FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Permanently Shut Down Liberty Tax Service Franchise Owner
The United States filed a complaint asking a federal court in Detroit to bar a Liberty Tax Service franchise owner and his companies based in Illinois and Michigan from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.
The civil complaint against Syed N. Ahmed and his businesses, Nasah Inc., Millinium [sic] Financial Solutions Inc., Mars Inc.-Hamtramck, and Mahad Inc., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The complaint alleges that Ahmed operates at least 10 Liberty Tax Service franchise locations.
According to the suit, the defendants improperly obtain inflated tax refunds and refundable credits for customers by preparing tax returns that include, among other things, false or inflated Schedule C (Profit or Loss From Business) income and expenses, bogus dependents, false filing statuses, improper education credits and false itemized deductions.
For example, the complaint alleges that one of defendants’ tax return preparers fabricated a driving business without the customer’s knowledge and reported thousands of dollars of expenses for that business that the customer did not incur. The false expenses enabled the customer to receive an earned income tax credit that she was not otherwise entitled to receive, according to the suit.
The lawsuit states that the defendants prepared more than 17,000 federal income tax returns between 2010 and 2013. Based on audit adjustments the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has made to tax returns prepared and filed by the defendants between 2010 and 2013, the defendants’ conduct has cost the U.S. Treasury approximately $2.8 million, according to the suit.
Monday, April 27, 2015
POLIO ERADICATION CAN BE STRENGTHENED BY IMPROVING QUALITY OF SURVEILLANCE FOR POLIOVIRUSES
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Tracking Progress Toward Polio Eradication — Worldwide, 2013–2014
CDC Media Relations
Improvement in the quality of surveillance for polioviruses is needed to help strengthen global polio eradication efforts. There are only three countries where poliovirus circulation has never been interrupted: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Outbreaks occurred during 2013 and 2014 as a result of spread from these countries. Monitoring the progress of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative requires sensitive and timely polio surveillance. This report presents 2013 and 2014 poliovirus surveillance data, focusing on reports during 2010-2014 from 29 countries with at least one case of wild or circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus. In 2013, 25 of the 29 countries met the two primary surveillance quality indicators: sensitivity and timeliness; in 2014, the number decreased to 21. To complete and certify polio eradication, gaps in surveillance must be identified and surveillance activities, including supervision, monitoring, and proper specimen collection, must be further strengthened.
Tracking Progress Toward Polio Eradication — Worldwide, 2013–2014
CDC Media Relations
Improvement in the quality of surveillance for polioviruses is needed to help strengthen global polio eradication efforts. There are only three countries where poliovirus circulation has never been interrupted: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Outbreaks occurred during 2013 and 2014 as a result of spread from these countries. Monitoring the progress of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative requires sensitive and timely polio surveillance. This report presents 2013 and 2014 poliovirus surveillance data, focusing on reports during 2010-2014 from 29 countries with at least one case of wild or circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus. In 2013, 25 of the 29 countries met the two primary surveillance quality indicators: sensitivity and timeliness; in 2014, the number decreased to 21. To complete and certify polio eradication, gaps in surveillance must be identified and surveillance activities, including supervision, monitoring, and proper specimen collection, must be further strengthened.
DOCTOR PLEADS GUILTY FOR ROLE IN $56 MILLION HEALTH CARE FRAUD
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Louisiana Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Charges for Writing False Home Health Certifications in $56 Million Fraud Scheme
A Louisiana doctor pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges today, admitting that he wrote false home health care certifications that were used in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite of the Eastern District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Michael Anderson of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Mike Fields of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office and Louisiana Attorney General James D. “Buddy” Caldwell made the announcement.
Winston Murray, M.D., 62, of Hammond, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance of the Eastern District of Louisiana to all three charges against him, including one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and two counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 12, 2015. Murray is the ninth defendant to plead guilty in this case. The trial for the remaining four defendants is scheduled to begin on May 6, 2015.
At his plea hearing, Murray admitted that he operated a clinic in Hammond, Louisiana, from which he wrote home health care referrals for Medicare beneficiaries he knew were not confined to their homes. Murray further admitted that his referrals were used by home health companies Interlink Health Care Services Inc. (Interlink) and Lakeland Health Care Services Inc. (Lakeland), among others, to fraudulently bill Medicare for home health services supposedly rendered to hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries living in and around Hammond and New Orleans.
Medicare records reveal that Murray’s certifications were used by Interlink and Lakeland to bill Medicare for more than $2.2 million in home health services that were not medically needed or were not provided. From 2007 through 2014, these companies and other companies involved in this scheme submitted more than $56 million in claims to Medicare, a vast majority of which were fraudulent. Medicare paid approximately $50.7 million on these claims.
This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, 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. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Kanellis and Antonio Pozos and Assistant Chief Ben Curtis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 2,100 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6.5 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Louisiana Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Charges for Writing False Home Health Certifications in $56 Million Fraud Scheme
A Louisiana doctor pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges today, admitting that he wrote false home health care certifications that were used in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite of the Eastern District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Michael Anderson of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Mike Fields of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office and Louisiana Attorney General James D. “Buddy” Caldwell made the announcement.
Winston Murray, M.D., 62, of Hammond, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance of the Eastern District of Louisiana to all three charges against him, including one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and two counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 12, 2015. Murray is the ninth defendant to plead guilty in this case. The trial for the remaining four defendants is scheduled to begin on May 6, 2015.
At his plea hearing, Murray admitted that he operated a clinic in Hammond, Louisiana, from which he wrote home health care referrals for Medicare beneficiaries he knew were not confined to their homes. Murray further admitted that his referrals were used by home health companies Interlink Health Care Services Inc. (Interlink) and Lakeland Health Care Services Inc. (Lakeland), among others, to fraudulently bill Medicare for home health services supposedly rendered to hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries living in and around Hammond and New Orleans.
Medicare records reveal that Murray’s certifications were used by Interlink and Lakeland to bill Medicare for more than $2.2 million in home health services that were not medically needed or were not provided. From 2007 through 2014, these companies and other companies involved in this scheme submitted more than $56 million in claims to Medicare, a vast majority of which were fraudulent. Medicare paid approximately $50.7 million on these claims.
This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, 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. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Kanellis and Antonio Pozos and Assistant Chief Ben Curtis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 2,100 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6.5 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
CDC SAYS EXPANDED USE OF NALOXONE COULD REDUCE DEATHS FROM DRUG OVERDOSES
FROM: U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Expanding Naloxone use could reduce drug overdose deaths and save lives
Where you live makes a difference
Allowing more basic emergency medical service (EMS) staff to administer naloxone could reduce drug overdose deaths that involve opioids, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, “Disparity in Naloxone Administration by Emergency Medical Service Providers and the Burden of Drug Overdose in Rural Communities,” published in the American Journal of Public Health.
In 2013, more than 16,000 deaths in the United States involved prescription opioids, and more than 8,000 others were related to heroin. Naloxone is a prescription drug that can reverse the effects of prescription opioid and heroin overdose, and can be life-saving if administered in time.
According to the study findings, advanced EMS staff were more likely than basic EMS staff to administer naloxone. A majority of states have adopted national guidelines that prohibit basic EMS staff from administering the drug as an injection. As of 2014, only 12 states allowed basic EMS staff to administer naloxone for a suspected opioid overdose; all 50 states allow advanced EMS staff to administer the overdose reversal treatment.
“Opioid overdose deaths are devastating families and communities, especially in rural areas,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Many of these deaths can be prevented by improving prescribing practices to prevent opioid addiction, expanding the use of medication-assisted treatment, and increasing use of naloxone for suspected overdoses. Having trained EMS staff to administer naloxone in rural areas will save lives.”
To reduce opioid overdose deaths, particularly in rural areas, CDC recommends expanding training on the administration of naloxone to all emergency service staff, and helping basic EMS personnel meet the advanced certification requirements.
Expanding Naloxone use could reduce drug overdose deaths and save lives
Where you live makes a difference
Allowing more basic emergency medical service (EMS) staff to administer naloxone could reduce drug overdose deaths that involve opioids, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, “Disparity in Naloxone Administration by Emergency Medical Service Providers and the Burden of Drug Overdose in Rural Communities,” published in the American Journal of Public Health.
In 2013, more than 16,000 deaths in the United States involved prescription opioids, and more than 8,000 others were related to heroin. Naloxone is a prescription drug that can reverse the effects of prescription opioid and heroin overdose, and can be life-saving if administered in time.
According to the study findings, advanced EMS staff were more likely than basic EMS staff to administer naloxone. A majority of states have adopted national guidelines that prohibit basic EMS staff from administering the drug as an injection. As of 2014, only 12 states allowed basic EMS staff to administer naloxone for a suspected opioid overdose; all 50 states allow advanced EMS staff to administer the overdose reversal treatment.
“Opioid overdose deaths are devastating families and communities, especially in rural areas,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Many of these deaths can be prevented by improving prescribing practices to prevent opioid addiction, expanding the use of medication-assisted treatment, and increasing use of naloxone for suspected overdoses. Having trained EMS staff to administer naloxone in rural areas will save lives.”
To reduce opioid overdose deaths, particularly in rural areas, CDC recommends expanding training on the administration of naloxone to all emergency service staff, and helping basic EMS personnel meet the advanced certification requirements.
AMBASSADOR POWER'S REMARKS ON SCREENING OF SELMA
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
April 23, 2015
AS DELIVERED
Thank you very much, Under Secretary-General Gallach, for your introduction and thanks to the entire Department of Public Information team for the important work you do in telling the story of the work of the United Nations. You give people outside these walls a deeper understanding of the ideals that this institution was created 70 years ago to embody, and which we fight for every day.
And good evening ambassadors, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen and a special welcome to the young people from those twenty eight schools in New York and New Jersey. It is truly thrilling to look out and see so many young faces and I actually find myself asking whether the world would look differently if you were at more of our events at the UN. Because when we look out at your faces we really see the stakes of what we are trying to achieve and maybe if you were here more often we’d do a better job at overcoming divisions to promote human rights and human dignity and peace and security. So don’t make this your last visit to the UN. I hope to see more of you.
I have the privilege of just sharing a few thoughts with you before you see the remarkable film “Selma,” and I know you are here to do that. Tonight’s screening and discussion allow us an opportunity to look back 50 years, and to reflect on and be inspired by the determination of a group of people to change the course of history.
Let me take a moment to give a shout-out to the acclaimed director of “Selma,” Ava DuVernay. Ava, as you know, has graciously agreed to join us to share her own reflections on what this moment in America’s history means, what it meant then and what it means now.
For those of you who know the story of the march from Selma to Montgomery, watching it tonight will bring you into the swirling clouds of tear gas, the snarl of those police dogs and the sickening thud of the nightsticks used against the peaceful marchers on Edmund Pettis Bridge. For those of you who are hearing this story for the first time, you will soon know the bravery of so many great American heroes, including Congressman John Lewis, and one of my predecessors, Ambassador Andrew Young. Their stubborn determination and complete dedication to their cause should inspire us to try harder – and to be better – today.
Make no mistake, the men and women who marched at Selma in 1965 had little on their side: not the law, not public opinion, not force of arms. What they had was courage in the face of oppression, faith in their right to be treated equally, and an iron will to end the injustices that kept most African-Americans in the South from being able to vote.
Those injustices were many. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and hostile registrars intimidated an already marginalized population. Limited registration hours excluded them, as they toiled in working class jobs day and night. Police harassed them while they were waiting in line to add their names to the voting rolls. In Dallas County, Alabama, where Selma was located, more than half of the county’s residents were Black, but only one percent of them were registered to vote in 1965. Think of that. One percent.
And so the marchers marched. And as they did, their footsteps jolted a sleeping nation awake. They built a movement and, through their sweat and their sacrifice, they got the vote that they had been denied, and this is a truly inspiring story. But later tonight when the credits roll, let us not forget that the story is not complete.
On the 50th anniversary of Selma and standing on that infamous bridge, President Obama said “From the streets of Tunis to the Maidan in Ukraine, a new generation of young people can draw strength from this place.” Selma is a place where people without power changed forever a most powerful nation, and both their struggle against injustice and their courage to act are alive and well around the world. You’ll find the struggle in places like North Korea, where tens of thousands are being imprisoned in camps and subject to the most unspeakable tortures for so-called “crimes” ranging from speaking out to possessing a radio. In Russia, where telling the truth in print means risking your livelihood, or much more. Or in Burma, where claiming your identity as worthy of dignity and deserving of citizenship can mean risking your life.
And we ask of others what we ask of ourselves. The spirit of Selma must continue here in America. Just two years ago, the United States Supreme Court struck down a part of the Voting Rights Act – the legislation that was a victory for those marching on Selma and for our democracy. The decision effectively made it easier for states to put up obstacles to voting – for minorities, the poor, and the disabled. How is it possible in 2015 that one would put up obstacles to voting? President Obama has called on Congress to right this wrong, and throughout the country, civil society activists, many of them young people, are engaged in this modern day struggle for full civil rights. They and we will succeed. After all, our democracy is built on the hard work of righting wrongs again and again. Consider that just one month before the Supreme Court decision to degrade the Voting Rights Act, that same Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. It was a decision that brought us one step closer to ensuring that all Americans, including gay and lesbian Americans, have the same rights no matter who you are or who you love.
What will be our Selma? Against what injustices will we, will you, march? How will what you see up there on the screen inspire you to act out there in the world?
Thank you and enjoy the movie and the discussion.
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
April 23, 2015
AS DELIVERED
Thank you very much, Under Secretary-General Gallach, for your introduction and thanks to the entire Department of Public Information team for the important work you do in telling the story of the work of the United Nations. You give people outside these walls a deeper understanding of the ideals that this institution was created 70 years ago to embody, and which we fight for every day.
And good evening ambassadors, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen and a special welcome to the young people from those twenty eight schools in New York and New Jersey. It is truly thrilling to look out and see so many young faces and I actually find myself asking whether the world would look differently if you were at more of our events at the UN. Because when we look out at your faces we really see the stakes of what we are trying to achieve and maybe if you were here more often we’d do a better job at overcoming divisions to promote human rights and human dignity and peace and security. So don’t make this your last visit to the UN. I hope to see more of you.
I have the privilege of just sharing a few thoughts with you before you see the remarkable film “Selma,” and I know you are here to do that. Tonight’s screening and discussion allow us an opportunity to look back 50 years, and to reflect on and be inspired by the determination of a group of people to change the course of history.
Let me take a moment to give a shout-out to the acclaimed director of “Selma,” Ava DuVernay. Ava, as you know, has graciously agreed to join us to share her own reflections on what this moment in America’s history means, what it meant then and what it means now.
For those of you who know the story of the march from Selma to Montgomery, watching it tonight will bring you into the swirling clouds of tear gas, the snarl of those police dogs and the sickening thud of the nightsticks used against the peaceful marchers on Edmund Pettis Bridge. For those of you who are hearing this story for the first time, you will soon know the bravery of so many great American heroes, including Congressman John Lewis, and one of my predecessors, Ambassador Andrew Young. Their stubborn determination and complete dedication to their cause should inspire us to try harder – and to be better – today.
Make no mistake, the men and women who marched at Selma in 1965 had little on their side: not the law, not public opinion, not force of arms. What they had was courage in the face of oppression, faith in their right to be treated equally, and an iron will to end the injustices that kept most African-Americans in the South from being able to vote.
Those injustices were many. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and hostile registrars intimidated an already marginalized population. Limited registration hours excluded them, as they toiled in working class jobs day and night. Police harassed them while they were waiting in line to add their names to the voting rolls. In Dallas County, Alabama, where Selma was located, more than half of the county’s residents were Black, but only one percent of them were registered to vote in 1965. Think of that. One percent.
And so the marchers marched. And as they did, their footsteps jolted a sleeping nation awake. They built a movement and, through their sweat and their sacrifice, they got the vote that they had been denied, and this is a truly inspiring story. But later tonight when the credits roll, let us not forget that the story is not complete.
On the 50th anniversary of Selma and standing on that infamous bridge, President Obama said “From the streets of Tunis to the Maidan in Ukraine, a new generation of young people can draw strength from this place.” Selma is a place where people without power changed forever a most powerful nation, and both their struggle against injustice and their courage to act are alive and well around the world. You’ll find the struggle in places like North Korea, where tens of thousands are being imprisoned in camps and subject to the most unspeakable tortures for so-called “crimes” ranging from speaking out to possessing a radio. In Russia, where telling the truth in print means risking your livelihood, or much more. Or in Burma, where claiming your identity as worthy of dignity and deserving of citizenship can mean risking your life.
And we ask of others what we ask of ourselves. The spirit of Selma must continue here in America. Just two years ago, the United States Supreme Court struck down a part of the Voting Rights Act – the legislation that was a victory for those marching on Selma and for our democracy. The decision effectively made it easier for states to put up obstacles to voting – for minorities, the poor, and the disabled. How is it possible in 2015 that one would put up obstacles to voting? President Obama has called on Congress to right this wrong, and throughout the country, civil society activists, many of them young people, are engaged in this modern day struggle for full civil rights. They and we will succeed. After all, our democracy is built on the hard work of righting wrongs again and again. Consider that just one month before the Supreme Court decision to degrade the Voting Rights Act, that same Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. It was a decision that brought us one step closer to ensuring that all Americans, including gay and lesbian Americans, have the same rights no matter who you are or who you love.
What will be our Selma? Against what injustices will we, will you, march? How will what you see up there on the screen inspire you to act out there in the world?
Thank you and enjoy the movie and the discussion.
MAGMA DISCOVERED BENEATH YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Yellowstone magma discovery
NSF-funded seismologists at the University of Utah discover magma hidden beneath Yellowstone's supervolcano
A team of University of Utah seismologists has discovered a reservoir of hot, partly molten rock hidden 12 to 28 miles beneath Yellowstone's supervolcano--enough to fill the 1000 cubic-mile-Grand Canyon more than 11 times. The pool is over four times larger than a shallower, long-known magma chamber.
The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded team, developed a new technique that uses both local and distant earthquake data from the University of Utah Seismograph Stations and the NSF-funded EarthScope array of seismometers. The combined data resulted in a better, deeper and more complete image of the system. The newly discovered reservoir carries hot and partly molten rock upward from the top of Yellowstone's hotspot plume--about 40 miles below the surface.
Yellowstone's plumbing system is no larger or closer to erupting than before, scientists are just seeing more of it than ever before. Yellowstone is among the world's largest supervolcanoes, with frequent earthquakes. The team believes these new models help us gain a better understanding of Yellowstone's plumbing system, and may lead to improved estimates of the potential future seismic and volcanic hazards.
-- Dena Headlee,
Investigators
Fan-Chi Lin
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Utah
Yellowstone magma discovery
NSF-funded seismologists at the University of Utah discover magma hidden beneath Yellowstone's supervolcano
A team of University of Utah seismologists has discovered a reservoir of hot, partly molten rock hidden 12 to 28 miles beneath Yellowstone's supervolcano--enough to fill the 1000 cubic-mile-Grand Canyon more than 11 times. The pool is over four times larger than a shallower, long-known magma chamber.
The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded team, developed a new technique that uses both local and distant earthquake data from the University of Utah Seismograph Stations and the NSF-funded EarthScope array of seismometers. The combined data resulted in a better, deeper and more complete image of the system. The newly discovered reservoir carries hot and partly molten rock upward from the top of Yellowstone's hotspot plume--about 40 miles below the surface.
Yellowstone's plumbing system is no larger or closer to erupting than before, scientists are just seeing more of it than ever before. Yellowstone is among the world's largest supervolcanoes, with frequent earthquakes. The team believes these new models help us gain a better understanding of Yellowstone's plumbing system, and may lead to improved estimates of the potential future seismic and volcanic hazards.
-- Dena Headlee,
Investigators
Fan-Chi Lin
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Utah
FDIC CHAIRMAN GRUENBERG'S REMARKS ON JUMP$TART COALITION
FROM: FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
Remarks by Martin J. Gruenberg, Chairman Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation at Jump$tart Coalition National Partners Meeting; Washington, D.C.
April 23, 2015
Thank you very much for including me in your event today.
First, I'd like to recognize Laura and Ted for their leadership, not just of the Jump$tart Coalition, but for all they do to help teach American youth about money and how to responsibly handle their financial affairs.
All of you here today are terrific advocates and resources for advancing youth financial capability, both nationally and in communities across the nation. Thank you for your dedication and your many contributions to financial education.
I am delighted to be here today for the unveiling of an extraordinary new set of tools to help educators and families work together to teach children about financial literacy at every stage of their education, from Pre-K through age 20.
A little over two years ago, the FDIC began working more intensively with partner agencies on the Financial Literacy and Education Commission to promote youth financial capability.1 We did this because starting financial education early can have long-standing benefits for young people and their families.
We soon realized that our interests and objectives in this area matched those of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In particular, both of our agencies encourage practical and tested approaches that can positively affect young peoples' decisions in a lasting way.
So last April, the FDIC and CFPB signed an agreement to leverage our strengths by working together to improve financial education and the decision-making skills among American youth.
After a year of hard work, we are here today to announce the initial results of that partnership.
To start, I am very proud to announce a brand new Money Smart for Young People series. It is an extraordinary step forward for financial literacy. It is the first nationally available free curriculum that directly brings educators, parents, other family members and caregivers into the learning process for young people of all ages. This is a major innovation.
Family and other caregivers play an important role in shaping a young person's financial learning and development. Young people often learn about money by observing and listening to parents and other adults they spend time with. Yet, CFPB research showed that while parents want to talk about money with their kids, they often lack the knowledge and tools to do so effectively.
So to solve this problem, we added a parent/caregiver guide to all levels of the new Money Smart for Young People series. The guides are easy to use and include information about topics that are covered in class, as well as at-home activities and conversation starters.
And the program gives educators an extensive library of lesson plans so they can teach the concepts that make the most sense for their class.
In a minute, Rich will talk more about our efforts to get parents and caregivers more involved in educating their kids about money. As you will hear, this new Money Smart for Young People series truly supports the contributions of students, educators, and parents in learning.
For example, the new curriculums empower teachers with engaging activities to integrate financial education instruction into other subjects, such as math, English, and social studies. We hope this multi-disciplinary approach can be especially helpful for teaching toward state standards in a range of subjects.
Our new series will offer educators a powerful tool to customize lessons for students at different grade levels and abilities. Previous Money Smart lessons did not focus on grade level, but only provided general instruction.
As always, our Money Smart programs are available on line from the FDIC website.
We are eager to hear how teachers use the new Money Smart for Young People materials so that we can improve the curriculum and share successful approaches with other educators. We also want school administrators and principals to share their thoughts on how we can best equip teachers to use these materials.
I know there are a number of education leaders with us today. If you have any comments, please speak with an FDIC representative after this briefing, or send us an email through the FDIC website.
I also want to share with you another groundbreaking resource that has come about because of our work with the CFPB.
For the first time, we now provide videos for teachers that demonstrate how some fundamental financial lessons can be delivered in the classroom. They are short and meant to empower teachers not just by building their confidence, but inspiring their creativity to talk about money in the classroom.
Finally, the FDIC continues to work with the CFPB on our youth savings program. We know that hands-on approaches to learning really help students understand and retain lessons delivered by educators. To that end, earlier this week we announced Phase II of the FDIC's Youth Savings Account Pilot.
The first phase of the pilot program involved nine banks that set up youth savings programs, which gave young people the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real financial products at real depository institutions in a safe setting. Some of the programs sponsored school-based bank branches run by students.
For the second phase, we plan to build on successful approaches that were taken during the first phase of the pilot. For example, several banks in the first pilot have told us that younger children – even those in kindergarten – were excited to save, even pennies, and that doing so can start healthy habits at a formative age.
I am certain many of you can relate to how teenagers can be reluctant to take advice from their parents or other adults. But Some of the banks in the first phase of the pilot found that financial advice provided by peers can have greater credibility.
One of the student bankers whom FDIC staff spoke to recently said teachers frequently ask her and her peers to talk about the importance of saving with fellow students and to answer questions in classes.
Another student banker conveyed how she had helped her peers save for higher education.
We're encouraging banks that want to be a part of the second youth savings pilot program to let us know by June 18th. You can learn more about the pilot from the FDIC website. Also on the website, you can find interagency guidance for financial institutions aimed at promoting youth savings programs.
In closing, as many of you know, economic inclusion is a major priority for the FDIC. Our long experience with Money Smart has proved that carefully designed and implemented programs enhance the ability of mainstream institutions to offer safe, sound, and sustainable products and services to underserved consumers.
The newest efforts that we are announcing today advance this work in several important ways:
They make available a well-crafted and flexible set of tools for educators that incorporate best practices and educational standards;
They provide resources for parents and caregivers that reinforce key messages about using money to achieve a better future; and finally
They continue our work to link practical financial education and experience with a safe savings account at an insured institution, with the end goal a lasting banking relationship and greater financial stability for children and their families.
We strongly believe that our partnership with the CFPB will lead to more young people making better informed decisions about their money. I look forward to continuing the partnership in the years to come.
Thank you very much.
Remarks by Martin J. Gruenberg, Chairman Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation at Jump$tart Coalition National Partners Meeting; Washington, D.C.
April 23, 2015
Thank you very much for including me in your event today.
First, I'd like to recognize Laura and Ted for their leadership, not just of the Jump$tart Coalition, but for all they do to help teach American youth about money and how to responsibly handle their financial affairs.
All of you here today are terrific advocates and resources for advancing youth financial capability, both nationally and in communities across the nation. Thank you for your dedication and your many contributions to financial education.
I am delighted to be here today for the unveiling of an extraordinary new set of tools to help educators and families work together to teach children about financial literacy at every stage of their education, from Pre-K through age 20.
A little over two years ago, the FDIC began working more intensively with partner agencies on the Financial Literacy and Education Commission to promote youth financial capability.1 We did this because starting financial education early can have long-standing benefits for young people and their families.
We soon realized that our interests and objectives in this area matched those of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In particular, both of our agencies encourage practical and tested approaches that can positively affect young peoples' decisions in a lasting way.
So last April, the FDIC and CFPB signed an agreement to leverage our strengths by working together to improve financial education and the decision-making skills among American youth.
After a year of hard work, we are here today to announce the initial results of that partnership.
To start, I am very proud to announce a brand new Money Smart for Young People series. It is an extraordinary step forward for financial literacy. It is the first nationally available free curriculum that directly brings educators, parents, other family members and caregivers into the learning process for young people of all ages. This is a major innovation.
Family and other caregivers play an important role in shaping a young person's financial learning and development. Young people often learn about money by observing and listening to parents and other adults they spend time with. Yet, CFPB research showed that while parents want to talk about money with their kids, they often lack the knowledge and tools to do so effectively.
So to solve this problem, we added a parent/caregiver guide to all levels of the new Money Smart for Young People series. The guides are easy to use and include information about topics that are covered in class, as well as at-home activities and conversation starters.
And the program gives educators an extensive library of lesson plans so they can teach the concepts that make the most sense for their class.
In a minute, Rich will talk more about our efforts to get parents and caregivers more involved in educating their kids about money. As you will hear, this new Money Smart for Young People series truly supports the contributions of students, educators, and parents in learning.
For example, the new curriculums empower teachers with engaging activities to integrate financial education instruction into other subjects, such as math, English, and social studies. We hope this multi-disciplinary approach can be especially helpful for teaching toward state standards in a range of subjects.
Our new series will offer educators a powerful tool to customize lessons for students at different grade levels and abilities. Previous Money Smart lessons did not focus on grade level, but only provided general instruction.
As always, our Money Smart programs are available on line from the FDIC website.
We are eager to hear how teachers use the new Money Smart for Young People materials so that we can improve the curriculum and share successful approaches with other educators. We also want school administrators and principals to share their thoughts on how we can best equip teachers to use these materials.
I know there are a number of education leaders with us today. If you have any comments, please speak with an FDIC representative after this briefing, or send us an email through the FDIC website.
I also want to share with you another groundbreaking resource that has come about because of our work with the CFPB.
For the first time, we now provide videos for teachers that demonstrate how some fundamental financial lessons can be delivered in the classroom. They are short and meant to empower teachers not just by building their confidence, but inspiring their creativity to talk about money in the classroom.
Finally, the FDIC continues to work with the CFPB on our youth savings program. We know that hands-on approaches to learning really help students understand and retain lessons delivered by educators. To that end, earlier this week we announced Phase II of the FDIC's Youth Savings Account Pilot.
The first phase of the pilot program involved nine banks that set up youth savings programs, which gave young people the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real financial products at real depository institutions in a safe setting. Some of the programs sponsored school-based bank branches run by students.
For the second phase, we plan to build on successful approaches that were taken during the first phase of the pilot. For example, several banks in the first pilot have told us that younger children – even those in kindergarten – were excited to save, even pennies, and that doing so can start healthy habits at a formative age.
I am certain many of you can relate to how teenagers can be reluctant to take advice from their parents or other adults. But Some of the banks in the first phase of the pilot found that financial advice provided by peers can have greater credibility.
One of the student bankers whom FDIC staff spoke to recently said teachers frequently ask her and her peers to talk about the importance of saving with fellow students and to answer questions in classes.
Another student banker conveyed how she had helped her peers save for higher education.
We're encouraging banks that want to be a part of the second youth savings pilot program to let us know by June 18th. You can learn more about the pilot from the FDIC website. Also on the website, you can find interagency guidance for financial institutions aimed at promoting youth savings programs.
In closing, as many of you know, economic inclusion is a major priority for the FDIC. Our long experience with Money Smart has proved that carefully designed and implemented programs enhance the ability of mainstream institutions to offer safe, sound, and sustainable products and services to underserved consumers.
The newest efforts that we are announcing today advance this work in several important ways:
They make available a well-crafted and flexible set of tools for educators that incorporate best practices and educational standards;
They provide resources for parents and caregivers that reinforce key messages about using money to achieve a better future; and finally
They continue our work to link practical financial education and experience with a safe savings account at an insured institution, with the end goal a lasting banking relationship and greater financial stability for children and their families.
We strongly believe that our partnership with the CFPB will lead to more young people making better informed decisions about their money. I look forward to continuing the partnership in the years to come.
Thank you very much.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
U.S. COALITION FORCES ARE CONTINUING AIRSTRIKES IN IRAQ, SYRIA
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S., Coalition Forces Continue Airstrikes Against ISIL
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 26, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Airstrikes in Syria
Fighter and attack aircraft conducted three airstrikes in Syria:
-- Near Al Hasakah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
-- Near Kobani, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying an ISIL fighting position.
Airstrikes in Iraq
Fighter, attack, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 17 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Al Hawayjah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL staging areas and an ISIL tactical unit, destroying an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Bayji, six airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units, destroying two ISIL vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL bunkers, two ISIL structures, an ISIL mortar tube and an ISIL warehouse.
-- Near Fallujah, five airstrikes struck four ISIL tactical units, destroying an ISIL armored personnel carrier, an ISIL dump truck, an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
-- Near Mosul, an airstrike struck an ISIL large tactical unit, destroying an ISIL weapons cache and an ISIL tunnel system.
-- Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying an ISIL vehicle.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
U.S., Coalition Forces Continue Airstrikes Against ISIL
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, April 26, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Airstrikes in Syria
Fighter and attack aircraft conducted three airstrikes in Syria:
-- Near Al Hasakah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL fighting position.
-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
-- Near Kobani, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying an ISIL fighting position.
Airstrikes in Iraq
Fighter, attack, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 17 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Al Hawayjah, three airstrikes struck two ISIL staging areas and an ISIL tactical unit, destroying an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Bayji, six airstrikes struck three ISIL tactical units, destroying two ISIL vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, two ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL bunkers, two ISIL structures, an ISIL mortar tube and an ISIL warehouse.
-- Near Fallujah, five airstrikes struck four ISIL tactical units, destroying an ISIL armored personnel carrier, an ISIL dump truck, an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
-- Near Mosul, an airstrike struck an ISIL large tactical unit, destroying an ISIL weapons cache and an ISIL tunnel system.
-- Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying an ISIL vehicle.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
AG HOLDER SAYS GOODBYE AT CEREMONY
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Attorney General Holder Addresses Department Employees at Departure Ceremony
Washington, DCUnited States ~ Friday, April 24, 2015
Remarks as delivered
Thank you, thank you. Please take your seats.
A couple of business items. My portrait hangs on the fifth floor of the Justice Department. And something that has not been mentioned but something that I really pressed Simmie Knox – the artist of the portrait – my kid’s names are hidden in the portrait. And if you look at the button of my jacket and the wings of the eagle you’ll find the three of them. And that’s the lore I want to have come out about this portrait. Find the names of the Holder children – okay?
The other thing, Lee Loftus asked me to check to make sure that you all know that you’re on annual leave. But in my final act as Attorney General – screw it!
This has been a great six years. Being at the Justice Department has been – I said the last six years but the reality is that I’ve been at this department since 1976, off and on. I started as a line lawyer in the public integrity section in the Criminal Division and it’s going to be hard for me to walk away from the people who I love and the people who represent this institution that I love so much – but it is time. It is time to make a transition. Change is a good thing and I am confident in the work in which you have done that we have laid the foundation for even better things over the course of the next couple of years.
I think that as we look back at these past six years, what I want you all to understand is that you have done truly historic, historic and big things – no matter where you look. From the basic stuff, this department was restored, it’s restored – it’s restored to what it always was and certainly was when I got here and what it must always be. Free from politicization, focused on the mission and making sure that justice is done – without any kind of interference from political outsiders.
We have expressed faith in the greatest court system in the world and brought the toughest national security cases into that system and with unbelievable results. The notion that we’re still having a debate about whether or not cases ought to be brought in the Article 3 system or in military tribunals is over. It’s dead. And that’s because, again, of the great work that the prosecutors in various districts have performed in putting together wonderful cases and then successfully trying those cases.
We have had an impact on the environment and people who – and companies that would have spoiled our environment. Historic, historic wins in that regard as well. You look at the financial recoveries that um – related to the mortgage crisis, and the huge amounts of money that we put – that we recovered. And then I think what’s important – and Tony West is here, and I think he deserves some special thanks for that, for what was done with that money. To try to get it to the people who suffered the most. The thought was never to simply take that money and put it into the United States Treasury, but to come up with ways in which we could try to get people back into their homes, or to somehow reduce the debt-load that they were dealing with.
Our Antitrust Division lives again – lives again, and has had a tremendous impact in our country, and in the positive things that they’ve done for the American consumer. We announced – or we’ve heard, I guess, today that a merger that I think would have been extremely anti-competitive and would have not been in the best interests of the American consumer, has been abandoned. That is because of the great work of the men and women in the Antitrust Division.
Our Tax Division, overseas accounts dealing with our allies in Europe, bringing money back and disallowing the practice that for too long had gone on where people had squirreled away, hidden money that they needed to actually pay taxes for and be held – be accountable for. Historic stuff, that, as well.
Indian Country – you think about the tough history that exists between the United States and our Native people, we have put on track, I think, the ability to right some really serious historical wrongs. We’ve done, I think, a great deal, much work remains to be done. But this Justice Department was committed to addressing those problems in as frank a way as is possible.
Criminal Justice Reform – if you look at all the statistics, you’ll see the incarceration rate goes like this, and then goes up. And then goes up in about 1974, late seventies, something like that. And we are a nation that incarcerates too many people for too long and for no good law enforcement reason. It is time—it is time to change the approaches we have been using these past 30 - 40 years, and through the great work of the people of this department we are starting to reverse that trend. Again, work remains to be done, but we are on our way.
Civil Rights—the LGBT community is something that I tried to focus on. I think that is the civil rights issue of our time. This whole question of same sex marriage will be resolved by the court over, I guess, the next couple of months. Hopefully that decision will go in a way that I think is consistent with who we say we are as a people, but I also think that is really just a sign; it’s an indication, one part of the fight for overall LGBT equality. And I think that the work that you all have done in the regard is going to be an integral part of the legacy of this department.
And then, you know, the thing that I think in some ways animates me, angers me, is this whole notion of protecting the right to vote. We celebrated this year the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act. We went to—I went to Selma to commemorate Bloody Sunday. John Lewis was here earlier. This nation fought a civil war, endured slavery by another name, dealt with legalized segregation. A civil rights movement in the mid and early sixties transformed this nation. And the notion that we would somehow go back and put in place things that make it difficult—more difficult for our fellow citizens to vote is simply inconsistent with all that’s good about this country, and something that I was bound and determined to fight. And our Civil Rights Division has done a superb job in crafting law suits based on a Voting Rights Act that was wrongly gutted by the Supreme Court, and I suspect that we will see successes from those efforts that have—those cases that have been filed. But that, that of all things, simply cannot be allowed to happen. The right to vote must be protected.
I want to thank my family, my lovely wife, for the sacrifices they’ve made — over the years not only to allow me to be Attorney General but to be the Deputy Attorney General, to be U.S. Attorney here in Washington, D.C. Honey, you’ve been the rock in the family. And you’ve allowed me the opportunity to do the things that that really animated me and allowed me to work with all of these great people.
I also want to say something about the folks you see standing here—my detail. These are people—men and women—who literally sacrifice their well-being in terms of their interactions with their families. They travel with me. They miss weekends. They work long and hard hours. And they are prepared to do ultimate kinds of things. And I could not do this job without them. Now they will not smile because they don’t do that. I see Marcus is smiling a little bit there. Bart’s also smiling.
And then I just want to thank all of you. All of you. You are what make this institution. You know we have a great building and it is something that is historic in its nature. But it is only kept great by the dedicated, the perseverance, the commitment that all of you show on a daily basis. And I hope that you all will understand that the job…there is not a routine job in the United States Department of Justice. Given the great power that we are entrusted with, the responsibilities that we have, I don’t want you all to ever think that it’s just Tuesday and I’m going to get through the day. That’s not who we are at the United States Department of Justice. It’s not who you all are. And I think that has certainly been shown in the way in which you have conducted yourselves and the way in which you all have accomplished so much over the last six years.
I said earlier that when we celebrated Robert Kennedy’s 50th anniversary of his swearing-in in 2011, people said that that was the golden age for the United States Department of Justice. Well, I think that 50 years from now, 50 years from now and maybe even sooner than that, people are going to look back at the work that you all did and say that this was another golden age. That’s how good you all are. That’s how good you all are. That’s how dedicated, committed and wonderful you all have been. With a focus on justice. With a focus on helping those who cannot help themselves. You have distinguished yourselves.
There’s a long line of excellence in the United States Department of Justice, but every now and again – at an appropriate time – a group comes along that is worthy of special recognition. And you all are in fact one of those groups. I am proud of you. I am proud of you. I am going to miss you. I am going to miss this building. I am going to miss this institution. But more than anything I am going to miss you all. This building is always going to be home, and you all will always be my family. Wherever I am and whatever I am doing, I will be rooting for you from the sidelines.
Now I want to do something here. We have these bands that I’ve been wearing for the last whatever number of whatevers. I think I can officially take this off now. I think we can officially say now that Eric Holder is free. But it is not necessarily something that I want. I don’t ever want to be free of this great institution. I don’t want to ever be free of the relationships that I have forged with so many of you. I don’t want to ever be free of the notion that I am a member of the United States Department of Justice. This is something that has meant the world to me. It has helped define me as an individual, as a lawyer and as a man.
And for that reason, although, I got rid of those bands. I’m free in one sense that really not as consequential as the way in which I will never be free, nor want to be free of the United States Department of Justice, or free from all of you.
Thank you for your support over the past six years. I look forward to all that you going to do all with the great new leadership of a wonderful new Attorney General who will be sworn in on Monday, and I expect you will do great things over the course of these next two years, but beyond that. With those of you who are career employees, I expect that you will do great things as long as you are part of the Justice Department. There will be some of you who will be here 20 years from now, 30 years from now and I expect that your biographies will be littered with wonderful things.
But again, thank you all so much. I’m going to miss you and as I said in a previous speech, this is my third going away, but I promise that this is the last one. But I’ll end it this way, I love you all madly. Thank you.
Attorney General Holder Addresses Department Employees at Departure Ceremony
Washington, DCUnited States ~ Friday, April 24, 2015
Remarks as delivered
Thank you, thank you. Please take your seats.
A couple of business items. My portrait hangs on the fifth floor of the Justice Department. And something that has not been mentioned but something that I really pressed Simmie Knox – the artist of the portrait – my kid’s names are hidden in the portrait. And if you look at the button of my jacket and the wings of the eagle you’ll find the three of them. And that’s the lore I want to have come out about this portrait. Find the names of the Holder children – okay?
The other thing, Lee Loftus asked me to check to make sure that you all know that you’re on annual leave. But in my final act as Attorney General – screw it!
This has been a great six years. Being at the Justice Department has been – I said the last six years but the reality is that I’ve been at this department since 1976, off and on. I started as a line lawyer in the public integrity section in the Criminal Division and it’s going to be hard for me to walk away from the people who I love and the people who represent this institution that I love so much – but it is time. It is time to make a transition. Change is a good thing and I am confident in the work in which you have done that we have laid the foundation for even better things over the course of the next couple of years.
I think that as we look back at these past six years, what I want you all to understand is that you have done truly historic, historic and big things – no matter where you look. From the basic stuff, this department was restored, it’s restored – it’s restored to what it always was and certainly was when I got here and what it must always be. Free from politicization, focused on the mission and making sure that justice is done – without any kind of interference from political outsiders.
We have expressed faith in the greatest court system in the world and brought the toughest national security cases into that system and with unbelievable results. The notion that we’re still having a debate about whether or not cases ought to be brought in the Article 3 system or in military tribunals is over. It’s dead. And that’s because, again, of the great work that the prosecutors in various districts have performed in putting together wonderful cases and then successfully trying those cases.
We have had an impact on the environment and people who – and companies that would have spoiled our environment. Historic, historic wins in that regard as well. You look at the financial recoveries that um – related to the mortgage crisis, and the huge amounts of money that we put – that we recovered. And then I think what’s important – and Tony West is here, and I think he deserves some special thanks for that, for what was done with that money. To try to get it to the people who suffered the most. The thought was never to simply take that money and put it into the United States Treasury, but to come up with ways in which we could try to get people back into their homes, or to somehow reduce the debt-load that they were dealing with.
Our Antitrust Division lives again – lives again, and has had a tremendous impact in our country, and in the positive things that they’ve done for the American consumer. We announced – or we’ve heard, I guess, today that a merger that I think would have been extremely anti-competitive and would have not been in the best interests of the American consumer, has been abandoned. That is because of the great work of the men and women in the Antitrust Division.
Our Tax Division, overseas accounts dealing with our allies in Europe, bringing money back and disallowing the practice that for too long had gone on where people had squirreled away, hidden money that they needed to actually pay taxes for and be held – be accountable for. Historic stuff, that, as well.
Indian Country – you think about the tough history that exists between the United States and our Native people, we have put on track, I think, the ability to right some really serious historical wrongs. We’ve done, I think, a great deal, much work remains to be done. But this Justice Department was committed to addressing those problems in as frank a way as is possible.
Criminal Justice Reform – if you look at all the statistics, you’ll see the incarceration rate goes like this, and then goes up. And then goes up in about 1974, late seventies, something like that. And we are a nation that incarcerates too many people for too long and for no good law enforcement reason. It is time—it is time to change the approaches we have been using these past 30 - 40 years, and through the great work of the people of this department we are starting to reverse that trend. Again, work remains to be done, but we are on our way.
Civil Rights—the LGBT community is something that I tried to focus on. I think that is the civil rights issue of our time. This whole question of same sex marriage will be resolved by the court over, I guess, the next couple of months. Hopefully that decision will go in a way that I think is consistent with who we say we are as a people, but I also think that is really just a sign; it’s an indication, one part of the fight for overall LGBT equality. And I think that the work that you all have done in the regard is going to be an integral part of the legacy of this department.
And then, you know, the thing that I think in some ways animates me, angers me, is this whole notion of protecting the right to vote. We celebrated this year the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act. We went to—I went to Selma to commemorate Bloody Sunday. John Lewis was here earlier. This nation fought a civil war, endured slavery by another name, dealt with legalized segregation. A civil rights movement in the mid and early sixties transformed this nation. And the notion that we would somehow go back and put in place things that make it difficult—more difficult for our fellow citizens to vote is simply inconsistent with all that’s good about this country, and something that I was bound and determined to fight. And our Civil Rights Division has done a superb job in crafting law suits based on a Voting Rights Act that was wrongly gutted by the Supreme Court, and I suspect that we will see successes from those efforts that have—those cases that have been filed. But that, that of all things, simply cannot be allowed to happen. The right to vote must be protected.
I want to thank my family, my lovely wife, for the sacrifices they’ve made — over the years not only to allow me to be Attorney General but to be the Deputy Attorney General, to be U.S. Attorney here in Washington, D.C. Honey, you’ve been the rock in the family. And you’ve allowed me the opportunity to do the things that that really animated me and allowed me to work with all of these great people.
I also want to say something about the folks you see standing here—my detail. These are people—men and women—who literally sacrifice their well-being in terms of their interactions with their families. They travel with me. They miss weekends. They work long and hard hours. And they are prepared to do ultimate kinds of things. And I could not do this job without them. Now they will not smile because they don’t do that. I see Marcus is smiling a little bit there. Bart’s also smiling.
And then I just want to thank all of you. All of you. You are what make this institution. You know we have a great building and it is something that is historic in its nature. But it is only kept great by the dedicated, the perseverance, the commitment that all of you show on a daily basis. And I hope that you all will understand that the job…there is not a routine job in the United States Department of Justice. Given the great power that we are entrusted with, the responsibilities that we have, I don’t want you all to ever think that it’s just Tuesday and I’m going to get through the day. That’s not who we are at the United States Department of Justice. It’s not who you all are. And I think that has certainly been shown in the way in which you have conducted yourselves and the way in which you all have accomplished so much over the last six years.
I said earlier that when we celebrated Robert Kennedy’s 50th anniversary of his swearing-in in 2011, people said that that was the golden age for the United States Department of Justice. Well, I think that 50 years from now, 50 years from now and maybe even sooner than that, people are going to look back at the work that you all did and say that this was another golden age. That’s how good you all are. That’s how good you all are. That’s how dedicated, committed and wonderful you all have been. With a focus on justice. With a focus on helping those who cannot help themselves. You have distinguished yourselves.
There’s a long line of excellence in the United States Department of Justice, but every now and again – at an appropriate time – a group comes along that is worthy of special recognition. And you all are in fact one of those groups. I am proud of you. I am proud of you. I am going to miss you. I am going to miss this building. I am going to miss this institution. But more than anything I am going to miss you all. This building is always going to be home, and you all will always be my family. Wherever I am and whatever I am doing, I will be rooting for you from the sidelines.
Now I want to do something here. We have these bands that I’ve been wearing for the last whatever number of whatevers. I think I can officially take this off now. I think we can officially say now that Eric Holder is free. But it is not necessarily something that I want. I don’t ever want to be free of this great institution. I don’t want to ever be free of the relationships that I have forged with so many of you. I don’t want to ever be free of the notion that I am a member of the United States Department of Justice. This is something that has meant the world to me. It has helped define me as an individual, as a lawyer and as a man.
And for that reason, although, I got rid of those bands. I’m free in one sense that really not as consequential as the way in which I will never be free, nor want to be free of the United States Department of Justice, or free from all of you.
Thank you for your support over the past six years. I look forward to all that you going to do all with the great new leadership of a wonderful new Attorney General who will be sworn in on Monday, and I expect you will do great things over the course of these next two years, but beyond that. With those of you who are career employees, I expect that you will do great things as long as you are part of the Justice Department. There will be some of you who will be here 20 years from now, 30 years from now and I expect that your biographies will be littered with wonderful things.
But again, thank you all so much. I’m going to miss you and as I said in a previous speech, this is my third going away, but I promise that this is the last one. But I’ll end it this way, I love you all madly. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON THE EARTHQUAKE IN NAPAL
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
The Earthquake in Nepal
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 25, 2015
I join the people of the United States in expressing our deepest condolences to all of those affected by today's earthquake in Nepal, including the families of those who died in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
We are working closely with the government of Nepal to provide assistance and support. Ambassador Bodde has issued a disaster declaration in order to immediately release an initial $1 million for humanitarian assistance. USAID is preparing to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team and is activating an Urban Search and Rescue Team to accompany disaster experts and assist with assessments of the situation.
To the people in Nepal and the region affected by this tragedy we send our heartfelt sympathies. The United States stands with you during this difficult time.
The Earthquake in Nepal
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 25, 2015
I join the people of the United States in expressing our deepest condolences to all of those affected by today's earthquake in Nepal, including the families of those who died in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
We are working closely with the government of Nepal to provide assistance and support. Ambassador Bodde has issued a disaster declaration in order to immediately release an initial $1 million for humanitarian assistance. USAID is preparing to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team and is activating an Urban Search and Rescue Team to accompany disaster experts and assist with assessments of the situation.
To the people in Nepal and the region affected by this tragedy we send our heartfelt sympathies. The United States stands with you during this difficult time.
TOM MALINOWSKI ON REMARKS IN MEXICO CITY ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Public Safety and Access to Justice
Remarks
Tom Malinowski
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Open Government Partnership Steering Committee Ministerial
Mexico City, Mexico
April 23, 2015
As prepared for delivery
Thank you all for having me here. This is a timely gathering. Public safety and access to justice are high priority issues in the minds of many civil society representatives in the United States and, I should say, in the minds of American citizens generally. It is no secret that the conduct of law enforcement has been a headline issue for us this last year. In the United States, we believe that an informed and engaged civil society is essential to ensuring that government faithfully discharges its duties to protect its citizens, to guarantee human rights, and to hold itself and its officials accountable for their actions. We know that we’re not perfect. But we are committed to improvement and to upholding institutions that allow us to address our shortcomings. In this spirit, we’re looking forward to sharing ideas and best practices so that we can all build, or restore, trust between people and their government.
Because in countries where citizens lack trust and confidence in their government, where they do not feel enfranchised in decisions affecting their lives, there are a range of costs. Some can be drawn to violent extremism, others to gangs and crime. Corruption is more likely to increase; police and judicial power more likely to be abused. Basic services are distributed unjustly. Innovation and entrepreneurship are stifled as elites focus their power on maintaining a status quo that enables their unjust enrichment. In such societies, the state may seem like it’s growing stronger at the expense of civil society, but in fact institutions that lose the trust of their people often turn out to be hollow. They are strong until the day they are not; they create turmoil and instability that affects their neighbors and the world.
OGP points the way to an alternative, to creating a space where government and civil society can work together – to build trust and to ensure transparent, accountable, citizen-enabled and innovation-powered governance. Last September, President Obama challenged us to support civil society at home and abroad. The strength and success of nations depends, the President has said, on allowing citizens to solve problems without government interference, and on robust engagement between governments and civil society to advance shared goals.
One of OGP’s grand challenges, around which participants are encouraged to develop commitments, is “Promoting Safer Communities.” This is the most undersubscribed of OGP’s grand challenges, yet it is one of the most critical challenges facing countries in every corner of the world, in part because civilian insecurity can express itself in so many different ways—in gang violence and organized crime, in violent extremism, or officials who are complicit in corruption and human rights violations. Across a range of countries and communities, the security and justice sectors may be simply inadequate in creating secure conditions, guaranteeing access to justice, and protecting against human rights abuses. This creates space for crime and extremism to flourish and limits the potential for individual opportunity and economic growth. And ultimately, the persistence of these conditions can undermine the stability of the political system itself.
There is growing interest among civil society organizations in increasing OGP’s focus on this challenge area, and related issues such as access to justice and the promotion and protection of human rights. Transparency International’s new initiative on Safer Communities in Latin America is one example of how civil society and governments can work toward common goals – and I hope Cecilia will be able to share some of the ideas of this groundbreaking effort. With such examples in mind, we are hoping to start a discussion to explore how OGP can help advance the community security challenge.
In my country, events of the past year have called us to take a fresh look at questions of public safety, access to justice, and the need to strengthen police-community relations. In Ferguson, Missouri, public demonstrations and civil society interventions drew the nation’s attention to the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown and to concerns about the practices of the Ferguson Police Department. In addition to opening civil and criminal investigations, our Department of Justice sent mediators to create a dialogue between police, city officials, and residents to reduce tension in the community. In addition, DOJ is involved in a voluntary, independent, and objective assessment of the St. Louis County Police Department, looking at training, use of force, handling of mass demonstrations, and other areas where reform may be needed.
As President Obama has said, “[t]he fact is, in too many parts of (the United States), a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of color.” At the President’s request, the Attorney General convened roundtable discussions among law enforcement, elected officials, and community members in six cities in December 2014 and January 2015. The President also appointed a Task Force on 21st Century Policing, made up of governmental and civil society members, which engaged a wide range of state, local, and tribal officials; subject matter experts; and community and faith leaders to develop a series of recommendations on how to strengthen public trust and foster strong relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they protect.
As we continue to strive for what our founding fathers termed “a more perfect union,” we encourage you both to make suggestions to us on what has worked for you in addressing such challenges and to consider what in this example may work in your country contexts.
We also want to hear your thoughts on how this set of issues manifests in different regions and countries. How, in your experience, do open government initiatives strengthen public safety and access to justice? Are there ways for OGP to encourage more countries to commit to improvements in this area? And if we consider access to justice and promotion and protection of human rights core parts of the open government agenda, should we build more robust evaluations into the IRM assessment? Finally, we need to come out of this session with more than great thoughts. We invite your specific recommendations on how OGP can empower citizens to play a role in ensuring accountability in the security and justice sectors.
It’s a lot to think about so with that, I’d like to turn to Cecilia for her remarks before we open up the floor for discussion.
Public Safety and Access to Justice
Remarks
Tom Malinowski
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Open Government Partnership Steering Committee Ministerial
Mexico City, Mexico
April 23, 2015
As prepared for delivery
Thank you all for having me here. This is a timely gathering. Public safety and access to justice are high priority issues in the minds of many civil society representatives in the United States and, I should say, in the minds of American citizens generally. It is no secret that the conduct of law enforcement has been a headline issue for us this last year. In the United States, we believe that an informed and engaged civil society is essential to ensuring that government faithfully discharges its duties to protect its citizens, to guarantee human rights, and to hold itself and its officials accountable for their actions. We know that we’re not perfect. But we are committed to improvement and to upholding institutions that allow us to address our shortcomings. In this spirit, we’re looking forward to sharing ideas and best practices so that we can all build, or restore, trust between people and their government.
Because in countries where citizens lack trust and confidence in their government, where they do not feel enfranchised in decisions affecting their lives, there are a range of costs. Some can be drawn to violent extremism, others to gangs and crime. Corruption is more likely to increase; police and judicial power more likely to be abused. Basic services are distributed unjustly. Innovation and entrepreneurship are stifled as elites focus their power on maintaining a status quo that enables their unjust enrichment. In such societies, the state may seem like it’s growing stronger at the expense of civil society, but in fact institutions that lose the trust of their people often turn out to be hollow. They are strong until the day they are not; they create turmoil and instability that affects their neighbors and the world.
OGP points the way to an alternative, to creating a space where government and civil society can work together – to build trust and to ensure transparent, accountable, citizen-enabled and innovation-powered governance. Last September, President Obama challenged us to support civil society at home and abroad. The strength and success of nations depends, the President has said, on allowing citizens to solve problems without government interference, and on robust engagement between governments and civil society to advance shared goals.
One of OGP’s grand challenges, around which participants are encouraged to develop commitments, is “Promoting Safer Communities.” This is the most undersubscribed of OGP’s grand challenges, yet it is one of the most critical challenges facing countries in every corner of the world, in part because civilian insecurity can express itself in so many different ways—in gang violence and organized crime, in violent extremism, or officials who are complicit in corruption and human rights violations. Across a range of countries and communities, the security and justice sectors may be simply inadequate in creating secure conditions, guaranteeing access to justice, and protecting against human rights abuses. This creates space for crime and extremism to flourish and limits the potential for individual opportunity and economic growth. And ultimately, the persistence of these conditions can undermine the stability of the political system itself.
There is growing interest among civil society organizations in increasing OGP’s focus on this challenge area, and related issues such as access to justice and the promotion and protection of human rights. Transparency International’s new initiative on Safer Communities in Latin America is one example of how civil society and governments can work toward common goals – and I hope Cecilia will be able to share some of the ideas of this groundbreaking effort. With such examples in mind, we are hoping to start a discussion to explore how OGP can help advance the community security challenge.
In my country, events of the past year have called us to take a fresh look at questions of public safety, access to justice, and the need to strengthen police-community relations. In Ferguson, Missouri, public demonstrations and civil society interventions drew the nation’s attention to the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown and to concerns about the practices of the Ferguson Police Department. In addition to opening civil and criminal investigations, our Department of Justice sent mediators to create a dialogue between police, city officials, and residents to reduce tension in the community. In addition, DOJ is involved in a voluntary, independent, and objective assessment of the St. Louis County Police Department, looking at training, use of force, handling of mass demonstrations, and other areas where reform may be needed.
As President Obama has said, “[t]he fact is, in too many parts of (the United States), a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of color.” At the President’s request, the Attorney General convened roundtable discussions among law enforcement, elected officials, and community members in six cities in December 2014 and January 2015. The President also appointed a Task Force on 21st Century Policing, made up of governmental and civil society members, which engaged a wide range of state, local, and tribal officials; subject matter experts; and community and faith leaders to develop a series of recommendations on how to strengthen public trust and foster strong relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they protect.
As we continue to strive for what our founding fathers termed “a more perfect union,” we encourage you both to make suggestions to us on what has worked for you in addressing such challenges and to consider what in this example may work in your country contexts.
We also want to hear your thoughts on how this set of issues manifests in different regions and countries. How, in your experience, do open government initiatives strengthen public safety and access to justice? Are there ways for OGP to encourage more countries to commit to improvements in this area? And if we consider access to justice and promotion and protection of human rights core parts of the open government agenda, should we build more robust evaluations into the IRM assessment? Finally, we need to come out of this session with more than great thoughts. We invite your specific recommendations on how OGP can empower citizens to play a role in ensuring accountability in the security and justice sectors.
It’s a lot to think about so with that, I’d like to turn to Cecilia for her remarks before we open up the floor for discussion.
WORKER EXPLOITATION CONFERENCE ADDRESSES FORCED LABOR
FROM: U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT
Worker Exploitation Conference Seeks Solutions
Dialogues on federal, state and local strategies to prevent and mitigate forced labor and exploitative labor practices were convened by the Labor Department, the International Labour Organization, Humanity United and the Burkle Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. The first of two conferences was held in Washington, D.C., on April 22. It featured conversations with Laura Fortman, deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division; and Mark Mittelhauser, Eric Biel and Marcia Eugenio of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. Discussions examined strategies for prevention, protection and remedy, as well as existing and potential partnerships to address forced labor and labor exploitation. The ILO estimates that nearly 21 million people are trapped in forced labor or conditions akin to modern-day slavery, which generates $150 billion in illegal profits annually.
Worker Exploitation Conference Seeks Solutions
Dialogues on federal, state and local strategies to prevent and mitigate forced labor and exploitative labor practices were convened by the Labor Department, the International Labour Organization, Humanity United and the Burkle Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. The first of two conferences was held in Washington, D.C., on April 22. It featured conversations with Laura Fortman, deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division; and Mark Mittelhauser, Eric Biel and Marcia Eugenio of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. Discussions examined strategies for prevention, protection and remedy, as well as existing and potential partnerships to address forced labor and labor exploitation. The ILO estimates that nearly 21 million people are trapped in forced labor or conditions akin to modern-day slavery, which generates $150 billion in illegal profits annually.
AMBASSADOR POWER'S REMARKS ON CRISIS IN DEIR EZ-ZOUR
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
April 24, 2015
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Minister Judeh, for dedicating today’s meeting to a crisis that so urgently demands the world’s attention. And thank you to our briefers – Under Secretary-General Amos, High Commissioner Guterres, Executive Director Cousin, and Special Envoy Jolie – for your appropriately stark, firm, and extremely moving briefings.
The United States would also like to recognize the dedicated humanitarian workers serving in UN agencies and other organizations who are putting their lives on the line to get assistance to people in the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. People like the two Syrian Arab Red Crescent workers who were killed on April 3rd while retrieving bodies of the deceased and preparing shelters for the displaced in Idlib. And people who are constantly looking for ways around seemingly endless obstacles to delivering vital aid, like WHO staffers who took advantage of a six-hour ceasefire last month in Aleppo to deliver medical supplies across lines. They reached 5,000 people – using pull-carts.
In Deir ez-Zour, approximately 228,000 residents are caught between ISIL, which has circled the city and systematically cut off humanitarian access, and regime forces, which prevent people from leaving. On April 13th, a one-year-old reportedly starved to death, and NGOs are receiving reports of young girls trading sexual acts for bread. While the ICRC was able to reach Deir ez-Zour with three airlifts in recent days – the first aid deliveries to the besieged city in nearly a year – residents of all ages remain on the brink of starvation.
Ghastly as it is, the situation in Deir ez-Zour is not an outlier. We are all well aware of the ongoing crisis in Yarmouk, where many thousands of Palestinians are still trapped and cut off from vital assistance. In Yarmouk, it is regime forces that are doing the blockading, as they have for more than two years. And since moving into Yarmouk weeks ago, ISIL and other armed groups have only exacerbated the suffering of residents by further limiting their movements.
As several of the briefers noted, the UN estimates that 440,000 civilians in Syria are living in besieged areas where most aid cannot get in and most people cannot get out. Only four percent of people living in besieged areas received food deliveries last month. Four percent. Health assistance reached less than one-third of one percent – 0.3 percent – of civilians living in besieged areas.
Siege is just one tactic used to prevent vital humanitarian aid from reaching people in need. According to the UN’s most recent report, nine WHO requests to deliver health assistance to locations in Aleppo, Daraa, Idlib and other governorates have gone unanswered by the regime. While life-saving medical supplies sit in warehouses, people die on operating tables; in crowded, ill-equipped field hospitals; and even in their homes – all from wounds and illnesses that would be treated with adequate resources. Meanwhile, nineteen requests for interagency convoys, which aim to reach the hardest-hit areas, are pending approval by the regime. Many have been stuck in limbo for months, exacerbating suffering and even causing death by bureaucratic delay. What possible excuse is there to not respond to a UN request? There is no excuse.
These tactics demonstrate the immense gap between the demands of this Council and the actions on the ground by parties in this conflict, particularly the Assad regime. Security Council resolutions 2165 and 2191 direct all Syrian parties to enable the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance by the UN and their implementing partners, yet the regime and ISIL are deliberately blocking such aid. And rather than fulfill their obligation to protect civilians, each – ISIL and the regime – deliberately targets civilians to advance their aims. We are past the point of highlighting or lamenting this enduring gap; we must come together to close it. The survival of millions of Syrians demands it – not to mention the credibility of this Council’s word. Our resolutions are currently being ridiculed by the Syrian regime. In the immediate term, aid must be allowed to reach besieged areas, and people must be allowed to leave besieged areas. Imagine being trapped – just imagine being a parent and being trapped.
International monitoring is crucial to ensuring that civilians leaving such areas are not arbitrarily detained, separated from their families, or harmed in any way – as happened in February 2014, when hundreds of people disappeared as they passed through government-controlled areas while leaving the besieged city of Homs.
Syria’s neighbors have shown remarkable generosity in helping those trapped in Syria as well as those who have managed to escape. Of the nearly four million people who have fled Syria, Turkey has taken in a staggering 1.7 million refugees. One in every four people in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee. And this unprecedented influx has demanded countries take robust measures to accommodate the new populations. In Jordan, for example, where the population of some northern cities has doubled since the arrival of more than 620,000 Syrian refugees, the government worked with development and humanitarian groups to come up with a comprehensive plan to respond to refugees’ diverse needs – from health and education, to security and drinking water.
While Syria’s neighbors have already welcomed unprecedented numbers of refugees, we strongly urge these countries to keep their borders open and ease restrictions that prevent the most vulnerable from reaching refuge. If the international community is going to ask more of Syria’s neighbors, who have already done so much, we cannot allow them to shoulder the impact of sheltering millions of refugees alone. And that is why, in addition to the $556 million that the U.S. has provided Jordan to support refugee programs and host communities since the start of the Syrian conflict, we announced our intention in February to increase annual bilateral assistance from $660 million to $1 billion over the next three years, given the extraordinary needs generated by this crisis and the extraordinary generosity of Syria’s neighbors.
In addition to helping Syria’s neighbors, all countries, including the United States, must welcome displaced Syrians in greater numbers. As the recent catastrophes involving refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean demonstrate – many of the victims of which have been Syrians – people are willing to take tremendous risks to escape their country’s brutal violence. Just this week, Turkey’s coast guard rescued thirty Syrians aboard a sinking boat trying to reach Greece.
The disparity between what the international community is providing and what the Syrian people need is growing. At the end of last month, the Secretary-General convened a conference, together with the government of Kuwait, to raise funds toward the $8.4 billion that the UN needs to respond to the crisis. Only $3.6 billion has been pledged toward that goal. It is critically important that all countries, including members of this Council, make more substantive contributions. And it’s important that those countries that have pledged actually deliver promptly. The United States announced a new $507 million pledge in Kuwait last month, which brought our total contributions to Syria since the crisis began to $3.2 billion.
Today, in response to the devastating crisis in Yarmouk, we are announcing an additional $6 million in aid to UNRWA, to provide urgent assistance, both for the many thousands still trapped in Yarmouk and for other Palestinians and Syrians receiving a lifeline from the agency.
But even as we seek to fill these gaps, we must not lose sight of the foundational reason that Syria’s population needs humanitarian assistance, and that is the Assad regime. A regime that continues to torture, gas, barrel-bomb, and starve its own people. A regime whose brutality fed the rise of ISIL and other violent extremist groups in Syria. A regime that, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, killed an average of five children per day last month alone.
Let us be clear, ISIL could disappear tomorrow and the regime would still block UN convoys, ignore UN appeals and UN Security Council resolutions, torture detainees in its prisons, and use barrel bombs and chlorine chemical weapons to attack civilians. Partnering with a regime like this would not help us defeat violent extremist groups – it would only strengthen their appeal. The only viable political solution to this crisis is one without Assad in power; a political push at the highest levels, and a sincere and united effort to secure a political transition, is urgently needed and, of course, long overdue.
Let me conclude. National Geographic recently organized a photography camp in Jordan for teenage refugees from Syria. Twenty kids, ages 13 to 15, spent a week using cameras and words to tell their stories. A slideshow of some of their photos is online and I urge you all to look at it. A common thread cuts across the testimonies of the young Syrians: they want to go home. One participant, fourteen year-old Abdullah, fled to Jordan from Daraa three years ago. For an assignment to take a self-portrait, he took one with his face covered – a way, he said, to make himself anonymous. Speaking about his future, Abdullah said: “I hope to become an engineer and rebuild Syria, house by house, and build the biggest hospitals, the biggest mosques, the biggest schools, build bakeries, and rebuild our home…Insha’Allah, we will rebuild Syria the best we can. We are going to make Syria the most beautiful country and restore the life in it.”
Abdullah and so many young people from his generation are waiting to go home and rebuild. Who would deny them that opportunity? And who better than Syria’s young to motivate and unite us, the members of this Security Council, to work relentlessly to enforce our own resolutions so as to mitigate the suffering of the Syrian people and to find a political solution to this devastating conflict.
Thank you.
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
April 24, 2015
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Minister Judeh, for dedicating today’s meeting to a crisis that so urgently demands the world’s attention. And thank you to our briefers – Under Secretary-General Amos, High Commissioner Guterres, Executive Director Cousin, and Special Envoy Jolie – for your appropriately stark, firm, and extremely moving briefings.
The United States would also like to recognize the dedicated humanitarian workers serving in UN agencies and other organizations who are putting their lives on the line to get assistance to people in the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. People like the two Syrian Arab Red Crescent workers who were killed on April 3rd while retrieving bodies of the deceased and preparing shelters for the displaced in Idlib. And people who are constantly looking for ways around seemingly endless obstacles to delivering vital aid, like WHO staffers who took advantage of a six-hour ceasefire last month in Aleppo to deliver medical supplies across lines. They reached 5,000 people – using pull-carts.
In Deir ez-Zour, approximately 228,000 residents are caught between ISIL, which has circled the city and systematically cut off humanitarian access, and regime forces, which prevent people from leaving. On April 13th, a one-year-old reportedly starved to death, and NGOs are receiving reports of young girls trading sexual acts for bread. While the ICRC was able to reach Deir ez-Zour with three airlifts in recent days – the first aid deliveries to the besieged city in nearly a year – residents of all ages remain on the brink of starvation.
Ghastly as it is, the situation in Deir ez-Zour is not an outlier. We are all well aware of the ongoing crisis in Yarmouk, where many thousands of Palestinians are still trapped and cut off from vital assistance. In Yarmouk, it is regime forces that are doing the blockading, as they have for more than two years. And since moving into Yarmouk weeks ago, ISIL and other armed groups have only exacerbated the suffering of residents by further limiting their movements.
As several of the briefers noted, the UN estimates that 440,000 civilians in Syria are living in besieged areas where most aid cannot get in and most people cannot get out. Only four percent of people living in besieged areas received food deliveries last month. Four percent. Health assistance reached less than one-third of one percent – 0.3 percent – of civilians living in besieged areas.
Siege is just one tactic used to prevent vital humanitarian aid from reaching people in need. According to the UN’s most recent report, nine WHO requests to deliver health assistance to locations in Aleppo, Daraa, Idlib and other governorates have gone unanswered by the regime. While life-saving medical supplies sit in warehouses, people die on operating tables; in crowded, ill-equipped field hospitals; and even in their homes – all from wounds and illnesses that would be treated with adequate resources. Meanwhile, nineteen requests for interagency convoys, which aim to reach the hardest-hit areas, are pending approval by the regime. Many have been stuck in limbo for months, exacerbating suffering and even causing death by bureaucratic delay. What possible excuse is there to not respond to a UN request? There is no excuse.
These tactics demonstrate the immense gap between the demands of this Council and the actions on the ground by parties in this conflict, particularly the Assad regime. Security Council resolutions 2165 and 2191 direct all Syrian parties to enable the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance by the UN and their implementing partners, yet the regime and ISIL are deliberately blocking such aid. And rather than fulfill their obligation to protect civilians, each – ISIL and the regime – deliberately targets civilians to advance their aims. We are past the point of highlighting or lamenting this enduring gap; we must come together to close it. The survival of millions of Syrians demands it – not to mention the credibility of this Council’s word. Our resolutions are currently being ridiculed by the Syrian regime. In the immediate term, aid must be allowed to reach besieged areas, and people must be allowed to leave besieged areas. Imagine being trapped – just imagine being a parent and being trapped.
International monitoring is crucial to ensuring that civilians leaving such areas are not arbitrarily detained, separated from their families, or harmed in any way – as happened in February 2014, when hundreds of people disappeared as they passed through government-controlled areas while leaving the besieged city of Homs.
Syria’s neighbors have shown remarkable generosity in helping those trapped in Syria as well as those who have managed to escape. Of the nearly four million people who have fled Syria, Turkey has taken in a staggering 1.7 million refugees. One in every four people in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee. And this unprecedented influx has demanded countries take robust measures to accommodate the new populations. In Jordan, for example, where the population of some northern cities has doubled since the arrival of more than 620,000 Syrian refugees, the government worked with development and humanitarian groups to come up with a comprehensive plan to respond to refugees’ diverse needs – from health and education, to security and drinking water.
While Syria’s neighbors have already welcomed unprecedented numbers of refugees, we strongly urge these countries to keep their borders open and ease restrictions that prevent the most vulnerable from reaching refuge. If the international community is going to ask more of Syria’s neighbors, who have already done so much, we cannot allow them to shoulder the impact of sheltering millions of refugees alone. And that is why, in addition to the $556 million that the U.S. has provided Jordan to support refugee programs and host communities since the start of the Syrian conflict, we announced our intention in February to increase annual bilateral assistance from $660 million to $1 billion over the next three years, given the extraordinary needs generated by this crisis and the extraordinary generosity of Syria’s neighbors.
In addition to helping Syria’s neighbors, all countries, including the United States, must welcome displaced Syrians in greater numbers. As the recent catastrophes involving refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean demonstrate – many of the victims of which have been Syrians – people are willing to take tremendous risks to escape their country’s brutal violence. Just this week, Turkey’s coast guard rescued thirty Syrians aboard a sinking boat trying to reach Greece.
The disparity between what the international community is providing and what the Syrian people need is growing. At the end of last month, the Secretary-General convened a conference, together with the government of Kuwait, to raise funds toward the $8.4 billion that the UN needs to respond to the crisis. Only $3.6 billion has been pledged toward that goal. It is critically important that all countries, including members of this Council, make more substantive contributions. And it’s important that those countries that have pledged actually deliver promptly. The United States announced a new $507 million pledge in Kuwait last month, which brought our total contributions to Syria since the crisis began to $3.2 billion.
Today, in response to the devastating crisis in Yarmouk, we are announcing an additional $6 million in aid to UNRWA, to provide urgent assistance, both for the many thousands still trapped in Yarmouk and for other Palestinians and Syrians receiving a lifeline from the agency.
But even as we seek to fill these gaps, we must not lose sight of the foundational reason that Syria’s population needs humanitarian assistance, and that is the Assad regime. A regime that continues to torture, gas, barrel-bomb, and starve its own people. A regime whose brutality fed the rise of ISIL and other violent extremist groups in Syria. A regime that, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, killed an average of five children per day last month alone.
Let us be clear, ISIL could disappear tomorrow and the regime would still block UN convoys, ignore UN appeals and UN Security Council resolutions, torture detainees in its prisons, and use barrel bombs and chlorine chemical weapons to attack civilians. Partnering with a regime like this would not help us defeat violent extremist groups – it would only strengthen their appeal. The only viable political solution to this crisis is one without Assad in power; a political push at the highest levels, and a sincere and united effort to secure a political transition, is urgently needed and, of course, long overdue.
Let me conclude. National Geographic recently organized a photography camp in Jordan for teenage refugees from Syria. Twenty kids, ages 13 to 15, spent a week using cameras and words to tell their stories. A slideshow of some of their photos is online and I urge you all to look at it. A common thread cuts across the testimonies of the young Syrians: they want to go home. One participant, fourteen year-old Abdullah, fled to Jordan from Daraa three years ago. For an assignment to take a self-portrait, he took one with his face covered – a way, he said, to make himself anonymous. Speaking about his future, Abdullah said: “I hope to become an engineer and rebuild Syria, house by house, and build the biggest hospitals, the biggest mosques, the biggest schools, build bakeries, and rebuild our home…Insha’Allah, we will rebuild Syria the best we can. We are going to make Syria the most beautiful country and restore the life in it.”
Abdullah and so many young people from his generation are waiting to go home and rebuild. Who would deny them that opportunity? And who better than Syria’s young to motivate and unite us, the members of this Security Council, to work relentlessly to enforce our own resolutions so as to mitigate the suffering of the Syrian people and to find a political solution to this devastating conflict.
Thank you.
THEORETICAL PHYSICIST LISA RANDALL
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
After the lecture: Extra dimensions, interacting dark matter, and the power of uncertainty
A conversation with theoretical physicist Lisa Randall
In her most recent book, physicist Lisa Randall--Harvard professor, libretto composer, Lego figurine, star in the world of theoretical physics--writes that the universe repeatedly reveals itself to be cleverer than we are. This is not a submission to the mysteries of the universe; rather, it's a recognition that the more we discover about the fundamental nuts and bolts of this world, the more questions we have.
Randall works to uncover those fundamental nuts and bolts. She studies theoretical particle physics and cosmology, and her research has advanced our understanding of supersymmetry, models of extra dimensions, dark matter and more. She's made a career out of sharing these discoveries--what they are, how we know them and why they matter--with the public.
Randall is the author of three books and has appeared in dozens of media outlets--from Charlie Rose and The New York Times to The Colbert Report and Vogue. We sat down with Randall after her lecture "New ideas about dark matter" as part of the National Science Foundation's Distinguished Lecture Series in Math and Physical Sciences.
I liked doing math. And I liked understanding how things work. I took a physics class in high school, and I didn't really know for sure that I would be doing it [long term], but I kept going. I enjoyed it. I like that you got answers. I kind of liked that it was challenging.
I think it's important to explain these theories are evolving and what it means for the world. Uncertainty in science isn't actually a bad thing. It actually drives you forward. You can have a lot of certainty even with uncertainty at the edges.
Sometimes it's a question not just of saying 'I'm going to figure this out,' but just with being smart enough to recognize something interesting when it happens. When we found this warped geometry we hadn't been looking for it, it just was a solution. Then we realized what kind of implications it could have. Both in terms of solving the hierarchy problem and explaining particle masses, but also in terms of having an infinite extra dimension.
There's usually a moment when you realize it. Then there are a lot of moments when you think you're wrong and you go back.
I think there's just a lot of ideas about creativity that people don't fully appreciate for scientists. I think there's a lot of ideas about right and wrong that people don't fully appreciate, and how science advances.
I'd just written a book where you try so hard to do everything in a liner order. I'd just written Warped Passages and it was kind of nice the idea of just introducing ideas without having to explain them. And just have different voices. You sort of realize the richness of operas and just expressing ideas and just getting people familiar with something. You have music, you have art, you have words. It's very exciting.
I don't think anyone should just set themselves up to be a role model. I think every person is different, and certainly there's a few enough women that we're all different. But it is true that one of the small advantages you have as a woman is that you are doing something important beyond your work, which is just establishing that women can be out there doing these things. And it is definitely true that when I wrote my book I thought it's good to have someone out there in the public eye, so that people know there are women physicists. And in terms of the response, I can say that--both negative and positive--people do not realize there are women out there sometimes. So it was really important. But it also means you have to put up with a lot of distracting comments and questions sometimes that you wouldn't otherwise.
-- Jessica Arriens,
Investigators
Lisa Randall
Related Institutions/Organizations
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
After the lecture: Extra dimensions, interacting dark matter, and the power of uncertainty
A conversation with theoretical physicist Lisa Randall
In her most recent book, physicist Lisa Randall--Harvard professor, libretto composer, Lego figurine, star in the world of theoretical physics--writes that the universe repeatedly reveals itself to be cleverer than we are. This is not a submission to the mysteries of the universe; rather, it's a recognition that the more we discover about the fundamental nuts and bolts of this world, the more questions we have.
Randall works to uncover those fundamental nuts and bolts. She studies theoretical particle physics and cosmology, and her research has advanced our understanding of supersymmetry, models of extra dimensions, dark matter and more. She's made a career out of sharing these discoveries--what they are, how we know them and why they matter--with the public.
Randall is the author of three books and has appeared in dozens of media outlets--from Charlie Rose and The New York Times to The Colbert Report and Vogue. We sat down with Randall after her lecture "New ideas about dark matter" as part of the National Science Foundation's Distinguished Lecture Series in Math and Physical Sciences.
I liked doing math. And I liked understanding how things work. I took a physics class in high school, and I didn't really know for sure that I would be doing it [long term], but I kept going. I enjoyed it. I like that you got answers. I kind of liked that it was challenging.
I think it's important to explain these theories are evolving and what it means for the world. Uncertainty in science isn't actually a bad thing. It actually drives you forward. You can have a lot of certainty even with uncertainty at the edges.
Sometimes it's a question not just of saying 'I'm going to figure this out,' but just with being smart enough to recognize something interesting when it happens. When we found this warped geometry we hadn't been looking for it, it just was a solution. Then we realized what kind of implications it could have. Both in terms of solving the hierarchy problem and explaining particle masses, but also in terms of having an infinite extra dimension.
There's usually a moment when you realize it. Then there are a lot of moments when you think you're wrong and you go back.
I think there's just a lot of ideas about creativity that people don't fully appreciate for scientists. I think there's a lot of ideas about right and wrong that people don't fully appreciate, and how science advances.
I'd just written a book where you try so hard to do everything in a liner order. I'd just written Warped Passages and it was kind of nice the idea of just introducing ideas without having to explain them. And just have different voices. You sort of realize the richness of operas and just expressing ideas and just getting people familiar with something. You have music, you have art, you have words. It's very exciting.
I don't think anyone should just set themselves up to be a role model. I think every person is different, and certainly there's a few enough women that we're all different. But it is true that one of the small advantages you have as a woman is that you are doing something important beyond your work, which is just establishing that women can be out there doing these things. And it is definitely true that when I wrote my book I thought it's good to have someone out there in the public eye, so that people know there are women physicists. And in terms of the response, I can say that--both negative and positive--people do not realize there are women out there sometimes. So it was really important. But it also means you have to put up with a lot of distracting comments and questions sometimes that you wouldn't otherwise.
-- Jessica Arriens,
Investigators
Lisa Randall
Related Institutions/Organizations
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
STATEMENT ON ANNIVERSARY OF RANZA PLAZA BUILDING COLLAPSE IN BANGLADESH
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Joint Statement on the Second Anniversary of the Rana Plaza Disaster in Bangladesh
WASHINGTON — The text of the following statement was released by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry; High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini; U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez; EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen; U.S. Trade Representative Michael B. G. Froman; EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström; U.S. Agency for International Development Acting Administrator Alfonso E. Lenhardt; and EU Commissioner in charge of International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica.
"Today we mark the passage of two years since the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that claimed over 1,100 lives and injured many more. We join the people of Bangladesh in mourning those who lost their lives and remain mindful of the difficult struggle for those who survived.
In the aftermath of the Rana Plaza collapse, the European Union, the United States and the International Labor Organization (ILO) joined with Bangladesh to undertake a series of significant commitments to foster respect for fundamental labor rights and ensure worker safety and health in the garment sector. The Partners announced the Sustainability Compact for Bangladesh — a statement of principles and commitments designed to bring about a lasting transformation in the sector.
"Today, on the commemoration of the Rana Plaza collapse, we take note of the progress that has been made, but also the urgent work that remains.
"Over the past two years, the government of Bangladesh has amended its Labor Law to strengthen certain aspects of freedom of association, collective bargaining and occupational health and safety; recruited and begun training a significant number of new factory inspectors; started fire and structural safety assessments and begun posting online factory safety information; established a hotline to report labor concerns; and since January 2013, registered approximately 300 new trade unions. Similarly, we applaud the completion by the two private sector initiatives, the Accord and the Alliance, of their efforts to assess the structural and fire safety of over 2,000 RMG factories, the related closure of over 30 factories that posed the greatest risk of catastrophic failure, and remedial actions taken so far.
"However, significant work remains to be done under the Sustainability Compact to realize its goals. In particular, we encourage and support the Government of Bangladesh's efforts to continue reforming its labor laws, in close consultations with the ILO, complete the safety inspections of all RMG factories and continue to register unions in a timely and transparent way. We urge the government to issue — without further delays — the implementing rules for Bangladesh Labor Act, consistent with international labor standards. Similarly, we call upon the Government of Bangladesh to enact legislation on economic processing zones that ensures workers inside the zones enjoy rights commensurate with those outside the zones.
"Also of pressing concern, the government should respond swiftly to cases of unfair labor practices, violence, and harassment against trade unions and workers' representatives. We note that advances in health, safety, and labor rights will remain fragile and impermanent if workers are unable to exercise those rights and organize to represent their interests and concerns.
"Our commitment to Bangladesh is strong and enduring. The European Union and the United States, in close cooperation with the ILO, will remain closely engaged with the Government of Bangladesh in the spirit of partnership to continue our work together to ensure that economic growth and sustainable development go hand-in-hand with workers' safety and rights."
Joint Statement on the Second Anniversary of the Rana Plaza Disaster in Bangladesh
WASHINGTON — The text of the following statement was released by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry; High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini; U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez; EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen; U.S. Trade Representative Michael B. G. Froman; EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström; U.S. Agency for International Development Acting Administrator Alfonso E. Lenhardt; and EU Commissioner in charge of International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica.
"Today we mark the passage of two years since the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that claimed over 1,100 lives and injured many more. We join the people of Bangladesh in mourning those who lost their lives and remain mindful of the difficult struggle for those who survived.
In the aftermath of the Rana Plaza collapse, the European Union, the United States and the International Labor Organization (ILO) joined with Bangladesh to undertake a series of significant commitments to foster respect for fundamental labor rights and ensure worker safety and health in the garment sector. The Partners announced the Sustainability Compact for Bangladesh — a statement of principles and commitments designed to bring about a lasting transformation in the sector.
"Today, on the commemoration of the Rana Plaza collapse, we take note of the progress that has been made, but also the urgent work that remains.
"Over the past two years, the government of Bangladesh has amended its Labor Law to strengthen certain aspects of freedom of association, collective bargaining and occupational health and safety; recruited and begun training a significant number of new factory inspectors; started fire and structural safety assessments and begun posting online factory safety information; established a hotline to report labor concerns; and since January 2013, registered approximately 300 new trade unions. Similarly, we applaud the completion by the two private sector initiatives, the Accord and the Alliance, of their efforts to assess the structural and fire safety of over 2,000 RMG factories, the related closure of over 30 factories that posed the greatest risk of catastrophic failure, and remedial actions taken so far.
"However, significant work remains to be done under the Sustainability Compact to realize its goals. In particular, we encourage and support the Government of Bangladesh's efforts to continue reforming its labor laws, in close consultations with the ILO, complete the safety inspections of all RMG factories and continue to register unions in a timely and transparent way. We urge the government to issue — without further delays — the implementing rules for Bangladesh Labor Act, consistent with international labor standards. Similarly, we call upon the Government of Bangladesh to enact legislation on economic processing zones that ensures workers inside the zones enjoy rights commensurate with those outside the zones.
"Also of pressing concern, the government should respond swiftly to cases of unfair labor practices, violence, and harassment against trade unions and workers' representatives. We note that advances in health, safety, and labor rights will remain fragile and impermanent if workers are unable to exercise those rights and organize to represent their interests and concerns.
"Our commitment to Bangladesh is strong and enduring. The European Union and the United States, in close cooperation with the ILO, will remain closely engaged with the Government of Bangladesh in the spirit of partnership to continue our work together to ensure that economic growth and sustainable development go hand-in-hand with workers' safety and rights."
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