Obama Nominates Astrophysicist to Head NSF

France Anne Cordova served as president of Purdue University from 2007 to 2012, and oversaw the creation of the Colombia?Purdue Institute for Scientific Research

By Helen Shen and Nature News Blog

France Anne Cordova speaking at Purdue University. Image: Mark Simons, Purdue University

Originally posted on the Nature news blog

Astrophysicist France Anne Cordova has been tapped to head the US National Science Foundation (NSF), which has been run by an acting director since March 2013. President Barack Obama?announced the pick on 31 July. If confirmed, Cordova would fill the gap left by Subra Suresh, who announced his resignation in February, after serving less than half of his six-year term leading the US$7 billion agency.

Cordova, who earned her doctorate from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, served as president of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, from 2007 to 2012. In 2010, she oversaw the creation of the Colombia-Purdue Institute for Scientific Research, which aims to foster scientific collaboration between the Colombia and the United States.

Earlier in her career, Cordova worked in the Earth and Space Sciences Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, and went on to lead the department of astronomy and astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. In September 1993, Cordova was named NASA?s first female chief scientist.

?She?s a very accomplished academic researcher,? says?Umar Mohideen, chairman of the physics and astronomy department at the University of California, Riverside, where Cordova served as chancellor from 2002-2007. ?She?s managed academia, and those are qualities that would make her a good choice.?

Cordova now begins the sometimes lengthy process of winning confirmation from the ?US Senate?? normally an easy process for candidates to lead NSF. But her nomination comes at a time when Republican lawmakers in the Senate have used procedural tactics to slow consideration of Obama administration picks. EPA chief Gina McCarthy was confirmed on 18 July after a historic delay caused by political infighting, and?Obama has struggled to fill several other top science positions.

This article is reproduced with permission from the Nature news blog. The article was first published on July 31, 2013.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/sciam/basic-science/~3/Yx45QRv-REQ/article.cfm

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Trio arrested in front of church; 'True Religion' heroin found

Police arrested three people in front of Sacred Heart Church Thursday after allegedly finding 350 bags of "True Religion" heroin in the trunk of their car.

Rafael Cruz, 34, of undetermined address; Alfred Smart, 28, of 81 Elmwood Ave., Bridgeport. and Ariane Rey, 34, of 4 Crescent St., Ansonia, were arrested shortly after an 8:45 p.m. traffic stop led to a search of their car on suspicion of drugs, Police Sgt. Chris Broem said. All face multiple multiple charges involving narcotics and conspiracy. Cruz and Smart are also charged with sale of narcotics.

The heroin has a street value of $7,000, police said. It was wrapped as though it had just been picked up that night, Broem said; Cruz told officers the three had been in the Bronx, N.Y., earlier that day. Broem said he is concerned about the presence of heroin in Stamford.

"They were on the streets of Stamford, that's not good," he said.

Broem, who came to the scene in support of Lt. Christopher Baker, who made the stop, said Smart, the driver, was stopped for a traffic violation.

Police then determined the Ford Focus he was driving had no insurance. Smart also had difficulty answering questions, Broem said and Cruz was nervous.

Five units had been sent out Thursday night to find and stop drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Broem said.

A police dog brought to the scene indicated there were drugs in the vehicle, he said. When officers popped open the trunk, they found 350 bags of heroin labeled "True Religion," Broem said. He said that label is usually reserved for high-quality heroin.

Smart and Cruz both were each held on $75,000 bond. Rey was released on a written promise to appear in court.

Source: http://www.greenwichtime.com/policereports/article/Trio-arrested-in-front-of-church-True-Religion-4676162.php

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Sony Video Unlimited adds persistent library, grants cross-device access

Using Sony's Video Unlimited platform just got a little more appealing. Prior to Shacknews' discovery of a change in the store's terms of service, once you purchased a video it was only available on the PlayStation device it was downloaded to. Now, there's parity between its storefront and the likes of iTunes and Amazon Video that allow media access from a range of hardware tied to your account. Frankly, it's long overdue but not the first time the hardware giant's been slow to evolve. We've reached out to Sony to see if this applies to gadgets not carrying PlayStation branding and will update if we hear back. Till then, take a moment to appreciate a fuller, more apt definition of "unlimited."

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Source: Sony Entertainment Network

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/15/sony-video-unlimited-persistent-library/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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NJ BPU approves PSE&G's $446 million solar plan

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The board that regulates New Jersey's public utilities on Wednesday approved a $446 million solar energy plan proposed by the state's largest utility, adding several recommendations aimed at increasing oversight of the nearly half-billion-dollar programs.

The Board of Public Utilities unanimously approved Public Service Electric and Gas's nearly $200 million extension of its solar loan program that targets mainly residential and business customers. A $247 million extension of a program that will develop solar installations primarily on unused landfills and former industrial sites passed by a 3-1 margin.

Board commissioner Jeanne Fox, who cast the vote against the extension of the Solar 4 All program, raised concerns that ratepayers will be required to fund the program and that the new solar development could flood the market for solar energy credits that utilities buy from solar producers. Prices for the credits have fallen in recent years because more solar energy was being produced than the utilities needed.

Terry Moran, PSE&G's director of solar market strategy and development, said the company doesn't anticipate the Solar 4 All program having a negative impact on the solar credits market since it is reduced by more than two-thirds ? from 136 megawatts in an original proposal to 45 megawatts ? and will be rolled out over three years. A megawatt is capable of powering about 1,000 homes.

"We feel the reduced program will help alleviate that risk," Moran said.

The BPU on Wednesday modified PSE&G's proposal to require the company to furnish the board with monthly financial and progress reports; submit within 30 days its criteria for selecting projects and developers and give the board and ratepayer advocate 10 days to review contracts before they are executed. PSE&G's proposal had provided for yearly reporting.

The Office of Rate Counsel had sought more oversight as part of its objections to PSE&G's filing, and had criticized the plan for giving the company an unfair market advantage since it will recover its costs by increases to ratepayers.

"We're glad to see that they at least were considering our objections and that they made some modifications based on that," director Stefanie Brand said.

Board commissioners who approved both programs spoke of the need for New Jersey to have a robust solar energy market but cautioned that it must proceed carefully.

"It is extremely important to have increased transparency," Joseph Fiordaliso said. "As an agency we have to monitor that very closely."

While landfills and brownfields are seen as prime locations for solar installations, so far they account for a tiny handful of the more than 20,000 solar projects already installed in New Jersey. Five landfill solar projects are in operation and about two dozen more are either in development or being considered, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

"We're gratified that the board has approved both of our filings," Moran said. "As we've said during the course of these proceedings, we felt both of these filings are consistent with and satisfy the state's energy master plan goals, so we're really looking forward to the process of implementing both of them."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nj-bpu-approves-pse-gs-201622340.html

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Obama: Gov't with Oklahoma 'every step' of the way

President Barack Obama tries to comfort Plaza Towers Elementary School principal Amy Simpson Sunday May 26, 2013, in Moore, Okla., as he views the devastation of the school caused by tornado and severe weather last week. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama tries to comfort Plaza Towers Elementary School principal Amy Simpson Sunday May 26, 2013, in Moore, Okla., as he views the devastation of the school caused by tornado and severe weather last week. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama walks across the tarmac to greet people as he arrives on Air Force One, Sunday, May 26, 2013, at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, Okla., en route to the Moore, Okla., to see the response to the severe tornadoes and weather that devastated the area. He will also visit with the families affected, and with first responders. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama greets people on the tarmac as he arrives Sunday, May 26, 2013, at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, Okla., en route to the Moore, Okla., to see the response to the severe tornadoes and weather that devastated the area. He will also visit with the families affected, and first responders. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama is greeted by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin as he arrives Sunday, May 26, 2013, at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, Okla., en route to the Moore, Okla., to see the response to the severe tornadoes and weather that devastated the area. He will also visit with the families affected, and first responders. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama and school officials view the destroyed Plaza Towers Elementary School, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Moore, Okla., following the devastating tornado and severe weather last week. At the far right is FEMA administrator W. Craig Fugate. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

MOORE, Okla. (AP) ? President Barack Obama visited tornado-devastated Moore, Okla., Sunday, consoling people staggered by the loss of life and property and promising that the government will be behind them "every step of the way."

"I'm just a messenger here," the president said, saying "folks are behind you" across America. He offered moral and monetary support in the wake of the monstrous EF5 tornado that killed 24 people, including 10 children, last Monday afternoon.

Standing with Gov. Mary Fallin and other state and federal officials, Obama noted a substantial rebuilding job ahead and said that "our hearts go out to you."

"This is a strong community with strong character. There's no doubt they will bounce back," he said. "But they need help."

The White House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has already provided $57 million in rebates and incentives to help build about 12,000 storm shelters in Oklahoma. "These storm shelters can be the difference between life and death," presidential spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters accompanying Obama to Oklahoma on Air Force One.

For Obama, Sunday's visit had an all-too-familiar ring.

Only five months into his second term, he has traveled to the northeast to console people in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, and visited Connecticut and Arizona to comfort people traumatized by shooting rampages. He also has undertaken his consoler-in-chief role at the site of plant explosions and mine disasters, not to mention a series of natural disasters including Joplin, Mo., and the Jersey Shore, which was heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy last year.

Once on the ground, Obama urged the American people to make contributions, saying the damage was "pretty hard to comprehend."

Shortly after his arrival on a partly cloudy day, Obama rode past grassy fields strewn with scattered debris, witnessing devastation so awesome that it appeared as if garbage had literally rained from the sky. His first stop was the demolished site of the Plaza Towers Elementary School, where seven students were killed when the tornado turned the one-story building into a heap of bricks, broken concrete and twisted metal.

"I know this is tough," he told superintendent Susie Pierce as he gripped her hand. As he walked, the demolished school was on his left and on his right, homes as far as the eye could see were reduced to piles of rubble. Vehicles were turned upside down and toys like a pink doll carriage and children's books were strewn with furniture and ripped out wall insulation. Every tree had been stripped of its leaves and bark.

Obama at one point joined the Lewis family, which lost their home behind the school. He said the important thing was that they survived and could replace their things.

"What a mess," he told their son Zack, a third grader at the shattered school. Zack's father, Scott, ran into the school just before the storm hit and ran with his terrified son back to their home's storm shelter.

"You've got some story to tell," Obama told the boy. "This is something you'll remember all your life."

Obama later met privately with victims' families at Moore Fire Department Station (hash)1, which has turned into a command center with dozens of first responders sitting at folding tables where fire trucks are normally parked. Obama marveled that they saved so many lives "given the devastation."

"I know this is tough," he told superintendent Susie Pierce as he gripped her hand.

As he descended the stairs upon landing at Tinker Air Base near here, Obama was greeted first by Fallin, who had said earlier she appreciated the visit, but that her state also needed quick action from FEMA.

The Republican governor said that so far, the agency has done a great job of speeding relief and cash assistance to affected families, but said she's concerned about the long run.

"There's going to come a time when there's going to be a tremendous amount of need once we begin the debris clearing, which we already have, but really get it cleared off to where we need to start rebuilding these homes, rebuilding these businesses," she said on CBS' "Face the Nation." ''And we know at different times in the past, money hasn't come always as quickly as it should."

Fallin said the money is particularly vital for the victims. "A lot of people lose their checkbooks, they lose their credit cards, they lose their driver's license, their birth certificates, their insurance papers, they lose everything, and they have no cash. And some of the banks were even hit, the ATM machines, so people need cash to get immediate needs," she said on CBS.

Earnest touted the federal contributions so far, including Obama's signing of a disaster declaration within hours of the storm to speed aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Earnest said that 450 FEMA personnel were working on the ground in Oklahoma and have delivered 43,000 meals, 150,000 liters of water and thousands of cots, blankets and tarps. He said 4,200 people have applied for disaster assistance, and $3.4 million in payments have been approved.

Among the tornado victims were 10 children, including two sisters pulled by the strong winds out of their mother's grasp, an infant who died along with his mother trying to ride out the storm in a convenience store and seven students at Plaza Towers. Many students were pulled from the rubble after the school was destroyed.

___

Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nedrapickler

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-26-Obama/id-a8bbc9ac55ba4979b8f0a336687fa5ca

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Obama OKs honor for Birmingham bombing victims

President Barack Obama signs a bill designating the Congressional Gold Medal commemorating the lives of the four young girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing of 1963, Friday, May 24, 2013, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. From left are, Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala. sponsor of the bill; Lisa McNair; Thelma "Maxine" Pippen McNair mother of Denise McNair; Dianne Braddock sister of Carole Robertson; and Rev. Arthur Price Jr., pastor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Barack Obama signs a bill designating the Congressional Gold Medal commemorating the lives of the four young girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing of 1963, Friday, May 24, 2013, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. From left are, Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala. sponsor of the bill; Lisa McNair; Thelma "Maxine" Pippen McNair mother of Denise McNair; Dianne Braddock sister of Carole Robertson; and Rev. Arthur Price Jr., pastor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Barack Obama signs a bill designating the Congressional Gold Medal commemorating the lives of the four young girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing of 1963, Friday, May 24, 2013, in the Oval Office of the White House. Standing, from left are, Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., and Lisa McNair. Seated at right is Thelma "Maxine" Pippen McNair, the mother of Denise McNair. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Barack Obama signs a bill designating the Congressional Gold Medal commemorating the lives of the four young girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing of 1963, Friday, May 24, 2013, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Watching, from left are, Dr. Sharon Malone, wife of Attorney General Eric Holder; Attorney General Eric Holder and Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala. sponsor of the bill. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Barack Obama speaks to the media in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, May 24, 2013, before signing a bill designating the Congressional Gold Medal commemorating the lives of the four young girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing of 1963. From left are, Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin; Birmingham Ala. Mayor William Bell; Dr. Sharon Malone, wife of Attorney General Eric Holder; Attorney General Eric Holder; Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala. sponsor of the bill; the president; Thelma "Maxine" Pippen McNair mother of Denise McNair; seated, Lisa McNair; Dianne Braddock sister of Carole Robertson, Rev. Arthur Price Jr., pastor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, and former US Attorney Gordon Douglas Jones. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama signed legislation Friday to award Congress' highest civilian honor to four girls killed in an Alabama church bombing during the civil rights movement. He called it a tragic loss that "helped to trigger triumph and a more just and equal and fair America."

The Congressional Gold Medal will go to Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair.

Addie Mae, Carole and Cynthia, all 14, and Denise, 11, were killed when a bomb planted by white supremacists exploded at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham on Sept. 15, 1963. Twenty-two others were injured.

Denise's mother and sister, and Carole's sister were among those who stood around Obama's desk in the Oval Office as he signed the bill.

"For us to be able to be in this Oval Office with so many people who have worked hard to make this day possible, and understanding that that tragic loss, that heartbreak helped to trigger triumph and a more just and equal and fair America, that's an incredible thing for us to be able to participate in," he said.

September will mark the 50th anniversary of the bombing, which helped spur passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Three Ku Klux Klan members were convicted of the bombing years after the attack. Two are dead and one is in prison.

While Congress widely embraced awarding the medal, the idea has divided the victims' relatives.

Some are supportive while others say they would prefer financial compensation and have little interest in the award.

Sisters of Denise and Carole sat in the House gallery during the debate and vote on the measure. Relatives of Addie Mae and Cynthia, also known as Cynthia Morris, have said they aren't interested in a medal. Addie Mae's sister lost an eye in the bombing.

Also present for the bill-signing was Attorney General Eric Holder and his wife, Sharon Malone. Her late sister, Vivian Malone Jones, was one of the first black students to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963 in defiance of racial segregation.

Reps. Terri Sewell, a Democrat, and Spencer Bachus, a Republican, led the Alabama congressional delegation's efforts to honor the bombing victims. They represent adjoining Birmingham districts in Congress.

Past recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal include George Washington, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., and his wife Coretta Scott King.

___

Associated Press writer Henry C. Jackson contributed to this report.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-05-24-US-Obama-Birmingham-Bombing/id-80f055b89680465c94cea826c62cb8bf

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Racist Dogs? Advice for When Friends' Pets Don't Like You - The Root

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(The Root) --

"We live in a diverse urban city. I am white and my husband is Filipino and white, but he's often mistaken for Indian or black/mixed because of his dark complexion. He is great with animals in general and is a supersweet, calm, gentle person; we foster rescue dogs that are really sensitive, and they love him! But on several occasions when we're meeting with co-workers and friends, their dogs will bark and act aggressively toward him, yet not toward the other white people who are also present.

"I've researched why dogs may behave this way, but I'm wondering what to do about this from my end. Is there a polite thing that we can do or say to alleviate this socially? If we are somewhere long enough for the dog to calm down and interact with my husband, it works out, but most of our friends are dog people, so I am curious if you know of a polite fix!" --Needing a Doggie Olive Branch

You've done your research, so you're aware that doggie racism is a real thing.

Cue the "Stop playing the race card" chorus asking, "Has it really come to this?"

Yep, it has.

OK, the term "racism" is a bit loaded with all sorts of human baggage. But it will do. After all, it is well-known that individual dogs can develop aversions to people with certain characteristics -- from men with beards to children to people who carry keys or smoke cigarettes to, yes, those with a particular complexion.

How does an entire group get stereotyped and scorned by man's best friend? It can happen as the result of training or a bad experience, but most often it stems from a simple lack of exposure, animal behavior expert Dr. Nicholas Dodman told Slate in a piece that broke down the phenomenon way back in 2003. Here's how he explained it:

Typically, such behavior indicates that the dog was not exposed to the people it now targets during its developmentally "sensitive time" -- weeks 3 through 12 -- when its understanding of the world was formed. "If you take a dog who has never encountered a black man, or someone who has a funny walk, who uses a walker, or has a gimp or a limp, and he sees the first one in his life when he's six months old ?... it's going to be a shock."

I think it's safe to replace "black man" with the more general "person darker than everyone else."

I have a two-step recommendation for what to do when dogs lose it around your sweet, sensitive, animal-loving, only-brown-person-around husband.

First, see everything Dodman explained above? Remember it, because you're going to need to relay it to your friends so that they know exactly what's happening. Make it clear that no one thinks the barking dog's owners are intentionally training "racist watchdogs" like the ones marketed "especially for South African circumstances" in the 1980s (I think we can give your friends the benefit of the doubt here). This will set the stage for the joke your husband is going to make.

Yes, step 2 is that your husband should make a joke. He has to. Immediately. ?

Whoa! OK, Muffin -- I know you don't see that many brown people, but I'm not dangerous. Don't pull a George Zimmerman and attack me! I don't even have Skittles!

OK, I know I'm the only Filipino guy here, but Dan is the only one in salmon-colored shorts. He deserves to be attacked!

Or, you know, whatever's funny to him.

?

Source: http://www.theroot.com/views/doggie-racism-real-heres-how-deal

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