NEW SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TO OPEN IN 2015 WILL CELEBRATE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY & CULTURE

"President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama talk in the Green Room of the White House before hosting a Smithsonian Museum of African American History reception in the East Room, Feb. 22, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

When the Museum of African American History and Culture opens on the National Mall in 2015, it will be "not just a record of tragedy, but a celebration of life," as President Obama said during the ground breaking ceremony at the site yesterday.
The museum, the 19th Smithsonian Institution, will feature objects collected from across the country including one of the planes flown by the Tuskeegee Airmen."

The above excerpt and picture are from the White House website:

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON TAKES QUESTIONS FROM VOICE OF AMERICA ALBAINIA

Interview Via Telephone

Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State

February 24, 2012

QUESTION: Hello, Mrs. Secretary. I am Ilir Ikonomi with the Voice of America, and I have a few questions on the agreement today.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, well, thank you, Ilir. I’m delighted to talk to you. I think this is a very, very, significant step forward for Kosovo.

QUESTION: Yes. This is what I wanted to ask you. What is the importance of these two agreements reached today in Brussels?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I want to begin by saying how committed the United States is to Kosovo’s strengths and enduring partnership with us. And we are fully committed to her independence, her territorial integrity, her sovereignty. And I commend the government, under Prime Minister Thaci, for its constructive attitude and hard work in the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia. The United States has supported this process from the beginning, and we know that this is a tough political choice, but it is going to move the people of Kosovo closer to European integration, and we think that’s very much in the interest of all Kosovars.

QUESTION: Mrs. Secretary, there have been concerns – and there still are in Kosovo – that the agreement on the representation of Kosovo with a footnote which makes reference to the Resolution 1244 of the Security Council – this might jeopardize the gains achieved so far, the independence and the territorial integrity. What do you make of that?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I disagree with that. I actually think that this will assist in increasing the number of countries that already recognize the Republic of Kosovo, because it will remove an excuse that there’s no progress between Kosovo and Serbia. The United States and the 85 other countries who already recognize your independence and sovereignty and territorial integrity will actually have a stronger argument, that as Kosovo is moving toward European integration we are looking to the future.

And please remember that UN Security Council Resolution 1244, in fact, paved the way to Kosovo’s independence. It required Serbia to remove security forces. The International Court of Justice carefully considered 1244, and the whole world knows the conclusion, which we firmly agree, that Kosovo’s declaration of independence does not violate Resolution 1244. So I actually think this is a very smart, very clever, and very brave decision on the part of the government, because it will move Kosovo closer to Europe, and it will increase the number of countries that will recognize it.

QUESTION: But Mrs. Secretary, do you think there is the need of some safeguards against any conditions that Serbia might come up with in the future that might prevent Kosovo from joining the European Union in the future? Because this is a major concern today in Kosovo.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think that Kosovo is closer to joining the European Union by doing this then you would be if you did not, because it very much has a recognition on the part of the European Union that Kosovo will be moving towards its own candidacy, something that was not possible in the past, because, remember, there are five European countries that do not recognize Kosovo. And the United States believes that today’s events significantly advance Kosovo’s European aspirations, that it further solidifies your status as an independent nation. Kosovo will now sit at the table as an equal partner with the ability to speak with your own voice. So I think that there are so many positive advantages for Kosovo in this agreement that I am very encouraged.

QUESTION: But precisely these five European countries that have not recognized Kosovo, that you just mentioned, is this a concern to you?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Oh, of course it’s a concern. We want every country to recognize Kosovo. But we also know that it will take time and we’ve been making steady progress, which we will continue. But I believe that by being a presence, able to sit at the table with these countries, able to participate in regional events and forums – that increases the likelihood that we will obtain recognition.

QUESTION: Mrs. Secretary, thank you very much, and thank you for your time.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you very much. I am enthusiastic about the progress that Kosovo is making and very pleased that this important political decision will move Kosovo closer to European integration. And I encourage the people of Kosovo to stand behind the decision, support the progress that is being made. It’s come so soon after celebrating your fourth anniversary as an independent state. And I am looking forward to continuing to work with the government and the people on even better things in the future.

QUESTION: Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you."

EVIDENCE IN HORSE EVOLUTION POINTS TO SMALLER SIZES AS TEMPS. RISE

The following excerpt is from the National Science Foundation website:

“When Sifrhippus sandae, the earliest known horse, first appeared in the forests of North America more than 50 million years ago, it would not have been mistaken for a Clydesdale.

It weighed in at around 12 pounds--and it was destined to get much smaller over the ensuing millennia.
Sifrhippus lived during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a 175,000-year interval of time some 56 million years ago in which average global temperatures rose by about 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
The change was caused by the release of vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and oceans.
About a third of mammal species responded with a significant reduction in size during the PETM, some by as much as one-half.
Sifrhippus shrank by about 30 percent, to the size of a small house cat--about 8.5 pounds--in the PETM's first 130,000 years, then rebounded to about 15 pounds in the final 45,000 years of the PETM.

Scientists have assumed that rising temperatures or high concentrations of carbon dioxide primarily caused the "dwarfing" phenomenon in mammals during this period.
New research led by Ross Secord of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Jonathan Bloch of the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida offers evidence of the cause-and-effect relationship between temperature and body size.
Their findings also provide clues to what might happen to animals in the near future from global warming.

In a paper published in this week's issue of the journal Science, Secord, Bloch and colleagues used measurements and geochemical composition of fossil mammal teeth to document a progressive decrease in Sifrhippus' body size that correlates very closely to temperature change over a 130,000-year span.

"The reduction in available oxygen some 50 million years ago led to a reduction in the body size of animal life," says H. Richard Lane, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Earth Sciences, which funded the research. "What does that say about the future for Earth's animals?"
Bloch said that multiple trails led to the discovery.

One was the fossils themselves, recovered from the Cabin Fork area of the southern Bighorn Basin near Worland, Wyo.
Stephen Chester at Yale, a paper co-author, had the task of measuring the horses' teeth.
What he found when he plotted them through time caught Bloch and Secord by surprise.
"He pointed out that the first horses in the section were much larger than those later on," Bloch says. "I thought something had to be wrong, but he was right and the pattern became more robust as we collected more fossils."
Secord performed the geochemical analysis of the teeth. What he found was an even bigger surprise.
"It was absolutely startling when Ross pulled up the data," Bloch said. "We realized that it was exactly the same pattern that we were seeing with the horse body.
"For the first time, going back into deep time--tens of millions of years--we were able to show that indeed temperature was causing essentially a one-to-one shift in body size in this lineage of horse.

"Because it's over a long enough time, you can argue very strongly that what you're looking at is natural selection and evolution that it's actually corresponding to the shift in temperature and driving the evolution of these horses."
Secord says that the finding raises important questions about how plants and animals will respond to rapid change in the not-too-distant future.

"This has implications for what we might expect to see over the next century or two with climate models that are predicting warming of as much as 4 degrees Centigrade over the next 100 years," he says, which is 7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Those predictions are based largely on the 40 percent increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, from 280 to 392 parts per million, since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century.
Ornithologists, Secord says, have already started to notice that there may be a decrease in body size among birds.

"One of the issues is that warming during the PETM happened much more slowly, over 10,000 to 20,000 years to increase by 10 degrees, whereas now we're expecting it to happen over a century or two."
"So there's a big difference in scale. One of the questions is, 'Are we going to see the same kind of response?' Are animals going to be able to keep up and readjust their body sizes over the next couple of centuries?"

Increased temperatures are not the only change to which animals may have to adapt.
Experiments show that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide lowers the nutritional content of plants, which could have been a secondary driver of dwarfism during the PETM.

Other co-authors of the paper are Doug Boyer of Brooklyn College, Aaron Wood of the Florida Museum of Natural History, Scott Wing of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Mary Kraus of the University of Colorado-Boulder, Francesca McInerny of Northwestern University and John Krigbaum of the University of Florida.
The research was also funded by University of Nebraska-Lincoln.”
-NSF-

2 NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS PLEAD GUILTY TO BID RIGGING MUNICIPAL TAX LIEN AUCTIONS

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Two Financial Investors Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions in New Jersey
“WASHINGTON – Two financial investors who purchased municipal tax liens at auctions in New Jersey pleaded guilty today for conspiring to rig bids for the sale of tax liens auctioned by municipalities throughout the state, the Department of Justice announced.

A felony charge was filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, N.J., against Robert W. Stein of Huntington Valley, Pa., and David M. Farber of Cherry Hill, N.J. Under the plea agreements, which are subject to court approval, Stein and Farber have both agreed to cooperate with the department’s ongoing investigation.

According to the felony charge against Stein, from as early as 1998 until approximately spring 2009, Stein participated in a conspiracy to rig bids at auctions for the sale of municipal tax liens in New Jersey by agreeing to allocate among certain bidders on which liens to bid. According to the felony charge against Farber, from as early as the beginning of 2005 through approximately February 2009, Farber also participated in a conspiracy to rig bids at auctions for the sale of municipal tax liens in New Jersey. The department said that both Stein and Farber proceeded to submit bids in accordance with their agreements and purchased tax liens at collusive and non-competitive interest rates.
“Today’s guilty pleas demonstrate that the Antitrust Division will not tolerate those who manipulate the competitive process in order to harm home and property owners,” said Sharis A. Pozen, Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.

The department said that the primary purpose of the conspiracies was to suppress and restrain competition to obtain selected municipal tax liens offered at public auctions at non-competitive interest rates. When the owner of real property fails to pay taxes on that property, the municipality in which the property is located may attach a lien for the amount of the unpaid taxes. If the taxes remain unpaid after a waiting period, the lien may be sold at auction. State law requires that investors bid on the interest rate delinquent homeowners will pay upon redemption. By law, the bid opens at 18 percent interest and, through a competitive bidding process, can be driven down to zero percent. If a lien remains unpaid after a certain period of time, the investor who purchased the lien may begin foreclosure proceedings against the property to which the lien is attached.

According to the court documents, Stein conspired with others not to bid against one another at municipal tax lien auctions in New Jersey. Farber also agreed not bid against certain bidders at tax lien auctions. Because the conspiracies permitted the conspirators to purchase tax liens with limited competition, each conspirator was able to obtain liens which earned a higher interest rate. Property owners were therefore made to pay higher interest on their tax debts than they would have paid had their liens been purchased in open and honest competition.

Each violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for a Sherman Act violation may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victim if either amount is greater than the $1 million statutory maximum.

Today’s pleas are the result of an ongoing investigation into bid rigging or fraud related to municipal tax lien auctions. On Aug. 24, 2011, Isadore H. May, Richard J. Pisciotta Jr. and William A. Collins each pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging in connection with their participation in a conspiracy to allocate liens at New Jersey municipal tax lien auctions.

Today’s charges are part of efforts underway by President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF). President Obama established the interagency FFETF to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. For more information on the task force, visit www.StopFraud.gov.

U.S. GOVERNMENT'S EXPLANATION: WHY THE PRICE OF GAS IS RISING

The following excerpt is from the USA .gov Team website:

Why the Price of Gas is Rising
On Facebook, Laura asked, “what is causing the rise in fuel prices in the USA and who benefits from this increase?”
Fuel prices in the United States are rising because of the increasing cost of crude oil. Crude oil is the natural form of oil as it is found in the ground, before it has been refined into gasoline. As of January 2012, the price of crude oil made up 76% of the cost of regular gasoline. In January, the national average retail price of gas was $3.38 per gallon. This means $2.57 per gallon paid for crude oil.
.
There are a few reasons why the price of crude oil is rising. There’s more demand from countries that haven’t used very much oil in the past, such as China. Also, instability in the Middle East means recent output from countries like Libya and Iran has been unpredictable or low. The Middle East produces a lot of the world’s oil and less oil means higher prices.

Currently, the United States’ demand for oil is down and production of oil is up. These factors would normally make prices go down. However, demand for oil in emerging markets like China is so high that it overcomes these market forces.

The countries and corporations that sell crude oil benefit when the price is high. In 2010, about 49% of the oil used by the U.S. was imported from foreign countries

HALF-WAY HOUSE OPERATOR GOES ALL THE WAY TO PRISON FOR ROLE IN MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
“WASHINGTON – The manager and operator of a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-area halfway house was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for his role in a Medicare fraud kickback scheme that funneled patients to a fraudulent mental health provider, American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), announced the Department of Justice, FBI and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Butler Moultrie, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in the Southern District of Florida.  In addition to his prison term, Moultrie was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $801,000 in restitution.
Moultrie pleaded guilty in December 2011 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

According to court documents, most of the residents at Moultrie’s halfway house were recovering from drug and/or alcohol addictions.  Moultrie agreed to refer Medicare beneficiaries who resided at his halfway house to ATC to purportedly receive intensive mental health services called partial hospitalization program (PHP) treatment in exchange for illegal health care kickbacks.  Moultrie admitted that he knew the kickbacks were illegal and that ATC fraudulently billed the Medicare program for the PHP services.  Moultrie also knew that no doctor had prescribed PHP treatment for his patient referrals and that his residents required drug and/or alcohol addiction treatment rather than mental health services.

According to court filings, ATC’s owners and operators paid kickbacks to owners and operators of assisted living facilities and halfway houses and to patient brokers in exchange for delivering ineligible patients to ATC and its related company, the American Sleep Institute (ASI).  In some cases, the patients received a portion of those kickbacks.  Throughout the course of the ATC conspiracy, millions of dollars in kickbacks were paid in exchange for Medicare beneficiaries who did not qualify for PHP services.  The ineligible beneficiaries attended treatment programs that were not legitimate so that ATC and ASI could bill Medicare more than $200 million in medically unnecessary services.
According to the plea agreement, Moultrie’s participation in the fraud resulted in approximately $1.9 million in fraudulent billing to the Medicare program.
ATC, its management company Medlink Professional Management Group Inc., and various owners, managers, doctors, therapists, patient brokers and marketers of ATC, Medlink and ASI, were charged with various health care fraud, kickback, money laundering and other offenses in two indictments unsealed on Feb. 15, 2011.  ATC, Medlink and ten of the individual defendants have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial.  Other defendants are scheduled for trial April 9, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz.  In addition to Moultrie, 11 other assisted living facility and halfway house owners and operators and patient recruiters have been convicted for their roles in the fraud scheme.  Eight of these defendants, including Moultrie, have been sentenced to prison.

Today’s sentencing was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; John V. Gillies, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Miami field office; and Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami office.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Steven Kim and Jennifer L. Saulino of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,190 defendants that collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $3.2 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.”

COLLEGE STUDENTS VISIT NASA'S FUTURE SPACECRAFT MOCK-UPS

“Students from Texas A&M University visited the Orion Medium Fidelity Mockup as part of the SSANS, or Students Shaping America’s Next Spacecraft, program. The students, who are Industrial Engineering majors at Texas A&M, partnered with the Orion Program on two senior design projects: Orion Lighting System hardware for the Orion Full-scale Mockup and the Orion Budget and Planning Project. During their visit on Feb. 22, 2012, the students presented their work as part of the Preliminary Design Review at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. While at the center, they had an opportunity to see the Orion mockups and tour center facilities. Image Credit: NASA “

The above excerpt and picture are from the NASA website:

ARMY PFC BRADLEY E. MANNING WAS ARRAIGNED ON 22 CHARGES

The following excerpt is from the Department of Defense American Forces Press Service:

02/24/2012 10:21 AM CST
Army Charges Manning With Leaking Intelligence
Army News Service
"FORT MEADE, Md., Feb. 24, 2012 - Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning was arraigned here yesterday on 22 charges that include wrongfully releasing intelligence, theft of records and aiding the enemy.
Manning elected to defer his plea and also to defer the forum selection for his court-martial -- whether he will be tried by a judge or a panel. The court set a tentative date of March 15 or 16 for the next session to hear pretrial motions.

Manning was charged with aiding the enemy in violation of Article 104 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He also was charged with 16 specifications under Article 134 of the UCMJ: wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet knowing that it is accessible to the enemy.
He was charged with five specifications of theft of public property or records, in violation of 18 U.S. Code 641; eight specifications of transmitting defense information, in violation of 18 USC 793(e); two specifications of fraud and related activity in connection with computers in violation of 18 USC 1030(a)(1); and five specifications under UCMJ Article 92 for violating Army regulations 25-2, Information Assurance, and 380-5, Department of the Army Information Security Program.
If convicted of all charges against him, Manning would face a maximum punishment of reduction to the lowest enlisted pay grade, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, confinement for life and a dishonorable discharge.

Most of the 16 specifications against Article 134 relate to Manning giving "intelligence to the enemy, through indirect means" while at Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between November 2009 and May 2010. He is charged with sharing illegally accessed intelligence with "a person not entitled to receive it."
Specification 10 of Article 134 says Manning obtained and then divulged five classified records relating to a military operation in Afghanistan's Farah province on or about May 4, 2009, with reason to believe the information could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation."

FORMER CEO OF KELLOGG, BROWN & ROOT INC. SENTENCED FOR BRIBERY AND KICKBACK SCHEMES

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:

“Thursday, February 23, 2012Former Chairman and CEO of Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Foreign Bribery and Kickback SchemesU.K. Solicitor and Former Salesman Also Sentenced for Participation in Scheme to Bribe Nigerian Government Officials

WASHINGTON – Albert “Jack” Stanley, a former chairman and chief executive officer of Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. (KBR), was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by participating in a decade-long scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials to obtain engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts and for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud as part of a separate kickback scheme, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced.    

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison for the Southern District of Texas also ordered Stanley to serve three years of supervised release following the prison term and to pay $10.8 million in restitution to KBR, the victim of the separate kickback scheme.   Stanley, 69, pleaded guilty on Sept. 3, 2008, to a two-count criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Two of Stanley’s co-conspirators also were sentenced by Judge Ellison.   Today, Jeffrey Tesler, 63, a United Kingdom citizen and licensed solicitor, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.   Tesler also was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and previously was ordered to forfeit $148,964,568.   Yesterday, Wojciech J. Chodan, 74, a United Kingdom citizen and former salesman at KBR’s U.K. subsidiary, was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.   Chodan previously was ordered to forfeit $726,885.

Tesler and Chodan were indicted on Feb. 17, 2009, and subsequently extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom.   On Dec. 6, 2011, Chodan pleaded guilty to count one of the indictment charging him with conspiring to violate the FCPA.   On March 11, 2011, Tesler pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and one count of violating the FCPA.
         
All three defendants fully cooperated with the department’s investigation, which resulted in more than $1.7 billion in penalties, disgorgement and forfeitures.   The defendants’ substantial assistance in the investigation and prosecution of other defendants was reflected in the sentences the court imposed.

“Today’s prison sentences for Mr. Stanley and Mr. Tesler mark another important step in our prosecution of those responsible for a massive bribery scheme involving engineering, procurement and construction contracts in Nigeria,” said Mythili Raman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division.  “These sentences reflect not only the defendants’ illegal acts, but also their substantial cooperation with the government.  As a result of this investigation, three individuals have been convicted of FCPA-related crimes, and five companies in four countries have paid substantial penalties and undertaken significant efforts to enhance their compliance programs.  This case shows the importance the department places on putting an end to foreign bribery.”

According to court documents, KBR was a member of the TSKJ joint venture (named for the first letters of the names of the companies involved), along with Technip S.A., Snamprogetti Netherlands B.V., and JGC Corporation.  Between 1995 and 2004, TSKJ was awarded four EPC contracts, valued at more than $6 billion, by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Ltd. to build the LNG facilities on Bonny Island.  The government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was the largest shareholder of NLNG, owning 49 percent of the company.

From approximately 1994 through June 2004, the joint venture companies, Stanley, Tesler, Chodan and others agreed to pay bribes to a wide range of Nigerian government officials in order to obtain and retain the EPC contracts.   To pay the bribes, the joint venture hired two agents – Tesler and Marubeni Corporation, a Japanese trading company headquartered in Tokyo.   The joint venture hired Tesler as a consultant to pay bribes to high-level Nigerian government officials, including top-level executive branch officials, and hired Marubeni to pay bribes to lower-level Nigerian government officials.  At crucial junctures preceding the award of the EPC contracts, Stanley and other co-conspirators met with successive holders of a top-level office in the executive branch of the Nigerian government to ask the office holders to designate a representative with whom TSKJ should negotiate bribes to Nigerian government officials.  TSKJ paid approximately $132 million to a Gibraltar corporation controlled by Tesler and $51 million to Marubeni during the course of the bribery scheme for use, in part, to pay bribes to Nigerian government officials.

In a related criminal case, KBR’s successor company, Kellogg Brown & Root LLC, pleaded guilty in February 2009 to FCPA-related charges for its participation in the scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials.  Kellogg Brown & Root LLC was ordered to pay a $402 million fine and to retain an independent compliance monitor for a three-year period to review the design and implementation of its compliance program.

In another related criminal case, the department filed a deferred prosecution agreement and criminal information against Technip in June 2010.  According to that agreement, Technip agreed to pay a $240 million criminal penalty and to retain an independent compliance monitor for two years.   In July 2010, the department filed a deferred prosecution agreement and criminal information against Snamprogetti, which also agreed to pay a $240 million criminal penalty.  In April 2011, the department filed a deferred prosecution agreement and criminal information against JGC, in which JGC agreed to pay a $218.8 million criminal penalty and to retain an independent compliance consultant for two years.   In January 2012, the department filed a deferred prosecution agreement and criminal information against Marubeni, in which Marubeni agreed to pay a $54.6 million criminal penalty and to retain a corporate compliance consultant for two years
         
The criminal cases were prosecuted by Assistant Chief William J. Stuckwisch and Deputy Chief Patrick F. Stokes of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, with investigative assistance from the FBI-Houston Division.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the SEC’s Division of Enforcement provided substantial assistance.  Significant assistance was provided by authorities in France, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.   Investigative assistance with the prosecution of Stanley was also provided by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division in Houston.”

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CLAIMS ARE UNCHANGED OVER LAST WEEK

The following excerpt is from the Department of Labor website:

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT
          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending February 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 351,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised figure of 351,000. The 4-week moving average was 359,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised average of 366,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.7 percent for the week ending February 11, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending February 11, was 3,392,000, a decrease of 52,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,444,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,453,250, a decrease of 43,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,497,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 345,216 in the week ending February 18, a decrease of 19,888 from the previous week. There were 380,985 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.2 percent during the week ending February 11, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,996,051, an increase of 11,166 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 3.7 percent and the volume was 4,587,740.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending February 4 was 7,502,791, a decrease of 178,619 from the previous week.
Extended benefits were available in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin during the week ending February 4.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,383 in the week ending February 11, a decrease of 195 from the prior week. There were 2,520 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 373 from the preceding week.
There were 28,804 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending February 4, a decrease of 1,506 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 42,021, a decrease of 829 from the prior week.
States reported 2,919,330 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending February 4, a decrease of 83,145 from the prior week. There were 3,685,361 claimants in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending February 4 were in Alaska (6.8), Idaho (4.6), Montana (4.6), Oregon (4.6), Wisconsin (4.6), Pennsylvania ( 4.5), Rhode Island (4.5), New Jersey (4.3), Puerto Rico (4.3), Connecticut (4.1), and Michigan (4.1).”

FLORIDA PRISON GUARD GOES TO PRISON FOR PHYSICAL ABUSE OF PRISONERS

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
“South Florida Corrections Officer Sentenced on Federal Civil Rights Charge
MIAMI – A corrections officer was sentenced to prison today in federal court for a civil rights charge stemming from prisoner abuse that took place at the South Florida Reception Center (SFRC), a state prison in Doral, Fla., the Justice Department announced.  Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) officer Guruba Griffin, 32, was sentenced by District Judge Cecilia Altonaga to serve one year in prison, followed by one year of supervised release.

On Dec. 13, 2011, Griffin entered a guilty plea to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. Griffin’s plea followed a trial in October 2011 where a jury was unable to reach a verdict as to his involvement in a civil rights conspiracy against inmates at SFRC.  Griffin’s co-defendant, Scott Butler, was acquitted by the same jury, while a second jury found Sergeant Alexander McQueen guilty of conspiracy against civil rights and obstruction of justice and convicted Officer Steven Dawkins for obstruction of justice.  McQueen and Dawkins were sentenced to twelve months in prison and one month in prison, respectively, in January of this year.

According to evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 25, 2009, SFRC corrections officers physically abused inmates by choking, punching and striking them with wooden broom handles.  The officers further forced the inmates to fight one another. Additionally, McQueen and Dawkins falsified reports relating to these incidents.

“Abuse of power by corrections officers who violate the civil rights of those in their custody will not be tolerated,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.  “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute those who cross the line to engage in acts of criminal violence.”
“When individuals sworn to uphold the law instead abuse their power and infringe upon the civil rights of others, the public’s confidence in our system of justice suffers,” said Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting everyone’s civil rights and promoting confidence in our system.”

“Officer Guruba Griffin violated the civil rights of prisoners under his control at a Florida Department of Corrections facility,” said Special Agent in Charge John V. Gillies of FBI Miami Division.  “His abusive treatment of these prisoners damaged the public’s trust in law enforcement.  The message to corrupt corrections officers is clear; engage in criminal misconduct and the FBI and our partners will bring you to justice.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Inspector General’s Office, Florida Department of Corrections, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Rhee Osborne of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Senior Litigation Counsel Gerard Hogan and Trial Attorney Henry Leventis of the Civil Rights Division.”

NEW WEBSITE FOR ARMED FORCES DENTAL CARE

The following excerpt is from the Department of Defense Armed with Science website:

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Feb. 15, 2012) — A new comprehensive website is helping Soldiers maintain their dental readiness.

The information site, the Dental Readiness Information Center, or DRIC, contains up-to-date information on dental readiness requirements, available resources for examinations and treatment, and procedures to update a Soldier or unit’s dental readiness status. Soldiers can access the website from anywhere via smartphone or by any other internet connection device.

According to Col. Mark Bodenheim, a consultant with the U.S. Army Dental Command, known as DENCOM, the website is a great way for Soldiers to stay up to date on dental readiness requirements.

“Various dental readiness entitlements and programs have been initiated during the last ten years. These programs can be confusing to the individual Soldier and their command. The DRIC organizes the various programs into a logical sequence dependent upon the Soldier’s active duty status and Army component,” he said.

“The DRIC also tells Soldiers the current deployment dental readiness requirements; what program they are eligible to access; and upon accessing the program, how their dental readiness status will be updated in the Medical Protection System database,” he added.

Created by the DENCOM, the website is available to any Soldier — active, Reserve, or National Guard — and supports the U.S. Army Medical Command’s Soldier Medical Readiness Campaign Plan.

“With today’s high tech Army, each Soldier is critical to mission success. Dental studies indicate that a Soldier who is not dental ready prior to deployment has a greater than 75 percent chance of a dental emergency within the next 12 months. A Soldier with a dental emergency can be a loss to their unit for days,” Bodenheim said.

Additionally, deployed Soldiers with oral disease often require medical evacuation for treatment, endangering themselves and others.

Bodenheim said dental readiness is especially important for Army Reserve components (Army Reserve and Army National Guard), because Reserve components, or RC, Soldiers, as an operational force for the Army, must be able to deploy just as quickly as their active component counterparts. The Department of Defense goal is to have active and RC Soldiers maintain a 95 percent dental readiness status at all times. Currently, the Army’s active component maintains a 92 percent readiness dental readiness status while the RC dental readiness has improved to 80 percent, a dramatic improvement from just five years ago.

“During the first Gulf War, between 35 and 45 percent of RC Soldiers mobilized needed some type of dental work before they could deploy. This trend continued during the initial mobilization of RC Soldiers for the Global War on Terrorism. The increased use of RC Soldiers for operational requirements necessitated a different approach to the issue. By late 2008, DENCOM, in conjunction with multiple stakeholders, led the development of a funded, year round, RC dental readiness program-the Army Selected Reserve Dental Readiness System,” he said.

Bodenheim added that the DRIC is a great way for commanders in all components to enhance Soldier readiness and combat effectiveness.

“Officers within Army commands change constantly. The DRIC permits a new commander, as well as present commanders, to instantly access the most current information on dental readiness. Dental readiness is a commander’s and individual Soldier’s responsibility. The DRIC is another tool in the commander’s tool box to assist in the decision making process of commanders,” he said.

The DRIC is located at https://www.dencom.army.mil/dric/index.html or in AKO under the “Dental Readiness” drop down box found in the My Medical Readiness Status section under the Soldier’s My Professional Data subject line.

TOTAL COMPANIES WILL PAY $15 MILLION TO SETTLE ROYALTY UNDERPAYMENT ALLEGATIONS

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
“Total Fina S.A., Total Minatome Corporation, Total Exploration Production USA Inc., Fina Oil and Chemical Company, Elf Exploration Inc., Total E&P USA I nc. and their affiliates have agreed to pay the United States $15 million to resolve claims that the companies violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the Justice Department announced today.

Congress has authorized federal and Indian lands to be leased for the production of natural gas in exchange for the payment of royalties on the value of the gas that is produced.   Each month, companies are required to report and pay to the U.S. Department of the Interior the amount of royalty that is due.   This settlement resolves claims by the United States under the False Claims Act that the Total defendants improperly deducted from royalty values the cost of boosting gas up to pipeline pressures, improperly reported processed gas as unprocessed gas to reduce royalty payments, and engaged in a variety of other under-reporting of royalties that had been the subject of a series of outstanding administrative actions.

“ When companies are permitted to remove natural gas and other non-renewable resources from public lands, we must require them to keep their end of the bargain and pay their fair share of royalties,” said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice.   “Through this case and others like it, we are demonstrating our commitment to protect natural resources and support important federal programs from which we all benefit.”

Total, the fifth largest publicly-traded integrated international oil and gas company in the world,  has operations in more than 130 countries, and engages in all aspects of the petroleum industry, including oil and gas exploration, development and production, refining, marketing, trading and shipping. The Total and Fina corporate families merged in 1999, and became known as Total Fina.   In 2000, the company acquired Elf Aquitaine.

“The Department of the Interior and ONRR remain committed to ensuring that energy companies accurately report production and pay the required royalties,” said Greg Gould, Interior’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources Revenue.  “We will continue to pursue every dollar due to taxpayers, Indian landowners, and the Federal Government from extracting these precious natural resources from Federal and American Indian lands.”

Today’s settlement arises from a lawsuit filed by Harrold Wright under the False Claims Act, and from a series of administrative actions separately initiated and pursued by the Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (and its predecessor, the Minerals Management Service).   Under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, private citizens may file actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery.  Because Mr. Wright is deceased, his heirs will receive $23,000 plus interest as their share of the settlement.   This represents a 25 percent share of the $92,000 in the settlement that is allocated to claims pursued by Mr. Wright.   The United States will intervene against the Total defendants for the purpose of completing this settlement.   The Department of Justice previously intervened against several other defendants in the Wright lawsuit.   Settlements in the case to date exceed $280 million.

The investigation and settlement of this matter was jointly handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, and the Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resource Revenue, Office of the Solicitor and Office of the Inspector General.  

The case is U.S. ex rel. Wright v. Chevron USA, Inc. et al., 5:03-CV-264 (E.D. Tex.).   The allegations contained in the complaint against the Total companies are merely accusations and do not constitute a determination of liability.”

TWO COMPANIES PAY OSHA FINES FOR WORKPLACE VIOLATIONS

The following excerpt is from the U.S. Department of Labor website:

"PALMYRA, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Exel Inc. for nine — including six willful — workplace safety and health violations at the Eastern Distribution Center III, a facility in Palmyra owned by the Hershey Co. and operated by Exel. Proposed penalties total $283,000. OSHA also has cited the SHS Group LP, doing business as SHS Staffing Solutions, for one violation with a proposed penalty of $5,000.

The agency's inspection was conducted in response to a complaint filed by the National Guestworker Alliance on behalf of a group of foreign students who were performing summer jobs at the Palmyra facility under the U.S. Department of State's J-1 visa program. Their visas were sponsored by the nonprofit organization Council for Educational Travel — USA. The complaint alleges a number of abuses of the visa program, which is designed to promote cultural exchange, as well as exploitative and unsafe conditions in the workplace.

Under a contract with Exel, SHS Staffing Solutions hired the students to work at the Palmyra site repackaging Hershey candies for promotional displays. Exel is a contract logistics provider headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, with more than 40,000 employees at more than 500 sites in North America.

Exel was responsible for record keeping in the Palmyra facility. OSHA has cited the six willful violations with penalties totaling $280,000 for failing to record injuries and illnesses on the OSHA 300 log for four years, evaluate the accuracy of the 300 logs before certifying them for three years, and develop and implement an effective hearing conservation program. A willful violation is one committed with intentional knowledge or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.

"Nothing useful can be learned from an unrecorded injury," said OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels. "Accurate records provide critical information to employers and employees about the cause and prevention of work-related injuries. The law requires employers to maintain complete and accurate records because, without these, it is more difficult to prevent additional injuries and illnesses from occurring."

SHS Staffing Solutions, a temporary staffing provider headquartered in Lemoyne, has been cited with one serious violation for failing to provide training to employees on the lockout/tagout of energy sources. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Exel also has been cited for three other-than-serious violations carrying a $3,000 penalty related to inadequate record keeping. An other-than-serious violation is one that probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

Additionally, the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division is investigating potential violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act relating to the work performed by the CETUSA-sponsored foreign students. Because CETUSA has withheld documents from investigators, the secretary of labor filed a petition to enforce an administrative subpoena against CETUSA in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in order to complete this investigation. On Feb. 7, Judge William W. Caldwell ordered CETUSA to file a response on or before Feb. 20 to explain to the court why the documents have not been produced. CETUSA has filed a response pursuant to the court's order, and further proceedings before Caldwell are anticipated.

Both Exel and SHS Staffing Solutions have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, ask for an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission”

HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN DAVE CAMP MEETS WITH CHINESE VICE PRESIDENT

The following excerpt is from Congressman Dave Camp’s newsletter:

“Washington, D.C. -- , Feb 16 - Congressman Dave Camp (R-Midland, MI), chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, met Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping earlier this week. Xi is presumed to be the next President of China after China’s leadership transition in the fall. Camp released the following statement after the meeting:

"Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's visit provided an important opportunity for him to hear directly many of our concerns about the significant barriers faced by U.S. exporters. I welcome the meaningful commitments by China that were announced this week. These developments are encouraging steps in the right direction, and I will work closely with the Administration to ensure that China fully implements these commitments. China is an important market for U.S. companies, farmers, and ranchers and we must continue to be diligent in ensuring that China is in full compliance with its international obligations."

Camp continues to lead the charge to ensure that China plays by the rules. In this Congress,  Camp:
Led a bipartisan letter with Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus urging the Administration to more aggressively use multilateral forums, such as the World Trade Organization, to address China’s unfair currency practices.
Organized a meeting between the Ways & Means Committee and the lead Chinese Economic Official, Wang Qishan, to advocate directly with the Chinese about U.S. concerns, including China’s failure to protect American IPR, its unfair subsidies, and other discriminatory Chinese practices.
Worked constructively with House and Senate colleagues to develop targeted legislation that ensures our countervailing duty laws can be used to protect U.S. employers and workers from unfairly subsidized imports from countries like China.
Defined Congressional priorities on China’s economic policy by holding hearings with senior administration officials, organizing bipartisan letters defining Congressional priorities, and pushing the Administration to define clearer metrics so that we know when China is making progress and when it is not.”

U.S. CONCERNED ABOUT EXECUTION ORDER FOR IRANIAN CHRISTIAN PASTOR

The following excerpt is form the U.S. Department of State website:


Press Statement

Mark C. Toner
Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

February 23, 2012

---

"The United States is deeply concerned by reports that a provincial court has renewed the execution order for Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. Mr. Nadarkhani is facing a death sentence on charges of apostasy and has refused to recant his Christian faith. Such government persecution for simply following one’s faith is common in Iran, where followers of many religious traditions face harsh treatment and severe violations of their religious freedom. We have also witnessed a dramatic increase in the arrest of adherents to the Baha’i Faith recently, as well as an increase in repression of freedom of expression in all forms. We stand with religious and political leaders from around the world in condemning Youcef Nadarkhani’s conviction and call for his immediate release."

COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS SAYS MOBILE DATA TRAFFIC TO INCREASE 20 TIMES BY 2015

The following excerpt is from the White House website:

"A new report from the Council of Economic Advisors found that by 2015, U.S. mobile data traffic will be 20 times higher than it was in 2010.

To provide for this projected traffic growth, much of it due to the increase in usage of smartphones, tablets, and other internet-enabled mobile devices, the Obama Administration has proposed making an additional 500 MHz of public airwaves, known as spectrum, available for wireless broadband access.

Making wireless broadband more widely available has the potential to transform many parts of the American economy, opening the door to everything from products that make businesses more productive and tools that help doctors and nurses provide better health care at lower costs to making it easier for people to interact with media-rich mobile apps and high-definition streaming video.

In addition, wireless broadband plays a vital role in enabling emergency personnel to communicate efficiently and to obtain necessary information quickly, including real-time videos, images, and other data, even when first responders are working across jurisdictional lines.

Today, Vice President Biden announced a new nationwide public safety broadband network that President Obama will soon sign into law as part of the payroll tax extension. The new legislation will create a nationwide inter-operable public safety broadband network that will, for the first time, allow law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs to have a dedicated communications network so they can talk with one another."

NASA SPACECRAFT REVEALS RECENT GEOLOGICAL ACTIVITY ON THE MOON

The following excerpt is from the NASA website:

"WASHINGTON -- New images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter 
(LRO) spacecraft show the moon's crust is being stretched, forming 
minute valleys in a few small areas on the lunar surface. Scientists 
propose this geologic activity occurred less than 50 million years 
ago, which is considered recent compared to the moon's age of more 
than 4.5 billion years. 

A team of researchers analyzing high-resolution images obtained by the 
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) show small, narrow 
trenches typically much longer than they are wide. This indicates the 
lunar crust is being pulled apart at these locations. These linear 
valleys, known as graben, form when the moon's crust stretches, 
breaks and drops down along two bounding faults. A handful of these 
graben systems have been found across the lunar surface. 

"We think the moon is in a general state of global contraction because 
of cooling of a still hot interior," said Thomas Watters of the 
Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian's National 
Air and Space Museum in Washington, and lead author of a paper on 
this research appearing in the March issue of the journal Nature 
Geoscience. "The graben tell us forces acting to shrink the moon were 
overcome in places by forces acting to pull it apart. This means the 
contractional forces shrinking the moon cannot be large, or the small 
graben might never form." 

The weak contraction suggests that the moon, unlike the terrestrial 
planets, did not completely melt in the very early stages of its 
evolution. Rather, observations support an alternative view that only 
the moon's exterior initially melted forming an ocean of molten rock. 


In August 2010, the team used LROC images to identify physical signs 
of contraction on the lunar surface, in the form of lobe-shaped 
cliffs known as lobate scarps. The scarps are evidence the moon 
shrank globally in the geologically recent past and might still be 
shrinking today. The team saw these scarps widely distributed across 
the moon and concluded it was shrinking as the interior slowly 
cooled. 

Based on the size of the scarps, it is estimated that the distance 
between the moon's center and its surface shrank by approximately 300 
feet. The graben were an unexpected discovery and the images provide 
contradictory evidence that the regions of the lunar crust are also 
being pulled apart. 

"This pulling apart tells us the moon is still active," said Richard 
Vondrak, LRO Project Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 
in Greenbelt, Md. "LRO gives us a detailed look at that process." 

As the LRO mission progresses and coverage increases, scientists will 
have a better picture of how common these young graben are and what 
other types of tectonic features are nearby. The graben systems the 
team finds may help scientists refine the state of stress in the 
lunar crust. 

"It was a big surprise when I spotted graben in the far side 
highlands," said co-author Mark Robinson of the School of Earth and 
Space Exploration at Arizona State University, principal investigator 
of LROC. "I immediately targeted the area for high-resolution stereo 
images so we could create a three-dimensional view of the graben. 
It's exciting when you discover something totally unexpected and only 
about half the lunar surface has been imaged in high resolution. 
There is much more of the moon to be explored." 

The research was funded by the LRO mission, currently under NASA's 
Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. LRO 
is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md." 

U.S MARSHALS NAB FLEEING ROBBERY SUBJECT

The following excerpt is from the U.S. Marshals Service website:

"Patterson, CA - U.S. Marshal Albert Najera of the Eastern District of California announced today that the U.S. Marshals Service arrested 19 year old John Williams in Patterson, California. Williams was wanted for Armed Robbery and Assault with a Deadly Weapon with gang enhancements. On December 20, 2011, Williams and three associates, all members of a violent street gang in the Southern California area, reportedly assaulted and robbed four individuals at gun point. Shortly after this incident, three suspects were arrested and the fourth suspect, Williams was unable to be located. Investigators from the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) Fresno Division, developed information that Williams was residing in the Patterson area attempting to avoid capture. On February 22, 2012, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the task force located Williams at the 300 block of Red Robin Drive in Patterson. As deputies approached Williams, he attempted to elude deputies and a short foot pursuit ensued. Williams was subsequently taken into custody and is currently awaiting his initial court appearance. The Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-sponsored partnership comprised of investigators from federal, state, and local agencies."

DOD WANTS FORCES TO BE FINANCIALLY FIT

The following excerpt is from a Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail:

DOD Spotlights Value of Financial Fitness

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2012 - Citing the potentially devastating impact of financial issues on career and home life, officials are encouraging troops and their families to build financial fitness by kick-starting a savings plan and reducing their debt.

"When families are financially fit, they are more successful in their life," said Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon's office of family policy, children and youth. "Money isn't everything, but it does impact relationships and job performance."

Defense Department officials are putting the spotlight on financial readiness -- particularly the importance of saving -- this week as part of a larger, national emphasis on financial well-being. Military Saves Week, part of America Saves Week, is an annual event intended to help people become better financial planners. This year's campaign slogan, "Set a goal, make a plan, save automatically," promotes the long-term benefits of saving even a little each month.

Throughout the week, military installations around the world will sponsor financial fairs, luncheons, speakers and seminars, and will work with on-base financial institutions, military exchanges, commissaries and nonprofit organizations to build awareness of the importance of financial readiness.

"It offers us an opportunity to educate service members and families, including spouses and youth, about good financial management," Thompson said.

As a start, Thompson suggested people have at least $500 set aside for unexpected emergencies, whether it's a military-related moving expense or a tire change. If people have something saved, they can avoid the temptation of borrowing from a predatory lender or other financial resource that may have a high interest rate and other unattractive terms, she explained.

"Unexpected expenses really tap into your short-term investments and your short-term savings plan," she added.

The America Saves website offers some other savings strategies:

-- Pay off consumer debt with double-digit interest rates. It can take years to pay off a loan if people stick to the minimum balance due. For example, it would take someone with a $3,000 credit card balance at 19.8 percent interest nearly 40 years to pay off the balance if they stick to the minimum balance due. The interest charges alone would total more than $10,000.

-- Participate in a work-related retirement program, such as a 401K or the military's Thrift Savings Plan.

-- Save monthly through an automatic transfer from checking to savings. What people don't see, they don't miss.

-- Buy a home and pay off the mortgage before retirement.
By doing so, people can reduce their housing expenses and have an asset that can be borrowed on in an emergency or converted into cash upon the sale of a home.

Thompson noted a disturbing trend of young troops entering the service with already accumulated debt. "We want to make sure ... it's not overshadowing their entire career," she said.

A bad credit report can lead to a lost security clearance, which may bar troops from doing their jobs, and financial issues can take their toll on a service member already dealing with the stressors of deployments. Thompson cited financial issues as a major factor in suicide.

Thompson pointed to the Thrift Savings Plan as one of the "most powerful savings tools" at service members' disposal. She encouraged troops who aren't already contributing to their Thrift Savings Plan to start.

Even if service members plan to separate after four years, they should contribute, she advised, since the funds easily can be rolled over to a 401K plan at their new job. People also can explore savings bonds and saver accounts sponsored by credit unions and on-base banks, she added.

It's never too early to start, Thompson noted. Even preschoolers can learn the benefits of saving. Parents can teach children how to manage money by having them put a part of their allowance away for savings, part for charity and keeping some money to spend.

Thompson urged people to visit http://saveandinvest.org, which offers people of all ages information on how to make wise financial decisions.

People can take steps toward financial fitness today by taking the "Saver Pledge" on the Military Saves website, located at http://militarysaves.org, or by talking with a personal financial manager. These accredited counselors are located in family centers around the world and are attached to joint family support assistance program teams. They can help people with budgeting, managing debt, setting financial goals and navigating resources, Thompson said.

Additionally, the Defense Department's Military OneSource consultants can provide telephonic counseling or refer people to a counselor in a community. People can contact a consultant at 1-800-342-9647 or online at http://www.militaryonesource.com.

Thompson cited the importance of starting healthy financial habits at a young age.

"You can't start saving when you're 50," she said. "You need to start saving when you're 15. Start to think about what you want to do with your life. You want to have a comfortable quality of life and you can't do that if you haven't saved all the way through your career."
 

LABOR DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES TECH SKILL TRAINING GRANTS OF OVER $183 MILLION

The following excerpt is from the U.S. Department of Labor website:

“Grants target industries in 28 states that rely on H-1B visa program for skilled workers
CINCINNATI — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced during a conference call with reporters more than $183 million in grants to 43 public-private partnerships serving 28 states through the second round of funding under the H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant Competition. The grants will provide education, training and job placement assistance related to high-growth fields in which employers are currently using the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program to hire foreign workers.

"The federal grant awards announced today will provide U.S. workers with the training they need to succeed in the high tech, high-growth jobs of the future," said Secretary Solis. "Developing a strong and vibrant workforce that fits the needs of American businesses is critical to forming an America built to last."

Last October, the Labor Department awarded more than $159 million to 36 grantees in the first round of the competition. Between the two rounds of grants, more than $163 million has been designated to provide on-the-job training, allowing participants to learn new skills while earning a regular paycheck. More than $200 million has been designated for grantees that serve participants who have been identified as long-term unemployed. The grants also represent significant investments in fields such as information technology, advanced manufacturing and health care.

These grants are funded through fees paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the United States under the H-1B program. They are intended to raise the technical skill levels of American workers and, over time, help businesses reduce their need to use the H-1B program.

The original solicitation for grant applications announced funding of $240 million to be awarded through two rounds of funding. Because additional H-1B visa fees have been collected, about $100 million more than anticipated has been awarded.
Editor's note: A complete list of grantees, including their locations, award amounts and targeted industries, follows this release.”

TWO SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED BY MAN WEARING AFGHAN ARMY UNIFORM

The following excerpt is from a U.S. Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail:

"Man in Afghan Army Uniform Shoots ISAF Members

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2012 - A man wearing an Afghan army uniform turned his weapon against International Security Assistance Force service members in eastern Afghanistan today, killing two service members, military officials reported.

It was the second incident in three days of a person wearing an Afghan security forces uniform shooting an ISAF member, officials said.

It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.

In other news from Afghanistan:

-- An Afghan-led and coalition-supported security force found and destroyed 1,100 pounds of explosives in the Achin district of Nangarhar province yesterday.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition security force in the Nawah-ye Barakzai district of Helmand province detained multiple insurgent suspects today while searching for a Taliban leader who conducts attacks against Afghan government officials.

-- An Afghan-led security force captured a facilitator who supplied arms and explosives to insurgents in the Khost district of Khost province today. The security force seized weapons, ammunition and bomb-making materials and detained an additional suspect during the operation."
 

COUPLE SENTENCED FOR USING OFFSHORE BANK ACCOUNT TO HIDE INCOME

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Angela Palmer and her husband, Warren Palmer, both of Knoxville, Tenn., each pleaded guilty today to two counts of willful failure to file tax returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

According to documents filed as part of their guilty pleas, during tax year 2005, Angela Palmer earned income as a mortgage broker and in tax years 2005 and 2006, she also earned income teaching music lessons.  Warren Palmer earned income, during tax years 2004 and 2006, doing construction and other jobs. Additionally, during the years in question, the Palmers maintained funds in an offshore bank account in the name of The Liahona LLC, an entity of which they were the sole members and managers.   Due to the income they received during the prosecution years, the Palmers were required to file tax returns, however, they failed to do so.

In accordance with their plea agreements, Angela Palmer has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $58,646.85, and Warren Palmer has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $70,887.45, to the IRS.
         
Sentencing is scheduled for June 14, 2012. The Palmers each face a maximum potential sentence of up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $100,000 for each of the counts to which they pleaded guilty.
         
The cases were investigated by the IRS - Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Trial Attorney Tracy Gostyla of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

HOUSTON HOSPITAL ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR ADMITS TO $116 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
"WASHINGTON – An assistant administrator of a Houston hospital pleaded guilty today for his role in a $116 million Medicare fraud scheme involving false claims for mental health treatment, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).                                                      

Mohammad Khan, 62, of Houston, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks, and five counts of paying or offering to pay health care kickbacks.  Khan was arrested on Feb. 8, 2012.   In his plea, Khan admitted that, from January 2008 until the time of his arrest, he caused the submission of $116 million worth of fraudulent claims to Medicare for partial hospitalization program (PHP) services purportedly provided by the hospital.  A PHP is a form of intensive outpatient treatment for severe mental illness.    

“As an assistant administrator at a Houston hospital, Mr. Kahn participated in a $116 million fraud against the government,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “For years, he operated a scheme to bill Medicare for partial hospitalization services that were medically unnecessary or never provided.  With our Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams in nine cities, we are holding accountable people across the country who have calculated – incorrectly – that they can get away with trying to bilk the Medicare program.”

According to court documents, Khan was the assistant administrator of Riverside General Hospital and controlled the day-to-day operations of Riverside’s PHPs.  Riverside maintained a valid Medicare provider number that was used to submit claims to Medicare for PHP services that were not medically necessary, and in some cases, never provided.  Many of the beneficiaries for whom Riverside submitted claims to Medicare for PHP services did not have severe mental illness and did not need the treatment provided in a PHP.  In his plea, Khan admitted that he paid and caused the payment of kickbacks to patient recruiters and owners of assisted living facilities and group care homes in exchange for the recruiters and owners sending Medicare beneficiaries to Riverside’s PHPs.  Khan also paid Medicare beneficiaries in the form of cigarettes, food and coupons redeemable for items available at Riverside’s “country stores,” in exchange for those beneficiaries attending Riverside’s PHPs.

In his plea, Khan admitted that he and his co-conspirators submitted approximately $116 million in claims to Medicare for PHP services purportedly provided by the hospital to the recruited beneficiaries, when in fact, the PHP services were medically unnecessary or never provided.

Khan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25, 2012.  Khan faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit health care fraud count, five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States count and five years in prison for each health care kickbacks count.

Today’s guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris of the FBI’s Houston Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office of HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); Special Agent in Charge Lucy R. Cruz of the IRS Houston Field Office; Joseph J. Del Favero, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General (RRB-OIG); and Scott Rezendes, Special Agent in Charge of Field Operations of the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General (OPM-OIG).

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Laura M.K. Cordova, Attorney Allan Medina, Assistant Chief William Pericak and Deputy Chief Sam S. Sheldon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, MFCU, IRS, RRB-OIG and OPM-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

Since their inception in March 2007, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,190 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $3.2 billion.  In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.”

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WARNS OF FRAUDULENT CHARGES ON PHONE BILLS

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:

February 22nd, 2012 Posted by Tracy Russo

The following post appears courtesy of Richard Goldberg, Assistant Director of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch.
Did you know that your telephone bills may contain charges for products or services other than telephone service, much like charges on a credit card?  Those who carry out these types of fraud have found ways to insinuate themselves onto the telephone billing system, and arrange for false charges to appear on telephone bills.  As a result, you could be paying for goods or services you never ordered or received.

“Cramming” is the practice of placing unauthorized, misleading or deceptive charges on a telephone bill.  The perpetrators tend to keep crammed charges small, to increase the likelihood that you will pay your bill without noticing the false charges.  They do this on both consumer and business telephone bills, on landline and wireless bills.

The Consumer Protection Branch in the Justice Department’s Civil Division is working hard to prosecute these criminals.  But individuals are really the front line in the battle against cramming and in the best position to notice these false charges.  Crammed charges may appear on any page of a telephone bill, so you should carefully review your bill on a monthly basis.
 If you see unfamiliar or suspicious charges on your telephone bill, you should:

1.  Contact your local telephone company, tell the telephone company of the cramming, and instruct the company to remove the false charge and give a credit for false charges on any previous bills, and
2. Submit a complaint summarizing the false charges to the Federal Trade Commission. 

Many telephone companies will, upon request, exclude third-party billing from a customer’s telephone bill.  Doing so may prevent crammed charges from appearing on telephone bills in the future. "