Feinstein, Grassley Release Senate Caucus on Int'l Narcotics Control Report on Mexico

Senators Urge Congress and Administration to use report as a blueprint for cooperation with Mexico to combat drug trafficking

Washington, DC - May 25, 2011 - U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-chairs of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today released a report outlining key steps and initiatives to combat Mexico's brutal drug trafficking organizations and reduce violence in the country.

The report, U.S. and Mexican Responses to Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations, is endorsed by all seven Members of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and makes several recommendations for the U.S. government.  The report synthesizes information gathered through a country visit, briefings, interviews, and a review of documents from both government and non-government subject matter experts.

"The United States provides counternarcotics assistance throughout the world, but our security partnership with Mexico is unique since we share a 1,969 mile border," said Senator Feinstein.

"What happens in Mexico has a deep impact on the United States and the reciprocal is also true. Today, U.S. - Mexico ties are stronger than ever, and we must take advantage of this historic moment by continuing to deepen our security partnership with Mexico," continued Feinstein. "I urge my colleagues in Congress and members of the Obama Administration to read this report and use it as a blueprint for future cooperation with Mexico to combat drug trafficking."

"The drug trade has long been associated with violence, but the recent escalation has been unprecedented. Stopping this violence will take cooperation from those of us on both sides of the border," Senator Grassley said. "And, while more work needs to be done in this area, this report can be a guide as we move forward and work to curb the drug trade and the violence associated with it."

Findings and recommendations of the report include :

Money Laundering

• The report calls on the Obama Administration to do more to starve Mexico's drug trafficking organizations of the money that fuels them.  Specifically, it urges the Obama Administration to immediately make pre-paid gift and credit cards - known as stored value - subject to cross-border reporting requirements.

Stored value is not subject to any cross-border reporting requirements.  This means that an individual crossing from the United States into Mexico with thousands of dollars on pre-paid cards is not required to declare these cards at the border.

Mérida Initiative

• The report calls on the State Department to expedite the delivery of air assets to Mexico under the Mérida Initiative, a security assistance program that includes air assets, other equipment and training.
• It also recommends that the State Department quickly develop performance measures for the Mérida Initiative and provide these metrics to Congress.  A multi-year timeline should be developed with targets in several areas, including equipment delivery, judicial and police reform, and state capacity to respond to drug trafficking organizations.

The U.S. government has provided vital security assistance to Mexico, including 11 helicopters - eight Bell 412 helicopters for the Mexican military and three Blackhawk helicopters for the country's federal police.  Six more Blackhawk helicopters are still in the pipeline.

Justice Reform

• The report concludes that in order to have long-term success in combating organized crime, much-needed judicial reforms must be implemented throughout Mexico.

According to data from the Mexican government, 1.55 percent of suspected crimes in Mexico result in convictions.  By comparison, the U.S. federal courts logged a 90.3 percent conviction rate in FY 2008.

The report recommends that judicial sector training be proactively offered by the United States through the Mérida Initiative to each Mexican state that requests it.  This should include specific training on oral trial topics, such as evidence, opening and closing statements, direct and cross examination and objections.

Southbound Inspections

• The report asks the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to conduct and submit to Congress an assessment of immediate infrastructure and staffing needs at the Southwest border - including important tools like License Plate Readers - and activities and resources by the Mexican Government to stand-up southbound inspections on the Mexican side of the border.

Border Tunnels

• The report calls on Congress to pass legislation to enhance the 2007 law that criminalizes the financing, construction and use of border tunnels.  The legislation proposed in the report would increase prosecutorial options by criminalizing conspiracy to use, construct or finance a border tunnel.  The Caucus also recommends that illegal tunneling be included as an offense eligible for Title III wire interception.

Cross-Border Kidnappings

• The Caucus's report calls on the FBI to develop and sponsor a vetted unit with trusted Mexican counterparts who have the expertise to conduct investigations of the kidnappings of U.S. citizens.

The entire report can be found here:  U.S. and Mexican Responses to Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations

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SEC approves whistleblower rules

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa helped to enact provisions beefing up the Securities and Exchange Commission's treatment of whistleblowers.  Earlier, Grassley was the Senate author of the 1986 whistleblower amendments to the federal False Claims Act, which has become one of the government's most powerful tools against fraud.  He also was key to improving the IRS' whistleblower office.  He made the following comment on the SEC's approval today of new rules giving whistleblowers incentives to come forward about financial fraud.

"In general, there's a long history of retaliation against whistleblowers.  To come forward, they need protection and independence from the operation that's potentially doing wrong.   The SEC took a step in the right direction today.  A whistleblower might prevent the next Madoff.   Twenty years ago, the Justice Department resisted whistleblowers.  Since then, whistleblowers have helped the department recover $28 billion that otherwise would have been lost to fraud.  More recently, there was a lot of skepticism about beefing up the IRS' whistleblower incentives.  That office recently recovered $20 million for the taxpayers in the first reward under the new set-up.  Both of these programs faced some of the same criticisms facing the SEC program but the concerns were overstated.   Now, the SEC needs to break away from its past of resisting whistleblowers.  It needs to make sure whistleblowers are taken seriously and that their complaints are given the attention needed to prevent fraud."

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Grassley Elicits Confirmation of Risk to U.S. Market Share Over Korea Trade Agreement Delay

WASHINGTON -- May 25, 2011 - In response to a question from Sen. Chuck Grassley, a top U.S. trade official confirmed today that U.S. agricultural producers are indeed at risk of losing valuable market share in Korea to the European Union because the United States has not implemented its pending Free Trade Agreement with Korea, and the European Union has implemented such an agreement.  The White House and congressional allies continue to move the goal posts on the necessary conditions for implementing pending trade agreements, to the detriment of U.S. producers.

The exchange occurred at a hearing of the Finance Committee, with jurisdiction over international trade.  Grassley is a senior member and former chairman and ranking member of the committee.

A video clip is available here.

The text of a Senate floor speech Grassley delivered today on the value of trade agreements is available here.

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Davenport, Iowa (May 25, 2011) -- Take a stellar lineup of grandstand acts and a variety of free grounds shows and attractions. Add the Evans United Shows Carnival, commercial and craft displays, some great fair food and lots of livestock shows. And you've got the recipe for the 92nd Great Mississippi Valley Fair, being held here Aug. 2-7, at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, 2815 W. Locust St.

Fun Cards -- good for daily admission to the grounds and all grandstand shows -- are now for sale at Hy-Vee stores and the fair office. They are $40 each through July 6, then the price goes to $45.

For those without Fun Cards, grounds admission is $10 at the gate for adults and $3 for children 4-12. Children 3 and under are free.

Entertaining in the grandstand this year at the Great Fair are Joe Nichols on Tuesday, Blake Shelton on Wednesday, Darius Rucker on Thursday, the Steve Miller Band on Friday, the Charlie Daniels Band on Saturday and Miranda Lambert on Sunday. All shows begin at 8 p.m., and admission is by Fun Card only. Those 3 and under, however, are admitted free.

Grounds shows and attractions, as always, include some perennial favorites and some newcomers. Fair manager Bob Fox, who books the acts, keeps a close eye on them and doesn't let any one get stale with fair-goers.

In no particular order, the 2011 shows and attractions include the Caboodlestoppers, the Giant Ejector Seat, The Diamonds, Gym Bob's Jamboree with Mike Porter, a diving show, Robinson's Racing Pigs, Kachunga and the Alligator Show, professional break dancers, Frisco's Elephants and Petting Zoo, Todd the Stilt Walker, Michelle's Magic Poodles, a woodcarver, the National Belgian Horse Show, Great Cats, Granpa Cratchet and Dallas, the Fire Guy.

For more information, go to www.mvfair.com or phone (563) 326-5338.

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The University of Wisconsin-Madison has recognized students named to the Dean's List for the spring semester of the 2010-2011 academic year.  Students who achieve at a high level academically are recognized by the dean at the close of each semester. To be eligible for the Dean's List, students must complete a minimum of 12 graded degree credits in that semester. Each university school or college sets its own GPA requirements for students to be eligible to receive the honor.
To view an online listing, visit http://registrar.wisc.edu/deans_list.htm . For questions or concerns about eligibility, please contact deanslist-registrar@em.wisc.edu
Here are the students from the Quad Cities area who have received this honor:

Maria Elena Ontiveros, Bettendorf, School of Human Ecology, Dean's Honor List;

Meghan Elizabeth Khoury, Davenport, School of Human Ecology, Dean's Honor List;

Mehmet Gultekin Badur, Moline, College of Engineering, Dean's Honor List;

Andrew James Hoogerwerf, Rock Island, College of Engineering, Dean's Honor List

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Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin has announced that William A. Hawkinson, Senior, and Devin T. Lundy, Freshman, both from Davenport, have achieved academic distinction during the Spring term of the academic year and has been named to the Dean's List, which recognizes students who have maintained at least a 3.4 cumulative grade point average for the semester.

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ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/27/2011)(readMedia)-- Five hundred and eighty students of the class of '11 graduated from Augustana College with their Bachelor of Arts degree on May 22, 2011. Augustana's 151st commencement convocation was held at the iwireless Center in Moline, Ill.

From your area this includes:

Debra Butler from Bettendorf , IA. Butler majored in psychology.

Lauren Carver from Bettendorf , IA. Carver majored in biology.

Rayna Narvaez from Bettendorf , IA. Narvaez majored in psychology and Spanish.

Emily Voigt from Bettendorf , IA. Voigt majored in business marketing.

Katherine Voigt from Bettendorf , IA. Voigt majored in biology.

Anna Smith from Davenport , IA. Smith majored in biology and psychology.

Regina Jarrell from Davenport , IA. Jarrell majored in art.

Christopher Wadsager from Davenport , IA. Wadsager majored in biochemistry.

Audrey Waner from Davenport , IA. Waner majored in art.

Anita Cook from Davenport , IA. Cook majored in art.

Kelsey Van Dyke from Davenport , IA. Van Dyke majored in music education instrumental.

Samuel Anderson from Rock Island , IL. Anderson majored in math and computer science.

Brianna Dyer from Rock Island , IL. Dyer majored in teaching English.

Neil Friberg from Rock Island , IL. Friberg majored in English.

Travis Greenlee from Rock Island , IL. Greenlee majored in speech communication.

Jacob McDowell from Rock Island , IL. McDowell majored in psychology and English.

Hee Do Park from Rock Island , IL. Park majored in Asian studies and economics.

John Patton from Rock Island , IL. Patton majored in English.

James Sales from Rock Island , IL. Sales majored in biology.

Andrew Shaffer from Rock Island , IL. Shaffer majored in honors history.

Courtney Vandewiele from Rock Island , IL. Vandewiele majored in political science and accounting.

Robert Fite from Coal Valley , IL. Fite majored in business management.

Rebekka Laverenz from Coal Valley , IL. Laverenz majored in biology.

Michael Seevers from Cordova , IL. Seevers majored in geography.

Emma Burgess from East Moline , IL. Burgess majored in psychology.

Matthew Kustes from East Moline , IL. Kustes majored in business management information systems.

Nicole Molina from East Moline , IL. Molina majored in international business.

Kayla Papish from East Moline , IL. Papish majored in teaching math and math.

Lauren White from East Moline , IL. White majored in accounting.

Jeremy Smith from Milan , IL. Smith majored in political science.

Brian Stone from Milan , IL. Stone majored in teaching math and math.

Felipe Aguilar from Moline , IL. Aguilar majored in business management.

Kellene Anthony from Moline , IL. Anthony majored in psychology and sociology with social welfare.

Steven Ash from Moline , IL. Ash majored in physics.

James Hallene from Moline , IL. Hallene majored in business finance.

Alyssa Harmon from Moline , IL. Harmon majored in political science.

Allison Hughes from Moline , IL. Hughes majored in accounting and business marketing.

Nicole Johnson from Moline , IL. Johnson majored in teaching English.

Jasmin Landeros from Moline , IL. Landeros majored in elementary education.

Courtney Mitten from Moline , IL. Mitten majored in psychology.

Anna Press from Moline , IL. Press majored in biology and pre-medicine.

Michael Reeves from Moline , IL. Reeves majored in accounting.

Meghan Showers from Moline , IL. Showers majored in Asian studies and political science.

Mark Stumphy from Moline , IL. Stumphy majored in biology.

Audrey Taylor from Moline , IL. Taylor majored in teaching biology and biology.

Jane Wiborg from Moline , IL. Wiborg majored in art history.

Nicholas Armstrong from Orion , IL. Armstrong majored in psychology.

Adam Bohland from Orion , IL. Bohland majored in psychology.

Ryan Hancock from Orion , IL. Hancock majored in geography.

Deanna Zwicker from Orion , IL. Zwicker majored in business finance and economics.

Jonathan Wallace from Port Byron , IL. Wallace majored in political science.

Megan Lecander from Sherrard , IL. Lecander majored in business management.

Bonnie Barlow from Silvis , IL. Barlow majored in psychology.

Randi Johnson from Silvis , IL. Johnson majored in communication science and disorders.

Janelle VanWatermeulen from Silvis , IL. VanWatermeulen majored in business marketing.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls nearly 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers more than 60 majors and areas of study. Augustana employs 226 faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.