Bipartisan Duckworth-Hirono-Royce-Lieu Bill to Honor Chinese-American WWII Veterans Passes House, Heads to President’s Desk

Bipartisan Duckworth-Hirono-Royce-Lieu Bill to Honor Chinese-American WWII Veterans Passes House, Heads to President’s Desk

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Following unanimous approval by the U.S. House of Representatives, bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to recognize the tremendous contributions made by more than 18,000 Chinese-American World War II Veterans now awaits the President’s signature. The Chinese American World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act will authorize Congress to award the highest civilian honor – a Congressional Gold Medal – to these dedicated Veterans, including the approximately 190 Chinese-American WWII Veterans who call Illinois home. Congressmen Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) introduced the legislation in the U.S. House. The bipartisan legislation unanimously passed the Senate in September of this year.

“Despite facing outright discrimination, more than 18,000 brave Chinese Americans volunteered to risk their lives to protect their fellow Americans during World War II,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud my colleagues from both sides of the aisle have chosen to recognize this brave group of Veterans’ unwavering commitment and honor them with a Congressional Gold Medal.” 

“More than 18,000 Chinese Americans served our country during World War II, while also facing discrimination here at home,” Hirono said. “Like other minority service members, their contributions were not appropriately recognized during or immediately after World War II. The passage of the Chinese American World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act goes a long way to right that wrong and express our gratitude for Chinese American veterans’ distinguished service.”

“The United States remains forever indebted to the bravery and sacrifice that the Chinese American veterans of World War II displayed. From the Flying Tigers, to their service in the Pacific and across Europe—these heroes answered the call of duty when our nation needed them the most and are worthy of recognition,”said Royce. “To these brave veterans of World War II, thank you for your sacrifice. We are a grateful nation, and we honor your service by working to build a better world.”

“I’m proud to have co-led the introduction of this bill to award Chinese American WWII veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal,” said Lieu. “We will finally have the chance to honor the service and sacrifice of Chinese Americans who fought for the U.S. in WWII. By proudly serving their country, even in the face of the shameful Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese American veterans exemplified patriotism and demonstrated a deep commitment to the United States. As a veteran, I’m grateful to have worked on this legislation, along with Rep. Royce, and Sens. Duckworth, Cochran and Hirono, to honor the lives and legacies of these WWII heroes.”

“The heartfelt considerations for this group by House Lead Co-sponsors Rep. Ed Royce (CA) and Rep. Ted Lieu (CA) and Senate Lead Co-sponsors Sen. Tammy Duckworth (IL), Thad Cochran (ret.) (MS), and Mazie Hirono (HI) mark a significant milestone for the nearly 20,000 Chinese American Veterans,” said Samantha Cheng, Project Director, the Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project. “These Veterans and their families, as well as surviving family members of our departed, deem this recognition a most high honor from a grateful nation.”

"Having Congress approve the Congressional Gold Medal for Chinese American Veterans of World War II is momentous and the timing truly historic,” said Davace Chin, National President of Chinese American Citizens Alliance. “This month, as the nation reflects on the 75th Anniversary of the Magnuson Act, which ended 61 years of discrimination towards Chinese Americans, it is poignant and bittersweet.  Tens of thousands of Chinese American men and women enlisted at a difficult juncture in American history, when the Chinese Exclusion Act was still in effect.  We are grateful and appreciative for Congress’s recognition of service and sacrifice made by Chinese American veterans."

“We commend Congress for honoring the dutiful service and role of the Chinese American Veterans of World War II with the Congressional Gold Medal,” said Ed Gor, past president of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance. 

Senators Duckworth and Hirono introduced the bipartisan legislation in May of last year with former Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS). Since the American Revolution, Congress has issued gold medals to express its gratitude on behalf of the entire nation for distinguished achievements. The medal has been awarded to Veterans who served admirably in military conflicts as well as to civilians whose contributions have had a lasting impact on American history and culture.

Congressional Tri-Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus Urge Republican Leadership to Oppose Border Wall Funding

Congressional Tri-Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus Urge Republican Leadership to Oppose Border Wall Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Chairs of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) sent a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan and U.S. House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) opposing additional Fiscal Year 2019 Department of Homeland Security funding for a border wall. The letter was led by CPC Co-Chair Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and signed by CAPAC Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CHC Chair-Elect Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), CBC Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (LA-02), and CPC Co-Chair Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02).

“This Congress has already spent close to $2 billion on border-barrier construction despite the fact that the southwest border is more secure than ever. According to a September 2017 DHS report, ‘available data indicate that the southwest land border is more difficult to illegally cross today than ever before.’ DHS must provide us with concrete data showing the need and efficacy for such a wall,” the Members wrote.

The Members continued: “Moreover, Congress must take meaningful steps to address the administration’s cruel immigration policies of the past two years: family separation; tear gassing toddlers; illegal denial of asylum-seekers; relentless attacks on immigrant communities of color; and termination of the DACA program and grants of Temporary Protected Status. Polls show consistent national majorities oppose a border wall. Our decision not to fund any more destructive and ineffective border walls would send a values-based and fiscally responsible message to the American people. Our communities deserve better than to be divided and our taxpayers deserve accountability and transparency.”

Read the full letter below:

The Honorable Paul Ryan                                          The Honorable Rodney P. Frelinghuysen

Speaker                                                                       Chairman

U.S. House of Representatives                                  U.S. House Committee on Appropriations

H-232, The Capitol                                                     H-305, The Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20515                                           Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Speaker Ryan and Chairman Frelinghuysen:

We urge you to oppose border wall funding in the Fiscal Year 2019 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget. This Congress has already spent close to $2 billion on border-barrier construction despite the fact that the southwest border is more secure than ever. According to a September 2017 DHS report, “available data indicate that the southwest land border is more difficult to illegally cross today than ever before.”[i]  DHS must provide us with concrete data showing the need and efficacy for such a wall. Moreover, Congress must take meaningful steps to address the administration’s cruel immigration policies of the past two years: family separation; tear gassing toddlers; illegal denial of asylum-seekers; relentless attacks on immigrant communities of color; and termination of the DACA program and grants of Temporary Protected Status.

While some may refer to this funding as simply for fencing, the fact is that such “fencing” is simply a “wall,” especially in its real-life effects. Indeed, President Trump recently installed a plaque on such fencing, touting it as his border wall.^[ii]

Construction has taken place this year along the southwest border, resulting in irreparable harm to border residents and their surroundings.  Such construction moves quickly, thanks to a complete waiver of federal and other applicable laws and protections, including numerous environmental, Native-American, and other protections.^[iii]  Private property is seized by the government, wildlife species are endangered, migrant deaths and flooding soar, and border stakeholders’ voices are ignored throughout.  We should not continue to fund this destruction and needless division.

A wall is a medieval approach to border security.  For example, the vast majority of contraband is smuggled through ports of entry or, particularly in the case of opioids, international mail.^[iv]  We must have rational discussions about investing in modernizing ports of entry to improve border security and facilitate trade and travel.

DHS has repeatedly ignored oversight, evading accountability and misusing taxpayer funds. The agency has even failed to provide Congress with a risk-based border security plan—a report mandated in the FY 2018 omnibus to evaluate the billions in funding for Customs and Border Protection (CBP).^[v] This report, overdue since September 19, 2018, is vital for Congress to obtain the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) evaluation of effectiveness, alternatives, and impacts of border security operations. We cannot be fiscally responsible and appraise the proposed 2019 DHS budget without this report. Indeed, serious past concerns about wall construction raised by GAO have not yet been addressed.^[vi]

We urge you to reject all border wall funding in FY 2019.  Money should not go toward any new or expanded border fencing, levee walls, or conversion of existing barriers.  The Senate FY 2019 DHS appropriations bill includes $1.6 billion for wall construction that would wall off nearly all of south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, despoiling its unique natural gifts and cultural heritage. The House FY 2019 DHS appropriations bill includes a staggering $5 billion for wall construction, which would inflict even more harm.

Polls show consistent national majorities oppose a border wall.[vii] Our decision not to fund any more destructive and ineffective border walls would send a values-based and fiscally responsible message to the American people. Our communities deserve better than to be divided and our taxpayers deserve accountability and transparency.

Sincerely,

OWNER AND FOUR FORMER EMPLOYEES OF NEW ENGLAND COMPOUNDING CENTER CONVICTED FOLLOWING TRIAL

OWNER AND FOUR FORMER EMPLOYEES OF

NEW ENGLAND COMPOUNDING CENTER CONVICTED FOLLOWING TRIAL

BOSTON – An owner and four former employees of New England Compounding Center (NECC) were convicted today by a federal jury for their roles at NECC, the company that caused the 2012 nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak. The outbreak was the largest public health crisis ever caused by a pharmaceutical drug. With today’s convictions, 11 former owners, executives, and employees of NECC have been convicted of federal criminal charges. 

“These defendants were professionals who acted recklessly to the extreme detriment of public health,” said United States Attorney Andrew Lelling. “Over the course of years, the defendants callously disregarded patient health by cutting corners and prioritizing profits over safety. And they got away with it by defrauding federal and state regulators. The result was contaminated, deficient, deadly drugs that never should have been made or distributed. Ultimately, the jury found the defendants’ fraudulent conduct wrong and deserving of punishment. I applaud the prosecutors and the investigative team on their dogged determination to bring us another step closer to justice for the victims and their families.”

“A key aspect of the FDA’s mission is to ensure that drugs are made under high quality conditions to prevent patient harm due to poorly compounded products,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “This episode was a tragic reminder of why compounding and compounded drugs can present serious risks to patients. We’ve taken significant new steps to ensure the quality of compounded drugs and improve patient safety, in order to prevent another calamity like the episode involving NECC. However, we continue to see significant risk associated with some compounded drugs, and firms that produce and ship drugs in bulk without any regard for product quality and patient safety. We’re increasing our oversight in this space to crack down on activity that puts patients at risk. At the same time, we’re continuing to advance new policies to help responsible firms that are seeking to stay in compliance with quality standards find efficient ways to meet those requirements.”

“These defendants callously ignored their professional responsibilities to protect patient safety,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Their failure to safeguard the public played a significant role in the distribution of medicines that were harmful. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat fraud and abuse in the health care system, so that we can do everything we possibly can to protect the American public from harm.”

Following an 8-week trial, the following defendants were found guilty by a federal jury:

Gene Svirskiy, 37, of Ashland, Mass., a former NECC clean room pharmacist, who supervised NECC’s production of high-risk heart medications, was convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, 10 counts of mail fraud, and two counts of introduction of adulterated drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead. Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled Svirskiy’s sentencing for March 11, 2018. Svirskiy faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison.

Christopher Leary, 34, of Shrewsbury, Mass., an NECC clean room pharmacist, was convicted of three counts of mail fraud, one count of introduction of adulterated drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, and two counts of introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Leary’s sentencing is scheduled for March 14, 2018. Leary faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison.

Sharon Carter, 54, of Hopkinton, Mass., NECC’s former director of operations, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States.  Carter’s sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2018. She faces a sentence of no greater than five years in prison.

Alla Stepanets, 38, of Framingham, Mass., one of NECC’s verification pharmacists, was convicted of six counts of introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2018. She faces a sentence of no greater than one year in prison.

Greg Conigliaro, 53, of Southborough, Mass., a former owner of NECC, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Judge Stearns scheduled Conigliaro’s sentencing for March 28, 2018. He faces a sentence of no greater than five years in prison.

Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Joseph Evanosky, 46, of Westford, Mass., a former clean room pharmacist, was acquitted.

In 2012, 753 patients in 20 states were diagnosed with a fungal infection after receiving injections of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) manufactured by NECC. Of those 753 patients, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 64 patients in nine states died. The government has since identified a total of 793 patients throughout the country harmed by NECC’s contaminated MPA. More than 100 patients have now died.

The criminal investigation revealed that in addition to the contaminated MPA, NECC’s other pharmacists, including Svirskiy and Leary, knowingly made and sold numerous drugs in a similar unsafe manner and in insanitary conditions. The unsafe manner included, among other things, the pharmacists’ failure to properly sterilize NECC’s drugs, failure to properly test NECC’s drugs for sterility, and failure to wait for test results before sending the drugs to customers. They also approved the use of expired drug ingredients, and the mislabeling of those drugs in order to deceive customers. The insanitary conditions included, among other things, NECC’s lack of proper cleaning and NECC’s failure to take any action when its own environmental monitoring repeatedly detected mold and bacteria within NECC’s clean rooms throughout 2012. 

NECC repeatedly took steps to shield its operations from regulatory oversight by the FDA by claiming to be a pharmacy dispensing drugs pursuant to valid, patient-specific prescriptions. In fact, NECC routinely dispensed drugs in bulk without valid prescriptions. Despite this practice, Conigliaro, an owner of NECC, repeatedly misrepresented to the FDA and the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy that NECC was only dispensing drugs pursuant to patient-specific prescriptions. Carter, NECC’s director of operations, directed employees to engage in a number of fraudulent prescription schemes to deceive regulators by creating the appearance that NECC had prescriptions for the drugs it was selling. To that end, defendant Stepanets, one of NECC’s verification pharmacists, was convicted of approving shipments of drugs for patients with names such as Wonder Woman, Fat Albert, Bud Weiser, Samuel Adams, Hindsight Man, Betty Ford, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Calvin Klein and Jennifer Lopez. 

“Today’s verdicts demonstrate the ongoing commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) to ensure the integrity of TRICARE, the U.S. Defense Department’s health care program,” stated Special Agent-in-Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work with its law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office to identify individuals and companies who disregard laws and regulations involving pharmaceuticals and, in so doing, endanger the health and safety of U.S. military members and their families.”

“It is appalling that NECC staff engaged in this blatant fraudulent activity with such reckless disregard for patient safety,” said Sean Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division. “This verdict should send a clear message to individuals and businesses that VA OIG and its law enforcement partners will vigorously investigate healthcare fraud that puts the public and veterans at risk.”

“Today’s verdicts demonstrate the commitment of the U.S Postal Inspection Service to bring justice to those who put our customers, the American public, at risk,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Inspector in Charge, Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division. “The cooperation and hard work of our fellow law enforcement agencies and the Department of Justice illustrates the common mission of protecting our citizens.”

In June 2017, Barry Cadden, the former owner and head pharmacist for NECC, was sentenced to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release after being convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud and introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. In January 2018, Glenn Chin, NECC’s former supervisory pharmacist, was sentenced to eight years in prison and two years of supervised release after being convicted of 77 counts.

Two remaining defendants, Kathy Chin, and Michelle Thomas, of Cumberland, R.I., both of whom were former verification pharmacists, are scheduled to stand trial on March 25, 2019.

U.S. Attorney Lelling, FDA Commissioner Gottlieb, M.D., FBI SAC Shaw, DCIS SAC Barzey, VA OIG SAC Smith, and Inspector Cronin made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys George P. Varghese and Amanda P.M. Strachan of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

CANADIAN ACCOUNTANT SENTENCED FOR STEALING NEARLY $600,000 FROM MASSACHUSETTS COMPANY

CANADIAN ACCOUNTANT SENTENCED FOR STEALING

NEARLY $600,000 FROM MASSACHUSETTS COMPANY

BOSTON – A Canadian national who worked as an accountant for a Massachusetts company was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing nearly $600,000 from her employer.

Thanh Tam Tao Huynh, a/k/a Tiffany Huynh, 30, most recently of Quincy, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $588,278. Huynh will be deported upon completion of her sentence. In June 2018, Huynh pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

Huynh was employed as the accountant/bookkeeper by her employer from approximately March 2016 through December 2017. Huynh used her position and access to the company’s bank accounts to wire about $425,000 from a company account held by the Royal Bank of Canada to accounts in the United States that Huynh and her associates controlled. She also used a company credit card to make unauthorized purchases for herself and her friends. To conceal her actions, Huynh provided her employer with false balance information for the Canadian account and withheld the personal charge information from the credit card statements she submitted for review. In total, Huynh defrauded her employer of approximately $588,278.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

波士頓市12月15日要向市民買槍

MAYOR WALSH AND POLICE COMMISSIONER WILLIAM GROSS TO HOST A ONE DAY GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM

(Boston Orange) 波士頓市市長馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)，波士頓警察局局長葛羅斯(William Gross)，今(13)日和醫生，醫藥專業人士聯袂宣佈，將於12月15日(週六)早上10點至下午4點，分別在六個地點，舉行為期一日的”買回槍枝日”。              這個定名為”一把和平(Piece for Peace)”的活動，旨在誌記六年前的12月14日，發生於山迪胡克(Sandy Hook)小學的槍擊案。               麻省總醫院兒童部和麻省總醫院醫師組織和波士頓警察局合作舉辦的這活動，要求市民把槍枝帶到指定的交槍點，換取100元的”標靶(Target)”連鎖店禮券。這一”不查問”活動將容許個別人士匿名拋棄槍枝而不必害怕會在交出槍枝時被控非法持槍罪。查詢交槍地點，可上波士頓警察局網站bpdnews.com。               “把槍買回來”這活動自從2014年推出以來，波士頓警察局已收回601支槍。2018年內迄今，波士頓警察局沒收了645把非法槍枝，希望市內居民能夠利用這活動，交出更多槍枝，讓波士頓市的街頭更安全。 BOSTON - Thursday, December 13, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, in collaboration with physicians and medical professionals, today announced a coordinated gun buyback day will take place in six locations across Boston on Saturday, December 15 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The day marks a remembrance of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which happened six years ago on December 14. The "Piece for Peace" program aims to bring attention to the devastating toll that unneeded and unsecured guns can have on individuals and the public at large, and provides the opportunity for people to turn in unwanted guns and ammunition, no questions asked. "Here in Boston, we know that even one life lost to gun violence is one too many," said Mayor Walsh. "The Boston Police Department is committed to getting guns off our streets: whether it's through the creation of the gun buyback program, recovering firearms, engaging with responsible gun owners, or tracing the path of illegal guns, we are working with the community everyday to make Boston a safer place for everyone." Boston Police Department's gun buyback program, "Piece for Peace," is a proactive campaign to take guns off Boston's streets organized in collaboration with Mass General Hospital for Children and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. The buyback program asks city residents to turn-in guns at designated drop-off locations citywide in return for a $100 Target gift card. The "no questions asked" program allows individuals to anonymously dispose of firearms without fear of charges for illegal possession when turning in the weapon. For locations and information on the Boston Police Department's gun buyback efforts this weekend, please visit bpdnews.com. "This One Day Buy Back is a unique event in that it strengthens the bridge between the city, public safety, and the health community around gun violence. Street violence and gun suicides are issues that touch all facets of the community and are a shared responsibility," said Commissioner Gross. "By participating in this regional buy back, we provide an opportunity for family members to get guns out of their houses, and off the streets, with no questions asked. We are all playing an important role in this fight against gun violence.  I've said it before, but one gun off the street is one gun out of the hands of a kid in our community and possibly one life saved." Medical professionals have joined this initiative in an effort to decrease youth violence and take guns off the streets by raising funds within their local healthcare organizations, and hosting buyback days throughout Massachusetts. "As I pediatric trauma surgeon, I often see the deadly effects of gun access and and the toll it takes on victims, their families and those who treat them," says Peter Masiakos, director of pediatric trauma services at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and co-founder of the MGH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition. "Working together, physicians and political leaders have a responsibility to address the public health crisis that is gun violence. This gun buyback that is made possible by the the forward thinking actions of the Boston Police Department and Mayor Walsh is an opportunity to safely rid homes and streets on unwanted weapons. If just one life is spared; whether it is by preventing a suicide or or an unintentional shooting that happens when a child finds an unsecured gun in a closet, this event will have been successful." Since the beginning of the program in 2014, the Boston Police Department has collected 601 guns that have been turned in through gun buybacks facilitated through the Piece for Peace program. So far in 2018, the BPD has confiscated over 645 illegal firearms and hopes that Boston city residents will take advantage of this one-day program to increase that total, and in turn, increase the safety of our city. The following procedure must be followed in order to receive amnesty for possession of a gun and to receive a gift certificate. If the protocol is followed, the person dropping off the firearm will not be prosecuted for unlawful possession of that specific firearm. Amnesty - however - will not be promised or given for any other crime committed with that firearm or for any other crime committed while in possession of that firearm. Procedure: Gun must be delivered unloaded. Gun must be put in a clear plastic bag, and put into another container (gym bag, backpack etc.). If depositing ammunition in addition to a gun, ammunition must be delivered in a separate bag. If transporting the gun by car, gun must be transported in the trunk of the vehicle. After the gun is screened by officers, and determined to be a working firearm, a gift card will be given. Rifles and shotguns will be accepted, however, no incentive will be issued or provided.

佛光山覺謙法師拜會波士頓經文處

駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典(左三)及僑教中心

主任歐宏偉(右二)代表僑務委員會吳委員長頒發感謝狀，感謝

三佛中心及覺謙法師(右三)熱心接待參加搭僑計畫的臺灣青年。

【覺謙法師拜訪波士頓臺北經文處 歡喜圓滿諸事吉祥】

佛光山波士頓三佛中心覺謙法師在佛光會許淑芬、李淑瑜與陳金蓮3位理事，以及王本仁居士的陪同下，於12月12日到訪駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處，與處長徐佑典對於弘揚各宗教勸人向善的作法、外展式服務工作，以及加強與僑社和主流社會聯繫等事項交換意見，僑教中心主任歐宏偉也在座與談。

覺謙法師(右三)致送徐佑典處長(中)「諸事吉祥」

一筆字畫，祝福經文處人員順利推展各項業務。

覺謙法師特別致送徐處長「諸事吉祥」一筆字畫，祝福經文處人員順利推展各項業務；徐佑典和歐宏偉也代表僑務委員會吳委員長致頒感謝狀，感謝三佛中心協助接待今年臺灣青年搭僑計畫學員，並致送來訪嘉賓僑委會2019「遊臺灣」月曆。

徐佑典非常歡迎覺謙法師及佛光會師姐、王本仁委員等人到訪，也希望未來在各方面有更多交流與合作的機會，並鼓勵佛光山信眾於明年1月1日上午10時前往波士頓僑教中心參加元旦升旗暨新年茶會活動。(圖與文:僑教中心提供)

【哈佛沙龙第78期】台湾2018地方选举与公投 12/14

【哈佛沙龙第78期】台湾2018地方选举与公投

哈佛沙龙 哈佛沙龙 Yesterday

 2018年12月14日（周五）3：00-5：00pm

1709 Cambridge St., Cambridge MA

主讲人：黄长玲，芝加哥大学政治学博士，台湾大学政治系教授

评议人：George Yin，哈佛大学政治学博士，达特茅斯学院讲师

主持人：李钧鹏，华中师范大学社会学院教授，哈佛大学肯尼迪政府管理学院博士后研究员

11月24日台湾地方选举的结果不但被认为是民进党的严重挫败，也被认为是台湾进步价值的挫败。十项公投的题目分别涉及台湾的能源政策、食品安全、同性婚姻、东奥正名，等等。此次地方选举及公投的结果对台湾的民主发展、政党政治乃至于两岸关系分别具备何种意涵，是本次讨论的焦点。

请访问 https://goo.gl/UvR77w 报名。欢迎转发。

【主讲人简介】   

黄长玲，芝加哥大学政治学博士，台湾大学政治系教授，目前在哈佛大学拉德克利夫高等研究院和哈佛燕京学社访学。

【评议人简介】   

George Yin是达特茅斯学院John Sloane Dickey 国际安全研究中心的博士后研究员和政府系讲师。哈佛大学博士, 伦敦政经学院政治经济学硕士。哈佛大学费正清中国研究中心前任研究员(2014-2016)。

【主持人简介】

李钧鹏，哥伦比亚大学社会学博士，华中师范大学社会学教授，哈佛大学肯尼迪学院博士后研究员。

FORMER CHAIRMAN OF BOSTON-BASED BIOMEDICAL COMPANY SENTENCED FOR MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS

FORMER CHAIRMAN OF BOSTON-BASED BIOMEDICAL COMPANY

SENTENCED FOR MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS

BOSTON – The former chairman of a Boston-based biomedical company, previously called Endeavor Power Corp., was sentenced today for making false statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with the SEC’s investigation into a scheme to defraud the market for Endeavor’s publicly traded stock. 

Edward Withrow III, 53, of Malibu, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to five months of home detention, five years of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000. In May 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements. In October 2015, Withrow and Marco Babini, 57, who is believed to reside in Vancouver, Canada, were charged in an indictment. Babini remains at large and is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud.

By March 2013, the SEC had suspended trading in the securities of Endeavor, but they continued to investigate through at least August 2013. Withrow provided sworn testimony to the SEC relating to questions about who owned approximately 40 million unrestricted shares of Endeavor’s stock (i.e., shares that can be freely bought and sold in the securities market), and whether Withrow ever tried to determine who owned those shares. Withrow admitted that he misled the SEC about his knowledge of these Endeavor shares—most of which had been stashed in Switzerland—and Babini’s association with those shares.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. SEC Attorney Eric A. Forni, who was appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, is prosecuting the case.

The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.