NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- JetBlue Airways Corporation on Friday reported that traffic in August increased 7 percent from August 2009, on a capacity increase of 7.3 percent.
The company said that load factor for August 2010 was 86.4 percent, a decrease of 0.2 points from August 2009. The airline's preliminary completion factor was 99.5 percent and its on-time performance was 77.1 percent.
JetBlue's preliminary passenger revenue per available seat mile for the month of August increased 12 percent year over year, in line with company expectations.
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON (BNO NEWS) – A Washington man connected with notorious Mexican drug trafficking cartel "La Familia" on Friday was sentenced to 156 months to prison, prosecutors said.
Arturo J. Barajas Garcia, 32, of of Renton, Washington, was one of sixteen people arrested in Western Washington in October 2009, following a nationwide crackdown dubbed “Project Coronado.”
The investigation, begun in December 2008, linked the distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine to the La Familia cartel based in Michoacan, Mexico.
Barajas Garcia was the leader of the local conspiracy, negotiating for the delivery of controlled substances with sources of supply in locations throughout the United States and Mexico.
In the course of the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led task force searched 19 residences and 22 vehicles in Washington and California, and seized 27 pounds of methamphetamine, 10 kilos of cocaine, seven guns, and an estimated $150,000 in cash.
Wiretap recordings in the case reveal that Barajas Garcia directed others to transport methamphetamine from California to Washington, re-distribute it in Washington communities, and to deliver U.S. currency to pay for the narcotics.
“[Barajas Garcia] was the head of a very, very large scale conspiracy that was responsible for bringing a substantial amount of drugs into our community,” U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said at sentencing.
“[Barajas Garcia] recruited dozens of other individuals - primarily young Mexican men with few other options - into this scheme, exploiting their various individual weaknesses to increase his profit... The quantity of drugs and money involved in this scheme is staggering, and the societal harm impossible to quantify,” the Assistant United States Attorney stated.
Garcia was sentenced to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Barajas Garcia is forfeiting any interest he has in nearly $230,000 in cash, a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado, seven guns, and property in Monroe, Washington as proceeds of the drug conspiracy.
In addition to Barajas Garcia, a number of defendants in the drug ring have already been sentenced, including: Demetrio Saldana Robles, 27, and Juan Carlos Saldana Robles, 24, both of Monroe, Washington, to six years in prison; Trent Thomas Jesmer, 32, of Monroe, to 70 months prison; Emmanuel Valdovinos Cruzaley, 27, of Renton, to 48 months in prison; and Jorge Ochoa Avila, 40, of Monroe and Uriel Baldovinos Cruzaley, 30, of Renton, who were each sentenced to 37 months in prison.
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WASHINGTON D.C. (BNO NEWS) – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Friday released its Strategic Sustainability and Performance Plan (SSPP) as requested by an executive order signed in late 2009.
NASA released its plan to the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Management and Budget; as part of the government-wide effort to achieve goals without compromising the planet's resources.
The space agency's SSPP focuses on reducing greenhouse emissions, preventing pollution, increasing water use efficiency and constructing and maintaining high performance, sustainable buildings.
NASA's plan follows Obama's executive order to increase federal effectiveness in pursuing green goals and includes guidance for evaluating such effectiveness and providing updates and reviews.
The Executive Order also required federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, increase energy efficiency, reduce fleet petroleum consumption, conserve water, reduce waste, support sustainable communities, and leverage federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.
As the single largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy, the Federal Government spent more than $24.5 billion on electricity and fuel in 2008 alone.
NASA is committed to a policy of sustainability that will be part of the work practices and mindset of the entire agency," said Olga Dominguez, assistant administrator for the Office of Strategic Infrastructure at NASA.
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WASHINGTON D.C. (BNO NEWS) – President Barack Obama on Friday announced a delegation that will attend the celebrations of Mexico's Bicentennial of the Independence next week.
The U.S. delegation will be led by the Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. The group will travel to Mexico City on September 14 to witness the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Independence War against the Spanish rule.
Secretary Solis will be joined by Carlos Pascual, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico; Maria Otero, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs; and Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, Texas.
On September 15, 1810, the Independence War against the Spanish conquerors began in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato. The struggle between the Spanish conquerors and the insurgents consisting in Mexican natives and second-generation Spaniards who were born in Mexico lasted until September 28, 1821.
This year is also the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican Revolution, a long civil war that witnessed clashes between the government and the poorest sectors of society. The battle sought the freedom of speech, the equal division of farm lands and better work conditions for population immerse in poverty.
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WASHINGTON D.C. (BNO NEWS) – Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano on Friday announced additional funds for installing advanced imaging technology (AIT) to eight airports nationwide.
The undisclosed amount of funding was possible due to an award from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funds will be used to strengthen the security at U.S. airports while creating jobs.
"Deploying advanced imaging technology at these airports strengthens our ability to protect the traveling public in the face of evolving threats to aviation security," said Secretary Napolitano. "Through the Recovery Act, we are able to continue our accelerated deployment of enhanced technology as part of our layered approach to security at airports nationwide."
Thanks to the ARRA funding, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will begin to install AIT units to eight airports in Cleveland, Dayton, Newark, Memphis, New Orleans, Ontario, Portland and St. Louis.
"Advanced imaging technology is an integral tool in TSA’s layered counterterrorism approach that enables us to stay ahead of evolving threats to aviation security. We remain committed to deploying imaging technology to protect the traveling public," said TSA Administrator John Pistole.
So far, the TSA has installed 200 AIT units nationwide. AIT units are designed to screen passengers for metallic and non-metallic threats like weapons, explosives and other objects concealed under layers of clothing. The new machines include the latest security enhancements to detect new and evolving threats.
The passenger's privacy is ensured through the anonymity of AIT images as a privacy filter is applied to blur all images and after the screening process the images are deleted immediately and permanently.
Imaging technology is safe for all travelers. The amount of radiation from a backscatter scan is equivalent to two minutes of flight on an airplane and energy emitted by millimeter wave technology is thousands of times less than what is permitted for a cell phone.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt on Friday announced a landmark proposal to fight fatigue among commercial pilots by setting new flight time, duty and rest requirements based on fatigue science.
The proposal defines “flight duty” as the period of time when a pilot reports for duty with the intention of flying an aircraft, operating a simulator or operating a flight training device.
A pilot’s entire duty period can include both “flight duty” and other tasks that do not involve flight time, such as record keeping and ground training.
The FAA proposes to set a nine-hour minimum opportunity for rest prior to the duty period, a one-hour increase over the current rules. The proposed rule would establish a new method for measuring a pilot’s rest period, so that the pilot can have the chance to receive at least eight hours of sleep during that rest period.
Cumulative fatigue would be addressed by placing weekly and 28-day limits on the amount of time a pilot may be assigned any type of duty. Additionally, 28-day and annual limits would be placed on flight time.
Pilots would have to be given at least 30 consecutive hours free from duty on a weekly basis, which is a 25 percent increase over the current rules.
“This proposal is a significant enhancement for aviation safety,” said Secretary LaHood. “Both pilots and passengers will benefit from these proposed rules that will continue to ensure the safety of our nation’s air transportation system.”
Last year, Secretary LaHood and Administrator Babbitt identified the issue of pilot fatigue as a top priority during the Airline Safety Call to Action following the crash of Colgan Air 3407 in February 2009.
Administrator Babbitt launched an aggressive effort to take advantage of the latest research on fatigue to create a new pilot flight, duty and rest proposal.
“I know firsthand that fighting fatigue is a serious issue, and it is the joint responsibility of both the airline and the pilot,” said Administrator Babbitt. “After years of debate, the aviation community is moving forward to give pilots the tools they need to manage fatigue and fly safely.”
Currently, there are different rest requirements for domestic, international and unscheduled flights. The proposed rule would eliminate these distinctions.
In addition, the proposal sets different requirements for pilots based on the time of day and number of scheduled segments, as well as time zones, type of flights, and likelihood that a pilot is able to sleep under different circumstances.
The proposal is compatible with provisions in the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010, which directs the FAA to issue a regulation no later than August 1, 2011, to specify limitations on the hours of pilot flight and duty time to address problems relating to pilot fatigue.
Congress recently mandated that all air carriers have a Fatigue Risk Management Plan, and each carrier will be able to develop its own set of policies and procedures to reduce the risks of pilot fatigue and improve alertness. The FAA has prepared guidance material to help the airlines develop their plan.
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TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) – An Iranian official on Friday denied that the Islamic country is building a new nuclear facility in contrast to the evidence claims of a dissident group, local media reported.
According to Mehr News Agency, the director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran dismissed the claim made by the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) regarding the construction of a new nuclear enrichment facility near the city of Qazvin.
"In Iran there is no nuclear facility with its own specific definition which has not been declared to the agency (the International Atomic energy Agency),” Ali Akbar Salehi, the agency's director, said.
On Thursday, MKO said that they had evidence of the new secret underground facility. The information was acquired through the exiled opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI), a guerrilla movement opposed to the Iranian government.
MKO claimed that the new facility is currently 85 percent complete. The newly discovered site is allegedly intended to enrich uranium and is located beneath a mountain near Qazvin, about 120 kilometers from Tehran.
The United States responded by saying they have known the existence of the facility for years but their intelligence reports indicate that it is not a nuclear. The U.S. also added that the NCRI has made similar claims in the past which were proved to be false.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) and the Bureau of Administration announced on Friday that HOK (Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum) has been selected for the planning and design of the New Office Annex (NOX) in Moscow, Russia.
HOK will move forward with the planning and design phase of the estimated $192 million project which will be followed by a construction contract award. The project’s ground breaking is anticipated for 2012 and construction is estimated to be complete in 2015.
The NOX is being constructed in order to continue to engage the Russian government, business leaders, and society to pursue foreign policy goals of common interest and enhance mutual understanding between the two nations.
The 15,000 square meter NOX will be constructed on the embassy compound and will accommodate a new consular section and 300 desks for State Department and U.S. federal agency personnel.
The NOX will achieve at Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) silver rating as several housing units will also be constructed to replace housing that is on the site of the modern state-of-art facility.
The NOX project will be managed by OBO’s Office of Special Projects Coordination (SPC) with its mission to plan, design and construct large complex projects in challenging environments.
SPC successfully completed the construction of the New Embassy Compound in Beijing, China in 2008 and is building the New Consulate Compound in Guangzhou, China to be completed in 2012.
After reviewing the submissions of 27 architectural firms proposing to plan and design the NOX, OBO determined that HOK provided the best approach to planning and designing a multi-story NOX and sequencing the multiple-phased approach on an existing operating facility.
In the last nine years, OBO has completed 72 new diplomatic facilities and has moved more than 21,000 individuals into safe, secure and functional facilities. The Moscow NOX will be added to the 33 projects that OBO has in design and construction at the present time.
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MORELOS, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) – One dead, seven injured were the result of a fight that erupted inside a central Mexico prison which lasted almost two hours, officials said.
The fight started at around 8:00 a.m. local time between two rival groups that intended to gain internal control of the district prison of Cuautla, a city located in Morelos state.
At 9:45 a.m. state police forces entered the prison facilities in order to control the situation. Currently, approximately 400 policemen and military servicemembers remain at the scene as well as a helicopter patrolling the surrounding area.
The deceased was identified as José Luis Martínez García but the names of the wounded were not disclosed.
The seven inmates sustained stabbing wounds caused by knives used in the clashes.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA (BNO NEWS) – An Arizona pediatrician on Friday was indicted on five counts for distributing child pornography in interstate commerce, prosecutors said.
Dr. Emilio Luna, 40, a pediatrician originally from Sun City, Arizona but working in Phoenix, came to the attention of law enforcement when thousands of files of suspected child pornography were shared from his computer in a public peer-to-peer file sharing system.
Federal agents proceeded by arresting Luna last Wednesday. Following a detention hearing last week, he was released by order of the court, and is forbidden to have access to the Internet or children while under supervision of U.S. Pre-trial Services.
A conviction for Distributing Child Pornography carries a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both for each count of conviction.
“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to deny predators a safe haven in cyber space,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke.
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