LONDON (Reuters) - Scotland's economy suffered a blow on Wednesday when the owners of the Grangemouth site shut the petrochemical plant and threatened to close the adjoining refinery, putting 1,400 jobs at risk.
The 210,000-barrels-per-day refinery, which provides most of Scotland's fuel, was shut last week by its private Swiss owner Ineos due to a long-running labour dispute. The owners say the site makes a loss.
The decision to close the petrochemical plant comes despite the protestations of Prime Minister David Cameron, who had called on all sides to continue talks. The move is also a setback for the Scottish National Party, which is leading the campaign for Scotland to become independent.
On the banks of the Firth of Forth in east Scotland, Grangemouth is one of only seven refineries left in Britain and is the biggest industrial site in Scotland. Around 1,400 staff work at the 7-square-kilometre (2.7-square-mile) site, with 800 of those employed at the chemical plant.
Opened in 1924, it accounts for around 8 percent of Scotland's manufacturing industry, according to David Bell, a professor of economics at Stirling University.
Ineos said liquidators would be appointed within a week for the petrochemical plant and it would now decide whether to restart the refinery, which would be dependent on the removal of the threat of further industrial action.
"This is the outcome that matches our worst fears," Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond said, adding that the Scottish government was trying to find a buyer.
"The Scottish government strongly believes the site has a positive future and we will continue to work with the UK government and all other parties concerned to find a solution that supports the workers affected and the wider Scottish economy."
Stirling's Bell said the shutdown of the petrochemicals plant would be the "heaviest blow" for Scotland since the disappearance of a number of electronics companies collectively known as Silicon Glen in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Scotland will vote on whether to become independent in a referendum in September next year. Many Scots polled on the issue have said their biggest concern will be the likely impact a separation would have on the economy.
Ed Davey, Britain's energy minister, said he stood ready to help with discussions between the management and the union.
The refinery moved closer to permanent closure on Monday this week after a clear majority of union workers rejected a plan that would have cut pensions and benefits.
PetroChina, which owns 49.9 percent of the refinery, said it was aware of the situation at the site, which Ineos operates. Ineos owns completely the attached petrochemical plant.
Grangemouth could be the latest in a line of refinery casualties, including Coryton in Britain - victims of competition from Asia and the Middle East, and falling demand for gasoline in Europe.
Grangemouth also powers BP's Kinneil terminal, which processes North Sea crude oil coming ashore via the Forties Pipeline System, a grade that helps set the benchmark for global oil prices.
Analysts said the Grangemouth dispute was supporting Brent prices.
(Writing by Kate Holton and Simon Falush; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Audio for this story from Morning Edition will be available at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET.
Copy machines can be found in every office, and most of us take them for granted. But 75 years ago, the technology that underpins the modern photocopier was used for the first time in a small apartment in Queens.
Inventor Chester Carlson used static electricity created with a handkerchief, light and dry powder to make the first copy on Oct. 22, 1938.
The copier didn't get on to the market until 1959, more than 20 years later. When it did, the Xerox machine prompted a dramatic change in the workplace.
The first commercial model, the Xerox 914, was bulky and cumbersome. It weighed nearly 650 pounds. It was the size of about two washing machines and was prone to spontaneous combustion.
But even literally going up in flames wasn't enough to kill the product. In fact, it was in high demand.
"There was a distinct need for simple copying like this, and it just took off," says Ray Brewer, historical archivist for Xerox Corp. "We sold thousands of these machines, and the demand was such that we were manufacturing them in large quantities."
Brewer says the popularity of Xerox technology abroad inspired more clandestine uses for the copier. Some machines actually had miniature cameras built into them during the Cold War for the purpose of spying on other countries.
Back at home, the copier was proving to be a godsend for secretaries. One Xerox commercial features a female secretary saying:
"I make perfect copies of whatever my boss needs by just turning a knob and pushing a button. Anything he can see I can copy in black and white on ordinary paper. I can make seven copies a minute. ... Sometimes my boss asks me which is the original, and sometimes, I don't know."
Author and historian Lynn Peril says the machines had to have been "fabulously liberating."
"Oh my god, you didn't have to work with all the lousy carbon paper," she says. "You could just take it and put it on this glass surface, and press a button and you've got as many copies as you wanted."
The beauty of the technology, Peril says, was that it saved time for office workers without making their workplace role obsolete.
Angele Boyd is a business analyst at the International Data Corp. She says copier technology created a more democratic information system.
"Until then, you needed to go to a press or you needed to go to a third party external print shop to produce that kind of quality output," she says.
The core technology in the copier, later transferred to printers and scanners, has remained the same since the 1930s.
Some days on the mountain are spent conquering summits and finding hidden tree runs. Others are spent conquering nachos and locating the nearest happy hour.
Call it "walled-garden manicuring," if you will. Adblock Plus is now capable of blocking that many more of the sorts of annoyances that only Facebook provides to its readers.
Having the ad-blocking plug-in block the likes of sponsored stories, promoted posts, and so on isn't new. What is new is the ability to block things like upcoming events in your area, or "People You May Know" displays.
Twenty-one additional Facebook elements can now be blocked with the new plug-in. Most of them are attempts to glean feedback from the user about other Facebook content ("Games you may like" or "Rate movies you've watched"). Even Adblock Plus' own makers admit, "[These] are not advertisements. Rather, this material is actually from Facebook, and it is served to you based upon the information Facebook receives from your profile and activities."
The privacy implications of this are never gladdening, especially if such material ends up leaking out of Facebook entirely. No surprise then that some people would prefer it was never served up at all. But being able to one-up Facebook's own customization almost certainly won't sit well with Facebook.
Adblock Plus has garnered itself a mixed reputation from content providers and end-users alike. Many end-users understand all too well that the vast majority of sites need ad revenue to survive, but are fed up with obnoxious, experience-killing ads that leak privacy data. But Adblock Plus' attempts to dictate the direction of Web-based advertising via its Acceptable Ads initiative has come off as a heavy-handed attempt to dictate how advertising on the Web should work. (Adblock Plus recently reached out to Twitter to be non-annoying right as that company was filing for its IPO.)
Until now Adblock Plus has focused most of its work on blocking ads on sites where the difference between an ad and the actual content is normally quite clear. But now it seems Adblock Plus is also attempting to change the ways end-users experience sites where content, advertisement, and promotion are heavily -- sometimes inextricably -- mixed.
Facebook could fight back in any number of ways. The most urbane would be to change its service to allow the most annoying content to be removed entirely or maybe after a short period of use. (For example, you have to endure "Games you may like" at least one day a month before you're given the option to toggle it off.) But it's more likely the company'll fight back by finding ways to render Adblock Plus' blocking useless -- a move that could spark an arms race between two of the Web's most contentious and divisive presences.
It all amounts to a striking example of one third-party company providing ways for users to experience another third-party company's content -- perhaps even at the expense of Facebook losing a way to harvest information from its users in an aboveboard fashion.
That's the real worry: What if, when faced with challenges like Adblock Plus to its data-gathering model, Facebook decides to remind folks what's going on Friday night downtown in the middle of a chat session or asks you whether or not you've seen a movie right when you're typing its name in a reply to someone else's post?
All eyes are on Stephen Elop. Just hours ago, he introduced Nokia's first Windows tablet; he's also overseeing his division's integration into Microsoft; and Redmond is even considering him as its next CEO. During our interview today, Elop understandably couldn't comment on the prospect of taking ...
Hello, and welcome to WIRED’s 5th Generation iPad Liveblog! Apple has something new in the works, and we’ll be here to bring you all the action starting at 9 am October 22.
Introducing Garmin tactix: A Tactically-Inspired GPS Navigator and ABC Watch
Garmin Tactix OLATHE, Kan./ October 22, 2013/Business Wire-Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced tactix, a rugged high-sensitivity GPS navigator and ABC watch inspired by the requirements of Law Enforcement and Police Special Operations. Built for training, exploring, and more, this field-ready wristwatch boasts an altimeter, barometer, 3-axis compass, and extensive tracking capabilities for precise navigation in the field. tactix is waterproof to 50 meters, and can run up to 50 hours in GPS mode on one charge. It comes preloaded with tide data (U.S. units only) and Jumpmaster software, which could prove invaluable for amphibious and airborne operations. It has a stealth, matte black design with a curved lens and green backlight, so it won't flare out with night vision devices or compromise the user's position. tactix can withstand even the most extreme elements and situations, but is sleek enough to be worn as an everyday timepiece.
"Being able to go hands free while still having access to accurate information on barometric pressure, elevation, and GPS position could prove to be invaluable in the field," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "tactix packs Garmin's trusted navigation technology into a GPS watch that both soldiers and civilians can rely on. Plus, the preloaded tide data and Jumpmaster software, along with its stealth design, really sets tactix apart from other wrist worn GPS devices."
tactix is built to endure the roughest conditions. It combines a strong housing with a forged stainless steel rear case to survive shock and impact, and has a scratch-resistant, curved mineral glass lens that reduces "hot spots" from sun reflections. tactix features a large LCD display with a negative mode liquid crystal display for low light conditions. The black background and green LED backlight won't flare out with night vision devices. The preloaded tide data and Jumpmaster software are important features for both military operations and recreational activities. It has a bold, all-black design (bezel, screen, buttons and straps) that is stealthy, yet stylish. tactix is waterproof to 50 meters, and has a battery life of up to 50 hours in UltraTrac mode, 16 hours in full GPS mode, and five weeks in watch mode. Basic watch functions include alarms, tones, vibration alerts, timer, stopwatch and world clock with the ability to display several time zones, military time, and zulu time at once.
tactix boasts a comprehensive navigational toolset that allows users to plan trips, create routes, record waypoints (up to 1,000) such as rally points, landing zones or potential campsites. Users can record GPS bread crumb trails on the move, can navigate to coordinates, along a track or route, towards waypoints, geocaches or along any other selected bearing. A navigation arrow provides clear directional guidance, and the TracBack® function can guide users back along a previously recorded tracklog. This function provides users peace of mind, knowing that they're never "lost" and can easily find their way back in case of emergency or bad weather conditions. tactix also features a dual-position readout, so users can view their current location in multiple formats, including latitude/longitude and MGRS (military grid reference system) on the display simultaneously, simplifying navigation for professional, search-and-rescue and recreational uses. tactix comes preloaded with a worldwide basemap that displays cities nearby. Using the BaseCamp™ desktop and mobile application, tactix users can easily plan trips and share their adventures with friends and family. tactix is equipped with both ANT+™ capabilities and Bluetooth® to wirelessly share tracks, waypoints, routes, and geocaches with other compatible Garmin devices or smartphones with the BaseCamp mobile app. tactix can also be used as a remote for the new Garmin VIRB action camera.
tactix is equipped with ABC sensors (altimeter, barometer, and compass) to provide users with relevant, real-time information. The built-in altimeter provides elevation data to accurately monitor ascent and descent, and the barometer can be used to predict weather changes by showing short-term trends in air pressure. Users can keep their bearings the with 3-axis electronic compass, no matter if they're moving or not. Using its GPS receiver, tactix can auto-calibrate its ABC sensors and auto set the time based on location. For an extremely accurate temperature reading, not influenced by the wearer's body temperature, tactix can be paired with tempe™, Garmin's external temperature sensor.
tactix provides real-time performance data, such as distance, pace, cadence (sensor sold separately), and calories, helping users keep track of their progress during physical training (PT), or other fitness activities. tactix is compatible with the premium heart rate monitor for heart rate info, and with the speed/cadence sensor for distance, speed and cadence while on a bike. The displayed data fields are fully customizable right from the watch.
The new Garmin tactix will be widely available for purchase in fall 2013 for $449.99. tactix is the latest solution from Garmin's outdoor segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance user's outdoor experiences. Whether it's golfing, hiking, hunting or geocaching, Garmin outdoor devices are becoming essential tools for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. For more information about Garmin's other outdoor products and services, go to garmin.com/outdoors, garmin.blogs.com and twitter.com/garmin.
President Barack Obama gestures while speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, on the initial rollout of the health care overhaul. Obama acknowledged that the widespread problems with his health care law's rollout are unacceptable, as the administration scrambles to fix the cascade of computer issues. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Barack Obama gestures while speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, on the initial rollout of the health care overhaul. Obama acknowledged that the widespread problems with his health care law's rollout are unacceptable, as the administration scrambles to fix the cascade of computer issues. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Barack Obama, standing with supporters of his health care law, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, on the initial rollout of the health care overhaul. Obama acknowledged that the widespread problems with his health care law's rollout are unacceptable, as the administration scrambles to fix the cascade of computer issues. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Barack Obama gestures while speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, on the initial rollout of the health care overhaul. Obama acknowledged that the widespread problems with his health care law's rollout are unacceptable, as the administration scrambles to fix the cascade of computer issues. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Crammed into conference rooms with pizza for dinner, some programmers building the Obama administration's showcase health insurance website were growing increasingly stressed. Some worked past 10 p.m., energy drinks in hand. Others rewrote computer code over and over to meet what they considered last-minute requests for changes from the government or other contractors.
As questions mount over the website's failure, insider interviews and a review of technical specifications by The Associated Press found a mind-numbingly complex system put together by harried programmers who pushed out a final product that congressional investigators said was tested by the government and not private developers with more expertise.
Project developers who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity — because they feared they would otherwise be fired — said they raised doubts among themselves whether the website could be ready in time. They complained openly to each other about what they considered tight and unrealistic deadlines. One was nearly brought to tears over the stress of finishing on time, one developer said. Website builders saw red flags for months.
A review of internal architectural diagrams obtained by the AP revealed the system's complexity. Insurance applicants have a host of personal information verified, including income and immigration status. The system connects to other federal computer networks, including ones at the Social Security Administration, IRS, Veterans Administration, Office of Personnel Management and the Peace Corps.
President Barack Obama on Monday acknowledged technical problems that he described as "kinks in the system." He also promised a "tech surge" by leading technology talent to repair the painfully slow and often unresponsive website that has frustrated Americans trying to enroll online for insurance plans at the center of Obama's health care law.
But in remarks at a Rose Garden event, Obama offered no explanation for the failure except to note that high traffic to the website caused some of the slowdowns. He said it had been visited nearly 20 million times — fewer monthly visits so far than many commercial websites, such as PayPal, AOL, Wikipedia or Pinterest.
"The problem has been that the website that's supposed to make it easy to apply for and purchase the insurance is not working the way it should for everybody," Obama said. "There's no sugarcoating it. The website has been too slow. People have been getting stuck during the application process. And I think it's fair to say that nobody is more frustrated by that than I am."
The online system was envisioned as a simple way for people without health insurance to comparison-shop among competing plans offered in their state, pick their preferred level of coverage and cost and sign up. For many, it's not worked out that way so far.
Just weeks before the launch of HealthCare.gov on Oct. 1, one programmer said, colleagues huddled in conference rooms trying to patch "bugs," or deficiencies in computer code. Unresolved problems led to visitors experiencing cryptic error messages or enduring long waits trying to sign up.
Congressional investigators have concluded that the government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, not private software developers, tested the exchange's computer systems during the final weeks. That task, known as integration testing, is usually handled by software companies because it ferrets out problems before the public sees the final product.
The government spent at least $394 million in contracts to build the federal health care exchange and the data hub. Those contracts included major awards to Virginia-based CGI Federal Inc., Maryland-based Quality Software Services Inc. and Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
CGI Federal said in a statement Monday it was working with the government and other contractors "around the clock" to improve the system, which it called "complex, ambitious and unprecedented."
The schematics from late 2012 show how officials designated a "data services hub" — a traffic cop for managing information — in lieu of a design that would have allowed state exchanges to connect directly to government servers when verifying an applicant's information. On Sunday, the Health and Human Services Department said the data hub was working but not meeting public expectations: "We are committed to doing better."
Administration officials so far have refused to say how many people actually have managed to enroll in insurance during the three weeks since the new marketplaces became available. Without enrollment numbers, it's impossible to know whether the program is on track to reach projections from the Congressional Budget Office that 7 million people would gain coverage during the first year the exchanges were available.
Instead, officials have selectively cited figures that put the insurance exchanges in a positive light. They say more than 19 million people have logged on to the federal website and nearly 500,000 have filled out applications for insurance through both the federal and state-run sites.
The flood of computer problems since the website went online has been deeply embarrassing for the White House. The snags have called into question whether the administration is capable of implementing the complex policy and why senior administration officials — including the president — appear to have been unaware of the scope of the problems when the exchange sites opened.
Even as the president spoke at the Rose Garden, more problems were coming to light. The administration acknowledged that a planned upgrade to the website had been postponed indefinitely and that online Spanish-language signups would remain unavailable, despite a promise to Hispanic groups that the capability would start this week. And the government tweaked the website's home page so visitors can now view phone numbers to apply the old-fashioned way or window-shop for insurance rates without registering first.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee was expected to conduct an oversight hearing Thursday, probably without Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifying. She could testify on Capitol Hill on the subject as early as next week.
Uninsured Americans have until about mid-February to sign up for coverage if they are to meet the law's requirement that they be insured by the end of March. If they don't, they will face a penalty.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., plans to introduce legislation to delay that requirement because: "It's not fair to punish people for not buying something that's not available," Rubio told "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday.
On Monday, the White House advised people frustrated by the online tangle that they can enroll by calling 1-800-318-2596 in a process that should take 25 minutes for an individual or 45 minutes for a family. Assistance is also available in communities from helpers who can be found at LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov.
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Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.
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Follow Jack Gillum on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jackgillum or Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC.
BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets wavered Tuesday as investors battened down for U.S. earnings and the September employment report that was delayed by the government shutdown.
Benchmarks in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and South Korea fell while Japan and Australia posted modest gains. Stock markets in Southeast Asia were mixed. Oil traded below $100 a barrel.
Markets are absorbing quarterly U.S. earnings, with about 30 percent of S&P 500 companies releasing results this week, and also awaiting the September jobs report which was delayed more than two weeks.
U.S. employers are forecast to have added 180,000 jobs, up from 169,000 in August. The unemployment rate is expected to remain at 7.3 percent, which will support arguments in favor of the Federal Reserve continuing its super easy monetary policy.
Employers are adding jobs at only a modest pace, and many of the hires are in lower-paying industries. Economists think the shutdown slowed growth in the October-December quarter and likely dampened hiring.
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average was up 0.2 percent at 14,723.44 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.5 percent to 5,378.
Seoul's Kospi lost 0.1 percent to 2,051.65. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.5 percent to 23,324.50 and China's Shanghai Composite Index was off 0.7 percent at 2,214.51.
Benchmarks in India and Singapore rose while Indonesia and Thailand fell.
Monday's batch of U.S. earnings were mixed. McDonald's confirmed that it faces greater competition, shifting eating habits and tough economic conditions around the world. The share price of toy maker Hasbro spiked sharply after reporting better-than-expected results.
The S&P 500 closed up a fraction of a point at 1,744.66, an all-time high, its third consecutive record close. The Dow Jones industrial average edged down 7.45 points, or 0.1 percent, to 15,392.20. The Nasdaq composite rose 5.77 points, or 0.2 percent, to 3,920.05.
Benchmark crude for November delivery was down 27 cents at $98.95 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The November contract expires Tuesday.
Oil closed below $100 a barrel Monday for the first time since early July as U.S. supplies keep rising and the risks of disruption to Middle East shipments subside. The contract fell $1.59 to $99.22
In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3667 from $1.3673 late Monday. The dollar rose to 98.31 yen from 98.18 yen.
He may be single but he is DEFINITELY not ready to mingle!
Not yet, anyway!
Even though Bruce and Kris Jenner are officially separated, that doesn't mean the Olympian is sprinting to get back on the dating market. Because his heart might still have a special place in it for Kris!
A source close to the family recently explained why Bruce doesn't want to date right away. After 22 years of being together with Kris, Bruce has unexpected thoughts on dating, with an insider saying:
"We talked about it and he said, 'I'm not even going to think about another relationship at this point. After being with [Kris] for so long, I can't imagine getting involved with someone else.'"
This Saturday, Bruce, 63, was spotted out at the Troubadour in West Hollywood to catch a performance by Brandon and Leah, the pop group made up by his son Brandon Jenner and his wife.
Bruce was in great spirits, watching from the upstairs area with his daughters Kylie and Kendall!
What a fun family night out!
The times might be tough right now Bruce, but you can always count on your kids to make you smile!
Ch-ch-check out the pic of Bruce and Kendall at the show below and more shots of him with the love of his life, Kris!
Volkswagen's car plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., is the company's only one in the U.S. It's also the only VW plant around the world without a workers union.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen's car plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., is the company's only one in the U.S. It's also the only VW plant around the world without a workers union.
Volkswagen
When it comes to union organizing at an auto plant, the tension is typically between the workers and the management. But not at Volkswagen in Tennessee. There, the United Auto Workers is attempting to finally unionize the automaker's first foreign-owned plant in the South. And so far, Republican officials are the ones trying to stand in the way.
Just outside Chattanooga, in an idyllic industrial park, surrounded by green hills and even a nature park, Volkswagen built a plant a few years ago. It is still Volkswagen's only car plant in the U.S. and also the only one of VW's plants around the world that hasn't been unionized. The company isn't trying that hard to keep workers from organizing here.
"I just really appreciate the neutrality we're getting from Volkswagen Germany. They have always maintained that it would be our choice," says Lauren Feinauer, an hourly worker in the plant that makes the Passat.
She is just off her shift, a pink bandanna tying back her hair. In her own Volkswagen, she props up UAW signs in the windshield and rear window while she's parked at work. She says the sunshade is to "encourage others in the plant to be comfortable with their support."
Lauren Feinauer works at the Chattanooga plant. She props UAW signs in the windshield and rear window while she's parked at work.
Blake Farmer/Nashville Public Radio
Lauren Feinauer works at the Chattanooga plant. She props UAW signs in the windshield and rear window while she's parked at work.
Blake Farmer/Nashville Public Radio
Feinauer has helped collect signed union cards from a majority of the 2,000 employees. Some workers, though, want nothing to do with the UAW. They haven't spoken much publicly, but a few have filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, arguing that Volkswagen is coercing them to organize.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has piped up on their behalf. Asked why he feels that's appropriate, he says, "One of the reasons is, we've had several prospective companies say that decision will impact whether we choose Tennessee or somewhere else."
The Republican governor says a slowdown in relocations to his state may be just the beginning. Companies like the region's right-to-work laws. No one has to be part of a union, so there aren't as many. That means fewer strikes and often lower pay. But the UAW is working the South harder than ever, with other campaigns at a Nissan plant in Mississippi and a Mercedes facility in Alabama.
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican who previously was the mayor of Chattanooga, suggests Volkswagen will be the "laughingstock" of the business world if it doesn't resist the UAW. He blames the union for the troubles at Chrysler and General Motors.
"I mean, look at Detroit," Corker says. "Look at what's happened. Look at all of the businesses that have left there. I mean, it's been phenomenal. It's sad."
UAW President Bob King has resisted raising his voice. "They get pressured by the right wing of the party. Unfortunately, that's a fear that these politicians have that overcomes common sense," he says. King is not an old-school, hell-raising union leader. In fact, he discourages any characterization of this as a "union fight."
"All the campaigns we have going on currently are being run very differently than we've run campaigns in the past," King says.
No more "us versus them." The pitch is all about cooperation and mutual benefit for workers and the company.
King says Tennessee's top Republicans have a standing offer to meet and discuss the labor movement's role in the 21st century. They haven't taken him up on it.
"You know, the truth is, the governor and the senator, they don't work on the floor at Volkswagen," says Jade Morgan, a single father of two boys who works on the overnight shift in Chattanooga. Morgan points out that both Haslam and Corker are multimillionaires who may never understand.
"It's not anybody who can walk in and work all night. It's tough," he says.
And ultimately, Morgan says, it's those who work in the plant who will get to decide whether the UAW is still worth having around.
True story: During lunch today, Eva lost her ring somewhere in this sandwich.
NPR
True story: During lunch today, Eva lost her ring somewhere in this sandwich.
NPR
A food named for its size sets a certain expectation. When you order a McDonald's Quarter Pounder, or Taco Bell's Acre of Beans, you expect volume and satisfaction.
Could the Two Bagger from Lucky's Sandwich Co. here in Chicago, topped with corned beef, pastrami, cole slaw, french fries and cheese, promise even more?
Eva: Two Bags are the only clothes that fit me now.
Robert: Should I be worried they got the two bags out of the front seat pocket of an airplane?
Mike detects notes of pastrami, cole slaw and ring.
NPR
Mike detects notes of pastrami, cole slaw and ring.
NPR
Miles: There's nothing worse for marketing than naming your sandwich after the worst thing my dog can do on a walk.
Ian: Two Bagger is a good sandwich/name for a sequel to that Will Smith golf movie.
Seconds later, Robert's iPhone was covered in loose pastrami.
NPR
Seconds later, Robert's iPhone was covered in loose pastrami.
NPR
Mike: Yeah, and it's big enough they should offer a caddy to carry the Two Bagger. Then you just ask for different parts: a piece of pastrami, some slaw or a pitching wedge.
Miles: I think the fact that the sandwich doesn't actually fit in your mouth is nature's way of telling you "STOP IT."
NPR
The truth is in there.
NPR
Peter: If this were the only food source, then humans would evolve bigger mouths. We'd all look like Anne Hathaway.
Ian: There's something special about a sandwich wrapped in paper. These days, the kids wrap their sandwiches in email and it's just not the same.
Robert: That was paper?
[The verdict: a delicious sandwich, really enhanced by great, soft bread. The fries, though, are unnecessary, adding little more than a dynamic stretching workout for your jaw.]
Teen Driver - Ed Cunicelli, courtesy The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Enlarge Photo
For millions of teens, driving is considered a rite of passage, a golden ticket to freedom and independence. Learning to drive safely is of paramount importance as teens approach this important milestone.
Now in its seventh year, the National Teen Driver Safety Week is an annual awareness-raising time designated by Congress to encourage safe teen driver and passenger behavior. This year’s theme is ‘It Takes Two: Shared Expectations for Teens and Parents for Driving.”
MORE: See Teach Your Teen How To Park A Car and Teens Drive More Dangerously With Other Teens In The Car
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a young driver in the U.S. is involved in a fatal car crash nearly every two hours. That’s from 2011 statistics that showed more than 5,000 young drivers (ages 15-20) were involved in fatal car crashes, with more than 1,900 deaths and 180,000 injuries behind the wheel.
During the National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 20-26, parents and teens are encouraged to discuss a workable strategy to ensure that teens receive supervised driving practice, beef up knowledge on critical driving skills, and work on family rules regarding teen driving at full licensure.
Tips for parents
Recent research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (FTS) found that nearly half of parents reported that they wanted their teens to “get a lot of practice,” when asked about plans for their teens’ driving, yet only about one in four parents mentioned practicing under a variety of conditions or situations, such as backing up, driving on unfamiliar roads, in heavy traffic or bad weather.
Provide 65+ hours of supervised driving practice for your teen. Sounds challenging, but parents can keep a driving log and follow a driving lesson timeline to ensure their teens get lots of varied practice while learning to drive and are carefully monitored for the first year after receiving their license.
Create the right learning environment – stay calm, be respectful, and give appropriate feedback.
Know what your teen doesn’t know. A recent study by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that 75 percent of serious teen crashes were due to a critical teen driver error. Three common errors accounted for nearly half of all serious crashes: driving too fast for conditions, being distracted, and failure to detect a hazard.
Teach critical driving skills such as how to scan for hazards, adjusting speed for road conditions such as dense traffic, blind curves and roads that are poorly lit. In the FTS survey, less than five percent of parents in the study were observed sharing more complex driving tips, such as visual scanning or anticipating other drivers’ behavior.
Set a positive example by wearing your seatbelt at all times, observing all speed limits and traffic laws, minimizing distractions, and avoiding use of a cell phone when driving.
Develop house rules for your teen’s first year of independent driving. These may include limits on peer passengers, no cell phone use, and restricted driving times (such as bi driving past 9 p.m.). Nearly half (47 percent) of parents surveyed said there was still at least one condition where they weren’t comfortable allowing their teen to drive unsupervised even after passing their driving test and obtaining a license to drive independently.
Tips for teens
Ask for practice with your parent. Make it easy by keeping a driving log and following a driving lesson timeline to ensure your parent gives you enough varied practice while learning to drive and careful monitoring for your first year after you obtain your license.
Know what you don’t know. Your parent will likely focus on the three common errors that account for nearly half of all serious crashes: driving too fast for conditions on the road, being distracted behind the wheel, and failing to detect hazards.
Ask your parent to teach you critical driving skills. You need experience and practice to learn safe speed management, how to recognize and avoid distractions and how to scan for hazards in sufficient time to react and avoid a potential crash.
Agree on house rules you and your parents set for your first year of independent driving.
___________________________________________
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Contact: Lester Kok lesterkok@ntu.edu.sg 65-679-06804 Nanyang Technological University
Unique material is far cheaper to produce and generates almost as much power as today's thin film solar cells
In the near future, solar panels will not only be more efficient but also a lot cheaper and affordable for everyone, thanks to research by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) scientists.
This next generation solar cell, made from organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials, is about five times cheaper than current thin-film solar cells, due to a simpler solution-based manufacturing process.
Perovskite is known to be a remarkable solar cell material as it can convert up to 15 per cent of sunlight to electricity, close to the efficiency of the current solar cells, but scientists did not know why or how, until now.
In a paper published last Friday (18 Oct) in the world's most prestigious academic journal, Science, NTU's interdisciplinary research team was the first in the world to explain this phenomenon.
The team of eight researchers led by Assistant Professor Sum Tze Chien and Dr Nripan Mathews had worked closely with NTU Visiting Professor Michael Grtzel, who currently holds the record for perovskite solar cell efficiency of 15 per cent, and is a co-author of the paper. Prof Grtzel, who is based at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), has won multiple awards for his invention of dye-sensitised solar cells.
The high sunlight-to-electricity efficiency of perovskite solar cells places it in direct competition with thin film solar cells which are already in the market and have efficiencies close to 20 per cent.
The new knowledge on how these solar cells work is now being applied by the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N), which is developing a commercial prototype of the perovskite solar cell in collaboration with Australian clean-tech firm Dyesol Limited (ASX: DYE).
Asst Prof Sum said the discovery of why perovskite worked so well as a solar cell material was made possible only through the use of cutting-edge equipment and in close collaboration with NTU engineers.
"In our work, we utilise ultrafast lasers to study the perovskite materials. We tracked how fast these materials react to light in quadrillionths of a second (roughly 100 billion times faster than a camera flash)," said the Singaporean photophysics expert from NTU's School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
"We discovered that in these perovskite materials, the electrons generated in the material by sunlight can travel quite far. This will allow us to make thicker solar cells which absorb more light and in turn generate more electricity."
The NTU physicist added that this unique characteristic of perovskite is quite remarkable since it is made from a simple solution method that normally produces low quality materials.
His collaborator, Dr Nripan Mathews, a senior scientist at ERI@N, said that their discovery is a great example of how investment in fundamental research and an interdisciplinary effort, can lead to advances in knowledge and breakthroughs in applied science.
"Now that we know exactly how perovskite materials behave and work, we will be able to tweak the performance of the new solar cells and improve its efficiency, hopefully reaching or even exceeding the performance of today's thin-film solar cells," said Dr Mathews, who is also the Singapore R&D Director of the Singapore-Berkeley Research Initiative for Sustainable Energy (SinBeRISE) NRF CREATE programme.
"The excellent properties of these materials, allow us to make light weight, flexible solar cells on plastic using cheap processes without sacrificing the good sunlight conversion efficiency."
Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, the Executive Director of ERI@N said they are now looking into building prototype solar cell modules based on this exciting class of materials.
"Perovskite-based solar cells have the potential to reach 20 per cent solar cell efficiencies and another great benefit of these materials is their amenability to yield different translucent colours, such as red, yellow or brown. Having such colourful solar glass will create new opportunities for architectural design," he added.
###
The NTU team, consisting of six scientists, one postgraduate and one undergraduate, took six months to complete this fundamental research project, which was funded by NTU and the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister's Office, Singapore.
Media contact:
Lester Kok
Senior Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications Office
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6790 6804
Email: lesterkok@ntu.edu.sg
About Nanyang Technological University
A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 33,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the colleges of Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and its Interdisciplinary Graduate School. It has a new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) and the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI).
A fast-growing university with an international outlook, NTU is putting its global stamp on Five Peaks of Excellence: Sustainable Earth, Future Healthcare, New Media, New Silk Road, and Innovation Asia.
Besides the main Yunnan Garden campus, NTU also has a satellite campus in Singapore's science and tech hub, one-north, and a third campus in Novena, Singapore's medical district.
For more information, visit http://www.ntu.edu.sg
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NTU scientists make breakthrough solar technology
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
20-Oct-2013
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Contact: Lester Kok lesterkok@ntu.edu.sg 65-679-06804 Nanyang Technological University
Unique material is far cheaper to produce and generates almost as much power as today's thin film solar cells
In the near future, solar panels will not only be more efficient but also a lot cheaper and affordable for everyone, thanks to research by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) scientists.
This next generation solar cell, made from organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials, is about five times cheaper than current thin-film solar cells, due to a simpler solution-based manufacturing process.
Perovskite is known to be a remarkable solar cell material as it can convert up to 15 per cent of sunlight to electricity, close to the efficiency of the current solar cells, but scientists did not know why or how, until now.
In a paper published last Friday (18 Oct) in the world's most prestigious academic journal, Science, NTU's interdisciplinary research team was the first in the world to explain this phenomenon.
The team of eight researchers led by Assistant Professor Sum Tze Chien and Dr Nripan Mathews had worked closely with NTU Visiting Professor Michael Grtzel, who currently holds the record for perovskite solar cell efficiency of 15 per cent, and is a co-author of the paper. Prof Grtzel, who is based at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), has won multiple awards for his invention of dye-sensitised solar cells.
The high sunlight-to-electricity efficiency of perovskite solar cells places it in direct competition with thin film solar cells which are already in the market and have efficiencies close to 20 per cent.
The new knowledge on how these solar cells work is now being applied by the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N), which is developing a commercial prototype of the perovskite solar cell in collaboration with Australian clean-tech firm Dyesol Limited (ASX: DYE).
Asst Prof Sum said the discovery of why perovskite worked so well as a solar cell material was made possible only through the use of cutting-edge equipment and in close collaboration with NTU engineers.
"In our work, we utilise ultrafast lasers to study the perovskite materials. We tracked how fast these materials react to light in quadrillionths of a second (roughly 100 billion times faster than a camera flash)," said the Singaporean photophysics expert from NTU's School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
"We discovered that in these perovskite materials, the electrons generated in the material by sunlight can travel quite far. This will allow us to make thicker solar cells which absorb more light and in turn generate more electricity."
The NTU physicist added that this unique characteristic of perovskite is quite remarkable since it is made from a simple solution method that normally produces low quality materials.
His collaborator, Dr Nripan Mathews, a senior scientist at ERI@N, said that their discovery is a great example of how investment in fundamental research and an interdisciplinary effort, can lead to advances in knowledge and breakthroughs in applied science.
"Now that we know exactly how perovskite materials behave and work, we will be able to tweak the performance of the new solar cells and improve its efficiency, hopefully reaching or even exceeding the performance of today's thin-film solar cells," said Dr Mathews, who is also the Singapore R&D Director of the Singapore-Berkeley Research Initiative for Sustainable Energy (SinBeRISE) NRF CREATE programme.
"The excellent properties of these materials, allow us to make light weight, flexible solar cells on plastic using cheap processes without sacrificing the good sunlight conversion efficiency."
Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, the Executive Director of ERI@N said they are now looking into building prototype solar cell modules based on this exciting class of materials.
"Perovskite-based solar cells have the potential to reach 20 per cent solar cell efficiencies and another great benefit of these materials is their amenability to yield different translucent colours, such as red, yellow or brown. Having such colourful solar glass will create new opportunities for architectural design," he added.
###
The NTU team, consisting of six scientists, one postgraduate and one undergraduate, took six months to complete this fundamental research project, which was funded by NTU and the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister's Office, Singapore.
Media contact:
Lester Kok
Senior Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications Office
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6790 6804
Email: lesterkok@ntu.edu.sg
About Nanyang Technological University
A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 33,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the colleges of Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and its Interdisciplinary Graduate School. It has a new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) and the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI).
A fast-growing university with an international outlook, NTU is putting its global stamp on Five Peaks of Excellence: Sustainable Earth, Future Healthcare, New Media, New Silk Road, and Innovation Asia.
Besides the main Yunnan Garden campus, NTU also has a satellite campus in Singapore's science and tech hub, one-north, and a third campus in Novena, Singapore's medical district.
For more information, visit http://www.ntu.edu.sg
[
| 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.
Environmental groups are fighting to stop the leveling of 154 acres of coast redwoods and Douglas firs to make way for grapevines.
Courtesy Friends of the Gualala River
Environmental groups are fighting to stop the leveling of 154 acres of coast redwoods and Douglas firs to make way for grapevines.
Courtesy Friends of the Gualala River
In the California wine mecca of Sonoma County, climate change is pitting redwood lovers against red wine lovers.
This Friday morning, a coalition of environmental groups are in a Santa Rosa, Calif., courtroom fighting to stop a Spanish-owned winery from leveling 154 acres of coast redwoods and Douglas firs to make way for grapevines.
Redwoods only grow in the relatively cool coastal region of Northern California and southern Oregon. Parts of this range, such as northwestern Sonoma County, have become increasingly coveted by winemakers.
Chris Poehlmann, president of a small organization called Friends of the Gualala River, says the wine industry is creeping toward the coast as California's interior valleys heat up and consumers show preferences for cooler-weather grapes like pinot noir.
"Inexorably, the wine industry is looking for new places to plant vineyards," says Poehlmann, whose group is among the plaintiffs.
California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, approved the redwood-clearing project in May 2012.
"So we sued them," says Dave Jordan, the legal liaison for the Sierra Club's Redwood Chapter, another of the plaintiffs. The Center for Biological Diversity is the third plaintiff.
The groups filed suit in June 2012 on the grounds that state officials violated California's environmental protection laws by approving the plan.
Redwoods are considered among the most spectacular of all trees. The biggest trees on Earth by height, redwoods can stand more than 350 feet tall. Some are more than 2,000 years old.
However, the redwoods at the center of this conflict are not old-growth trees. The area was clear-cut more than 50 years ago, and most of the redwoods on the site are less than 100 feet tall. Which is why Sam Singer argues: "There are no forests [on this site]."
Singer is a spokesman for Artesa Vineyards and Winery, which is owned by the Spanish Codorniu Group and which first proposed the development project in 2001. Singer says that the two old-growth redwood trees on the property will be spared.
But the thousands of trees slated for removal are between 50 and 80 feet tall, according to Poehlmann. He says the trees provide wildlife habitat and stabilize the soil against erosion, which has been a major problem for streams in the area that once harbored runs of salmon and steelhead trout.
Coast redwood trees stand at Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley, Calif. Redwoods are the biggest trees on Earth by height — they can grow more than 350 feet tall. But their range is quite limited: They only grow along the coast of Northern California and southern Oregon.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Coast redwood trees stand at Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley, Calif. Redwoods are the biggest trees on Earth by height — they can grow more than 350 feet tall. But their range is quite limited: They only grow along the coast of Northern California and southern Oregon.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The project planners have even estimated this timber to represent 1.25 million board feet of "merchantable" lumber.
Dennis Hall, a higher official with CalFire, says his department's approval of Artesa's project in 2012 came only after a lengthy review process found that it would not significantly damage the environment.
"We did an [environmental impact report] for the project," Hall says. "It was an extreme and exhaustive analysis of potential impacts to the environment." The report deemed most of these potential impacts to be "less-than-significant."
Still, Poehlmann feels CalFire has been too lenient on proposals by developers to level trees. "They are acting as if they are actually the 'department of deforestation,' " he says.
The tensions go beyond this case: Friends of the Gualala River and the Sierra Club's Redwood Chapter have gone to court several times in the past decade to successfully stop timberland conversion projects proposed by winery groups and which had been approved by the state. Among these fights was the battle to save the so-called Preservation Ranch, a 19,000-acre parcel that developers planned to partially deforest and replant with vines. Earlier this year, the developer sold the property to The Conservation Fund.
But from 1979 to 2006, 25 conversions of forest to agriculture occurred in Sonoma County at an average rate of 21 acres per year, according to county officials.
At least a few tree-clearing projects have occurred without permission. High-profile winemaker Paul Hobbs didn't bother getting a permit before he leveled 8 acres of redwoods in 2011 with plans to plant wine grapes. He remains a superstar winemaker and was tagged earlier this year by Forbes as "The Steve Jobs of Wine."
And it's not just redwoods that are at stake as vineyards expand their terrain. California's oaks aren't subject to the same environmental protections as more commercially valuable species like redwoods and Douglas fir, according to CalFire's Hall. And Northern California's oak forest, near the coast as well as inland, is being lost at fast rates to vineyard expansions, says Adina Merenlender, an environmental biologist with the University of California, Berkeley.
Merenlender says oak trees tend to be overlooked by the general public, which is more easily impressed by redwoods. Yet oak forests, she says, provide habitat for vastly more species than do redwood forests.
Sara Cummings with the Sonoma Vintners, a wine industry trade group, says new vineyards are usually planted within what she calls the region's "agricultural footprint" — land that is already designated by county planners as "agricultural." Moreover, she says, more than half the county's wine growers are members of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program.
But Merenlender is concerned about future expansion into land not previously farmed.
"We're already seeing a lot of acquisition of coastal lands," she says. "Investments are moving north and west, toward the coast."
The issue, it seems, is a global one. A 2013 study predicted that global warming will cause a dramatic shift in the world's wine regions. The report warns that wilderness areas in British Columbia and remote regions of China — one of the world's fastest-growing winemaking regions — may become increasingly coveted by the industry.
"But at least we'll have plenty of wine to drink, "Poehlmann quips, "while we bemoan the fact that our forests are all used up."
NEW YORK (AP) — Stronger economic growth in China and a pickup in U.S. corporate earnings are sending the stock market mostly higher in early trading.
General Electric, Morgan Stanley and Baker Hughes all rose early Friday after reporting higher earnings that financial analysts were expecting.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up six points, or 0.3 percent, at 1,739 shortly after trading began Friday. The S&P 500 is pushing further into record territory after closing at an all-time high Thursday.
The Dow Jones industrial average of 30 major stocks edged down three points, or 0.02 percent, to 15,368.
The Nasdaq composite rose 23 points, or 0.6 percent, to 3,887 points.
China's economy grew 7.8 percent in the three months ending in September.
Previously requiring an invitation, subscription based e-book service Oyster has today gone live to all and brings a universal iPhone and iPad app to the App Store to make full use of it. If you read a lot of e-books, Oyster's $9.95 monthly subscription fee could be right up your street, with a library of over 100,000 books.
The app is free to download, and many of the books within the Oyster library are from HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and all kinds of smaller publishers. The choice isn't going to come close to something like the Kindle store at this point, but for the price of a book a month you're opened up to as many pages as you can turn. Grab the iOS app from the App Store link below, or head on over to the Oyster homepage to sign up. The first month is free, so take a look and let us know what you think of it.
Free (monthly subscription applies) - Download Now
All eyes are on Stephen Elop. Just hours ago, he introduced Nokia's first Windows tablet; he's also overseeing his division's integration into Microsoft; and Redmond is even considering him as its next CEO. During our interview today, Elop understandably couldn't comment on the prospect of taking ...
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