Rao bulletin 15 June 2016 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles

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  Panama Canal. Nine years of construction work, at a cost of more than $5 billion, Panama has equipped the canal with a third set of locks and deeper navigation channels, crucial improvements that will double the isthmus’s capacity for carrying cargo between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. For details refer to http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-25/panama-canal-fever-sweeps-globe-again-as-new-era-in-trade-nears.
  
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  National debt. The almost $19 Trillion debt costs almost $200 Billion a year to service with the current low interest rates. If interest rates go up this debt servicing will cost almost as much as we spend on national defense annually. For elaboration on this and four other issues brought to light by Congressional representatives check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBkBSw5IH6M&feature=youtu.be.
  
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  North Korea. In a lengthy column the state-run DPRK Today in Pyongyang Donald Trump was described as a "wise politician and presidential candidate with foresight" for his comments about the U.S. potentially withdrawing its troops from South Korea if Seoul doesn't bear the costs. It also noted his public willingness to directly talk with the North Korean leadership if he becomes president.
  
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  FBI. The FBI wants to exempt its burgeoning national database of fingerprints and facial photos from a federal law that gives Americans the right to sue for government violations of the Privacy Act, such as refusing to tell a person if he or she is in the system.
  
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  GPS. The US Navy is exploring the potential of performing non-GPS positioning using Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) measurements of space objects with known orbits, positions, and velocity over time. LIDAR PNT is less susceptible to jamming, could provide global coverage, and could use a single, non-working space object for measurements.
  
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  National Guard. The National Guard Bureau has chosen a song written by a Vermont solider to be its official march and organizational music. The song was composed by David Myers of the Vermont National Guard's 40th Army Band. The song was the winning entry in a competition run by the National Guard Bureau. "Always Ready, Always There" will be used during official and formal events. For the Red Cross rendition of "Always Ready, Always There" go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQWcNJmPWI.
  
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  Traffic Tickets. A Friso, Texas, man was incredulous the city police cited him for going nine miles over the speed limit. And he was livid that a jury decided he deserved the ticket. So, when the city ordered him to pay $212 in fines, he figured he'd make the payment as inconvenient as possible. He decided to pay Frisco in pennies. Check out https://youtu.be/kN1awl2KetM to see how he did it. The method is not illegal and was the 2^nd time somebody had done it.
  
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  Spaghetti. To see how spaghetti is shaped by hand in Hong Kong where it was invented vice by the Italians go to https://www.youtube.com/embed/F6uT6gwyY1k?rel=0&autoplay=1.
  
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  Okinawa. The U.S. Navy slapped a drinking ban on sailors stationed in Japan on 6 JUN and halted off base liberty after police arrested a U.S. sailor on the southern island of Okinawa on suspicion of drunk driving following a car crash that injured two people.
  
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  Cosigning. More than one-third of people who co-sign for someone else’s loan or credit card end up literally paying for it, a new survey shows at http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/co-signing-survey.php.
  
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  Car Rentals. A new federal law that took effect last week requires rental car companies to address any federal safety recalls affecting their vehicles before they rent or sell the affected cars. However, companies whose fleets consist of 35 or more cars are excluded.
  
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  Veterans Health Care. Military Times senior correspondent Patricia Kime discusses the state of veterans' health care in the U.S., as well as proposed changes to the VA system in a CNN Washington Journal interview viewable at http://www.c-span.org/video/?410159-3/washington-journal-patricia-kime-veterans-health-care. She responded to telephone calls and electronic communications, including a telephone line reserved for veterans. It includes a video clip of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald being interviewed April 21, 2016, for “Newsmakers.”
  
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  Iran. Iran on 6 JUN mocked an attempt by three Republican lawmakers to visit the country, calling their request an “ironic” and “inappropriate” “publicity stunt.” The three lawmakers — Reps. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) and Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) — made formal requests in February to visit the country, inspect its nuclear sites and meet with an American held captive.
  
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  B-21 Bomber. In May, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee voted against public disclosure of the contract cost to design and build the U.S. Air Force’s new long-range B-21 stealth bomber due to the fear that revealing the bid value would provide U.S. adversaries with too much information about the aircraft’s capabilities/
  
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  F-35 B. Check out the ;attest sea trials on the F-35 at https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ki86x1WKPmE . No catapult...no hook. It's a new world out there! The shape and scope of warfare worldwide just changed.
  
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  1^st Vietnam Battle. Go to https://youtu.be/kKtWX9TDFYc for a 10-minute clip on the Battle of la Drang narrated by participant Col. Tony Nadal (Ret) followed by a 35-minute video (https://youtu.be/h-bKKe3AOFo) on the battle. This three day battle resulted in the loss of thousands of lives, and tested the limits of both armies capabilities. It was later depicted in the book and film We Were Solders Once.
  
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  CA Smoking. All was quiet aboard California Marine and Navy bases 10 JUN as a new law raising the age to purchase cigarettes from 18 to 21 took effect. But unlike the first law to raise the smoking age to 21, which took effect in Hawaii at the start of the year, this law explicitly exempts active-duty members of the military from having to comply.
  
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  Mosquitos. The best protection against mosquitoes comes from repellents containing 30 to 95 percent DEET or oil of lemon eucalyptus, which cost around $5 a bottle.
  
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  Car Buffs. Check out http://www.tvraaca.org/oldmovies.htm#movie to watch your pick of 96 old car movies ranging from one to 60 minutes each.
  
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  FICO. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for 10 years whereas, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy only remains on your report for seven years.
  
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  At-Sea Synthetic Fuel Production. Scientists at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)'s material science and technology division have been awarded a US patent for a method to produce fuel stocks for vehicles, aircraft, and ships while at sea or in remote locations, and hope to have a scaled-up second-generation demonstration operating by the end of this year, the lab said on 8 June. The single process simultaneously extracts carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) from seawater, providing all the raw materials necessary for production of synthetic liquid hydrocarbons - liquid natural gas, compressed natural gas, F-76 maritime fuel, and JP-5 naval aviation fuel - drop-in fuels that can be used with existing delivery infrastructure and with no engine alterations.
  

[Source: Various | June 15, 2016 ++]

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  Tice provided detailed coverage of three major force reductions — the painful drawdown following the Vietnam War, the post-Cold War drawdown of the 1990s and the current drawdown that has reduced the size of the force by nearly 90,000 soldiers in seven years.
  
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  In the mid-1970s, Tice’s reporting confirmed the Army had convened several illegal officer promotion boards. The boards had failed to consider Active Reserve officers, a direct violation of federal law. Tice’s dogged reporting resulted in many boards being reconvened, and many officers were either recalled or awarded pensions. One federal judge estimated the Army’s mistakes had cost the federal government more than $1 billion.
  
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  The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon destroyed many personnel files that documented the post-Cold war drawdown and other personnel programs of the 1990s. Tice donated his own working archives to the Army Center of Military History, which assisted officials in recompiling an official history of that era.
  
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  Tice was awarded the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service by the Army G1 for his reporting on enlisted personnel issues.
  

Kyle is a former SEAL regarded as the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history with 160 confirmed kills. In his book "American Sniper," he wrote a subchapter called "Punching Out Scruff Face" in which he describes decking Ventura at a California bar in 2006 after Ventura made offensive comments about SEALs, including that the SEALs "deserve to lose a few" in Iraq. Ventura, a former Underwater Demolition Teams/SEAL member and ex-pro wrestler, sued. He testified at trial that he never made the statements and that the confrontation never happened. He also said the book ruined his reputation in the tightknit SEAL community. Kyle, who was killed on a shooting range in 2013 by a troubled fellow veteran, gave sworn videotaped testimony before his death that his story was true. The case proceeded against his estate.

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  To help determine if an older modem or router is part of the problem, verify that your router supports the 802.11n standard “at the very least,” Consumer Reports says. If not, ask your Internet service provider about getting a newer model that supports a newer standard, called AC, that is capable of faster speeds.
  
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  To determine whether your wireless connection is part of the problem, switch to a wired connection and retest your Internet speeds.
  
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  If your wireless connection is spotty, try moving your router to a more central location. Also make sure it’s away from obstructions like walls or ceilings, and never keep it in a closet or cabinet.
  
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  If you suspect interference from a microwave oven or cordless phone system, for example, consider switching to a dual-band router that can operate on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. “Switching to the higher 5 GHz band can help avoid interference from other devices that operate in the 2.4 GHz range,” Consumer Reports explains.
  
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  For intermittent problems, try rebooting your modem and routers by unplugging their power connections for about 30 seconds. “Sometimes simply restarting these devices will help clear up any issues,” Consumer Reports says.