November 23, 2009

David S. Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Department of Justice, and U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy, together with Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Janice K. Fedarcyk, Special Agent-in-Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement John P. Kelleghan, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Don Fort, and Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Colonel Joseph R. Fuentes, today announced arrests in a case involving a conspiracy to procure weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles. A criminal complaint, unsealed today, charged Dani Nemr Tarraf with conspiring to acquire anti-aircraft missiles (FIM-92 Stingers) and conspiring to possess machine guns (approximately 10,000 Colt M4 Carbines). In addition, Tarraf and other defendants -- including Douri Nemr Tarraf, Hassan Mohamad Komeiha, and Hussein Ali Asfour -- were charged with conspiring to transport stolen goods. Dani Nemr Tarraf and Ali Fadel Yahfoufi were charged with conspiring to commit passport fraud. Full release.

As Congress turns to address the estate tax before it is repealed at the end of the year, a new study announced today shows that same-sex couples who are affected by the estate tax are assessed an average of $3.3 million more in taxes upon the death of a spouse than similarly-situated different-sexed married couples. Because the federal government refuses to recognize same-sex marriages, lesbians and gay men are disadvantaged in their ability to pass on their wealth to their partners and children after their death. The study, "Federal Estate Tax Disadvantages for Same-Sex Couples," was released by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law and comes only a month after the organization released a report finding that the majority of same-sex couples have less retirement income than married different-sex couples. The new report shows that same-sex couples at the top end of the socioeconomic scale and those with small businesses are also hurt by inequalities in the federal law. Both reports were conducted with funding from Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management. Full release.

The Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) National Transportation Policy Project (NTPP) held a public forum today in Minneapolis, Minnesota to discuss their blueprint for surface transportation reform, Performance Driven: A New Vision for U.S. Transportation Policy, and its implications for the Twin Cities region. The forum, featured as part of the Martin Olav Sabo Lecture Series, held in partnership with the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies and the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, attracted prominent local transportation policymakers, academics, business leaders and other key transportation stakeholders. Participants at today's event agreed that current national transportation policy fails to recognize and reward innovation, and as a result there are insufficient funds to adequately maintain existing infrastructure. "Metropolitan regions like the Twin Cities bear the burden of misallocated investments," said NTPP Co-Chair and former Congressman Martin Sabo. "The structure of current federal funding makes it challenging for metropolitan regions to use federal money to solve their transportation problems. Revenue collection should be linked to use and impacts, and the trend toward financing federal transportation investments with non-user based, general funds should not be maintained. The Twin Cities would benefit greatly from a reformed funding structure based on performance and outcomes." Full release.

DaVita, the nation's leading provider of dialysis services, today announced a nationwide Minority Bank Initiative designed to create jobs and spur revitalization in minority communities across the country with investments in leading community and minority-owned banks. DaVita has donated $5 million through bank partnerships in Washington, DC, New York, N.Y., Los Angeles, Calif. and Columbia, S.C. "DaVita is committed to developing business partner relationships that reflect our diverse base of patients and teammates," said Kent Thiry, DaVita CEO. "Through our Minority Bank Initiative, DaVita is supporting the revitalization of under-served neighborhoods it serves by helping banking institutions as well as minority-owned businesses to thrive." Full release.

The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (www.asnc.org) released preliminary results from a survey of its membership today, which show that the impending cuts to cardiovascular services outlined in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will force widespread layoffs, office closures, and limited imaging services. These actions will ultimately lead to reduced access to imaging tests and more expensive care for America's seniors. The reductions would result from implementation of new practice expense survey data (the Physician Practice Information Survey) into the methodology used to determine Medicare payment. As result of implementation of this new survey data, Medicare payment for SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging--a diagnostic test critical to the management of patients with known or suspected heart disease--will be reduced by 36% in 2010. Full release.

Share Our Strength(R), the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger in America, released powerful survey results today indicating that teachers across America see children arriving at school hungry. Whether they work in urban, rural or suburban communities, teachers believe that hunger is a problem negatively affecting their student's ability to learn. Hunger in America's Classrooms: Share Our Strength's Teachers Report, conducted by Lake Research Partners and funded by C&S Wholesale Grocers, shows that schools provide a critical safety net for kids when it comes to food and that teachers often are the first responders to hunger in our classrooms. In fact, 62 percent of teachers say they see children who regularly come to school hungry each week because they are not getting enough to eat at home. "No amount of creative lesson planning on my part, no amount of studying on my students' part can change the fact that if children don't have their basic nutritional needs satisfied, they cannot learn," said Christine Gottshall, a fifth-grade teacher at Orchard Green School in Roxbury, Mass. The report contains highlights of a public opinion survey of 740 kindergarten through eighth grade public school teachers nationwide conducted October 21 to 28, 2009. Full release.

Supporting President Obama's call for a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), Microsoft Corporation, and the MacArthur Foundation today announced a suite of multi-faceted efforts to engage and motivate students in STEM learning. The organizations will work to harness the excitement surrounding computer and video games through a series of STEM-related video game design competitions. "Computer and video games are one of the most effective ways to reach America's children and encourage them to stay interested in vital STEM principles. We are honored to have President Obama recognize the unique ability of games to act as a catalyst in generating new areas of growth in education," said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. "Our industry's lifeblood is the energy and innovation of new, emerging developers. To create the next generation's epic titles and incredibly immersive storylines, we need America's youth to have strategic and analytic thinking skills along with complex problem solving abilities. It is my hope that it will produce games that will have a lasting impact on the STEM skills our nation's students so desperately need." Full release.

The following is being issued by Information Technology Industry Council:

Today the White House is announcing a national education initiative to strengthen America's economic competitiveness through leadership in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Led by former CEO and Chairman Craig Barrett of Intel Corporation; Chairman, President and CEO Glenn Britt of Time Warner Cable; Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox Corporation; Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and CEO of Eastman Kodak Company; and Dr. Sally Ride, CEO of Sally Ride Science and the first American woman in space; in conjunction with Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the effort seeks to improve America's students' interest and performance in the STEM disciplines, which are the foundation for innovation. "At Intel, we have seen what young people can do with math and science when they are inspired and well-taught. It is up to all of us to stimulate that interest and provide teachers who can guide and nurture students in these critical subjects," said Craig R. Barrett. Full release.

A new report released today by Bread for the World Institute warns that unless the triple threats of hunger, unemployment, and climate change are addressed, any economic recovery will only lead to another bubble. "To blunt the surge of hunger, unemployment, and the long-term effects of climate change, we need a just and sustainable economic recovery," said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World Institute. "If we do not reshape our economy with jobs that allow low-income workers to feed their families and move out of poverty, our recovery will not be sustainable. Like a bubble, it will only collapse again." According to the new report, Hunger 2010: A Just and Sustainable Recovery, more than 1.02 billion people are hungry every day -- an increase of more than 100 million from a year ago. In the United States, the number of people who struggle to put food on the table has surged to 49.1 million. "It's deeply disturbing to think that nearly one in four children live on the brink of hunger in this country," said Rev. Beckmann. "It's a scandal for us as the richest country in the world." Full release.

The Fort Hood tragedy is an example of how critical information can be disregarded or overlooked. "Individuals within the military and the FBI had information that Major Nidal Hasan was flirting with radical Islam," claims Dr. Robert J. Flower, Director of The Gilchrist Institute for the Achievement Sciences, an economic and political think tank. "But the structure of the information-gathering and decision-making systems prevented anyone from acting on this information effectively." Government investigators now show that the shooter was checked out by a Department of Defense investigator last year who found discussions with his Imam were of a "scholarly" nature. Yet, in response to the event and the shooter, the Imam stated, "He is a hero!" "Clearly, something was overlooked: a fatal flaw in comprehension is evident," says Dr. Flower. "It is the lack of objective, impartial focusing and insight that consistently enables disasters of this type to occur in America and Europe. While Government agencies are notoriously reactive to events, they are weak in proactive application." Full release.

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