Federal - Executive Branch
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from the U.S. Executive Branch, covering all aspects of the Obama administration including cabinet departments, federal agencies, regulatory and independent agencies.
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Secretary of State Pompeo Issues Remarks at Meeting With Troops
ORZYSZ, Poland, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the following remarks by Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at the meeting with troops in Bemowo Piskie Training Area:
"I travel the world trying to work on tough problems, to do everything I can to keep the American people safe and create peace and stability, and I can't do any of that without our adversaries knowing that there are forces out there that, if they don't do the things that we need them to do, there is a risk that we have in terms of force capacity to do the things we need to do to keep Europe and America safe, and
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ORZYSZ, Poland, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the following remarks by Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at the meeting with troops in Bemowo Piskie Training Area:
"I travel the world trying to work on tough problems, to do everything I can to keep the American people safe and create peace and stability, and I can't do any of that without our adversaries knowing that there are forces out there that, if they don't do the things that we need them to do, there is a risk that we have in terms of force capacity to do the things we need to do to keep Europe and America safe, andit's you. It's you people who are out here on freedom's front line doing that every day.
"And it's hard work. I never went through a training regimen when it wasn't snowing or raining when I was a cavalry officer back 30 years ago, and I know how much you sacrifice, how much your families sacrifice. I know you love it too. Being in a unit like this is an awful lot of fun, a chance to train together and work together. I know it makes you a better individual, it makes you better as a unit.
"But I wanted you to know I had a chance to talk with Secretary Shanahan the night before last, Secretary of Defense of the United States, with General Dunford, told them I was coming out here. They wanted me to express their personal appreciation for what you are doing out here in Poland, working as part of the NATO team to deliver security to Europe and to the United States.
"Thanks for what you're doing. It's great to see you. It was wonderful to get a chance to see some of your training pay off today in that exercise that I saw. You all are doing good work. America appreciates it, and I know the European countries that you represent appreciate your service as well. Thank you all so much."
Phoenix, Arizona Man Sentenced to 32 Months for His Role in an Alabama Phishing Scam
MONTGOMERY, Alabama, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, Louis V. Franklin Sr., issued the following news release:
On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, Iosif Florea, 42, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for his part in a "phishing" scam that impacted Alabama residents, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell. Following his two-year and eight month prison sentence, he will be subject to three years of supervised release. He was also ordered
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MONTGOMERY, Alabama, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, Louis V. Franklin Sr., issued the following news release:
On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, Iosif Florea, 42, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for his part in a "phishing" scam that impacted Alabama residents, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell. Following his two-year and eight month prison sentence, he will be subject to three years of supervised release. He was also orderedto pay $17,786.50 in restitution.
Florea previously pled guilty to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft following his indictment in May of 2018 by a federal grand jury. Phishing scams use email or malicious websites to solicit personal information by posing as a trustworthy organization.
Evidence showed that Florea was involved in a scheme that occurred in March and June of 2015. During that time, text messages were sent to nearly 500,000 people in Alabama. The messages contained a link to a website that claimed to be that of the Alabama State Employees Credit Union (ASECU) and requested the recipients use the link to verify account information. The link actually took the recipients to a fraudulent website where they were prompted to enter sensitive account information, such as their names, debit card numbers, the card's expiration date, the security code from the back of the card, and their personal identification numbers (PINs). This information was then loaded onto blank cards. During the two-month period, there were videos of Florea in Phoenix, Arizona, Los Angeles, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, withdrawing money at ATMs using cards with stolen information from approximately 30 different accounts.
"It is important that the public be aware of these types of scams, and immediately report any suspicious account activity to their bank or credit union," stated United States Attorney Franklin. "When a bank's fraud department is alerted quickly, they can take actions to limit the losses to their customers and assist law enforcement to identify the thieves. The public should also know that my office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect their identities from these types of schemes."
"I am pleased that Iosif Florea has been held to account and is being punished for his wrongdoing," said Attorney General Steve Marshall. "This case is an excellent example of how teamwork among law enforcement agencies is vital to shutting down such scams, and it sends a strong message to cyber criminals who seek to target Alabamians that they will be tracked down and prosecuted. This case also serves as an important reminder that consumers must remain on guard when they receive messages that appear to be from trusted financial institutions. Always communicate directly with any bank or government agency by using verified contact information. Scammers can be very convincing with deceptive solicitations and links to fake web pages. Never respond directly to such texts, emails or phone calls. In this case, the vigilance of consumers and quick action by our investigators and other law enforcement helped to limit the potential for this criminal to inflict greater damage."
"The criminal element in this country continues to evolve in the ways they divest our citizens of their property and earnings," SAC Jewell stated. "The FBI pledges our support to our law enforcement partners in this continued fight and will remain committed to assisting in the prosecution of these criminals no matter what their method of theft may be."
This case was investigated by the Alabama Attorney General's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorneys Brandon Bates and Denise Simpson.
One Month Left to Apply for SBA Disaster Loans in New Mexico, Texas
SACRAMENTO, California, Feb. 15 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
Director Tanya N. Garfield of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Disaster Field Operations Center-West today reminded small nonfarm businesses in four New Mexico counties and neighboring counties in Texas of the March 18, 2019, deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury. These low-interest loans are to offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary county that began May 15, 2018.
Primary
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SACRAMENTO, California, Feb. 15 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
Director Tanya N. Garfield of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Disaster Field Operations Center-West today reminded small nonfarm businesses in four New Mexico counties and neighboring counties in Texas of the March 18, 2019, deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury. These low-interest loans are to offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary county that began May 15, 2018.
PrimaryNew Mexico county: Eddy;
Neighboring New Mexico counties: Chaves, Lea and Otero;
Neighboring Texas counties: Culberson, Loving and Reeves.
According to Garfield, small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. "Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster's impact," said Garfield.
"SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the applicant suffered any property damage," Garfield added.
The interest rate is 3.61 percent for businesses and 2.5 percent for private nonprofit organizations with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant's financial condition.
By law, SBA makes Economic Injury Disaster Loans available when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture designates an agricultural disaster. The Secretary declared this disaster on July 18, 2018.
Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible for SBA disaster assistance. Agricultural enterprises should contact the Farm Services Agency about the U.S. Department of Agriculture assistance made available by the Secretary's declaration. However, nurseries are eligible for SBA disaster assistance in drought disasters.
Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA's Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov (link sends e-mail) for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
NNSA Approves 'Critical Decision 1' for Advanced Sources and Detectors Project, a New Tool to Advance Stockpile Stewardship
LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory issued the following news release:
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- The project is designed to generate x-ray images of subcritical experiments for the Nation's nuclear weapons program
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The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has approved Critical Decision-1 (CD-1) for the Advanced Sources and Detectors Project (ASD), a cornerstone of the Enhanced Capabilities for Subcritical Experiments portfolio (ECSE). ASD is a proposed 20-million electron volt (MeV) accelerator that will generate X-ray images, or radiographs,
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LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory issued the following news release:
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- The project is designed to generate x-ray images of subcritical experiments for the Nation's nuclear weapons program
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The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has approved Critical Decision-1 (CD-1) for the Advanced Sources and Detectors Project (ASD), a cornerstone of the Enhanced Capabilities for Subcritical Experiments portfolio (ECSE). ASD is a proposed 20-million electron volt (MeV) accelerator that will generate X-ray images, or radiographs,of subcritical implosion experiments for the nuclear weapons program.
"The ECSE portfolio is designed to better understand plutonium when it is subjected to extreme pressure from explosively driven shocks, a central mission need for NNSA's science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program," said Thom Mason, Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). "The ECSE program continues the outstanding stockpile science of the past 30 years, assuring the safety, security and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent without the need for full-scale underground nuclear testing."
The NNSA's national laboratories are working together to pursue ECSE. Los Alamos is leading this federally-directed plan with Sandia National Laboratories, the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to develop new diagnostic capabilities so that scientists can study plutonium in much more detail under the conditions found inside the final stages of a nuclear weapon implosion -- but without the nuclear yield -- called a "subcritical experiment."
"The new diagnostics capabilities provided by ASD will significantly enhance and expand the ability to measure the dynamic behavior of plutonium under weapons-relevant conditions," said Bob Webster, Deputy Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory for Weapons.
The ASD project today achieved CD-1 from NNSA. CD-1 is the second of four steps to begin building the ECSE accelerator. CD-0 was approval of mission need. CD-1 establishes the preferred alternative design and estimated budget. This phase allows the Laboratory to move forward with the ASD preliminary design. CD-2 establishes the performance baseline for the accelerator (cost and schedule based on preliminary design). Finally, CD-3 approves procurement, fabrication, assembly, and installation.
ECSE is one of the initiatives the nation is pursuing to ensure the necessary capability, capacity and responsiveness of the nuclear weapons infrastructure and the needed skills of the nuclear enterprise workforce, as called for in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review.
The U1a underground laboratory, located at the NNSS, will be substantially modified (under the U1a Complex Enhancements Project, or UCEP, another element of ECSE) to make way for ECSE's ASD and a measurement apparatus called Neutron Diagnosed Subcritical Experiments (NDSE), a new approach to making measurements that haven't been acquired since the cessation of underground testing
"The ASD radiographic capability will be used to examine the late-time behavior of plutonium in high-explosive driven experiments," said Dave Funk, Project Director for the ASD Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Los Alamos will be heavily involved in this NNSA Complex-wide endeavor. According to current plans, Los Alamos will develop the accelerator, detector and global systems for ASD-- plus develop the NDSE diagnostic tool -- while overseeing the integration of all elements as the project moves forward.
"The goal is to be able to make NDSE and ASD radiographic measurements simultaneously, using data from both diagnostics to further enhance our understanding of plutonium hydrodynamics and to improve our simulation capabilities," Funk said.
ASD, which will be housed in the underground U1a facility at the NNSS, is projected to be available for subcritical experiment execution in the 2025 time-frame.
About Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Triad, a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.
Former St. Martinville Deputy Chief Sentenced to 9 Years for Excessive Force, Obstruction and Conspiracy
LAFAYETTE, Louisiana, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, David C. Joseph, issued the following news release:
The Honorable Judge Elizabeth Foote, of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, sentenced defendant Codi Dodge, 35, the former Deputy Chief of Investigations for the St. Martinville Police Department (SMPD), Thursday to serve nine years in prison on four felony counts related to his abuse of an arrestee. Dodge was convicted at trial in November on charges of violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force
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LAFAYETTE, Louisiana, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, David C. Joseph, issued the following news release:
The Honorable Judge Elizabeth Foote, of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, sentenced defendant Codi Dodge, 35, the former Deputy Chief of Investigations for the St. Martinville Police Department (SMPD), Thursday to serve nine years in prison on four felony counts related to his abuse of an arrestee. Dodge was convicted at trial in November on charges of violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive forceagainst him, and of obstructing justice and conspiring with others to do so.
"Illegal conduct by officers who abuse their power and violate the civil rights of the citizens they promise to serve harms the public trust and will not be tolerated," said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. "The Department will continue to vigorously enforce our nation's laws and hold officers who break the law accountable."
"Law enforcement officers are sworn to uphold and defend the laws of our nation," said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. "When they themselves break those laws, they violate not just the rights of their victims, but also compromise the public's trust in law enforcement. This case is a prime example of my commitment to hold accountable officers who threaten the mission of law enforcement by breaking the law."
After five days of trial, a jury convicted Dodge of using excessive force on an arrestee, resulting in bodily injury to the arrestee. Evidence presented at trial established that, on Aug. 13, 2016, Dodge forced entry into the home of an individual he suspected had stolen from him, and then threatened the individual before striking him in the face with a firearm. Dodge then arrested the individual, took him to the SMPD, and continued to threaten him. Later, after learning that the incident had been reported to the FBI, Dodge conspired with other members of the SMPD to falsify reports regarding the incident, and to mislead the FBI in its investigation of the matter. Based on this evidence, the jury also convicted Dodge of obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the FBI's Lafayette, Louisiana, Resident Agency. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Bobbi Bernstein and Trial Attorney Tim Visser of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker of the Western District of Louisiana. Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Civil Rights Division participated in the investigation of the case.
FCC Commissioner Pai Issues Statement on Procedures for Licensing Noncommercial Educational Broadcast
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following statement by Chairman Ajit Pai:
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Re: Reexamination of the Comparative Standards and Procedures for Licensing Noncommercial Educational Broadcast and Low Power FM Stations (MB Docket No. 19-3)
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"Over the last twenty years, the FCC has opened numerous filing windows and evaluated thousands of applications for noncommercial educational (NCE) FM radio and low power FM stations. Many of these applications were "mutually exclusive," as we say--two or more were in conflict and could not simultaneously be granted.
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following statement by Chairman Ajit Pai:
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Re: Reexamination of the Comparative Standards and Procedures for Licensing Noncommercial Educational Broadcast and Low Power FM Stations (MB Docket No. 19-3)
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"Over the last twenty years, the FCC has opened numerous filing windows and evaluated thousands of applications for noncommercial educational (NCE) FM radio and low power FM stations. Many of these applications were "mutually exclusive," as we say--two or more were in conflict and could not simultaneously be granted.That made them subject to our rules for evaluating which ones would prevail.
"These rules have enabled the launch of thousands of new radio stations providing a wide variety of content to American listeners. But some of them are needlessly complex and can trip up well-intentioned but inexperienced applicants seeking to bring new radio service to their communities. For instance, on at least one occasion, several applicants had their application point totals reduced because they did not properly amend their governing documents.
"With this Notice, we tee up proposals to address this and other issues. For example, we propose to eliminate requirements involving language that must be included in an organization's governing documents in order for that organization to be favorably recognized under our rules. Essentially, we're aiming to provide greater clarity to broadcast applicants, and thus make the process easier for them, deliver more new services to the listening public, and reduce appeals of our comparative licensing decisions.
"As always, I'd like to thank the hard-working staff who worked on this complex Notice. From the Media Bureau: Irene Bleiweiss, James Bradshaw, Michelle Carey, Tom Horan, Tom Hutton, Holly Saurer, Lisa Scanlan, Al Shuldiner, Amy Van De Kerckhove, and Mike Wagner. And from the Office of General Counsel: Susan Aaron, Dave Konczal, and Royce Sherlock."
FCC Commissioner Pai Issues Statement on Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following statement by Chairman Ajit Pai:
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- Re: Elimination of Obligation to File Broadcast Mid-Term Report (Form 397) Under Section 73.2080(f)(2) (MB Docket No. 18-23); Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, (MB Docket No. 17-105)
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"The British cartoonist Fran Orford published a cartoon with a drawing of a man and a woman with a big stack of papers between them. The caption read: "The idea that bureaucracy is on the increase is RIDICULOUS . . . and I have the reports to prove it!"
"For the last two years,
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following statement by Chairman Ajit Pai:
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- Re: Elimination of Obligation to File Broadcast Mid-Term Report (Form 397) Under Section 73.2080(f)(2) (MB Docket No. 18-23); Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, (MB Docket No. 17-105)
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"The British cartoonist Fran Orford published a cartoon with a drawing of a man and a woman with a big stack of papers between them. The caption read: "The idea that bureaucracy is on the increase is RIDICULOUS . . . and I have the reports to prove it!"
"For the last two years,one of our goals at the FCC has been to get rid of unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. That's why today, we are eliminating the Broadcast Mid-Term Report, otherwise known as Form 397. At one time, this form served a useful purpose: It required certain broadcast television and radio stations to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) information around the midpoint of their eight-year license terms to assist the FCC in determining which stations would be subject to a mid-term review. But today, the FCC can easily access nearly all of this information online in each station's public inspection file. And following adoption of this Order, we will be modifying our online public inspection file so that all of this information will be easily accessible. Ending this redundant reporting requirement is such a common-sense step that literally nobody in our record--not a single commenter--has opposed it.
"Importantly, this decision will have no impact on the Commission's ability to enforce our EEO rules. Indeed, we recently made clear our commitment on this score by voting to move staff handling EEO enforcement from the Media Bureau to the Enforcement Bureau, where they will be better equipped to take action when our rules are violated.
"This Order would not have been possible without the work of Steve Broeckaert, Michelle Carey, Lyle Elder, Martha Heller, Tom Horan, Jonathan Mark, and Holly Saurer from the Media Bureau, and Susan Aaron, Dave Konczal, and Royce Sherlock from the Office of General Counsel. I thank them for all their efforts to update our media rules for the digital age."
