PROFNET WIRE: GOVERNMENT & LAW: Gulf Coast Reconstruction

PROFNET WIRE: GOVERNMENT & LAW: Gulf Coast Reconstruction

  ROUND-UPS    Gulf Coast Reconstruction (21 experts)  
Impact of Hurricane Katrina (continued, 10 experts)  
Supreme Court Transition (continued, 1 expert)  
The Terrorist Threat (continued, 2 experts)  
North Korea (continued, 2 experts)  
File-Sharing Lawsuits (continued, 1 expert)  
Anthrax Preparedness (continued, 1 expert)   
LEADS    1.  World Affairs: The Cuban Trade Embargo Harms Cuban Citizens   
ROUND-UP: GULF COAST RECONSTRUCTION  

Following are experts who can discuss President Bush's recovery plan for the Gulf Coast. The federal government plans to pay for most of the costs to fix damage during and after the storm. Bush proposed the creation of a Gulf Opportunity Zone, which 'should provide immediate incentives for job-creating investment, tax relief for small businesses, incentives to companies that create jobs, and loans and loan guarantees for small businesses.' Bush also proposed federally funded worker recovery accounts of up to $5,000 for evacuees to spend on job training, classes or child care during the hunt for employment:

1. CHRIS EDWARDS, director of tax policy studies at CATO INSTITUTE: "President Bush is jumping the gun with promises of big federal spending to rebuild damaged cities 'even better' than before. Many evacuees may not want to move back to their former homes because this is apparently a dangerous place to live. Moving back into New Orleans, with its inadequate levees, high crime, corruption and poor economy would seem like a bad decision for many. Rebuilding should be a state and local responsibility, because these governments can better measure the costs and benefits of repairing each type of infrastructure. They should wait and see what is actually needed in their less-populated cities of the future." News Contact: Evans Pierre, pr@cato.org Phone: +1-202-789-5200 (9/22/05)

2. DAVID BOAZ, executive vice president of CATO INSTITUTE: "President Bush's sense of compassion is admirable, but his solutions reflect a misunderstanding of economics and of the American Constitution. In our federalist system, rebuilding a city is primarily a local responsibility. The federal government has helped in the past, but it has never taken primary responsibility for such local concerns. If the $200 billion figure turns out to be correct, we should note that it is twice what the U.S. government spent on the Marshall Plan to rebuild all of Western Europe after World War II. The president's proposal reflects too much money being spent with too little thought. Congress must not kowtow to the president; it must do the responsible thing and take time to consider how best to respond to a local natural disaster." News Contact: Evans Pierre, mediastaff2@cato.org Phone: +1-202-789- 5200 (9/22/05)

3. PHILIP DADDONA, senior managing director of FTI CONSULTING: "Now that President Bush has launched the federal government's reconstruction efforts in the Gulf Coast region, several key questions have emerged, not the least of which is how to prevent instances of waste, fraud and abuse from tainting and distracting from the recovery efforts." Based on his experience at Ground Zero at Sept. 11, Daddona can talk about these issues, as well as the infrastructure priorities of the reconstruction efforts. From an operations perspective, he can also review and analyze the current plan and offer additional suggestions based on his experience. News Contact: Melissa Maslar, mmaslar@levick.com Phone: +1-202-973-1336 (9/22/05)

4. CRAIG S. KING, attorney with Washington, D.C.-based firm ARENT FOX, has more than two decades of experience in government contracting, and is a valuable source for those covering the government's role in Katrina reconstruction efforts. His specialties include oversight/auditing, two key areas given the increasing allegations of fraud: "With $50 billion at stake, the potential for abuse is great; companies are already being investigated for 'back-door' wrangling and no-bid contracts." In addition to fraud, King is an expert on federal market competition; contract negotiations; antitrust reviews; privatization and outsourcing of government functions and ethics/compliance. News Contact: Kelly Burkett, kelly.burkett@widmeyer.com Phone: +1-202-667-0901 (9/22/05)

5. ROBERT MURRAY, vice president of economic affairs at MCGRAW-HILL CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH & ANALYTICS: "The U.S. economy appears capable of absorbing the shock from Katrina without slipping into recession. Continued employment growth will help the market fundamentals for such income property types as offices, hotels and multi-family housing over the long-term. The continuation of low mortgage rates supports single-family housing this year, and total construction starts for the U.S. are still expected to rise 6 percent to 7 percent in 2005, even with the loss of new construction start activity in the Gulf region. The U.S. economy will see growth dampened by 0.5 percent to 1 percent during the latter half of 2005 -- discernible, but not enough to tip the economy into recession." News Contact: Rob Kulat, kucomm@hotmail.com Phone: +1-732-219-5816 (9/22/05)

6. STEPHEN SLIVINSKI, director of budget services at CATO INSTITUTE: "Americans and businesses have together donated around $750 million to the hurricane relief effort so far. For those donating, the sacrifice might be small, but it is a sacrifice nonetheless. Contrast that with the White House and Congress' response. They've rushed to spend $63 billion of taxpayer money without sacrificing a single dollar devoted to their pet projects. In a federal budget of $2.5 trillion, there are plenty of wasted dollars and unnecessary pork projects to offset the spending on Katrina relief efforts. Charity requires sacrifice, even from big-spending politicians using other people's money for charitable purposes." News Contact: Evans Pierre, pr@cato.org Phone: +1-202-789-5200 (9/22/05)

7. PAM BAKER, Gulf fisheries biologist for ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE: "Hurricane Katrina has devastated the Gulf's fisheries and fishing economy, especially the shrimp industry, which was already depleted. Following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, Environmental Defense will work with our partners, fishermen and government officials to find ways to improve the long- term economic and ecological outcomes in the Gulf's struggling fisheries, as the government puts together a disaster assistance package. This work is already happening in the Gulf. Environmental Defense is working closely with fishermen, government officials and other partners to design fishing quota systems for red snapper, reef fish, shrimp and other key fisheries. A disaster assistance package should build upon this work. Katrina disaster assistance should be structured to help fishermen and their communities in the short- term, and give them a much better long-term opportunity for safe, viable and sustainable fisheries." News Contact: Kathleen Goldstein, KGoldstein@environmentaldefense.org Phone: +1-202-572-3243 (9/22/05)

8. VALSIN A. MARMILLION, spokesperson for AMERICA'S WETLAND: CAMPAIGN TO SAVE COASTAL LOUISIANA, can address what Hurricane Rita's approach means to Louisiana's coastal wetlands and how any recovery plan must marry flood protection with wetland restoration to protect New Orleans and coastal Louisiana from future hurricanes: "Louisiana's coastal wetlands, which serve as the state's first line of defense against hurricanes and the storm surge they produce, need urgent restoration. There are almost open water conditions around New Orleans now. Because of wetland loss some areas of Louisiana are no longer protected at all." News Contact: Kip Patrick, kp@mcopr.com Phone: +1- 202-416-4116 (9/22/05)

9. TYREE COLLIER, tax shareholder at JENKENS & GILCHRIST, has helped companies provide disaster relief, both through direct efforts and by helping them establish tax-exempt foundations to address hardships. He advised a large for-profit hospital system wanting to provide Katrina relief for employees, and helped two large businesses set up programs following Sept. 11: "There is a structured process for setting up foundations to address limited hardships, but for companies wanting to provide relief for major disasters, like Katrina, they do not have to go through the same process because of more lenient rules for events significant enough to receive government support." News Contact: Petri Darby, APR, pdarby@jenkens.com Phone: +1-713-286-2073 (9/22/05)

10. BASIL IMBURGIA, senior managing director of FTI CONSULTING: "Companies will be working with their insurance carriers in the next few weeks to try and assess the damage along the Gulf Coast. Frequently, the insurance companies and the damaged companies themselves hire firms with expertise in forensics, construction, data management and storage, insurance adjusting and computers to set the level of damage." FTI will help insurance carriers accurately estimate damages for payouts and work with companies that have suffered damages to double-check the assessments of the insurers. FTI brings expertise from their role in Sept. 11 cleanup in New York to the Gulf Coast. News Contact: Melissa Maslar, mmaslar@levick.com Phone: +1-202-973-1336 (9/22/05)

11. DAVID ROSNER, U.S. Marine Corps (reserve) intelligence officer, former combat service support officer and veteran of Hurricane Iniki relief operations, the first Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom: "The criticism of the Katrina recovery effort is ill-informed, due to a lack of understanding of the rules and regulations allowing for military assistance. There is also a misconception by the public regarding the logistical capabilities of civilian and military agencies." Rosner has logistics and military intelligence support experience at the tactical and operational level. News Contact: Adam Kluger, adamkluger@yahoo.com Phone: +1-212-369-2458 (9/22/05)

12. STEVEN ROTHBERG, president and founder of COLLEGERECRUITER.COM: "I just returned from four days in southern Mississippi doing volunteer disaster response work for Nechama: Jewish Response to Disaster. I assessed the damage to homes and small businesses in Hattiesburg and Ocean Springs. The devastation I saw in the latter was something I hope I never have to witness again. Two entire blocks along the entire coast are gone, just gone. People picking through the rubble of their former homes in the hope of finding something, anything of sentimental value." Rothberg: steven@collegerecruiter.com Phone: +1-952-848-2211 (9/22/05)

13. BRIAN GREENBERG, CPA, financial analyst and college planner: "Break out your disco shoes; we're going back to the '70s. Bush's plans to rebuild New Orleans -- guns, butter and bread -- will bring about '70s style inflation." Greenberg: brian@greenbergcpa.com (9/22/05)

14. SUSAN WILEY HARDWICK, professor of geography at the UNIVERSITY OF OREGON and author of "Mythic Galveston," which includes a lot on the city's reconstruction following the 1900 hurricane: "Indeed, viewed from a development perspective, Galveston might be seen as the ultimate triumph of technology over nature: a remarkable success story of complete structural migration of the environment, a place where the efficacy of engineering genius truly saved the day." Hardwick's research underscores the exhibit "Through Galveston's Gate," which opens in early 2008 at the Texas State Historical Museum. News Contact: Mary Stanik, mstanik@uoregon.edu Phone: +1-541-346-3873 (9/22/05)

15. JOHN SAVAGEAU, senior vice president of operations at CRG WEST in Los Angeles, can talk about BellSouth's estimate that it will cost between $400 and $600 million to repair the more than 1.1 million telephone and Internet lines damaged by Hurricane Katrina, as well as the logical need to replace their old copper system with either wireless or other modern facilities. Savageau, who has extensive telecom disaster recovery experience throughout the world, currently oversees L.A.'s One Wilshire Building, which is the largest and most densely connected communications center in the world, with more than 220 carriers housed there. News Contact: Trent Freeman, tfreeman@cswpr.com Phone: +1-310-396-2400 (9/22/05)

16. DR. MAURICE RAMIREZ, second-in-command in the critical care arena with the DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, was in the hardest hit area immediately after Katrina hit. Ramirez is the first Central Florida physician to complete the National Disaster Life Support (NDLS) Instructor Program. Ramirez is board certified in emergency medicine, family practice, sports medicine, geriatric medicine and clinical nutrition. Ramirez can comment on what's happening now and what mistakes were made. News Contact: Pam Lontos, prpr@prpr.net Phone: +1-407-299-6128 (9/22/05)

17. DIANNE STEWART, director of PUBLIC WORKS: THE DEMOS CENTER FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR, has 20 years of experience inside state government, in the private sector and in a state-level policy NGO working on issues of governance, particularly as they affect low-income families. As the founder and director of the office of governmental affairs at the Texas Department of Human Services and the 11-year executive director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, Stewart has worked from within and without in efforts to improve the operations and decision-making of state government. News Contact: Anica Archip, anica@creativecci.com Phone: +1-718-522-0538 (9/22/05)

18. STAN SOLOWAY, president of the PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COUNCIL, can answer questions about the government's special hurricane procurement policies and the role of the private sector in this unprecedented reconstruction effort. The Professional Services Council is the leading advocate on legislative and regulatory policies and practices that affect the government professional and technical services industry. Prior to joining PSC, Soloway served as the deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition reform. News Contact: Stefanie Starkey, starkey@pscouncil.org Phone: +1-703-875-8059 (9/22/05)

19. BILL HINES, managing partner of JONES WALKER, the largest law firm in Louisiana, and respected advisor to Mayor Nagin, is immediate past chair of the City of New Orleans Economic Development Advisory Committee and former director of regional planning organization Metrovision. He has a long-term relationship with the N.O. Regional Chamber of Commerce. The firm will return to the Central Business District office as soon as power and necessary services are working. On the state level, the firm is lobbying for legislation regarding insurance claims for victims. On the federal level, the Washington, D.C., office is assisting the Louisiana delegation with bankruptcy legislation. News Contact: Vivian Hood, hoodv@jaffeassociates.com Phone: +1- 904-220-1915 (9/22/05)

20. BRIAN DRUM, president/CEO of DRUM ASSOCIATES and SBA's NYC Small- Business Person of the Year, brought his company back from the brink of bankruptcy after the terror attacks of Sept. 11. He can offer a blueprint for small-business recovery that includes a post-catastrophe business recovery checklist for all small businesses devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Drum was recently honored by Senator Hillary Clinton for his dedication, courage and commitment to his employees, and by Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the innovative steps he took to save his business after Sept. 11. News Contact: Adam Kluger, adamkluger@yahoo.com Phone: +1-212-369-2458 (9/22/05)

21. HENRY M. KOFFMAN, director of construction engineering and management at USC, is a construction historian who has studied the history of New Orleans and its levees and pumping system. He is an expert in construction engineering; construction management; construction defects; forensic engineering; cost estimating and scheduling; construction safety; labor relations and management; quality assurance; changes in specifications and plans; construction delays; liens; licensing; construction and engineering ethics; globalization; construction education and real estate development. News Contact: Trent Freeman, tfreeman@cswpr.com Phone: +1-310-396-2400 (9/22/05)

ROUND-UP: IMPACT OF HURRICANE KATRINA (continued)

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1. JOAN ROSE, Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, is an international expert in public health water microbiology: "What we're going to see is have and have-nots in the future. There are places in the country whose water systems are taxed at 150 and 200 percent over capacity. There are communities that need to do something about their infrastructure, but it hasn't been a priority. It's a good question why some communities wait until there's a crisis. It seems to be more than just a question of money." News Contact: Sue Nichols, nichols@msu.edu Phone: +1-517-353-8942 (9/22/05)

2. KEN STERN, managing director of FTI CONSULTING: "The oil industry has an immense opportunity to lobby for relaxed environmental standards and other considerations from the government to ensure an invigorated return-on- investment. The political opportunity ahead for them is tremendous. Refining was already on the decline. No new refineries have been built in the past 30 years. What is the damage to the existing refineries? When will they come back online? Should they come back at all? Global oil companies need to decide if they will take refining overseas if the U.S. doesn't ease environmental restrictions here." Stern brings more than 30 years of petrochemical experience to his analysis of these issues. News Contact: Melissa Maslar, mmaslar@levick.com Phone: +1-202-973-1336 (9/22/05)

3. R. SCOTT FOSLER, visiting professor and senior fellow at the UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, played a major role in overhauling FEMA in the 1990s: "FEMA's in a fix at this point, and there are no quick answers for rebuilding its strength." Fosler can discuss the difficulties in fixing what he calls "a broken agency." As president of the National Academy of Public Administration in the 1990s, Fosler responded to Congress's request for a plan to fix FEMA, an agency he says was then viewed as an embarrassing federal failure. The NAPA team recommended a comprehensive overhaul of the agency's mission, structure and role in a national emergency management system. News Contact: Neil Tickner, ntickner@umd.edu Phone: +1-301-405-4622 (9/22/05)

4. PAUL DIMITRUK, founder, chairman and CEO of PORTBLUE, a provider of Web-based expert systems: "Sadly, events like Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina show that we must do more to systematically prepare for disasters. The JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) disaster preparedness requirements became much more stringent after Sept. 11. I expect Hurricane Katrina will result in even more robust requirements, and rightly so. When disaster does strike, state and local leaders, as well as hospital emergency department, disaster management and administrators, need expert advice and a common, but flexible, framework to prepare for and manage disasters. The right expert systems can provide that." News Contact: Ken Greenberg, ken@edgecommunicationsinc.com Phone: +1-818-990-5001 (9/22/05)

5. ROXANNE SPILLETT, president of BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA: "Boys & Girls Clubs in the Gulf Coast area have experienced major Katrina losses. We have some 20 Club facilities destroyed or severely damaged. The full extent of damage is still not known, particularly in flooded areas of New Orleans. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is concentrating efforts in two areas: 1) Addressing the needs of all displaced children, both Club members and non-members. Clubs around the country are opening their doors and offering services to displaced children in their areas. 2) Assessing our affected Clubs and determining their needs." BGCA is accepting donations from the public (online at www.bgca.org; or by phone at l-800-805-CLUB). Technology centers at Clubs are open for anyone to search online for family through FEMA and Red Cross databases. News Contact: Mitchell Leff, mitch@leffassociates.com Phone: +1-404-861-4769 (9/22/05)

6. JOHN W. MARINI, vice president of ADJUSTERS INTERNATIONAL, has led disaster recovery responses to every U.S. hurricane since 1992. In 1995, he helped establish a team of experts who assist states and municipalities with FEMA grant management programs. Marini has given numerous seminars on the topic of disaster recovery from an insurance and FEMA perspective. His team is currently working as advocates for the Bay St. Louis Waveland School District, the city of Waveland and Hancock County, among others, as they move through the FEMA grant application process, giving him a firsthand perspective of the issues involved in the Gulf Coast reconstruction efforts underway. News Contact: Judy Wolf, jwolf@adjustersinternational.com Phone: +1-315-797-3035 (9/22/05)

7. JON HANSEN, Oklahoma City assistant fire chief during the Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995 and President Bush's top choice to lead the United States Fire Administration, is an expert in the field of homeland security, emergency response, emergency management, disaster preparedness, public safety and the latest technologies available to help in planning. He has testified numerous times before Congress on various issues related to terrorism. Hanson recently led several disaster recreation efforts to prepare fire departments and other emergency organizations for the possibility of bombings, bioterrorism, snipers and natural disasters. Currently, Hansen is head of the emergency response team at Autodesk, a software and services company. News Contact: Nicole Pack, nicole.pack@autodesk.com Phone: +1-415-507-6282 (9/22/05)

8. ROBERT ALLEN, chair of the SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Historic Preservation Department, is an Alabama native, former representative to the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission and founder of the Homeless Coalition of Mobile. He can discuss how to assess and best care for historic structures that have suffered hurricane damage. He can discuss what the loss of many national historic buildings could mean to tourism in the area. Allen is knowledgeable about "smart growth" in the Gulf Coast, and can speak on ways to house those left homeless by the hurricane. He is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. News Contact: Sunny Nelson, snelson@scad.edu Phone: +1-912-525-5225 (9/22/05)

9. CONNIE CAPOZZOLA PINKERTON, professor in the SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Historic Preservation Department, has more than 14 years' experience in cultural resource management, having worked in both public and private sectors as an archaeologist and architectural historian. She can discuss how to document and restore nationally and locally significant sites, preserve archaeological resources, and address the impact of the hurricane on the cultural landscape of the Gulf Coast. Pinkerton is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Georgia Historical Society. News Contact: Sunny Nelson, snelson@scad.edu Phone: +1-912-525-5225 (9/22/05)

10. BRIAN ROBINSON, professor in the SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Historic Preservation Department, has been working in historic preservation since 1992. He can discuss restoration and project planning for all cultural resources, preservation technology and conservation science. Specializing in wood restoration and preservation ethics, Robinson is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and the Association for Preservation Technology International. News Contact: Sunny Nelson, snelson@scad.edu Phone: +1-912-525-5225 (9/22/05)

ROUND-UP: SUPREME COURT TRANSITION (continued)

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1. KAREN HULT, professor of political sciences at VIRGINIA TECH: "Roberts' confirmation seems inevitable. Why? Roberts is an impressive nominee both professionally and personally, has no ethical problems and strong ratings from the ABA. There are only 44 Democrats in the Senate and less-than-uniform agreement among them about whether Roberts should be blocked and, if so, how to try to do it. Public attention has been focused on Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, on high gasoline prices, and on the hostilities in Iraq, not on the confirmation. As a replacement for Rehnquist, not O'Connor, Roberts' confirmation to the court likely would make rather little difference in the decision outcomes." News Contact: Jean M. Elliott, elliottj@vt.edu Phone: +1- 540-231-5915 (9/22/05)

ROUND-UP: THE TERRORIST THREAT (continued)

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1. DAPHNE BILOURI, senior analyst for GLOBAL RISK STRATEGIES, a provider of risk management solutions, is an expert on corporate social responsibility. Through the course of her professional career, Bilouri has provided intelligence and political risk analysis to governments and the private sector as an environment and development consultant. As a result of her contacts and expansive field research, she is regularly contacted by governments and non- governmental organizations. Bilouri is responsible for developing a risk model that measures the impact of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and security in new and sensitive markets. Her work is influenced by her associated expertise in social and institutional development; relations between government, business and non-governmental organizations; stakeholder dialogue; and monitoring and capacity building. News Contact: Andrew Hoffman, andrew.hoffman@eurorscg.com Phone: +1-212-367- 6937 (9/22/05)

2. TAMARA MAKARENKO, senior analyst at GLOBAL STRATEGIES GROUP, a provider of risk management solutions, is an acknowledged international expert on the crime-terror nexus. Prior to entering the private sector, Makarenko held several academic and research posts in the U.K. and Central Asia. She has published widely on issues related to terrorism in both academic and professional journals, and her first single-authored book, "The Crime-Terror Nexus," is due to be published. Having conducted extensive field research, Makarenko has designed an intricate system of global information collection and analysis, which is used within her work, and is regularly sought by government and corporate clients. She currently holds affiliations with the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St. Andrews (U.K.), the Silk Road Studies Program at Uppsala University (Sweden) and at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University (U.S.). News Contact: Andrew Hoffman, andrew.hoffman@eurorscg.com Phone: +1-202-448-5322 (9/22/05)

ROUND-UP: NORTH KOREA (continued)

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1. MITCHELL REISS, vice provost for international affairs at the COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY: "Monday's agreement was a remarkable diplomatic achievement by the United States and its lead negotiator, Chris Hill. It establishes firm principles not only to eliminate the threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons program, but also to usher in a more stable, secure and prosperous future for all of Northeast Asia. The immediate challenge is to translate these principles into concrete policies and programs in the coming weeks. Implementation will be key. The sequencing of steps -– who does what, when -- will now be the main focus, and challenge, of future negotiations." News Contact: Suzanne Seurattan, scseur@wm.edu Phone: +1-757-221-1631 (9/22/05)

2. HAN S. PARK, professor at the UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA and director of GLOBIS: "North Korea's recent agreement certainly is a symbolic success, allowing each of the participating parties to declare a diplomatic victory. However, in reality, it simply represents an assurance for future negotiations. The document acknowledges the existence of disagreements and the language was made deliberately vague with undefined concepts in order to allow different interpretations. This agreement is the product of a desperate desire to produce some form of agreement on the part of the participants, especially North Korea and the United States." News Contact: Joy R. Holloway, joyh@uga.edu +1-706-542-7849 (9/22/05)

ROUND-UP: FILE-SHARING LAWSUITS (continued)

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1. GREGORY G. KERBER, CEO of WURLD MEDIA, whose Peer Impact is the first legal P2P compensating both rights holders and network users), can comment on Grokster, Kazaa, Kuro and Soribada rulings: "Courts around the globe are coming to the same conclusion -– stealing is stealing, whether virtual or physical. But the rulings highlight that P2P does not automatically mean 'illegal.' There are legitimate P2Ps whose operations respect the law, turn a profit and are welcomed by millions of consumers seeking legal options to share content. The rulings are a welcome clarification for users, artists, rights holders and the business community." News Contact: Isabel Kaldenbach, isabel@buckleykaldenbach.com Phone: +1-703-979-3076 (9/22/05)

ROUND-UP: ANTHRAX PREPAREDNESS (continued)

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1. STEVE SPENSLEY, vice president (USA) of GLOBAL STRATEGIES GROUP, a provider of risk management solutions, has extensive experience designing training programs for UN international staff operating in difficult and hostile environments. In 2001, Spensley was stationed in Zambia, where he served as operations director for a security company, and subsequently was appointed country manager in Malawi overseeing more than 2,000 security guards, 400 clients and significant resources and budget. During this time, Spensley undertook a number of threat and risk assessments on mining sites, oil refineries, diplomatic missions and construction sites. Spensley is currently enrolled in a master's degree in crisis, risk and disaster management at Leicester University in the U.K. He joined Global in 2004 as vice president of Global USA in Washington, D.C. News Contact: Andrew Hoffman, andrew.hoffman@eurorscg.com Phone: +1-202-448-5322 (9/22/05)

LEADS

1. WORLD AFFAIRS: THE CUBAN TRADE EMBARGO HARMS CUBAN CITIZENS. JACK KENNY, author/publisher of "Cuba: Revolution Then and Now," a photographic collection of Cuba and its people: "The trade embargo harms Cuban citizens and does nothing positive, except to give Fidel Castro a scapegoat for a failed economy. Travel restrictions rob Americans of the opportunity of meeting the wonderful people who inhabit this charming country. And allowing Cubans who safely flee and 'set foot' in America to remain here is totally immoral, as it makes the U.S. an accomplice to the death of the many, many who drown in disparate, risky attempts to escape." News Contact: Scott Lorenz, scottlorenz@westwindcos.com Phone: +1-734-667-2090 Web site: http://www.cuba-/ photo.com (9/22/05)

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