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Antecedent Hydrometeorological Conditions of Wildfire Occurrence in the Western U.S. in a Changing Climate
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:
Wildfires have significant hydrological and ecological impacts in the western U.S. Using a high-resolution regional climate simulation and wildfire observations for 1984-2018, this study investigates the antecedent hydrometeorological conditions (AHCs) of wildfires in the western U.S. During the warm season (April - September), the wildfire AHCs feature diverse surface pressure (PS), soil moisture (SM), and longwave/shortwave radiation (LW/SW)
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:
Wildfires have significant hydrological and ecological impacts in the western U.S. Using a high-resolution regional climate simulation and wildfire observations for 1984-2018, this study investigates the antecedent hydrometeorological conditions (AHCs) of wildfires in the western U.S. During the warm season (April - September), the wildfire AHCs feature diverse surface pressure (PS), soil moisture (SM), and longwave/shortwave radiation (LW/SW)conditions. K-means clustering classifies wildfires into four types with distinct AHCs: low-PS-type and high-PS-type with lower and higher PS anomalies, respectively, LW-type featuring intense LW but weak SW anomalies, and wet-soil-type with wet soil anomalies. Each fire cluster represents 22%-27% of all the wildfires, featuring different combinations of climate and vegetation conditions and their diverse relations to regional hydrometeorological conditions, with wet-soil-type fires often exhibiting opposite correlations with AHCs compared to those of the other three types. In five major Koppen climate zones over the western US, type-based predictions improve the seasonal wildfire prediction accuracy (R2) by 10% compared to prediction without classification. Such improvement comes from separating the opposite relationships between wet-soil-type fires and seasonal AHCs from the other three types, along with separating LW-type fires, which include most of the lightning-ignited fires that occur more randomly. Increases in wildfire occurrence during 1984-2018 are dominated by the increases in the LW-type fires, while the wet-soil-type fires have decreased, consistent with the long-term drying in the western U.S.
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Original text here: https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/antecedent-hydrometeorological-conditions-wildfire-occurrence-western-us-changing
Advancing Radioactive Material Research Method: the Development of a Novel in situ Particle-attached Microfluidic Electrochemical Cell
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:
This work describes the development of a vacuum compatible microfluidic electrochemical cell (E-cell) for investigating the redox of uranium oxide (UO2). Conducting experiments on bulk amounts of radioactive material is costly and requires shielded hot cell facilities. By using microfluidic techniques, the amount of radioactive materials used in a single test can be significantly reduced, allowing for electrochemical experiments outside of a
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following abstract of a journal article:
This work describes the development of a vacuum compatible microfluidic electrochemical cell (E-cell) for investigating the redox of uranium oxide (UO2). Conducting experiments on bulk amounts of radioactive material is costly and requires shielded hot cell facilities. By using microfluidic techniques, the amount of radioactive materials used in a single test can be significantly reduced, allowing for electrochemical experiments outside of ashielded facility. The paper details several attempts to develop a microfluidic E-cell that uses UO2 as the working electrode and can be used for in situ chemical imaging analysis. The authors discuss the advantages of microfluidic E-cells over traditional electrochemical cells and the challenges of designing a microfluidic E-cell that uses solid material as a working electrode and is compatible with vacuum-based analytical instruments. The paper outlines the different methods proposed for attaching the UO2 electrode under a thin detection window of the E-cell, including Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy lift-out method, Au-coating attachment, and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder method. The authors conclude that using PVDF binder method is the most effective approach and demonstrates that particle-based electrodes can provide an effective and low-cost solution for microfluidic electrochemical applications. The in situ microfluidic E-cell design with the integration of a radioactive material working electrode provides a promising and cost-effective approach for investigating spent nuclear fuel via reducing the amount of materials needed for analysis.
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Original text here: https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/advancing-radioactive-material-research-method-development-novel-situ-particle
State Department Issues Public Schedule for April 16, 2024
WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the daily public schedule for April 16, 2024:
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SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN
3:30 p.m. Secretary Blinken meets with Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg at the Department of State.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
Final call time for video cameras, still cameras and writers is 2:50 p.m. from the 23rd Street entrance. The camera spray will be streamed live on the Department homepage (https://www.state.gov/) and YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/statedept).
In the evening, Secretary Blinken departs on travel to Italy from April 16-19, 2024.
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WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the daily public schedule for April 16, 2024:
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SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN
3:30 p.m. Secretary Blinken meets with Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg at the Department of State.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
Final call time for video cameras, still cameras and writers is 2:50 p.m. from the 23rd Street entrance. The camera spray will be streamed live on the Department homepage (https://www.state.gov/) and YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/statedept).
In the evening, Secretary Blinken departs on travel to Italy from April 16-19, 2024.
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DEPUTY SECRETARY KURT M. CAMPBELL
Deputy Secretary Campbell attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.
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DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES RICHARD R. VERMA
Deputy Secretary Verma attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.
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UNDER SECRETARY FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS UZRA ZEYA
1:15 p.m. Under Secretary Zeya meets with AECID Director Anton Leis Garcia at the Department of State.(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
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ACTING UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS JOHN BASS
Acting Under Secretary Bass is on travel to Turkiye and Italy from April 14-19, 2024.
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ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CONSULAR AFFAIRS RENA BITTER
Assistant Secretary Bitter is on travel to Cyprus, Germany, Romania, and Bulgaria from April 11-19, 2024.
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ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS LEE SATTERFIELD
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Satterfield meets with People's Republic of China Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Li Qun in Washington, D.C.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
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ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS JENNIFER R. LITTLEJOHN
Acting Assistant Secretary Littlejohn is on travel to Greece from April 15-17, 2024.
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BRIEFING SCHEDULE
1:15 p.m. Department Press Briefing with Spokesperson Matthew Miller.
The Department Press Briefing will be streamed live on the Department homepage (https://www.state.gov/) and YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/statedept).
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Original text here: https://www.state.gov/public-schedule-april-16-2024/
NETL Encourages Women in STEM While Hosting Visitors From Womanium Foundation and the Naval Nuclear Laboratory
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, April 19 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory issued the following news:
Representatives of the Womanium Foundation, an organization that encourages girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), visited NETL along with officials of the Naval Nuclear Laboratory's Pittsburgh-based Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory to discuss potential collaborative efforts.
NETL Director Marianne Walck, Ph.D., welcomed the visitors, which included Prachi Vakharia, co-founder and funder of the Womanium Foundation
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PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, April 19 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory issued the following news:
Representatives of the Womanium Foundation, an organization that encourages girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), visited NETL along with officials of the Naval Nuclear Laboratory's Pittsburgh-based Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory to discuss potential collaborative efforts.
NETL Director Marianne Walck, Ph.D., welcomed the visitors, which included Prachi Vakharia, co-founder and funder of the Womanium Foundationand Brian McDermott, principal R&D engineer with the Naval Nuclear Laboratory.
The visitors explained work underway involving the foundation and the Naval Nuclear Laboratory before receiving a detailed briefing on NETL's research in quantum engineering, artificial intelligence/machine learning, advanced sensors, methane detection and remediation and mineral sustainability.
According to Womanium "In the last 100 years, women have aimed for and attained much across the globe, and within the last 40 years, women have entered and graduated in greater numbers from universities and colleges. Still, the percentage of women in STEM+entrepreneurship is marginal, despite all the educational parity reached at the school, college and university levels."
The organization was formed to "expose, encourage, support, guide, fund and create more females in the STEM+entrepreneurship fields."
Walck noted that the meeting of the three organizations builds upon potential opportunities that could result from a memorandum of understanding (MOU) she signed in March with the Naval Nuclear Laboratory calling for cooperation on research efforts devoted to advanced sensors, high-performance and quantum computing, decision science, materials science and energy storage. The MOU will lead to NETL and the Naval Nuclear Laboratory exchanging information to identify possible future collaborations for research projects.
"Efforts to encourage women in STEM is a key area of interest for NETL," she said. "Not only do we look forward to our collaboration with the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, but we will also welcome chances to help Womanium Foundation in their important work."
Vakharia wrote on her organization's website that "The next best thing to being the next great woman scientist is to discover the next great women scientists; and support, nurture and fund them!"
NETL's Yuhua Duan, Ph.D., briefed the visitors on the Laboratory's quantum computing work. During a detailed tour of NETL facilities, Natalie Pekney, Ph.D., explained the Laboratory's work on air monitoring; Christina Lopano, Ph.D. talked on the analytical laboratory capabilities; and Ruishu Wright, Ph.D. explained NETL's work on advanced sensors development.
In addition to Vakharia, Womanium representatives on the NETL visit included Amanda Bowman, computational scientist with specialization in quantum computing algorithms, San Diego State University; Horia Margarit of PepsiCo; Zain Mughal, certified Qiskit developer from Rutgers/Los Alamos National Lab; Ron Schreiner, chief technology officer with ACUMEDX; Erica Sturm, quantum chemist formerly with Brookhaven National Lab; and Anjolie Tuazon, Womanium Quantum Fellow from Howard Community College.
In addition to McDermott, Naval Nuclear visitors included Jesse Holmes, principal nuclear engineer; Kirk Lowe, senior manager for the Advanced Technology Innovation Pipeline (ATIP); Frank Buschman, manager for integrated data and analysis, ATIP; Amy Franciso, senior manager for integrated data and analysis, ATIP; and Anne Roth, external engagement lead, ATIP.
In addition to Walck and the presenters, NETL personnel attending were Kirk Gerdes Ph.D., deputy director for Research & Innovation; Yuhua Duan Ph.D., research physical scientist; Wissam Saidi Ph.D., supervisor, Computational Materials Engineering; Jessica Sinclair Ph.D., business analyst; and Tom Feeley, manager of Research Partnerships and Tech Transfer.
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NETL drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By using its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant, and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.
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Original text here: https://netl.doe.gov/node/13599
N.J. U.S. Attorney: Five Members of Marion Gardens Jersey City Gang Plead Guilty to Racketeering, Violent Crimes
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on April 18, 2024:
Five members and associates of a Jersey City gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex pleaded guilty this week to racketeering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jervon Morris, aka "Sticky," 35; Kevin Williams, aka "KK," aka "Kay Kay," 30; Jakeem Gibson-Madison, aka "Beanz," 29; K'shawn Jackson, aka "Lil Kay," 23; and Terick Rogers, aka
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NEWARK, New Jersey, April 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on April 18, 2024:
Five members and associates of a Jersey City gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex pleaded guilty this week to racketeering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jervon Morris, aka "Sticky," 35; Kevin Williams, aka "KK," aka "Kay Kay," 30; Jakeem Gibson-Madison, aka "Beanz," 29; K'shawn Jackson, aka "Lil Kay," 23; and Terick Rogers, aka"Moot," 32, all of Jersey City, New Jersey, all pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to racketeering conspiracy and related crimes.
Morris and Gibson-Madison will be sentenced on Aug. 20, 2024; Rogers and Williams will be sentenced on Aug. 21, 2024; and K'Shawn Jackson will be sentenced on Aug. 22, 2024.
"Criminal street gangs - whether they are structured organizations with international reach or, as here, neighborhood based and local - cause devastating damage to the community. Two of these defendants murdered a victim and all the defendants caused senseless violence and shootings and funneled dangerous drugs for personal profit. These defendants will now deservedly face significant sentences in prison as a result of the harm they've caused."
-U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
"Neighborhood street gangs hold communities hostage with the constant threat of violence and dangerous proliferation of illicit drugs," FBI - Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. "These men admit they used all methods of criminal activity to defend their turf around the Marion Gardens House Complex, including targeting and murdering rival gang members. This investigation is just one of many cases we are working through the FBI Newark Violent Crimes Task Force with our law enforcement partners, focusing all of our resources, time and energy on taking out the leadership of these groups and ending the brutality they inflict on our city."
"Each of these defendants threatened public safety and instilled fear in neighborhoods throughout Jersey City," Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. "The outcome here reaffirms a commitment by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office to utilize all its resources and law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served on behalf of victims and the communities affected by these senseless crimes."
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex, which routinely distributes cocaine and heroin, among other controlled substances, in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Members and associates of the gang also engaged in acts of violence, including numerous assaults, shootings, and murders, which targeted rival gang members and others, including the following:
* On July 28, 2011, Morris and Williams, along with another member of the Marion Gardens street gang, murdered a victim in the area of Gifford Avenue and Bergen Avenue in Jersey City;
* On Nov. 5, 2017, members and associates of the Marion Gardens street gang shot a victim in the area of Van Nostrand Avenue and Bergen Avenue in Jersey City;
* On Feb. 7, 2018, Williams and another member of the Marion Gardens street gang assaulted a victim R.B. in the area of Summit Avenue and Magnolia Avenue in Jersey City;
* On June 30, 2018, Rogers, Jackson, and another member of the enterprise shot five people while celebrating "Meech Day" in honor of a deceased fellow gang member;
* On Jan. 9, 2019, Gibson-Madison, with another member of the enterprise, traveled to the area of Grant Avenue and Ocean Avenue to target a rival gang member, at which time three victims were shot at, two of whom were hit, and
* On June 9, 2019, after being shot at by rival gang member, Kevin Williams brandished a firearm and attempted to shoot back at the rival gang member.
Lakief Grayson, aka "LaLa," previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and related charges in July 2023. Charges remain pending against Jalil Holmes, aka "Broad Day," aka "BD," and Willie Williams, aka "Willz," both of whom are scheduled to appear in court in the coming weeks. The charges and allegations against these defendants are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, for the investigation leading to the charges.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, the Hudson County Sheriff's Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey in Newark.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/five-members-marion-gardens-jersey-city-gang-plead-guilty-racketeering-violent-crimes
N.C. U.S. Attorney: Jackson County Man on Federal Supervised Release is Sentenced to 10+ Years in Prison on Drug and Gun Charges
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina, April 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina issued the following news release on April 18, 2024:
Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced John Allen Wise, 45, of Cashiers, N.C., to 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine and illegal possession of firearms, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),
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ASHEVILLE, North Carolina, April 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina issued the following news release on April 18, 2024:
Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced John Allen Wise, 45, of Cashiers, N.C., to 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine and illegal possession of firearms, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Doug Farmer of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.
According to court documents, Wise was on court-ordered supervised release after serving a term of imprisonment on a federal drug conviction. On August 5, 2022, law enforcement with the U.S. Probation Office and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office arrived at Wise's residence to arrest him on a supervised release violation warrant and to conduct a planned search. Law enforcement encountered Wise sitting on his front porch with a small bag containing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Law enforcement proceeded to search the residence, seizing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, digital scales and items consistent with drug distribution, a loaded semiautomatic pistol, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Wise's criminal conviction prohibits him from possessing firearms and ammunition.
On April 24, 2023, Wise pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Wise is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today's announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/jackson-county-man-federal-supervised-release-sentenced-10-years-prison-drug-and-gun
DEA-Houston: Meth 'Cooks' Sent to Prison in Custom Importation Scheme
MCALLEN, Texas, April 19 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division issued the following news release:
Three men have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to traffic and "cook" custom meth orders in the McAllen area, announced Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Alfredo Duarte, 32, Fullerton, California, and Mexican citizens Abraham Pena-Quintero, 39, and Francisco Hernandez-Madrid, 49, each pleaded guilty April 24, 2023.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane
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MCALLEN, Texas, April 19 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division issued the following news release:
Three men have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to traffic and "cook" custom meth orders in the McAllen area, announced Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Alfredo Duarte, 32, Fullerton, California, and Mexican citizens Abraham Pena-Quintero, 39, and Francisco Hernandez-Madrid, 49, each pleaded guilty April 24, 2023.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Cranehas now imposed a 135-month-term of imprisonment for Duarte, while Pena-Quintero and Hernandez-Madrid received 78 and 57 months, respectively. Duarte must also serve three years of supervised release following his sentence. Not U.S. citizens, Pena-Quintero and Hernandez-Madrid are expected to face removal proceedings following their respective terms of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about how Duarte planned and orchestrated a scheme with undercover authorities to trade guns in exchange for drugs. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Crane noted the specialized methods of the scheme to "cook" exceptionally large crystals of meth and the dangerousness that such narcotics represent to the United States.
An undercover investigation around 2021 revealed Duarte and co-conspirators imported liquid meth from Mexico. They would then "cook" it into crystals to whatever purity level and size their customers wanted.
Through the course of the investigation, the individuals delivered over 11 kilograms of meth in the McAllen area. Duarte served as the customer-facing member of the conspiracy, while Pena-Quintero and Hernandez-Madrid were narcotics couriers.
Pena-Quintero and Hernandez-Madrid will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Duarte was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender at a later date.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation as part of a joint operation deemed "Operation: Knock Down." Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Guerra Jr. prosecuted the case.
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Original text here: https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2024/04/18/meth-cooks-sent-prison-custom-importation-scheme
