The US space agency NASA's Mars rover Curiosity will make a wide detour to explore a "cool" geographical hot spot on Mars, scientists said Friday.
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Bishop Brossart trio enter medical school
ALEXANDRIA Donning the white coats of a doctor, three Bishop Brossart High School alumni have entered the same medical school class at the University of Louisville.
Jessica Baumann of Highland Heights, James Schack of California, and McKenzie Vater of Alexandria, joined the medical class of 2016 in a White Coat Ceremony at the University of Louisville School of Medicine Sunday, Aug. 5.
The three Bishop Brossart alumni are part of a class of 160 medical students seeking to complete four years of medical school. The three were among the members of the medical class selected from a pool of 3,200 applicants, according to a news release from Bishop Brossart. Of the 160 medical students selected, 120 were Kentucky residents.
This is an extremely proud moment in the lives of these three aspiring medical professionals and their families, as well as, an incredible tribute to our wonderful Bishop Brossart faculty and staff, said Ron Heiert, director of development for Bishop Brossart.
Bauman, the daughter of Larry and Jill Baumann of Highland Heights, is a 2006 Bishop Brossart graduate. Schack and Vater are 2008 Bishop Brossart graduates. Schack is the son of Jim and Milissa Schack of California, and Vater is the daughter of Jim and Carole Vater of Alexandria.
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Western Alliance Bancorporation to Acquire Western Liberty Bancorp
PHOENIX & LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL) and Western Liberty Bancorp (WLBC) announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement pursuant to which Western Alliance Bancorporation will acquire Western Liberty Bancorp. Immediately following the completion of the acquisition, Western Libertys principal operating subsidiary, Service1st Bank of Nevada, will merge with and into Bank of Nevada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation.
The Agreement provides that each shareholder of Western Liberty Bancorp may elect to receive either $4.02 in cash or 0.4341 of a share of Western Alliance Bancorporation for each Western Liberty share owned (based on existing shares of Western Liberty stock outstanding as of the date hereof and assuming the conversion of outstanding restricted stock units), subject to certain collar and proration provisions. The exchange is expected to be tax free, to the extent shareholders receive shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation. In aggregate, the transaction is valued at approximately $55 million.
Robert Sarver, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Western Alliance Bancorporation, commented, This transaction further strengthens our capital position, increases our core deposits, and enables us to further leverage our existing infrastructure in Las Vegas. We expect the transaction to be immediately accretive to our tangible book value.
Bruce Hendricks, Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Nevada, added, With significant customer overlap between Bank of Nevada and Service1st Bank, we anticipate quickly integrating the two institutions, giving added convenience and services to clients of Service1st.
By joining a strong, service-oriented regional banking franchise, we add greater lending capacity for our customers and new opportunities for growth for the bank. I am confident that both our organizations will benefit from this combination, said William Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Western Liberty Bancorp. As we considered all of our strategic growth options, it became clear that choosing to partner with Western Alliance can provide the greatest benefits and opportunities for our stockholders, employees, customers, and the communities we serve.
This transaction has been approved by the board of directors of each company and is subject to certain terms and conditions, including approval by stockholders of Western Liberty Bancorp and banking regulatory authorities. It is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter 2012.
About Western Alliance Bancorporation
With $7.2 billion in assets, Western Alliance Bancorporation is the parent company of Bank of Nevada, Western Alliance Bank doing business as Alliance Bank of Arizona and First Independent Bank, Torrey Pines Bank, and Shine Investment Advisory Services. These dynamic organizations provide a broad array of deposit and credit services to clients in Nevada, Arizona and California, and investment services in Colorado. Staffed with experienced financial professionals, these organizations deliver a broader product array and larger credit capacity than community banks, yet are empowered to be more responsive to customers' needs than larger institutions. Additional investor information can be accessed on the Investor Relations page of the company's website, http://www.westernalliancebancorp.com.
About Western Liberty Bancorp
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Western Alliance Bancorporation to Acquire Western Liberty Bancorp
Liberty Media files with FCC to take control of Sirius XM – again
(Reuters) - Liberty Media Corp has filed a new application with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission saying it plans to take full control of Sirius XM and its board by increasing its stake in the satellite operator above 50 percent. Liberty said in the filing that it is applying to take "de jure" or absolute control of the company, which includes "the ability to control the membership of ...
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Liberty Media files with FCC to take control of Sirius XM - again
Libertarian vice presidential nominee to visit Kirkland on Sunday
Drug policy reform, smaller government and combating childhood obesity are just a few issues libertarian vice presidential candidate, Judge Jim Gray, will touch on during his multi-state tour.
And Washington is among the first few states hell visit this weekend, with stops in Seattle, Kirkland and Spokane.
Gray said in a phone interview that there is an increasing amount of libertarians in Washington.
I tell libertarians for us to sit together, we must discuss the issues with everyone, said Gray.
But his main reason for the visit this weekend is to be a panel guest and give a speech Saturday at Seattles 21st Hempfest, specifically about Washingtons Initiative 502 marijuana reform. Gray supports the initiative.
Then on Sunday, Aug. 19 from 3-6 p.m., Gray plans to visit Kirklands Everest Park Shelter for a barbecue with members of the libertarian party and a chance to speak with the public.
At some point around the middle of the event, Judge Gray will speak briefly and open the floor to questions, and throughout the event he will be available for conversation, said Kyra Sands, Grays schedule liaison.
News broke Thursday that the Washington Libertarian Party filed a lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court contending that the Republicans are no longer a major political party in Washington state. According to state law, a political party must nominate a candidate for state-wide office, in an even year general election, and receive at least 5 percent of the vote.
They hope to block Mitt Romney from the November ballot on grounds that Republican Dino Rossi was never formally nominated by the Republican party during the 2010 U.S. Senate election. Rossi received 48 percent of the vote in 2010.
According to Sands, John Mills, the libertarian who filed the Thurston County lawsuit against the GOP will attend the Kirkland barbecue.
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Libertarian vice presidential nominee to visit Kirkland on Sunday
Cook Islands scramble to accommodate Clinton
A VISIT to the Cook Islands by US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is proving a tall order for the diminutive nation’s resources.
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China demands Japan release activists arrested on gas-rich disputed islands
Tension over islands reaches new high, while row with Seoul reveals Tokyo's unresolved wartime tensions with neighbours China has urged Japan to immediately and unconditionally release 14 activists who planted the Chinese flag on a disputed island that has long been a source of tension between the two Asian powers. Fourteen activists from China, Hong Kong and Macau travelled by boat to the group ...
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China demands Japan release activists arrested on gas-rich disputed islands
Kermadecs Islands: snorkeling around Meyer Islands
Kermadecs Islands: snorkeling around Meyer Islands
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Sparks fly at health care law enforcement hearing – Video
17-08-2012 12:47 California Congressman Darrell Issa weighs in
Excerpt from:
Funding for health will still grow
Re: Ottawa grades poorly in CMAs annual report card on health care, Aug. 13
In response to your news article, I would like to point out several factual errors.
Your article incorrectly claims that Economic Action Plan 2012 contains a bevy of federal health-care spending cuts. This could not be further from the truth. As Minister of Health my priority was to protect frontline health-care services and health transfers. In fact, federal funding for health care will continue to grow from a record level of $27 billion in 201112 to a minimum of $38 billion by 201819.
This is an increase, plain and simple.
In December 2011, we set the future growth path of transfers to the provinces and territories to provide sustainable and predictable funding to support the provision of health care for all Canadians. The Canada Health Transfer will continue to grow by 6 per cent per year for the next five years, and in 2017-18, growth will be linked to nominal gross domestic product growth, but with a guarantee that it will increase by at least 3 per cent per year.
While respecting provincial and territorial jurisdiction, our government plays a leadership role in health and health care, including these major transfers and by investing more than $1 billion per year in health research and innovation. There are currently more than 10,000 health research projects underway that will help improve health care across Canada.
Furthermore, we continue to make targeted investments in priority areas that will help the provinces and territories meet their responsibilities of delivering health care. For example, I recently announced renewed funding of $238 million over three years for the Canadian Institute of Health Information to continue to provide accurate and comparable health data across Canada.
Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, Ottawa
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Convergence CT Deploys Advanced Clinical Data Warehouse at Advocate Health Care
HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Illinois based Advocate Health Care, one of the nations top health systems, has successfully completed implementation of its Clinical Information System, a consolidated information source that brings together patient-linked longitudinal data from diverse hospital systems. Utilizing Convergence CTs (CCT) Clinical Data Warehouse (CDW) technology and services, working with Advocates subject matter experts, data is converged into a single, easily accessible resource for clinical research, data reporting and operational studies. This affords Advocates medical and quality staff the ability to perform detailed, deep queries necessary to satisfy complex protocols without requiring additional Information Technology resources or impacting operational database systems.
We feel its our responsibility to utilize health care dollars in a socially responsible and financially sustainable manner, said Lee Sacks, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer. Through our focus on prevention, optimal treatment of diseases and care coordination across the continuum, we are confident our efforts will continue to create value and reduce avoidable costs.
Encompassing details on over one million annual in-patient visits spanning Advocates organization, which includes 10 adult hospitals, 2 integrated childrens hospitals, and more than 250 sites of care, the growing CDW warehouse includes electronic medical records, patient demographics, diagnoses, laboratory test schedules and results, operating room statistics, and details of prescribed medications.
After consolidation in the CDW, data can be summarized for a wealth of reporting requirements, becoming the basis for detailed queries and statistical analysis using a number of commercial analysis applications including SPSS, Cognos, MS Excel, and Convergence CTs own products.
Clinical [data] integration is really leading us down the path of evolving into a highly reliable organization that develops the right care model to get the best possible outcomes, said Michael McKenna, MD, vice president of medical management at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.
The term medical research frequently evokes images of scientists seeking a cure for cancer in a laboratory or patients participating in clinical trials out of their doctors offices; a partial picture, at best. That kind of research is necessary, but not sufficient, says Advocates vice-president of research, W. Thomas Summerfelt, Ph.D., one of the visionaries driving the project. Yes, we need to come up with new treatments, but we can arguably save even more lives by improving the delivery of care that most physicians already provide and most patients already receive.
Lambert Onuma, chief executive officer at CCT adds, From an analytics perspective, real improvements in patient care, benchmark performance and efficiency will only stem from the use of evidence-based medicine. CCTs CDW solution and analytics delivers this type of critical information.
About Advocate Health Care
Advocate Health Care, named among the nations top health systems, is the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest care providers in the Midwest. Advocate operates more than 250 sites of care, including 10 acute care hospitals, two integrated childrens hospitals, five Level I and two Level II trauma centers, one of the areas largest home health care companies and one of the regions largest medical groups. Advocate Health Care trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a not-for-profit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $571 million in charitable care and services to communities across Chicagoland and Central Illinois in 2011.
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Convergence CT Deploys Advanced Clinical Data Warehouse at Advocate Health Care
Catholic Health Initiatives, PeaceHealth Agree to Form Integrated Regional Health Care Network to Serve Northwest U.S.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & VANCOUVER, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Catholic Health Initiatives and PeaceHealth, two nonprofit health care systems, have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to create a new regional health care system with the ability to improve care and access for individuals, employers and communities across the northwest U.S.
The partnership will create an integrated health system in the region, combining seven Catholic Health Initiatives hospitals in Washington and Oregon with nine PeaceHealth hospitals in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. The new organization will include nearly 26,000 employees and about 950 employed physicians serving in hospitals, physician clinics, outpatient care clinics, long-term care facilities, laboratories and private homes across the region.
The new organization, with annual revenues of almost $4 billion, will build on the strengths of both organizations to better manage care and resources in a rapidly changing health care environment.
Catholic Health Initiatives and PeaceHealth share common cultures and values, said Kevin E. Lofton, president and chief executive officer of Englewood, Colo.-based CHI, the nations second largest faith-based health system. We see this as a natural evolution a perfect way to share economies of skill and scale, improve health services and reinforce our common mission to create and nurture healthier communities.
Alan Yordy, president and chief mission officer of Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth, said, PeaceHealth and Catholic Health Initiatives have long traditions of serving communities throughout the Northwest and providing health services to all people. Our shared mission and combined strengths will allow us to better serve individuals with safe, high quality networks of care built upon more than a century of service in the Northwest.
The nonbinding letter of intent is the first step in the partnership process. Leaders of Catholic Health Initiatives and PeaceHealth expect to form the new system before June 30, 2013, after completing the due diligence and approval process. The two organizations will be equal partners in the fully integrated health care system serving the northwest region.
Discussions were prompted by a rapidly changing health care environment that demands a more coordinated, integrated approach to the way health and wellness services are delivered to individuals and communities. It also demands the ability to accept more financial risk in caring for defined populations, such as Medicaid recipients. The size and scale of the new organization will allow it to form additional collaborations and networks of care that will include physicians, hospitals, insurers and other caregivers, increasing access to high-quality health services while reducing costs. The partners will reduce costs by making infrastructure investments more efficiently as a single organization in areas such as information technology systems.
The integration of the two organizations is expected to take place over time.
The new organization will include two CHI hospitals in Oregon Mercy Medical Center, Roseburg; and St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton and five facilities in Washington that comprise Tacoma-based Franciscan Health System: St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor; and St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw. Also included are Franciscan Medical Group and Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care.
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Steve Forbes on the Freedom Manifesto
2011's Top Domestic Stock Picker Shares His Strategy
Artisan Funds' Jim Kieffer talks with Steve Forbes about how his team conquered the market in 2011.
2010's Top 5 Financial Pornographers
Forbes Publisher Rich Karlgaard on why you shouldn't believe all market forecasters.
A Major League Contraction?
The Oakland A?s and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays might feel the effects of a shrinking MLB.
A Comeback For Bonuses
Reform in executive pay unlikely as Washington looks elsewhere.
$100 Million Dollar Pink Panthers
Jewel robberies rise in Europe. Suspects arrested in Harry Winston heist.
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Leaked: The GOP's Proposed New Position On Internet Freedom
House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., leads a hearing on Capitol Hill.
The Republican party may be ready to take a new position on Internet freedom, according to a document obtained by Whispers.
California Rep. Darrell Issa's proposal calls for the Republican party to take a stance on the Internet that limits the role of government and allows Americans to "participate where and how they choose on the Internet."
According to sources familiar with the Republican party platform process, the GOP has been increasingly discussing Internet freedom, and could be ready to officially roll out its stance later this month at the Republican convention.
[Photos:Online SOPAProtests]
Kirsten Kukowski, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, writes in an E-mail that Issa's is "one submission of many on the subject."
But don't expect another showdown between Issa, who favors a lighthanded approach to Internet legislation and Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, who introduced the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a bill that spurred widespread Internet blackouts and protests earlier this year.
Kim Smith, Lamar Smith's press secretary, tells Whispers that the Congressman "did not submit any language pertaining to the Internet for the GOP platform."
[Four ThingsAmericansHave Learned From the SOPAFight]
Sources familiar with ongoing discussions say they are "hopeful" that Issa's proposal will make it into the final party platform, and that "conversations that have occurred [on Internet freedom] have been well received" and that the Republicans hope "not to over-regulate the Internet."
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Beaches to have reduced staffing, hours for season's end
There will be a reduced number of lifeguards on duty at Fairfield's beaches for the remainder of the season, the Parks and Recreation Department has announced, because some of the staff will be returning to school.
There also will be reduced hours for Penfield Pavilion and the boat houses at Penfield and Jennings beaches.
Lifeguards will be on duty at Jennings and Penfield beaches and Lake Mohegan through Sunday, Aug. 26, but there will be no lifeguards from Monday, Aug. 27, through Friday, Aug. 31. Lifeguards will be on duty at these beaches from Saturday, Sept. 1, through Monday, Sept. 3, for Labor Day weekend, but there will be no lifeguards for the remainder of the season after Labor Day.
Southport, Sasco and South Pine Creek beaches will not be staffed for the rest of the season starting Monday, Aug. 20, and the swimming areas will be reduced to between red flags posted at the shoreline.
Swimming will be "at your own risk" at beaches where no lifeguards are on duty, officials said.
Penfield Pavilion will be open full-time from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with lockers closing at 7:45 p.m., through Sunday, Aug. 26. Hours will then change to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with lockers closing at 5:45 p.m., from Monday, Aug. 27, through Friday, Aug. 31, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., lockers closing at 6:45 p.m., from Saturday, Sept. 1, to Monday, Sept. 3, for Labor Day weekend.
The pavilion will be open on weekends only after Labor Day Weekend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., lockers closing at 5:45 p.m., through Sunday, Sept. 16.
All lockers must be emptied and keys returned by Sunday, Sept. 16. Any locker with materials left in it will be emptied and the contents put in storage. There is no guarantee of security over the winter.
The boat houses at Penfield and Jennings beaches will operate on a regular schedule through Sunday, Aug. 26, and then will be open from noon to 5 p.m. from Monday, Aug. 27, through Friday, Aug. 31. They will be open on weekends only after that from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Saturday, Sept 1, through Monday, Sept. 3, and Saturdays, Sept. 8 and 15, and Sundays, Aug. 9 and 16.
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Presque Isle State Park releases list of open beaches
Fewer Presque Isle State Park beaches will be open for swimming as some of the park's lifeguard staff goes back to school.
The following beaches are scheduled to be open from this Monday through Thursday: Beaches 6, 7 (Waterworks Beach) and 11 from 10 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.; and Beaches 8 (Pettinato Beach) and 10 (Budny Beach) from noon until 7:30 p.m.
The following beaches are scheduled to be open on Aug. 24: Beaches 6, 7 and 11, from 10 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Beachfront concession stands at Beaches 6, 8, 10 and 11 will remain open. For updates and/or beach information, call lifeguard headquarters at 833-0526, or refer to signs at the park entrance for daily updated information.
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Two McHenry County beaches closed
Article posted: 8/17/2012 1:50 PM
Two beaches in McHenry County have been closed after tests conducted by the McHenry County Department of Health found elevated bacteria levels.
The two closed beaches are Indian Trails at Woods Creek Lake in Lake in the Hills, and Wonder Woods 4, 5200 Wonder Woods Drive, in Wonder Lake. Also, Veterans Park beach, 332 W. State Road in Island Lake is under advisory status, health department officials said.
The beach water samplings were conducted Wednesday at 37 licensed beaches. These beaches will be re-sampled. To prevent illness associated with swimming, all licensed beaches on the 13 lakes in McHenry County are tested every two weeks for E. coli throughout the summer to determine water quality. Additional and more frequent sampling is done when elevated bacterial levels are found.
All beach water results and locations are readily available at the MCDH webpage http://www.mcdh.info (click Environmental Health, quick links, beach testing results.) Call (815) 334-4585 for more information.
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Bacteria closes 8 South Shore beaches
QUINCY, Mass. -
Eight Quincy beaches have been closed to swimming after tests showed higher-than-normal levels of bacteria.
According to the Department of Public Health's website, Quincy's Avalon Beach, Chikatawbot Beach, Heron Beach, Delano Avenue Beach, Broady (Baker) Beach, the beach at the Germantown Fire Station, Orchard Beach and Nickerson Beach were all closed to swimming on Thursday.
The beaches were retested on Thursday and results were expected Friday.
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Initial Public Statement From AUI and NRAO on the Report of the NSF's Astronomy Portfolio Review Committee
Associated Universities Inc. (AUI) and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) have made a preliminary examination of the report released today from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Astronomy Portfolio Review Committee (PRC). Among the recommendations of that report are that the NSF's Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) be fully divested from the NSF Astronomy Division's portfolio of research facilities in the next five years, with no further funding from the Astronomy Division.
AUI and NRAO recognize and acknowledge the need to retire obsolete facilities to make way for the state-of-the-art. However, both the GBT and the VLBA are the state-of-the-art, and have crucial capabilities that cannot be provided by other facilities. Separately the two telescopes provide unparalleled scientific access to the universe. When their information is combined, the instruments provide the highest sensitivity and resolution available for any astronomical instrument in the world.
The Green Bank Telescope
The GBT, located in Green Bank, West Virginia, is the largest and most capable fully steerable single-dish radio telescope in the world. It is a cutting-edge research instrument at the height of its powers, and it is continually growing more capable through the introduction of low-cost upgrades to its light detecting and processing electronics. It is the only world-class astronomical telescope in the eastern United States and has been in full scientific operation for less than 10 years.
Weighing sixteen million pounds, and able to precisely point its 2.3 acres of light-collecting surface area anywhere within all but the southernmost 15 percent of the celestial sphere, the $95 million GBT is an engineering and scientific marvel unlikely to be recreated, much less surpassed, by American astronomy for decades to come. Indeed, astronomers in other parts of the world are at work trying to build their own telescopes of similar concept and design to the GBT, but none of those telescopes will exceed its performance.
The GBT is used by astronomers and students around the world for important research. It is a powerful tool for searching out the molecular building blocks of life in space, for probing the nature of matter at extreme densities, for mapping diffuse clouds of intergalactic gas that are invisible to other telescopes, for finding beacons in space that can serve as mileposts for calibrating our understanding of cosmic distance scales and the characteristics of dark energy, for detecting gravity waves first predicted by Einstein, and for pioneering and experimenting with new observational tools and techniques.
The GBT's annual cost of operation is about 0.7 percent of the annual federal budget for astronomy and astrophysics, but the cost of replacing it, once it's gone, would be enormous. In an era of constrained budgets, leveraging and improving the existing state-of-the-art through low-cost technology upgrades (the development of which often involves students) is a cost-effective way to keep science moving forward. Today's GBT, because of such improvements, is 10 to 100 times more powerful than the original telescope, which entered full science operations in 2003. With small upgrades, the GBT has substantial potential to continue on this upward arc of increasing scientific power.
The Very Long Baseline Array
Comprising ten radio dish antennas distributed across 5,351 miles from Hawaii to the U.S. Virgin Islands -- a span equal to two-thirds Earth's diameter -- the VLBA is astronomy's sharpest tool, the world's largest, highest-resolution dedicated telescope (of any kind). It is capable of creating detailed images of portions of the sky so tiny that they are covered by but one pixel of a Hubble Space Telescope camera.
Commissioned in 1993, the VLBA is now up to 5,000 times more powerful than it was originally, thanks to new state-of-the-art receivers and a data processing supercomputer installed in 2010.
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US Astronomy Facing Severe Budget Cuts and Facility Closures
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The US astronomy budget is facing unprecedented cuts with potential closures of several facilities. A new report by the National Science Foundations Division of Astronomical Sciences says that available funding for ground-based astronomy could undershoot projected budgets by as much as 50%. The report recommends the closure called divestment in the new document of iconic facilities such as the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and the Green Bank Radio Telescope, as well as shutting down four different telescopes at the Kitt Peak Observatory by 2017.
Divestment from these highly successful, long-running facilities will be difficult for all of us in the astronomical community, reads the AST Panel Review, Advancing Astronomy in the Coming Decade: Opportunities and Challenges. We must, however, consider the science tradeoff between divesting existing facilities and the risk of devastating cuts to individual research grants, mid-scale projects, and new initiatives. The National Science Foundation funds the majority of ground-based astronomy facilities and research in the US. Every ten years, the astronomy community puts out a Decadal Review, which reviews and identifies the highest priority research activities for astronomy and astrophysics in the next decade, recommending important science goals and facilities.
With the budget trouble the US has encountered since the 2010 decadal survey, called New Worlds, New Horizons, (NWNH), the money available through the NSF for astronomy is much less than hoped for. Experts say that the Fiscal Year 2012 astronomy budget is already is $45 million below the NWNH model, and predictions say and the gap may grow to $75 million to $100 million by 2014.
In response to these projections, the US astronomy community convened a new panel to go through NWNH to come up with a set of recommendations of how to live within the means of a smaller budget basically what to cut and what to keep.
The federal budget looks nothing like it did when NWNH was underway, said Dr. Debra Elmegreen from Vassar College in New York, and a member of the 2010 Decadal Review Committee, and I really hope nondiscretionary defense spending will not be slashed beyond repair. Congress needs to understand that the nations leadership in science is at risk if science funding is not maintained at an adequate level. But Elmegreen told Universe Today she was impressed with the new panels review.
The committee faced a very difficult task in trying to allow implementation of the Decadal recommendations while maintaining the strong programs and facilities that NSF has been supporting, in the face of extremely bleak budget projections, she said, and I am impressed with their report. The committee seemed to take great care in considering what resources grant programs, facilities, instrumentation, technological and computation development would be necessary to achieve progress in each of the very exciting primary science drivers outlined in NWNH.
The new panels came up with two possible scenarios to deal with the projected budget shortfalls. The more optimistic of the two scenarios, Scenario A, sees funding at the end of the decade at only 65% of what was expected by NWNH. The less optimistic scenario, B, predicts only 50% of projected funding.
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US Astronomy Facing Severe Budget Cuts and Facility Closures