Airstrikes Hit ISIL Near Irbil and Mosul Dam

From a U.S. Central Command News Release

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2014 – U.S. military forces today continued to attack ISIL terrorists in support of Iraqi security force operations, using fighter, attack, and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct three airstrikes in the vicinity of Irbil and the Mosul Dam.

The strikes destroyed an ISIL Humvee, a supply truck, three armored vehicles, and severely damaged an ISIL building. All aircraft exited the strike areas safely.

The strikes were conducted under authority to support Iraqi security force and Kurdish defense force operations, as well as to protect critical infrastructure, U.S. personnel and facilities, and support humanitarian efforts.

Since Aug. 8, U.S. Central Command has conducted a total of 101 airstrikes across Iraq.

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Clean Energy Report Highlights ScottMadden in Article on EPA Climate Rules

ScottMadden, Inc., one of North America's leading energy consulting firms, was recently featured by John Siciliano, a reporter on Inside EPA's Clean Energy Report, in his article, "New Report Eyes EPA Climate Rules as 'Back Door' To National RPS."

The following transcript has been edited for length. To access the full article, please click here.

"A new report by energy consulting firm ScottMadden says EPA's climate rules for existing power plants could serve as a 'back door' to establishing a national renewable energy standard and help some states, whose renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) are under attack, retain their standards as a means of complying with the agency's rules."

Mr. Siciliano continues, "The EPA's Clean Power Plan may function as back door federal RPS as the policy will encourage states to consider maintaining or expanding current RPS requirements" in response to the individual targets laid out by the climate rules, according to a summary of the firm's Summer 2014 Energy Industry Update."

"The report, released August 25, examines a variety of federal and state efforts driving the utility industry to develop cleaner and less-carbon-intensive resources. It describes EPA's existing source performance standards for greenhouse gases, as well as its separate air toxics rules, as the most powerful drivers of change for the sector," he added.

About ScottMadden's Energy Practice

Since 1983, we have been energy consultants. We have served more than 300 clients, including 20 of the top 20 energy utilities. We have performed more than 2,400 projects across every energy utility business unit and every function. We have helped our clients develop strategies, improve operations, reorganize companies, and implement initiatives. Our broad and deep energy utility expertise is not theoretical—it is experience based. 

About ScottMadden, Inc.

ScottMadden is the management consulting firm that does what it takes to get it done right. Our practice areas include Energy, Clean Tech & Sustainability, and Corporate & Shared Services. We deliver a broad array of consulting services ranging from strategic planning through implementation across many industries, business units, and functions. To learn more, visit www.scottmadden.com

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Liberia: Army Orders Border Crossers from Sierra Leone Shot Due to Fear of Ebola

(Aug 22, 2014) On August 15, 2014, Colonel Eric W. Dennis, Deputy Chief of Staff of Liberia's armed forces, directed soldiers on the border in two counties in the western part of the country to shoot at anyone trying to enter from Sierra Leone. This move comes as a result of the Ebola epidemic; the virus has infected people in Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as Guinea and Nigeria. (C.Y. Kwanue, AFL Ordered to Shoot Anyone Crossing Borders at Night as Dep COS Puts Army on High Alert, DAILY OBSERVER ONLINE (Aug. 18, 2014), Open Source Center online subscription database, Document No. AFR2014081851706746.)

Liberia's Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization has reported that people are sneaking across the Liberia/Sierra Leone border during the nighttime hours. A local commander from the border region noted that individuals were using makeshift canoes to cross the border at about 35 places where the border is porous; he expressed concern that officials do not know the health status of those entering the country in this manner. (Id.)

Dennis's order specifically was for soldiers to aim at the legs of those crossing illegally. He said, "I want to hear that someone gets a bullet in their leg. First, you need to send a warning shot, and then after you burst their legs, the affected person/s will realize that he has violated a standing order or a law of another country." (Id.) He stressed that the border rules were important to protect public health and exhorted soldiers on the border not to take bribes or allow people to cross into the country. (Id.)

Other Measures Taken

In an effort to stop the spread of the epidemic, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ordered many of the country's borders closed on July 27. (Ebola Forces Liberia to Shut Border Crossings, AL JAZEERA (July 28, 2014).)

In addition, on July 30, Liberia announced a national plan of action with a goal of "No New Cases." The plan included limits on official travel, the closing of public facilities for a day so that they could be disinfected, the suspension of school operations until further notice, and the closing of markets in border areas. Non-essential government workers were instructed to stay home. (Press Release, Government of Liberia Launches National Action Plan Against the Ebola Viral Disease; Initially Contributes US$5 Million Towards the Fight and Announces Additional Stringent Measures (July 30, 2014), Executive Mansion of Liberia website.)

Furthermore, the government announced it was considering quarantining some communities and that if such quarantine measures are announced, "only health care workers will be permitted to move in and out of those areas." (Id.) Subsequently, a part of Liberia's capital, Monrovia, was placed under quarantine and a night curfew was imposed. (Ebola Crisis: Liberian Troops Impose Slum Quarantine, BBC NEWS (Aug. 20, 2014).)

Declaration of State of Emergency

On August 6, Johnson Sirleaf declared the country to be in a state of emergency. She stated: 

The scope and scale of the epidemic, the virulence and deadliness of the virus now exceed the capacity and statutory responsibility of any one government agency or ministry. The Ebola virus disease … [is now] affecting the existence, security, and well-being of the Republic amounting to a clear and present danger. The Government and people of Liberia require extraordinary measures for the very survival of our state and for the protection of the lives of our people. (Statement on the Declaration of a State of Emergency by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, R.L. (Aug. 6, 2014), Executive Mansion of Liberia website.)

She then went on to state that, relying on powers outlined in article 86 of the Constitution, she was declaring a 90-day state of emergency, effective immediately. During that time, she added, "the Government will institute extraordinary measures, including, if need be, the suspensions of certain rights and privileges." (Id.; Constitution of the Republic of Liberia (1986), Ch. IX, art. 86, available at World Intellectual Property Organization website.) 

Regional Initiative

Liberia also recently signed, together with Guinea, the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and the World Health Organization, a joint declaration on the eradication of Ebola in West Africa. It is designed to promote cooperation in ending the epidemic. (Joint Declaration of Heads of State and Government of the Mano River Union for the Eradication of Ebola in West Africa (Aug. 1, 2014), Executive Mansion of Liberia website.) 

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Australia: Tax Office Releases Guidance Paper and Draft Rulings on Bitcoin

(Aug 25, 2014) On August 20, 2014, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) issued a guidance paper, a Goods and Services Tax (GST) Draft Ruling, and four draft taxation determinations on the taxation treatment of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. The documents were released in time for taxpayers to take them into account in completing their 2013-2014 income tax returns and are intended to "provide certainty for the Australian community on the ATO's treatment of crypto-currencies within the current legislative framework." (Press Release, ATO, ATO Delivers Guidance on Bitcoin (Aug. 20, 2014). The Australian financial year runs from July 1 to June 30; income tax returns are due by October 31.

According to the guidance paper and rulings, Bitcoin transactions will be treated "like barter transactions with similar taxation consequences." (Id.) The guidance paper states that "[t]he ATO's view is that Bitcoin is neither money nor a foreign currency, and the supply of bitcoin is not a financial supply for goods and services tax (GST) purposes. Bitcoin is, however, an asset for capital gains tax (CGT) purposes." (Tax Treatment of Crypto-Currencies in Australia – Specifically Bitcoin, ATO (last modified Aug. 20, 2014).)

In general, where Bitcoin is used to purchase goods or services for personal use, there will be no income tax or GST implications, and any capital gain or loss from the disposal of Bitcoin will be disregarded, provided the cost of the Bitcoin is AU$10,000 (about US$9,318) or less. (Id.) Where taxpayers transact with a Bitcoin exchange, the tax consequences will depend on whether they "are acquiring or supplying the bitcoin as part of a business transaction or for investment or otherwise." (Id.)

Tax Treatment of Bitcoin in Business Transactions

When a business receives Bitcoin as payment for a good or service, it must record the fair market value of the Bitcoin in Australian dollars as part of its ordinary income. The fair market value can be obtained from, for example, a "reputable bitcoin exchange." (Id.) The business may be charged GST on the Bitcoin that it receives as payment. (Id.)

GST is also payable when a business supplies Bitcoin in the course of its operations, with the amount of GST calculated on the basis of the fair market value of the Bitcoin at the time of the transaction. Businesses that engage in Bitcoin mining must include any income derived from the transfer of the mined Bitcoin to a third party in their assessable income. The guidance paper also notes that there may be capital gains consequences from disposing of Bitcoin in the course of carrying on a business. (Id.)

Where a business uses Bitcoin to purchase business-related items, including trading stock, it will be able to claim a deduction based on the arms-length value of the item acquired. Where an employee receives Bitcoins from an employer as remuneration instead of Australian dollars, the payment is considered a fringe benefit for taxation purposes. (Id.)

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United Arab Emirates: Anti-Terrorism Law Approved

(Aug 27, 2014) On August 21, 2014, the Prince of the United Arab Emirates approved Law 7-2014 on combating terrorism and terrorist activities. The new law is aimed at preventing citizens of the United Arab Emirates from joining or establishing terrorist organizations inside the country or abroad. (Anti-Terror Law Approved by the United Arab Emirates [in Arabic], AL BAYAN (Aug. 21, 2014).)

The Law includes 70 articles. It defines the act of terrorism as including any action or inaction constituting a crime under the provisions of the Law. Acts of terrorism under the Law include activities that pose a threat to the security of the state and the royal family; enticement to join terrorist organizations; and financing terrorist elements or organizations inside the country and abroad. (Id.)

The Law imposes tough penalties on violators, including the death penalty and life imprisonment. The death penalty may be imposed on individuals convicted of using terror to topple the royal family, to prevent the execution of the national Constitution, or to disturb the peace and national security. (Id.) Furthermore, the Law increases the penalty for hijacking an airplane to life imprisonment. However, if the act of hijacking causes the death or injury of any individuals, the penalty will be death. (Id.) The death penalty may also be imposed on individuals who establish or manage a terrorist organization inside the country or abroad. (Id.)

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NASA Completes Key Review of World’s Most Powerful Rocket in Support of Journey to Mars

Artist concept of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) 70-metric-ton configuration launching to space. SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built for deep space missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars.

Image Credit: 

NASA/MSFC

NASA officials Wednesday announced they have completed a rigorous review of the Space Launch System (SLS) -- the heavy-lift, exploration class rocket under development to take humans beyond Earth orbit and to Mars -- and approved the program's progression from formulation to development, something no other exploration class vehicle has achieved since the agency built the space shuttle.

"We are on a journey of scientific and human exploration that leads to Mars," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "And we're firmly committed to building the launch vehicle and other supporting systems that will take us on that journey."

For its first flight test, SLS will be configured for a 70-metric-ton (77-ton) lift capacity and carry an uncrewed Orion spacecraft beyond low-Earth orbit. In its most powerful configuration, SLS will provide an unprecedented lift capability of 130 metric tons (143 tons), which will enable missions even farther into our solar system, including such destinations as an asteroid and Mars.

This artist concept shows NASA's Space Launch System, or SLS, rolling to a launchpad at Kennedy Space Center at night. SLS will be the most powerful rocket in history, and the flexible, evolvable design of this advanced, heavy-lift launch vehicle will meet a variety of crew and cargo mission needs.

Image Credit: 

NASA/MSFC

This decision comes after a thorough review known as Key Decision Point C (KDP-C), which provides a development cost baseline for the 70-metric ton version of the SLS of $7.021 billion from February 2014 through the first launch and a launch readiness schedule based on an initial SLS flight no later than November 2018.

Conservative cost and schedule commitments outlined in the KDP-C align the SLS program with program management best practices that account for potential technical risks and budgetary uncertainty beyond the program's control.

"Our nation is embarked on an ambitious space exploration program, and we owe it to the American taxpayers to get it right," said Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot, who oversaw the review process. "After rigorous review, we're committing today to a funding level and readiness date that will keep us on track to sending humans to Mars in the 2030s – and we're going to stand behind that commitment."

"The Space Launch System Program has done exemplary work during the past three years to get us to this point," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We will keep the teams working toward a more ambitious readiness date, but will be ready no later than November 2018."

The SLS, Orion, and Ground Systems Development and Operations programs each conduct a design review prior to each program's respective KDP-C, and each program will establish cost and schedule commitments that account for its individual technical requirements.

"We are keeping each part of the program -- the rocket, ground systems, and Orion -- moving at its best possible speed toward the first integrated test launch," said Bill Hill, director Exploration Systems Development at NASA. "We are on a solid path toward an integrated mission and making progress in all three programs every day."

"Engineers have made significant technical progress on the rocket and have produced hardware for all elements of the SLS program," said SLS program manager Todd May. "The team members deserve an enormous amount of credit for their dedication to building this national asset."

The program delivered in April the first piece of flight hardware for Orion's maiden flight, Exploration Flight Test-1 targeted for December. This stage adapter is of the same design that will be used on SLS's first flight, Exploration Mission-1.

Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans has all major tools installed and is producing hardware, including the first pieces of flight hardware for SLS. Sixteen RS-25 engines, enough for four flights, currently are in inventory at Stennis Space Center, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where an engine is already installed and ready for testing this fall. NASA contractor ATK has conducted successful test firings of the five-segment solid rocket boosters and is preparing for the first qualification motor test.

SLS will be the world's most capable rocket. In addition to opening new frontiers for explorers traveling aboard the Orion capsule, the SLS may also offer benefits for science missions that require its use and can't be flown on commercial rockets.

The next phase of development for SLS is the Critical Design Review, a programmatic gate that reaffirms the agency's confidence in the program planning and technical risk posture.

For more information about SLS, visit:

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DoD Announces Upcoming NATO, Maritime Exercises

By Amaani Lyle DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2014 – Pentagon officials announced the start of two training exercises this month. Exercise Combined Endeavor 2014 starts tomorrow and concludes Sept. 12. Exercise Northern Coasts 2014 starts Aug. 29 and ends Sept. 12. Embarking on its 28th year, Combined Endeavor is a command, control, communications, and computer systems exercise involving 1,200 personnel from approximately 30 NATO and Partnership for Peace nations. It will operate at a main base with virtual forward bases for multi-national collaboration. In the Baltic Sea, the annual maritime exercise Northern Coasts 2014 includes underwater mine, countermeasure and counter-improvised explosive device training. Forces from at least five countries will participate. (Follow Amaani Lyle on Twitter: @lyleDoDNews)

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City of West Hollywood Partners in HRC Foundation’s Inclusive Blood Drive Event to “Include Inform Inspire” On Sept. 20 at West Hollywood Park

 

Festival and Speakers Forum Will Draw Attention to a

Longstanding Federal Policy Banning Blood Donations

From Men Who Have Sex with Men

 

Blood Drive Will Allow Eligible Donors to

Donate Blood on Behalf of Someone Who Can't

 

 

WEST HOLLYWOOD, August 27, 2014 – The City of West Hollywood will join the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC Foundation) and other community organizations to present a special blood drive event: "Include Inform Inspire — An Inclusive Blood Drive, Festival and Speakers Forum." The event will collect blood from eligible donors, honor those who can't donate for themselves, encourage the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reexamine its permanent deferral on blood donation from men who have sex with men (MSM), and provide expert speakers on the status of the ban.

The event will take place on Saturday, September 20, 2014, at 10 a.m., at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

The event will differ from typical blood drives in several important ways:

1) Include: Standard blood drives offer incentives solely to blood donors, but don't allow everyone to participate.  This drive will also offer incentives to those who recruit blood donors, allowing everyone to participate. Participants who are unable to donate for themselves will also be honored.

2) Inform: The Inclusive Blood Drive will educate people about the FDA's permanent deferral preventing gay men from donating blood, about HIV/AIDS issues, about decreasing the stigmatization of those affected, and about related transgender issues. The policy to be highlighted at the event was implemented by the FDA in 1983.

3) Inspire: The Inclusive Blood Drive will advocate for a deferral policy based on behavior instead of orientation via an online petition, and will endorse proper guidelines for donations from transgender people, so that they are not turned away based solely on gender identity.

The event will also feature a Speakers Forum and Festival, which will include a panel of expert speakers, educational materials, event supporters, food trucks, and entertainment.

Scheduled speakers include: John J. Duran, West Hollywood City Councilmember; Richard Bloom, California State Assembly Member; Ayako Miyashita, Williams Institute Brian Belt HIV Law & Policy Fellow; and Scott Schoettes, Lambda Legal HIV Policy Director, among others.

The event will also bring together a number of community partners, including The Los Angeles LGBT Center, The Trevor Project, The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, Vox Femina, Banned4Life, Love Don't Hate, and The Pop Luck Club.  The American Red Cross will serve as the blood collection agency.

Learn More: www.hrc.org/blooddrive

Donate Blood: www.redcrossblood.org using sponsor code HRCLA

Sign the Petition: www.hrc.org/msmbloodban

Volunteer: doodle.com/banq6pz538kvz433

Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/642582639162257

Twitter Hashtag: #HRCBloodDrive

For additional information, please contact Event Producer Rich Meyers atrich@hrcla.net.

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F-15C Eagle Jet Crashes in Virginia

By Amaani Lyle

DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2014 - An F-15C Eagle aircraft crashed near Deerfield, Virginia, at approximately 9:05 a.m. today during a routine mission, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters.

An F-15C Eagle jet aircraft armed with Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles deploys during Operation Desert Storm. A similar, unarmed, aircraft crashed in Virginia, Aug. 27, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

"Air Force and civilian first responders are responding to the scene," Army Col. Steve Warren said. The status of the pilot, he added, is thus far unknown.
National Guard Bureau officials released a statement saying the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, lost radio contact with the aircraft during a cross-country mission over Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.
According to the release, the F-15C pilot made a report of an in-flight emergency prior to losing radio contact. Subsequently there were reports of dark smoke being seen around the aircraft's last known whereabouts. Local law enforcement arrived on the scene and confirmed the aircraft crashed.
"Information on this incident is developing rapidly and we are not going to speculate on what occurred or the status of the pilot." said Air Force Col. James Keefe, 104th Fighter Wing commander. "We are hopeful that the pilot is okay, and the pilot will be in our thoughts and prayers as the events of this incident unfold."
The released also stated that the F-15C aircraft was enroute to receive a system upgrade and there were no munitions on the aircraft.


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Our Moral Obligation: President Obama Speaks to the Nation's Largest Veteran Service Organization

August 26, 2014 at 06:44 PM EDT

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the American Legion's 96th National Convention at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 26, 2014.

President Obama traveled to Charlotte, NC today to address the American Legion, the nation's largest veteran service organization, and pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of our veterans from every corner of the country and every generation:

In the story of your service we see the spirit of America.  When your country needed you most, you stepped forward.  You raised your right hand, you swore a solemn oath.  You put on that uniform and earned the title you carry to this day -- whether Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, Coast Guardsman.

Among you are proud veterans of World War II; of Korea; of Vietnam; of Desert Storm and the Balkans; and our newest veterans -- from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Across the generations, you served with honor.  You made us proud.  And you carry the memory of friends who never came home -- our fallen, our prisoners of war, those missing in action -- heroes that our nation can never forget.

To honor that sacrifice, America must always use our military strength wisely -- a fact that our veterans uniquely understand. As the President said:

You're the ones who bear the wages of war.  You're the ones who carry the scars.  You know that we should never send America's sons and daughters into harm's way unless it is absolutely necessary and we have a plan, and we are resourcing it and prepared to see it through. You know the United States has to lead with strength and confidence and wisdom.

And that's why, after incredible sacrifice by so many of our men and women in uniform, we removed more than 140,000 troops from Iraq and welcomed those troops home.  It was the right thing to do.  It's why we refocused our efforts in Afghanistan and went after al Qaeda's leadership in the tribal regions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, driving the Taliban out of its strongholds, and training Afghan forces, which are now in the lead for their own security.  In just four months, we will complete our combat mission in Afghanistan and America's longest war will come to a responsible end.

As we prepare for that end, the President noted how his Administration has been working with the Legion to fulfill our "moral obligation" to today's generation of service members when they come home:

The bond between our forces and our citizens has to be a sacred trust, and that for me, for my administration, upholding our trust with our veterans is not just a matter of policy, it is a moral obligation. 

And working together, we have made real progress.  Think about it.  Working with the Legion and other veterans service organizations, we've been able to accomplish historic increases to veterans funding.  We've protected veterans health care from Washington politics with advanced appropriations.  We've been able to make VA benefits available to more than 2 million veterans who didn't have them before, including more Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange. We've dedicated major new resources for mental health care.  We've helped more than 1 million veterans and their families pursue their education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

---

"The bond between our forces and our citizens has to be a sacred trust, and that for me, for my administration, upholding our trust with our veterans is not just a matter of policy, it is a moral obligation."

---

Watch his full remarks here: 

Watch on YouTube

The President remains "clear-eyed" about the "outrageous and inexcusable" misconduct at the VA -- "long wait times, veterans denied care, folks cooking the books."  Working directly with Bob McDonnell, a veteran and the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the President pledged to right these wrongs:

We are going to get to the bottom of these problems.  We're going to fix what is wrong.  We're going to do right by you, and we are going to do right by your families.  And that is a solemn pledge and commitment that I'm making to you here.

Already we're making sure that those responsible for manipulating or falsifying records are held accountable.  We're reaching out to veterans -- more than a quarter million so far -- to get them off wait lists and into clinics.  We're moving ahead with reforms at the Veterans Health Administration.  And to help get that done, you supported, and Congress passed, and I signed into law the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, which means more resources to help the VA hire more doctors and nurses and staff.  It means if you live more than 40 miles from a VA facility, or your VA doctors can't see you fast enough, we'll help you go to a doctor outside the VA.          

And we're instituting a new culture of accountability.  Bob doesn't play.  Bob likes to recall a cadet prayer from West Point, which should be the ethos of all of us:  "Choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong."  And with the new legislation that I signed into law, Bob and the VA now have the authority to more quickly remove senior executives who don't meet our high standards.  If you engage in unethical practices, or cover up a serious problem, you should be and will be fired.

President Obama outlined the five major priorities he is focusing on to fulfill our sacred obligation to veterans and military families: 

1. Ensure veterans have the resources and support they deserve: The president has asked Congress to once again increase funding for veterans in next year's budget while beating back any effort to turn veterans' health care into a voucher system: "We don't need vouchers; you need the VA health care that you have earned and that you depend on. We need to make the system work."
2. Make sure veterans get the health care they need when they need it: On top of reforming the VHA and increasing the number of doctors and staff, the President is working to invest in tailored care specific to our veterans needs, including care that treats our women veterans with respect and dignity, help for vets who are struggling with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress, and working to end the tragedy of suicide among our troops and veterans. So today, he announced 19 new executive actions to help improve mental health care for service members and veterans, including actions that expand suicide prevention training, improve access to care with more mental health peer support in primary care settings, and make it easier for service members who are already being treated to transition to VA care.  The Department of Defense and the VA issued a fact sheet outlining the mental health initiatives for service members and veterans referenced by the President. "You're not alone.  We're here for you," the President said. And every American needs to know -- if you see someone in uniform or a veteran who's struggling -- reach out and help them get help. They were there for America, we now need to be there for them."
3. Continue to reduce the disability claims backlog: Since its peak last year, we have slashed the backlog by more than 50 percent, but there's more to do. The Administration continues to move toward paperless systems and the electronic health records that our troops and veterans can keep for life, which will help cut through the red tape and ensure that veterans get the benefits they've earned faster. 
4. Reduce veterans homelessness:Today, the President announced that, by working with veteran service organizations like the Legion, we'vereduced the number of homeless veterans by a 33%. "That means, on any given night, there are 25,000 fewer veterans on the streets or in shelters," he said. "But we're not going to stop until every veteran who defended America has a home in America. That's a basic commitment that we have to uphold."
5. Ensure that military members and veterans have every opportunity to pursue the American Dream:

• Home ownership: President Obama announced a new partnership with some of America's biggest banks and financial institutions to help service members get reduced mortgage rates they are entitled to by simplifying the process, proactively notifying service members who qualify, and making it easier to enroll. Learn more about this partnership here.
• Education: The Obama Administration worked with loan servicers to automatically cap interest rates on student loans to service members at 6%. Moreover, about 6,000 colleges and universities have pledged to adhere to our principles of excellence and more than 1,000 colleges and universities have adopted our 8 Keys to helping veterans pursue their education and employment goals.
• Employment: Thanks to the efforts of the President, Congress, the Veterans Benefit Administration, and the First lady and Dr. Biden's call to business and community leaders through their Joining Forces initiative, veteran unemployment is now lower than the national average. American businesses have hired or trained more than half a million veterans and spouses, with even more veterans learning about the 1.5 million jobs open right now through our new online Veterans Employment Center.  As the President said, "We're going to keep saying to every business in America -- if you want somebody who knows how to get the job done, no matter the mission -- hire a veteran.  Hire a veteran."

It will take more than one president, one veterans organization, one business, or one community to meet our sacred obligation to our nation's service members, military families, and veterans. It is the responsibility of every American:   

Every American needs to join us in taking care of those who've taken care of us.  Because only 1 percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but 100 percent of Americans benefit from that 1 percent.  A hundred percent need to be supporting our troops.  A hundred percent need to be supporting our veterans.  A hundred percent need to be supporting our military families.  

And everybody can do something.  Every American.  Every business.  Every profession.  Every school.  Every community.  Every state.  All of us, as one American team.  That's how we will truly honor our veterans.  That's how we will truly say thank you.  That's how we will uphold the sacred trust with all who've served in our name.

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