Boston, Massachusetts - Secretary of State John Kerry will host his counterparts from Canada and Mexico in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, from January 30-31, for the North American Ministerial.

Washington, DC - In preparation for next month’s Diplomatic Conference for the Convention on Nuclear Safety, President Obama has accorded Dr. C. S. Eliot Kang the personal rank of ambassador. The appointment became effective January 26, 2015. In this capacity, Ambassador Kang will lead the U.S. delegation to the Diplomatic Conference from February 9-13, 2015, at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria.

Washington, DC - TracFone, the largest prepaid mobile provider in the U.S., has agreed to pay $40 million to the Federal Trade Commission to settle charges that it deceived millions of consumers with hollow promises of “unlimited” data service.

Alexandria, Virginia - A former CIA officer was convicted today by a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, of illegally disclosing national defense information and obstructing justice.

Washington, DC - Identity theft is always taxing on victims. But when it’s tax identity theft – where fraudsters file for tax refunds in someone else’s name – HR professionals can play a key role as the defender that deters the crime, the sentry that spots it, and the cavalry that rushes to the rescue. Tax-related identity theft was the most common form of ID theft reported to the FTC last year with 109,063 complaints, roughly a third of the total ID thefts we received. Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week is a good time for HR offices to review their battle plans. Here are tips from the FTC to make that easier.

Washington, DC - The Department of Justice today announced a sentencing and guilty plea for two members of a family run sex trafficking organization based in southern Florida.  Rafael Alberto Cadena-Sosa was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joes E. Martinez to serve 15 years in prison and Carmen Cadena pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Jose Martinez for participating in a brutal family run sex trafficking organization.