On February 27, in Antigua, Guatemala, OPDAT hosted an Operation Regional Shield meeting with prosecutors, investigators, and analysts from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.

On February 28, ICITAP completed an intensive two-week engagement to provide the Nepal Police Job Task working group assistance in finalizing the criminal investigator task list, equipment list, and risk analysis lists for criminal investigator position. 

**NEW DATE: April 20**  Agency FOIA professionals are invited to join OIP and OGIS for a joint Best Practices Workshop on FOIA and technology featuring the Chief FOIA Officer Council Technology Subcommittee.

On February 28, ICITAP concluded the Advanced First Aid Course at the National Highway & Motorway Police (NHMP) Training Facility in Kot Ranjit.

Join us in an early celebration of Sunshine Week 2020 this Thursday, March 12.  

**Now Virtual at New Time** The previously scheduled Best Practices Workshop on FOIA and technology featuring the Chief FOIA Officer Council Technology Committee will now be held online.

As citizens across the nation follow public health instructions to shelter in their homes to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus Disease, victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse are facing increased risk to their own personal safety.

The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States is having a dire effect on all Americans, but victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking are uniquely burdened by this crisis.

Many victims of domestic abuse are currently left no option than to shelter in place and to stay in their home with their abuser to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As a result, many communities are implementing creative solutions, often working remotely and incorporating the use of technology, to protect victims and prevent violence.

On April 27, ICITAP’s Central America mission conducted a webinar titled “Pathology and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) During the COVID-19 Pandemic” for hundreds of subject matter experts from throughout the Western Hemisphere. Chaired by ICITAP-Central America’s Attaché, the 80-minute webinar began with a pre-recorded media interview from the Dominican Republic, which highlighted the critical work currently carried out by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Washington, DC.

Over the past few months, our lives have changed dramatically due to COVID-19. We have seen the best of America emerge – our nation’s medical professionals, first responders, and supply chain workers have acted heroically, along with so many others.

The Department of Justice has released the agenda and list of participants for its March 11, 2020, public workshop to solicit public dialogue on the proposed vertical merger guidelines. The workshop will be the first in a two-part series hosted together with the Federal Trade Commission. The two half-day workshops will allow for a dynamic discussion about the proposed guidelines to complement the written public comments about the proposed guidelines that were submitted to the agencies.

The Department of Justice this week concluded an arbitration that will resolve a civil antitrust lawsuit challenging Novelis Inc.’s proposed acquisition of Aleris Corporation. The lawsuit seeks to preserve competition in the North American market for rolled aluminum sheet for automotive applications, commonly referred to as aluminum auto body sheet. This marks the first time the Antitrust Division has used its authority under the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996 (5 U.S.C. § 571 et seq.) to resolve a matter.

The Department of Justice prevailed in a first-of-a-kind arbitration, which will resolve a civil antitrust lawsuit challenging Novelis’s proposed merger with Aleris Corporation.  As a result, Novelis must divest Aleris’s entire aluminum auto body sheet operations in North America, which will fully preserve competition in this important industry.  In addition, under the terms of the arbitration agreement between defendants and the Department, Novelis must reimburse the Department for its fees and costs incurred in connection with the arbitration.

The Department of Justice Antitrust Division announced today that it has adopted a series of temporary changes to its civil merger investigation processes, which will remain in place during the pendency of the coronavirus (COVID-19) event. These changes will ensure that the Antitrust Division will be able to continue operations as its employees carry out their duties to protect American consumers under a mass telework directive, in accordance with health guidance from the CDC, WHO, and other health authorities.

The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and The Federal Trade Commission today issued a joint statement detailing an expedited antitrust procedure and providing guidance for collaborations of businesses working to protect the health and safety of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Justice announced today that it is requiring United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and Raytheon Company (Raytheon) to divest Raytheon’s military airborne radios business and UTC’s military global positioning systems (“GPS”) and large space-based optical systems businesses in order to proceed with their proposed merger.  Without these divestitures, the merger would eliminate competition between two of the primary suppliers of military airborne radios and military GPS systems to the Department of Defense (DoD), and enable the merged firm to lessen competition for multiple components used in reconnaissance satellites sold to DoD and the wider U.S. intelligence community.  

The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it will not challenge collaborative efforts of McKesson Corporation, Owens & Minor, Inc., Cardinal Health, Inc., Medline Industries, Inc., and Henry Schein, Inc. (together “Medical Supplies Distributors”) to expedite and increase manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution of personal-protective equipment (“PPE”) and coronavirus-treatment-related medication. These collaborative efforts are part of an emergency response developed and led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address supply needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"At trial, the Antitrust Division argued that Sabre’s acquisition of Farelogix would extinguish a crucial constraint on Sabre’s market power and would result in higher prices and less innovation. While we are disappointed with the court’s decision, we appreciate the court’s thoughtful consideration of this important case. We will closely review the court’s opinion and consider next steps in light of our commitment to preserving competition for the benefit of the American consumer."

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Competition jointly released a statement today affirming the importance of competition for American workers.  The agencies also announced that they will protect competition for workers on the frontlines of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response in the United States by enforcing the antitrust laws against those who seek to exploit the pandemic to engage in anticompetitive conduct in labor markets.

The Department of Justice announced today that it will not challenge a proposal by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) to operate an online platform for advertisers to solicit bids from companies that provide production services for commercial advertisements. The Department’s position was stated in a business review letter from Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim for the Antitrust Division to counsel for the AICP.

The Department of Justice announced today that it will not challenge collaborative efforts of AmerisourceBergen Corporation (AmerisourceBergen) to identify global supply opportunities, ensure product quality, and facilitate product distribution of medications and other healthcare supplies to treat COVID-19 patients.

The Department of Justice announced today the conclusion of its investigation into proposed acquisitions by Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) and Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. (Prairie Farms) of fluid milk processing plants from Dean Foods Company (Dean) out of bankruptcy.  The department’s investigation was conducted against the backdrop of unprecedented challenges in the dairy industry, with the two largest fluid milk processors in the U.S., Dean and Borden Dairy Company, in bankruptcy, and Dean faced with imminent liquidation.

Apotex Corp., a generic pharmaceutical company headquartered in Florida, was charged with fixing the price of the generic drug pravastatin, the Department of Justice announced today.  According to the one-count felony charge filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Apotex and other generic drug companies agreed to increase and maintain the price of pravastatin, a commonly prescribed cholesterol medication that lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke.  The conspiracy began in May 2013 and continued through December 2015.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aesrth/

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter It literally took my breath away when I stepped on the ledge and saw this mind blowing landscape expand in front of me. I felt like I was on a different planet, something you only see in your dreams. The magnificent mountain ranges of Yoho National Park in the Canadian Rockies cradle three turquoise blue lakes illuminated in intensely colorful light as the setting sun colors low lying clouds. Upcoming Photography Workshops and Adventures!: 1) Best of the Canadian Rockies September 14- 18, 2020 September 20-24, 2020 - 2 Spots remaining 2) Algonquin Autumn Splendour September 29 - October 2, 2020 - 2 Spots remaining 3) Patagonia - Wilderness Untamed! Early Bird Specials Until July 1, 2020! March 31 - April 10, 2021 April 19-30, 2021 - Patagonia on a Budget: One of the most affordable workshops in Patagonia! 4) Surreal Namibia May 24 - June 8, 2021 - 3 Spots remaining June 22 - July 7, 2021 - 2 Spots remaining

An icelandic classic and probably one of the most photographed and impressive scenes in Iceland. Nevertheless - the scene with its iconic waterfall and mountain - is very tempting. I think I waited for a couple of hours until the light was right and I could capture the scene as I wanted. Now that I have photographed this scene, I can focus on my next visit more on exploring this magic landscape, wich is probably full of other photographic opportunities.

Sobralinho Tagus river

_ Pentax K-5 Vivitar 80-200mm F4 MACRO FOCUSING ZOOM MC _ © 2020 stefanorugolo | All rights reserved. _ Thank you for your visit, most appreciated

** Photo d'archives ( 2017 ) ** Presque aussi grande qu'un moineau domestique, c'est la plus grande des mésanges d'Europe. On la reconnaît essentiellement à sa tête noire contrastant avec des joues blanches et à son ventre jaune orné d'une raie médiane noire. Chez les mâles, cette raie se prolonge jusqu'à la queue. Chez la femelle, cette raie est plus terne et plus fine et s'arrête sur l'abdomen. Sachant cela, vous constaterez qu'il y a plus de mâles sur les mangeoires. Le dessus est vert olive, tirant vers le bleu sur les ailes et la queue et une petite barre blanche sur les ailes. Les petits donnent l'impression d'être plus ramassés, avec des joues jaunes. Image prise depuis la tente affût et dans un milieu naturel . ******************************************************************* ** Archive photo (2017) ** Almost as big as a house sparrow, it is the largest of the chickadees in Europe. It is mainly recognized by its black head contrasting with white cheeks and its yellow belly decorated with a black median stripe. In males, this line extends to the tail. In the female, this line is duller and finer and stops on the abdomen. Knowing this, you will find that there are more males on the feeders. The upper side is olive green, turning blue on the wings and tail and a small white bar on the wings. The little ones give the impression of being more collected, with yellow cheeks. Image taken from the lookout tent and in a natural environment.

Entrance to a nice orchard. [Explored, May 3, 2020]: www.flickr.com/explore/2020/05/03

I've gone to this particular photographic well before, having posted a couple of other shots of my morning shoot with the Cormorant Fishermen on the Li River in Guilin China. Not super original, but still among my favorites both for the fascinating subject and exotic landscape and because it was a magical morning and one of my favorite all time photographic experiences. Here the first sunrise tones are just reflecting low on the river backlighting the fisherman. This was a bit of a crazy adventure, and definitely took me outside of my comfort zone. At the tail end of a working trip to China I had saved a day before my midnight flight back to the US. I was originally considering a side trip to see Wulingyuan National Park with its famous "Avatar"-like Karsts, but after some research realized that a) this would be more than a one day undertaking, and b) that there was an equal if not better Karst environment around Guilin and much more accessible. I'd arranged for a local guide to pick me up early in the morning and drive me to meet with the Cormorant fisherman before dawn, so after just a couple hours of sleep I was up again and heading out in to the back country up river with a little bit of apprehension. While I've never felt in any physical danger in China, there are still plenty of scams and people ready to take your money and/or things, and it isn't that hard to find yourself suddenly in uncomfortable circumstances (been there, done that!). However, I'd booked the guide through a reputable company and figured the risk was minimal. Indeed, we arrived at a small fishing village after a longish drive without any hiccups at all. The humid tropical smells hit me immediately and woke me up. Morning is my favorite time under normal circumstances, and on this day I was very excited; every sense really felt alive, and I was thoroughly engaged and in the moment. The surroundings were exotic, the skies just beginning to reveal the cloud structure in the early morning darkness and I could see a lot of cloud but not an unbroken gloom. I was introduced to the fisherman and he paddled us out to a little dock and then floated off on his bamboo raft and lit his small lantern. Later, once the dawn broke fully he took out his net and set his cormorants to work, demonstrating this ancient working relationship between these wonderful birds and their handlers. After a couple of hours on the river, we packed up and headed out to take some other landscape photos throughout the day, including a couple of tough climbs up to the peak of some of the Karsts to get a better view of this amazing area. Finally just after sunset it was time to leave, and after a bit of a delay and a small panic I made it back to Shanghai in time to catch my flight to the US. An extremely tiring but incredibly rewarding experience. That feeling of total immersion in a moment of time was truly priceless and is my favorite thing about this hobby. I would very much like to go back to Guilin and spend much more time appreciating this spectacular location. Hit up my album for China if you're interested in seeing other pics from Guilin.