NEW YORK (Reuters) - Glencore Xstrata's head of aluminum, Gary Fegel, is set to leave the company, three sources said, the first high-profile departure since commodity trading giant Glencore closed its purchase of miner Xstrata this month.
Fegel's departure from one of the most powerful jobs in the global aluminum market will come as a surprise to many since he was reconfirmed in the post just weeks ago, and aluminum is one of the few areas of Glencore's mining portfolio that has no overlap with Xstrata.
The specific timing and reason for his exit - after 12 years at Glencore - are unclear, and discussions over possible succession continue, the sources said.
His leaving comes as Chief Executive Ivan Glasenberg undertakes a three-month review of the division, a source familiar with the company's operations said.
A successor is expected to be named this summer, around the time Glasenberg completes his 100-day review, the source added.
"He's there until the merger has bedded down," said another source who spoke to Glencore traders about the change.
A spokesman for Glencore Xstrata declined to comment.
Fegel, one of Glencore's most senior executives and among its largest shareholders, has run the division alone since the departure of co-head Steven Blumgart in January 2012.
He was reconfirmed as head of the aluminum arm early this month when the group unveiled the merged entity's management team. His departure will come as an unwelcome surprise just as Glencore begins its biggest ever integration challenge.
The departure may also raise questions about the retention of top talent at the merged miner and trader. The takeover led to the departure of all but one of Xstrata's divisional heads. Glencore bosses have taken 12 of 14 top divisional jobs.
Fegel is a long-time top trader at Glencore. He joined the firm in 2001, took over co-management of the aluminum division in 2006, and became a paper billionaire when Glencore went public in 2011. He now owns a 1.2 percent stake in Glencore Xstrata, worth almost $800 million at current prices.
With Fegel's departure, attention will focus on his key lieutenants, Matthew Lucke and Andrew Caplan, who are viewed as the company's top traders for aluminum and alumina, respectively. Both would be considered contenders for the top job, but there could be further departures, sources said.
The source familiar with the company's operations said the change reflected Glencore's natural "evolutionary process," where ambitious traders in a division jostle to move up when a top executive "is perceived to be easing off." The source said Fegel's departure was "really no surprise."
As part of the 100-day review, Glencore's top managers may consider a shake-up of the department, one source said. The aluminum group, one of the firm's six mining and metals divisions, has seen more turnover at the top than other parts of Glencore, a company in which loyalty is fiercely prized.
Lucke, who has been with Glencore for 17 years, worked as a senior trader on the U.S. aluminum team in the firm's Connecticut office until he moved to headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, last year, a step seen as a promotion, according to people who know him. He also runs the trading book for caustic soda and coke, both used to produce aluminum.
Caplan is a more recent hire. He joined Glencore as an alumina trader from Trafigura in 2007 and now runs the firm's global trading book for the material. He is listed as a director of Century Aluminum, a primary aluminum producer with plants in the eastern United States and Iceland.
(For a graphic on Glencore's current management structure, click on: http://link.reuters.com/juz77t)
XSTRATA OVERLAP
The change in leadership comes at a tumultuous time in the primary aluminum market, and follows a period in which Glencore has reduced its ownership of producing assets.
LME prices are languishing at close to four-year lows due to global overcapacity and concerns about weakening demand from China, the world's No. 1 aluminum consumer.
Unlike the other metal and mining divisions, there is no overlap with Xstrata in Glencore's aluminum business, which includes bauxite and alumina, raw materials for aluminum production. Xstrata focused on producing copper, nickel, zinc and some steelmaking raw materials.
In a three-way deal in 2007 that created Russia's United Co RUSAL Plc , the world's largest aluminum producer, Glencore offloaded its alumina assets in exchange for an 8 percent stake in the Russian company.
But Glencore is still the most influential player in the 50 million metric ton a year aluminum market. Two years ago it estimated that it controlled 38 percent of the "addressable" global market - a figure that excludes supplies that are not freely traded - of alumina, and 22 percent of aluminum.
In 2009, Glencore saved RUSAL from collapse after agreeing to buy the Russian producer's output for cash over several years. That deal was renewed in 2011 and gives Glencore a big portion of RUSAL's production, traders said.
The acquisition of warehousing group Pacorini in 2010 strengthened Glencore's grip on the physical metal trade, giving it access to low-cost storage and a vast logistics network. London Metal Exchange warehouses in the Dutch city Vlissingen, most of them owned by Pacorini, hold about a third of all LME-registered aluminum stocks.
Its only remaining stakes in aluminum and alumina assets are a major share in Century Aluminum and Sherwin Alumina in Texas, which extracts alumina from raw material bauxite.
(Reporting By Josephine Mason in New York; Additional reporting by Clara Ferreira Marques in London; Editing by Jonathan Leff and John Wallace)
Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL) introduced a new transparency bill last week called the End Anonymous Patents Act (H.R. 2024, PDF)?the third piece of legislation in the last year to take on the problem of patent trolls.
The bill sets out to solve what Professor Colleen Chien refers to as the "Who Owns What" problem: we currently don't have an effective way of confirming who owns a particular patent, nor do we know what patents a particular person or company owns. A combination of poor record-keeping infrastructure and practices, as well as scheming businesses that transfer patent ownership to shell companies, has resulted in a hazy patent system where the lack of transparency has become a competitive tool. Rep. Deutch's bill provides a welcome fix to a legitimate problem with patent transparency, but repairing one component still leaves us with a broken machine. Real patent reform must be bigger.
The law already requires parties to file notice when a patent's ownership is transferred at the Patent Office, but this bill would put real teeth in these provisions (which are often ignored) by making sure a patentee cannot collect damages if they had failed to meet this requirement. The term "real party in interest" means the person or entity that would benefit from a lawsuit; this bill would require real parties in interest to be disclosed to the Patent Office, including disclosure of "any entity that has the legal right to enforce the patent through an infringement action." For example, the patent troll Intellectual Ventures notoriously hides behind more than?2,000 shell companies. This shell game allows parties who benefit from settlements and licenses to remain secret the whole time, and such companies have the ability to hide until an infringement case passes their way.
Currently, the patent system's structure makes it nearly impossible to know which patent belongs to what company. An excellent study?by Tom Ewing and Robin Feldman called "The Giants Among Us" attempts to map out Intellectual Ventures' thousands of shell companies to great difficulty and incomplete success. This doesn't make any sense. The patent system relies on what's known as the "patent bargain," an exchange of exclusive rights for an invention in exchange for public disclosure about the invention. This stems straight from the Constitution, which gives the government the ability to "promote the progress of science and useful arts" while also securing rights for inventors. Navigating the current patent system in a way that actually promotes progress requires an awareness of the competitive landscape. But right now, knowing who owns what is far from easy.
All of this patent subterfuge?coupled with a system that promotes such schemes?has created a state of play where litigation is favored over competition.
The Patent Office's record-keeping problem is a known one, and there have been multiple solutions put forth to fix it. EFF's Defend Innovation campaign, which includes seven proposals that provide crucial fixes to the patent system, features a separate fix that includes the disclosure of not only patent ownership records but also licenses (barring relevant trade secrets). That being said, Rep. Deutch's End Anonymous Patents bill provides a necessary step towards transparency in the patent system.
With Rep. Deutch's bill, Sen. Schumer's Patent Quality Improvement Act, and Reps. DeFazio's and Chaffetz'?SHIELD Act, there are now?three proposed fixes to the patent troll problem. While we should support these patches with full force, let's take advantage of this renewed interest?in overhauling the patent system to tackle the larger issues that have led to the problems we're seeing today.
The folks behind such games as the original Max Payne and Alan Wake are crafting a next-gen experience for the Xbox One in "Quantum Break." The tease video we saw showed a young girl, in real life, with her parents -- she apparently sees through time, and is able to convey what she sees, as she places a hand on her mother which shows her a massive war ship crashing through a bridge. We're then taken to an office building lobby being shot up. It's ... not clear at all what all this has to do with anything, but there you have it. We'll have more details as soon as possible.
It's Xbox day! Almost exactly 8 years after the announcement of the Xbox 360, Microsoft is back with another one. We're live on the ground at Microsoft's Xbox campus in Redmond, where the company is about to show its next-generation console for the very first time. We'll be bringing you the news as it breaks with our up-to-the-second liveblog. Join us, won't you?
Seriously, what is the deal with allll those janky lyrics sites? You google the lyrics for Random Access Memory and you're suddenly transported to the early 2000s. It's sort of surreal. I'm not the first person to mention this by far, and yet the lyrics world just seems to stagnate.
There are new lyrics apps sometimes that are pretty, but the fact is we're all just looking to resolve an "are we human or we dancer" debate and get on with our lives. What features would you appreciate if these sites decided to actually exist in any aesthetic vaguely reminiscent of 2013? What would be value-added for you?
So, what does it take to be a ?Paul Heyman Guy?? Every day, I get calls, emails and tweets from people who want to know how to join the select group of those who can genuinely be called ?Paul Heyman Guys.?
Sorry to tell you, but there?s no application. No set criterion. No crash course to take. A ?Paul Heyman Guy? is someone on whom I?ve focused all my energies and championed their cause and for whom I?ve fought to the point of my own self-detriment.
Watch videos of Paul Heyman with his "Guys"
I am, admittedly, even to this day, a great admirer of those who possess the talent to change this industry. I am, at heart, a fan. And as a fan, my heart beats faster when I?m in the presence of greatness (Not just a great wrestler. Not just a great entertainer. Not just a great personality.)???true, through-and-through greatness, the kind that must be developed, nurtured, crafted and then turned loose onto the WWE Universe.
Ever since CM Punk delivered his first ?pipe bomb? two years ago and alerted the world to the behind-the-scenes term ?Paul Heyman Guy,? many have wondered ?well, just who are these rare individuals?? For the very first time, let?s?examine that list.
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman. And these are my ?Guys?!
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang waves to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, as he leaves the Indian Presidential Palace after his ceremonial reception in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, Li visited India on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang waves to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, as he leaves the Indian Presidential Palace after his ceremonial reception in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, Li visited India on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang, right, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wave during Li's ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, center, lays a wreath during a visit to Rajghat, the memorial to the late Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, left, pays floral tribute during a visit to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, left, talks to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, Li visited India on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
NEW DELHI (AP) ? The leaders of India and China played down their recent border dispute and other tensions Monday, pledging to work together for regional stability and the economic growth of the world's two most populous nations.
Friction has been building between the Asian giants in recent years as they vie for regional influence and access to fuel needed to feed their growing economies. Li Keqiang's trip to India, his first visit abroad since becoming Chinese premier, seems intended to minimize those tensions.
The three-day visit is part of an outreach mission by the new Chinese leadership to large emerging economies aimed at balancing Beijing's fraught ties with the United States.
In that vein, Li ? and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ? sought Monday to focus on the opportunities for cooperation between their nations.
"Both the prime minister and I believe that there are far more shared interests between China and India than the differences we have," Li said at a joint news conference.
"Without the common development of China and India, Asia won't become strong and the world won't become a better place," he said.
The summit was far heavier on symbolism than substance. The two sides signed eight minor agreements. But both leaders insisted the cooperation was important, and they promised to build on it, announcing that Singh would make a visit to China later in the year.
"I shared with Premier Li my view that the rise of China and India is good for the world and that the world has enough space to accommodate the growth aspirations of both our peoples. To make this a reality, it is important to build understanding between our two peoples," Singh said.
"We agreed that both sides must work to strengthen greater trust and confidence, which, in turn, will permit much larger cooperation," he added.
But the two nations have deep disputes, including China's unwavering support of India's archrival, Pakistan. The presence in India of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile are a constant irritant to China.
China already sees itself as Asia's great power, while India hopes its increasing economic and military might ? though still far below its neighbor's ? will eventually put it in the same league.
While China has worked to shore up relationships with Nepal and Sri Lanka in India's traditional South Asian sphere of influence, India has been venturing into partnerships with Southeast Asian nations.
Even their $61.5 billion in trade last year was a source of tension because it was heavily skewed in favor of China. Singh said he spoke to Li about getting greater access to Chinese markets for Indian goods.
Their most volatile dispute remains their border disagreement, which led to a bloody war in 1962 and flared up last month, just weeks before Li's planned visit.
India said Chinese troops crossed the de facto border on April 15 and pitched camp in the Depsang Valley in the Ladakh region of eastern Kashmir. New Delhi responded with diplomatic protests and then moved its soldiers just 300 meters (yards) from the Chinese position.
The two sides negotiated a peaceful end to the standoff three weeks later by withdrawing troops to their original positions in the Ladakh area.
Li said they spoke candidly about the dispute. Both leaders said they agreed that preserving peace along the border was crucial to maintaining growth and asked mediators from both countries to work toward a framework for reaching a settlement.
During the talks, both sides agreed that Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon will visit China within weeks to discuss the border issue, Indian Ambassador to China S. Jaishankar told reporters. He said Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony is also scheduled to visit China soon.
Indian media reports said a border cooperation agreement under negotiation proposes a freezing of troop levels in the disputed border region as the two countries make efforts to settle the issue.
India says China is occupying 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin plateau in the western Himalayas, while China claims around 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The two sides have held 15 rounds of fruitless border talks over the past decade.
In a joint statement, the two sides agreed to cooperate on energy and environmental conservation and disaster management and to address their trade imbalance while trying to increase trade to $100 billion by 2015.
Li's Indian mission is part of China's broader international outreach intended to balance its relations with Washington.
"As the two largest economies of the world and the most important political powers of the Asia-Pacific region, China-U.S. relations in every respect still remain the pivot of China's foreign policies," said Wang Lian, an international relations scholar at Peking University in Beijing. But, Wang said, "as China's political and economic influence increase continuously, China needs to boost its bilateral and multilateral relations with developing countries so as not to totally rely on its relations with the U.S."
Chinese state media heralded Li's India visit with headlines that the "Dragon and elephant dance together" and coverage that emphasized common interests ? trade and regional peace ? and played down divisions.
Ultimately, Beijing hopes that making common cause with India and the other big emerging economies will help them rewrite the rules of the U.S.-dominated international order. Li's boss, Communist Party chief Xi Jinping, made his first overseas trip to Russia and then to South Africa for a summit of those new big economies, the BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Ambassador to India Wei Wei said Beijing and Delhi are working together on climate change, world trade rules and revising the international finance system. The cooperation "shows the two countries' crucial role on major issues of global governance," the ambassador was quoted as saying.
Li is to visit Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany after leaving India.
___
Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report.
___
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By: Michell Gilbreath We will not want to continue concealment because immigration, at when, you can grab, "will say Radi Abdoel-Khan, chief advice for Immigration and also Integration Ministry.
For now indeed there is no go out to close that door, that might be understood as a state administration amnesty presiding Michael Eman, nevertheless Abdoel-Khan suggests not rest. In Aruba it illegal for people to take greater than a season undocumented. Also check youtu.be "The strategy of the Minister Eman is the isle is a land of God and additionally we are really rendered to that land. Everyone is welcome right here and what exactly is in our energy to help them to have stability in this case let's do it," can say advisor . They arubianas authorities accept that 60 percent of the population is not born with the island, and additionally brought to the Colombian plus the biggest colony with about 20,000 members, of that only 11,724 have their documentation so as. At continue to some 9,000 Colombians Dominicans, and Venezuelans 8000. The remainder are actually Chinese immigrants, Peruvians, Ecuadorians, Haitians.
A court has, soon after 2 many years of implementation of the amnesty, have resolved their situation 1,000 people, a high percentage of Colombia. "Whenever the very first immigrants a century ago, they provided to everything we have now, and are important for all of us because you depend upon their work. Today, those who are contributing to the growth which provides them the right to no less than, fix their unlawful standing, "can say Abdoel-Khan.
Prime Minister of Aruba, Michael Eman, does not seem ideal that men and women that invested over 5 years upon the island, for a formality, needing to say "you need to get out of right here, and additionally his kids were produced right here." Even while Eman features the goal of amnesty, warns needs which need to be came across, and demonstrate good behavior and additionally be working. "The people we are assisting are really contributing to the development of Aruba," he reiterates.
The Colombian position The new Consul related with Colombia within the island, Tarquin Camargo Pacheco says which the objective entrusted by the state administration of Chairman Juan Manuel Santos to diplomats is assure all of the Colombian legal rights abroad. "One sees commonly in people living overseas which have migrated their liberties not any longer are available, and is totally false," your man says.
Pacheco's task will be to update the census, together with the help related with the Ministry related with Incorporation Organization Aruba and also Aruba's Colombian friends, and also which includes the legality related with remain related with some 8,000 Colombians. "You are in the campaign to make the town which is irregularly legalize their situation. They do not have to worry. Want them anywhere close to the consulate and provide information to get started on, along while using the government related with Aruba, the respective treatments thus entitled to the social policies of the island, "the consul, who releases the contribution of Colombians in wellness professional services, education, construction, trade and business. Marielis Molinares Tejada, chairman related with the Association and additionally with almost 15 years in Aruba, additionally features the help the Colombians in Arubiana economic climate, most especially in tourism, construction and additionally trade. "For in which you can find give objective Colombia. Here you found an atmosphere of great honesty, tranquility," will say the Barranquilla that head a bilingual class.
About the Author: Y?u d? not want to ?arr? on covering be?au?e ?mmigr?tion, at ?n the event, you are able to g?ab, "will say Radi Abdoel-Khan, chief advise for Immigration and Integration Ministry.
For now indeed there is no big date to close which doorway, that are studied as a state administration amnesty presiding Michael Eman, however Abdoel-Khan recommends not rest. In Aruba it unlawful for citizens to take greater than a year undocumented.
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<em>Series premieres Wed., May 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: Starring J.K. Simmons and Kyle Bornheimer, "Family Tools" centers on a guy who returns home to take over his dad's hardware business when he finds himself jobless.
"MythBusters" (Discovery Channel)
<em>Season 10 premieres Wed., May 1 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> What To Know</strong>: This season there will be a "Breaking Bad" themed episode and the crew will tackle myths such as "Are women better than men at multitasking?" and "Which is more sanitary: drying your hands with a hand dryer or a hand towel?"
"The Big Brain Theory" (DSC)
<em>Series premieres Wed., May 1 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: Hosted by Kal Penn, this reality competition show will give contestants 30 minutes to solve a daunting engineering challenge.
"Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous" (MTV)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> The series follows Zach (Bo Burnham), who hires a camera crew to film him throughout his daily life as a part of his quest to become an overnight celebrity ? even though he possesses no real talent. From Zach?s attempts to become a celebrity chef or a ring-tone recording artist to purposefully going missing, he?ll try any avenue to get noticed and stop at nothing until he reaches fame.
"The Show With Vinny" (MTV)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 2 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> For the legions who can't say goodbye to "Jersey Shore" just yet, the legacy continues as we follow GTLer Vinny into his sure-to-be-scintillating home life. The premise has random "celebrities" dropping by his house for impromptu interviews -- and Vinny going to visit their homes, too.
"Newlyweds: The First Year" (Bravo)
<em>Series premieres Mon., May 6 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Bravo's new eight-episode docu-series follows four newlywed couples and their most personal moments, from their wedding day to their first anniversary. There's bi-coastal Christian couple Kimberly and Alaska; domestic partners Jeff and Blair, who are 16 years apart; Indian pop star Tina and her modeled-turned-tech-geek husband Tarz; and suburbanites Kathryn and John.
"Million Dollar Listing: New York" (Bravo)
<em>Season 2 premieres Wed., May 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Because we're all so fascinated by real estate that we could never realistically afford, this show is returning for a second season. C'mon, it's fun to live vicariously.
"Wipeout" (ABC)
<em>Season 6 premieres Thurs., May 9 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> With Season 5 episodes titled "Hillbilly Wipeout," "Gorillas In Our Midst" and "Hotties vs. Nerds 2.0," there can only be more magic in store for Season 6. Viewers of all stripes love watching people hurt themselves in new and remarkable ways.
"Family Tree" (HBO)
<em>Series premieres Sun., May 12 at 10:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> "Bridesmaids" funnyman Chris O'Dowd stars in Christopher Guest's ("Best in Show") new documentary-style series about a hapless thirtysomething trying to find meaning in his life by tracing his heritage.
"Long Island Medium" (TLC)
<em>Season 4 premieres Sun., May 12 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> We were hoping that those nails and that hair would be around for another season -- and our wish came true! Theresa Caputo is back, communicating with the dead, for at least another 30 episodes.
?Breaking Amish: Brave New World? (TLC)
<em>Season 2 premieres Sun., May 12 at10 p.m. ET .</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Speculation and accusations about the show?s ?reality? aside, ?Breaking Amish? was a hit for TLC. Now, the five Amish and Mennonite rebels, who moved to New York City in the show?s first season, are headed south to Florida ... but trouble seems to follow them wherever they go.
"Small Town Security" (AMC)
<em>Season 2 premieres Thurs., May 9 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> In Season 1, we met the owners and employees of JJK Security in small-town Ringgold, Georgia, and Season 2 will offer more insight into the unscripted lives of this unusual group, including Dennis' ongoing journey in his gender transition from female to male.
"So You Think You Can Dance" (Fox)
<em>Season 10 premieres Tues., May 14 at 8 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> After a season of intense competition, Eliana Girard and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp took home first place wins, both for ballet, while Tiffany Maher was the female runner-up for jazz and Cyrus Spencer was the male runner-up for popping/animation.
"Motive" (ABC)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 23 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Billed as a unique, original approach to the typical cop drama, "Motive" operates backwards. Each episode starts off showing the victim, and then works its way towards finding the perpetrator and his/her motivations by the end of the episode.
"The Goodwin Games" (Fox)
<em>Series premieres Mon., May 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know: </strong> The Fox comedy centers on estranged siblings Henry (Scott Foley), Chloe (Becki Newton) and Jimmy (T.J. Miller) as they attempt to "rediscover their lives" with the money their father left them.
"MasterChef" (Fox)
<em>Season 4 premieres Wed., May 22 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The home cook competition crowned its third consecutive female winner last season, Christine Ha. Cool fact: She is legally blind. No telling what twists they'll have this season.
"Rookie Blue" (ABC)
<em>Season 4 premieres Thurs., May 23 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The last time we saw the cops at 15 Division, they were all in the midst of making some serious decisions about their lives -- including career calls, a possible transfer and, for Andy, a major emotional choice.
"Save Me" (NBC)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 23 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> After a near-death experience, Beth (Anne Heche) is revived only to realize she now has a direct line to God. Of course, her husband Tom (Michael Landes) is skeptical and dismissive -- but when inexplicable things begin to happen, everyone?s beliefs are tested.
"The Bachelorette" (ABC)
<em>Season 9 premieres Mon., May 20 at 9 p.m ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Emily Maynard of North Carolina thought she'd finally found love in Jef Holm, but after only being engaged for a short time, they broke up. Here's to hoping "Bachelor" contestant Desiree Hartsock has better luck!
"Arrested Development" (Netflix)
<em>Season 4 premieres Mon., May 26 at 12:01 a.m. PT.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The Bluths are finally back, but there's no telling where and how we'll actually find them. One thing we do know: Each of the nine main characters will have their own episode in this season's 15-episode order, chronicling what they've been up to the last seven years. Some may cross over, but they'll all be complementary -- and they're all meant to set up an eventual "AD" movie. Considering the season will all be available the day it premieres, it sounds pretty perfect for a marathon viewing.
"The Glades" (A&E)
<em>Season 4 premieres Mon., May 27 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> In the Season 3 finale, Jim (Matt Passmore) proposed to Callie (Kiele Sanchez), even though she passed her board exam and may move to Atlanta. But she didn't respond yet ...
"Longmire" (A&E)
<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., May 27 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Did Walt Longmire murder his wife's killer? Season 1 saw flashbacks of the Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, that would support the theory, but when the FBI asked him in the Season 1 finale, he simply said, "No."
"Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" (ABC)
<em>Season 3 premieres Tues., May 28 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> As in the seasons before it, "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" will center on a group of people losing large amounts of weight over the course of a year through diet and exercise.
"Brooklyn DA" (CBS)
<em>Series premieres Tues., May 28 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: The six-part series takes viewers behind the scenes of the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. ADA Kathleen Collins (pictured) is just one of the profiled attorneys. "When you?re on trial, there?s never a day that you really go home and don?t feel stressed," she said.
"The American Baking Competition" (CBS)
<em>Series premieres Wed., May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Based on a popular British reality competition, this new Jeff Foxworthy-hosted show features 10 home cooks vying for the title of best amateur baker in America, as well as a contract to publish their own cookbook and a $250,000 grand prize. Not bad for a couple of pies work, huh?
"Melissa & Joey" (ABC Family)
<em>Season 3 premieres Wed., May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Joe married Russian businesswoman Elena, but then she received a call that prompted her to fly back to Russia to testify for one of her innocent colleagues. The Season 2 finale ended with Mel -- who officiated the wedding -- and Joe toasting to the next "Mrs. Longo," wherever she may be.
"Baby Daddy" (ABC Family)
<em>Season 2 premieres Wed., March 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET. </em>
<strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Ben and Riley's friend Katie faced some major drama when they found themselves in bed together after a night of partying. The only problem with their little tryst was that Katie was supposed to get married (to someone else) the next day. Luckily, they soon find out that nothing happened, and Riley and Ben share a romantic dance.
"Dancing Fools" (ABC Family)
<em>Series premieres Wed., May 29 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know: </strong> The half-hour comedy clip show, hosted by "Baby Daddy" star Melissa Peterman, features the funniest, most outrageous and memorable dances caught on camera. The dancers from the top two clips of the week compete on stage for a chance to win $10,000.
"The Killing" (AMC)
<em>Season 3 premieres Sun., June 2 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Season 2 ended with Rosie Larsen's Aunt Terry being arrested for her murder. Detectives Linden (Mireille Enos) and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) got a call about a new case, but Linden wanted no part of it. Season 3 picks up a year later, with Holder searching for a runaway girl and discovering a string of murders connected to one of Linden's old cases. Though Linden is no longer a detective, she inevitably gets pulled back in.
"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" (Bravo)
<em>Season 5 premieres Sun., June 2 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> Where We Left Off</strong>: The "Housewives" were fractured -- to say the least -- but the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy brings new beginnings for the first ladies of the Garden State. Of course things could certainly go sour yet again.
"Princesses: Long Island" (Bravo)
<em>Series premieres Sun., June 2 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: The reality series follows six college-educated women from affluent areas of Long Island who are still living with their families.
?Keeping Up With the Kardashians? (E!)
<em>Season 8 premieres Sun., May 20 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Kim and Kanye?s relationship was just breaking the Internet, and now we?ll see it all on screen -- including their baby drama. Khloe?s fertility issues continue, but new ?castmember? Brody Jenner -- Bruce?s son from a previous marriage who is no stranger to reality TV -- looks to be this season?s biggest diva.
"Mistresses" (ABC)
<em>Series premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Soapy drama "Mistresses" stars Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes and Jes Macallan as four friends all struggling with different issues in their love lives, with men (including Jason George) and other women complicating matters. And as the title suggests, some of them are flirting with disaster and becoming mistresses themselves.
?The Fosters? (ABC Family)
<em>Series premieres Mon., June 3 at 9 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>What To Know: </strong>This new one-hour drama from executive producer Jennifer Lopez follows a multi-ethnic, blended family, being raised by two working moms, as they welcome another troubled child into their home.
"Teen Wolf" (MTV)
<em>Season 3 premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> At the end of last season, Allison broke up with Scott, Peter warned Isaac and Derek that a new pack made up entirely of Alpha werewolves was coming, and said Alphas trapped Boyd and Erica in the woods, leaving viewers uncertain of their fate. Season 3 will pick up four months later, and focus on the introduction of the Alpha pack and the havoc they wreak.
"Push Girls" (Sundance Channel)
<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Throughout Sesaon 1 we got to know Auti, Mia, Tiphany and Chelsie, four women living in Hollywood who also happen to all be in wheelchairs. Season 2 will follow the foursome's new loves and new adventures, including 21-year-old Chelsie's decision to move out of her parents' home.
"America's Got Talent" (NBC)
<em>Season 8 premieres Tues., June 4 at 9 p.m. ET</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Last season, traveling dog act Olate Dogs was crowned the winner. This year, a new crop of performers will compete for the $1 million prize. Spice Girl Mel B. and Heidi Klum join the judging panel with Howie Mandel and Howard Stern.
"Burn Notice" (USA)
<em>Season 7 premieres Thursday, June 6 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> In an effort to get more information on Riley, Michael sent Bly to tail her to a meeting with the cartel kingpin, but a cartel member disguised as security blew up Bly's car, killing him and destroying the evidence they collected on Riley. Michael later incapacitated Riley and got her to agree to confess. Then, Fiona, Madeline, Sam and Jesse were released from their prison cells. Michael explained he "did what [he] had to do," but Fiona corrected him, saying, "You did what you wanted to do."
?Graceland? (USA)
<em>"Graceland" premieres Thurs., June 6 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> This cop drama, starring Daniel Sunjata and Aaron Tveit, follows a special group of law enforcement agents from the FBI, the DEA and U.S. Customs who all live under the same roof in sunny Southern California. Like frat guys (and girls), but with badges.
"The Hero" (TNT)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., June 6 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is producing this competition series to test the strength, courage and integrity of a diverse group of nine individuals. Each week, the contestants will be challenged physically, mentally and morally as they try to prove that they truly deserve the title of "The Hero" and the life-changing grand prize that goes with it.
"72 Hours" (TNT)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., June 6 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Contestants on this "Survivor"-esque reality show are dropped into the wilderness with only a bottle of water and a GPS device on a mission to find a briefcase filled with $100,000.
"Continuum" (Syfy)
<em>Season 2 premieres Fri., June 7 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> According to series lead Rachel Nichols, Season 2 is all about responsibility. Kiera, Alec and even the terrorists at Liber8 all have to make intense choices that could change the very fabric of their worlds.
"Dexter" (Showtime)
<em>Season 8 premieres Sun., June 30 at 9 p.m. ET.</em>
<strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Deb finally learned the truth about Dexter's dark secret, and took a page out of her step-brother's book in the shocking season finale. Can she live with what she did? And can Dexter escape the series without being brought to justice in this final season?
"Being Human" (BBC America)
<em>Season 5 premieres Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Our favorite supernatural threesome is back from across the pond for their fifth and final season where they'll finally confront the Devil, once and for all. No biggie.
"Sinbad" (Syfy)
<em>Series premiere Sat., June 8 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> The 12-episode British series follows the epic sea journey of the flawed hero Sinbad (Elliot Knight), who embarks on a quest to rid himself of a curse and embrace his destiny. Look for "Lost" alum Naveen Andrews as Lord Akbari.
"Primeval: New World" (Syfy)
<em>Series premieres Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> What To Know</strong>: The 13-episode first season follows a team of animal experts and scientists that investigate paranormal events.
"Falling Skies" (TNT)
<em>Season 3 premieres Sun., June 9 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Last season ended with the arrival of a new species of alien, and Anne became pregnant with Tom's child. Season 3 will explore whether the new alien is on the side of the humans or has another dark purpose in mind. We'll also learn what happened to Hal while he was unconscious, and what that might mean for the rebellion.
"Switched At Birth" (ABC Family)
<em>Season 2 summer premiere Mon., June 10 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off</strong>: "Switched At Birth" left on a big cliffhanger: Daphne struggled to keep the Carlton School for the Deaf open, John's campaign for office came to a startling halt and Emmett told Bay about Daphne and Noah's kiss.
"Major Crimes" (TNT)
<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., June 10 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off</strong>: Rusty became a ward of the state to the delight of everybody, and Captain Raydor continued to gain the trust and respect of the Major Crimes unit.
?King & Maxwell? (TNT)
<em>Series premieres Mon., June 10 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Based on author David Baldacci?s bestselling private eye series, Rebecca Romijn and Jon Tenney star as the titular former Secret Service agents now working as private investigators who aren?t always by-the-books.
"Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family)
<em>Season 4 premieres Tues., June 11 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Red Coat, who looked a whole lot like Ali, saved Emily, Aria, Hanna and Mona from a fire, while Spencer looked on in shock. The first episode of Season 4 is titled "A Is For A-L-I-V-E" and <a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/394204/spoiler-chat-scoop-on-pretty-little-liars-once-upon-a-time-revolution-new-girl-and-more" target="_hplink">E! News reports that viewers will meet Marion, Toby's mother</a>, who was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaimie-etkin/pretty-little-liars-recap_b_2673316.html" target="_hplink">revealed to be dead in Season 3, Episode 18, "Dead To Me."</a> "All of the questions fans have will be answered," <a href="http://www.wetpaint.com/pretty-little-liars/articles/pretty-little-liars-star-sasha-pieterse-dishes-on-season-4-questions-will-be-answered-exclusive" target="_hplink">star Sasha Pieterse told Wetpaint Entertainment recently</a> of Season 4.
NASA builds unusual testbed for analyzing X-ray navigation technologiesPublic release date: 20-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lori Keesey lori.j.keesey@nasa.gov 301-258-0192 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Pulsars have a number of unusual qualities. Like zombies, they shine even though they're technically dead, and they rotate rapidly, emitting powerful and regular beams of radiation that are seen as flashes of light, blinking on and off at intervals from seconds to milliseconds. A NASA team has built a first-of-a-kind testbed that simulates these distinctive pulsations.
The pulsar-on-a-table, known as the Goddard X-ray Navigation Laboratory Testbed, was built to test and validate a next-generation X-ray navigation technology to be demonstrated on a dual-use instrument recently selected as a NASA Explorer Mission of Opportunity.
"This is a unique capability," said Jason Mitchell, an engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who helped develop the tabletop-size facility that simulates the rapid-fire pulsations that distinguish this unusual class of stars, considered the densest objects in the universe. "We needed a capability that would let us retire technological risks early and test as many of the technology's components as possible," he said.
NICER/SEXTANT Mission
The facility is validating advanced technologies for the Neutron-star Interior Composition Explorer/Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology, or "NICER/SEXTANT," for short. Slated to fly on the International Space Station in 2017, the instrument will study the interior compositions of neutron stars largely through observations of their pulsating next-of-kin, pulsars, and from the same platform, demonstrate pulsar-based navigation, also called XNAV, a concept advanced after the discovery of these objects in 1967.
Pulsars offer a potentially revolutionary navigational solution because of their rapid rotation and the powerful beams of light that emanate from their magnetic poles. On Earth, these beams are seen as flashes of light, blinking on and off as the pulsar rotates into view. Because of their predictable pulsations, they can provide high-precision timing just like the atomic-clock signals supplied through the 26-satellite, military-operated GPS.
However, unlike GPS signals, which are geared to Earth-based applications, pulsars are accessible in virtually every conceivable flight regime, from low-Earth to interplanetary science, making the technology ideal for travel throughout the solar system and beyond.
From its berth on the International Space Station, the NICER/SEXTANT instrument will use its 56 bundled X-ray telescopes, silicon detectors and other advanced technologies to detect X-ray photons in the pulsars' powerful beams of light to estimate their arrival times. With these measurements, the system will stitch together an onboard, completely autonomous navigational solution using specially developed algorithms.
"X-ray navigation has the potential to become an enabling technology for very deep space exploration and an important augmentation to NASA's Deep Space Network" (the network of ground stations that communicate with spacecraft to make course corrections), said co-developer Luke Winternitz, also of NASA Goddard, whose curriculum vitae also includes the development of another advanced navigation technology, the Navigator receiver that captures the GPS signal even in low-signal environments.
With the Explorer win, the NICER/SEXTANT team will begin building and integrating the telescope package and associated hardware and software.
But as with all spacecraft missions, end-to-end testing presents another set of challenges. "We had to have a way to test the technology," Winternitz said. "We have GPS constellation simulators that make our GPS receivers think they are in orbit; we needed something analogous for an XNAV receiver."
Mimicking Pulsar Pulsations
In essence, the pulsar-on-a-table does just that.
It leverages several Goddard-developed navigation and orbit-determination software tools and specialized hardware to mimic a pulsar's spin rates, its location in the sky, the station's orbital parameters, and other considerations needed to simulate the environment and conditions that NICER/SEXTANT will encounter when formulating a navigational solution. "You can change a lot of the parameters in the testbed and add hardware in the loop, to perform a full suite of tests," Winternitz said. "We now have a way to take our mission concept and test it fully."
A central component of GXNLT is Goddard's Modulated X-ray Source, which produces X-ray photons with rapidly varying intensity, turning on and off many times per second to simulate the target star's pulsations. Each MXS-produced photon travels through a short channel and impinges on a silicon-drift detector, where it receives a time stamp. The photon events are grouped into batches and processed by algorithms to extract pulse-arrival time and Doppler measurements. A set of tools then uses these measurements to estimate the orbital outpost's position all needed to ultimately formulate a navigational solution.
To ground-truth the calculations, the team will run comparisons with an onboard GPS receiver based on the Goddard-developed Navigator receiver. Two NASA missions will use the Navigator technology to acquire GPS signals in weak-signal areas. Experiments with the testbed have shown that NICER/SEXTANT, once deployed, will demonstrate real-time calculations with sub-kilometer accuracy, Winternitz said.
"The whole point is to test as you fly," Mitchell said. "This testbed enables that." But what is the facility's most notable attribute? It's the fact that "it can simulate a pulsar," Mitchell said. "To my knowledge, nothing in the world can do this."
###
For more information about the NICER/SEXTANT mission, visit http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/nicer/
For more Goddard technology news, visit http://gsfctechnology.gsfc.nasa.gov
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
NASA builds unusual testbed for analyzing X-ray navigation technologiesPublic release date: 20-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lori Keesey lori.j.keesey@nasa.gov 301-258-0192 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Pulsars have a number of unusual qualities. Like zombies, they shine even though they're technically dead, and they rotate rapidly, emitting powerful and regular beams of radiation that are seen as flashes of light, blinking on and off at intervals from seconds to milliseconds. A NASA team has built a first-of-a-kind testbed that simulates these distinctive pulsations.
The pulsar-on-a-table, known as the Goddard X-ray Navigation Laboratory Testbed, was built to test and validate a next-generation X-ray navigation technology to be demonstrated on a dual-use instrument recently selected as a NASA Explorer Mission of Opportunity.
"This is a unique capability," said Jason Mitchell, an engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who helped develop the tabletop-size facility that simulates the rapid-fire pulsations that distinguish this unusual class of stars, considered the densest objects in the universe. "We needed a capability that would let us retire technological risks early and test as many of the technology's components as possible," he said.
NICER/SEXTANT Mission
The facility is validating advanced technologies for the Neutron-star Interior Composition Explorer/Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology, or "NICER/SEXTANT," for short. Slated to fly on the International Space Station in 2017, the instrument will study the interior compositions of neutron stars largely through observations of their pulsating next-of-kin, pulsars, and from the same platform, demonstrate pulsar-based navigation, also called XNAV, a concept advanced after the discovery of these objects in 1967.
Pulsars offer a potentially revolutionary navigational solution because of their rapid rotation and the powerful beams of light that emanate from their magnetic poles. On Earth, these beams are seen as flashes of light, blinking on and off as the pulsar rotates into view. Because of their predictable pulsations, they can provide high-precision timing just like the atomic-clock signals supplied through the 26-satellite, military-operated GPS.
However, unlike GPS signals, which are geared to Earth-based applications, pulsars are accessible in virtually every conceivable flight regime, from low-Earth to interplanetary science, making the technology ideal for travel throughout the solar system and beyond.
From its berth on the International Space Station, the NICER/SEXTANT instrument will use its 56 bundled X-ray telescopes, silicon detectors and other advanced technologies to detect X-ray photons in the pulsars' powerful beams of light to estimate their arrival times. With these measurements, the system will stitch together an onboard, completely autonomous navigational solution using specially developed algorithms.
"X-ray navigation has the potential to become an enabling technology for very deep space exploration and an important augmentation to NASA's Deep Space Network" (the network of ground stations that communicate with spacecraft to make course corrections), said co-developer Luke Winternitz, also of NASA Goddard, whose curriculum vitae also includes the development of another advanced navigation technology, the Navigator receiver that captures the GPS signal even in low-signal environments.
With the Explorer win, the NICER/SEXTANT team will begin building and integrating the telescope package and associated hardware and software.
But as with all spacecraft missions, end-to-end testing presents another set of challenges. "We had to have a way to test the technology," Winternitz said. "We have GPS constellation simulators that make our GPS receivers think they are in orbit; we needed something analogous for an XNAV receiver."
Mimicking Pulsar Pulsations
In essence, the pulsar-on-a-table does just that.
It leverages several Goddard-developed navigation and orbit-determination software tools and specialized hardware to mimic a pulsar's spin rates, its location in the sky, the station's orbital parameters, and other considerations needed to simulate the environment and conditions that NICER/SEXTANT will encounter when formulating a navigational solution. "You can change a lot of the parameters in the testbed and add hardware in the loop, to perform a full suite of tests," Winternitz said. "We now have a way to take our mission concept and test it fully."
A central component of GXNLT is Goddard's Modulated X-ray Source, which produces X-ray photons with rapidly varying intensity, turning on and off many times per second to simulate the target star's pulsations. Each MXS-produced photon travels through a short channel and impinges on a silicon-drift detector, where it receives a time stamp. The photon events are grouped into batches and processed by algorithms to extract pulse-arrival time and Doppler measurements. A set of tools then uses these measurements to estimate the orbital outpost's position all needed to ultimately formulate a navigational solution.
To ground-truth the calculations, the team will run comparisons with an onboard GPS receiver based on the Goddard-developed Navigator receiver. Two NASA missions will use the Navigator technology to acquire GPS signals in weak-signal areas. Experiments with the testbed have shown that NICER/SEXTANT, once deployed, will demonstrate real-time calculations with sub-kilometer accuracy, Winternitz said.
"The whole point is to test as you fly," Mitchell said. "This testbed enables that." But what is the facility's most notable attribute? It's the fact that "it can simulate a pulsar," Mitchell said. "To my knowledge, nothing in the world can do this."
###
For more information about the NICER/SEXTANT mission, visit http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/nicer/
For more Goddard technology news, visit http://gsfctechnology.gsfc.nasa.gov
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Republicans lawmakers say the scandal over Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of conservative groups raises new doubts about President Obama?s health-insurance reform law.
By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / May 18, 2013
Republicans are hoping the furor over federal tax enforcers singling out conservative groups will ensnare their biggest target: President Barack Obama?s health care law. ?Now we?ve learned that the IRS, which is tasked with enforcing this very unpopular bill of Obamacare, the IRS admitted they targeted Americans,? Rep. Michele Bachmann said during floor debate this week on repealing the health care law.
Molly Riley/AP
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Now playing in a political theater near you: The IRS scandal meets Obamacare.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
Republicans in Congress are saying that the scandal over Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of tea party and other conservative groups raises new doubts about President Obama?s health-insurance reform law.
The reason is that the health care law gives the IRS an important role in things like administering tax credits, verifying whether people are eligible for subsidies, and checking whether citizens have complied with a new mandate to carry insurance or pay a fine.
?The power in our health care system should belong to patients and their families, not politicians ? and certainly not the tax man,? Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland said Saturday in the Republican Party?s weekly radio address.??Americans should be able to choose the coverage they need at a cost they can afford.?
This battle over Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act, is not new. House Republicans voted just this week to repeal it ? their 37th?such vote since its 2010 passage. Their criticisms have long included worries about an expansion of IRS power and overreach.
But the latest controversy about the IRS comes as the Obama administration is in a difficult home stretch of implementing the health law?s biggest elements ? notably ensuring that health insurance ?exchanges? exist in each state for Americans to use in sign-ups that begin later this year.
Even Democrats acknowledge that the administrative task is daunting. Republicans are painting the implementation as a tangle of bureaucracy that?s impeding job creation.
Congressman Harris introduced his brief address by saying that he was standing next to ?Red Tape Tower,? some 20,000 pages of regulations tied to Obamacare.?Then he brought up the role the IRS will play in implementation and enforcement of the act?s provisions.? ?? ?If we?ve learned anything this week, it?s that the IRS needs less power, not more,? said Harris. He added: ?It turns out that the IRS official who oversaw the operation that?s under scrutiny for targeting conservatives is now in charge of the IRS?s Obamacare office.?You can?t make this stuff up.?
President Barack Obama receives an honorary degree during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama receives an honorary degree during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama smiles during prayer at the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama waves to a crowd gathered at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on his way to give the commencement speech at Morehouse College, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)
ATLANTA (AP) ? President Barack Obama, in a soaring commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity, on Sunday told graduates of historically black Morehouse College to seize the power of their example as black men graduating from college and use it to improve people's lives.
The president said his success was due to "the special obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who need it most, people who didn't have the opportunities that I had ? because there but for the grace of God, go I. I might have been in their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And that motivates me."
Noting the Atlanta school's mission to cultivate, not just educate, good men, Obama said graduates should not be so eager to join the chase for wealth and material things, but instead should remember where they came from and not "take your degree and get a fancy job and nice house and nice car and never look back."
"So yes, go get that law degree. But if you do, ask yourself if the only option is to defend the rich and powerful, or if you can also find time to defend the powerless," Obama said. "Sure, go get your MBA, or start that business, we need black businesses out there. But ask yourself what broader purpose your business might serve, in putting people to work, or transforming a neighborhood."
"The most successful CEOs I know didn't start out intent on making money. Rather, they had a vision of how their product or service would change things, and the money followed," he said.
For those headed to medical school, Obama said, "Make sure you heal folks in underserved communities who really need it, too."
Before Obama arrived in Atlanta, thunderstorms drenched hundreds of people who gathered on the campus lawn for the outdoor ceremony, forcing many guests to wear clear plastic ponchos over what amounted to their Sunday-best clothes. Rain began falling again, accompanied by more thunder and lightning, minutes after Obama began to speak.
"I also have to say you all are going to get wet," he said. "I would be out there with you if I could. But Secret Service gets nervous, so I'm going to have to stay here, dry. But know that I'm with you in spirit."
Obama urged graduates to "inspire those who look up to you to expect more of themselves."
Obama used the speech to once again share his personal story of growing up without a father, confessing that along the way he made unspecified bad personal choices "like too many men in our community."
"Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down," he said. "I had a tendency to make excuses for me not doing the right thing. But one of the things that all of you have learned over the last four years is, there's no longer any room for excuses."
Speaking in personal terms as he often does when addressing predominantly black audiences, particularly of black males, the nation's first black president also spoke intimately of his desire to be a better father to daughters Malia and Sasha than his absent father was to him, and to be a better husband to his wife, Michelle.
He told the graduates to pay attention to their families, saying success in every other aspect of life means nothing without success at home.
"I was raised by a heroic single mother and wonderful grandparents who made incredible sacrifices for me. And I know there are moms and grandparents here today who did the same thing for all of you," he said. "But I still wish I had a father who was not only present, but involved. And so my whole life, I've tried to be for Michelle and my girls what my father wasn't for my mother and me. I've tried to be a better husband, a better father, and a better man.
"It's hard work that demands your constant attention, and frequent sacrifice. And Michelle will be the first to tell you that I'm not perfect," he continued. "Even now, I'm still learning how to be the best husband and father I can be. Because success in everything else is unfulfilling if we fail at family.
"I know that when I'm on my deathbed someday, I won't be thinking about any particular legislation I passed, or policy I promoted. I won't be thinking about the speech I gave, or the Nobel Prize I received," said Obama, 51. "I'll be thinking about a walk I took with my daughters, a lazy afternoon with my wife, whether I did right by all of them."
The speech was Obama's second commencement address of the season, following remarks last Sunday at Ohio State University in Columbus. His third and final graduation address will come Friday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
About 500 students received undergraduate degrees on Sunday and became "Morehouse Men."
After the speech, Obama joined about 100 people at a fundraiser at the office of the foundation of Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. It was the first of six money events that officials say he will headline for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is recruiting candidates and strategizing to keep control of the Senate in next year's midterm elections. Democrats will be defending more Senate seats than Republicans, including six held by long-serving Democratic senators who have decided not to seek re-election.
After briefly discussing the economy, early childhood education, energy independence, climate change and infrastructure, Obama said "the good news is we've got good, common-sense solutions that we can implement right now," on those issues. "The bad news is there's a shortage of common sense in Washington."
He told the donors, who paid anywhere from $10,000 per couple to $32,400 per couple to attend the fundraiser, that their support is important because it will help elect more non-ideological senators like Michael Bennet, D-Colo., "who don't come at this thinking there's just one way of doing things." Bennet chairs the campaign arm for Senate Democrats and introduced Obama at the event.
"That kind of approach, if we get a critical mass in the Senate, and we can potentially get a critical mass of folks like that in the House, means that the sky's the limit," Obama said. "Nothing can stop us."
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Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
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Public release date: 20-May-2013
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