Targeted News Service

Binding of uranyl cations to a Zr-based metal-organic framework by density functional theory

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:

We use density functional theory to investigate the interactions of cerium, americium, and curium nitrates with crown ethers. Our calculations reveal that the modeled structure of cerium nitrate in crown ether is in good agreement with experimental data, exhibiting a strong binding energy of -2.5 eV. Our results demonstrate that crown ether can also bind americium and curium, providing insights into the potential applications of crown ether in ... Show Full Article

U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Travels to ALL INside Community Dallas

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness issued the following news on April 24, 2024:

This week, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Director Jeff Olivet and USICH Senior Regional Advisor Tamara Wright traveled to Dallas, Texas, to meet with city and county leaders and homelessness service providers.

Dallas recently received $22 million in first-of-its-kind funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The city is using the funding to launch a new and innovative initiative to better integrate mental health and substance use treatment ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness issued the following news on April 24, 2024: This week, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Director Jeff Olivet and USICH Senior Regional Advisor Tamara Wright traveled to Dallas, Texas, to meet with city and county leaders and homelessness service providers. Dallas recently received $22 million in first-of-its-kind funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The city is using the funding to launch a new and innovative initiative to better integrate mental health and substance use treatmentinto housing-focused outreach and permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. The federal money will also be used to help more people experiencing homelessness enroll in Medicaid and other government assistance for which they are eligible. While in Dallas, the USICH team toured a permanent supportive housing building integrating this innovative approach, along with HUD Regional Administrator Candace Valenzuela; Dallas Homeless Solutions Director Christine Crossley; and local providers, including Sarah Kahn, the CEO of Housing Forward, the Continuum of Care (CoC) that coordinates local homelessness services.

Olivet also held meetings with Dallas Deputy City Manager Kim Tolbert, Dallas Homeless Solutions Assistance Director Wanda Moreland, and City Councilmember Jesse Moreno, to discuss their challenges and solutions.

Dallas is one of several communities across the country participating in the White House and USICH's ALL INside Initiative. Since last year, the federal government has embedded federal officials and deployed federal teams in ALL INside communities to help cut red tape that makes it difficult for people to move off the streets and into homes. A few highlights from Dallas' ALL INside Initiative include:

* Setting aside 100 Dallas County Housing Authority housing vouchers a year for people experiencing homelessness (and pursuing similar changes for the area's other housing authorities)

* Developing a process to acquire and convert properties into affordable and/or permanent supportive housing

* Lowering barriers for people experiencing homelessness to get IDs and Social Security cards, which are often required to receive housing and services

Dallas' efforts are making a difference. From 2022 to 2023, chronic homelessness dropped 32% and unsheltered homelessness dropped 14%, according to HUD's Point-in-Time Count. Part of those drops are also due to the R.E.A.L. Time Rehousing Initiative that began in 2021 with the help of federal funding and emergency housing vouchers from the American Rescue Plan. Since then, the city and the CoC helped more than 6,000 people overcome homelessness.

"Homelessness is deadly--but solvable--and Dallas shows that communities can humanely and effectively help people move off the streets and into homes. We are encouraged to see Dallas is using federal and other funds to innovatively expand access to not just housing but health care," said USICH Director Jeff Olivet. "When we treat homelessness like the public health crisis that it is, and with the same urgency as a tornado or pandemic, we can end homelessness."

While in Dallas, Director Olivet also presented at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs One Team Conference on Homelessness and participated in a panel alongside other federal officials and national advocates.

* * *

Original text here: https://www.usich.gov/news-events/news/usich-director-travels-all-inside-community-dallas

New Dual-Military Monitor Aims to Smooth Assignment Process

QUANTICO, Virginia, April 26 -- The U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Command issued the following news:

By Capt. Sarah Eason, Headquarters Marine Corps

Deployments, permanent changes of station, and long work hours are just some facets of military service that put a strain on a marriage. The pressure increases when both parties in the marriage are service members. Manpower Management Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, is creating a dual-military monitor billet to alleviate stresses associated with dual-military couples' orders assignments process.

Statistics show that as of March 20, 2024, ... Show Full Article QUANTICO, Virginia, April 26 -- The U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Command issued the following news: By Capt. Sarah Eason, Headquarters Marine Corps Deployments, permanent changes of station, and long work hours are just some facets of military service that put a strain on a marriage. The pressure increases when both parties in the marriage are service members. Manpower Management Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, is creating a dual-military monitor billet to alleviate stresses associated with dual-military couples' orders assignments process. Statistics show that as of March 20, 2024,there are 8,695 Marines are married to another service member. Approximately 2,500 Marines in a dual-military marriage execute PCS orders every year. Nearly 60 percent of married female Marines are married to another service member. Given these statistics, it's no surprise that the Marine Corps recognizes that co-locating dual-service couples is complicated. In the past, if complications arose, there wasn't a single dedicated effort to tackle the issue. Manpower Management recognized the issue and acted, creating a dual-military monitor to ensure that dual-military couples have a dedicated resource. The dual-military monitor ensures efficient coordination occurs between the couple's primary military occupational specialty monitors.

* * *

"The Commandant of the Marine Corps made the commitment to keep dual-military families together... Manpower Management created this billet to ensure that commitment is honored."

- said Staff Sgt. Nancy Acuna, the Marine selected to be the dual-military monitor with Manpower Management Enlisted Assignments.

* * *

The dual-military monitor assists in various processes for dual-military couples. These include reporting marriages to administrative centers, requests for co-location, and streamlining the separation waiver process. Staff Sgt. Nancy Acuna, the Marine selected to be the dual-military monitor with Manpower Management Enlisted Assignments, will also serve as a resource for dual-military families on career options for geolocation selection, guidance on timeline execution, and available programs.

For inter-service dual-military couples and active-reserve Marine couples, the dual-military monitor facilitates communication with Marine Corps officer and enlisted duty monitors, reserve monitors, and detailers or assignments personnel from other Services.

"My job is to ensure that dual-military families feel supported by the service," said Acuna. "They've made the commitment to the Marine Corps, and we recognize them by making the orders assignments process as concise and easy as possible."

Stresses associated with dual-military marriages often cause one of the members to exit the service. The dual-military monitor will help talented Marines stay in uniform while keeping their family together. It's a professional and personal win for Marines. It demonstrates the service's dedication to refining policies and processes to best serve the individual Marine and optimize the capability of our force.

Additional information will be released in an upcoming Marine Administrative Message.

* * *

Original text here: https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/3755669/new-dual-military-monitor-aims-to-smooth-assignment-process/

Exploring How the Business & Enterprise Systems Small Business Office Supports Warfighters - PODCAST

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio, April 26 -- The U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center issued the following news:

By Joe Danielewicz, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Public Affairs

The Air Force partners with small businesses across the country, with a Small Business Office attached to each Air Force Life Cycle Management Center installation. As a knowledgeable resource about Air Force acquisition practices, and through engagement with events like Vendor Industry Days, the office is a vital component in supporting the needs of warfighters.

In this Leadership Log podcast, we chat with ... Show Full Article WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio, April 26 -- The U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center issued the following news: By Joe Danielewicz, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Public Affairs The Air Force partners with small businesses across the country, with a Small Business Office attached to each Air Force Life Cycle Management Center installation. As a knowledgeable resource about Air Force acquisition practices, and through engagement with events like Vendor Industry Days, the office is a vital component in supporting the needs of warfighters. In this Leadership Log podcast, we chat withYolanda McCain, Director of the Small Business Office within the Business and Enterprise Systems (BES) Directorate.

McCain discusses a variety of topics related to her work, including:

How her office's work acquiring resources for Air Force warfighters through outreach with the small business community:

"I interact with companies and learn more about who they are in terms of their capabilities, in terms of the experiences and things that they have and how those relate to what they can bring to our government requirements in the acquisition process and how they can help to solve some of the challenges that we as a government face in terms of solutions that we need for warfighters..."

How small business members can participate in Vendor Industry Days on 22 May 2024:

Industry partners "will hear from some of the stakeholders and requirement owners and those acquisition teams regarding some specific acquisitions. And then there's always a component where we strive to provide updates or educational information regarding some of the exciting things going on from a technical perspective within BES."

Encouragement for women to grow their Air Force Careers:

"Be open to asking questions to learn more from a... wide group of people with various experiences or with varied experiences from your own" [immediate work groups]... and also "branching out and making introductions and connections and receiving feedback from those outside of that circle as well."

* * *

To hear the full conversation, watch above or on YouTube (https://youtu.be/sWl2Gm0wlcM). You can also listen by searching "Leadership Log" on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Overcast, Radio Public or Breaker.

* * *

Original text here: https://www.aflcmc.af.mil/NEWS/Article-Display/Article/3756145/exploring-how-the-bes-small-business-office-supports-warfighters-podcast/

DOD Issues Readout of Secretary Austin Call With Romanian Minister of National Defence Tilvar

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following readout of Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III's call on April 25, 2024, with Romanian Minister of National Defence Angel Tilvar:

* * *

Pentagon Spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke yesterday with his Romanian counterpart, Minister of National Defence Angel Tilvar, to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine and continuing coordination for additional security assistance for Ukraine.

The two leaders reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the Ukrainian people ... Show Full Article

Calif. U.S. Attorney: Former Executive Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $400,000 From San Diego Non-Profit

SAN DIEGO, California, April 26 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California issued the following news release on April 25, 2024:

Katherine Lu Acquista, former Director of Operations and Accounting for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that she stole more than $400,000 from the non-profit for her personal benefit.

The Economic Development Corporation, known as EDC, works to maximize San Diego's economic prosperity and global competitiveness. As Director of Operations and Accounting, Acquista ... Show Full Article

Air Education & Training Command Occupational Safety Team Earns Top Air Force Honor

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas, April 26 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news:

By Tim Barela, Safety Directorate, Air Education and Training Command

Air Education and Training Command's Occupational Safety Division won the 2023 Colonel Will L. Tubbs Memorial Award for Occupational Safety, which recognizes the best ground safety program in the Air Force, the Air Force Safety Center announced April 23.

"I extend my personal congratulations to you and your teams on a job well done," said Maj. Gen. Sean Choquette, Air Force chief of safety and ... Show Full Article