AHEPA E-News Volume 16, Issue 28 | Wednesday, July 13, 2022

AHEPA Hosts Dinner for Greece's Chief Military Officer

AHEPA hosted a welcome dinner in honor of General Konstantinos Floros, chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, and Mrs. Floros, at Charlie Palmer Steak, Washington, D.C., July 11. General Floros is visiting Washington for a series of meetings with U.S. government and military officials.  "It was a pleasure to host General and Mrs. Floros and to welcome them to Washington," Supreme President Jimmy Kokotas said. "We conveyed our appreciation for the General Floros' service and leadership of the Hellenic Armed Forces, especially during such a tense time in an increasingly important geostrategic part of the world. We wished him the best for a successful and productive set of meetings." On behalf of AHEPA, Kokotas added his gratitude to Past Supreme Governor Peter Baltis, who sponsored the dinner.

Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Alexandra Papadopoulou accompanied General Floros, and Ambassador of Cyprus to the U.S. Marios Lysiotis also attended. Chairman of the Board Nicholas Karacostas, PSP; AHEPA Supreme Lodge and Board of Trustees officers, Executive Director Basil Mossaidis, Daughters of Penelope Executive Director Elena Saviolakis, and heads of DC-based Greek American organizations, were among the 30 persons who attended. Earlier in the day, Supreme President Kokotas met with General Floros. They held a substantive discussion, and Kokotas presented him with a gift. more on Floros' visit

Take Action! AHEPA Centennial Resolution

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a resolution commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Order of AHEPA’s founding on June 15, 2022. The resolution, S.Res.675, rests with the Senate Judiciary Committee (committee members).  Help us gain support for the resolution. Ensure your U.S. senators become co-sponsors, especially if your senator(s) serves on the Judiciary Committee.  Ask them to co-sponsor S.Res.675! Resolution text Find/Contact Your U.S. Senators

The Ahepan Summer 2022 Edition Is Out!

The digital Summer 2022 edition of The Ahepan is out! We're excited to share news of receiving Greece's highest honor and how chapters are celebrating AHEPA's centennial anniversary. Also, catch highlights from Greek Independence Day celebrations, our Leadership Mission with American Jewish and American Greek groups, our annual Leadership Excursion, and HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge's visit to AHEPA senior communities in Houston! read the issue

Are Your Ready? Centennial Supreme Convention Prep

We're just weeks away from our Centennial Supreme Convention and we can't wait to see you in Orlando! A quick update to let you know that pre-registration is CLOSED.  That means that if you haven't registered for convention as of yet, you will have to wait and do so once you get to Orlando.  AHEPA HQ will have a registration table set up and be able to register you on site. Additionally, A La Carte tickets to individual events WILL be available ON SITE only for as long as supplies last. You cannot reserve these tickets in advance, so if you plan on purchasing them, please visit the AHEPA Registration desk early on at convention.

If you are planning to join us, please make sure you've made all the reservations you need to. Have you booked your shuttle from the airport? Do you need a scooter to get around? Visit our convention page below and make any reservations you may have missed. We'll see you in Orlando!

Supreme Convention Page

Appeal for Ukraine Humanitarian Aid

Since opening the Emergency Relief Fund to collect donations for Ukrainian aid, AHEPA Global Headquarters is proud to report that our chapters continue to answer the call, and we encourage all chapters to keep raising funds for this worthy cause. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Ukraine as they bravely defend their country from a brutal, devastating, and unprovoked invasion by Russia. We hail the Ukrainians’ defense of democracy and freedom. The humanitarian ruin and loss of life has been catastrophic. More than five million refugees have fled Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion. These are staggering numbers not seen since World War II. The Order of AHEPA stands in solidary with Ukrainian refugees and families. The AHEPA Emergency Relief Fund is open to receive donations for humanitarian aid to assist the people affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. read our appeal

Upcoming Events & Deadlines

July 17 - 22 | AHEPA Centennial Supreme Convention, Orlando, Fla.

Greek American News Digest  Editor's Note: Editorials, commentaries, opinion pieces, and articles are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members  Thessaloniki, Greece: World's Greatest Places 2022 TIME (July 12) The second most populous metropolis in Greece, Thessaloniki has long attracted foodies, so it came as no surprise that it recently became the first Greek city to be added to the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy network. read more We know Greek statues weren't white. Now you can see them in color. NPR (July 12) Walk through the Greek sculpture galleries of most museums and you'll see pedestal after pedestal of white, marble statues with sightless eyes. That's just how Ancient Greek sculpture was, right? Nope. read more Greek PM slams map showing major Greek islands as Turkish Associated Press  (July 11) Greece’s prime minister called Monday on Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to clarify whether a map displayed by a nationalist ally of Erdogan’s that showed several major, inhabited Greek islands as Turkish is official Turkish policy. read more 500-year-old icon looted from divided Cyprus repatriated Associated Press (July 12) A 500-year-old Orthodox icon that was looted from a church in the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus has been returned to the island. read more On Greece’s Santorini, 13 cloistered nuns pray for the world Associated Press (July 9) Cruise-ship tourists crowding souvenir shops and couples chasing the perfect Instagram sunset throng the alleyway outside the Monastery of St. Catherine, steps from Santorini’s world-famous volcanic cliffs. read more Apartment investment platform Protio picks up €2 million to boost real estate sector in Greece tech.eu (July 11) The proptech platform’s ‘Rebuild-To-Rent’ model is addressing the housing crisis prevailing in Europe by upgrading old apartments and using advanced technologies to renovate and make them energy-efficient. read more Mitsotakis Welcomes NBA Legend Magic Johnson to Greece The National Herald (July 12) Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called NBA legend Earvin Magic Johnson, who is spending his holiday in Greece with his spouse, to welcome him to the country, the celebrity basketball player posted on Twitter. read more TUI forecasts record tourist demand for Greece this year Reuters (July 10) Holiday group TUI expects the highest level of demand for Greece on record this year, its director of Communications Aage Duenhaupt told Athens news agency on Sunday. read more

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with..

 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio

July 12, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Prime Minister of Japan, Kishida Fumio, to convey Canada’s condolences for the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

Prime Minister Trudeau expressed his shock and deep sadness at the tragic death of former Prime Minister Abe. Noting that this senseless act of violence occurred a few days prior to Japan’s upper house elections, the leaders underlined their unwavering commitment to democratic values and the importance of free and fair elections without violence or intimidation.

Prime Minister Trudeau underscored Canada’s deep and enduring friendship with Japan, a friendship that was expanded and deepened under Mr. Abe’s tenure as Prime Minister.

The leaders discussed Prime Minister Abe’s visionary leadership in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Prime Minister Trudeau fondly recalled hosting Prime Minister Abe during his visit to Ottawa in April 2019 and their close cooperation over several years at the G7 and the G20, within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and in other international forums.

Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Kishida reaffirmed their commitment to carry on former Prime Minister Abe’s enduring legacy by upholding democracy and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Associated Links

• Canada-Japan relations
• Statement by the Prime Minister on the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomes Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe to Parliament Hill
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio
• Canada and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

statement by the Prime Minister on Imamat Day

July 11, 2022
Ottawa, Ontario

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Imamat Day:

NASA Earthdata:a wonderful world!!

OPEN ACCESS FOR OPEN SCIENCE July 2022

The Hermits Peak Fire in New Mexico on April 28, 2022, shows how burned areas appear in a brick red color in short-wave infrared false color composite imagery.         New False Color Layer Added to FIRMS NASA data are cutting through the smoke of forest fires. A new data layer in the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) created from Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) imagery helps wildland fire managers better delineate burned areas.     NASA provides datasets and tools for assessing and managing wildfires before, during, and after an event. Learn more       Articles

Tropical Cyclones Resource Spotlight Tropical cyclones are one of the biggest threats to life and property. The Tropical Cyclones Resource Spotlight highlights NASA resources that can aid in forecasting, tracking, and responding to these events.       Health and Air Quality Backgrounder Air pollution is a major global health concern. The updated Health and Air Quality Backgrounder provides an overview of NASA resources for studying, assessing, and responding to air quality issues.       NASA Addresses U.S. Earth Observation Satellite Needs What can Earth observation satellites do for you? The Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG) has identified 10 activities to address U.S. federal agency satellite needs.       Data User Profile: Thomas Parris Only 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater, and most of this is frozen. Only a small amount of freshwater is available for us to use. Data from NASA’s SEDAC help Thomas Parris assess the impact of water stress on agriculture, industries, and people around the globe.     Blogs

Getting a FIRMS Grip on Forest Fires NASA provides global wildfire information 24/7 through the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS). Learn how NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) helped make this resource even more powerful.     Bringing Airborne and Field Data to Light NASA's Airborne Data Management Group (ADMG) maintains a comprehensive inventory of airborne campaigns, aircraft and other moving platforms, ground platforms, instruments, and data products. Learn more about the ADMG team.         Webinars

Explore NASA GEDI Aboveground Biomass Datasets, Services, and Tools NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission is keeping track of how deforestation is contributing to atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Learn how to discover, access, visualize, and analyze GEDI data in a new Earthdata Webinar recording.   Open Events   TOPS Community Forum, July 18, 2022 NASA's Transform to Open Science (TOPS) is making science more equitable. Register and learn about the latest work of this agency-wide initiative at the TOPS Community Forum on July 18 at 10 a.m., EDT.         Dataset Announcements   Social Vulnerability Dataset Impacts of disasters aren't shared equally. A new dataset at NASA's Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) allows users to obtain social vulnerability metrics with population estimates for any user-defined area within the U.S.   New SEDAC Dataset Provides a Better Sense of PLACE SEDAC’s Population, Landscape, And Climate Estimates (PLACE), v4, dataset provides population and land area data across a range of physical characteristics, such as the number of persons living in coastal or specific climate zones or the total land area at a specific elevation.   MODIS Cloud Properties Product A new Combined Aqua and Terra MODIS Cloud Properties product with daily and monthly datasets provides an improved understanding of cloud-climate feedback mechanisms and a better evaluation of cloud processes in climate models. Available from NASA's Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System Distributed Active Archive Center (LAADS DAAC).   NASA Extends Contract with Spire Global for Smallsat Data Thanks to a NASA contract extension, Spire Global, Inc., will continue to provide data from its Earth-orbiting constellation of small-satellites. These data are available through NASA’s Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program to U.S. federal agencies and all U.S. government-funded researchers.   Field Campaign Explorer Field campaigns play a critical role in NASA Earth observations. NASA’s Global Hydrometeorology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center (GHRC DAAC) has updated the Field Campaign Explorer to include several new datasets. Explore more new datasets from June 2022   Worldview Images of the Week     Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak Fires The Hermits Peak Fire started after a prescribed burn escaped its burn boundaries. The Calf Canyon Fire was the re-emergence of a fire that remained dormant under snow cover over the winter. These fires merged into a fire complex on April 22.           Pipeline Fire, Arizona Much of northern Arizona is in severe or extreme drought. These dry conditions provided good conditions for the Pipeline Fire that occurred about 6 miles north of Flagstaff, AZ. As of early-July, the fire is 90% contained and has burned more than 26,500 acres.           Mullica River Fire, New Jersey The Mullica River Fire occurred in mid-June southeast of Philadelphia and northwest of Atlantic City. In this Black Marble Nighttime Blue/Yellow Composite image nighttime city lights and active fires are in shades of yellow; nighttime clouds are in shades of blue.           Dust Blowing Off the Coast of Namibia and South Africa Berg winds blow down from inland mountains and plateaus in Africa and agitate dust and fine sediments as they pass over the coastal plain. The dust blowing off the coast of Namibia and South Africa is the result of these hot, dry winds.