12 Dec 2011

Why DIDN'T Holder and Napolitano Know about the Connection between Fast and Furious and Agent Terry's Murder?

By Grassley Press

Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley

Why Didn't the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security know about the Connection between Fast and Furious to Agent Terry's Death?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

 

***Click here for video of Grassley's speech.***

 

For nearly a year, I have been investigating the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Operation Fast and Furious.

 

I have followed up on questions from that investigation as the Senate Judiciary Committee held oversight hearings over the past few weeks with both Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder.

 

Each of them testified about the aftermath of the shooting of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.  And I have sought to clarify with FACTS some of the half-truths that were said during those hearings.

 

Each claimed that they were ignorant of the connection between Agent Terry's death and Operation Fast and Furious until my letters with whistleblower allegations brought the connection to light.

 

However, documents that have come to light in my investigation draw those claims into question.

 

I'd like to address a couple of those discrepancies.

 

Secretary Napolitano went to Arizona a few days after Agent Terry's death.

 

She said that she met at that time with the FBI agents and the assistant U.S. attorneys looking for the shooters.

 

She also said that at that point in time, nobody knew about Fast and Furious.

 

Yet documents show that many people knew about Fast and Furious on December 15, the day Agent Terry died.

 

Secretary Napolitano referenced the FBI agents looking for the shooters.

 

The head of that FBI field division was present at the December 15 press conference about Agent Terry's murder.  At that very press conference, the FBI head told a chief Assistant U.S. Attorney about the connection to an ongoing Phoenix ATF investigation.

 

That same night, U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke confirmed that the guns tied back to Fast and Furious.

 

These connections were made days before Secretary Napolitano's visit.

 

The very purpose of her visit was to find out more about the investigation.

 

That leaves a very important question.

 

The Department of Homeland Security oversees the Border Patrol.  Why wouldn't the Phoenix FBI head have told Secretary Napolitano that the only guns found at the scene of Agent Terry's murder were tied to an ongoing ATF investigation?

 

And let's not forget the U.S. Attorney's office.

 

Secretary Napolitano said she met with the assistant U.S. attorneys looking for the shooters.

The chief assistant U.S. attorney for the Tucson office, which coordinated the Terry investigation, found out about the ATF connection directly from the FBI.

 

So, a very important question comes up.  Why would they conceal the Fast and Furious connection from Secretary Napolitano days later?

 

The Tucson office was overseen by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, Dennis Burke, who confirmed to Tucson that guns came from Operation Fast and Furious.

 

When Ms. Napolitano was Governor of Arizona, Mr. Burke served as her chief of staff for five years.  Secretary Napolitano acknowledges that she had conversations with him about the murder of Agent Terry.

 

So, a very important question comes up.  Why would Mr. Burke conceal the Fast and Furious connection from Secretary Napolitano?

 

Even before Secretary Napolitano came to Arizona, emails indicate Mr. Burke spoke on December 15 with Attorney General Holder's Deputy Chief of Staff, Monty Wilkinson.

 

Before finding out about Agent Terry, Mr. Burke emailed Mr. Wilkinson that he wanted to "explain in detail" about Fast and Furious when they talked.

 

So, a very important question comes up.  On that phone call, did U.S. Attorney Burke tell Mr. Wilkinson about the case's connection to a Border Patrol agent's death that very day?

 

The next day, the Deputy Director of the ATF made sure briefing papers were prepared about the Fast and Furious connection to Agent Terry's death.

 

He sent them to individuals here in Washington, D.C., in the Deputy Attorney General's office at the Justice Department.

 

Within 24 hours, they were forwarded to the Deputy Attorney General.

 

They were accompanied by a personal email from one of the Deputy Attorney General's deputies, explaining the situation. Two weeks later, that Deputy Attorney General, Gary Grindler, was named the Attorney General's Chief of Staff.

 

Yet a month and a half after Agent Terry's death, Attorney General Holder was allegedly ignorant of the Fast and Furious connection.

 

So, a very important question is unanswered.  Why wouldn't Mr. Grindler bring up these serious problems with Attorney General Holder, either as his Deputy Attorney General or as his Chief of Staff?

 

It's clear that multiple highly-placed officials in multiple agencies knew almost immediately of the connection between Operation Fast and Furious and Agent Terry's death.

 

The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have failed to adequately explain why Attorney General Holder and Secretary Napolitano allegedly remained ignorant of that connection.  Whether it's the Attorney General or the Secretary, or members of their staff, somebody wasn't doing their job.

 

In the case of Secretary Napolitano, either she was not entirely candid with me and others, or this was a gross breach on the part of those who kept her in the dark.

 

The Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security lost a man.

 

It was their right to know the full circumstances surrounding that.

 

No one likes the unpleasant business of having to 'fess up, but the FBI, ATF, and U.S. Attorney's Office owed it to Agent Brian Terry and his family to fully inform the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security.

 

This was the death of a federal agent involving weapons allowed to walk free by another agency in his own government.

 

Let me explain walking guns.  The federal government operates under the rule of law just like all of us have to live under that rule of law.  There are licensed federal gun dealers.  Federal gun dealers were encouraged to sell guns illegally to straw buyers and supposedly follow those guns across the border to somehow arrest people who were involved with drug trafficking and other illegal things.  And, two of these guns showed up at the murder scene of Agent Terry.

 

And, if that's not serious enough to brief up to the top of the department, then I don't know what is.

 

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12 Dec 2011

U.S. Soybean Farmers Mark 20 Years of Checkoff Work

By United Soybean Board
United Soybean Board Sets Sights on Next 20 Years at December Annual Meeting

ST. LOUIS (December 1, 2011) - U.S. soybean farmers aren't spending much time recognizing the first 20 years of the United Soybean Board (USB) and the national soybean checkoff. They're too busy planning for the next 20 years.

As the national checkoff's 20th anniversary passes, the board will meet Dec. 6-7 in St. Louis to set its sights on making sure the checkoff reaches its goals and helps maximize U.S. soybean farmers' profit opportunities in the future.

The 69 farmer-leaders who serve on USB will observe the national checkoff's 20th anniversary during their December meeting; they will also continue their focus on the checkoff's new Long Range Strategic Plan.

"Now is no time to sit on our laurels and focus only on the past," says USB Chairman Marc Curtis, a soybean farmer from Leland, Miss., whose successor will be elected at the December meeting. "Instead, we are focused on meeting our strategic objectives aimed at supporting our fellow U.S. soybean farmers' profitability in the decades to come."

Those four strategic objectives involve increasing the value of U.S. soybean meal and oil; ensuring U.S. soybean farmers have the freedom and transportation infrastructure to operate; and renewing the board's focus on meeting customer needs.

Meeting those objectives will be nothing new for the soybean checkoff, which has accomplished much on behalf of U.S. soybean farmers in the last two decades. During that time, USB has helped grow global demand for U.S. soy, helped create and grow the use of biodiesel and Bioheat® markets, funded many new industrial uses for U.S. soy, and helped fund the research that eventually achieved the sequencing of the soybean genome.

Since the national checkoff's inception in 1991, when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Edward Madigan appointed 63 soybean farmers from 30 states and two regions to serve as the checkoff's first farmer-directors, U.S. soybean demand has grown by greater than 140 percent around the world, more than any other U.S. major crop. Since 2010, as agriculture leads all U.S. economic sectors in the balance of trade, U.S. soy has topped the list in agriculture.

"We are a global economy; there are other competitors around the world, not only for our soybeans but for other oilseeds that would like to have some of the market we currently enjoy," said Sandy Ludeman, the soybean checkoff's founding chairman and soybean farmer from Tracy, Minn. "So if we want to make sure we have a good share of the market for U.S. grown soybeans, we very much need the checkoff to invest farmer dollars in the research and promotion that will help get us there," Ludeman said.

USB is made up of 69 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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12 Dec 2011

Senate approves Boxer-Grassley amendment to limit contractor salary reimbursement

By Grassley Press

Thursday, December 1, 2011

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley said today that the Senate has accepted an amendment he offered with Senator Barbara Boxer of California to limit taxpayer reimbursement for defense contractor salaries. The legislation will be included in a larger bill to authorize $662 billion in Pentagon spending for the next fiscal year.

Grassley said their reform amendment is aimed at runaway federal spending on contractor salary reimbursements.  Cost-reimbursement type contracts are used extensively by the Department of Defense.

"We can't afford to waste increasingly limited defense dollars," Grassley said.

Between 1998 and 2010, the benchmark for reimbursing executive salaries - separate from what these executives are paid by their private-sector employers - grew 53 percent faster than the rate of inflation.

Here is Grassley's statement to the Senate regarding the Boxer-Grassley amendment.

Grassley Statement

The Congressional Record

Thursday, December 1, 201

At a time when the national security budget is under immense pressure, it is vitally important that we spend our defense dollars more wisely.  The Boxer-Grassley amendment will contain runaway spending in contractor salary reimbursements.  Notice that I said "salary reimbursements" not salaries.  Someone not familiar with government contracting might ask why it's any of our business what government contractors get paid, and I would agree if we're talking about what their company pays them out of its own pocket.

When most people hire a contractor to renovate their bathroom or re-shingle their roof, they find the one that does the best work for the least cost.  Having done that, you're not likely to ask or care what their cut is or what they pay their crew.  To the extent that government contracts work the same way, the same principle applies.  Unfortunately, not all government contracts do work that way.

A large proportion of government contracts actually reimburse the contractor directly for the costs they incur, including for the salaries of their employees.  These types of contracts are risky because contractors lose the incentive to control costs.  They are only supposed to be used when a fixed price contract is not possible, for instance if the scope or duration of the work is not possible to determine at the outset.

Nevertheless, cost-reimbursement type contracts are used extensively by federal departments and agencies.  The Defense Department alone accounted for over $100 billion in cost reimbursement type contracts in fiscal year 2010.  President Obama has criticized the widespread use of these types of contracts and has set a goal of slowing the growth and ultimately reducing their use.  He's made a little progress.  However, we're talking about a small dent in a large bucket.  It's clear that cost type contracts are going to account for a major proportion of the dollars spent on federal contracting for the foreseeable future.  As a result, we must take steps to limit unreasonable expenditures under these types of contracts.

Senator Boxer and I worked together to try to head off this problem back in 1997.  At that time, we proposed capping salary reimbursements at the salary level of the President of the United States.  However, a compromise was ultimately enacted that capped how much the top 5 highest earning contractor executives could charge the federal government for their salaries.  The cap was set at the median salary of the top 5 executives at companies with annual sales over $50 million, which must be recalculated annually.  Since that time, the cap has more than doubled from $340,650 to $693,951.  That's 53 percent faster than the rate of inflation.

The House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Bill expands the current cap to all contractor employees, not merely the top 5 executives, closing a loophole that was being exploited.  The version of the National Defense Authorization Bill before the Senate extends the cap only to the top 10-15 executives.  However, Senator Boxer and I think it's time to reconsider a fixed cap at the level of the President's salary, which I should add was doubled by Congress to $400,000 since our previous proposal.  That's more than generous.  Surely the taxpayers shouldn't be asked to pay the salary of a contractor more than the President makes, which is twice what any cabinet secretary makes.  Keep in mind that this cap just limits how much Uncle Sam can be billed for, which is on top of whatever the company chooses to pay its employees out of its own pocket.

Not only would our straightforward cap save man-hours in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, which has to gather the data every year to determine the current convoluted cap, but it would save millions of dollars that need not be spent.  Again, we cannot afford to go on wasting our increasingly limited defense dollars.  We have to be more aggressive in weeding out waste in defense spending and this is one unnecessary expenditure that we can easily eliminate in favor of higher priorities.  I urge my colleagues to join us in this commonsense cost cutting measure.

12 Dec 2011

BAUCUS, GRASSLEY, KOHL EXAMINE PHARMACEUTICAL DEALS THAT LIMIT ACCESS TO GENERIC DRUGS

By Grassley Press

Senators Request Information on Agreements between Pfizer, Drug Benefit Companies, and Insurance Companies Pertaining to Promotion of Heart-Disease Drug Lipitor

Washington, DC - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), senior Finance Committee member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) sent letters today to Pfizer, three companies that manage pharmaceutical benefits and two insurance companies asking for information about agreements aimed at limiting the sale of Atorvastatin, the generic equivalent of Pfizer's drug Lipitor.  The letters were sent after a news report alleged Pfizer agreed to provide discounts to pharmaceutical benefit management companies (PBMs) and insurance companies if the PBMs and the insurers would block prescriptions for Lipitor's generic equivalent.  In letters sent to Pfizer, PBMs Medco, Express Scripts, and Catalyst RX and insurance companies Coventry Health Care and UnitedHealth, the Senators expressed concern these arrangements will hinder access to generic drugs today and in the future.

"We need to do all we can to preserve access to the generic drugs that so are critical to seniors and millions of Americans across the country.  Patients and their families depend on generic drugs and they can't afford to see these generics pushed out of the market," Baucus said. "By working with manufacturers to push brand-name drugs, drug benefit companies may be abusing Medicare to boost their profits and denying generic alternatives to patients - a practice that needs to end immediately.  We need to take a close look to ensure we're protecting both taxpayer dollars and access to the medicine patients need."

"In what's been reported, just about everyone wins except consumers and taxpayers.  That's cause for scrutiny, and these letters reflect a commitment to looking at how to prevent the system from being manipulated so that access to generic drugs is restricted and taxpayers are forced to unnecessarily pay brand-name drug prices." Grassley said.

"Consumers and taxpayers foot the bill when drug benefit companies and insurers manipulate the marketplace to prevent access to generic drugs for millions of Americans.  We hope that scrutiny into these business practices will restore fairness and open the gates to affordable prescription drug choices and tremendous cost savings," Kohl said.

The news report indicated Pfizer and PBMs Medco Health Solutions and Catalyst RX have entered into agreements aimed at undercutting Atorvastatin sales.  Letters sent from the PBMs to pharmacies show the agreements will prevent customers enrolled in certain prescription drug plans from receiving the generic alternative to Lipitor.  While these letters indicate that a plan member's co-pay for Lipitor would be discounted and equal to the cost of a less-expensive generic prescription, the Senators are concerned the PBMs and insurance companies may charge health plan sponsors, including employers and Medicare Part D, full price for brand-name Lipitor from December 1, 2011 through May 31, 2012, while pocketing the discount from Pfizer.  The senators asked for a detailed list of all of all agreements which block generics or favor brand-name drugs and for documents related to the Lipitor deal.

Spending on the Medicare Part D program providing drug coverage for seniors will total $65 billion in the current fiscal year.  In the next four years, brand-name drugs with approximately $100 billion in sales in the U.S. have patents that will expire.  Without the prospect of true competition, generic drug manufacturers will be hesitant to invest the time and resources required to bring low-cost generic drugs to the market.  This heightens the concern that these types of arrangements will become a trend, ultimately compromising access to generic drugs and increasing costs to Medicare.

The United States Senate Committee on Finance has jurisdiction over the Medicare and Medicaid programs.  More than 100 million Americans receive health care and have access to affordable prescription drugs under those programs.

12 Dec 2011

Local students perform in Augustana College's Messiah

By readMedia

ROCK ISLAND, IL (12/01/2011)(readMedia)-- The Handel Oratorio Society will celebrate its 131st-anniversary performance of Handel's Messiah on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave, Rock Island, Ill.). This special holiday tradition will feature four internationally acclaimed soloists, including the return of renowned soprano Mary Wilson, performing with a professional chamber orchestra and 250 singers from Augustana College and the surrounding community.

From your area this includes:

Kaleigh Wall, a Junior from Eldridge, Ill., majoring in Art.

Lauren Reid, a Senior from Sherrard, Ill., majoring in Business Administration- Marketing/Communication Studies.

Rickey Rector, a Junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Please visit www.augustana.edu/messiah for a behind the scenes documentary on the joy of singing Messiah.

12 Dec 2011

Facts are STUBBORN Things...Connecting the Dots between Fast and Furious and Wide Receiver

By Grassley Press
Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism Hearing with Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, Nov. 1, 2011

Connection Between Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious

 

Assistant Attorney General Breuer to Senator Grassley: "I regret that in April of 2010 that I did not draw the connection between Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious."

FACT

In the spring of 2010, Criminal Division staff considered Operation Wide Receiver and Operation Fast and Furious related components of the same case.

On February 22, 2010, Gang Unit prosecutors Laura Gwinn and Joe Cooley, assigned respectively to Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious, emailed back and forth with each other about the connection between the two cases when some of the guns being trafficked in Fast and Furious were tracked to a stash house of one of the targets in Wide Receiver.

Because of those overlapping targets, Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious were considered associated cases.  When the ATF Phoenix Field Division assembled a PowerPoint presentation on Fast and Furious in March 2010, one of the slides listing "Associated Cases" with Fast and Furious listed Operation Wide Receiver.  This same PowerPoint was presented at ATF headquarters on March 5, 2010.  According to a March 11, 2010, memo from Gang Unit Chief Kevin Carwile, Gang Unit member Joe Cooley attended that briefing.

Concerns about those overlapping targets also led to delay in unsealing the indictments in Wide Receiver, as the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona had concerns that when the Wide Receiver indictments were unsealed it would tip off targets in Fast and Furious.  As the department wrote in its October 31, 2011, letter to Senator Leahy:

The documents produced today reflect that the Gang Unit prosecutor was ready to indict the Wide Receiver cases and unseal them beginning in the spring of 2010, but that the Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona handling Fast and Furious believed that if the Wide Receiver indictments became public at that time they would negatively impact his case.  The Assistant U.S. Attorney therefore requested that the indictments and/or the unsealing of the indictments in Wide Receiver be delayed.  As a result of that request, Wide Receiver 1 was indicted under seal in May 2010, Wide Receiver 2 was indicted under seal in October 2010, and both cases were unsealed in November 2010.

In a July 1, 2010, memo to DAAG Weinstein and others, Gang Unit Chief Kevin Carwile described Fast and Furious as "a gun trafficking case with apparent ties to the Tucson case already indicted by [the Gang Unit]," which was a reference to Wide Receiver.

Finally, an October 18, 2010, memo under Assistant Attorney General Breuer's name that is addressed to the Attorney General and Acting Deputy Attorney General reads: "On October 27, the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS) plans to indict eight individuals under seal relating to the trafficking of hundreds of firearms into Mexico.  The sealing will likely last until another investigation, Phoenix-based 'Operation Fast and Furious,' is ready for takedown."

Given all this evidence that the cases were seen as related by Criminal Division staff, Breuer's claim that he failed to "draw the connection" between the cases is not credible.  Since Breuer knew of gunwalking in Wide Receiver, if he knew that the cases were related then it's difficult to understand why he would not have prevented gunwalking in Fast and Furious.

Documents supporting the FACTS.
12 Dec 2011

GAO testimony on oversight of psychotropic prescriptions for children in foster care

By Grassley Press
Thursday, December 1, 2011

Senator Chuck Grassley issued the comment below regarding new findings from the Government Accountability Office about dramatically higher rates of psychotropic prescription drugs being given to foster children over other children in Medicaid.  The GAO is finishing work on a report requested by Senator Tom Carper of Delaware.  Senators Grassley, Collins, McCain and Scott Brown joined in requesting the report.  The GAO today testified about its findings during a hearing of a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.  A foster youth named Ke'onte Cook also testified about his personal experience in having to take several medications while moving from one foster home to another.

Senator Grassley's comment:

"Children in the foster system are about as vulnerable as children can be, so more should be known about the degree to which foster children are given psychotropic drugs and the rationale for doing so, especially given the dramatic findings of this report.  The federal government should provide, without delay, the recommended guidance to states for monitoring what's happening.  Prescribing patterns and adverse effects need to be tracked for the well-being and protection of these children.  An environment needs to be established where there's accountability for the degree to which these drugs are used in order to make sure it's not just for convenience and at the children's expense.  There's also a public interest in making certain Medicaid isn't being abused through over prescribing.  My oversight, combined with investigative reporting, has exposed a few doctors in Florida who prescribed higher numbers of psychotropic drugs than seem humanly possible.  That's the kind of pattern states and the federal government need to monitor and nip in the bud as problems develop.  Also, disclosure of drug company payments to doctors will help to identify doctors who might be inclined to prescribe certain drugs at high levels because of a strong relationship with the drug maker."

Background information:

Senator Grassley has worked to make improvements to the foster care system and to make it easier for children in foster care to be adopted into permanent, loving homes, including the landmark 2008 law.  The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 requires states to strengthen oversight of medical treatment and ensure that foster children receive high-quality, coordinated services when their placements change.

In 2009, Senator Grassley and Senator Mary Landrieu founded a Foster Youth Caucus in the Senate to draw the attention of policy makers to the needs of older children in foster care and the importance of helping children in the foster care transition out of the system and to independence, without the support of family.

Separately, beginning in 2007, Senator Grassley made the case for requiring pharmaceutical and medical device makers to disclose payments they make to doctors.  The disparities he disclosed between payments that research doctors reported receiving and payments that were made by drug makers galvanized support for enactment last year of a reform legislation sponsored by Senator Grassley and Senator Herb Kohl which will require disclosure.  Under their Physician Payments Sunshine Act, drug, device and medical supply companies must file annual reports with Department of Health and Human Services delineating all payments over $10, and the information will be posted online in a searchable manner beginning on September 30, 2013, and then on March 31 each subsequent year.  Physician names, office addresses, and specialties will be posted along with the form and amount of payments.  Senator Grassley has said this reform will provide transparency and, in turn, greater accountability in medical research and practice.

12 Dec 2011

Governor Quinn Launches Annual Holiday Card Drive for Wounded Troops

By Nafia Khan

Encourages People of Illinois to Support Our Veterans and Servicemembers at Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

CHICAGO - December 1, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by local schoolchildren to light the state of Illinois' annual holiday tree and launch the Illinois Heroes holiday card drive. Governor Quinn encouraged schoolchildren from across the state to take part in the annual drive by making holiday cards for servicemembers at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany. Governor Quinn will personally deliver the cards during a visit to troops at LRMC later this year.

"We want our servicemembers who are spending the holidays away from home to know how much the people of Illinois care and appreciate their courage and selflessness," Governor Quinn said. "This holiday season is the perfect time to show our support and give thanks for our Veterans and servicemembers."

This year will mark the seventh time that Governor Quinn has visited Illinois troops and their families at LRMC. The center is the largest American hospital outside of the United States. For more information on how to participate in the Illinois Heroes holiday card drive, please visit OperationHomefront.org.

Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) Director Erica Borggren and servicemembers from across the state also joined the governor at the tree lighting ceremony.

"During the holidays, it is especially important to remember those who sacrifice their all to protect us," Director Borggren said. "As we gather with our loved ones to celebrate the holiday season, we encourage the people of Illinois to keep our servicemembers in their thoughts and prayers."

Also in attendance were members of the Gold Star Families, who hung ornaments in memory of their sons and daughters on the tree. Choirs of students and parents from LaSalle II Magnet School performed during the tree lighting ceremony and presented cards to Landstuhl.

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12 Dec 2011

Governor Quinn Commemorates World AIDS Day

By Nafia Khan

Encourages Commitment to Prevention, Education, Access to Healthcare 

 

CHICAGO - December 1, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn commemorated World AIDS Day today by urging Illinois residents to support raising awareness, and providing access to education and quality healthcare in the global effort to stop the spread of HIV infection.

 

"There has been tremendous and groundbreaking work done worldwide to educate the public in the effort to prevent the further transmission of HIV," Governor Quinn said. "But as we observe the 23rd World AIDS Day, and the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS, we must continue working globally and locally to reach our goal of zero AIDS-related deaths."

 

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS estimates that 33 million adults and 2.5 million children are living with HIV worldwide. As a result, the theme for the 2011 World AIDS Day - observed every Dec. 1 since 1988 - is "Getting to Zero."

 

Illinois has the 7th highest number of AIDS cases in the nation, with 38,265 cases reported since 1981, with half of those cases being African-American.  Of the Illinois residents diagnosed since 1981, 20,970 have died. The Illinois Department of Public Health sponsors several groundbreaking programs and funds many organizations statewide that aim to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The department also provides access to healthcare services for those living with the disease, including an HIV/AIDS and STD hotline: 1-800-243-2437.

 

Other programs include :

 

  • Quality of Life Endowment Fund - Proceeds from the "Red Ribbon Cash" scratch off lottery game are used to fund organizations providing HIV/AIDS prevention and support services.
  • AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) - Serves 4,100 low-income persons diagnosed with HIV/AIDS per month access life-saving anti-retroviral drugs.
  • BASUAH - Brothers and Sisters United Against HIV/AIDS program promotes HIV/AIDS awareness among communities of color, which are disproportionately impacted by the disease, through education, collaboration and community engagement. Visit BASUAH.org for more information.
  • Text 2 Survive - Allows public to find free testing sites and health events via mobile phone by texting "EVENT", "IL" or "ALERT" plus 5-digit ZIP Code to 36363. Spanish speakers can text "CENTRO" plus 5-digit ZIP Code to 36363.

 

At today's event, Governor Quinn was joined by Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), State Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago), Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bechara Choucair, and Kathi Braswell, executive director of the Ruth Rothstein CORE Center, one of the largest HIV/AIDS clinics in the United States.

Governor Quinn also declared today World AIDS Day, presenting the following proclamation:

 

WHEREAS, preventing the transmission of HIV infection and stopping the spread of AIDS requires a worldwide effort to increase communication, education and action; and

WHEREAS, estimates from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS on the global AIDS epidemic show that around 33 million adults and 2.5 million children were living with HIV at the end of 2009; and

WHEREAS, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois has the seventh highest number of AIDS cases in the nation, with 38,265 reported cases of AIDS since 1981. Of those diagnosed with the disease, about 20,970 have died; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization has designated December 1 of each year as World AIDS Day, a day to expand and strengthen the worldwide effort to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS; and

WHEREAS, this year marks the 23rd anniversary of World AIDS Day and the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS. While we have come a long way since then, there is still much more to be done; and

WHEREAS, the theme for World AIDS Day 2011 is "Getting to Zero" Global leaders have pledged to work towards universal access to HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and care, recognizing these as fundamental human rights. Valuable progress has been made in increasing access to HIV and AIDS services, yet greater commitment is needed around the world if the goal of universal access is to be achieved; and

WHEREAS, the campaign calls on all sectors of society such as families, communities and civil society organizations, as well as governments, to take the initiative and provide leadership on AIDS; and

WHEREAS, this day in Illinois is commemorated by a number of events across the state, including the dimming of the lights atop the Illinois State Capitol dome and at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago during the evening hours to coincide with the dimming of the lights at the White House in tribute to those infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS:

THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim December 1, 2011 as WORLD AIDS DAY in Illinois, and encourage all residents to take part in activities and observances designed to increase awareness and understanding of AIDS, to take part in AIDS prevention activities and programs, and to join in the efforts to prevent transmission of HIV and further spread of AIDS.

 

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12 Dec 2011

Coast Guard Cutters Bertholf, Boutwell nab drugs, smugglers on high seas

By U.S. Coast Guard

WASHINGTON – The Coast Guard announced Thursday the interdiction of more than 2,470 pounds of cocaine, and the detention of 12 suspects, during three separate missions in the Eastern Pacific the week of Nov. 21.

The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf, a national security cutter, and the Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell, a Secretary Class high endurance cutter, were on counter-drug patrols in  the Eastern Pacific Ocean.  Boutwell's crew intercepted a drug-laden fishing vessel more than 200 miles west of Ecuador while Bertholf's crew recovered cocaine jettisoned from a speed boat they were pursuing near the coast of Panama.

Of the 771 metric tons of cocaine known to be bound for the U.S. in 2011, more than 85 percent was transported on the high seas.  In 2010 the U.S. Coast Guard kept 73.9 metric tons of cocaine, interdicted in the maritime transit zone between South America and Central and North America, from reaching our shores, nearly double the amount seized by one million federal, state, local and tribal officials located on our land borders and in communities across the U.S.

"The pervasive threat of maritime drug smuggling that we witnessed in fiscal year 2011 is a good example of why we need modern capabilities like the national security cutter to protect our nation, "  said Coast Guard commandant Adm. Bob Papp.  "Dollar for dollar, the best investment of taxpayer money for ensuring U.S. security, defending our borders from threats, enforcing sovereignty, and guarding marine resources is in capabilities that enable Coast Guard persistent presence at sea where we can meet threats before they reach our shores.  With counterdrug operations, this strategy has enabled us to seize bulk quantities of narcotics at sea before they are offloaded ashore, separated between dealers, and then broken down for sale on our streets and in our neighborhoods."

The Coast Guard executed 120 drug interdiction cases in fiscal year 2011, keeping 75.6 metric tons of cocaine and 17.3 metric tons of marijuana from reaching U.S. shores.  More than 23 metric tons of cocaine have been seized since Aug. 29.  The Coast Guard also seized 40 vessels and detained 191 suspects in fiscal year 2011, which ended Sept. 30.

"The nation relies on the Coast Guard to protect against seaborne threats," Papp said.  "Our cutters are stationed in waters vital to U.S. interests and provide the law enforcement and military capability to respond to, interdict and deal with these threats."

The primary method of maritime drug smuggling remains the "go-fast" boat, which accounted for 58 percent of interdiction cases.  Self-propelled, semi-submersible vessels, commonly referred to as drug subs, accounted for 19 percent, while fishing vessels accounted for four percent of maritime drug smuggling activity.

Boutwell's interdiction began Nov. 23 when the cutter approached the Ecuadorian-flagged fishing vessel El Soberano, approximately 230 miles west of Ecuador.  The Coast Guard crew observed suspicious packages on board, saw there was no fishing gear on the deck and noted the El Soberano was towing a smaller launch.  The Boutwell's boarding team conducted a search of the fishing vessel, discovering 40 bales of cocaine weighing between 50 to 56 pounds each.  The boarding team detained all nine individuals aboard the two vessels and brought them aboard Boutwell.

"I couldn't be prouder of my crew for their vigilance and decisive actions during this interdiction," said Capt. Matthew J. Gimple, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell.  "For more than 42 years, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell has safeguarded America's maritime interests - at home and around the world - saving those in peril, defending our maritime border, and protecting the maritime transportation system, natural resources and the marine environment.  We've had three interdictions this month, all of which were 200 miles or more offshore;  the ability to operate multiple, over-the-horizon boats and aircraft from our cutter for sustained periods is key to success."

Bertholf's action began five nautical miles west of Punta Caracoles, Panama, while the cutter was on patrol in Panamanian waters under the authority of an embarked Panamanian shiprider.  Bertholf was alerted by a maritime patrol airplane that a "go-fast" drug smuggling speedboat was in the area.  The crew of the Bertholf located the "go-fast" using the ship's Forward Looking Infrared sensor and radar.  The cutter's over-the-horizon boat was launched and its crew intercepted the suspect boat.  The "go-fast" fled, jettisoning about nine bales, one of which was recovered by the crew of the pursuing Bertholf over-the horizon boat.  The suspect boat eluded law enforcement using the cover of coves and islands in the area of the chase.  The pursuit ended as the chase neared the territorial seas of Colombia.  The marine patrol airplane identified a debris field from which seven bales and one kilo of cocaine were subsequently recovered.

Two nights prior, the crew of the Bertholf intercepted another "go-fast," netting two bales of cocaine and three suspects who were turned over to SENAN, the Panamanian Maritime service.

"My crew's response was exceptional during the prosecution of this case, and I'm proud to report we foiled these drug smugglers and kept the narcotics from reaching their ultimate destination - the United States," said Capt. Thomas E. Crabbs, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf.  "The Bertholf is one of the Coast Guard's newest cutters, unique to the United States and uniquely equipped to respond to all threats; it served the nation well during this case."

The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf is on a 70-day patrol conducting counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific.  Cutters like the Bertholf routinely conduct operations from South America to the Bering Sea where their unmatched combination of range, speed, and ability to operate in extreme weather provides the mission flexibility necessary to conduct alien migrant interdiction operations, domestic fisheries protection, search and rescue, counter-narcotics and homeland security operations at great distances from shore keeping threats far from the U.S. mainland.

The Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell is on a 60-day deployment for counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific.  So far in this patrol they have been involved in three law enforcement cases resulting in the seizure or jettison of 3,800 pounds of cocaine worth $40 million.  The Boutwell and the Coast Guard's current fleet of cutters is from 30 to 45 years old, constituting one of the oldest fleets in the world while being one of the busiest.

The Boutwell and the 11 other original Secretary-class, high endurance cutters, are being replaced by eight Legend-class, national security cutters like the cutter Bertholf. The NCSs are faster, better equipped, more durable, safer and more efficient than their predecessor, and will allow the Coast Guard to continue and build on the proud history of service provided by their predecessor class, delivering a unique blend of military capability, law enforcement authority and lifesaving expertise wherever needed to protect American interests, today and for decades to come.

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