Daily Archives: April 7, 2017

But while the decision to strike Syrian government targets marked a sharp reversal in the President's stance on Syria -- one that called for a laser-like focus on ISIS and largely ignoring Assad -- the sharp, 180-degree turn didn't happen over a matter of days.

Months earlier, during an off-the-record holiday gathering with reporters at his opulent Mar-a-Lago estate a week before Christmas, Trump spoke at length about the carnage of the Syrian civil war, revealing that the issue was weighing on him as he prepared to take office. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks authorized CNN on Friday to report the contents of his remarks on the topic at the gathering, which CNN attended.

He described the slaughter of civilians in Syria as a "holocaust," and remarked on the "high pain threshold" of the population there.

Trump also described in detail a video he had seen of an elderly woman being shot multiple times in Syria, struggling as she tried to continue to walk.

And then, he acknowledged that the US had a "responsibility" over the devastating Syrian conflict -- the same word he would use months later before approving the launch of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles to target a Syrian Air Force base.

"I now have responsibility. And I will have that responsibility and carry it very proudly, I will tell you that. It is now my responsibility," Trump said Wednesday during a White House news conference one day before approving the airstrike.

Trump said that the chemical weapons attack "crossed a lot of lines for me," a telling comment that signaled his shifting willingness to strike the Syrian regime.

But even as he spoke broadly during the December cocktail gathering about a US responsibility over the horrors taking place in Syria, he was clearly undergoing a shift in his approach to the conflict there as his moral responsibility as the US President and "leader of the free world" began to sink in.

It was clear Trump was giving more thought to the Syrian conflict that he would soon inherit as president, and he indicated he would be weighing different ways the US could act to stop the atrocities that continued to unfold in Syria.

He declined to say if he would take military action, parroting his oft-repeated line that the US should act first and talk later, rather than telegraph military actions in advance.

Trump spoke at length about the "tragedy" unfolding in Syria and the atrocities the world had grown all too accustomed to seeing and his demeanor and thoughtfulness as he addressed the topic struck reporters who had covered Trump's campaign since its early days as a crucial piece of insight into how Trump was becoming more clearly aware of the real world implications of his startling election victory.

With his strikes against a Syrian government target on Thursday night, Trump made clear that his Middle East policy won't just be driven by a single-minded focus on terrorist groups like ISIS or core national security threats -- but could be expanded to address the United States' moral responsibility in the world.

That's not something Trump spoke about during his campaign for president. Rather, Trump touted an "America First" philosophy that he said would drive his domestic and foreign policy. He decried the Iraq War as a "stupid" decision that had led to needlessly spilled blood and treasure in the Middle East.

Trump called for keeping US military action in the Middle East singularly focused on eliminating ISIS and argued that the US had "bigger problems" than Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We cannot be the world's policeman," Trump said at his first presidential debate against former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, whom Trump called out for her role in some of the very foreign interventions Trump railed against on the stump.

Trump's internal shift didn't translate into US policy until this week after the latest images of the Assad regime's horrific violence against civilians were broadcast around the world.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson insisted that the decision to strike was not triggered by an "emotional reaction," but made clear the decision was driven by Trump's refusal to "turn a blind eye" to the Syrian violence.

The chemical weapons attacks that prompted Trump to strike had happened "on his watch," Tillerson said of Trump.

As recently as last week, the administration's top officials continued to articulate Trump's realpolitik view of the Syrian civil war as he articulated it on the campaign.

"With respect to Assad, there is a political reality that we have to accept," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said last week. "The United States has profound priorities in Syria and Iraq, and we've made it clear that counterterrorism -- particularly the defeat of ISIS -- is foremost among those priorities."

Thursday night's strike sent a clear message that Trump was willing to act beyond those counterterrorism priorities, but US officials made clear that the strike was meant to send a message -- not fundamentally alter US policy in the region.

"I would not in any way attempt to extrapolate that to a change in our policy or posture relative to our military activities in Syria today. There has been no change in that status," Tillerson told reporters after the cruise missiles had struck their targets.

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the president's national security adviser, said the strike "should" shift Assad's calculus on chemical weapons.

Still, he acknowledged that the strike did not eliminate Assad's capacity to conduct the ghastly attacks.

CNN's Noah Gray contributed to this report.

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Trump's evolution on Syria didn't happen overnight - CNN

As President Trump was wrapping up his dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago a hearty menu that included pan-seared Dover sole and dry-aged New York strip steak, paired with California wines he delivered the news: The U.S. had launched strikes on Syria.

By this point, the first of 59 missiles already had started to rain down on the Assad airbase alleged to have been used to carry out this weeks deadly chemical attack. Planning for a U.S. response had been underway since Tuesday but the final decision to order missile strikes, and the militarys execution of that directive, took place over the course of just a few hours Thursday evening.

The timeline of the presidents decision-making and the mission itself was detailed late Friday by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and other U.S. officials. The presidents top spokesman described the course of events as a 72-hour evolution that involved updates and options and refinements before a final decision.

OBAMA OFFICIALS UNDER FIRE FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS CLAIMS

Hes not going to telegraph his next move, Spicer cautioned, but described Thursdays actions as carefully planned, decisive and justified.

According to Spicer and other officials, the timeline played out as follows:

Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. ET: Trump was informed during his daily briefing about the suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria. Trump asked his team for more information. The team developed initial options.

Tuesday at 8 p.m.: Preliminary options were presented and refined.

Wednesday morning: Another restricted principals meeting was held where options were further reviewed and refined.

Wednesday at 3 p.m.: Trump was briefed on updated options at a national security meeting. He reviewed them, asked questions, and requested more information including options for strikes on Syria.

Thursday at 1:30 p.m.: En route to Florida, Trump convened his national security team aboard Air Force One.

Thursday at 4 p.m.: Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and others met in a secure room in Palm Beach. The president gave the okay to move ahead. This decision was made at about 4:30 p.m.

Thursday at 7:40 p.m.: Navy destroyers in the Mediterranean launched Tomahawk missiles into Syria.

Thursday at 8:30 p.m.: Foreign leaders and congressional leaders started to be notified. Around that time, the first missiles were hitting. Trump informed President Xi as their dinner was ending. According to Spicer, all 59 missiles hit their target. After dinner, Trump held a secure call with the Joint Chiefs.

He asked about reaction from the world community as well as congressional leaders and was informed that there was fairly unanimous praise for the decision and the actions the president took, Spicer said.

Trump mostly has won bipartisan praise on Capitol Hill for the response, though some have warned that he must seek congressional authorization going forward. The strikes also fueled a fiery U.N. Security Council session on Friday, where Syrias allies condemned the action.

The strikes took some by surprise, considering Trumps past criticism of intervention in Syria. Spicer, and the president himself, say he was moved by the horrific images of victims of this weeks chemical attack.

It was very disturbing and tragic and moving to him, Spicer said.

Fox News Judson Berger, Lucas Tomlinson and Lesa Jansen contributed to this report.

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Syria strikes: The story behind Trump's '72-hour evolution' - Fox News

On topics ranging from astrophysics to public health, rejections of scientific consensus can prove quite inflexible when bolstered by religious doctrine. Buta new approach to teaching evolutionary biology appears to ease such tensions. It involves airing perceived conflicts between religion and evolution in the classroom rather than simply presenting a mountain of evidence for evolution. Such a curriculum could help biologists (most of whom claim to hold no religious beliefs) more effectively prepare students (most of whom profess belief in God) to meet the nations growing need for scientists and technologists.

During a two-week module on evolution that was part of an introductory biology course at Arizona State University, the instructor explored a variety of viewpoints about the relation between some religious beliefs and the development and diversification of life, ranging from evolution without the involvement of a deity to various types of creationismincluding theistic evolution. Students were encouraged to express their opinions and concerns.

Surveys filled out by 60 students before and after the module revealed that the number of students who perceived a sense of a conflict between religion and evolution at the start was cut in half by the end. An analysis of the results is detailed in the February issue of the American Biology Teacher.

In response to instructors concerns about limited classroom time, a follow-up project compressed the two-week module to six minutes. Remarkably, unpublished results suggest this brief exposure also proved effective at reducing students perception of a conflict. If we encourage national policy documents that promote these teaching practices, says study co-author Elizabeth Barnes of Arizona State, perhaps we can increase acceptance of evolution among our students, future teachers and future political leaders.

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Dissent with Modification: Soothing EvolutionReligion Tensions in ... - Scientific American

Science Daily

Meteorologist applies biological evolution to forecasting Science Daily So Roebber applied a mathematical equivalent of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution to the problem. He devised a method in which one computer program sorts 10,000 other ones, improving itself over time using strategies, such as heredity, mutation and ...

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Meteorologist applies biological evolution to forecasting - Science Daily

April 7, 2017 PRINT

by Avash Kalra/Senior Writer (@AvashKalra)

(photo: Todd Pavlack)

CHICAGO The Denver players and coaching staff have been asked about last season's NCAA Frozen Four semifinal loss to eventual champion North Dakota over and over.

And over and over again.

That loss has been a black cloud hovering perhaps fueling each of Denver's accomplishments this season. The Pioneers' nation-best 32 wins. Their 13-game winning streak from Jan. 21 to Mar. 11. Their NCHC regular season title. And now their long-awaited return to the national championship game, an all-NCHC tilt between Denver and Minnesota-Duluth set for Saturday night.

Denver sophomore Dylan Gambrell has been asked about that loss, too.

But the memory is vivid without the constant reminders.

"It's always in the back of your mind that feeling," Gambrell said before the final practice of Denver's season on Friday.

In reality, Gambrell has faced plenty of mental challenges over the past 12 months. Physical challenges, too.

A year ago, Gambrell was one-third of Denver's vaunted Pacific Rim line, which helped propel the Pioneers to last season's Frozen Four. Danton Heinen and Trevor Moore left during the offseason, leaving Gambrell with his 17 goals and 30 assists as a freshman as the potential focal point of the Pioneers' offense this season.

That was the burden he held before the puck even dropped on this 2016-17 season, long before Denver's dominant march to this year's title game.

But those plans seemingly changed during Denver's season-opening exhibition against Mount Royal on the first day of October. Gambrell suffered an upper body injury, tried to play the following weekend, but knew he had to be shut down for a time.

"He was our best player going into the year, and I'm talking about training camp," said head coach Jim Montgomery, the Spencer Penrose Award winner as the national coach of the year. "I'm not talking about just because of what he did last year. And then he got hurt in our exhibition game. He's a tough kid, a team player, played with three torn ligaments through the first weekend. Then we found out he needed to get surgery."

Gambrell missed only four games much less than originally expected. His return sparked Denver's lineup, but the sophomore forward had to adjust his game immediately.

"People don't know this. He played with a cast," Montgomery said. "He couldn't handle passes. So he had to try and adapt his game. He's a great team guy. He's really grown this year. He is still a huge focal point for our team. We don't win if he's not going and he knows that. His pace and his relentlessness adds skill to our group that not a lot of players possess."

Entering last night's national semifinal with Notre Dame, Gambrell hadn't scored in eight games the longest goalless streak of his career so far. He still averaged an assist per game during that stretch, though, playing a pivotal role alongside classmate Troy Terry on Denver's top line.

Against the Fighting Irish, Gambrell finally broke through, scoring two goals in the Pioneers' 6-1 win the first on a heads-up wraparound play to put Denver up 4-0 and in cruise control late in the second period

"I didn't feel any pressure," said the San Jose Sharks prospect. "I felt that as long as I'm doing the right things with the puck, and helping my team in any way that I can and we're having success and other guys are scoring and everyone's contributing, it doesn't really matter who gets the credit. As long as we're scoring and winning games.

"Personally, I feel like I've rounded out my game a little more and really honed in on my defensive zone play being on the right side of the puck and just doing the things away from the puck that are going to help the team."

Added Montgomery, "I didn't even know that he hadn't scored in eight games until you said that. That's how our team is built. We're built on the team having success. In my mind, he had been playing really well. He just hadn't scored. We did talk to him about getting into the tougher scoring areas inside the dots. We felt like he was getting a little too much from the outside. Last night, he went to tough areas."

Despite all the hurdles, Gambrell's 13 goals this season are still tied for third on the team, with Jarid Lukosevicius. Terry and freshman Henrik Borgstrom each have 22 goals to lead the team.

Borgstrom battled food poisoning the night before the NCAA tournament began. Terry dealt with almost unreasonably high expectations after willing Team USA to the gold medal in January at the World Junior Championships.

In each situation, the Denver players learned to adapt.

As a result, they've evolved into a team that isn't defined by last year's Frozen Four loss, into a team that's balanced throughout the lineup, and yes, into the team to beat all tournament.

Now, there's one hurdle remaining. And that's the Saturday night showdown with Minnesota-Duluth, with the NCAA trophy awaiting the winner.

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College Hockey News: Adaptation and Evolution - College Hockey News

This Connection-sponsored blog provides valuable insight on the latest IT news and trends from technology experts and industry leaders. Connection has been trusted for more than 30 years to ...

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Unlike many hyped technologies that either never work as advertised, or arrive long after their 15 minutes of fame, Software Defined Networking (SDN) is delivering real-world benefits to its users.

A quick reminder on the foundational definition is good to review. SDNthe physical separation of the network control plane from the forwarding plane, and where a control plane controls several devicesis designed to deliver a host of networking services to datacenter and enterprise networks including automated provisioning, virtualization, and programmability. And its delivering, as designed.

Positioned at the peak of inflated expectations of Gartners Networking Hype Cycle back in 2013, SDN (one time, known as still done nothing) is firmly entrenched in the trough of disillusionment today. During 2015, we started to see production adoption of SDN solutions, though broad deployments are still relatively rare.

NFV and SDN Technology Drive Changes

While rare, thats not to say SDN deployments and its companion technology, network functions virtualization (NFV), are not accelerating. The numbers indicate that the networking industry vendors, service providers, and customersare eager to embrace the future of software-defined everything. For instance:

Set to Boom

SDN works and SDN is ready for prime time now, said networking guru Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst with ZK Research. This is good news for the entire SDN market and customers looking to deploy the solution.

Enterprises have certainly bought into the promise of SDN. According to a February survey, 39% of enterprises are either currently using or planning to adopt SDN, but 49% would do so within 13 to 24 months. Another 25% are considering the technology, but had yet to set up a timeline.

SDNs top perceived benefits are cost savings (up to 30-50% savings on capital and operating costs over five years), improved network performance, increased productivity, and improved security. The top three implementation challenges are costs, integration, and security.

SDN promises to introduce much-needed agility into customers environments, said TBR Data Center Senior Analyst Krista Macomber. However, for customers, getting there requires navigating a costly and complex path spanning not only technology but also business silos, she added. It should also be noted that these SDN solutions also include network visibility. Now operators of the network have an integrated panorama view of services that are running on the network that allow for IT and business leaders to make decisions about how to prioritize application delivery.

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The emergence of SDN comes at a time when networks are challenged to enable an increasingly digital world and the unrelenting growth in devices, data, velocity, and their significance to business success. A trusted partner with networking expertise and experience can help you navigate the complexities of the software-defined technologies, and ensure you can take advantage of the speed and agility of the digital future.

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SDN:The Evolution from Hype to Competitive Advantage - CIO