program, or CBEP, partners fund the manufacturing, procurement and distribution to analytic laboratories like the ones DTRA is putting in place in Liberia, Schoske said.
“Those are the assays currently being used by laboratories, in West Africa,” he added.
Labs in Sierra Leone, Assessment in Mali
Now, at Sierra Leone’s request and with CBEP funding and DTRA’s international partners, the agency is moving two contractor-staffed diagnostic labs into Sierra Leone and helping build capacity in that country to deal with Ebola and other infectious diseases.
CBEP division chief Dr. Lance Brooks said the labs will go out in stages. One is expected to be ready by the end of December and full operating capability is expected by early January.
Also in the region, DTRA, with CDC and the State Department’s Biosecurity Engagement Program, has sent an assessment team to Mali, the most recent West African country affected by the Ebola epidemic.
Major General Horner said one of DTRA’s most critical capabilities as a combat support agency is “our agility in terms of working with our lawmakers and colleagues at the Pentagon to get money programmed and on a contract in a hurry.”
He added, “As part of [President Barack Obama’s] Global Health Security Agenda we will sustain our efforts and the capabilities we are putting forward into the future as part of our medical countermeasures-biosurveillance effort.”
Dr. Ronald Meris, branch chief for DTRA Technical Reachback, where modeling is performed for Ebola and other infectious diseases, said, “If we could go out on a limb I would say our modeling is showing that the U.S. government response is making a difference in West Africa.”
He added, “I would say the rate of uptick is lower with each bit of interdiction we do to help combat this [outbreak] and build capacity in the countries. So I'm not going to say that it's a good news story yet but I'm saying the response is taking hold.”
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