Month: May 2023

Posted on

Groundbreaking ceremony marks new USDA-FSIS lab construction in Missouri

Source: United States General Services Administration

May 24, 2023

Contact:

Press@gsa.gov or FSISPress@usda.gov

NORMANDY, Missouri — USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. J. Emilio Esteban, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Paul Kiecker, and City of Normandy Mayor Mark Beckmann today celebrated the groundbreaking for the new home of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service Midwestern Laboratory in Normandy, Missouri.

The state-of-the-art facility will both incorporate and support science and technology to address present and future public health challenges. This facility will also support a deeper commitment to sustainability to help minimize environmental impact from construction to operation while ensuring efficiencies that save taxpayer dollars.

Consistent with GSA’s mission to acquire space on behalf of other government agencies, GSA signed a lease with US Federal Properties for a term of 20 years and a total contract value of $115,540,000. US Federal Properties has hired McCarthy Building Companies based in Des Peres, Missouri, to serve as the General Contractor.

“Our labs are crucial to the work we do in protecting the U.S. food supply and exports touching every corner of the world,” said Dr. J. Emilio Esteban, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety. “This new facility will allow the FSIS Midwestern Lab to incorporate advancements in science and technology to meet present and future challenges in food safety and public health.”

“At GSA, we want all federal spaces to empower employees to do their best work, bolster the missions of agencies like USDA, and support the local community,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “This partnership with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the community of Normandy is going to help ensure that federal employees have a safe, state-of-the-art, and sustainable facility where they can continue to provide great service to the American people.”

“This is the first FSIS laboratory construction in recent years where we have been able to participate in the top-to-bottom design process to specifically meet our needs,” said Paul Kiecker, Administrator of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. “This new facility will advance FSIS’ operational excellence, increase our overall efficiency because of our close proximity to a major airport, and enable us to recruit the next generation of talented employees from St. Louis colleges and universities.”

The building is currently under design. Construction site preparation work will start this summer with site and civil work completed in the fall and building construction in 2024 and 2025.

###

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people.

About USDA – FSIS: The Food Safety and Inspection Service is the public health regulatory agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for ensuring that domestic and imported meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled.

Posted on

Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges For Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced today in the District of Columbia on felony and misdemeanor charges for her actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Pauline Bauer, 55, of Kane, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 27 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release and a fine of $2,000 for obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony; entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, and disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress; parading, demonstrating, and picketing in a Capitol Building. Bauer was convicted on January 24, 2023, following a trial before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden.

            According to the government’s evidence, Bauer was among rioters in a mob that illegally entered the Capitol grounds and Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.  At approximately 2:57 p.m., one of the body-camera videos recorded another individual saying words to the effect of “This is where we find Nancy Pelosi.” Bauer was standing approximately 30 feet from the House Speaker’s office when she was recorded saying “Bring that fucking bitch out here now. Bring her out. Bring her out here. We’re coming in if you don’t bring her out here.”  When an MPD officer tried to push Bauer away from the area he was protecting, she engaged in a confrontation, screaming expletives at the officer, saying “You back up. Don’t even try.” and pushing the officer. A short time later, Bauer was physically removed from the Rotunda by MPD officers in riot gear.

            Bauer was arrested on May 19, 2021, in Pennsylvania.

            The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 28 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Posted on

Bodybuilding Coach Arrested for Child Exploitation

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A bodybuilding coach was arrested today in Charlottesville, Virginia, for multiple child exploitation offenses. 

According to court documents, between 2013 and April 2020, Elliott Simon Atwell, 33, of Charlottesville, allegedly enticed and coerced at least six minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce recordings of the conduct. Atwell also allegedly enticed a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and possessed images of minors – including prepubescent minors and minors under 12 years of age – who were engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

Atwell is charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of enticement of a minor, and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI Richmond Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith for the Western District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Any individuals who believe they or someone they know may have been victimized by Atwell are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Posted on

GSA Launches Podcast

Source: United States General Services Administration

May 30, 2023

WASHINGTON – Today, GSA launched the first episode of its first agency-wide podcast. GSA Does That!? provides a platform to share the latest news and insights, and discuss the impactful – and sometimes surprising – efforts that help GSA and government deliver for the American people.

The podcast will feature guests including GSA leaders and experts in federal real estate, acquisitions, and technology, as well as an array of GSA partners, customers, and others who work with the agency to help government work better.

“Through this podcast we’re amplifying the most interesting, timely and important discussions about how we and our federal customers are providing real value to taxpayers and delivering for the American public,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “Whether you’re a policy wonk or just someone who likes to know more about how government delivers, you’ll fit right in as part of this listener community.”

In the first episode, the podcast’s host (Rob Trubia) talks with Administrator Carnahan and the executive director of the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, Rebeca Lamadrid. The three highlight how the “PIF” program is bringing dozens of experienced tech leaders into government each year to help agencies harness technology and meet their ambitious goals.

“Our fellows are helping agencies leapfrog into the future, and most of them are sticking around after their fellowships to eventually serve in key roles like U.S. Chief Data Scientist and Chief Technology Officer at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs,” Lamadrid says. “With the application season open now for applicants for a new cohort, there couldn’t be a better time to have this conversation.”

Future episodes (about every two weeks) will feature topics like the importance of making it easier for small businesses to work with government, the transition of the federal fleet to zero-emissions vehicles, the importance of community engagement for agencies like GSA that have a big nationwide footprint, and more.

Episodes are available across podcasting platforms as well as GSA.gov/podcast, where bonus content will be posted.

###

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the Federal Government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of Federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

Posted on

Defense News: U.S. Sixth Fleet, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO to Kick Off BALTOPS 2023

Source: United States Navy

Nineteen NATO nations, one NATO partner nations, 50 ships, more than 45 aircraft, and 6,000 personnel will participate in BALTOPS 23.

Started in 1972, BALTOPS is an annual exercise that visibly demonstrates NATO’s commitment to preserving regional peace and security by exercising a team of international forces that can rapidly respond in a time of crisis.

Participating nations include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Though Finland has long participated in BALTOPS as a critical partner, BALTOPS 23 marks the first incorporation of Finland as a NATO Ally. BALTOPS remains an alliance proving ground, and is vital for honing the leading edge of combined interoperability in mine countermeasures, unmanned surface vehicle operations, and integrated maritime and air operations.

This year’s exercise features, for the first time, robust training in personnel recovery using unmanned surface vehicles. Another enhancement to BALTOPS23 is the collaboration of sixteen chaplains representing three different faith/life stance traditions from eight participating nations. Their focus is to promote the strength of spirit that enables Sailors and Marines to accomplish the mission with honor. These additions – along with others underwater and space domain, will build on last year’s BALTOPS 2022 scenario story lines, including the integration of the NATO Space Center for space domain scenarios.

While the exercise is led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet, it will be command-and-controlled by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal.

Details of BALTOPS activities and imagery are available at http://www.c6f.navy.mil. Media interested in covering the exercise should contact the U.S. Naval Forces Europe Public Affairs Office at mail to: cne_cna_c6fpao@us.navy.mil