September 22, 2009

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Karen P. Hewitt announced that Rachelle Lynette Carlock pleaded guilty today in federal court in San Diego before the Honorable Margaret M. McKeown to one count of possession and use of a destructive device to commit a crime of violence, to wit: conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), arising from the bombing of the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Courthouse in San Diego on May 4, 2008, and other acts. As part of her guilty plea, Carlock admitted that she conspired with others to construct a series of pipe bombs, including the bombs used against the Schwartz Federal Courthouse. In her plea, Carlock admitted that she purchased explosive material and stole pipes for the purpose of constructing pipe bombs. She also admitted that, on May 4, 2008, she personally planted and detonated three pipe bombs at the Schwartz Federal Courthouse. Full release.

With the signing of a Joint Statement of Intent between the TSA and the UTA, both agencies pledged to partner in a comprehensive program of aviation security enhancements, including plans for comprehensive assessments, developing targeted aviation security programs and sharing best practices. "The collaboration between TSA and the Georgian United Transport Administration emphasizes each agency's commitment to aviation security worldwide," said Cindy Farkus, Assistant Administrator for TSA's Office of Global Strategies. "Through this partnership, both nations will further strengthen the global transportation network by developing sustainable security practices." Full release.

As rising flood waters cover the Southeast, hundreds have looked to the American Red Cross for shelter as officials estimate the number of people needing help could rise dramatically. Overnight more than 220 people took refuge in Red Cross shelters in Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. Georgia has been hit the hardest, particularly around the city of Atlanta where as much as a foot of rain fell Monday. According to news reports, the flooding has claimed at least eight lives. Governor Sonny Purdue has declared a state of emergency in 17 counties and authorities are urging people to stay home if possible. Red Cross is providing a safe place to stay, food to eat, and a shoulder to lean on for those affected by the flooding which has prompted evacuations, washed out bridges, caused landslides, and closed highways across the area. Full release.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today following President Obama's remarks at the United Nations Climate Change Summit: "President Obama reaffirmed America's commitment to transition to a clean energy economy that creates jobs and reduces global warming pollution. The President emphasized the urgency of taking action at home and working together with our global partners to reduce emissions worldwide. Full release.

John Potter, the chief executive officer of the U.S. Postal Service, will speak at a National Press Club luncheon on October 8, 2009 to discuss the Postal Service's future, including its environmental footprint. Potter, who has led the Postal Service for eight years, is at the helm of an organization overseen by Congress and a federal regulator and charged with running like a business. The Postal Service, which has said it may lose more than $7 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, is working to reinvent itself amid falling mail volume. Potter is looking at his agency's effect on the environment and is the first agency to conduct a study of its greenhouse gas emissions. He will release the results of the study during his remarks. Full release.

In a press conference Monday, human rights experts and religious leaders called on the Obama administration to adopt a firm policy toward Iran's ruling regime and abandon the futile and misguided policy of engagement. The conference marked the start of a campaign by Iranian-American communities against the UN visit of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the declared winner of Iran's rigged June presidential elections. On Wednesday, September 23, several thousand will rally across the UN against Ahmadinejad and the entire regime to echo the chants of "Death to the Dictator," and "The resistance has not died; it's the government that has died," by hundreds of thousands who marched in Iran's major cities last week. Full release.

At a time when health care reform is in the national spotlight, finding ways to improve long term services and supports (LTSS) available for people with serious, chronic illnesses -- particularly seniors and people with disabilities -- couldn't be more timely. A half-day Summit co-sponsored by the AMERIGROUP Public Policy Institute, the George Mason University Long-Term Care Educational Foundation, and the National Advisory Board on Improving Health Care Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities (NAB), focuses on the role that LTSS should play in ongoing efforts to reform America's health system. "Millions of Americans who have serious, long-term health conditions are denied the opportunity to live independently because our health care system is simply not built to meet their needs," said James G. Carlson, AMERIGROUP Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This reduces quality of life and at the same time increases the overall cost of care. We can and must do more to serve some of our most vulnerable fellow citizens." Full release.

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that they will solicit public comment and hold joint public workshops to explore the possibility of updating the Horizontal Merger Guidelines that are used by both agencies to evaluate the potential competitive effects of mergers and acquisitions. The goal of the workshops will be to determine whether the Horizontal Merger Guidelines accurately reflect the current practice of merger review at the Department and the FTC as well as to take into account legal and economic developments that have occurred since the last significant Guidelines revision in 1992. Full release.

Child laborers are among the 30,000 Bangladeshi ship-breaking workers whose plight continues to be ignored by G-20 nations meeting in Pittsburgh who send their enormous old tanker ships to be taken apart under the most hazardous conditions. A new report, "Where Ships and Workers Go to Die: Ship-breaking in Bangladesh" documents the plight of workers who dismantle ships of the G-20, toiling 12 hours a day, seven days a week, under primitive conditions for wages of just 22 to 32 cents an hour -- doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Full release.

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