In Transit: You’re Never Too Young to Build a Castle

By JILL WERMAN HARRIS

Sand-castle lessons and competitions have popped up at beaches and resorts across the country.

Source: New York Times

    

In Transit: You’re Never Too Young to Build a Castle

Collected Department Releases: U.S. Department of State Announces Partnership with the San Diego Unified Port District

U.S. Department of State Announces Partnership with the San Diego Unified Port District

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

May 6, 2015

---

Ambassador William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of San Diego to launch a partnership that will enhance the Department’s maritime security assistance to Asia and Latin America.

Under this partnership, the vast expertise and experience of the Port’s Harbor Police Department will be put to work helping partner nations improve border security in the face of increased criminal threats. The Harbor Police Department is the law enforcement agency that patrols San Diego Bay, surrounding waterfront areas, and San Diego International Airport. Its 120 sworn officers are highly trained, with a range of expertise in a variety of subjects including maritime firefighting, counter smuggling, human trafficking, K-9 detection of explosives/narcotics, aviation security, vessel operations, maritime tactical training and dive operations. By providing training and mentorship, the Harbor Police will assist in efforts to combat transnational crime and build partner nations’ capacity to establish effective port and maritime security. The Harbor Police will be a unique partner for INL in addressing those challenges in addition to providing partner nations a regional perspective on port and maritime security.

This new relationship with the Port of San Diego is INL’s second port partnership and builds on the Bureau’s existing work with PortMiami to provide security assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean.

To receive updates on INL’s partnerships follow the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs on Twitter @StateINL and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/StateINL.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Source: Dept. Of State – Releases

    

Collected Department Releases: U.S. Department of State Announces Partnership with the San Diego Unified Port District

In Transit: A Place for Breast-Feeding Mothers at New York Area Airports

Pumping and nursing pods will be available at Kennedy Airport, La Guardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Source: New York Times

    

In Transit: A Place for Breast-Feeding Mothers at New York Area Airports

Collected Department Releases: The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Announces Final Selections for Worldwide Architecture and Engineering Support Services

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Announces Final Selections for Worldwide Architecture and Engineering Support Services

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

May 6, 2015

---

The Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) announces the final selection of design and engineering teams for the worldwide Architecture/Engineering (A/E) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Support Services contract.

The final firms selectedare:

• 
  AECOM
  
  


• 
  Caples Jefferson Architects
  
  


• 
  Davis Brody Bond
  
  


• 
  EYP, Inc.
  
  


• 
  Jacobs Government Services
  
  


• 
  Moore Ruble Yudell Architects/Planners
  
  

They will support the Department’s planning, construction, and facility rehabilitation efforts at U.S. missions worldwide.

Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, OBO has completed 121 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 39 projects in design or under construction.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. Government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities should represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.

For further information, please contact Christine Foushee at FousheeCT@state.gov or (703) 875-4131, or visit www.state.gov/obo.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Source: Dept. Of State – Releases

    

Collected Department Releases: The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Announces Final Selections for Worldwide Architecture and Engineering Support Services

Business Travel: Business Travelers Want to Be Left to Their Own Devices

By JAD MOUAWAD

Smartphones have already transformed vacation planning, but business travelers looking to use Uber, Airbnb and other tech tools find they must take on sometimes unyielding corporate travel policies.

Source: New York Times

    

Business Travel: Business Travelers Want to Be Left to Their Own Devices

Q&A: Ian Schrager Unveils the New York Edition

By JULIE EARLE-LEVINE The hotelier’s newest property opens in the landmark Metropolitan Life Tower on Madison Avenue on May 11.

Source: New York Times

    

Q&A: Ian Schrager Unveils the New York Edition

Daily Press Briefings : Daily Press Briefing - May 6, 2015

Jeff Rathke

Acting Deputy Spokesperson
Daily Press Briefing

Washington, DC

May 6, 2015

Index for Today’s Briefing

• SECRETARY TRAVEL
  


• NEPAL
  


• CANADA/DEPARTMENT
  


• GERMANY
  


• YEMEN/REGION
  


• RUSSIA/NORTH KOREA/CHINA
  


• SYRIA/REGION
  


• DEPARTMENT
  

TRANSCRIPT:

---

11:59 a.m. EDT

MR RATHKE: Good morning.

QUESTION: Good morning.

QUESTION: Afternoon.

MR RATHKE: I don’t know. We may need to synchronize our watches, Matt.

I just have two things to mention at the start. First of all, the Secretary is on his way to Riyadh right now. This morning he traveled from Nairobi to Djibouti, where he held a bilateral meeting with President Guelleh and a press availability with Foreign Minister Youssouf. The Secretary also participated in a youth engagement event at a mosque, where a group of Djibouti young men and women talked about their efforts to combat violent extremism. And finally, he participated in a consular event at our Embassy in Djibouti, where he personally provided consular services to American citizens and their family members who have fled Yemen for Djibouti. He also did a tour of Camp Lemonnier and a town hall event with U.S. military personnel stationed there.

And the second item before we get started, Nepal, a brief update. Yesterday, an Air Force contingency response group arrived in Nepal to work with the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team and the Government of Nepal to improve efficiency at the international airport. The CRG will help streamline airfield operations and speed up cargo flow so that relief supplies can be delivered more quickly to places in need. Also yesterday, May 5th, the U.S. military deployed one additional helicopter to Nepal, bringing total U.S. military air assets to four V-22 Ospreys and two UH-1 Huey helicopters.

And with that, Matt, we will turn it over to you.

QUESTION: I just have one very brief one. It’s a follow-up from yesterday, and it’s just to find out if you have decided that you have an opinion one way or the other on the Omar Khadr case, which we – was delayed yesterday.

MR RATHKE: Right. So on that case, we are aware that the Government of Canada is appealing the Canadian court’s April decision to grant bail. Our line remains the same as yesterday: We refer you to the Government of Canada to comment on the decision that will be made by Canadian courts. We, of course, have a strong and cooperative relationship with the Government of Canada on security and law enforcement issues, but I don’t have a comment to make on the case that’s before the Canadian courts.

QUESTION: Okay. But I just want to make sure you understand the question. I am not asking for the Canadian –

MR RATHKE: Right.

QUESTION: — version of – for the Canadians’ opinion on this. I’m asking for the U.S. opinion on this, to which – are you suggesting that I ask the Canadians to find out what the U.S. position is on this?

MR RATHKE: Well, I’m simply saying that we respect the independent processes of the Canadian judiciary, and we respect Canada’s sovereignty. I’m not going to make a comment about the case that’s before the Canadian courts.

QUESTION: Does that mean that you’re okay with anything that the court decides? Because there are many cases in many countries where you’re not okay with what a court decides.

MR RATHKE: I simply have nothing further to offer on this one.

QUESTION: All right.

MR RATHKE: Okay.

QUESTION: That’s it for me.

MR RATHKE: That’s it from you. Okay.

Other topics? Please.

QUESTION: My name is Hillery Gallasch. I’m with ARD German Television.

MR RATHKE: Yes.

QUESTION: I have a question in regards to – the German administration is under fire right now, being pushed to release lists of search terms that were apparently given to the German intel service by the NSA. They’re playing on time, saying there are negotiations with the United States on what to release and not release. Is the United States blocking or working with the Germans trying to block any release of search terms given to them?

MR RATHKE: Well, I’d make two comments in response. The first one is that we work closely with Germany on all matters of international concern and we value Germany’s engagement on the entire range of global issues. But the second point is we don’t comment on intelligence matters, and I’m not going to comment from this podium on that.

QUESTION: Has Germany approached you in any way?

MR RATHKE: Again, I’m not going to offer a comment on that.

New topic? Michel.

QUESTION: Yemen. Do you have any update from Aden, especially that the Houthis are on the offense now and the news reports talk about having 42 civilians died?

MR RATHKE: Well, first thing I’d mention with respect to Yemen, I think you probably have seen a couple of fact sheets that we released this morning. One is about the additional humanitarian funding that the Secretary announced today when he was in Djibouti. And the second was about our services to American citizens, so just to bring those to your attention.

With respect to the situation on the ground, I don’t have a battlefield update. Our position remains, as it has been for quite some time, that we call on the Houthis to cease their unilateral military aggression and to find a way back to the negotiating table, but I don’t have a – I’m not going to confirm those details that you’ve referred to.

QUESTION: Will the Secretary meet with the Yemeni president in Riyadh?

MR RATHKE: I don’t have a schedule update to announce for the Secretary in Riyadh. I expect later today or tomorrow morning we’ll have a fuller list of his activities, but the schedule’s still coming together, so I don’t have anything to share right now.

QUESTION: Thanks.

MR RATHKE: Yes, Taurean.

QUESTION: I have one on Russia’s Victory Day parade.

MR RATHKE: Okay.

QUESTION: So the North Korean Government announced on Monday that Kim Jong-un would not be attending that parade and instead would send its nominal head of state. Do you make anything of that seemingly reversal by the Kim Jong-un regime?

MR RATHKE: I’m not going to try to interpret that decision. I don’t have any comment to offer on it.

QUESTION: And then on – the Chinese media also reports that its honor guard will participate in the Victory Day parade. Do you have any comments to say on that?

MR RATHKE: No, I don’t have a comment on China’s participation.

QUESTION: No particular concerns or –

MR RATHKE: No. I think we’ve spoken about our representation there. We are – will be represented at the military parade by Ambassador Tefft, and that’s the nature of our participation.

QUESTION: Jeff.

MR RATHKE: Yes.

QUESTION: On Syria, Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said yesterday that if Assad falls, Hizballah falls. Do you have any reaction to that?

MR RATHKE: Not a specific one. I’m not going to respond to all of Nasrallah’s comments. We’ve been clear that Assad has no future and no legitimacy inside Syria. We also have spoken out repeatedly against the destabilizing role that Hizballah has played, which has to stop. But I don’t have a specific comment for (inaudible).

QUESTION: Will you help in this case in the fall of Assad?

MR RATHKE: I think our policy, again, is quite clear. We, on the one hand, support the Syrian people and the Syrian opposition. We do that in a variety of ways. And of course, we also support the Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, who right now is in Geneva having consultations with all relevant parties about finding a way to implement the Geneva principles.

QUESTION: And any date for Special Envoy Rubinstein, Rubinstein’s meeting with de Mistura?

MR RATHKE: Well, the consultations have just gotten underway this week. So the U.S. is participating in these UN-led consultations, and the U.S. – from our side, our Special Envoy Daniel Rubinstein will attend, but I don’t have a date to announce for his participation in the consultations.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR RATHKE: Yes.

QUESTION: Hello, my name is Grigory Dubovitsky. I’m from Russian Information Agency RIA Novosti. So do you have any updates on Secretary Kerry’s schedule next week, and can you confirm information about upcoming meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Sochi on May 11th?

MR RATHKE: No, I don’t have any schedule announcements to make for the Secretary.

QUESTION: Thank you.

(The briefing was concluded at 12:10 p.m.)

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Source: Dept. Of State – Briefs

    

Daily Press Briefings : Daily Press Briefing - May 6, 2015