2014 LOUISVILLE SLUGGER® SILVER SLUGGER™ WINNERS ANNOUNCED Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez honored with his second-career Silver Slugger

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2014) –Louisville Slugger®, the Official Bat Supplier of Major League Baseball®, proudly announced the 2014 Silver Slugger™ Award winners tonight in a special hour-long telecast exclusively on MLB Network.

 

Dodger first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was honored with his second-career Silver Slugger, also winning the award in 2011, and became just the third Los Angeles first baseman to take home the award since its inception in 1980, joining Eddie Murray (1990) and Eric Karros (1995). Gonzalez was the only Major Leaguer to win both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger in 2014 and becomes just the fourth all-time Dodger to be honored with both awards in the same season, joining Dusty Baker (1981), Russell Martin (2007) and Matt Kemp (2009, 2011). Gonzalez was also previously honored this season with a Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award and as the Dodgers’ nominee for the Hank Aaron Award.

 

"I'm excited to win the Silver Slugger Award, especially with so many deserving first basemen in the National League this year," said Gonzalez. "I'm grateful for the consideration and votes for this prestigious honor."

 

Gonzalez led the Majors with 116 RBI, the first Dodger to do so since Matt Kemp in 2011, while batting .276 and leading the Dodgers with 41 doubles (3rd, NL) and 27 home runs (6th, NL) in 159 games. The 32-year-old was one of the best clutch hitters in the game, batting .333 with runners in scoring position (62-for-186), the sixth-best mark in the National League.

 

Gonzalez reached the 20-home run mark for the eighth time in nine full MLB seasons since 2006 and topped 100 RBI for the fifth consecutive season and seventh time in his career. Since joining the Dodgers in 2012, he leads the club in hits (377), doubles (83), home runs (52), RBI (238) and games played (352).

 

The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners were determined by a vote of Major League Baseball managers and coaches who selected the players they felt were the best offensive producers at each position in both the American and National Leagues in 2014. Selections were based on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value.  Managers and coaches were not allowed to vote for players on their own teams. Tabulation of the balloting was verified by the accounting firm of Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP.

 

Eight of the 18 team members are first-time Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners, including American League batting champion Jose Altuve, National League home run leader Giancarlo Stanton, and American League rookie sensation Jose Abreu.  Meanwhile, Adrian Beltre landed his fourth Silver Slugger Award, while Jose Bautista, Ian Desmond, Andrew McCutchen, and Mike Trout all won their third. 

 

Among the teams represented by this year’s winners, the Indians, Giants, Nationals, Pirates, and White Sox each had multiple Silver Slugger Award winners.  Seven winners in the NL were on teams that made the Postseason, while seven winners in the AL were on teams that did not play in October.

 

Two Indians, Michael Brantley in the outfield and Yan Gomes at catcher, were first-time winners in the AL, while World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner of the World Champion San Francisco Giants joined Stanton, Neil Walker of the Pirates and Anthony Rendon of the Nationals as first time winners in the NL. Gonzalez, Victor Martinez of the Tigers, Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox, Justin Upton of the Braves, and Buster Posey of the Giants all won their second awards.

 

 

2014 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Winners

 

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Pos.	Winner	Team	Stats	# SSAs won
1B	Jose Abreu	Chicago White Sox	.317, 36 HR, 107 RBI	1st
2B	Jose Altuve	Houston Astros	.341, 7 HR, 59 RBI, 56 SB	1st
3B	Adrian Beltre	Texas Rangers	.324, 19 HR, 77 RBI	4th -  ’04,’10,’11, ‘14
SS	Alexei Ramirez	Chicago White Sox	.273, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 21 SB	2nd - ’10, ‘14
OF	Jose Bautista	Toronto Blue Jays	.286, 35 HR, 103 RBI, 104 BB	3rd – ’10, ’11, ‘14
OF	Michael Brantley	Cleveland Indians	.327, 20 HR, 97 RBI, 23 SB	1st
OF	Mike Trout	L.A. Angels	.287, 36 HR, 111 RBI, 83 BB	3rd – ’12, ’13, ‘14
C	Yan Gomes	Cleveland Indians	.278, 21 HR, 74 RBI	1st
DH	Victor Martinez	Detroit Tigers	.335, 32, HR, 103 RBI, 70 BB	2nd – ’04, ‘14

 

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pos.	Winner	Team	Stats	# SSAs won
1B	Adrian Gonzalez	L.A. Dodgers	.276, 27 HR, 116 RBI	2nd – ’11, ‘14
2B	Neil Walker	Pittsburgh Pirates	.271, 23 HR, 76 RBI	1st
3B	Anthony Rendon	Washington Nationals	.287, 21 HR, 83 RBI	1st
SS	Ian Desmond	Washington Nationals	.255, 24 HR, 91 RBI, 24 SB	3rd – ’12, ’13, 14
OF	Andrew McCutchen	Pittsburgh Pirates	.314, 25 HR, 83 RBI, 84 BB	3rd – ’12, ’13, ‘14
OF	Giancarlo Stanton	Miami Marlins	.288, 37 HR, 105 RBI, 94 BB	1st
OF	Justin Upton	Atlanta Braves	.270, 29 HR, 102 RBI	2nd – ’11, ‘14
C	Buster Posey	San Francisco Giants	.311, 22 HR, 89 RBI	2nd – ’12, ‘14
P	Madison Bumgarner	San Francisco Giants	.258, 4 HR, 15 RBI, .286 OBP	1st

 

MLB NETWORK HAS EXCLUSIVE ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS

For the sixth consecutive year, MLB Network made the exclusive announcement of the Silver Slugger Awards Presented by Louisville Slugger in a special one-hour telecast. All 18 awards were inside MLB Network’s Studio 42 for the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award Show. Each trophy is three-feet tall and bears the engraved name of the winner and his Silver Slugger teammates in his respective league. After the 2014 Silver Slugger Award Show, the awards are being sent back to Louisville where the public can see all 18 on display over the winter at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. The specially designed Silver Slugger Awards will be presented to each winner in on-field ceremonies early in the 2015 MLB season.

 

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER’S SILVER BAT™ AWARD TO BATTING CHAMPIONS

The Silver Slugger Award was instituted by Louisville Slugger in 1980 as a natural extension of the Silver Bat™ Award, which is – as its name indicates – a silver-plated bat presented by Louisville Slugger to the batting champions in the AL and NL. This year’s Silver Bat Award winners are Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros and Justin Morneau of the Colorado Rockies.  Altuve hit .341 to claim the AL batting title. Morneau won the NL batting title with a .319 average.

 

Altuve and Morneau will receive their Silver Bat Awards from a representative of Louisville Slugger in on-field presentations in the spring of 2015.  Louisville Slugger initiated the Silver Bat Award in 1949, with the awards going to the players with the highest batting average in the American and National Leagues.  George Kell of the Tigers and Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers were the inaugural Silver Bat winners. 

 

 

 

About Louisville Slugger

Louisville Slugger® is the Official Bat of Major League Baseball® and the #1 name in baseball for 130 years.  Louisville Slugger is synonymous with America’s pastime.  Originating in 1884, Louisville Slugger bats have graced the hands of the greatest players through history, including stars of today and more than 80% of the hitters in Cooperstown.  Louisville Slugger continues to innovate and provide players the products and confidence they need to own the plate and make new history every day.    

THE TRADE COMMISSION OF SPAIN ANNOUNCES SPAIN’S GREAT MATCH 2014 IN LOS ANGELES

Prominent Spanish Wine and Food event to be held at Renowned Restaurant, The Bazaar by José Andrés

New York, NY -- November 6, 2014 – The Trade Commission of Spain announces the Spain’s Great Match event will take place on November 10^th in Los Angeles at the renowned restaurant, The Bazaar by José Andrés. This collaborative extravaganza of Spanish culture celebrates the distinctive wines, food and design of Spain. Over 200 wines representing the varietals and wine regions of Spain will be featured in a walk-around tasting format. American importers and distributors of Spanish wines will present their best products, including new wines and the latest vintages, to wine industry professionals and consumers. 

Earlier in the day, members of the wine trade and press will also be invited to a tutored tasting seminar, showcasing Spain’s new power couple, D.O. Rueda and D.O. Ribera del Duero. In the evening, the event will open to the public as a ticketed lifestyle event and will feature, along with the wine stations, a selection of tapas by The Bazaar by José Andrés. A portion of event proceeds will benefit a Los Angeles charitable organization. 

“We are delighted to bring the wine, food, and culture of Spain back to Los Angeles,” says Angel Martín Acebes, Senior Trade Commissioner of The Trade Commission of Spain in New York. “The Bazaar by José Andrés offers an impeccable setting for our Spain’s Great Match event.”

Trade & Press Event Schedule

12:00 – 1:15 pm:         Seminar with Steven Olson, Wine & Spirits Educator
1:30 – 5:00 pm:           Walk-Around Tasting, exclusively for press and trade

Members of the wine trade and press may register to attend at:
https://greatmatchla.eventbrite.com

Public Event Schedule & Tickets

6:00 – 9:00 pm:          Tasting open to General Admission ticket holders -$70

 

Those who wish to purchase tickets for the evening event can do so at: https://greatmatchlapublic.eventbrite.com. Must be 21 or older to attend.

For more information about Spain’s Great Match visit spainsgreatmatch.org.

Follow Spain’s Great Match on Facebook at Facebook.com/SpanishWines and Twitter at @WinesFromSpain.

About Wines from Spain
The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior, ICEX) is the authorized governmental platform for the promotion of Spanish exports and Spanish companies' international growth. Vinos de España - or Wines from Spain - is ICEX's brand for a wide range of promotional activities designed to inform trade and consumers abroad about quality Spanish wines. Wines from Spain has been promoting Spanish wines in walk-around tastings to press, trade and consumers in New York and the United States for nearly 30 years.  Each year, Wines from Spain hosts “Spain's Great Match”- an opportunity to sample and learn about a variety of the world’s most sought-after Spanish wines paired with tapas from the top rated area Spanish restaurants. 

$25 LIFT TICKET DEAL LOWEST PRICE IN DECADES

48-hour Sale Offers $25 Lift Tickets Bundled with 25% Off Room Rates

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif./ November 6, 2014 – Big Bear is offering its guests an opportunity to purchase lift tickets at Big Bear Mountain Resorts for just $25, which is approximately60 percent off the regular rack rate. It’s the lowest lift ticket price offered at Snow Summit or Bear Mountain in decades. Skiers and snowboarders may never see this slashed price again. This extraordinary one-time offer is only available for purchase during a 48-hour sale from Wednesday, November 12 at 10 a.m. to Friday, November 14, 2014 at 10 a.m.

The 48-hour sale offers $25 midweek lift tickets bundled together with 25 percent off lodging accommodations good for the 2014-2015 winter ski season. During this window guests can purchase one or two $25 midweek lift tickets. To qualify for the $25 midweek lift tickets to Snow Summit and Bear Mountain guests must book at least one night lodging accommodations for arrivals during the 2014-2015 winter season. The package deal, called the $25 Lift Ticket & Discount Lodging Offer, is good for midweek overnight stays Sunday through Thursday, non-holiday and skiing or riding Monday through Friday, non holiday. In addition to the discounted ski lift tickets, Big Bear Visitors Bureau offers 25 percent discount on all lodging reservations. Some select weekends in December and March qualify for the $25 Lift Ticket Special Offer, however it is bundled with 15 percent off lodging instead. There is a limit of two ski lift tickets per itinerary. However, more tickets may be purchased at 25 percent off the regular rack rate for all age groups. The exclusive 48-hour sale differs from Groupon and Living Social because it offers a wide range of lodging inventory to choose from including private home vacation rentals, resort lodges and rustic cabins.

“$25 Lift Tickets are one heck of a way to kick off the winter season,” said Big Bear Visitors Bureau Director of Operations Rebecca Hrabia. “It’s our way of saying thank you to our loyal guests!”  

On November 1 Big Bear experienced a slight dusting of snow, which is a promising sign for a prosperous winter season. Big Bear Mountain Resorts (Snow Summit and Bear Mountain) expect to begin snowmaking in the next two weeks, and hope to be open by Thanksgiving Weekend!

 $25 Lift Ticket & Discount Lodging Offer is a one-time 48-hour sale that is available online at www.bigbear.com Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 10 a.m. to Friday, November 14, 2014 at 10 a.m.or by phone at 800-424-4232from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 12 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  November 13. The $25 Lift Ticket & Discount Lodging Offer must be mentioned at the time of booking. There is limited availability, blackout dates and other restrictions may apply, and it cannot be used with any other specials or promotions.

City of West Hollywood to Host Veterans Day Ceremony

City of West Hollywood to Host

Veterans Day Ceremony, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.

At the Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial

 

Donation Drive to Benefit

Local Veterans Service Organizations

 

 

WEST HOLLYWOOD, November 6, 2014 – The City of West Hollywood will host its annual Veterans Day Ceremony to honor members of the United States Armed Forces who have served our country, and to honor those who continue to serve. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 11 a.m. at the Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial, located at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Holloway Drive, and will include veterans from the community and members of the West Hollywood City Council. (Please note that West Hollywood City Hall will be closed on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 for the Veterans Day holiday.)

West Hollywood residents are encouraged to support a donation drive benefiting local service organizations to assist our veterans, many of whom struggle with re-entry into civilian life or from physical injuries long after their tour of duty ends. Please lend your support to those who have given so much in the name of our liberty. Items that are urgently needed include:

• Household Goods, such as blankets, comforters, sheets, pillows, towels, and furniture;
• Kitchen Goods, such as dishes, silverware, small appliances, cookware, ironing boards, laundry baskets, and cleaning supplies;
• Personal Care Items, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, brushes, combs, feminine-hygiene products, lotions, shampoo, and facial tissue;
• Baby/Child Items, such as baby seats, baby monitors, highchairs, diapers, toys, books, coats, jackets, and backpacks; and
• Gift Cards from gas stations, grocery stores, big-box retailers, discount stores, cafes, and fast-food restaurants.

Donations of these items and of canned food will be accepted at West Hollywood City Hall, located at 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard through Monday, November 10, 2014. In addition, City staff and veterans will be on-hand on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at the Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial for a donation drop-offbetween 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.

For more information, please call(323) 848-6308. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

Turkey and the PKK: Saving the Peace Process

The peace process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is threatened by ceasefire violations and spillover from the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Both sides must set aside pretexts and inertia and seize the opportunity of having powerful leaders able to implement a deal whose outlines are clearer than ever.

After three decades of conflict that took the lives of 30,000 people, displaced millions and brutalised a generation or more, both the Turkish government and the PKK realise that a military victory is impossible. In its latest report, Turkey and the PKK: Saving the Peace Process, the International Crisis Group sets out in detail the parameters of a possible peace deal. Whatever the final outcome, basic issues such as transitional justice, disarmament and decentralisation need to be more broadly and deeply discussed so that public opinion on both sides begins to accept compromises that will be necessary to end the violence.

The report’s major findings and recommendations are:

• On a public, political track, the two sides need to articulate realistic end goals, end abusive rhetoric and implement reforms to ensure Kurds enjoy full rights as Turkey’s citizens.


• On a second track of secret talks in progress since late 2012, the two sides must negotiate a deal that includes disarmament, which for now can only be inside Turkey; conditions for an amnesty that is broadly palatable and legally unchallenged; an independent truth commission reporting to parliament; and a transitional justice mechanism to deal with abuses by both sides.


• The government must further build up the legal and political framework for a peace deal, allow a united PKK negotiating team under jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, agree compensation for the state’s past wrongdoings, and continue to legitimise scenarios – once all violence ends – in which PKK figures can join legal Kurdish parties in Turkey and even Öcalan can hope for freedom.


• The PKK needs to convince Turkish, Kurdish and international opinion that it can be a democratic political actor, ready to fully disarm at least inside Turkey’s borders. It must accept responsibility for its own abuses, denounce all violence, and clarify whether it seeks decentralisation, federal autonomy or independence. It may be the single biggest actor among Turkey’s Kurds, but it also needs to accept that it does not represent the majority of Kurds.

“Despite a recent rise in hostilities, particularly in south-east Turkey, the process has proved to be useful for the entire country and should not be jeopardised to score short-term political points with hardline Turkish and Kurdish constituencies”, says Didem Akyel Collinsworth, Turkey Senior Analyst. “But to achieve sustainable peace, it needs a more comprehensive agenda, a more urgent timeframe, better social engagement, mutually agreed ground rules, and clear and objective monitoring criteria”.

“The two sides should not let old reflexes and daily news distract them from focusing on resolving their main conflict inside Turkey”, says Hugh Pope, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Program Director. “Without first achieving peace at home, both will remain highly vulnerable to what is in fact their common enemy, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria”.

DOUBLE DUTCH GETS ANIMATED WITH HUGE AWESOMETOWN DEAL

DOUBLE DUTCH GETS ANIMATED WITH HUGE AWESOMETOWN DEAL

  

November 6, 2014 - Jason Moring, President of Double Dutch International (DDI), has announced an output agreement with Awesometown Entertainment to sell worldwide rights for their ongoing animation productions. To kick off the megadeal, Double Dutch will be selling 16 million US dollar budget ELLIOT: THE LITTLEST REINDEER at AFM'14.

 

Double Dutch and Awesometown plan to produce two to three animated features annually in the $10MM to $15MM budget range.

 

ELLIOT: THE LITTLEST REINDEER is based on a multi-award winning screenplay, having been named best Canadian screenplay in all categories by Praxis and securing the Angel Award in Monaco for Best Children's Screenplay. The animated feature is directed by Paul Griffin. Griffin was the lead animator on HAPPY FEET TWO and STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. He also worked on STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE and LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING.

 

ELLIOT: THE LITTLEST REINDEER production begins this January.

Double Dutch will be pre-selling the feature at AFM'14 and present early stage character designs to buyers.

 

After Blitzen announces his retirement on December 21st, a miniature horse has three days to fulfill his lifelong dream of earning a spot on Santa's sleigh during the North Pole Try-Outs. ELLIOT: THE LITTLEST REINDEER is an animated underdog story for the ages.

 

Double Dutch will also be selling Canada for ANIMAL CRACKERZ, the film from which the partnership deal originated. The film is co-produced with John Williams (SHREK) and Vanguard animation.

 

"Double Dutch is extremely excited about this massive partnership deal with Awesometown," said Moring, "We could not imagine a better filmmaker to kick of the slate of films in Paul Griffin. His animation pedigree rivals anyone in the industry with ties to two of the biggest properties in cinema in Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. We know in his hands and with Awesometown producing, Elliott: The Littlest Reindeer is going to illuminate the screen like Christmas lights. The future of this partnership is just as bright"

 

Double Dutch will be at AFM'14 November 5 - 12.

 

 

 

 

 

About Double Dutch:

Double Dutch International (DDI) is a globally recognized sales company, representing high level, cast driven features with strong commercial viability worldwide, across all media platforms. DDI's brings a fresh look to sales, uniquely blending experience with the flexibility to adapt in today's market reality. We find enthusiastic and creative distribution partners for our producers ensuring maximum exposure and return for each film.

 

About Awesometown:

Awesometown Entertainment is a creative production company that develops and produces high quality original family entertainment for international audiences. With studio facilities in downtown Toronto and regional facilities in Muskoka, Awesometown is able to take advantage of all available provincial and federal tax credits to create animation, live action and visual effects for feature films, television series and digital media platforms. At the helm of this creative venture is President and CEO Dan Krech who brings 30 years of award winning production experience. Krech gained much of his vast expertise as the president and founder of DKP, one of the most prosperous animation companies in Canada and an international success. Dan's natural entrepreneurial spirit and relentlessly hardworking character saw the growth of DKP from 4 employees to over 300 with 20 million dollars in annual sales and winning 12 Bessie awards.

NASA Sees Tropical Storm Nuri Resemble a Frontal System

NASA's Terra satellite passed over Tropical Storm Nuri on Nov. at captured an infrared picture of the storm. The storm looked more like a frontal system as it stretched from northeast to southwest.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Terra satellite flew over Nuri on Nov. 6 at 1240 UTC (7:40 a.m. EST). The MODIS image showed some strong thunderstorms remaining in a small area around Nuri's center, but the storm appeared stretched out from northeast to southwest. Wind shear was affecting the storm, stretching it out.

The last bulletin on the storm was issued on Nov. 6 at 0300 UTC (Nov. 5 at 10 p.m. EST). At that time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that Nuri still had maximum sustained winds near 55 knots (63.2 mph/102 kph). It was located about 130 nautical miles (149 miles/240 km) west-northwest of Chichi-jima, near 29.2 north latitude and 141.0 east longitude. Nuri was moving to the northeast and over open waters of the western North Pacific.

In its final bulletin, JWTC noted that Nuri will become an extra-tropical storm before the end of the day on Nov. 6. Computer models indicate the system will be a strong extra-tropical low pressure area as it continues to move over open waters.

NASA Rocket Experiment Finds the Universe Brighter Than We Thought

This is a time-lapse photograph of the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER) rocket launch, taken from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia in 2013. The image is from the last of four launches.

Image Credit: 

T. Arai/University of Tokyo

Observations from CIBER have shown a surprising surplus of infrared light filling the spaces between galaxies. To understand how scientists measured the amount of this mysterious light, imagine using the tips of icebergs to estimate their total volume of ice.

Image Credit: 

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Full image and caption

This graphic illustrates how CIBER team measures a diffuse glow of infrared light filling the spaces between galaxies.

Full image and caption

These images from CIBER show large patches of the sky at two different infrared wavelengths (1.1 microns and 1.6 microns) after all known galaxies have been subtracted out.

Full image and caption

This plot shows data from CIBER rockets launched in 2010 and 2012.

Full image and caption

A NASA sounding rocket experiment has detected a surprising surplus of infrared light in the dark space between galaxies, a diffuse cosmic glow as bright as all known galaxies combined. The glow is thought to be from orphaned stars flung out of galaxies.

The findings redefine what scientists think of as galaxies. Galaxies may not have a set boundary of stars, but instead stretch out to great distances, forming a vast, interconnected sea of stars.

Observations from the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment, or CIBER, are helping settle a debate on whether this background infrared light in the universe, previously detected by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, comes from these streams of stripped stars too distant to be seen individually, or alternatively from the first galaxies to form in the universe.

"We think stars are being scattered out into space during galaxy collisions," said Michael Zemcov, lead author of a new paper describing the results from the rocket project and an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. "While we have previously observed cases where stars are flung from galaxies in a tidal stream, our new measurement implies this process is widespread."

Using suborbital sounding rockets, which are smaller than those that carry satellites to space and are ideal for short experiments, CIBER captured wide-field pictures of the cosmic infrared background at two infrared wavelengths shorter than those seen by Spitzer. Because our atmosphere itself glows brightly at these particular wavelengths of light, the measurements can only be done from space. 

"It is wonderfully exciting for such a small NASA rocket to make such a huge discovery," said Mike Garcia, program scientist from NASA Headquarters. “Sounding rockets are an important element in our balanced toolbox of missions from small to large.”

During the CIBER flights, the cameras launch into space, then snap pictures for about seven minutes before transmitting the data back to Earth. Scientists masked out bright stars and galaxies from the pictures and carefully ruled out any light coming from more local sources, such as our own Milky Way galaxy. What's left is a map showing fluctuations in the remaining infrared background light, with splotches that are much bigger than individual galaxies. The brightness of these fluctuations allows scientists to measure the total amount of background light.

To the surprise of the CIBER team, the maps revealed a dramatic excess of light beyond what comes from the galaxies.  The data showed that this infrared background light has a blue spectrum, which means it increases in brightness at shorter wavelengths. This is evidence the light comes from a previously undetected population of stars between galaxies. Light from the first galaxies would give a spectrum of colors that is redder than what was seen.

"The light looks too bright and too blue to be coming from the first generation of galaxies," said James Bock, principal investigator of the CIBER project from Caltech and JPL. "The simplest explanation, which best explains the measurements, is that many stars have been ripped from their galactic birthplace, and that the stripped stars emit on average about as much light as the galaxies themselves."

Future experiments can test whether stray stars are indeed the source of the infrared cosmic glow. If the stars were tossed out from their parent galaxies, they should still be located in the same vicinity. The CIBER team is working on better measurements using more infrared colors to learn how stripping of stars happened over cosmic history.

Results from two of four CIBER flights, both of which launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in 2010 and 2012, appear Friday, Nov. 7 in the journal Science.

Caltech manages JPL for NASA. The work was supported by NASA, with initial support provided by JPL's Director's Research and Development Fund. Japanese participation in CIBER was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Korean participation in CIBER was supported by the Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute." 

SWORDFISH DEPLOY

11/06/2014 01:29 PM CST

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Carlson, left, and U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Melvin Lankford deploy a MK 18 MOD 2 Swordfish to survey the ocean floor during the International Mine Countermeasure Exercise in the Gulf of Oman, Nov. 4, 2014. The exercise is the largest international naval exercise promoting maritime security and the free flow of trade through mine countermeasure operations.

Subsidiaries of the World’s Largest Fertilizer Producer to Reduce Harmful Air Emissions at Four Florida Plants

In a settlement with the United States, three subsidiaries of the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS), the world’s largest fertilizer producer, will take steps to reduce harmful air emissions at eight U.S. production plants—including three in Aurora, N.C.—the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Justice announced today.  The settlement resolves claims that these PCS subsidiaries violated the Clean Air Act when they modified facilities in ways that released excess sulfur dioxide into surrounding communities.

The settlement requires PCS Nitrogen Fertilizer, AA Sulfuric Inc., and White Springs Agricultural Chemicals Inc. to install, upgrade and operate state-of-the-art pollution reduction measures, as well as install emissions monitors at eight sulfuric acid plants across facilities in Aurora, North Carolina (three plants), White Springs, Florida (four plants), and Geismar, Louisiana (one plant). The three companies will spend an estimated $50 million on these measures, and will pay a $1.3 million civil penalty.

“Large industrial facilities that break the law and pollute the air will be held accountable,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This case will bring these companies into compliance and require additional action to cut pollution to benefit communities, especially those most vulnerable to air pollution.”

“This agreement, the largest so far in our ongoing Clean Air Act enforcement efforts against sulfuric-acid producers, will ensure cleaner air for citizens across the Southeast and will send a strong signal to the industry that noncompliance has serious consequences,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Sam Hirsch for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

EPA expects the actions that the companies have agreed to take will reduce harmful emissions by over 13,090 tons per year, which includes approximately 12,600 tons per year of sulfur dioxide, 430 tons per year of ammonia and 60 tons per year of nitrogen oxide.  In the future, the companies can also retire plants to comply with the settlement.

The settlement also includes a “supplemental environmental project,” estimated to cost between $2.5 and $4 million, to protect the community around a PCS Nitrogen nitric acid plant in Geismar, Louisiana, and requires PCS Nitrogen to install and operate equipment to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia.  This project is part of EPA’s commitment to advancing environmental justice by reducing the disproportionate environmental impacts on communities near industrial facilities – in this instance, by reducing fine particulates that can aggravate respiratory disease.

Sulfur dioxide, the predominant pollutant emitted from sulfuric acid plants, has numerous adverse effects on human health and is a significant contributor to acid rain, smog and haze.  Sulfur dioxide—along with nitrogen oxide—is converted in the air to particulate matter that can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, and premature death.

This settlement is part of EPA’s national enforcement initiative to control harmful emissions from large sources of pollution, which includes acid production plants, under the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration requirements.  It is the 10th settlement reached under EPA’s National Acid Manufacturing Plant Initiative and the 7th settlement addressing pollution from sulfuric acid plants.  Today’s settlement covers more sulfuric acid production capacity—roughly 24,000 tons per day or approximately 14 percent of total U.S. capacity—than all previous sulfuric acid settlements under this initiative combined.

The settlement also resolves alleged violations based on Louisiana law at the Geismar, Louisiana, facility, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will receive $350,000 of the $1.3 million penalty. 
The settlement was lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.

STALLION LANDING

11/05/2014 05:43 PM CST

A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter lands on the USS Germantown in preparation for exercise Blue Chromite 2014 off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Oct. 31, 2014. The Marines are assigned to 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division,3rd Marine Expeditionary Force. Blue Chromite demonstrates the Navy and Marine Corps' amphibious and expeditionary capabilities from the sea.

CHAIRMAN'S ELECTION RECAP By Mark Vafiades

Last night was a great night! On a national level, Republicans achieved an amazing accomplishment by electing a GOP majority in the U.S. Senate by both defeating entrenched Democrat incumbents and winning open seats that were not held by Republicans.  We won in every region of the country as well. The Republican Party also maintained control of the House of Representatives and increased our majority. In fact, it has been more than 50 years since the GOP held this many seats in the House. We also picked up several congressional seats in California, from the Central Valley to San Diego. We are making history.  On a local level, Los Angeles County Republicans had an excellent night. David Hadley (66th Assembly District) Tom Lackey (36th Assembly District) and Janet Nguyen (34th Senate District) all won their seats by dumping Democrat incumbents -- which the media and the pundits insisted couldn't be done. But we did it. Statewide, the GOP was able to break the 2/3 Democrat supermajority in both the Assembly and State Senate!   For the first time in 20 years, a Democrat in the State Legislature was defeated, and last night, it happened three times! I would personally like to congratulate all of our candidates on running excellent campaigns. Unfortunately, some of our candidates were not able to win last night, but their hard work and long hours did not go unnoticed. Every single candidate played a significant role in making sure we had the success we had last night!  They and their supporters were out there every day and night, meeting with voters and carrying the Republican message.  We won as a Team, and every single candidate was a part of that team.  Next I would like to thank all of our volunteers who helped our candidates with the most valuable commodity any of us can offer: our time and energy. Without your efforts and dedication, our candidates simply could not have been competitive. Your generosity is truly appreciated more than we can fully express.  Our collective efforts during the 2014 election show that the LA GOP is building a professional political organization, and by doing so, we can win in this County. Turning the tide in California will take more than one election, but our efforts in this cycle show that we are on the path to success. Let's continue to build on this success as we prepare for 2016 and beyond. Once again, thank you!!       Mark Vafiades Chairman, Republican Party of Los Angeles County

BEN ALLEN PREVAILS

SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER BEN ALLEN PREVAILS IN CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE DISTRICT 26 ELECTION Voters Elect Allen to California State Senate District 26

Santa Monica, CA -- With the support of thousands of voters and endorsements from hundreds of elected officials, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board Member Ben Allen was elected Tuesday, November 4th, to represent District 26 in the California State Senate. According to the Los Angeles County Registrar, Allen edged out social justice attorney Sandra Fluke, a West Hollywood resident, by a final count of 92,391 votes to Fluke's 59,627. Allen and Fluke came in first and second place, respectively, out of a pool of eight candidates in the June primary election. Both are Democrats. "I am truly honored and grateful to be elected to represent the community I grew up in, as our District's next State Senator," said Ben Allen. "I could not have done this without the collective action and support of well-respected leaders and officials, the media, and my friends and family. I will not let the District down." Born and raised in Santa Monica, Allen, a local attorney, is serving his second term as a Board Member for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. He also teaches a class on education policy and the law at UCLA law school and launched the Los Angeles chapter of Spark, a program that connects disadvantaged middle school students with local apprenticeships, in 2010. He currently sits on Spark’s Board of Directors. As key issues of his campaign platform, Allen prioritized strengthening local schools, creating new jobs and boosting the economy, modernizing local infrastructure, providing an affordable higher education, and protecting and preserving the area’s open spaces. Congressman Henry Waxman, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, State Senator Fran Pavley, and hundreds of other key local, state, and national leaders endorsed Allen in his bid for State Senate, providing the campaign critical strength it needed to win on Tuesday. According to Campaign Manager Samuel Liu, Allen attended hundreds of community events, participated in dozens of debates, and walked door-to-door throughout Senate District 26 during the campaign. “Voters really responded to Ben’s commitment to local public service, deep roots in the community, and prioritization of the critical issues for our District,” said Liu. “I am honored to have been a part of Ben’s team and know he will make a great leader in Sacramento.”     In addition to his six years of service on the school board, Allen sits as a member the executive board of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association, is the Chair of L.A. County’s Committee on School District Organization, and was a delegate to the California Democratic State Convention. While in law school, he served as a voting member of the University of California Board of Regents and as a judicial clerk with the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.  Prior to his law career, Allen worked for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), and then as communications director for Congressman Jose Serrano (D-NY). He holds degrees from Harvard, Cambridge, and UC Berkeley, and he is fluent in Spanish.   The 26th State Senate District consists of the cities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, El Segundo, Avalon, Lomita, Torrance, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills; the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Marina Del Rey, Playa Del Rey, Westchester, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood, Westwood Village, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Little Holmby, Sunset Hills, Beverly Grove, Mar Vista, Mid City West, Miracle Mile, Larchmont Village, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Fairfax, Carthay, Fremont Place, Hancock Park, and Windsor Square; and the unincorporated Los Angeles County communities of Marina Del Rey, San Clemente Island, Santa Catalina Island, Franklin, Centinela, and Ocean View.

Afghan Forces Winning, ISAF Joint Command Chief Says

By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2014 - In the final days of the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan, the Afghan national security forces are winning and the long coalition effort is taking hold, the commander of ISAF Joint Command said today.

Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Afghanistan. DoD photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

In a teleconference with Pentagon reporters from his headquarters in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson said that despite these gains, progress remains to be made.

The Afghan national security forces include Afghanistan's armed forces, national police, border police, local police and members of the National Directorate of Security.

Most Trusted Government Organization

"They are the most trusted government organization in Afghanistan," Anderson said. "They are trying to provide time and space for this society to grow and reduce the insurgency."

He called the Afghan national security forces a hugely capable fighting force that has been holding its ground against the enemy.

Afghan forces number about 352,000 -- 156,000 army troops and 155,000 police. Anderson said together they secured the election process and maintained a steady operational tempo throughout the fighting season. The insurgents had minimal effect on the elections, with 761 attacks but only 174 that were damaging, he added.

"Throughout the entire election process, the ordered recount and the fighting season," the general added, "[ISAF Joint Command has] been in the close air support business, the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance business, the quick-reaction-force business, and helping with command and control, advisors and some sustainment support."

Agreements Were Major Setback for Insurgents

The recent signings of a bilateral security agreement between Afghanistan and the United States and a NATO status of forces agreement were a major setback for the insurgents, Anderson said. Afghan forces have been in the lead all year, the Taliban have failed to achieve tactical superiority over them, and Taliban-initiated attacks are down this year from around 24,000 to 18,000, the general told reporters.

"The ANSF has sustained about a 6.5 percent increase in casualties this year, [with] 4,634 this year versus 4,350 killed in action last year," he said, adding that the high number of casualties, combined with attrition among army and police forces, is not sustainable in the long term.

"Their first priority right now is to get their recruiting back up and to ... get their manning document filled. ... The police are about 89 percent, and the army is about 81 percent filled," Anderson said.

"They do need to decrease their casualty rate," the general said, adding that more capable Afghan medical and casualty evacuation will help.

Full Responsibility for Medical, Casualty Evacuation

The general said the Afghans perform 88 percent of all medical and casualty evacuation through a combination of air and ground transportation. ISAF has provided very limited support, especially from summer onward, and Afghanistan now has full responsibility, he said.

In the final days of the ISAF mission, Anderson said, the coalition's efforts over the years have not been in vain.

"Education, a free press, telecommunications -- all are going very well," he added. "We can see the benefits of this new democratically elected government taking shape. It is very optimistic here. There is more capability. There is more accountability."

The literacy rate in Afghanistan is now 30 percent, he said, up from 12 percent during Taliban rule. And 7.9 million children attend primary and secondary schools, including more girls.

"Internet, cell phone use, all these things continue to make a difference here," the general added.

Troop Numbers Decline as Transition Approaches

In the transition from the ISAF mission to the Resolute Support mission, which begins Jan. 1, 54,000 service members from 48 nations were in Afghanistan when Anderson took command in January. Today, there are 38,000 soldiers from 44 nations, and 27,000 of the service members are American, he said.

"We'll get down to 12,500 service members here by the end of the year, which will be the 9,800-troop U.S. commitment. And we expect about 26 other nations to provide forces as well," the general said. "This will be a mix of advisors, force-protection soldiers and enabler providers like close air support [for force protection] and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance."

From 86 bases in January, ISAF is down to 26, Anderson said. "We shut one more down next week, and we're done," he added.

ISAF also has been retrograding, redeploying, destroying and transferring equipment to the Afghan forces, he said, reducing 21,000 pieces of rolling stock and about 1.7 million pieces of nonrolling stock, and retrograding and divesting others.

On foreign excess personal property -- a process the U.S. government uses to transfer unneeded property permanently to a foreign government - ISAF has transferred about $620 million worth of equipment, the general said.

No More ISAF Regional Commands

"We're on a glide path to get to 31 December for Resolute Support," Anderson said, "and as of yesterday we transitioned our last regional command to a train-advise-assist command in the east, so we no longer have regional commands here in Afghanistan."

Next month, ISAF Joint Command will merge into ISAF, and then ISAF will take over operational control of all ground forces, Anderson said, but the mission is not complete.

"What Resolute Support is all about is trying to get the Afghans above the tactical level to the operational and strategic levels," he explained. "The advisors will focus on the ministerial and institutional levels to work systems and processes, and professionalize the force."

Efforts Focus on Essential Functions

He said the efforts are focused along eight essential functions, everything from planning, programming, budgeting and execution to sustainment and planning. Keys to success will be coordination among the army, the police and the National Directorate of Security, he said, "working their intelligence systems and processes, and the continued development of the Afghan air force."

Strategic issues that remain include forecasting logistical requirements and the budgeting process, he said.

"The Afghans are thankful for our efforts and support," the general said. "They're getting after it. They're doing very, very well tactically. Next year, the challenges will focus on what I just described, but it's also going to be a year of great opportunity."