Severe Thunderstorm Warning

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGNYC029-121-251545-/O.NEW.KBUF.SV.W.0051.110725T1448Z-110725T1545Z/BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTEDSEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY1048 AM EDT MON JUL 25 2011THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... EAST CENTRAL ERIE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK WESTERN WYOMING COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK* UNTIL 1145 AM EDT* AT 1042 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ORCHARD PARK...OR NEAR EAST AURORA...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE... EAST AURORA... WALES... HOLLAND... JAVA...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TOGROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORSIMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS.REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BESTRUCK BY LIGHTNING.&&LAT...LON 4270 7879 4280 7873 4278 7815 4252 7829 4252 7842TIME...MOT...LOC 1447Z 287DEG 20KT 4273 7868$$ZAFF

FREQUENT LIGHTNING MOVING INTO THE BUFFALO METRO AREA...

Special Weather StatementNYZ001-010-251530-NIAGARA-NORTHERN ERIE-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NIAGARA FALLS...BUFFALO958 AM EDT MON JUL 25 2011...THUNDERSTORMS WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING MOVING INTO THE BUFFALOMETRO AREA...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS MOVING INTO THEBUFFALO AREA. THIS LINE WAS LOCATED WEST OF A LINE FROMLOCKPORT...TO BUFFALO...TO LONG POINT ONTARIO. IN ADDITION TO THELIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND A QUARTER OF AN INCH CAN BE EXPECTED.IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS AND HEAR THUNDER OR SEE LIGHTNING...IMMEDIATELY GOINSIDE A STURDY BUILDING OR A VEHICLE. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKESEVERAL MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM...SO WAIT 30 MINUTES FROMTHE LAST TIME LIGHTNING WAS SEEN OR THUNDER HEARD BEFORE GOINGOUTDOORS.

Statement by Secretary Panetta on the passing of Gen. John Shalikashvili

It is with a heavy heart that I received news of the passing of General John M. Shalikashvili. John was an extraordinary patriot who faithfully defended this country for four decades, rising to the very pinnacle of the military profession. He lived the American dream, arriving from Europe with his family as a teenager after World War II, and he dedicated his life to defending the country that had quickly adopted him and his family. I worked closely with John back in the Clinton administration when he served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I was the White House Chief of Staff. I came to rely on his wise counsel, his wealth of military expertise, and his candor as we were challenged by foreign policy crises in Haiti, the Balkans, and elsewhere. I will remember John as always being a stalwart advocate for the brave men and women who don the uniform and stand guard over this nation. During my many years of public service, I have had the privilege to serve alongside great leaders. John Shalikashvili was one of this country's finest. My condolences go out to his wife Joan and his son Brant

Statement by Adm. Mike Mullen on the passing of Gen. John Shalikashvili

The Joint Chiefs and the more than two million men and women in uniform join me today in mourning the death of retired General John Shalikashvili, our 13th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We extend to his wife, Joan, son Brant, and his entire family our deepest sympathies in their time of grief and sorrow. From the humble beginnings of a childhood in war-torn Poland, General Shalikashvili commenced a remarkable rise from the rank of private in the U.S. Army to serving as the principal military advisor to the President and the senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces from 1993-1997. During his tenure as Chairman, he skillfully shepherded our military through the early years of the post-Cold War era, helping to redefine both U.S. and NATO relationships with former members of the Warsaw Pact, while crafting a vision for our military that vastly improved its joint capabilities and interoperability, efforts that continue to make a difference around the world today. A consummate leader, soldier and statesman who served his country nobly for 39 years, he commanded at every level from platoon to division, and further distinguished himself leading the highly successful Operation Provide Comfort, a humanitarian and peacekeeping Operation in Northern Iraq following Desert Storm. As we mourn his passing, so, too, do we reflect on his contributions to our nation -- the lives he changed, the careers he mentored, the impact he made simply by virtue of his character and commitment. We are a stronger, more capable military today because of his efforts to make us so. He will be deeply missed.

Manhunt underway in Irondequoit

*UPDATE*3PM 7/23 *Manhunt underway in Irondequoit Neighborhood for shooting suspect Multiple agencies are helping out*Stay tuned for more info*

CBP Launches Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign

Washington -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection today launched two public service announcements as part of the “Don’t Be Fooled” campaign—a public awareness campaign designed to educate citizens and encourage public vigilance to combat human trafficking within local communities, and invite others to join the fight against this form of modern-day slavery. click for hi-res Don't Be Fooled is a CBP campaign to fight human trafficking. The two public service announcements, titled “Masquerade” and “Bird Cage,” will begin airing July 25 in three key media markets: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and the Washington, D.C., metro area. All announcements will provide a phone number citizens can call to report suspicious activity.“Death, disappearance, and enslavement—these too often are the futures that await illegal immigrants who mortgage their lives to human smugglers” said CBP Deputy Commissioner, David V. Aguilar. “These evils are what CBP and our partner agencies within the Department of Homeland Security began to target with last year’s ‘No Te Engañes’ campaign and that we continue to combat with our new ‘Don’t Be Fooled’ efforts.”“Trafficking victims live under a crippling fear under the control of their traffickers who’ve filled their minds with lies,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Kumar C. Kibble. “Through CBP’s ‘No Te Engañes’ public service announcement, we hope to reach and rescue the victims who’ve endured much pain and suffering at the hands of callous criminals. ICE is committed to arresting human traffickers and bring them to justice by ensuring that they feel the full weight of the law.”“Raising awareness and educating people about the crime of human trafficking and the recruitment methods of traffickers is a vital area of work in the overall anti-trafficking fight,” said Bradley Myles, executive director and CEO of the Polaris Project. “In the United States’ 3-P approach of Protection, Prosecution, and Prevention, new prevention-focused initiatives are needed, and this campaign ensures that people are more equipped with tools to prevent human trafficking before it starts.”In February 2010, CBP launched the first phase of the “No Te Engañes” public awareness Spanish language campaign in Central America and Mexico to underscore the dangers of the two most common types of trafficking: sexual slavery and forced labor. In July 2010, the Department of Homeland Security launched the Blue Campaign – a first-of-its-kind campaign to coordinate and enhance DHS’s anti-human trafficking activities. It leverages the authorities and resources of DHS to deter human trafficking through a three-pronged strategy of prevention, protecting victims, and prosecution.

CBP Seizes $1.2 million in Counterfeit Handbags at Port of Miami

Miami — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Miami recently seized a shipment of counterfeit designer handbags with a total retail value of nearly $1.2 million.The case began when CBP officers from the Miami Field Office examined a shipment of more than 1,600 handbags. Samples of the cargo were turned over a CBP commodity specialist team which examined items for possible infringement of intellectual property rights. The commodity team determined that the handbags were counterfeit and infringed upon the copyrights held by companies such as Chloe, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana.This case is one of more than 66 seizures worth a total of more than $5,304,616.68 that officers and employees of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Miami have made since October 1, 2010.“CBP officers and employees assigned to the Miami Field Office work tirelessly to protect American consumers by intercepting shipments containing counterfeit and pirated items,” said the Miami Field Office director of Field Operations Vernon Foret. “ By enforcing the trade laws of the United States, we keep inferior and, in some cases, potentially dangerous products from entering the legitimate marketplace.”Stopping the flow of counterfeit and dangerous consumer products is a priority mission for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Importation of fake merchandise can cause significant revenue loss and damage to the U.S. economy.