Federal authorities announced today that an ongoing cooperative effort between law enforcement and a number of private-sector companies, including multiple internet domain providers and registrars, has disrupted hundreds of internet domains used to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to commit fraud and other crimes.

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. 

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

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.  

Today, a federal district court in Washington, D.C., concluded that the Antitrust Division’s resolution of its challenge to the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint was in the public interest and entered the proposed final judgment following an extensive Tunney Act process. This order gives effect to the settlement that the Department of Justice and numerous states reached with the merging parties and Dish Network Corp. to allow the T-Mobile/Sprint transaction to proceed, subject to substantial divestitures and other remedies.

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."

South Korea-based company Jier Shin Korea Co. Ltd., and its president, Sang Joo Lee, have agreed to pay $2 million to the United States for civil antitrust and False Claims Act violations for their involvement in a bid-rigging conspiracy that targeted contracts to supply fuel to U.S. military bases in South Korea, the Department of Justice announced today.

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.

This week, the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division celebrates the 20th anniversary of World Intellectual Property Day. The division marks the occasion by remembering the revolutionary ideal that our nation’s founding fathers embedded in the U.S. Constitution: that “securing . . . to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries” will “promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts.” For over 200 years, this “exclusive Right” has served as the foundation of the U.S. system of patent, copyright, and trademark laws.

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute LLC (FCS), an oncology group headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, was charged with conspiring to allocate medical and radiation oncology treatments for cancer patients in Southwest Florida, the Department of Justice announced.  This charge is the first in the department’s ongoing investigation into market allocation in the oncology industry.

Sabre Corporation and Farelogix, Inc. announced today the termination of their merger agreement.

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.

Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc. and McGraw-Hill Education Inc. mutually agreed to abandon their plans to merge after the Department of Justice informed the companies it had serious concerns that the proposed transaction, as structured, would harm competition.

Mayor Catherine Pugh says the state has agreed to restore 16 parole and probation officers to the city that were cut by the O’Malley administration. She also says there are other, non-law enforcement initiatives, in her plan to fight crime.

The Maryland Department of Health on Sunday announced five new deaths as a result of COVID-19.

Being forced to work from home now, I launched into cleaning out stuff on my hard disk and dug into long unvisited folders.

There are many Sankey diagrams still sitting there. So, you might eventually see a higher posting frequency again over the next couple of weeks. At least something good…
[See image gallery at www.sankey-diagrams.com]

Another sample Sankey diagram in German from the building sector. Swiss architectural firm Moosmann Bitterli has this on their website to showcase their services. Not sure what the unit of flow is, but definitely energy related.
[See image gallery at www.sankey-diagrams.com]

Just a quick Friday afternoon post in order not to let this week slip past without a post. This is a sample from the latest e!Sankey demo version,

The Sankey diagram represents energy flows in a canning plant with heat being distributed to the various steps of the process. Recovery of energy (red-brown arrow) from two of the steps.
[See image gallery at www.sankey-diagrams.com]

Some of you might have read the USA Today Network story about horse racing this week. The piece highlighted some pretty impressive statistics related to the broadcast and marketing of the limited racing calendar we've all been experiencing. One quote caught my eye: “NYRA chief revenue officer Tony Allevato said it had signed up seven […]

The post Commentary: Racing Has A New Set Of Wagering Customers, But Now What? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

One of the biggest complaints we have received on the new Paulick Report has been the oppressive commenting “reCaptcha” box that requires a coded password to be entered after each comment. We agreed that this was a waste of time and has made the commenting process unnecessarily difficult. We are now utilizing an option that […]

The post You Spoke, We Listened: Commenting on the Paulick Report appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Part of the cornerstone of the Paulick Report has always been an opportunity to have a free exchange of ideas in front of a international audience on the issues most affecting the Thoroughbred industry both at home and abroad. And with a bevy of industry influencers and decision makers being among our many readers, commentary […]

The post Inside the Paulick Report: A Comment on Comments appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Wherever we go in the industry whether it's tea with the Queen of England or croquet with the Sheikh of Dubai, one subject is always brought up in conversation. “What's with those commenters on your site? Do they have jobs?” After we assure them that at least 30% of our readers are gainfully employed, they […]

The post Disqusing a New Commenting System appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Following is a statement from Rusty Ford, equine operations consultant for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Office of State Veterinarian, laying out guidelines for summer yearling inspections in regards to COVID-19. The public health threat presented by COVID-19, otherwise known as coronavirus, is impacting all, and the equine industry has not been immune to it. […]

The post Kentucky Department Of Agriculture Issues COVID-19 Guidelines For Yearling Inspections appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Lameness is a huge focus for Dr. Judith Koenig as a clinician, researcher and instructor at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). Koenig is also a rider with a keen interest in helping grass roots riders and upcoming high-performance athletes. In this video, Dr. Koenig explains her current research endeavoring to heal tendon injuries faster and […]

The post Lameness Research And Prevention Tips With Dr. Judith Koenig Of The Ontario Veterinary College appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

From neighborhoods exercising together to drive-by wedding receptions, Minnesota's stay-at-home order has brought us together in many ways.

A Dallas nurse with Ebola has arrived in Maryland for treatment. Her plane landed Thursday night in Frederick.

Washington Post: In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. government turned down an offer to manufacture millions of N95 masks in America. “It was Jan. 22, a day after the first case of covid-19 was detected in the United States, and orders were pouring into Michael Bowen’s company outside Fort Worth, some from … Continue reading Washington Post: In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. government turned down an offer to manufacture millions of N95 masks in America

Josh Spiegel shares a special poem for Ravens fans who are still dealing with the loss to the Titans.

Josh Spiegel talks about the Coronavirus and unleashes a torrent of blame on China and its eating habits.

While Democrats and Republicans have been divided for years, Josh Spiegel says, during the State of the Union speech, it was clear there's bipartisan support for despising each other.

In a week that saw the release of former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh's apology video and Pugh being sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy and tax evasion, Josh Spiegel offers his wrap up on the Healthy Holly saga.

As the Coronavirus continues to spread, Josh Spiegel expresses his frustration with hygiene warnings from the government.

Confused about Coronavirus? You’re not alone. Josh Spiegel gives many examples of the mixed messages that have been circulating.

What's it like for Josh Spiegel to be ordered to stay at home during the coronavirus crisis? You might think it would be a dream come true for him. It's actually quite the opposite.

For the first time since the coronavirus crisis began, Josh Spiegel left home to go shopping. He was uneasy with the world he found.

In today's Commentary, Josh Spiegel shares his latest observations on the pandemic including the overwhelming number of cliches that he says have overwhelmed him.