Pentagon Spokeswoman Follows Mattis Out of Trump Administration
01/02/19
Chief Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White stepped down from her post on Monday, which was also the last day for Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Charles Summers Jr., the principal deputy assistant to the secretary of defense, has moved into the post of acting assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.
“I appreciate the opportunity afforded to me by this administration to serve alongside Secretary Mattis, our Service members and all the civilians who support them,” White tweeted from her official account, which as of Tuesday showed the tweet as coming from Summers. “It has been my honor and privilege. Stay safe and God bless.”
White also sent a farewell message to the Defense Department public affairs personnel, according to CNN, which said it obtained a copy of the message.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have submitted my letter of resignation to Secretary Mattis. I am grateful to the administration for giving me the opportunity to serve alongside Secretary Mattis, the brave men and women in uniform, and all of the civilians who support them,” the message read.
White has been the target of the Defense Department’s inspector general over internal personnel matters involving her use of department staff for personal matters.
The Washington Post said staff claimed they were required to pick up White’s dry cleaning and her lunch. Other accusations claimed she forced staffers to pick up pharmacy items for her or work on paperwork connected to her mortgage.
This kind of use of others’ time is a serious ethics issue, said one commentator.
“You could actually think of it as theft,” said Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University Law School, according to NBC. “You’re essentially using, as though it belongs to you for your personal purposes, something of value to the government — your subordinate’s time.”
White was also accused of transferring staff members who complained about her, NBC reported.
White became the chief spokeswoman for the Pentagon in April 2017. She reported directly to Mattis.
Mattis ended his tenure Monday with a message to U.S. troops that encouraged them to “hold fast.”
Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive assumed the post of acting defense secretary as of Jan. 1.
https://www.westernjournal.com/pentagon-spokeswoman-follows-mattis-trump-administration/
Feds Spend $1,788,748 on Virtual Reality Game for Young Gay Men
Study recruited young men over Craigslist and Grindr
January 2, 2019 5:00 am
The National Institutes of Health is spending over $1.7 million on a virtual reality game for young men who have sex with men.
"Tough Talks" is a virtual simulation that allows young gay men to practice how to tell their partner they have HIV, using virtual reality technology. A technology training company—Georgia-based Virtually Better, Inc.—as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies are creating the game.
Sixty-seven percent of young gay men do not disclose their HIV status to first-time sex partners, according to the grant behind the study. Researchers see virtual reality as a solution.
"Given the potential benefits and challenges associated with disclosure, there is a need for sophisticated interventions that can assist [men who have sex with men] MSM, with the disclosure process," the grant states. "Virtual reality provides a unique environment for users to practice HIV disclosure."
"Primary outcomes of HIV viral load and condomless anal intercourse (CAI) will be assessed at intervention completion (1 month) and at 6-month follow-up," according to the grant.
The project began during the Obama administration in 2014 and has cost taxpayers $1,788,748 so far. The project will continue through May 2020.
In July 2018, researchers published results of the study, which recruited young men to participate over Craigslist, Facebook, and Grindr.
The paper, entitled, "‘I Didn't Tell You Sooner Because I Didn't Know How to Handle It Myself': Developing a Virtual Reality Program to Support HIV-Status Disclosure Decisions," found most young gay men found the game "visually appealing" and said it could help them in their conversations.
Researchers first conducted focus groups to base their virtual conversations about HIV, which were used to develop three virtual characters.
"In Phase 1 (focus groups) eligible participants were ages 18–30, assigned male sex at birth and identified as male, reported engaging in anal sex with a male partner within the past 12 months, and English-speaking," according to the paper.
The virtual characters were given conversational skills that are "culturally sensitive to a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds and sexual identities."
The characters are able to display a wide range of emotions, including "anger, fear, rejection, blame, ignorance, curiosity, confusion, support, concern, sympathy, empathy, acceptance, [and] love."
The virtual reality game lets young gay men practice several scenarios of disclosing they have HIV "post-condomless anal intercourse" with casual or primary partners. The virtual characters either have a neutral, sympathetic, or negative reaction.
https://freebeacon.com/issues/feds-spend-1788748-on-virtual-reality-game-for-young-gay-men/