Monday, December 23, 2013

2014 Homeland Security Secretary

Jeh Johnson Sworn in as Fourth Secretary of Homeland Security

Release Date: 
December 23, 2013
For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
WASHINGTON— Today, Jeh Charles Johnson was officially sworn in as the fourth Secretary of Homeland Security. Secretary Johnson, joined by his family, took the oath this evening at his home in Montclair, New Jersey. As Secretary of Homeland Security, Johnson now oversees the third largest Federal department in the United States and leads the 240,000 dedicated men and women working tirelessly to implement the Department’s important homeland security mission. Secretary Johnson is in close coordination with senior leadership of the Department, including Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas – who was also sworn in on Monday.
“I am honored to assume the important responsibilities of this office,” said Secretary Johnson.  “The men and women of the Department of Homeland Security deserve strong leadership and I look forward to supporting them every day as we work together to make our communities and our nation safer, more secure, and more resilient.”
Prior to joining DHS, Secretary Johnson served as General Counsel for the Department of Defense, where he was part of the senior management team and led the more than 10,000 military and civilian lawyers across the Department. Secretary Johnson’s career has included extensive service in national security, law enforcement, and as an attorney in private corporate law practice.  Secretary Johnson was General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force in 1998 to 2001, and he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York in 1989 to 1991. 

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Ham Radio....Emergency Communications use worldwide for communities, villages, and home use.

http://hamradiouniversity.org/


Our 15th annual event!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Briarcliffe College
1055 Stewart Ave
Bethpage, NY 11714
Spreading Ham Radio Knowledge and Know How
"A day of education to share ideas, experiences, knowledge and fellowship among Amateur Radio operators"
Featuring
Keynote Speaker
Mike Lisenco N2YBB
ARRL Hudson Division Director
Suggested donation $3 - no preregistration is required!
Doors open at 7:30 AM with first forums at 9:00 AM
HRU 2010 on YouTube
Please contact us atinfo@HamRadioUniversity.org for further info.



HRU 2014 Chairman
Tom Carrubba KA2D

Past Chairmen
Tom Carrubba KA2D 2011-present
Neil Heft KC2KY 2007-2010
George Tranos N2GA 2003-2006
Phil Lewis N2MUN 2000-2002 
HRU 2014 Committee
Tom Carrubba KA2D
Gary Lindtner KB2BSL
Diane Ortiz K2DO
Lance Aue KA2EJD
George Tranos N2GA
John Melfi W2HCB
Art Altarac WA2KXE
Neil Heft KC2KY
Phil Lewis N2MUN
Rich Rosner N2STU
Nancy Rosner N2TKA
Jerry Abrams WB2ZEX
Richie Cetron K2KNB
Mike Lisenco N2YBB

ARRL New York City / Long Island
Section Convention

Jim Mezey W2KFV, Section Manager

Sponsoring Club
Great South Bay ARC

Door Prize Donors
The HRU Committee thanks the following organizations for their generous donation
Amateur Electronic Supply (AES)
AMSAT - Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
ARRL
CheapHam.com
CQ Magazine
DX Engineering
Elk Antennas
Ham Radio Outlet
Kings County Repeater Association
MFJ Enterprises
Quicksilver Radio Products
Radio Oasis
The RF Connection
Ten-Tec
Universal Radio Inc.
West Mountain Radio
Materials for the Connectors workshop donated from the Norm Wesler K2YEW Education fund administered by LIMARC


NEW for 2014
Volunteers needed for setup
On Saturday, January 4, the HRU Committee will be setting up for the event between 2 and 4 PM. We could use some volunteers to help us! Please contact us via email at:info@hamradiouniversity.org to let us know if you can help us!


Briarcliffe College Room Layout

Friday, December 20, 2013

President's Young African Leaders Initiative









The Washington Fellowship  
for Young Leaders 
"No matter how old you grow, I say to all of you today, don't lose those qualities of youth-your imagination, your optimism, your idealism. Because the future of the continent is in your hands."  


   - President Barack Obama, South Africa, June 2013                 
          
 
The Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a flagship program of President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking. Fellowships will provide outstanding young leaders with the opportunity to hone their skills at a U.S. university, and support their professional development after they return home.Learn More 



THE PROGRAM

Individuals who have already demonstrated leadership in the public, private or non-profit sector are ideal candidates for the Washington Fellowship. Applicants should have significant professional experience and a proven record in leading and promoting positive change in their organizations, institutions, and communities. Apply today!

Eligible candidates must be:
  • Citizens of, and residents in, a sub-Saharan African country
  • Proficient in spoken, and written English
  • Between the ages of 25 and 35 years old at the time of application 
  • Individuals holding U.S. citizenship or permanent residency in the United States are not eligible












Thursday, December 19, 2013

Nuclear Regulatory Commision. 2014 Events. 1st & 2nd Quarter 2014

Upcoming Events of Interest to the EP Community

    National Evacuation Conference: January 7‐10, 2014 in New Orleans, LA


    National Emergency Management Associate Conference: March 9‐14, 2014 in Alexandria, VA


    Regulatory Information Conference: March 11‐13, 2014 in Rockville, MD


    National Radiological Emergency Preparedness Conference: April 7‐10, 2014 in Salt Lake City, UT

Mental Health: 43.7 Million Americans Experienced Mental Illness in 2012

SAMHSA


43.7 Million Americans Experienced Mental Illness in 2012
$31 Million Announced To Improve Mental Health Services for Young People
Nearly one in five American adults, or 43.7 million people, experienced a diagnosable mental illness in 2012 according to SAMHSA. These results are consistent with 2011 findings.
Top Three Reasons Adults Did Not Get Mental Health Treatment in 2012
  • They worried about affording the cost.
  • They thought they could handle the problem without treatment.
  • They did not know where to receive services.
"The President and Vice President have made clear that mental illness should no longer be treated by our society—or covered by insurance companies—differently from other illnesses," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The Affordable Care Act and new parity protections are expanding mental and substance use disorder benefits for 62 million Americans. This historic expansion will help make treatment more affordable and accessible."
New NSDUH Findings
The new findings come from SAMHSA's 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). In the survey, mental illness among adults age 18 or older is defined as having had a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder (excluding developmental and substance use disorders) in the past year based on criteria specified in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association.
In this survey, serious mental illness is defined as mental illness that resulted in serious functional impairment, which substantially interfered with or limited one or more major life activities. A major depressive episode is defined as a period of at least 2 weeks when a person experienced a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities and had at least four of seven additional symptoms reflecting the criteria as described in DSM-IV.


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Beating Malaria: We Must Win This Fight

http://blogs.state.gov/stories/2013/12/11/beating-malaria-we-must-win-fight


Beating Malaria: We Must Win This Fight

POSTED BY JOHN KERRY
DECEMBER 11, 2013
Children Smile From Beneath Mosquito Netting

It’s important to mark milestones of great progress both because they remind us that disciplined and determined efforts can be successful in meeting great challenges – but also because they underscore something Nelson Mandela once told us: ““It always seems impossible until it is done.”
Today, the World Health Organization released a report that confirms what many of us have long believed: we’re knocking on the door of doing what many fifteen years ago deemed impossible. The bottom line: we can beat malaria, one of the most intransigent diseases on the planet.  By bringing together governments, business leaders, philanthropists, donor agencies and citizens in malaria endemic countries to end deaths from this preventable and treatable disease, we’re making tremendous, unparalleled progress.
Just unpack the statistics in this new report, and the reality is compelling. Globally, malaria mortality has fallen 51 percent among children under the age of 5; in sub-Saharan Africa, by 54 percent. We crossed an important threshold in 2012 -- for the first time, fewer than 500,000 children died of malaria.  Our efforts saved approximately 3.3 million lives between 2000 and 2012.
It’s not just that we are beating back malaria in and of itself; the ripple effect is dramatic. Just connect the dots. President Obama has insisted we all focus on his big, bold vision of ending preventable child and maternal deaths by 2035, and helping relieve extreme poverty.  If you beat malaria, you’ve taken dramatic steps in that direction.
The gains we’re witnessing also depict a powerful model of global cooperation among all kinds of stakeholders – and that’s a reflection of President Obama’s larger vision as well. When you pull people together, you benefit from the multiplier effect. The result is a shared success. Collective efforts of national governments, international donors, including the United States, the U.K., the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, The World Bank, foundations, the private sector, non-governmental and faith-based organizations, local leaders, civil society, philanthropists, companies, and many others are making a difference.  Our own efforts accelerated in 2005 when President George W. Bush announced the launch of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), an initiative Rear Admiral Timothy Ziemer has led with incredible results since its inception.
What are the results?  Since 2006, 12 of the original 15 PMI focus countries have had reductions in childhood mortality rates, ranging from 16 to 50 percent. Since 2008, President Obama has expanded PMI to include 19 focus countries in Africa and one regional program in the Greater Mekong Subregion.  And we have a lot to show for our collective efforts.  In 2012, PMI protected over 50 million people with a prevention measure (insecticide-treated nets and/or indoor residual spraying) and distributed more than 43 million treatments of life-saving drugs to targeted populations.
For the United States, the fight has been a truly whole of government effort, led by USAID and implemented together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and including the State Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense.
 But we can't rest on our laurels.  The last mile is the toughest and we have to remain committed.  Despite the tremendous progress against a disease that has plagued humanity since the beginning of recorded history, challenges remain. Over 3 billion people remain at risk of malaria today.  Malaria is still a drain on families, keeping children out of school and people out of work. Eliminating this disease will have economic payoffs – and promote stability and peace. In order to eliminate not only child deaths but also the disease itself, we must continue to deliver the existing, proven tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat malaria.  But we must also work to develop a vaccine, improve national health systems, deploy innovative disease surveillance and response technologies, and keep ahead of threats like insecticide and drug resistance.
Last week, we hosted a replenishment conference in Washington, D.C. to finance the Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB, and Malaria from 2014 to 2016. There, President Obama announced that the United States will provide one dollar for every two dollars contributed by the rest of the world, up to $5 billion by 2016.  This bipartisan commitment in Congress, spanning two administrations, will remain critical to not just to making history on malaria, but of effectively retiring malaria to the history books, right where it belongs.  And we're looking for our partners to do the same.
Today’s report is a timely reminder of the incredible progress that can be made when we harness public and private resources from around the world to tackle a global health challenge.  But it is also an invitation for us to do more.  We can and must win this fight. Onwards!
About the Author: John Kerry serves as the 68th Secretary of State.
- See more at: http://blogs.state.gov/stories/2013/12/11/beating-malaria-we-must-win-fight#sthash.AsvYHVyU.dpuf


Saturday, December 14, 2013

Webinar: January 14, 2014. Estate Planning for People with ID & DD and their Families.




DD Council BW MCDD logo  

The Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities and Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council present the following webinar:

Futures and Estate Planning for People with ID & DD and their Families

When
January 14, 2014
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Add to Calendar
  

Where
  
Webinar 
The webinar link and webinar call in information will be provided after registration has been completed. This information will be located on the registration confirmation page that will be emailed once you have registered.
Dear Charles,

The Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council present the webinar titled "Futures and Estate Planning for People with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities and their Families." This informative webinar will be presented by Victoria Sulerzyski, an attorney with the law firm Ober|Kaler, and a member of MCDD's Consumer Advisory Council.

Victoria was also a contributor to the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council's Futures and Estate Planning Guide "Planning Now", which can be downloaded at www.md-council.org.

Please click on the "Get more information" link below for a more detailed outline of the webinar topics.
  
Sincerely,
  
The Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities and Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council
Aisha Mason, MCDD
443-923-9555

 

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