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Today, Congressman Tim Bishop released updated fact sheets highlighting the benefits of the Affordable Care Act for America's senior citizens, women, young people and children, and small business owners.
Senior Citizens: Health reform has increased benefits for seniors on Medicare, including free preventive services and an annual wellness visit, and has saved seniors $4.5 billion on prescription drug costs since 2010. The law also extends the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by eight years -- from 2016 to 2024 -- by reducing waste and making the system more efficient, without reducing benefits for seniors.
Women: Health reform ensures that women are no longer discriminated against by banning insurance companies from dropping women when they get sick or become pregnant and ending "gender rating" where women are charged more than men for coverage. Starting in 2014, insurers will be barred from denying coverage or charging more based on "pre-existing conditions." The law also provides free coverage of important, life-saving preventive services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies for women in private plans.
Young Adults and Children: As a result of health reform, young adults are now allowed to stay on their parents' health plans up to their 26th birthday. The law also prohibits insurers from denying coverage to children under age 19 for having a "pre-existing condition." Up to 17 mllion children with pre-existing conditions are now protected from discrimination.
Small Businesses: If they choose to provide coverage for their employees, small businesses are eligible for a tax credit to cover up to 35% of the cost of the coverage -- going up to 50% in 2014. Also in 2014, small businesses and their employees will be able to pool their buying power and take advantage of more affordable plans available only to large firms today.
"The health reform law contains vital consumer and patient protections that benefit every American by improving delivery of care while controlling costs," said Congressman Bishop. "The law is making America healthier while reducing the deficit and helping middle class families find affordable, secure coverage."
Source: http://timbishop.house.gov/latest-news/bishop-releases-fact-sheets-on-benefits-of-affordable-care-act/


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I would just like to say a hello and thankyou for letting me join
this group, I run a Super Hero game which I have just converted over
to the D20 Deeds not words. I am really enjoying the DNW and its been
perfect for my game thankyou to the designer very well done.
The reason why I joined is to share ideas and find out about new
updates coming for DNW. I have DNW 1.1 and Laying The Smack Down, and
will soon be purchasing BCBH 1.1.
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Home is where the heart is, which is why Terri Tabor's hometown of Riverside was the ideal setting for Salon D'Amore. But staying close to home doesn't keep this salon owner in the dark when it comes to cutting-edge trends. Rather, she arms her staff with Pureology, La-Brasiliana, and Perfection SmoothOut products to update coifs and tame frizz. When it comes to highlights, they use the paint-by-hand balayage technique to give locks a sun-kissed or idyllic-seascape appearance. The full-service salon and spa also soothes muscles with heated stones, and gives nails long-lasting shine with no-chip mani-pedis.


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The Cubs/Sox series is always a highlight of the summer because, if it's a year like this year's, you might be having a crappy baseball season overall but at least for two series you can pretend what your team's doing actually matters, just because if they win they'll wipe the stupid smiles off those idiot faces of those a-holes who root for the other team. Those people who root for the other team are the worst. They take up room on the El and cheer too loud and ruin your time at the game and frighten the kids and are drunk slobs. They're all the same.
This year though the series got a little less classy because they introduced a trophy for the Crosstown Classic. I saw them roll it out on Friday and it's embarrassing. It's both overly large and cheap-looking, like maybe they could only afford a medium-sized nice trophy so they built it on top of some paper towel holders spraypainted gold to make it taller.
But more than how dumb-looking the trophy is, what's more ridiculous is how dumb it is. Everyone in the city understands that winning the Crosstown Classic is all about symbolism. Sometimes the better team wins the series. Sometimes not. Most of the time both teams kind of stink. Those of us who know baseball, too, know that a lousy six games does not represent the quality of an entire team or season. So whomever wins the trophy simply has the distinction of stinking less during those six games. I can't imagine the actual athletes would be proud of the Crosstown Trophy. I can imagine them hanging their jocks on it in the locker room as a joke.
But what happens if there's a tie? Does the trophy go back in its very special cardboard box-case? I hope that if there's a tie this year both teams agree to cut the trophy down the middle and promise to bring it back together next season but in reality just throw it away once they get home.
I don't think the trophy makes anybody happy, the teams or the fans. The only Crosstown trophy the fans would enjoy is a World Series win accompanied by a contract signed by God in His own blood promising that the other Chicago team will never win another World Series in the history of time, Amen, period.


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You perverts know the routine… shall we?
Last House on Dead End Street: What do drugs, vengeance, sex, and art films have in common? Well, in this world, a shitload. Meet Terry-Terry just got out of the pokey, and he's got some scores to settle. See, there's some former cohorts of his in the "porn industry" (in the early 70's?! Really?! It'd just started…) who've done him wrong and Terry has a vision that needs exacting. He's gathering a bunch of ne'erdowells and their going to make themselves a good ol' fashioned snuff film. But we're not talking about any snuff film. We're talking about one with "art" appeal. How about some experimental surgery? Ooh, or maybe we can do something weird with a deerhoof? Make it sexy (it's not), weird, murderous, and totally out of control…but it's still art.
It takes a certain level of obnoxiousness to make a film like this one. There's no redeemable qualities to a movie like this-it's just pure mayhem. The film's writer/director, Roger Watkins, didn't actually "confess" to having made the movie until 30 years after it's original release (consequently, that wasn't too long before he passed away in 2007). In the movie's credits, Watkins is listed as Viktor Janos, but he also plays the film's lead role, Terry. But things started off weird for this film from the very beginning. Though the movie was made in 1973, it didn't see an official release until 1978, and to further confound things, the film was released as "The Fun House", and "The Cuckoo Clocks From Hell" AND "The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell". The latter of 3 prints was a 175 minutes (!) allegedly, that is assumed to still be intact in some New York film lab. Every nook and cranny of LHODES reeks of exploitation. The imagery is quite psychedelic, but it doesn't stop the film from being mean-spirited. This wasn't your older brother's "psychedelic"-we're talking about a very bad trip that ends in torture, brutality, and death. When you see a film like "Hostel" or perhaps more recent "torture porn" films, their roots are firmly planted in Watkins' opus of obscenity.
Over time, LHODES became a film that people often talked about but couldn't find a decent copy of. My first encounter was on a shitty VHS transfer that didn't have some of the scenes fully intact. As time carried on, the film virtually disappeared until Barrel Entertainment put out a marvelous copy of the film on DVD in 2002. The print was a 2-disc special edition that put Criterion's thorough combing to shame. For those who'd had interest in the film, it was an opportunity to get every last myth dispelled for them. It became a film who's reputation overshadowed its actual product. Still, it's a truly vile piece of cinema that exceeds all levels of decency (a naked women shoving a severed deer hoof in a man's mouth…?). Ironically, the bulk of Watkins career was spent making porn, yet THIS is the film he failed to disclose his involvement in. He even went as far as to do serious press for the film (again under a moniker), which adds to the absurdity and folklore of the LHODES legacy. You'll be spending an arm and a leg for the now out of print Barrel print of the film, but I know of more than one well transferred bootleg that floats around from convention to convention that's worth your bucks. Despite the silliness of it all, the movie parades itself around with its brass balls firmly in hand and when the credits roll, you feel pretty gross for having watched it-the finest quality an exploitation film can have.
The Pom Pom Girls: If ever there was a time and place I would've wanted to be in high school, it would've been the mid to late 70's in California. Everyone dug rock and roll, cheap beer, weed, sex, and were just out for kicks. This generalization is not unwarranted. I made this decision after watching several stoner/beach/sex comedies from the wonderful world of the drive-in theatre. One of my personal favorites is a movie called The Pom Pom Girls with some familiar faces guiding us on this bitchin' journey.
Johnnie (played by Robert Carradine) is the cool rebel. Yeah, he's a hot-shit football star at Rosedale High, but it's senior year and he wants to fuck with "the man". He's not the only one. There's plenty of fellas on this team who want to party and Johnnie's leading the way. He's after pretty boy Duane's (played by one of my favorite drive-in actors, Bill Adler) girl and nothing is going to stop him from getting her. Meanwhile, his partner in crime, Jesse, has problems of his own. He's got 2 girls to sleep with but can't decide which one to really give his heart to. On top of ALL of this, Rosedale is balls deep in a mean-spirited prank war with their rival Hardin High School that will come to a head at the big game. Problem is, they've got a coach (played by the late James Gammon) who doesn't bend easy and he's going to put the clamp down on their good time…or, so he thinks.
While director Joseph Ruben's career has been far more impressive than a lot of the filmmaker's to come from the exploitation era (his filmography includes The Stepfather, Sleeping with the Enemy, and The Good Son), it was his roots that proved what his capabilities were. Pom Pom Girls did come from sleaziest of eras, but still stood out amongst its peers by having a good acting, a cohesive storyline, and being well shot. It had a quality to it that was rarely seen during the era. Still, it contained all the trappings of the grindhouse and became a hit amongst that circle. Sex? Yep, plenty of that. Preposterous situations resulting in hilarious outcomes? Got that in spades. Overacting? Miles of it. Each character is every bit as obnoxious as the next. Carradine's portrayal of badass Johnnie is almost shocking, considering a few years later he would become the archetype of the all American nerd. But his James Dean turn is quite believable and quite funny. He's definitely turning all the amps up to 10 on the character and playing up the disaffected youth in a classic manner. As for James Gammon? He's James Gammon-if you've seen him act, you know what your getting. The rest of the cast's careers went the way the film did and slipped into obscurity for years. In fact, looking up some of the other actors finds careers ending in the 80's and 90's. Nonetheless, the Pom Pom Girls left a strong impression on its audience that kept in conversations about great sexploitation comedies.
It wasn't uncommon for films like this to slip out of the public view after many years. Fortunately, a couple of years ago, as we saw the unlikely return of grindhouse, we also found small companies such as BCI Eclipse unearthing the gems time forgot. PPG was one of those gems. It's definitely capable of endearing itself to fans of Porky's, while having the same appeal that Dazed & Confused does. The difference? There's an air about a film like Pom Pom Girls that you'd only see coming from the exploitation world. Where Porky's had a way of evening itself out, PPG doesn't bother. It rides on very high high's and dips to very low low's, all while taking a silly storyline along for the rollercoaster jaunt. What places PPG high on my list is also what draws the strong dividing line between itself and the previously listed films-it's LACK of social commentary. Porky's tackles racism, and class divides. Dazed & Confused deals with the struggles of youth. Pom Pom Girls? Mainly just sex, booze, and obnoxious teens and THAT is a far greater depiction of high school. (Sidenote: Pom Pom Girls is also one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite grindhouse films of all time)
The Secret Sex Lives of Romeo & Juliet: I'm going to guess that the title can pretty much sum up this movie for you. It is technically the Shakespeare story, yes. There's just a lot of poetic license taken with William's work. For instance, the standard script has lines replaced by timely phrases like "Sock it to me!" and "Willie never wrote THIS!". The classic British lit character that would normally make up such a story have been replaced by busty redheads and horny hunchbacks. Serious moments of love and regret have been swapped out for corny jokes and piles and piles of nudity. Okay, so maybe it's not a Shakespeare play, but it IS trashy as all get out and ton of fun.
The film pre-dates hardcore porn, so by today's standards can seem relatively tame. It's a lot of senseless silliness loosely tied together with goofy sexual romps. Where the movie has a leg up on the competition is its ability (even then) to laugh at itself. At NO point does a Shakespeare-based comedy need to take itself seriously, and these guys had enough good sense to not bother trying to do so. Oddly enough, the costumes and set pieces are surprisingly affective. In fact, I'd even say that it's accurate as far as what one would expect when seeing a "period piece"…but, you know, dirtier. Considering the combination of all these elements, one would toss a film of this nature aside as a shitty softcore porno. Audiences of the time felt differently, because the film did quite well and earned itself a nice little home in the pervert legacy.
You've most likely not heard of a single person involved in Romeo & Juliet (unless you're an aficionado of the time and know of the film's producer, Harry Novak) and will be hard-pressed to find any of the various actors' work, be it pre or post-film. Almost everyone involved in R&J is a product of the pre-porn world, and their catalogs include scads of comedic skin flicks and exploitation forgettables. However, in its time, the movie not only won over plenty o' audiences, but also won Best Erotic Film at Cannes (!). I know what you're thinking- fucking Cannes?!! Cannes was a far different festival all those years back and not at all the Hollywood Hand Job factory we know it to be today. And if you see this film, it will become abundantly clear. It's a silly, sleazy sex flick that's full of hokey jokes and asinine performances that can make even the staunchest of squares crack a dirty lil' smile. (This goofy movie is available on DVD from the fine folks at www.somethingweird.com)
Sensations: Alright…it took some thought and a bit of mulling over but I decided that I would add this film. Why was I second guessing myself, you ask? Well, this movie is actually a porn film. Now, before you string me up-please hear me out. Sensations was released in 1975 during the height of grindhouse. Often times, porn and the exploitation world went hand in hand. Sure, there was Swedish Erotica loops that were mighty popular, but there were also a lot of movies that were actual MOVIES. They had a story arc, locations, edge, and were shot on a fairly high-caliber film stock. Some of these movies have been highly regarded over time as revolutionary. They took on art house film fundamentals and then upped the ante with deliberately bold sex scenes. When one dismisses a movie like Sensations as being "just porn", an opportunity is lost to see (dare I say) intelligence combined with sexuality.
The story follows a young woman (played by legend, Brigitte Maier) who has travelled abroad to meet up with her man who is currently working on some art projects that have brought him to Amsterdam. After arriving, a ferry ride leads to a chance encounter with an orchestra musician, and a free-spirited young woman. The 3 carry on a conversation that is interrupted by a mysterious Dutch woman who offers to allow the trio to come to her home while waiting for their plans to unfold. The home is beautiful, large, and slightly ominous. It reminds me a bit of the hallowed grounds from the creepfest, Burial Ground. As the group wanders about the home, conversation leads to discussions of sexuality and the oppressive nature in which certain cultures view it. Our young American is a bit of a prude and is clearly uncomfortable with the topic, but it's impossible to get away from. Her hostess has surrounded her home in artwork of a provocative nature that makes the idea unavoidable. To add to the angular nature of the home, our hostess has a servant that would send Igor running for the hills. Sporting a hairstyle that can only be described as "The British Parliament Perm", a gruesome facial scar, and a hook hand (that ends up coming to use in the worst of ways), the servant lurks about and brings to mind a very David Lynch-esque quality. Meanwhile, our hostess lures the musician into a sexual trist that involves her demands of having her clothes cut off of her with a pair of scissors and requests for him to desist his romantic talk. Amidst all of this, the other two women decide it's time to set off on their various paths. The American is in search of her boyfriend and the French girl is looking for kicks. The latter of the 2 finds hers in the form of a fashion designer who uses her as a model, seduces her, and convinces her to accompany her to an art showing. Our American girl meets up with her boyfriend, only to find his art has taken an all-too strange turn into bondage photo shoots. His expectations of his innocent girl are too much for her to commit to at the time, and she takes off in search of her new French friend. As one would expect, circumstances lead to all the characters we've met rejoining at this art gallery. But this gallery quickly turns into something far more intense and trippy…
All sexual proclivities are acknowledged in one the strangest third acts in the history of sexploitation. At each turn, the American girl encounters oddities of all sorts. People of all different ages, shapes, and sizes take part in outrageous behavior. You'll find yourself cocking your head like a dog from time to time, as the flick builds at a dizzying pace to a truly nutty climax (I'll just go ahead and say it-no pun intended) and then it all disappears. Was it real? Was it a dream? Who knows? But one thing is for sure: The American Girl has experienced life in a way she fought to so hard to avoid.
I may be giving a porno too much credit for being artistic. But why the hell can't it be artistic? Movies like The Mitchell Bros. classic, Behind the Green Door and Henri Paschard's freakout, G-Strings are 2 other fine examples of the exploitation world flexing its artsy muscles. Brigitte Maier went on to have a fairly lucrative career in porn but was out of the industry by 1978. The film's director, Lasse Braun, was a leader in his field and his work was often referred to as "porno chic". As was characteristic of his films, Braun used lavish settings and high fashion to counter the grittiness of the sex his brought to the screen. Sensations proved to be a benchmark in his career that lead to other notable works, namely a film called Body Love which included a soundtrack composed by Klaus Schulze (look him up, nerds!). Disenfranchised with American distributors and there lack of respect for artistic merit, Braun moved onto scientific research on sexuality and wrote his own works as well as, contributed to other anthropological research studies.
Time hasn't been too kind to most of the cast of Sensations, as they've all but disappeared off the face of the earth without a trace. Sensations wasn't without its holes and lapses in logic (Maier, who played the American, was actually born in Germany) but the film still stands out as an intelligent sexploitation flick. There's bitchin' music, crazy characters, and all the stuff we love about trash film…with a little bit extra. Cabellero Classics released this film on disc a few years ago but if you're not quite ready to bite off that big of a hunk, you can check out the trailer on one of Synapse Films kick ass trailer reels. All in all, the sleaze film collector needs this for their library.
Satan's Sadists: I've gotten a bit smarmy with this post, so I figured I'd end on a high note. And when I say high note, I mean "Hiiiiiigh, man". Satan's Sadists is bad ass biker flick from that puts a big ol' stain on the free love generation's peaceful ways. It tells the story of the Satan's, a terrorizing biker gang who are hellbent on spreading mayhem wherever they go. Their mean-spirited ways lead them to a diner where they lash out in a killing spree that leaves most of the patrons dead. Some of the few survivors manage to escape but are now faced with the obstacle of fleeing the clutches of these maniacs. Can they get away in time or will they have to fight for their lives?
Along with flicks like Easy Rider, Satan's Sadists lays to rest the myth that hippies were about peace. But Satan's Sadists didn't really have the star quality that Easy Rider did. Well, that's not entirely true. As a matter of fact, SS had its own built-in legend in the form of Russ Tamblyn. You kids know him from hits like Necromancer and Twin Peaks, but your mom knows Mr. Tamblyn as Riff from West Side Story. That's right-the badass known as Anchor also danced his way into the hearts of millions of young women in that Broadway classic. If you ask Tamblyn's mother though, Satan's Sadists was the death of his career-fact. She's wrong of course, as Tamblyn continues to work even to this day. Still, his choice to make this subversive role left his fans a bit shocked. It's a movie that oozes drive-in culture from every nook and cranny. The costumes are technically biker-ish, but they're definitely a products of their time. Most of the performances are polarized, with extremes ranging from chaotic to completely apathetic (see Tamblyn). It was cheaply made and crudely presented in the way that only this era could. It's often times hard to not laugh at the insanity that's playing out in front of you. Can this many lunatics being squaring off in one movie? Director Al Adamson was one of the kings of cheap and trashy and this movie was no exception to his rule. It's not gimmicky. It's unadulterated exploitation at its finest.
Al Adamson's long career in the grindhouse kept him busy well into the 80's. In 1995, the director passed away leaving behind a legacy of truly scummy movies that were made to play on 42nd St. As for the rest of the folks involved, it's hard to say. Most worked steadily for a period of time but found themselves on their way out as the 70's drew to a close. Satan's Sadists helped drive a spike through the heart of the hippie generation by delivering a bloated, obnoxious look at the counter culture. America still feared biker culture. This was long before the "weekend warrior" idiocy flooded our highways with your dad and his douchebag buddies riding to Hooter's for wings. Bikers were seen as violent creatures who were a threat to the very fiber of our being. Naturally, an exploitation film version of "menacing" people is going to be inflated, but the bloating helps to make for an entertaining look at the ridiculous fears we had of anyone with long hair and a different point of view. Pack a bowl and settle in for a not-so peaceful love-in. (Available on DVD from www.troma.com)
Tags: David Lynch, exploitation, Grindhouse, Horror, Last House on Dead End Street, porn, roger watkins, Satan's Sadists, sensations, Sexploitation, Sleaze, the pom pom girls, Trash


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TAMPA — As state law enforcement investigates the Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance and its vendors, the St. Petersburg Times has learned that the president of the agency's largest vendor is a felon who has been investigated before.
Laurise Thomas, 46, served five years of federal probation for using phony names and Social Security numbers to obtain $158,618 in credit.
She was ousted from her $55,000-a-year administrator job with Florida's minority business office after hitting up companies she regulated for contributions to a state employee luncheon.
And while at that office, she accepted personal gifts from the vice president of a construction firm that won a $12 million minority business contract for work on a state prison.
Despite her past, Thomas' Tallahassee-based consulting company, Strategywise, has secured more than $2 million in contracts from the Workforce Alliance. Until last month, Thomas' former sister-in-law, Renee Benton Gilmore, ran the publicly funded job training center.
Gilmore, 52, quit the chief executive post Feb. 15 amid accusations of extravagant spending by her agency at a time of record-breaking unemployment in Florida.
Strategywise hasn't pinched pennies either. Tasked with helping the working poor, the company has received more than $250,000 in Workforce Alliance money to hold "graduation" ceremonies and thousands more for field trips to Tallahassee.
Though Thomas and Gilmore's brother divorced long ago, city utility records for Gilmore's home at 10408 N Forest Hills Drive are in the name of Thomas' sister.
Attorneys for Gilmore and Thomas said the women have done nothing wrong.
"You're suggesting that because (Thomas is) a felon then there's something wrong with the process," said lawyer Barry Cohen, who represents Gilmore. "And that's not a fair inference."
"The past is just that. The past," said Gary Roberts, Thomas' attorney. "She paid her debt to society and has moved on."
But Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe, who sits on the Workforce Alliance board, declared himself "disgusted" by the revelations.
"It's government performing at its worst," he said. "It makes everyone look bad. There's no excuse. None."
• • •
Thomas, who cut her political teeth working on the campaign staffs of Democrats Buddy MacKay and Jesse Jackson, is no stranger to scrutiny.
Hired at the age of 27 by the Minority Business Advocacy and Assistance Office in Tallahassee, she was expected to bring new energy and a higher profile to the fledgling state agency.
Four years later, she left under a cloud.
First, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reviewed her decision to seek contributions of up to $1,500 from minority businesses for a state luncheon. Some of the business owners said they felt Thomas was using her influence to take advantage of them.
The solicitation helped get her fired. But a prosecutor declined to file charges because no contributions were made and there was no evidence that the funds were sought for personal gain, according to an investigation summary.
FDLE agents then turned their attention to gifts Thomas accepted in 1994 and 1995 from the vice president of a construction company that had just been awarded the state's largest-ever minority contract.
The gifts included 19 plane tickets, a $1,200 watch, a $1,338 refrigerator, a set of tires for her leased Lexus and office furniture, FLDE agents found.
Again, Thomas avoided prosecution. Though it was revealed that she and the construction company executive were romantically involved and Thomas advocated for minority contractors during the bidding process for the prison project, investigators found no documentation proving that she improperly intervened.
Her actions outside work, however, landed her in federal court for fraud.
Charged in an 11-count indictment, Thomas faced prison time for buying clothes, furniture and luxury cars with loans and credit cards that she got using false Social Security numbers.
She pleaded guilty. On Aug. 21, 1997, she went to court to learn her fate.
The courtroom windows were covered for the hearing. Reporters weren't allowed inside.
Officials denied that the secrecy had anything to do with the prominence of her parents.
Thomas is the daughter of Geraldine Thompson, now a Democratic state representative from Orlando, and senior appellate judge Emerson R. Thompson Jr.
According to an FDLE memo, prosecutors announced that Thomas had provided "substantial assistance" to a federal corruption investigation involving local government in the Miami area.
A judge sentenced her to five years of probation. Her punishment included eight months of house arrest with electronic monitoring and $36,783 in restitution.
A year later, she narrowly avoided prison after a judge found her guilty of violating her probation by traveling to Miami without prior approval. Because she was in the late stages of a difficult pregnancy, the judge decided that six more months of house arrest was an appropriate sanction.
"She is working hard to turn her life around," Thomas' attorney at the time wrote in court papers. "She has made mistakes, but she is trying to correct those mistakes in order to maintain a productive and rewarding life."
• • •
Thomas still had a year to go on her probation when she founded Strategywise in 2001.
Her current husband, John C. Thomas, who serves as director of policy and political affairs for the Florida League of Cities, is listed as a managing member of the company.
State corporate records show that the Thomases run the business out of their $1.2 million home in Tallahassee. They bought the home in 2007, after entering into their initial contract with the Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance.
The company is a certified minority vendor in Florida, according to the state Office of Supplier Diversity.
FDLE won't say whether Strategywise is a target of its investigation. Sharpe said he plans to ask for a forensic auditing of every Workforce Alliance contract and relationship.
Thomas' criminal record and her relationship to Gilmore do not appear to preclude her company from getting contracts with regional work force boards. Still, Sen. Mike Fasano questioned the Tampa agency's decision to hire Strategywise.
"They hire a company 225 miles away?" said Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who is pushing for stricter state scrutiny of all 24 of Florida's workforce boards. "What's the logic in that?"
Fasano said complaints about Strategywise's spending and performance prompted the appropriations committee that he chairs to vote Friday against funding the programs the company has overseen.
Laurise Thomas isn't the only Strategywise employee with a felony arrest record.
Vice president Freddy Barton, who serves as project manager for the company's Workforce Alliance contract in Tampa, pleaded no contest to a grand theft charge he picked up in 2000 while a student at Florida A&M University.
Records show Barton confessed to stealing laptop computers, car radios and other items from the UPS terminal where he worked. He was ordered to serve three years of probation and 30 days of weekend jail, plus pay $3,350 in restitution. Adjudication was withheld.
Since 2007, the Workforce Alliance has paid Strategywise to provide services to the working poor through the Passport to Economic Progress program. The publicly funded program aims to help former welfare recipients become self-sufficient.
The current contract, which runs through June 30, totals $710,275.
It calls for a series of career advancement workshops ($286,525), a leadership and entrepreneurship reception ($25,000), and "continued success kits," which include a travel tote, economic resource guide and leather-bound planner ($27,500).
Strategywise also arranges an annual trip to Tallahassee for a select group of Passport participants at a cost of $10,000, vendor contracts show. The trips are meant to expose participants to the legislative process, said Tom Stewart, vice president of workforce solutions at the Tampa agency.
Each June for the past three years, Strategywise has organized graduation ceremonies to recognize Passport candidates who complete their goals.
The graduations are held at the upscale Pepin Hospitality Centre in Tampa. This year, the Strategywise contract allocates $95,000 for the event for up to 500 people, including participants and their guests. There are about 300 people currently enrolled in the Passport program.
By comparison, the Hillsborough County School District will pay a total of just under $75,000 this spring to put on 13 high school graduations at the state fairgrounds, a schools spokeswoman said. Each of those ceremonies has an average attendance of 3,500 people.
The other two work force boards that receive tax dollars for the Passport program either hold a low-key gathering or no graduation event at all.
The Suncoast Workforce Board, which serves Manatee and Sarasota counties, spent $5,630 on its year-end program last year, a spokeswoman for that agency said.
Stewart, a Workforce Alliance administrator in Tampa, said the Passport program is one of the nonprofit's most significant services. Last year, three people bought houses and four started businesses after going through the program's training.
"To propel them into true self-sufficiency for the long haul," Stewart said, "you can't measure the value of that."
Times staff writers Jeff Testerman, Lucy Morgan, Janet Zink and Lee Logan contributed to this report. Colleen Jenkins can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or (813) 226-3337. Kevin Smetana can be reached at email@example.com or (813) 610-1650.


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Nuclear Power
Quick Facts
- Unlike conventional fossil fueled electricity generation, nuclear power can provide electricity without direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and with very low lifecycle emissions.
- In 2012 nuclear power provided nearly one fifth of total U.S. electricity and constituted 61 percent of the nation's total non-GHG-emitting electricity generation.[1] The United States is the largest generator of nuclear power, accounting for about 27 percent of global nuclear generation in 2011.[2] However, absent new policies to reduce GHG emissions and promote non-emitting electricity generation, U.S. nuclear power is not expected to grow substantially in coming decades.
- Globally, nuclear power provides roughly 13 percent of total electricity generation and 39 percent of global non-fossil fueled electric power generation.[3] The United States, France, Russia, South Korea and China account for a little more than 60 percent of global nuclear power generation; and China is rapidly expanding its fleet of nuclear power plants.[4]
- Under new policies to reduce GHG emissions, nuclear power could be an important source of low-carbon electricity, with some analyses suggesting that nuclear power could provide more than 40 percent of U.S. electricity and nearly a quarter of global electricity by mid-century.[5],[6]
- The 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan illustrated some of the risks of nuclear power. Addressing the threat of climate change through expanded nuclear power will require continued improvements in the safety of nuclear technology, thorough industry regulation and oversight, and a commitment to safety and security on the part of the nuclear industry.
Electric power generation is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fuel combustion. In the United States, electricity generation is responsible for roughly one third of total GHG emissions (80 percent of which come from coal use).[7] Globally, electricity generation accounts for more than 27 percent of total CO2 emissions and more than one fifth of total GHG emissions.[8] Given the magnitude of GHG emissions from the electricity sector, low-carbon electricity generation technologies are crucial for achieving the significant GHG emission reductions necessary to avoid dangerous climate change.
Nuclear power is one option in the portfolio of low-carbon electricity generation technologies, which also includes renewables (e.g., wind, solar, and biomass) and fossil fuels coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Nuclear power emits no GHGs from electric power generation, and its overall lifecycle GHG emissions profile is low and similar to that of solar power.[9] In addition, nuclear power is already a widely deployed technology and can—like coal-fueled generation—provide reliable baseload electric power.
Currently, nuclear power is by far the largest source of low-carbon electricity in the United States. In 2012, nuclear power provided nearly one fifth of total U.S. electricity, which was more than 50 percent higher than the generation from all renewable sources (including conventional hydropower).[10] The United States has 100 operating nuclear reactors at 62 plants in 31 states; there are 4 to 6 new units expected to come online before 2020.[11] Globally, nuclear power generates roughly 13 percent of total electricity.[12]
In order for nuclear power to significantly expand domestically and globally, the United States and the rest of the world must adopt policies to promote low-carbon technology deployment and adequately address concerns about nuclear power safety, nuclear weapons proliferation, and the long-term handling of spent nuclear fuel.
Current nuclear power technology harnesses the energy released by nuclear fission. Atomic nuclei consist of protons and neutrons held together by a strong energy bond. In nuclear fission, a neutron strikes the nucleus of a very heavy atom and splits it apart into lighter atoms, releasing additional neutrons and energy as well. These neutrons, in turn, can fission other atoms. Under precise, controlled conditions, this nuclear fission process can occur as a continuous chain reaction that releases heat in useful amounts.
- Nuclear Fuel: Nuclear power plants predominantly use U-235, a fissile isotope of uranium, as their fuel. Uranium is a naturally occurring heavy metal whose most common isotope is the non-fissile U-238. To make reactor fuel, mined uranium must be enriched to a higher concentration of U-235.[13] Some of the U-238 in nuclear fuel is transformed to fissile plutonium during the nuclear chain reaction, and some of this Pu-239 is, in turned, fissioned to produce useful energy.[14] At regular intervals, nuclear reactors' fuel must be replaced with fresh fuel when the fuel is spent—i.e., no longer capable of supporting an adequate chain reaction. This spent nuclear fuel consists mostly of uranium (up to 96 percent) mixed with certain highly radioactive elements—namely, fission products (e.g., cesium and strontium) and transuranics (e.g., plutonium and americium). The decay heat and radiotoxicity of spent nuclear fuel is dominated by the fission products for roughly the first hundred years and then by the transuranics for subsequent millennia.[15] Currently, in the United States, spent nuclear fuel is stored first in pools of water at nuclear plants to cool the waste and provide protection from its radiation for at least 10 years; subsequently, spent nuclear fuel can be housed onsite in dry casks made of steel and/or concrete while it awaits permanent disposal or reprocessing (see below).[16]
- Nuclear Reactors: All operating U.S. nuclear power plants are light water reactors (LWRs)—so called because they use ordinary water to transfer heat generated by the reactor to a turbine-generator which produces electricity—and LWRs are the only type of reactors under consideration for the proposed new plants in the United States.[17],[18] There are two types of LWR, the boiling water reactor (BWR) and the pressurized water reactor (PWR).[19] Roughly seventy percent of U.S. nuclear reactors are PWRs.[20] Nuclear reactors are often classified in terms of their reactor generation, or stage of reactor technology development:[21]
- Generation I: these reactors were the prototypes and first commercial plants developed in the 1950s and '60s of which very few still operate.
- Generation II: these are the commercial reactors built around the world in the 1970s and '80s.
- Generation III/III+: Gen III reactors were developed in the 1990s and feature advances in safety and cost compared to Gen II reactors. Gen III+ reactors are the most recently developed reactor designs and have additional evolutionary design improvements. Only a few Gen III/III+ reactors have been built, but currently planned reactors in the United States are of this type.
- Generation IV: refers to the advanced reactor designs anticipated for commercial deployment by 2030 and expected to have "revolutionary" improvements in safety, cost, and proliferation resistance as well as the ability to support a nuclear fuel cycle that produces less waste.[22]
- Nuclear Fuel Cycles: The conventional, once-through fuel cycle involves nuclear reactors that use enriched uranium as fuel and that discharge spent nuclear fuel for disposal. This is the current approach in the United States. There are two alternative fuel cycles—the current, single-pass recycle option and a fully closed fuel cycle that would use anticipated advanced technology. The single-pass recycle option, which is the approach used in France, involves "reprocessing" spent nuclear fuel to separate fissile uranium and plutonium from other nuclear waste. This uranium and plutonium can then be recycled as fuel in existing nuclear reactors. This fuel cycle reduces the volume of nuclear waste that requires disposal but not necessarily the decay heat and radiotoxicity of the waste.[23] A recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study concluded that the cost of this single-pass recycle option is unfavorable compared to a once-through cycle and that the waste management benefits from a closed fuel cycle do not outweigh the attendant safety, environmental, and security considerations and economic costs.[24] In a proposed fully closed fuel cycle, spent nuclear fuel could be reprocessed with the separated uranium, plutonium, and other long-lived radioisotopes recycled as fuel. This could reduce the long-term burden on the final nuclear waste repositories by reducing long-term decay heat and radioactivity. However, it would not eliminate the need for long-term disposal because there are long-lived fission products and wastes from processing operations that will still require permanent geological disposal. A fully closed fuel cycle, however, requires advanced "fast" burner reactors that are not yet commercially available. In theory, SNF from these "fast" reactors could be repeatedly reprocessed until all the useable fuel was fissioned while also converting nearly all the uranium in the fuel cycle to useful fuel.[25]
Environmental Benefit/Emission Reduction Potential
Many analyses that look at the lowest-cost options for decarbonizing the electric power sector (e.g., via a GHG emissions pricing policy) project a substantial role for new nuclear power plants in meeting demand for non-emitting electricity generation.
In its 2014 outlook for "business as usual" (i.e., a scenario with no new policies), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects no net increase in nuclear generating capacity from now through 2040.[26] Over the same period, EIA projects that total electricity demand will grow by 28 percent.
In contrast, EIA also modeled an economy-wide carbon price and projected that such an emission reduction policy would spur the deployment of 53 GW of additional nuclear generating capacity above the "business as usual" case by 2040.[27]
As one indicator of the significant potential role for nuclear power in global GHG abatement, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that nuclear power could provide 6 percent of total energy-related emission reductions compared to "business as usual" by 2050 (and 19 percent of emission reductions from the power sector).[28] IEA projected that, in this scenario, nuclear power would increase from about 14 percent of global electricity generation currently to nearly one fourth of total power generation by mid-century.
Nuclear power requires very large upfront capital investments in constructing the power plant (e.g., a new 1 gigawatt nuclear power plant might cost $7 billion including the cost of financing). For nuclear power, the capital cost of the plant constitutes roughly three fourths of the levelized cost of electricity, with fuel and operations and maintenance (O&M) costs making up the remainder of the cost in roughly equal proportions.[29],[30] In contrast, capital costs account for roughly 40 percent of the levelized cost of electricity from a new coal power plant, and fuel costs account for about 80 percent of the levelized cost of electricity from a natural gas power plant.[31] In short, nuclear plants are relatively expensive to build but relatively inexpensive to operate.
The cost of new U.S. nuclear power plants is uncertain due to a long hiatus in the construction of new nuclear plants in the United States, and cost estimates have been trending upward. In 2010, EIA increased its annually updated estimate of the capital cost of a generic new nuclear power plant by 37 percent, citing a trend of rising costs for capital-intensive power sector projects, higher global commodity prices, and the relative scarcity of engineering and construction firms capable of undertaking such complex projects.[32] In a 2013 update to this report, the overnight capital costs for new nuclear plants were unchanged.[33]
During the 1980s and early '90s, new nuclear power plants experienced long delays in construction schedules and massive cost overruns, which makes potential lenders see new nuclear power plants as riskier than other power plant investments and thus makes new nuclear plant construction more expensive to finance. Given the capital-intensity of nuclear power, financing is challenging for new plants.
EIA's latest estimates for the levelized cost of electricity from new power plants using various electricity generation technologies put nuclear power at roughly the same cost as electricity from new coal plants but roughly 60 percent more costly than electricity from new natural gas combined cycle plants.[34] This cost differential makes new nuclear power plants hard to justify without a policy that changes the relative costs of different types of electricity generation based on GHG emissions.
The once-through nuclear fuel cycle is currently the least costly approach to nuclear power.[35]
Current Status of Nuclear Power
More than 90 percent of U.S. nuclear capacity came online in the 1970s and '80s before cost overruns, construction delays, and safety concerns ended this wave of nuclear plant construction. Whereas the build-out of the existing U.S. nuclear fleet saw a large number of companies building a variety of idiosyncratic nuclear plant designs with a regulatory licensing process that allowed for significant delays, a new wave of new nuclear plants in the United States is foreseen to include a small number of firms with nuclear power experience building a limited number of standardized plant designs under a new licensing framework that front-loads much of the regulatory risk.
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 overhauled the nuclear licensing process, which used to require two licenses—one to build the plant and another to operate it. Under the new process the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) can: 1) pre-approve a prospective site for a new nuclear plant, 2) certify a new reactor design, and 3) issue a single combined construction and operating license (COL).[36]
In 2005, Congress enacted new financial incentives (mainly federal loan guarantees) to help spur the first wave of a new generation of nuclear power plants. Subsequently, U.S. electricity providers did begin to pursue new nuclear plants. Currently, COLs have been issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas for Summer (Units 2 and 3) and to Southern Company for Vogtle (Units 3 and 4). There are nine additional license applications under active review by the NRC for up to 14 new reactors, with all of the license applications filed since 2007.[37]
Nonetheless, the high capital costs of new nuclear plants, the relatively lower cost of new natural gas generation following the domestic "shale gas revolution," and continuing lack of federal policy to reduce GHG emissions and incentivize low-carbon energy technology all limit enthusiasm for new nuclear projects in the United States. As of April 2013, five new nuclear units are actively under construction. Watts Bar Unit 2 in Tennessee is expected to come online in December 2015.[38] Additionally, construction is well underway at Vogtle Unit 3 in Georgia and V.C. Summer Unit 2 in South Carolina.[39], [40] The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has conditionally awarded a federal loan guarantee to one new nuclear plant (Vogtle) and is negotiating with three other projects.[41] The process of licensing and building the first few new nuclear plants is expected to take approximately 9-10 years, with 4-6 new units expected to start commercial operation by 2020.[42], [43]
Industry experts consider successful on-time, on-budget completion of this handful of new reactors crucial for creating confidence that new reactor construction can avoid the pitfalls of the past and enabling subsequent nuclear project developers to obtain financing from the private sector without government backing.
Nuclear power also faces potential political and public acceptance hurdles. After decades, the United States still has yet to resolve the issue of long-term handling of spent nuclear fuel. The Obama Administration withdrew the license application for the long-awaited Yucca Mountain geologic repository and appointed a blue-ribbon commission to reassess the options for long-term spent fuel management. The commission delivered its report in January 2012, and it is now up to the Administration and Congress to decide how to proceed.[44] Presently, the United States is pursuing a once-through nuclear fuel cycle. A fully closed fuel cycle would require not just advanced reprocessing and recycling technology but also the capability to manufacture a new type of reactor fuel from the reprocessing outputs.[45] According to the nuclear industry, the new generation of reactors necessary for a fully closed fuel cycle is decades away from commercial development.[46]
In March 2011, a catastrophic earthquake and resultant tsunami struck Japan and led to the failure of reactor and spent fuel storage cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station and subsequent damage to the reactors and fuel rods and releases of radioactivity. Global responses to the accident have been mixed. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, Japan had decided to shut down all of its reactors as well as discontinue a plan to build 14 new nuclear reactors by 2030.[47] However, Prime Minister Abe plans to enhance safety standards and restart reactors.[48] German policymakers are pushing ahead with a plan to shut down all nuclear reactors by 2022, and Switzerland has also decided to not replace its five existing reactors.[49], [50] In the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has identified several lessons learned from the accident and is implementing safety enhancements in the existing fleet.[51] The accident is not expected to impact current U.S. nuclear construction activities. Overall, the use of nuclear power is expected to increase with an increased focus on nuclear safety driven by developing countries, especially China and India.
Worldwide, 67 new reactors are currently under construction in 13 countries. 28 of these reactors are in China, which has only 17 reactors operating now.[52] , [53] Other countries currently building multiple new reactors are Russia, India, South Korea, and the United States.
Obstacles to Further Development or Deployment of Nuclear Power
- Lack of Policies to Reduce GHG Emissions from Electricity Generation
In the absence of regulation of GHG emissions, new nuclear power is typically more expensive than existing or new conventional fossil fueled electricity generation.
- Challenges to Financing Initial Nuclear Builds
The up-front capital investments required for nuclear power plants make financing difficult for U.S. electric power generators given their relatively small market capitalizations, especially in restructured electricity markets. Many of the existing nuclear plants proved to be far more expensive to build than expected and faced long delays in construction schedules.[54] Commercial lenders are thus reluctant to finance new nuclear plants on a project finance basis at a cost of capital comparable to other power generation technologies until "first-mover" firms demonstrate that new nuclear plants can be built on time and within budget.
- Long-Term Nuclear Waste Policy
Experts have concluded that geological repositories can safely isolate nuclear waste over the long term; however, so far no country has successfully implemented such an approach for spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste.[55] final waste disposal facilities ,[57] The United States currently has over 60,000 tons of nuclear waste at more than 100 temporary sites (primarily nuclear power plants) around the country, and the fleet of existing nuclear power plants generates approximately 2,000 tons each year.[58] Moreover, even the proposed fully closed fuel cycle that may be a future option will still necessitate long-term geological waste disposal.
Under the provisions of the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the federal government has responsibility for managing spent nuclear fuel produced by commercial reactors. The federal government has been collecting fees from nuclear power generators as part of contracts that originally required DOE to begin taking spent nuclear fuel for long-term disposal in 1998.[59] In 1987, Congress designated Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the sole candidate for a federal long-term geological repository for nuclear waste. However, the site engendered intense political opposition from Nevadans, and the Obama Administration has terminated the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository program.[60] Given current law, indefinite storage at reactor sites and other existing temporary facilities is the only alternative to Yucca Mountain absent additional congressional action.[61] Given the challenges encountered in opening a long-term geological repository, DOE has not yet begun taking spent nuclear fuel from nuclear plants and is not expected to do so for several years.
Several states—including California and Wisconsin—have laws that effectively ban the construction of new nuclear plants until a federal long-term waste disposal repository is operating.[62] Elsewhere, the lack of a solution for long-term spent nuclear fuel management creates uncertainty for new nuclear power plant sponsors. However, the NRC has determined that spent nuclear fuel can be safely stored at reactor sites for 30 years after a reactor shuts down, and NRC has proposed at least 60 years of storage after reactor shut-down as a safe period.[63]
- Supply Chain and Workforce Constraints
The industrial resources and supply chains needed to build and operate nuclear plants may present challenges to a significant expansion.[64] Moreover, the current nuclear workforce is aging and retirements may exceed new entries resulting in a loss of experienced operator and maintenance personnel.[68]
- Safety and Security
The global nuclear power industry has experienced four serious nuclear reactor accidents—at Windscale (1952) in the United Kingdom, Three Mile Island (1979) in the United States, Chernobyl (1986) in the former Soviet Union, and Fukushima Daiichi (2011) in Japan—and several fuel cycle facility incidents.[69] Neither the Windscale nor Chernobyl facility utilized a modern containment structure. Nuclear reactor damage is a potential threat to public health as it can lead to release of radioactivity to the air and groundwater. To date, the United States has had no immediate radiological injuries or deaths among the public attributable to accidents involving commercial nuclear power reactors.[70] Following the Three Mile Island accident, improvements were made to plant safety equipment, procedures, and training in U.S. reactor operations which significantly increased the safety of the U.S. nuclear fleet.[71] Moreover, new reactor designs have projected risks—particularly vulnerability to loss-of-coolant accidents—that are one to two orders of magnitude less than those of operating LWRs.[72] Nonetheless, the recent Japanese nuclear accident has once again focused attention on the safety of existing and planned nuclear reactors. However, it is important to stress that there have been no deaths attributable to radiation exposure from the Fukushima accident to date.
In addition to accidents, intentional attacks on nuclear power plants by terrorists could theoretically lead to nuclear reactor damage. Following the September 11th terrorist attacks, security at nuclear power plants came under increased scrutiny, and new regulations from the NRC increased the level of protection against terrorist attacks.
- Nuclear Weapons Proliferation
The nuclear proliferation risk stems principally from the potential for countries to covertly use uranium enrichment or spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants to generate materials for use in nuclear weapons, and theft of poorly secured nuclear materials could result in transfer to a dangerous state or terrorist group.[73] In particular, current commercial reprocessing technology generates separated plutonium that is directly usable in nuclear weapons.[74]
Policy Options to Help Promote Nuclear Power
- Carbon Price
A policy, such as cap and trade (see Climate Change 101: Cap and Trade), that puts a price on GHG emissions would discourage investments in traditional fossil-fuel use and spur investments in a range of low-carbon energy technologies, including nuclear power.
- Clean Energy Standard
A policy that required electric utilities to supply increasing percentages of low-carbon electricity (e.g., a clean energy standard) would likely substantially increase investments in new nuclear power.
- GHG Performance Standards
Policymakers could rely on performance standards to drive nuclear deployment by enacting new regulations that establish maximum allowable CO2 emission rates for power plants (California, Washington, and Oregon have such standards).[75] If stringent enough, such standards could lead power generators to turn to nuclear power and other non-emitting technologies.
- Loan Guarantees and other Financial Incentives for Initial New Nuclear Projects
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 included provisions for loan guarantees, production tax credits, and standby insurance for "first-mover" new nuclear power plants.[76] Commercial lenders have indicated that the first wave of new nuclear plants built in the United States without assured cost recovery from electricity ratepayers would be difficult or impossible to finance without federal loan guarantees owing to the perceived high risk of such projects in light of the poor track record of constructing the existing U.S. nuclear fleet.[77] With the current level of federal loan guarantees available for new nuclear power plants, two or three "first-mover" nuclear plants could obtain financing backed by federal loan guarantees and—if they demonstrate success in on-time, within-budget construction and operation—lower the perceived risk of investing in new nuclear power plants and make subsequent plants' financing easier and less costly. An expanded loan guarantee program could support more "first-mover" nuclear projects.[78]
- Defining a Long-Term Policy for Nuclear Waste
In January 2010, President Obama established the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, a step also supported by congressional leaders and the nuclear industry. The commission was tasked with evaluating alternatives and recommending a new plan for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle (i.e., the storage, processing, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel). The commission's final report was issued in 2012.[79] Implementation of the commission's recommendations will likely require congressional action as the only option for long-term waste management under current federal law is Yucca Mountain.
- Research and Development
MIT's 2003 report on nuclear power recommended several avenues for research, including: advanced LWRs and high temperature gas reactors; lab-scale research on reprocessing technologies with the potential for lower cost and greater proliferation resistance; establishment of a large nuclear system analysis, modeling, and simulation project; and a global uranium resource evaluation.[80] Several other expert reports have also suggested that efforts related to reprocessing focus on R&D rather than deployment, including reports by the Government Accountability Office, the National Academy of Sciences, and the directors of the Department of Energy's national laboratories.[81]
- Safety and Security
The NRC and nuclear plant owners can continue to advance nuclear plant safety via adequate regulation and oversight, continuous improvement based on operating experience, and an emphasis on safety culture. In particular, regulators and the nuclear industry will have to learn from and take steps necessary to minimize the risks exposed by the Japanese nuclear accident.
- Non-Proliferation Policies
R&D investments in and international collaboration on technical safeguards—i.e., the technologies used to monitor and protect nuclear materials from proliferation threats domestically and under international agreements—and the inclusion of increased proliferation resistance in next-generation nuclear reactor designs can limit the risk of nuclear proliferation.[83] The MIT nuclear report and the directors of the national laboratories recommend that nuclear supplier states (e.g., the G-8) offer fuel cycle services to nations developing new nuclear capabilities on attractive terms in order to slow the process of additional nations, especially new users with only a few reactors, building enrichment and reprocessing facilities.[84] In December 2010, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved the creation of such an international fuel bank, which will be funded in part by the United States.[86]
- Supply Chain / Workforce
The federal government can foster a robust nuclear workforce via increased educational funding for relevant graduate and undergraduate university education and certification programs at community colleges.[87] Grants for job retraining could also help displaced workers transition into nuclear and other growing energy industries.
Related Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC) Company Activities
Related C2ES Resources
Climate Change 101: Technological Solutions, 2011.
A Performance Standards Approach to Reducing CO2 Emissions from Electric Power Plants, 2009.
The U.S. Electric Power Sector and Climate Change Mitigation, 2005.
Further Reading / Additional Resources
Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Nuclear Power's Role in Generating Electricity, 2008.
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
- Advanced Nuclear Power and Fuel Cycle Technologies: Outlook and Policy Options, 2008.
- Nuclear Energy Policy, 2008.
- Nuclear Waste Disposal: Alternatives to Yucca Mountain, 2009.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
International Energy Agency (IEA)
- Energy Technology Perspectives 2010: Scenarios and Strategies to 2050, 2010.
- Technology Roadmap: Nuclear Energy, 2010.
Keystone Center, Nuclear Power Joint Fact-Finding, 2007.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- The Future of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, 2011.
- The Future of Nuclear Power, 2003.
- Update to the 2003 Report, 2009.
National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, Disposition of High-Level Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel: Continuing Societal and Technical Challenges, 2001.
Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Office of Nuclear Energy.
- Energy Information Administration (EIA).
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
[1] U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electric Power Monthly, April 2013, see Table 1.1.
[2] EIA, International Energy Statistics, 2011 data.
[3] EIA, International Energy Statistics, 2011 data.
[4] EIA, International Energy Statistics. In 2011 data.
[5] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EPA Analysis of the American Power Act of 2010, June 2010, ADAGE Model Scenario 2.
[6] International Energy Agency (IEA), Energy Technology Perspectives 2010: Scenarios and Strategies to 2050, 2010, BLUE Map Scenario.
[7] EPA, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2011, 2013. See Tables ES-7 and 2-13.
[8] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), "Introduction." In Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
[9] Fthenakis, VM and HC Kim, "Greenhouse-Gas Emissions from Solar Electric- and Nuclear Power: A Life-Cycle Study," Energy Policy 35: 2549-2557, 2007.
[10] EIA, Electric Power Monthly, April 2013, see Table 1.1.
[11] World Nuclear Association, Nuclear Power in the USA, June 2013. All of 100 U.S. nuclear reactors were ordered between 1963 and 1973.
[12] EIA, International Energy Statistics, 2013 data.
[13] For a helpful overview of the basics of nuclear power, see EIA's Introduction to Nuclear Power.
[14] Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The Future of Nuclear Power, 2003. For a helpful overview of nuclear fuel and the nuclear fuel cycle, see "Appendix Chapter 1 – Nuclear Fuel Cycle Primer."
[15] Government Accountability Office (GAO), Global Nuclear Energy Partnership: DOE Should Reassess Its Approach to Designing and Building Spent Nuclear Fuel Recycling Facilities, April 2008.
[17] Holt, July 2008.
[18] Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), Nuclear Energy Outlook 2008. About 20 percent of current nuclear plants today use heavy water as a moderator and coolant (mostly in Canada and India), while the United Kingdom has 18 gas-cooled reactors.
[19] In a BWR, the water heated by the energy released during the nuclear fission chain reaction in the reactor core turns directly into steam to power the turbine-generator (for an explanation of a BWR, see EIA's Boiling-Water Reactor). In a PWR, the water passing through the reactor core is kept under pressure so that it does not turn to steam but rather is used to exchange heat with a separate water loop to create steam and power a turbine-generator (an explanation of a PWR, see EIA's Pressurized-Water Reactor and Reactor Vessel).
[20] EIA, U.S. Nuclear Reactors.
[22] Gen IV International Forum.
[24] MIT, Update of the MIT 2003 Future of Nuclear Power, May 2009.
[25] Holt, July 2008.
[26] EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2013, April 2013. EIA projects 11 GW from new plants and 8 GW of the capacity growth from uprates at existing plants, while there are around 6 GW of plant retirements expected.
[27] EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2013: Greenhouse Gas $15, April 2013.
[28] IEA, 2010. IEA developed the BLUE Map roadmap for achieving a 50 percent reduction below current GHG emission levels in order to stabilize atmospheric CO2 concentration at 450ppm.
[29] The levelized cost of electricity is an economic assessment of the cost of electricity generation from a representative generating unit of a particular technology type (e.g. wind, coal) including all the costs over its lifetime: initial investment, operations and maintenance, cost of fuel, and cost of capital.
[30] Du, Yangbo and John Parsons, Update on the Cost of Nuclear Power, MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, 2009, see Figure 1.
[31] Du and Parsons, 2009.
[32] EIA, Updated Capital Cost Estimates for Electricity Generation Plants, November 2010.
[33] EIA, Updated Capital Costs Estimates for Utility Scale Electricity, April 2013.
[34] EIA, Levelized Cost of New Generation Resources in the Annual Energy Outlook 2013, April 2013.
[36] Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Status and Outlook for Nuclear Energy in the United States, May 2009.
[37] U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Combined License Applications for New Reactors, Jun 2012. Available at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col.html.
[38] TVA, Watts Bar Unit 2 project construction update. April 2013.
[39] Southern Company, Construction Video and Photos, June 2013.
[40] SCE&G, New Nuclear Development, March 2013.
[41] NEI, April 2011.
[42] NEI, April 2011. NEI reports that this 9-10 year process breaks down as follows: approximately two years to prepare an application to the NRC for a COL, approximately three and a half years for NRC review and approval of the COL, and 4-5 years for construction. NEI expects that subsequent plants might have a licensing and construction timeline of only about six years.
[43] World Nuclear Association, Nuclear Power in the USA, June 2013.
[44] Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, January 2012.
[45] NEI, Advanced Fuel-Cycle Technologies Hold Promise for Used Fuel Management Program, Jan 2009.
[46] NEI, Jan 2009.
[47] Fackler, Martin, "Japan to Cancel Plan to Build More Nuclear Plants," New York Times, 10 May 2011.
[48] Tabuchi, Hiroko, "Japanese Nuclear Regulator Announces an Overhaul of Safety Guidelines." New York Times, 19 June 2013.
[49] BBC, Germany: Nuclear power plants to close by 2022, 30 May 2011.
[50] BBC, Swiss to phase out nuclear power. 25 May 2011. Switzerland will continue to utilize nuclear power until the end of the reactor's operative lifetime. Its five units will be retired between 2019 and 2034.
[51] NRC, Japan Lessons Learned, June 2013
[52] WNA, World Nuclear Power Reactors & Uranium Requirements, June 2013.
[53] Xu, Wan, "China to Erect Nuclear Reactors to Match U.S.," Wall Street Journal, 27 May 2009.
[56] The United States has built and operates the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a geological repository for defense-related transuranic waste.
[57] NEI, "Sweden Picks Location for Its Used Fuel Repository," Nuclear Energy Insight, July 2009.
[58] Vogel, Steve, "Controversy Over Yucca Mountain May Be Ending," Washington Post, 4 March 2009.
[59] Wald, Matthew, "As Nuclear Waste Languishes, Expense to U.S. Rises," New York Times, 17 February 2008.
[60] Vogel, 2009.
[61] Holt, Mark, Nuclear Waste Disposal: Alternatives to Yucca Mountain, CRS, February 2009.
[62] NEI, "State Bills Promote New Nuclear Plants," May 2008.
[63] Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), "Waste Confidence Decision Update," December 2010.
[64] Directors of DOE National Laboratories, A Sustainable Energy Future: The Essential Role of Nuclear Energy, Aug 2008.
[65] Klein, Dale, "Perspectives and Challenges of the Nuclear Renaissance," Address by NRC Chairman to the American Nuclear Society, Raleigh, NC, 31 January 2008.
[66] NEI, "New Nuclear Plants Create Opportunities for Expanding US Manufacturing," August 2008.
[67] U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), DOE NP2010 Nuclear Power Plant Construction Infrastructure Assessment, 2005.
[68] Keystone Center, Nuclear Power Joint Fact-Finding, 2007.
[69] MIT, 2003. See the MIT report for examples of fuel cycle facility incidents.
[70] Keystone, 2007.
[71] Keystone, 2007.
[72] Holt, July 2008.
[73] Nuclear Energy Study Group of the American Physical Society (APS) Panel on Public Affairs, Nuclear Power and Proliferation Resistance: Securing Benefits, Limiting Risk, 2005.
[75] For more information on CO2 emission performance standards for electric power plants, see Rubin, Edward, A Performance Standards Approach to Reducing CO2 Emissions from Electric Power Plants, prepared for the Pew Center, June 2009.
[76] NEI, May 2009.
[77] Roy, Rukmini et al., Loan Guarantees for Advanced Nuclear Energy Facilities: Bankers' Viewpoints on DOE Implementing Regulations, Letter to DOE Secretary Bodman, March 2007.
[78] To illustrate the potential unmet demand for loan guarantees, project sponsors submitted 10 full applications for nuclear loan guarantees. See Slocum, John and John Reed, "Maximizing U.S. Federal Loan Guarantees for New Nuclear Energy," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 29 July 2009.
[79] Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, January 2012.
[81] Holt, July 2008.
[82] Directors of DOE National Laboratories, 2008.
[85] Directors of DOE National Laboratories, 2008.
[86] "IAEA Approves Global Nuclear Fuel Bank," World Nuclear News, 6 December 2010.
[87] APS, Readiness of the U.S. Nuclear Workforce for 21st Century Challenges, 2008.


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Sotheby's to launch Hong Kong galllery. [WSJ]
Gallery chief Julian Spalding, who called Damien Hirst a "con artist" and his art "worthless" suddenly finds himself unable to enter the artist's retrospective. He calls this censorship. [The Independent]
The Google Art Project has added 134 museums to its site, including the Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art [LA Times]
Vice talks to Agnes B., patron of the arts, about Ryan McGinley, Ryan McGuinness and the late Dash Snow. [Vice.com]
T-shirts featuring Damien Hirst's diamond-covered skull are selling at his Tate retrospective for £46 ($73.68). Recouping production costs bit by bit! [Bloomberg]
Here's Jerry Saltz on the Dependent Art Fair. [Artnet]
Anna Somers Cocks champions one of the lesser-known emirates of the UAE: Sharjah. "This is the place where the most original artistic fruit may be borne, and where the West is most likely to learn about the creativity of the new economies," she writes. [The Art Newspaper]
Here's Roberta Smith on the Morley Safer segment. [NYT]


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National Guard truck crashes near Goldsboro
Posted August 3, 2012
Goldsboro, N.C. — Wayne County authorities were investigating a crash involving a military vehicle on U.S. Highway 13 near Goldsboro on Friday afternoon.
The crash happened shortly before noon near Harold's Pond Lane. Troopers say the driver began sneezing and lost control of the National Guard transport truck, which was transporting supplies from a training exercise at Fort Bragg.
The truck flipped several times and landed in the front yard of a nearby home. The two people inside the vehicle suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital. Their names were not released.
Charges were pending, according to troopers. No other information was available.


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Superintendent Ronald Walker urged a Senate committee Friday to consider the circumstance of a Geary County fourth-grader when deciding how to vote on a bill dedicating extra state aid to schools with heavy enrollment of transient military dependents.
"This young man had walked up to me," said Walker, who leads Unified School District 475 in Junction City. "He said, 'Mr. Walker, can you teach me to be a man?' I was stunned by the question and replied, 'Why do you ask?'
"He said, 'My dad was killed in Iraq last night and before he left he told me if anything happened to him, I had to take care of my family.' I had no idea he was carrying the weight of the world on his back."
Walker shared this agonizing slice of life in a military-rich school district to lend support for House Bill 2109, which cleared the House and sits in the Senate Education Committee. The bill is expected to be endorsed by the Senate and move to the desk of Gov. Sam Brownback.
The bill would extend for five years a Kansas law allowing districts surrounding military installations to conduct two student enrollment counts. The standard survey in September that shapes K-12 appropriations would be supplemented with a follow-up tally in February.
Under the law due to expire this year, the double count determines allocation of $3 million annually in 15 to 20 school districts with high turnover rates tied to the ebb and flow of children of active-duty military personnel.
In Junction City, for example, student transfers can range from 40 percent to 70 percent annually. Manhattan-Ogden USD 383's schools serve 1,300 military students, with fluctuation between September and February ranging in recent years from 90 to 200 students.
Student turnover in Fort Leavenworth's USD 207 is about 50 percent each year. Over a three-year period, the Fort Leavenworth school's enrollment replenishes itself at a rate of 93 percent.
"It is a rare event when a student can claim to have completed kindergarten through ninth grade in our district," said Keith Mispagel, superintendent of the Fort Leavenworth district. "The military 'second count' provides additional budget authority to address the frequent mid-year student enrollment and all costs associated with this unpredictable fluctuation."
Mispagel's district serves family members of officers attending the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College. Each class has 1,400 U.S. officers and 100 international officers from more than 50 countries.
Sen. Steve Abrams, an Arkansas City Republican and chairman of the Senate committee, said he expected the bill to be forwarded next week to the Senate. He anticipated little opposition in the Senate because members understood challenges of serving such a transient population.
"The amount of turnover is tremendous," Abrams said. "It's much more than a traditional school."
Sen. Vicki Schmidt, R-Topeka and a member of the committee, said she would support the legislation.
"It's one of the things we can do in this state to support military families," Schmidt said. "It's important to think of those who serve our country."


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Detail Information
- Reflections on the continuing evolution of advanced practice nursingCharlene M Hanson
Georgia Southern University, PO Box 8158, Statesboro, GA 30456, USA
Nurs Outlook 51:203-11. 2003
- Educating advanced practice nurses for practice realityAnn B Hamric
University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville 22908 0782, USA
J Prof Nurs 19:262-8. 2003..Although there is no one right way to build APN role content into graduate coursework, some approaches are preferable to others...


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The summer months can be overwhelming for many animal shelters in the area.
Not only are more puppies and kittens born, but many people leave behind their pets when they move or take a vacation. Adoptions drop off, and shelters take in more animals.
"Nothing can prepare you for it," said Sarah Kammerer, executive director of the DFW Humane Society in Irving.
To help with their swelling populations, dozens of local animal shelters are teaming up for Empty the Shelter Day this Saturday. For one day, adoption fees will be waived for 5,000 adoptable pets across the area. Organizers said it's the largest adoption event ever held in North Texas.
"This is all the way from Tarrant County, Dallas County, Collin, Denton and beyond. This is a very large area being represented by the shelters participating," said Maura Davies, spokeswoman for the SPCA of Texas.
Thirty-three animal shelters are participating in the first-time event. Many of them are municipal shelters that have thousands of animals come through each year, Davies said.
Irving Animal Services Manager Corey Price was concerned about the high number of animals in the shelter in the summer and approached Meribeth Sloan of Irving's Communications Department. Sloan suggested getting other shelters involved.
"We have a unified voice, and we are all saying the same thing — please come adopt," Price said. "I hope North Texans make the impossible possible and our adoption floors will be empty."
At Plano Animal Services, there's a constant intake of animals, said manager Jamey Cantrell. The shelter has 120 dogs and more than 160 cats.
"Even if we were to adopt everything out in our shelter today, it would take us about two to three days before we were full again," he said.
Cats and dogs will make up most of Saturday's adoptable animals, but some shelters may also have a few others. The SPCA, for example, has several small mammals, like rats and rabbits, Davies said.
At the SPCA's Dallas shelter Thursday, volunteers took dogs out on their morning walks before the shelter doors opened at noon. During that time, staff cleaned out the small rooms where each dog stays.
In one room, boxer-spaniel puppies Lincoln and Washington wrestled with each other. Most puppies usually cost $125 at the SPCA, but they'll be free Saturday.
Many of the shelters said that adoptable pets would be spayed or neutered, and have their initial vaccinations and medical exams. The pets at the SPCA, for example, also would come with a microchip, 30 days of pet insurance and a free wellness exam within two weeks.
"The value for what comes with your best friend is quite large," Davies said.
The event, however, isn't about going out and just getting a free pet, Cantrell of Plano said.
"It's about making sure you are able to make a lifetime commitment to an animal," he said. "It's not how much you pay for a pet that's going to determine how you're going to take care of it."
A grant from the ASPCA is funding the event, which is sponsored locally by KXAS-TV (NBC5) and Telemundo Dallas. Organizers said they hope to see the event spread statewide.
"The more we can do together, the more positive change we can create for animals in North Texas," Davies said.
Staff writer Deborah Fleck contributed to this report.


text: I thinking of getting a 45acp revolver to burn off some of my 2 rate reloads that i don't want to chance in my plastic autos anyone have any experiance with the 625- series ? as far as punishment it will take and reliability ? also 4" verses 5" th /Thanks//jim


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Leave it to a pop star to cause panic at an airport.
As Joe Jonas and Ashley Greene prepared to fly out of Abu Dhabi over the weekend, the 21-year-old Camp Rock 2 star mistakenly placed some knives in his carry-on luggage.
"We were going from the Middle East to New York, so [there was] tons of security, tons of screenings," Greene, 23, recalled on Lopez Tonight Tuesday. "We got through one, surprisingly enough."
By the time they reached the second checkpoint, the Twilight actress says airport security "looked at us with these stern faces like, 'What's in your bag?'"
Remembering that Jonas, an avid cook, had purchased a cheese-cutting knife set during their trip, Greene asked her beau of four months if he'd accidentally put them in the wrong bag.
Jonas' response: "Whoopsies!"
"Whoopsies doesn't cut it," Greene laughed. "We were going to get arrested!"
After explaining the mix-up, security allowed Jonas to stow his knife set under the plane. "It was embarrassing," Greene added.


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Blalock's blast lifts Rangers over Halos
Blalock's blast lifts Rangers over Halos
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers five-game losing streak is over. They finally scored a run, they finally grabbed a lead and they were able to hold on at the end. Barely. "Wow!" said closer Frank Francisco, breathing a sigh of relief after he had taken his team to the brink and then pulled them through to preserve a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before a sellout crowd at the Ballpark in Arlington on Saturday.
"It was great," Francisco said. "After all we've been through ... that's what we needed." One pitch away from a blown save, Francisco pulled himself together in time to earn his 23rd save of the season and give Scott Feldman his 17th win of the season. Feldman is now 17-5 with a 3.62 ERA with three starts left in the season. But this might have been his biggest win, pitching in front of 46,696 people and being the pitcher who snapped the Rangers losing streak. "I never thought about stopping the five-game losing streak," Feldman said. "I just thought about pitching good. We all know we have a good team. We went through a little funk, but hopefully, this will get us a little momentum going forward." The Rangers are now 6 1/2 games behind the Angels in the American League West with their 81st victory, guaranteeing them that they will not have their ninth losing season in 10 years. "We fought like warriors," manager Ron Washington said. "We played as well tonight as we did last night. We just won tonight. We know we can play good baseball. We just went flat. But the last two nights, we played a high level of baseball. That's what it's going to take." The Rangers came into this game having scored just one run in their previous five games, but a 25-inning scoreless streak came to an end in the third after Nelson Cruz walked and stole second against Angels starter Jered Weaver. Chris Davis followed with a slow wobbly grounder toward shortstop Maicer Izturis, who tried to make a barehand grab and missed completely. The ball got past him and rolled out into left field, allowing Cruz to score. Davis reached second and was credited with a double. "I hit first base, and the crowd was going nuts," Davis said. "I looked up, and the ball was in the outfield. I'll take it. In my next at-bat, I flied out to the track in left-center." Davis' double gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead and left them three short of the club record of 28 consecutive scoreless innings set back in 1972. "I was so happy when we scored that run," shortstop Elvis Andrus said. "We're in a bad way, but we're still giving it 100 percent." The Angels were able to get a couple of runs off Feldman to take a 2-1 lead, but Andrus had an RBI single in the fifth and Hank Blalock put the Rangers ahead with a home run off Weaver in the sixth. Blalock was getting a rare start at first base because Washington wanted to do something to shake up the lineup. It was Blalock's 24th home run of the season, but his first since Aug. 8. "All those young kids have been going out there and playing their hearts out, and those other pitchers have just been going through our lineup," Washington said. "I just felt we needed a veteran presence in there who doesn't get shaken by the big situation. That's what Hank can do. I felt he could catch one, and he did." Feldman came out after 6 2/3 innings and 92 pitches. He retired the last six hitters he faced, but with a one-run lead, Washington brought in Darren O'Day to face Juan Rivera with two outs in the seventh. Feldman had a look of surprise on his face when Washington walked out of the dugout. "We won the game so ..." Feldman said. "That's all that matters. I understand it's the time of year where you have to win. If Wash feels that's the right move, then it is the right move. It worked out ..." Barely. O'Day and C.J. Wilson got to the ninth, and Francisco took over. That's when it got hairy. After Vladimir Guerrero flied out, Torii Hunter singled to left. Kendry Morales hit a grounder right at Blalock at first, but he fumbled it for an error. "That's a play I've got to make," Blalock said. "That's a 3-6-3 double play that should end the game." Washington admitted he and bench coach Jackie Moore talked about replacing Blalock defensively by moving Davis over from third and putting in Vizquel. But he decided against it. "I trust Hank," Washington said. A double steal put runners on second and third, and Rivera was intentionally walked to load the bases. Francisco then threw three straight balls to Howie Kendrick, leaving him one pitch away from forcing in the tying run. "I was trying to hit my spots the whole time," Francisco said. "I missed a couple of times, then I threw some pitches for strikes. I got into situations that were ugly, but I didn't panic." Francisco came back with two strikes, then got Kendrick to hit a ground ball back up the middle. Andrus fielded it near second base, stepped on the back and threw to first for the game-ending double play. "A great effort by us," Blalock said. "That was as must of a win for us as we've had all year. It was nice to get that win."
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Los Angeles • A family that claims a woman was frozen to death in a hospital morgue after she was prematurely declared dead can proceed with a medical malpractice lawsuit, an appeals court ruled Wednesday.
The California 2nd District Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling that the lawsuit against White Memorial Hospital was filed too late, the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1h4Q3fl) reported.
Maria de Jesus Arroyo, 80, was declared dead in July 2010 after suffering a heart attack and was placed in a freezer at the Boyle Heights hospital. Morticians who received her body a few days later discovered that it was face down and the woman had a broken nose and disfiguring cuts and bruises to her face, according to court papers.


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We rent 450 4 strokes and 250 2 stroke current model motocross bikes for $200 for a half day.
Get the factory rider feeling. All you do is show up at the track. The bikes are there and ready to ride. Sport drinks are on ice in the cooler and beer for after the ride. We take care of the bikes after your ride.
The track provides forgiving jumps for all skill levels. If you come with your motocross club or group, we can provide our personal chef to cook your dinner at the track. The track is less than 2 miles from beautiful beaches with bars and restaurants. The non-riding members of your group can spend the day at the beach and you can join them after riding. What a great way to cool off after a great ride.
FUN and SAFE
The track is designed as a vet rider style track.
You can get plenty of air on the jumps, however the landings are safe in case you come up short. There are long straights and sweeping turns, as well as tight, technical sections.
We have riders from all over the world. Everyone is on vacation and out for a good time. There's no pressure to be the fastest. Ride at your own pace. Then enjoy hanging out and talking with some great people from all over the world.
Women riders are welcome too.
With all the activities offered through Cozumel eXtreme and the beach just 2 miles from the track, everyone will enjoy the vaction. Even those that don't ride. Bring your family to the track, spectators are welcome for free.
You're even welcome to talk someone on the track for a ride.
It's all about having fun on your vacation and getting in some riding when the snow if flying back home.
WORK on YOUR LAP TIMES
Get in shape and work on your lap times during your vacation. We have experienced riders from all over the world that are willing to help you with advice and take lap times. We're always willing to go out and race with you for fun.
Copyright 2011 Cozumel Extreme. All rights reserved.


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Dreamies Cat Treats
Petplanet has been my on-line pet supplier of choice for quite a few years now and I have always been delighted with your service. I have never had a problem with any orders in the past (probably why I did not think to check the bag before I opened it!) and I have recommended your web-site to many dog owning friends in the past and shall continue to do so. Thank you for such a prompt and generous response.


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Restore and revitalise skin with MONU Premier Model Skin Toner, a silky lotion that gently refreshes and hydrates skin whilst protecting its natural barrier.
Fortified with a blend of natural ingredients, including aloe vera to soothe and panthenol to replenish lost moisture, the anti-inflammatory toner helps to prevent dryness and loss of elasticity in the skin, balancing the complexion for an even tone and inducing natural radiance. Skin will feel soft, supple and comfortable. - K.N.
Paraben free.


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EA Sports has released the official global box art for FIFA 14 - and you guessed it, Barcelona striker Lionel Messi is back once again to adorn the cover.
Messi is the first cover star confirmed for FIFA 14. Additional footballers will be revealed for each region over the summer.
FIFA 14 releases in the UK on September 27. PS4 and Xbox One versions are also due for release this Christmas.
Last year's UK cover featured Messi alongside Man City keeper Joe Hart and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlaine. But who would you like to see star alongside Messi on this year's box?
Source: Twitter


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NEW YORK — Bank of America is still trying to shake off troubles arising from mortgages written during the housing bubble.
Higher fees from battling lawsuits and costs related to its mortgage business led to a 39 percent decline in B of A's first-quarter earnings, the bank announced Friday. It wasn't what investors wanted to hear, since just three months ago the bank announced several big charges and settlements that seemed to resolve many of its mortgage problems.
The Charlotte, N.C., bank earned $1.7 billion, compared with $2.8 billion in the first quarter of last year. Revenue fell to $26.9 billion from $32 billion in the same period last year.
"It seems like some of the mortgage-related issues that they said were behind them are actually not behind them yet," said Paul Miller, a bank analyst at FBR Capital Markets.
The bank is fighting lawsuits from investors and insurers who say that during the housing bubble they were duped into buying loans that were based on fraudulent documents. Bank of America set aside $1 billion to repurchase those mortgages and also added $352 million to its legal expenses in the first quarter.
"The numbers are getting worse, and nobody seems to have a handle on how bad this could be," Miller said.
B of A's stock fell 2.4 percent to $12.82. Bank of America has lost 34 percent of its value over the past year, making it the laggard among major banks.
Along with the 19 largest banks in the country, Bank of America was subjected to a "stress test" by the Federal Reserve to see if it was strong enough to stand up to another economic downturn. Only banks that passed the test were allowed to increase dividends. The Fed has asked the bank to submit a revised plan.
Brian Moynihan, chief executive of Bank of America, tried to cast his bank's results in a positive light. "All the businesses have moved back to profitability except our mortgage business," he said in a conference call with analysts. B of A's Merrill Lynch division set records for revenue, asset management fees and brokerage income.
On Wednesday, Bank of America was among 16 of the nation's largest mortgage lenders that were directed by the Federal Reserve and other federal banking regulators to reimburse homeowners who were improperly foreclosed upon. The Fed warned of more fines in the future.
Much of B of A's mortgage-related woes stem from its 2008 acquisition of Countrywide Financial Corp., once the largest U.S. mortgage lender, which was facing bankruptcy after payment defaults and foreclosures.
Last month, Bank of America suffered another setback when it became the only one of the four largest U.S. banks that wasn't allowed by the Federal Reserve to increase its dividends.