NRA unveils 'School Shield' recommendations

By Kasie Hunt, Political Reporter, NBC News

A National Rifle Association-funded task force on Tuesday outlined a package of recommendations aimed at improving school safety, leaving aside the new gun controls that Congress is considering and instead advising schools to train teachers and other school personnel to carry guns to protect their students.

?I have not focused on the separate debate in Congress about firearms and how they should be handled," said former Republican Rep. Asa Hutchinson, who is heading up the National School Shield Program. The NRA has spent more than $1 million to back the task force, which was created in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut.?

The push to change the subject away from gun control and toward increasing the presence of guns in schools comes the week before Senate Democrats are expected to consider a package of new gun laws on the floor of the upper chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said the bill would expanded background checks for gun buyers and make gun trafficking a federal crime.

Former U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson announces recommendations arising from the NRA's National School Shield Program, an initiative aimed at providing schools with armed guards.

While the NRA has been working with members of Congress on legislative language for such proposals, it's publicly opposed to expanding background checks.

The group has also opposed a proposed ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, with some Republicans arguing that large and powerful weapons are necessary for self-protection.

The 225-page National School Shield report isn't offering specific recommendations for how many armed staff each school should have or the types of guns those people should carry -- though Hutchinson said the firearms could range from "sidearms, to shotguns, to AR-15s."

Hutchinson emphasized that the program should only be for those who are interested in going through 40-60 hours of firearms training.

"Let me emphasize -- this is not talking about all teachers. Teachers should teach," he said.??Hutchinson also said that the idea of arming community volunteers -- an idea floated after the Newtown shooting -- wasn't workable because of liability and other issues.

Instead, the focus is on arming staff who are employed at the school.??Joining Hutchinson on Tuesday was Mark Mattiolli, whose son was killed in the Newtown shootings. Other Sandy Hook parents have appeared at events on Capitol Hill and at the White House to advocate for stricter gun laws.??

Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

Mark Mattiolli, left, endorses new proposals laid out by Asa Hutchinson, right, after his announcement of the findings and recommendations of the the National School Shield Program at the National Press Club in Washington on April 2, 2013.

"As parents we send our kids off to school, and there are certain expectations and obviously at Sandy Hook those expectations weren't met," Mattiolli said. "This is recommendations for solutions. Real?solutions?that will make our kids safer."?

Arming school personnel is the first of eight recommendations included in the plan. Among the other ideas: an online self-assessment tool that schools can use to evaluate their facilities and safety policies; changes to state laws to allow school personnel to carry guns while they're in training; increasing coordination among law enforcement agencies; encouraging states to make school safety part of their educational requirements; making the task force a permanent group; creating a pilot program to assess threats and mental health; and increasing federal funding for school safety.

Hutchinson presented the task force's findings at the National Press Club, where he was protected by at least 10 security guards, some uniformed and some in plain clothes.??

"No, there's nothing I'm afraid of," he said when asked about the intense security presence. National Press Club executive director Bill McGowan said after the event that the security level was "unusual" and "definitely got our attention." ??

Task force officials plan to make the report available at www.nrachoolshield.com.?

This story was originally published on Tue Apr 2, 2013 11:31 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a4180c1/l/0Lfirstread0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C0A20C17570A190A0Enra0Eunveils0Eschool0Eshield0Erecommendations0Dlite/story01.htm

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PFT: Flynn officially heads to Raiders? |? Florio

Getty Images

Former NFL head coach and player Jack Pardee has passed away at age 76, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

Ted Pardee, Jack?s son, said his father passed away from complications of gallbladder cancer,?Mark Berman?of Fox 26 in Houston reported.

Pardee coached the Bears from 1975-77, leading Chicago to the postseason in his final campaign. After the 1977 season, he took the Redskins? coaching job, leading Washington from 1978 through 1980. He won NFL Coach of the Year honors in 1979 after Washington posted a 10-6 mark.

Let go after the 1980 season, Pardee would go on to coach the USFL?s Houston Gamblers (1984-1985) and the University of Houston (1987-1989) before taking the Oilers? job in 1990. He led the Oilers to the postseason in each of his first four seasons, but Houston managed just one playoff win in that span. After a 1-9 start in 1994, Pardee resigned and was replaced by Jeff Fisher.

Including playoffs, Pardee?s career NFL coaching record was 88-82 (.518).

Before another generation came to know him for his work on the sidelines, Pardee had a decorated career as a player. He was an All-American?at Texas A&M under Bear Bryant, playing linebacker and fullback. He entered the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams in 1957 and would play 15 seasons in the league, twice earning?All-Pro honors (1964, 1971).

An academic All-American and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Jack Pardee was born April 19, 1936 in Exira, Iowa.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/01/flynns-a-raider-for-14-fifth-and-a-conditional-pick/related/

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NVIDIA outs GeForce 700M GPUs for notebooks, boasts inclusion by 'every leading manufacturer'

In NVIDIA's ongoing efforts to monopolize the technical-sounding graphics card market, the California-based components manufacturer today announced a fresh mobile line of GPUs aimed at notebook computing. That's five new GPUs in total, with the GeForce GT 720M and 735M making up the "mainstream" segment, while the GT 740M, 745M, and 750M make up the "performance" portion of the lineup. All five cards include NVIDIA's "GPU Boost 2.0" tech, which allows the GPU to alter its clock speed on-the-fly for the sake of efficiency -- although this is mainly a software-level upgrade over the first iteration of Boost, and it's still the same familiar Kepler architecture under the hood. It won't be too long before we start seeing the newest NVIDIA mobile GPUs in notebooks at retail, as the PR says they'll be in notebooks from "every leading manufacturer" in the coming months.

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, NVIDIA

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/01/nvidia-geforce-gt700m-series/

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Immigration deal at hand, focus turns to details

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Big business and big labor have settled on a political framework for an immigration overhaul. Now, the lawmakers writing bipartisan legislation need to resolve the nitty-gritty ? and keep their parties' political flanks mollified.

Business and labor negotiators late last week agreed on a deal that would allow tens of thousands of low-skilled workers into the country and pay them fair wages. It was a last major sticking point before the deal goes to the eight senators ? four Democrats, four Republicans ? to sign off on the details and propose legislation. They are looking to set in motion the most dramatic changes to the faltering U.S. immigration system in more than two decades.

"There are a few details yet. But conceptually, we have an agreement between business and labor, between ourselves that has to be drafted," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The so-called Gang of Eight's plan would provide a new class of worker visas for low-skilled workers, secure the border, crack down on employers, improve legal immigration and create a 13-year pathway to citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants already here.

"With the agreement between business and labor, every major policy issue has been resolved," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat who brokered the labor-business deal.

But that effort hasn't taken the form of a bill and the senators searching for a compromise haven't met about the potential breakthrough. They plan to introduce their framework when they return from recess the week of April 8 and move quickly to schedule a vote.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said the hard part is done.

"That doesn't mean we've crossed every 'i' or dotted every 't,' or vice versa," Flake said.

But even as the final stages of talks begin, one member of the group urged colleagues not to get too far ahead of themselves. Just before lawmakers began appearing on Sunday shows to discuss the breakthrough, Sen. Marco Rubio warned he was not ready to lend his name ? and political clout ? to such a deal without hashing out the details.

"Reports that the bipartisan group of eight senators have agreed on a legislative proposal are premature," said Rubio, a Florida Republican who is among the lawmakers working to write the legislation.

Rubio, a Cuban-American who is weighing a presidential bid in 2016, is a leading figure inside his party. Lawmakers will be closely watching any deal for his approval, and his skepticism about the process did little to encourage optimism.

Rubio, who is the group's emissary to conservatives, called the agreement "a starting point" but noted 92 senators from 43 states haven't yet been involved in the process.

That's where figures such as Rubio and assistant Democratic leader Dick Durbin of Illinois come in. Both will be able to give political cover to ? or coax ? members of their party who were not involved in drafting this agreement that could allow an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants to earn U.S. citizenship.

"As to the 11 million, they'll have a pathway to citizenship, but it will be earned, it will be long, and it will be hard, and I think it is fair," Graham said.

A week ago, such a compromise seemed impossible.

Then the pro-business U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO labor coalition reached its deal late Friday to allow tens of thousands of low-skilled workers into the country to fill jobs in construction, restaurants and hotels.

Schumer negotiated the deal between Chamber of Commerce head Tom Donohue and AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka during a late Friday phone call. Under the compromise, the government would create a new "W'' visa for low-skilled workers, who would earn the same wages paid to Americans or the prevailing wages for the industry they're working in, whichever is higher. The Labor Department would determine prevailing wage based on customary rates in specific localities, so it would vary from city to city.

The detente between the powerful business lobbying group and the nation's leading labor federation still needs senators' approval, including a nod from Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican whose previous efforts came up short. He has returned to the negotiating table yet again.

The immigration debate already has President Barack Obama's attention.

"This is a legacy item for him," said David Axelrod, a longtime political confidant of Obama. "There is no doubt in my mind that he wants to pass comprehensive immigration reform."

Graham was interviewed Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." Schumer, Flake and Axelrod appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/immigration-deal-hand-focus-turns-details-070801141--politics.html

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Try a progressive art partyArt Musings | Art Musings

Children gathered with their families March 23 for an opening reception to celebrate the ?What I Want To Be When I Grow Up? exhibit that runs through?today (March 31)?at the Herberger Theater Art Gallery in downtown Phoenix. Guest curator for the exhibit is Peter Bugg.

All the art was created by 2-5 year olds, who surely marveled at seeing their artwork displayed in such fine fashion. Consider spending some time downtown on Sunday so you can enjoy these works ? which might inspire your family to create its own at-home art gallery.

Herberger Theater Art Gallery. Photo courtesy of Herberger Theater Center.

Young artist stands near her work. Photo: Herberger Theater Center.

More fun with artwork. Photo: Herberger Theater Center.

Artist posing with his artwork. Photo: Herberger Theater Center.

Artists posing with their work. Photo: Herberger Theater Center.

Families gathering to enjoy children?s artwork. Photo: Herberger Theater Center.

Exploring ?What I Want To Be When I Grow Up.? Photo: Herberger Theater Center.

Opening reception for ?What I Want To Be When I Grow Up.? Photo: Herberger Theater Center.

Seeing these works?inspired?me to muse a bit about?ways to create a?progressive art exhibit with various friends, neighbors or family members. Invite everyone to create some sort of art exhibit in their home, then spend an evening going from one exhibit to another while you get to know each other better and help kids experience the joys of art making and art exploring.

Some might cover a refrigerator with art, while others string works with clothes pins along a wall. Some might fill a bookshelf with sculptures, while others fill a driveway with chalk art or hang?kirigami (cut paper) works?from tree branches. Have some volunteer to serve healthy snacks and drinks, and others volunteer to host simple art activities like folding an origami animal or decorating a bookmark.

Or?have participating families?buy a certain dollar amount in arts & craft supplies to share with everyone who takes part in a progressive?afternoon of supplies gathering. Have kids bring empty?shoe boxes to decorate at the first house, then carry from home to home as they stock up on different supplies. One family might share scrapbook paper, while another shares fuzzy pom poms.

Consider?arranging an adult version too. Have everyone BYOC (bring your own canvas) then go from house to house painting at each stop with whatever materials?each host provides (I?d give you chocolate syrup and cotton swabs). Plan extra time at your final stop for show-and-tell over wine or coffee.

? Lynn Trimble, Arts Writer

Note: Herberger Theater Center and Center Dance Ensemble recently held the 2013 Arizona Young Artists? Competition ? click here to learn a bit about the winners.

Coming up: The fine art of being earnest

Source: http://69.195.124.66/~artmusin/2013/03/31/try-a-progressive-art-party/

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What Games Are: My Three GDC Themes

Women in games, the continuing rise of microconsoles and the normalizing of real money gaming. These were the three themes that I noticed most at this year's Game Developers Conference.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/hVe-J1RLfaY/

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Professional Business Marketing ? Solazyme Management Is a Step ...

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Digging through balance sheets and income and cash flow statements is a tedious but necessary part of being an investor. However, there are integral metrics to each investment that don?t show up on a piece of paper ? and some are difficult to measure at all. One such intangible is management. Having a strong leadership team in place is always an important aspect of building a competitive and market-leading company.

The individuals at the helm are even more important to a disruptive developmental-stage company. Luckily for Solazyme (NASDAQ: SZYM??) , its management team has just the right mix of experience and diversity to accomplish the company?s goals. Wondering why the company has yet to stumble? Management has a lot to do with it. Let?s take a closer look at the key people driving the company forward.

Co-founders fail up
For every start-up that keeps its founder(s) close and succeeds beyond investors? wildest dreams, there is another that fails miserably. So while I won?t make any outrageous claims, I will say that keeping founders around for the long haul can have a compounding effect as a company outgrows its training wheels. Founders may not enter their first day of entrepreneurism with much experience, but what they learn along the way gives them something to draw upon when facing obstacles later down the road.

Jonathan Wolfson and Dr. Harrison Dillon, the respective CEO and president, decided to start a life-sciences company all the way back in their undergraduate years at Emory University. They probably didn?t expect to meet up again years later in a garage in California, but that?s exactly where Solazyme was born. The two knew they wanted to unlock the power of algae after hearing about its potential to be set on fire (piquing their interest in chemical applications), so naturally they targeted strains that grew in open ponds.

After initial development they came to a stark conclusion: Fuels from open-pond algae would cost some serious coin (in the late 1990s, anyway) and wouldn?t be close to economically viable. Rather than scrapping their dream for commercializing algae at the first sign of trouble, the two turned their focus to algae strains that could be grown in a more traditional bioreactor. The platform that exists today can be directly attributed to their decision to turn failure into a launching pad. Investors wouldn?t want anyone else at the top of the depth chart.

Engineering a bright future
Solazyme left the laboratory long ago, but it still needs to put a few more puzzle pieces in place before it runs on all cylinders. CTO Peter J. Licari and Mark Warner, senior VP of engineering, will be leading the charge to put the company?s platform at the top of the industry. Licari has two decades of experience at UMass, BASF, and Merck. Warner has several decades of experience, most recently leading the construction of the 100 million gallon-per-year biodiesel facility at Grays Harbor for Imperium Renewables ? the largest in the country. Who better to consult Solazyme during its three-continent biorefinery binge?

Commercialization
What good is having towering bioreactors installed if you can?t put products on the market? Enter Chief Commercialization Officer Rogerio Manso, who is directly involved in everything from obtaining sugars to selling finished products. Manso hails from Brazilian energy giant Petrobras and undoubtedly has an impressive list of connections in Brazil ? the most competitive market for renewable chemicals.

Then there?s Frederic Stoeckel, senior VP and general manager of health sciences, who has led the Algenist product line from a few new-kid-on-the-block bottles of alguronic acid to a burgeoning force in the skin-care segment. Solazyme?s success in recent years with its health-sciences division can be largely attributed to Stoeckel?s experience with the natural skin-care brand Melvita from L?Occitane and various positions at L?Oreal.

Don?t forget expansion
Few people give much thought to how well a company expands its business ? instead focusing on overall growth. By that I mean the quality and qualifications of new hires and the management of a multiplying workforce. Growing sales a bajillion times over the previous year means little if employees don?t have a productive workplace.

Jane Marvin, senior VP of human resources, probably doesn?t get many shout-outs, but she?ll deserve one soon. She?ll be responsible for growing Solazyme?s workforce out of development mode and into big-boy territory, all while continuing to attract top-level talent into new positions. Marvin has held similar roles at Ross Stores, ATT Wireless, and Covad Communications and will be crucial in guiding the company?s culture to maturation while preserving core values.

Foolish bottom line
Investors have enjoyed early success from Solazyme thus far, but sometimes I don?t think management gets as much credit as the algae does. Keeping the streak of milestone accomplishments alive rests squarely on these leaders? shoulders. If I were an investor here, I?d feel pretty good about that.

If you?re on the lookout for some currently intriguing energy plays, check out The Motley Fool?s ?3 Stocks for $100 Oil.? You can get free access to this special report by clicking here.

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The Death of the PC
The days of paying for costly software upgrades are numbered. The PC will soon be obsolete. And BusinessWeek reports 70% of Americans are already using the technology that will replace it. Merrill Lynch calls it ?a $160 billion opportunity.? Computing giants including IBM, Yahoo!, and Amazon are racing to be the first to cash in on this PC-killing revolution.

Yet a small group of little-known companies have a huge head start. Get the full details on these companies, and the technology that is about to destroy the PC, in a free video report from The Motley Fool.

Simply enter your email address below to watch this stunning video.

Source: http://lowbrowse.org/solazyme-management-is-a-step-ahead.html

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