Page 10A NATION/WORLD East Oregonian Friday, March 13, 2015 BRIEFLY IS accepts Boko Haram pledge AP Photo/NASA, Ben Smegelsky In this undated photo provided by NASA, Magneto- spheric Multiscale (MMS) observatories are processed for launch in a clean room at the Astrotech Space Op- erations facility in Titusville, Fla. NASA set to launch craft to solve magnetic mystery communications and power on Earth. Data from this two- CAPE CANAVERAL, year mission should help Fla. — NASA is sending four scientists better understand identical spacecraft on a bil- so-called space weather. Each observatory resem- lion-dollar mission to study the explosive give-and-take bles a giant octagonal wheel, of the Earth and sun’s mag- stretching more than 11 feet across and 4 feet high, and QHWLF¿HOGV Liftoff of the unmanned weighing 3,000 pounds Atlas rocket — and NASA’s apiece. They’re numbered Magnetospheric Multiscale and stacked like tires on top spacecraft — was set for of the rocket, with No. 4 pop- 10:44 p.m. Thursday. Every- ping free more than an hour thing was going well in the after liftoff, followed every countdown as the sun set, and ¿YHPLQXWHVE\DQRWKHU Principal investigator Jim the chance of good weather Burch from the Southwest improved to 80 percent. The quartet will be Research Institute in San An- launched into an oblong orbit tonio said measurements will stretching tens of thousands be made down to the electron of miles into the magneto- VFDOH VLJQL¿FDQWO\ VPDOOHU sphere — nearly halfway to than previous heliophysics the moon at one point. They missions. In all, there are 100 ZLOO À\ LQ S\UDPLG IRUPD- science sensors. 7KH ¿QGLQJV IURP WKH tion, between 6 miles and 250 miles apart, to provide $1.1 billion mission will be 3-D views of magnetic re- useful in understanding mag- connection on the smallest of netic reconnection through- out the universe. Closer to scales. Magnetic reconnection is home, space weather scien- what happens when magnetic tists along with everyone on ¿HOGVOLNHWKRVHDURXQG(DUWK (DUWKKRSHIXOO\ZLOOEHQH¿W “We’re not setting out and the sun come together, break apart, then come to- here to solve space weather,” gether again, releasing vast Burch said. “We’re setting out to learn the fundamen- energy. This repeated process tal features of magnetic re- drives the aurora, as well as connection because that’s solar storms that can disrupt what drives space weather.” AP Aerospace Writer Fake IRS agents target thousands in tax scam Tax scams often increase GXULQJWD[¿OLQJVHDVRQDQG with millions of Americans WASHINGTON — Fake preparing their returns ahead IRS agents have targeted of the April 15 deadline, the more than 366,000 people IRS is seeing many cases with harassing phone calls of identity theft and refund demanding payments and fraud. In recent years the IRS threatening jail in the largest scam of its kind in the history has stepped up efforts to of the agency, a federal in- detect large numbers of tax refunds going to the same vestigator said Thursday. More than 3,000 people address or bank account. have fallen for the ruse since 8VLQJ FRPSXWHU ¿OWHUV WKH 2013, said Timothy Camus, DJHQF\ LGHQWL¿HG PRUH WKDQ a Treasury deputy inspector 517,000 suspicious returns general for tax administra- and blocked $3.1 billion in tion. They were conned out fraudulent returns, as of Oc- tober 2014, Camus said in his of a total of $15.5 million. The scam has claimed testimony. In 2012, the IRS start- victims in almost every state, Camus said. One unidenti- ed working more closely ¿HG YLFWLP ORVW PRUH WKDQ ZLWK 86 DWWRUQH\V¶ RI¿FHV around the country to combat $500,000. “The criminals do not tax refund fraud by people discriminate. They are call- using stole identities, said ing people everywhere, of Caroline Ciraolo, acting as- all income levels and back- sistant attorney general for grounds,” Camus told the the Justice Department’s tax Senate Finance Committee division. Since then, the tax at a hearing. “The callers of- division has opened near- ten warned the victims that ly 1,000 investigations and if they hung up, local police brought prosecutions against would come to their homes more than 1,400 people, Ci- raolo told the Senate Finance to arrest them.” The scam is so wide- Committee hearing. “Given the sophistication spread that investigators be- lieve there is more than one of this criminal activity and group of perpetrators, includ- the fact that a lot of it comes from overseas, this looks to ing some overseas. Camus said even he re- me like an emerging type of ceived a call from one of the organized crime,” said Sen. scammers at his home on a Ron Wyden of Oregon, the Saturday. He said he had a top Democrat on the Finance stern message for the caller: Committee. The inspector general’s “Your day will come.” Sen. Johnny Isakson, RI¿FHVWDUWHGUHFHLYLQJFRP- R-Ga., said he got a similar plaints about the telephone call, but realized it wasn’t a scam in 2013. Immigrants were the primary target early real IRS agent. “It was a very convincing, RQ WKH ,*¶V RI¿FH VDLG %XW convincing phone call,” Isak- the scam has since become more widespread. son said. As part of the telephone So far, two people in Florida have been arrested, scam, fake IRS agents call Camus said. They were ac- taxpayers, claim they owe cused of being part of a scam taxes, and demand payment that involved people in call using a prepaid debit card or centers in India contacting a wire transfer. Those who U.S. taxpayers and pretend- refuse are threatened with arrest, deportation or loss of ing to be IRS agents. “These criminal acts are a business or driver’s license, perpetrated by thieves hiding Camus said. The callers can manip- behind telephone lines and computers, preying on hon- ulate caller ID to make it est taxpayers and robbing the look like they are calling Treasury of tens of billions of from an IRS phone number. dollars every year,” said Sen. They might even know the Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chair- last four digits of the taxpay- man of the Senate Finance er’s Social Security number, Camus said. Committee. STEPHEN OHLEMACHER Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Islamic State militants have accepted a pledge of allegiance by the Nigerian-grown Boko Haram extremist group, a spokesman for the Islamic State movement said Thursday. The development comes as both movements, which are among the most ruthless in the world, are under increasing military pressure. Islamic State seized much of northern and western Iraq last summer giving it control of about a third of both Iraq and Syria. But it is now struggling against Iraqi forces seeking to recapture Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, while coming under ¿UHIURP86OHGFRDOLWLRQ air strikes in other parts of the country and in Syria. Boko Haram, meanwhile, has been weakened by a multinational force that has dislodged it from a score of northeastern Nigerian towns. But its new Twitter account, increasingly slick and more frequent video messages and a new media arm all were considered signs that the group is now being helped by IS propagandists. Then on Saturday, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau posted an audio recording online that pledged allegiance to IS. On Thursday, the Islamic State group’s media arm Al-Furqan, in an audio recording by spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, said that Boko Haram’s pledge of allegiance has been accepted, claiming the caliphate has now expanded to West Africa. Al-Adnani had urged IRUHLJQ¿JKWHUVIURPDURXQG the world to migrate and join Boko Haram. More children at risk of measles in wake of Ebola WASHINGTON (AP) — Ebola’s toll moved beyond 10,000 deaths Thursday even as researchers warned of yet another threat to hard-hit West Africa: On the heels of the unprecedented devastation, large outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases could move into the region. Ebola derailed child immunizations in the three countries hardest hit by Ebola — Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, leaving hundreds of thousands more children vulnerable to the more routine infections, researchers said Thursday. Already, worrisome clusters of measles cases are cropping up. The new study warns that it’s crucial to restart the shots quickly, citing math models that estimate thousands could die if a large enough measles outbreak were to strike before the battered health care system has a chance to recover. Measles epidemics often follow humanitarian crises because “measles is so incredibly contagious,” explained Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist Justin Lessler, who led the study published in the journal Science. The Ebola death milestone announced by the World Health Organization on Thursday had been expected for weeks, even though overall the epidemic is waning. Liberia has begun the 42-day countdown toward being declared Ebola-free if no new cases arise. Guinea and Sierra Leone still are struggling to end infections. Get Unlimited Everything. Plus $50 back. Switch to a Simple Connect Prepaid Plan for just $45/mo. with Unlimited Data, Talk and Text, including 1GB of high-speed data. Plus, for a limited time, get a $50 U.S. Cellular® Promotional Card to use toward the latest accessories or your next month of service. Things we want you to know: Add. fees, taxes and terms apply and vary by svc. and eqmt. Use of svc. constitutes acceptance of agmt. terms. 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