FILE - In this May 26, 2010 file photo, staff members work on the production line at the Foxconn complex in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, southern China. A pledge reported Thursday, March 29, 2012 by the manufacturer of Apple's iPhones and iPads to limit work hours at its factories in China could force other global corporations to hike pay for Chinese workers who produce the world's consumer electronics, toys and other goods. Foxconn Technology's promise comes as Beijing is pushing foreign companies to share more of their revenues with Chinese employees. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - In this May 26, 2010 file photo, staff members work on the production line at the Foxconn complex in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, southern China. A pledge reported Thursday, March 29, 2012 by the manufacturer of Apple's iPhones and iPads to limit work hours at its factories in China could force other global corporations to hike pay for Chinese workers who produce the world's consumer electronics, toys and other goods. Foxconn Technology's promise comes as Beijing is pushing foreign companies to share more of their revenues with Chinese employees. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
In this May 27, 2010 file photo, workers cling to the logo at the entrance of the Foxconn complex in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. A pledge reported Thursday, March 29, 2012 by the manufacturer of Apple's iPhones and iPads to limit work hours at its factories in China could force other global corporations to hike pay for Chinese workers who produce the world's consumer electronics, toys and other goods. Foxconn Technology's promise comes as Beijing is pushing foreign companies to share more of their revenues with Chinese employees. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
BEIJING (AP) ? A pledge by the manufacturer of Apple's iPhones and iPads to limit work hours at its factories in China could force other global corporations to hike pay for Chinese workers who produce the world's consumer electronics, toys and other goods.
Foxconn Technology's promise comes as Beijing is pushing foreign companies to share more of their revenues with Chinese employees. It follows a report by a labor auditor hired by Apple Inc. that found Foxconn was regularly violating legal limits on overtime, with factory employees working more than 60 hours per week.
"I think whatever Foxconn did will have an impact, certainly, on all Chinese workers in all trades," said Willy Lin, managing director of Hong Kong-based Milo's Knitwear, which makes clothing in three factories in China for European clients.
Foxconn, owned by Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., promised to limit hours while keeping total pay the same, effectively paying more per hour. Foxconn is one of China's biggest employers, with 1.2 million workers who also assemble products for Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co.
Japan's Toshiba Group, which employs 32,000 workers in China to make goods such as refrigerators and TVs, said it too is taking measures to reduce overtime work and create safe working conditions at its factories.
China has long been a low-cost manufacturing center for goods sold under foreign brand names. But wages already were rising quickly as companies compete for workers and communist leaders try to push the country up the technology ladder to make more profitable products.
After a lull following the 2008 global crisis when Beijing froze the minimum wage to help exporters compete, Chinese workers have received big pay hikes over the past two years, though salaries still are low by Western standards.
Foxconn responded to a spate of suicides by employees at one of its mainland factory campuses in 2010 by more than doubling its basic monthly salary to 1,800 yuan ($290). The same year, Toyota Motor Corp. and other Japanese automakers granted pay hikes following a wave of strikes that had tacit government support.
Communist leaders have promised to double the country's minimum wage from 2010 levels by 2015.
The minimum wage in Shanghai, one of the world's most expensive cities, is about 1,200 yuan ($200) a month after an increase of more than 10 percent last year. The northern city of Tianjin raised its minimum wage to 1,070 yuan ($175).
Beijing has tightened enforcement of wage and hour rules "because there has been a general lack of compliance ? greater than in other countries," said K. Lesli Ligorner, head of the China employment group for law firm Simmons & Simmons.
"China is trying to make sure that at least at the lowest level of unskilled workers there are greater protections in place for them," she said.
Export-driven manufacturers along China's booming east coast also have to pay more to get and keep workers as rising living standards in the countryside mean fewer people migrate to cities for factory jobs.
U.S. and European clients might push Chinese suppliers to pay more so they look better in front of consumers, Ligorner said.
Higher wages at Foxconn "will have a ripple effect," she said.
Pay and working and environmental conditions are a sensitive issue for U.S. and European companies, some of which have been criticized by activist groups. Companies such as Nike Inc. and The Walt Disney Co. set specific standards in contracts with producers of toys, athletic shoes and other goods sold under their brands and send auditors to enforce them.
"We mind our corporate social responsibility and demand that our contract manufacturers strictly follow local as well as international rules on labor and environmental protection," said Henry Wang, public relations director for Taiwan's Acer Inc., the world's fourth-largest personal manufacturer.
Acer's laptop computers are produced by contractors in Kunshan, west of Shanghai, and in Chongqing in the southwest.
Wang said he didn't know whether the report on Foxconn by the Fair Labor Association, an American industry group, would lead to changes at Acer. He said suppliers already are required to "strictly follow" rules on wages and working conditions.
Higher wages will be easier for manufacturers to absorb if labor is a small portion of their total costs.
Research firm IHS iSuppli estimates that Apple pays $8 for the assembly of a 16-gigabyte iPhone 4S and $188 for its components. iSuppli's figures suggest that if Apple were to absorb a Foxconn wage increase to keep pay level and cut the work week from 60 hours to 49, it would pay less than $2 extra to have an iPhone made.
Other companies earn smaller profits and might find higher wages harder to pass on.
Higher costs in China already have prompted some companies in labor-intensive industries such as shoes and textiles to migrate to Vietnam and other lower-wage economies.
Lin, the garment manufacturer, said his company employs about 1,500 people in Guangdong province near Hong Kong. He said entry level pay has more than doubled over the past five years from 600 to 700 yuan ($95-$110) a month to about 1,500 yuan ($240).
"Anything lower than that, you wouldn't find the workers willing to do it," he said.
___
AP Business Writers Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong and Elaine Kurtenbach in Tokyo and Associated Press writers Annie Huang in Taipei, Taiwan and Foster Klug in Seoul, South Korea contributed.
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You are here: Home / Physical Fitness / Aeron Chair Media: The Signs And Symptoms And Reasons For The Manifestation Of Musculoskeletal Problems
As the earth gets busier each day, and with how wobbly the economic climate can become, it?s no wonder that more people today go out of their way to work longer hours to generate money so they can have something to aid their expenditures. What?s sad about this though is that one of the greatest items that individuals tend to ignore if they become really preoccupied with their work is their own physical wellness .
Given that the majority of the work now is done by computers, body pains are surely something familiar to the modern day workforce. But just what leads to them and how can we tell that it?s manifesting? Please read on to know more info on it: There are various reasons why someone would develop musculoskeletal pains.
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National institute launched to help businesses grow with Asian consumers Public release date: 30-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Feisal Abdul Rahman feisalar@ntu.edu.sg 65-679-06687 Nanyang Technological University
Launched officially today, the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI) announced its strategy and plans for becoming the world's go-to centre for companies seeking to grow their business in Asia.
Top on the list is an Asia Consumer Summit, organised with the Financial Times. Modelled in format after the World Economic Forum in Davos, this event, to be attended by global business leaders, will be a platform to examine Asian consumers. The rest of this year's calendar is filled with conferences headlined by big names in the region, like Acer's Stan Shih, and uniquely Asian events including a seminar on "Ghosts, Spirits, Lucky Numbers and Other Superstitions" and the consumer.
The Institute, funded jointly by the Singapore Economic Development Board and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is a world-class, first-of-its-kind institute focused on Asian consumers. Through research, education programmes and industry collaborations, ACI will help companies develop strategies for Asian markets. Hosted at NTU and funded up to $77 million over five years, the Institute will help businesses innovate brands, products and services, based on insight about pan-Asian consumer needs, wants, and preferences.
The Institute was officially launched at an inauguration ceremony at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore. Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, S. Iswaran, presided over the event.
In his speech, Mr. Iswaran noted that the launch of the institute is in tandem with the shift in economic focus to Asia. He added that Singapore's ideal location and integrative research capabilities in biomedical sciences and engineering will benefit consumer goods companies looking to access and capture market opportunities in the region and beyond.
"Singapore's physical connectivity and cultural proximity to the region, coupled with our multi-cultural talent base, makes us an ideal outward looking pan-Asian hub for many research agencies and consultancies to acquire a nuanced understanding of similarities and differences among Asian consumers," said Mr. Iswaran.
Top executives of global consumer goods and market research companies also attended the event. They included Unilever, ADK, Kraft Foods, Research in Motion, and Nielsen, which have committed to collaborating with ACI on various initiatives. Also present were Professor Amitava Chattopadhyay from INSEAD, Professor Shi Zhang from the UCLA, Ms Leung Cheong Tai, President (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) from Nielsen, and Mr BV Pradeep, Vice President (Consumer & Market Insight) from Unilever, who participated in panel discussions on consumer insights, and strategy and growth.
"Unilever is delighted to support ACI. We need thought leadership and insights about Asian consumers that we can use for marketing and product innovations." said Mr Pradeep.
Ms Leung said, "As consumer needs evolve at an increasingly rapid pace, insights into how and why they make purchasing decisions become even more critical for companies to win, and also identify emerging demand for growth. We welcome the ACI's initiatives to accelerate the development of talents in the region, which will foster an even stronger community of professionals to help companies win."
At the event, NTU President, Bertil Andersson highlighted ACI's relevance to NTU's strategy of becoming a New Silk Road of knowledge that combined the best of the East and West. "The study of Asian consumer insight is one that relies on expertise across many disciplines. Say, you are looking to make inroads into the Asian retail markets. You may start by looking to history, culture, psychology, to figure out what goes on in the mind of the consumers. This requires a multi-disciplinary approach. At NTU, ACI will have access to some of the world's best brains in fields like marketing, culture intelligence, accounting, engineering, and very soon, neuro-science when NTU's new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up in partnership with Imperial College London, enrols its first 50 students in August next year," he said.
The Institute is led by Executive Director Bernd Schmitt, who is currently at NTU as a Nanyang Visiting Professor. A professor of international business at Columbia Business School, New York, and Director at the Centre on Global Brand Leadership, Professor Schmitt has taught and conducted research on Asian consumers for almost 20 years, at universities such as CEIBS in China, Yonsei University in South Korea, and Hong Kong University. He has also consulted for a variety of organizations Sony in Japan, Samsung, Lotte, and Amore Pacific and Hanjin in South Korea, Wheelock in Hong Kong and Tata Industries in India.
"The Asian consumers are set to become the number one priority for companies around the world. Vibrant economies and youthful demographics are creating the world's fastest growing middle class. Firms that are seeking that next phase of growth cannot ignore this region and I'm most excited for this opportunity to lead this pioneering work at the frontier of the global consumer franchise," said Professor Schmitt.
Conferences, Seminars and Executive Programmes
ACI's flagship event is the Asia Consumer Summit, which will be the global platform to examine issues of growth and strategy, exploring Asia's latest consumer trends and how to capitalise on business opportunities that arise from them. Organised in partnership with the Financial Times, it is fashioned after the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, and will bring together the world's most influential and iconic leaders from business-to-consumer (B2C) companies, research firms, creative agencies and academia. The inaugural conference is scheduled for October 11, 2012.
Prior to that, ACI will be organizing its first seminar on Friday, 13th April, at 1808hrs. Titled "Ghosts, Spirits, Lucky Numbers and Other Superstitions and How They Influence Consumer Behaviour", this seminar will help retailers, hoteliers, property developers and other companies unravel the mysteries of how superstitions affect consumer perceptions, decisions and ultimately business. For more tailored insights on market-specific trends and issues, ACI will be conducting several Country Series seminars this year. The first of the Country Series takes place in July, with the spotlight on South Korea. This will be followed by a seminar on India in August, and one on Indonesia in December. The Institute will also offer executive education courses for working professionals. It will also develop customised courses for companies that want their employees to be trained to meet their specific needs.
Research
ACI, through its research fellows, conducts academic research in areas such as consumer decision-making, consumer psychology and consumer culture. ACI fellows are a multi-disciplinary faculty from universities in the region, including NTU, National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, INSEAD, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. ACI has already invited professors from leading US business schools, such as University of Chicago, University of California, Los Angeles, and Columbia University, to present their research. It has established a partnership with the Centre on Customer Insight at the University of St Gallen, Switzerland.
Master of Science Programme
ACI, together with the Nanyang Business School, will launch a Master of Science in Marketing programme in October 2012 to help nurture talent that understands Asian consumers, and possesses the know-how to reach out to them. This one-year, part-time programme will focus on developing quantitative and qualitative research skills to analyse, evaluate and appreciate the unique needs of Asian consumers. Students will learn well-established research methods like survey design as well as cutting-edge methods such as ethnography, text mining and Bayesian analysis. More than just theory, participants will learn how to implement and apply these methods in practically relevant contexts, such as design, branding and product innovation.
Industry Collaborations
ACI invites companies to engage in joint projects and create "next practices" for areas such as understanding young Asian females, "the bottom of the pyramid" and emotional consumption. Corporations can sponsor company-specific research projects and case studies, which will provide them with key strategic insights into how they can grow their businesses in Asia.
###
For media enquiries, please contact:
Ramona Zuzarte
Senior Assistant Director
Institute on Asian Consumer Insight
Nanyang Business School
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6592-7915
Email: ramona@ntu.edu.sg
Feisal Abdul Rahman
Senior Assistant Director, Media Relations
Corporate Communications Office
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6790-6687
Email: feisalar@ntu.edu.sg
About the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI)
ACI is a world-class, first-of-its-kind institute focused on Asian consumers. A national institute in Singapore, ACI started as an initiative of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) in 2011 and is hosted by Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
ACI has launched various research projects focused on Asian markets and consumers, a Master of Science program, conferences and events, executive programs and company projects. ACI helps companies to develop customer-focused strategies based on insights about Asian consumers. The Institute create value in the areas of innovation, branding, new-market development and new media.
Led by its Executive Director, Professor Bernd Schmitt, ACI has more than 20 researchers and post-docs conducting research on Asian consumers. On a regular basis, ACI also invites faculty from US and European institutions as visitors and research collaborators to Singapore.
For more information, visit http://www.aci-institute.com
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, and Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences. In 2013, NTU will enrol the first batch of students at its new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, which is set up jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to four 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) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).
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 is setting up 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.
National institute launched to help businesses grow with Asian consumers Public release date: 30-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Feisal Abdul Rahman feisalar@ntu.edu.sg 65-679-06687 Nanyang Technological University
Launched officially today, the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI) announced its strategy and plans for becoming the world's go-to centre for companies seeking to grow their business in Asia.
Top on the list is an Asia Consumer Summit, organised with the Financial Times. Modelled in format after the World Economic Forum in Davos, this event, to be attended by global business leaders, will be a platform to examine Asian consumers. The rest of this year's calendar is filled with conferences headlined by big names in the region, like Acer's Stan Shih, and uniquely Asian events including a seminar on "Ghosts, Spirits, Lucky Numbers and Other Superstitions" and the consumer.
The Institute, funded jointly by the Singapore Economic Development Board and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is a world-class, first-of-its-kind institute focused on Asian consumers. Through research, education programmes and industry collaborations, ACI will help companies develop strategies for Asian markets. Hosted at NTU and funded up to $77 million over five years, the Institute will help businesses innovate brands, products and services, based on insight about pan-Asian consumer needs, wants, and preferences.
The Institute was officially launched at an inauguration ceremony at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore. Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, S. Iswaran, presided over the event.
In his speech, Mr. Iswaran noted that the launch of the institute is in tandem with the shift in economic focus to Asia. He added that Singapore's ideal location and integrative research capabilities in biomedical sciences and engineering will benefit consumer goods companies looking to access and capture market opportunities in the region and beyond.
"Singapore's physical connectivity and cultural proximity to the region, coupled with our multi-cultural talent base, makes us an ideal outward looking pan-Asian hub for many research agencies and consultancies to acquire a nuanced understanding of similarities and differences among Asian consumers," said Mr. Iswaran.
Top executives of global consumer goods and market research companies also attended the event. They included Unilever, ADK, Kraft Foods, Research in Motion, and Nielsen, which have committed to collaborating with ACI on various initiatives. Also present were Professor Amitava Chattopadhyay from INSEAD, Professor Shi Zhang from the UCLA, Ms Leung Cheong Tai, President (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) from Nielsen, and Mr BV Pradeep, Vice President (Consumer & Market Insight) from Unilever, who participated in panel discussions on consumer insights, and strategy and growth.
"Unilever is delighted to support ACI. We need thought leadership and insights about Asian consumers that we can use for marketing and product innovations." said Mr Pradeep.
Ms Leung said, "As consumer needs evolve at an increasingly rapid pace, insights into how and why they make purchasing decisions become even more critical for companies to win, and also identify emerging demand for growth. We welcome the ACI's initiatives to accelerate the development of talents in the region, which will foster an even stronger community of professionals to help companies win."
At the event, NTU President, Bertil Andersson highlighted ACI's relevance to NTU's strategy of becoming a New Silk Road of knowledge that combined the best of the East and West. "The study of Asian consumer insight is one that relies on expertise across many disciplines. Say, you are looking to make inroads into the Asian retail markets. You may start by looking to history, culture, psychology, to figure out what goes on in the mind of the consumers. This requires a multi-disciplinary approach. At NTU, ACI will have access to some of the world's best brains in fields like marketing, culture intelligence, accounting, engineering, and very soon, neuro-science when NTU's new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up in partnership with Imperial College London, enrols its first 50 students in August next year," he said.
The Institute is led by Executive Director Bernd Schmitt, who is currently at NTU as a Nanyang Visiting Professor. A professor of international business at Columbia Business School, New York, and Director at the Centre on Global Brand Leadership, Professor Schmitt has taught and conducted research on Asian consumers for almost 20 years, at universities such as CEIBS in China, Yonsei University in South Korea, and Hong Kong University. He has also consulted for a variety of organizations Sony in Japan, Samsung, Lotte, and Amore Pacific and Hanjin in South Korea, Wheelock in Hong Kong and Tata Industries in India.
"The Asian consumers are set to become the number one priority for companies around the world. Vibrant economies and youthful demographics are creating the world's fastest growing middle class. Firms that are seeking that next phase of growth cannot ignore this region and I'm most excited for this opportunity to lead this pioneering work at the frontier of the global consumer franchise," said Professor Schmitt.
Conferences, Seminars and Executive Programmes
ACI's flagship event is the Asia Consumer Summit, which will be the global platform to examine issues of growth and strategy, exploring Asia's latest consumer trends and how to capitalise on business opportunities that arise from them. Organised in partnership with the Financial Times, it is fashioned after the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, and will bring together the world's most influential and iconic leaders from business-to-consumer (B2C) companies, research firms, creative agencies and academia. The inaugural conference is scheduled for October 11, 2012.
Prior to that, ACI will be organizing its first seminar on Friday, 13th April, at 1808hrs. Titled "Ghosts, Spirits, Lucky Numbers and Other Superstitions and How They Influence Consumer Behaviour", this seminar will help retailers, hoteliers, property developers and other companies unravel the mysteries of how superstitions affect consumer perceptions, decisions and ultimately business. For more tailored insights on market-specific trends and issues, ACI will be conducting several Country Series seminars this year. The first of the Country Series takes place in July, with the spotlight on South Korea. This will be followed by a seminar on India in August, and one on Indonesia in December. The Institute will also offer executive education courses for working professionals. It will also develop customised courses for companies that want their employees to be trained to meet their specific needs.
Research
ACI, through its research fellows, conducts academic research in areas such as consumer decision-making, consumer psychology and consumer culture. ACI fellows are a multi-disciplinary faculty from universities in the region, including NTU, National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, INSEAD, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. ACI has already invited professors from leading US business schools, such as University of Chicago, University of California, Los Angeles, and Columbia University, to present their research. It has established a partnership with the Centre on Customer Insight at the University of St Gallen, Switzerland.
Master of Science Programme
ACI, together with the Nanyang Business School, will launch a Master of Science in Marketing programme in October 2012 to help nurture talent that understands Asian consumers, and possesses the know-how to reach out to them. This one-year, part-time programme will focus on developing quantitative and qualitative research skills to analyse, evaluate and appreciate the unique needs of Asian consumers. Students will learn well-established research methods like survey design as well as cutting-edge methods such as ethnography, text mining and Bayesian analysis. More than just theory, participants will learn how to implement and apply these methods in practically relevant contexts, such as design, branding and product innovation.
Industry Collaborations
ACI invites companies to engage in joint projects and create "next practices" for areas such as understanding young Asian females, "the bottom of the pyramid" and emotional consumption. Corporations can sponsor company-specific research projects and case studies, which will provide them with key strategic insights into how they can grow their businesses in Asia.
###
For media enquiries, please contact:
Ramona Zuzarte
Senior Assistant Director
Institute on Asian Consumer Insight
Nanyang Business School
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6592-7915
Email: ramona@ntu.edu.sg
Feisal Abdul Rahman
Senior Assistant Director, Media Relations
Corporate Communications Office
Nanyang Technological University
Tel: 6790-6687
Email: feisalar@ntu.edu.sg
About the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI)
ACI is a world-class, first-of-its-kind institute focused on Asian consumers. A national institute in Singapore, ACI started as an initiative of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) in 2011 and is hosted by Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
ACI has launched various research projects focused on Asian markets and consumers, a Master of Science program, conferences and events, executive programs and company projects. ACI helps companies to develop customer-focused strategies based on insights about Asian consumers. The Institute create value in the areas of innovation, branding, new-market development and new media.
Led by its Executive Director, Professor Bernd Schmitt, ACI has more than 20 researchers and post-docs conducting research on Asian consumers. On a regular basis, ACI also invites faculty from US and European institutions as visitors and research collaborators to Singapore.
For more information, visit http://www.aci-institute.com
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, and Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences. In 2013, NTU will enrol the first batch of students at its new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, which is set up jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to four 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) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).
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 is setting up 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.
This is an interesting way, by the grieving family, to preserve the memories of Trayvon Martin (RIP), the 17year old unarmed black kid shot by an overzealous self designated neighborhood watchdog, George Zimmerman (White &/Hispanic). Abovethelaw.com debates the issue:
?The shooting has picked up national attention, and it?s shedding yet another ugly spotlight on race relations in America. I?m on the same page as Elie regarding most of his frustration. But earlier this week we learned that the slain teen?s mother had filed a trademark application for ?I am Trayvon? and ?Justice for Trayvon.?
Elie thinks, in a nutshell, that this is a good and proper strategy to preserve Trayvon?s memory and prevent random people from profiting off of his death. But I have to disagree. I think his family members are wasting their time and energy.
Keep reading for details on the trademark applications. Grab a Coke and a bag of chips, and watch the two of us digitally duke it out in today?s ATL debate?.
Here is the relevant section from Central Florida News 13:
Tuesday an attorney for Trayvon Martin?s mother says her pursuit of a trademark for slogans containing the slain teenager?s name is to keep people from exploiting the boy?s name. Monday News13 first reported that the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filings by Sybrina Fulton are for the sayings ?I am Trayvon,? and ?Justice for Trayvon.? The applications, filed last week. A representative for Fulton says the trademarks were not filed for ?profitable purposes.? Now, on to the debate.
CHRIS DANZIG
The problem here is that filing a trademark application is not worth the time, or the effort, or the money for Martin?s family. I understand Fulton is concerned about people exploiting her son?s memory, and I know the intellectual property regulatory system is one official way to prevent others from doing just that. But I really don?t think anyone is going to make any significant profit off of Trayvon t-shirts. And, even if unintentionally, Fulton?s filing automatically raises questions about her motivation, regardless of whether she?s actually trying to profit from the trademarks.
Even so, the family will almost certainly not have the resources to enforce the trademark. They will not be able to do anything about Times Square street vendors ? who mostly sell copyrighted stuff anyway ? or other independent t-shirt makers. And I am pretty sure Urban Outfitters is not going to try to cash in on this.
Just because Sinbad wore a Trayvon shirt on a morning show doesn?t mean people are getting rich off of Trayvon?s name.
Moreover, t-shirt sales are a non-issue. Fulton?s application doesn?t cover apparel. The Daily Mail notes . . .?
The New Jersey's casino gambling industry has been searching for several years for a spark that could reignite the Atlantic City gaming industry to Monday for they may have received that spark when Revel was granted a gaming license in the state for the revel has been in the works for years and they even before the 2008 economic recession, Revel was considered a key to reviving an industry that had lost its luster casino expansion taking place all across the US since the recession to even more imperative that Atlantic City casinos find a way to hold off the competition.
A Revel is considered by many to be that answer in the facility is a state-of-the-art casino, equipped with entertainment space, restaurants and retail outlets of a revel will also feature 10 pools, a spa, a theatre, and a large gaming floor to level has no rival in Atlantic City or anywhere else on the East Coast in the Borgata was the last casino to open in Atlantic City, and at the time, regulators felt that the Borgata and Revel together could help bring customers back to AC is the recession hit, Revel was one of the short-term casualties, with developers halting the project of the financial market stabilized and the project was restarted, and the facility is now set to open on April 2nd.
If you love children and are committed to helping them learn and grow, you may be considering a degree in early childhood education. There are many career paths open to those who choose to study and become certified in this field. Depending on your level of education and your area of work, you have the potential to make a large income, as more and more parents value the benefits of early education for their children. Most importantly, studying and working in a field you love will lead to job satisfaction and personal fulfillment.
Early education, though officially defined as the education of children under eight, usually refers to children of kindergarten-age or younger in the United States. Educators and child development specialists realize that the educational needs of young children vary a great deal from those of older children. Young children?s brains are growing at their fastest rate. Much emphasis is placed on learning through play and exploration.
Early education is widely considered to be the most important developmental stage for an individual. In their lives, children learn the basics of being a functional person in society. They begin to walk, talk, develop motor skills, and form opinions about the world around them. Experts find that a person?s self-esteem is formulated during these early years, and a bad childhood experience can often disrupt an individual?s self-esteem in the future.
If you are interested in majoring in this field, you are probably wondering what careers are available to you. Many degree recipients become educators, working in preschools and kindergartens, but a degree in early education does not limit graduates to classroom teaching. With further education, you could work in an administrative position as a daycare director or principle. You could also go on to become a school counselor or therapist, working with children who may have special needs, developmental disorders, or emotional problems.
You could also seek employment on the research end of childhood education. There are many jobs available in developmental research, which seeks to learn more about childhood growth, brain development, and learning. You could even go on to educate others about early childhood development in a college setting.
As parents and educators realize that early learning is beneficial, even crucial, to a child?s later success, this educational field is experiencing extreme growth. In addition, both parents work outside of the home in most families, increasing the need for reputable childcare. Most daycare facilities today have educational curriculum and are in need of qualified educators.
In order to become certified in early childhood education, you will generally need a Bachelor?s degree. A four-year degree and teaching certification will allow you to teach at a preschool or kindergarten. If you wish to pursue a career as a therapist, counselor, or developmental researcher, it may require a Master?s or Doctorate degree.
The lead single off Believe could sell 400,000 downloads in its first week. By Jocelyn Vena
<P>He's beloved by millions of teenage girls who already think of him as their <a href="/news/articles/1681772/justin-bieber-boyfriend-mike-posner.jhtml">"Boyfriend,"</a> and now <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bieber_justin/artist.jhtml">Justin Bieber</a>'s edgier track seems poised to be one of the teen star's biggest hits yet. </P><P> </P><P>According to <a href="http://www.billboard.com/news/justin-bieber-s-boyfriend-bound-for-big-1006589752.story#/news/justin-bieber-s-boyfriend-bound-for-big-1006589752.story" target="_blank"><i>Billboard,</i></a> the song, which dropped Monday, could sell upwards of 400,000 downloads in its first week, giving it a big push on next week's <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100 chart. This would give the singer his best sales week for a song to date in his career. </P><P> </P><P><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:753202/cp~vid%3D753202%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A753202" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed> </P><P> </P><P>His biggest thus far belongs to "Never Say Never," which moved 199,000 downloads in its first week, eventually peaking at #5 on the Digital Songs chart. </P><P> </P><P>Based on the estimates for his Hot 100 debut (which takes into account radio airplay, sales and streaming data), Bieber could land in the top five going into next week. So far, his most ubiquitous track, "Baby," </P><P>is also his highest debut on the Hot 100, having landed at #5 in 2010. </P><P> </P><P>It seems that radio is also embracing the lead <a href="/news/articles/1681863/justin-bieber-believe-album.jhtml"><P>id="1681863"><i>Believe</i> single</a>. While Bieber has always had a large fanbase and solid record sales, radio airplay has eluded him a bit. But <i>Billboard</i> further reports that this song could land him in a solid place on the Pop Songs top 10 based on early airplay. </P><P>So far, he's only managed to land at #14 in 2009 with "One Time" and </P><P>#16 with "Baby." </P><P> </P><P>"Boyfriend" was co-produced and co-written by Mike Posner, who explained to MTV News that they always intended to make a song that would shift Bieber's career from tween heartthrob to legitimate pop star. </P><P> </P><P>"I think our goal was to make something that me and my friends could listen to in the car," Posner explained. "I think we've all known Justin since he was 13, and that's not the kid I was in the studio with anymore. He's an 18-year-old. He skateboards with Lil Wayne and hangs out with Lil Twist. Those are his homies. And he listens to hip-hop and he's a really cool kid. He's not like a corny guy."</p>
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In this photo taken by an endoscope and released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), a white thermometer, right, is seen through the surface of water in the Unit 2 reactor's primary containment vessel at the the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Monday, March 26, 2012. TEPCO, the operator of the nuclear power plant, said the water level of the reactor container is only 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) from the bottom, indicating a large quantity of water injected to cool the melted fuel is leaking from the vessel. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co.) EDITORIAL USE ONLY
In this photo taken by an endoscope and released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), a white thermometer, right, is seen through the surface of water in the Unit 2 reactor's primary containment vessel at the the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Monday, March 26, 2012. TEPCO, the operator of the nuclear power plant, said the water level of the reactor container is only 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) from the bottom, indicating a large quantity of water injected to cool the melted fuel is leaking from the vessel. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co.) EDITORIAL USE ONLY
In this photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), a worker operates an endoscope to take photos of water in the Unit 2 reactor's primary containment vessel at the the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Monday, March 26, 2012. TEPCO, the operator of the nuclear power plant, said the water level of the reactor container is only 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) from the bottom, indicating a large quantity of water injected to cool the melted fuel is leaking from the vessel. (AP Photo/Tokyo Electric Power Co.) EDITORIAL USE ONLY
TOKYO (AP) ? One of Japan's crippled nuclear reactors still has fatally high radiation levels and hardly any water to cool it, according to an internal examination Tuesday that renews doubts about the plant's stability.
A tool equipped with a tiny video camera, a thermometer, a dosimeter and a water gauge was used to assess damage inside the No. 2 reactor's containment chamber for the second time since the tsunami swept into the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant a year ago. The probe done in January failed to find the water surface and provided only images showing steam, unidentified parts and rusty metal surfaces scarred by exposure to radiation, heat and humidity.
The data collected from the probes showed the damage from the disaster was so severe, the plant operator will have to develop special equipment and technology to tolerate the harsh environment and decommission the plant, a process expected to last decades.
Tuesday's examination with an industrial endoscope detected radiation levels up to 10 times the fatal dose inside the chamber. Plant officials previously said more than half of melted fuel has breached the core and dropped to the floor of the primary containment vessel, some of it splashing against the wall or the floor.
Particles from melted fuel have probably sent radiation levels up to dangerously high 70 sieverts per hour inside the container, said Junichi Matsumoto, spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co.
"It's extremely high," he said, adding that an endoscope would last only 14 hours in that condition. "We have to develop equipment that can tolerate high radiation" when locating and removing melted fuel during the decommissioning.
The probe also found the containment vessel ? a beaker-shaped container enclosing the core ? had cooling water up to only 60 centimeters (2 feet) from the bottom, far below the 10 meters (yards) estimated when the government declared the plant stable in December.
Finding the water level was important to help locate damaged areas where radioactive water is escaping.
He said that the actual water level inside the chamber was way off the estimate, which had used data that turned out to be unreliable. But the results don't affect the plant's "cold shutdown status" because the water temperature was about 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), indicating the melted fuel is cooled.
Three Dai-ichi reactors had meltdowns, but the No. 2 reactor is the only one that has been examined because radiation levels inside the reactor building are relatively low and its container is designed with a convenient slot to send in the endoscope.
The exact conditions of the other two reactors, where hydrogen explosions damaged their buildings, are still unknown. Simulations have indicated that more fuel inside No. 1 has breached the core than the other two, but radiation at No. 3 remains the highest.
The high radiation levels inside the No. 2 reactor's chamber mean it's inaccessible to the workers, but parts of the reactor building are accessible for a few minutes at a time ? with the workers wearing full protection.
Last year's massive earthquake and a tsunami set off the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl, sending three reactor cores to melt and causing massive radiation leaks. The government said in December that the reactors are safely cooled and the plant has stabilized, while experts have questioned its vulnerability.
During a recent visit by a group of journalists including The Associated Press, the head of the plant said it remains vulnerable to strong aftershocks and tsunami and containing contaminated water and radiation is a challenge. Radioactive water had leaked into the ocean several times already.
Workers found the fresh leak of 120 tons from a water treatment unit this week from one of its hoses, with estimated 80 liters (20 gallons) escaping into the ocean, Matsumoto said. Officials are still investigating its impact.
Fukukushima's accident has instilled public distrust and concerns about nuclear safety, making it difficult for the government to start up reactors even after regular safety checks. All but one of Japan's 54 reactors are now offline, with the last one scheduled to stop in early May.
Alassane Ouattara, right, the president of Ivory Coast who is the rotating chair of the Economic Community of West African States, consults with Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, the president of the ECOWAS commission, during an emergency meeting on Mali's recent military coup, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast Tuesday, March 27, 2012. The body representing nations in western Africa has suspended Mali and has put a peacekeeping force on standby in the most direct threat yet to the junta that seized control in a military coup last week. A delegation of five African presidents will head to Mali within the next 48 hours to try to "restore constitutional order."(AP Photo/Emanuel Ekra)
Alassane Ouattara, right, the president of Ivory Coast who is the rotating chair of the Economic Community of West African States, consults with Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, the president of the ECOWAS commission, during an emergency meeting on Mali's recent military coup, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast Tuesday, March 27, 2012. The body representing nations in western Africa has suspended Mali and has put a peacekeeping force on standby in the most direct threat yet to the junta that seized control in a military coup last week. A delegation of five African presidents will head to Mali within the next 48 hours to try to "restore constitutional order."(AP Photo/Emanuel Ekra)
A vendor walk past stalls in a market area, as people returned to work and their normal daily activities almost a week after a military coup, in Bamako, Mali Tuesday, March 27, 2012. The West African regional bloc on Tuesday suspended Mali following last week's coup and said it was sending a delegation there within 24 hours in a bid to restore democracy. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Traffic makes its way in a market area as residents return to work and resume their daily activities, almost a week after a military coup, in Bamako, Mali Tuesday, March 27, 2012. The West African regional bloc on Tuesday suspended Mali following last week's coup and said it was sending a delegation there within 24 hours in a bid to restore democracy. (AP Photo/Aliou Sissoko)
Soldiers escort the car of coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo as he travels between locations at the military base where he has his headquarters, in Kati, outside Bamako, Mali Tuesday, March 27, 2012. The West African regional bloc on Tuesday suspended Mali following last week's coup and said it was sending a delegation there within 24 hours in a bid to restore democracy. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Soldiers stand guard outside the headquarters of coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo, on a military base in Kati, outside Bamako, Mali, Tuesday, March 27, 2012. The West African regional bloc on Tuesday suspended Mali following last week's coup and said it was sending a delegation there within 24 hours in a bid to restore democracy. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) ? The body representing nations in western Africa has suspended Mali and has put a peacekeeping force on standby in the most direct threat yet to the junta that seized control of this nation in a coup last week.
Alassane Ouattara, the president of Ivory Coast who is the rotating chair of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, told reporters after an emergency meeting in the capital of Ivory Coast that Mali's democracy cannot be abandoned. A delegation of five African presidents will head to Mali within the next 48 hours to try to "restore constitutional order."
There is no immediate plan to deploy the peacekeepers who will be put on standby in the event that a military intervention is needed, said Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, the president of the ECOWAS commission. The move suggests the bloc may consider force if the mutinous soldiers who overthrew Mali's democratically elected leader do not stand down.
"We cannot allow this country endowed with such precious democratic instruments, dating back at least two decades, to leave history by regressing. It's why Mali needs to immediately return its democratic institutions to normal," said Ouattara. "This position is nonnegotiable."
Already, the United States, the European Union and France have cut off all but essential aid, representing a loss of tens of millions of dollars. Additional sanctions from the region would be a further blow to the junta, which seized control of the nation of 15 million in the wake of a mutiny at a military camp in the capital last Wednesday.
In the chaos that ensued, soldiers stormed the presidential palace and drove into hiding President Amadou Toumani Toure, who was due to step down next month. In a matter of hours, they erased two decades of democratic rule.
Besides the threat of military intervention, Mali's neighbors could suffocate the nation financially. Many of the 15 nations represented on the regional bloc share the same currency, and they could together decide to cut off Mali's supply of cash. Also if nearby Ivory Coast were to shut its border, landlocked Mali, a nation twice the size of Texas spanning over an expanse of scrubland, verdant hills and desert dunes, would run out of gasoline, which is trucked in from Ivorian refineries.
The coup took the region and the world by surprise, because Mali has long been held up as one of the few established democracies in the troubled western corner of the continent. Late Tuesday on state television, the newscaster announced that Mali would soon be under a new constitution, indicating the putschists are moving forward with plans to create a new government, and not restoring the nation's previous democratic order.
Later Tuesday, an army lieutenant read out the lengthy document consisting of 69 articles. The first part appeared to be lifted from the country's current constitution, including the guarantees of free speech, liberty of movement and freedom of thought. The middle and final sections set out the role of the military committee now controlling the country, which calls itself the National Committee for the Reestablishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State.
The new constitution says that the committee will be made up of 27 soldiers and 15 civilians. Those asked to serve on the committee will receive immunity and cannot be tried at a later time. Article 42 says that the head of the committee is Mali's new head of state. He will appoint a prime minister.
The junta leaders are working hard to give the semblance of normalcy. In Bamako, the airport and the country's land borders reopened on Tuesday. The nighttime curfew was lifted. traffic was heavy, as offices reopened for the first time since the coup. The junta showed images on TV of looted goods being returned to their owners, after soldiers went on a pillaging spree, even stealing bananas from elderly women who eke out a living selling them on street corners.
"We want the soldiers back in their barracks," said Mohammed Decko, wearing a shirt with the image of ousted President Toure. "This coup is putting Mali back 20 years."
It was 21 years ago in 1991 that Toure ousted the country's military leader in a coup that came after months of protests. The former general, who once headed the country's parachute commandos, was dubbed "The Soldier of Democracy," after he handed power to civilians a year later, then retreated from public life. He remerged to win the 2002 and 2007 elections, and was due to retire at the end of his term next month.
Toure, whose whereabouts since the coup remain unknown, began losing support when an al-Qaida-linked terror cell implanted itself in northern Mali starting in 2003. He is accused of turning a blind eye, while diplomatic cables suggest the government entered into a pact of nonaggression with the terrorists for fear they would strike the capital in revenge.
It was in January that Toure's popularity hit a new low, after a Tuareg uprising began in the country's north. Again Toure did not respond forcefully, and when he finally sent troops to fight the insurgents, they were ill-equipped. Some did not even have enough food.
The group of soldiers that led the attack last week said that it was Toure's failure and incompetence in dealing with the two-month-old insurgency that pushed them to seize power. Their leader is an army captain, who has been sent to the United States for military training. He speaks English and before the coup, he was an English language instructor at a military college.
___
Burke contributed from Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Associated Press writer Martin Vogl contributed from Bamako; writer Elaine Ganley contributed from Paris.
In this Jan. 25, 2012, photo, Victorville, Calif., Mayor Ryan McEachron poses for a photo on a plot of land on the Mojave Desert city's far outskirts that is proposed for a station on the DesertXpress high-speed rail line to Las Vegas. The Obama administration is on the verge of loaning a Nevada company linked to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as much as $4.9 billion to build a high-speed train from Victorville to the gambling palaces of Las Vegas. The project is anchored to the untested idea that car-loving Californians will pull off busy Interstate 15 on the edge of the Mojave Desert after driving about 100 miles from the Los Angeles area, then board a train for a 150 mph ride to the famous Strip. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
In this Jan. 25, 2012, photo, Victorville, Calif., Mayor Ryan McEachron poses for a photo on a plot of land on the Mojave Desert city's far outskirts that is proposed for a station on the DesertXpress high-speed rail line to Las Vegas. The Obama administration is on the verge of loaning a Nevada company linked to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as much as $4.9 billion to build a high-speed train from Victorville to the gambling palaces of Las Vegas. The project is anchored to the untested idea that car-loving Californians will pull off busy Interstate 15 on the edge of the Mojave Desert after driving about 100 miles from the Los Angeles area, then board a train for a 150 mph ride to the famous Strip. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
This photo Jan. 25, 2012, photo shows the site of a proposed station for the DesertXpress high-speed rail line to Las Vegas, foreground, with Interstate 15 in the background, on the far outskirts of Victorville, Calif., the Mojave Desert city on the route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The Obama administration is on the verge of loaning a Nevada company linked to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as much as $4.9 billion to build a high-speed train from Victorville to the gambling palaces of Las Vegas. The project is anchored to the untested idea that car-loving Californians will pull off busy Interstate 15 on the edge of the Mojave Desert after driving about 100 miles from the Los Angeles area, then board a train for a 150 mph ride to the famous Strip. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
This Jan. 25, 2012, photo shows the site of a proposed station for the DesertXpress high-speed rail line to Las Vegas, background, at the end of the Dale Evans Parkway exit from Interstate 15, on the far outskirts of the Mojave Desert city of Victorville, Calif. The Obama administration is on the verge of loaning a Nevada company linked to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as much as $4.9 billion to build a high-speed train from Victorville to the gambling palaces of Las Vegas. The project is anchored to the untested idea that car-loving Californians will pull off busy Interstate 15 on the edge of the Mojave Desert after driving about 100 miles from the Los Angeles area, then board a train for a 150 mph ride to the famous Strip. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
In this Jan. 25, 2012, photo, Victorville, Calif., Mayor Ryan McEachron poses for a photo on a plot of land on the Mojave Desert city's far outskirts that is proposed for a station on the DesertXpress high-speed rail line to Las Vegas. The Obama administration is on the verge of loaning a Nevada company linked to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as much as $4.9 billion to build a high-speed train from Victorville to the gambling palaces of Las Vegas. The project is anchored to the untested idea that car-loving Californians will pull off busy Interstate 15 on the edge of the Mojave Desert after driving about 100 miles from the Los Angeles area, then board a train for a 150 mph ride to the famous Strip. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
VICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) ? On a dusty, rock-strewn expanse at the edge of the Mojave Desert, a company linked to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to build a bullet train that would rocket tourists from the middle of nowhere to the gambling palaces of Las Vegas.
Privately held DesertXpress is on the verge of landing a $4.9 billion loan from the Obama administration to build the 150 mph train, which could be a lifeline for a region devastated by the housing crash or a crap shoot for taxpayers weary of Washington spending.
The vast park-and-ride project hinges on the untested idea that car-loving Californians will drive about 100 miles from the Los Angeles area, pull off busy Interstate 15 and board a train for the final leg to the famous Strip.
Planners imagine that millions of travelers a year will one day flock to a station outside down-on-its-luck Victorville, a small city where shuttered storefronts pock the historic downtown.
An alliance of business and political rainmakers from The Strip to Capitol Hill is backing the project that could become the first high-speed system to break ground under President Barack Obama's push to modernize the U.S. rail network ? and give the Democratic president's re-election prospects a lift in battleground Nevada.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has publicly blessed the train ? it means jobs, he says ? and it's cleared several regulatory hurdles in Washington.
Yet even as the Federal Railroad Administration considers awarding what would be, by far, the largest loan of its type, its own research warns it's difficult to predict how many people will ride the train, a critical measure of financial survival, an Associated Press review found.
There are other skeptics, as well.
"It's insanity," says Thomas Finkbiner of the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver. "People won't drive to a train to go someplace. If you are going to drive, why not drive all the way and leave when you want?"
Construction cost projections have soared to as much as $6.5 billion, not including interest on the loan. Some fear taxpayer subsidies are inevitable.
Reid and other supporters point to research that shows 80,000 new jobs, but FRA documents show virtually all those would be temporary ? no more than 722 would be permanent.
Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron envisions a bustling transportation oasis with a hotel, restaurants, maybe even homes, on the proposed station site. He believes drivers can be enticed out of their cars, even in a region where the notion of rail travel can seem as distant as a New York subway.
The company is "going to have to market and market hard in order to get the ridership they need to support paying back the loan," the mayor says. "I think you can change the thinking."
Along with Reid, the president's most influential Democratic ally in Congress, the plan is being advanced by casino developer and contractor Anthony Marnell II, whose credits include building the Bellagio and Wynn Las Vegas and who heads Marnell Companies, the majority shareholder in DesertXpress; project consultant Sig Rogich, a Republican adviser to two presidential campaigns who founded Nevada's most influential lobbying and advertising company; and Canadian transportation giant Bombardier, a DesertXpress strategic adviser that wants to supply its rail cars.
A decision on the loan is not expected until mid-year, but the company has spent some $30 million sharpening its plan and refining ridership projections. Rising gas prices and increasing traffic congestion could help ticket sales, and the company is touting reduced air pollution from fewer cars on the road.
"It's Victorville that makes the project work," says chief executive Andrew Mack.
Far from being a train from nowhere, company planners see the struggling city of 115,000, once a stop on storied Route 66, as a collection point for millions of drivers heading north to Las Vegas. Bringing the line deeper into the populous Los Angeles area would raise formidable challenges, Mack said, from crossing numerous freeways to finding space for track.
The lot now stippled with spindly creosote bushes has room for 15,000 parking spaces. Bags would be checked through to hotel rooms. At peak hours, trains would depart every 20 minutes. Mack says an average round-trip fare could be as low as $75, though documents estimate $100.
Mack says the train will deliver convenience ? and for a price, luxury ? that studies show passengers want.
DesertXpress officials once boasted they would build the line with private dollars, but they now plan to rely on FRA financing to cover the bulk of the cost. Mack didn't directly answer if the company turned to the FRA because private investors were unwilling to take the risk, but said the loan terms are attractive.
"When somebody comes and tells me I will build a system that pays for itself, I'm suspicious," said Hasan Ikhrata, executive director of the Southern California Association of Governments, which questioned ridership potential in a report last year. "There is no high-speed rail system in the world that operates without subsidies."
The company is still arranging as much as $1.6 billion needed to cover its share of the construction bill for the roughly 200-mile line. Investments could hinge on the loan approval, which requires the company to convince the FRA that taxpayers won't get stiffed. In a worst-case scenario, the train would become government property if the company fails.
The low-interest loan would be about three times the combined amount the FRA loaned 32 other projects through the Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program since its inception in 2002.
If successful, the train could be a forerunner in a national high-speed rail network, while bringing a rich return for investors and delivering visitors to Vegas. It would also give Nevada residents an option to Southern California, albeit many miles from tourist hotspots like Hollywood or the beaches.
The company is seeking funds at a time when a proposed high-speed train running from San Francisco to Southern California has been questioned because of ballooning costs and fear it will sap taxpayer dollars.
Early company research projected the train would lure away nearly one in four car, bus and airline travelers, initially about 4 million people annually. The company now pegs first-year ridership at about 3 million, but that projection was trimmed to 2.5 million by government analysts who urged more study.
The risks are summarized in a 2007 study commissioned by ACS Infrastructure North America, a division of a global construction company that DesertXpress says is seeking a role in the project, that found most travelers were "broadly happy" going to Las Vegas by car or airline. While most travelers would be open to riding a train, the report warned the company would need to lure riders with pampering.
On clear roads, the 270-mile drive from downtown Los Angeles to Las Vegas takes about four hours. Planners say the train ride from Victorville to Las Vegas would take about 80 minutes, but it's debatable how much time would be saved after parking, boarding the train and reaching a Las Vegas hotel.
Round-trip flights from Los Angeles to Las Vegas can be booked for under $100.
The dream of uniting Southern California and Las Vegas by high-speed rail has been discussed for decades. In the mid-1980s, Las Vegas officials predicted a line would be running by 2000. DesertXpress, which would roughly parallel Interstate-15 on a pair of new tracks, has predicted for several years that it would soon break ground.
Reid initially backed a rival project that planned to use magnetic power to reach Orange County, but he jumped trains shortly after Rogich became co-chair of Republicans for Reid, a Nevada group with ties to the gambling industry that helped Reid win re-election in 2010.
The senator's office disputes any connection between his flip and Rogich's involvement in the campaign. Spokeswoman Kristen Orthman says Reid's decision was based on the viability of DesertXpress, while the magnetically powered project languished.
Marnell, another member of Republicans for Reid, is president of one of several companies under the DesertXpress corporate banner. He and his son, M Resort, Spa and Casino President Anthony Marnell III, are also investors.
Federal records show the elder Marnell has donated at least $15,000 to political committees connected to Reid since 2010, including a $5,000 donation in May to the senator's Searchlight Leadership Fund.
According to federal records, the company has spent at least $270,000 since 2006 lobbying at the House, Senate and federal offices.
Other investors include North Dakota businessman Gary Tharaldson, who donated $10,000 to a Reid committee in March, and transportation expert Tom Stone, who organized DesertXpress with partner Mack in 2005.
Nevada records show DesertXpress HRS Corp., headed by the elder Marnell with his son as a director, was authorized to issue 25,000 shares of stock. DesertXpress declined to say who held those shares, if issued, and in what amounts.
Not everyone in the high desert is on board with the project.
Thirty miles northeast of Victorville on I-15, officials in Barstow fear they'll lose 2,300 jobs. The impact will be "unsustainable," Mayor Joe Gomez wrote to LaHood in October 2010, according to a letter released under a public records request.
To appease those concerns, McEachron said the station's proposed location was moved about halfway to Barstow. The patch of vacant land is so remote the city would have to annex it.
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Public release date: 30-Mar-2012
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