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While software is expected to take center stage at Apple?s WWDC keynote this year, a new report claims that we?ll still see some new hardware debut on June 10th in San Francisco. WWDC 2013 tickets sold out in under 3 minutes as excitement among developers boiled over, and all eyes are on iOS 7, which is expected to feature the first major user interface design overhaul iOS has ever seen. We?re not expecting any new iPhones or iPads to debut on stage at WWDC, however. Instead, KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo reports that Apple will unveil several new MacBook computers at WWDC alongside a new version of OS X that should also be shown off during the show.
[More from BGR: Samsung Galaxy S4 review]
In a research note picked up by MacRumors, Ming-chi mirrors an earlier report from Digitimes suggesting that Apple has some new notebooks in store of Q2 debuts, but they will be modest upgrades without any big changes.
[More from BGR: Cheaper iPad mini reportedly on the way]
According to the analyst, Apple will unveil new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops that are powered by?Intel?s latest Haswell processors. The bad news, however, is that the new MacBook Air is not expected to feature an upgraded Retina display, as had previously been reported.
?Contrary to our previous projection, we now think Apple will continue to make the MacBook Pro alongside the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro because the 13? MacBook Pro remains the most popular product in the MacBook line,? Ming-chi wrote.??Also, there is still demand in emerging markets, where Internet penetration isn?t advanced, for optical disk drives.?
According to the report, the new laptops will begin shipping soon after they are unveiled at WWDC 2013.
Personalized leadership key for keeping globally distributed teams on taskPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Phil Ciciora pciciora@illinois.edu 217-333-2177 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. For companies with employees around the globe, the challenges of distance, diversity and technology may threaten team cohesiveness among their long-distance workers. But according to a new study by a University of Illinois business professor, out of sight doesn't necessarily have to mean out of mind for virtual teams.
Ravi S. Gajendran, a professor of business administration at Illinois, says leaders of globally distributed teams can mitigate the isolation of virtual employees by taking a relationship-based approach in the form of a "leader-member exchange" in tandem with frequent communication on a predictable schedule.
In contrast to the traditional top-down, "one-to-many" leadership approach that treats all employees similarly (and often interchangeably), leader-member exchange involves cultivating a personalized relationship characterized by trust, loyalty, developmental feedback and support between team leader and member, Gajendran says.
"Leadership of virtual teams is tough, for very obvious reasons," he said. "You don't have that type of face-to-face interaction as you do with your real-life team members, so you don't know how things are going, nor can you monitor a team member's performance all that easily."
The study, co-written by Aparna Joshi, a professor of management and organization at Pennsylvania State University, says a top-down style of leadership approach doesn't work well in a virtual context.
"The traditional model of leadership is, 'I'm the leader, you're my team members, and I'm going to articulate my vision for how things should be,' " Gajendran said. "What we find is that a personalized leadership strategy characterized by the leader-member exchange has even stronger effects when the workers are globally distributed."
Since spatial distance can translate into psychological distance, high-quality leader-member exchange relationships are effective in creating inclusivity and involvement among team members, so long as they are accompanied by frequent communication.
"The conundrum is, you're bringing together these talented people from around the globe because you hope that something innovative is going to come from their work," Gajendran said. "You explicitly design a team to get the best experts from different parts of the world. But at the same time, you've structured the team in a distributed manner so that it's easy for team members to feel isolated and that they can't give their input. So there's this tension that has to be resolved, which is why leaders have to work hard at re-creating the team in people's minds."
For leaders, ordinary workaday world tasks such as figuring out if someone is energized on a given day is impossible simply because they don't see virtual workers at the office, Gajendran says.
"As a leader, then, you don't know whether you need to motivate them or give them their space," he said. "And team members also are missing out on the social aspects of work: team space, team dinners and team drinks things like that."
To bridge that gap, a personal touch is required, Gajendran says.
"Even though there is no physical team, leaders need more one-on-one interaction with their virtual team members," he said. "In other words, leadership needs to be uniquely tailored to the team members rather than dictated from on high. It's about building a relationship with each member, and that requires slightly more effort than in it would in a normal workplace setting."
The other finding of the study is the need for constant, predictable contact to ensure that team members understand that their input matters, Gajendran says.
"Personalized leadership seems to matter much more in distributed working environments," he said. "So instead of treating all of the team members the same, it's better for leaders to target and personalize the relationship with each individual. That's why leader-member exchange training should also emphasize the importance of regular and predictable leadermember communication to maximize the impact of member influence on team decisions."
In addition to building relationships and a regular, predictable communication schedule, a team leader also needs to be an advocate for the work of its members, which can easily go unnoticed.
"That's the big danger in these distributed teams the lack of visibility of the end-product, as well as the lack of visibility of the team member," Gajendran said. "In high-tech companies like Google and Facebook, a lot of the work being done is on a server. They're often working at different times, so that creates this distance that makes it difficult for people to appreciate their contribution or to motivate each other or feel part of this one cohesive unit."
Which is why it's incumbent on the leader to make sure that the team's work gets its due, Gajendran says.
"You don't want team members to feel as though they're just sending their work out into a vacuum," he said. "That's why leaders matter they have to make those invisible workers visible, and you can do that by creating that sense of involvement and inclusion."
The paper will appear in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
###
Editor's notes: To contact Ravi Gajendran, email ravisg@illinois.edu.
The paper, "Innovation in globally distributed teams: The role of LMX, communication frequency, and member influence on team decisions," is available online.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Personalized leadership key for keeping globally distributed teams on taskPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Phil Ciciora pciciora@illinois.edu 217-333-2177 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. For companies with employees around the globe, the challenges of distance, diversity and technology may threaten team cohesiveness among their long-distance workers. But according to a new study by a University of Illinois business professor, out of sight doesn't necessarily have to mean out of mind for virtual teams.
Ravi S. Gajendran, a professor of business administration at Illinois, says leaders of globally distributed teams can mitigate the isolation of virtual employees by taking a relationship-based approach in the form of a "leader-member exchange" in tandem with frequent communication on a predictable schedule.
In contrast to the traditional top-down, "one-to-many" leadership approach that treats all employees similarly (and often interchangeably), leader-member exchange involves cultivating a personalized relationship characterized by trust, loyalty, developmental feedback and support between team leader and member, Gajendran says.
"Leadership of virtual teams is tough, for very obvious reasons," he said. "You don't have that type of face-to-face interaction as you do with your real-life team members, so you don't know how things are going, nor can you monitor a team member's performance all that easily."
The study, co-written by Aparna Joshi, a professor of management and organization at Pennsylvania State University, says a top-down style of leadership approach doesn't work well in a virtual context.
"The traditional model of leadership is, 'I'm the leader, you're my team members, and I'm going to articulate my vision for how things should be,' " Gajendran said. "What we find is that a personalized leadership strategy characterized by the leader-member exchange has even stronger effects when the workers are globally distributed."
Since spatial distance can translate into psychological distance, high-quality leader-member exchange relationships are effective in creating inclusivity and involvement among team members, so long as they are accompanied by frequent communication.
"The conundrum is, you're bringing together these talented people from around the globe because you hope that something innovative is going to come from their work," Gajendran said. "You explicitly design a team to get the best experts from different parts of the world. But at the same time, you've structured the team in a distributed manner so that it's easy for team members to feel isolated and that they can't give their input. So there's this tension that has to be resolved, which is why leaders have to work hard at re-creating the team in people's minds."
For leaders, ordinary workaday world tasks such as figuring out if someone is energized on a given day is impossible simply because they don't see virtual workers at the office, Gajendran says.
"As a leader, then, you don't know whether you need to motivate them or give them their space," he said. "And team members also are missing out on the social aspects of work: team space, team dinners and team drinks things like that."
To bridge that gap, a personal touch is required, Gajendran says.
"Even though there is no physical team, leaders need more one-on-one interaction with their virtual team members," he said. "In other words, leadership needs to be uniquely tailored to the team members rather than dictated from on high. It's about building a relationship with each member, and that requires slightly more effort than in it would in a normal workplace setting."
The other finding of the study is the need for constant, predictable contact to ensure that team members understand that their input matters, Gajendran says.
"Personalized leadership seems to matter much more in distributed working environments," he said. "So instead of treating all of the team members the same, it's better for leaders to target and personalize the relationship with each individual. That's why leader-member exchange training should also emphasize the importance of regular and predictable leadermember communication to maximize the impact of member influence on team decisions."
In addition to building relationships and a regular, predictable communication schedule, a team leader also needs to be an advocate for the work of its members, which can easily go unnoticed.
"That's the big danger in these distributed teams the lack of visibility of the end-product, as well as the lack of visibility of the team member," Gajendran said. "In high-tech companies like Google and Facebook, a lot of the work being done is on a server. They're often working at different times, so that creates this distance that makes it difficult for people to appreciate their contribution or to motivate each other or feel part of this one cohesive unit."
Which is why it's incumbent on the leader to make sure that the team's work gets its due, Gajendran says.
"You don't want team members to feel as though they're just sending their work out into a vacuum," he said. "That's why leaders matter they have to make those invisible workers visible, and you can do that by creating that sense of involvement and inclusion."
The paper will appear in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
###
Editor's notes: To contact Ravi Gajendran, email ravisg@illinois.edu.
The paper, "Innovation in globally distributed teams: The role of LMX, communication frequency, and member influence on team decisions," is available online.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Voters wait to cast their vote on Nov. 6, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Edward Linsmier/Getty Images)
We know little about President Barack Obama?s new Commission on Election Administration except for its structure, as outlined in the executive order that explains its task is to improve voting in America, and the names of its two appointed co-chairs: Obama's former counsel Bob Bauer and Republican attorney Ben Ginsberg, who worked for Mitt Romney.
But while it has yet to explain its methodology or get together a full staff (the executive order directs that no more than 9 members are to be appointed) the commission?an idea born on Election Night 2012 when Obama declared we "have to fix" long lines at the polls?is about to get to work.
Steve Croley, deputy White House counsel, told Yahoo News the White House is gearing up to announce the committee's full roster next month and set the group to work. The committee, he said, will be a mix of individuals including "several people who basically run elections for a living" at the state, county or local levels, in addition to those working on the private side. No other details were offered about commissioners.
The commission, not the White House, will set the agenda, Croley added. And part of its work will include significant outreach to state and local election officials and administrators, academics and others experienced in elections. A report will be given to the president six months from its first meeting on ?how do we improve the experience of voting,? Croley said.
Funds and housekeeping for all presidential commissions are handled through the General Services Admnistration, but no money was requested for the commission in the president?s proposal and in GSA?s budget request. Croley said that the commission is expected to be very low budget.
The 2012 elections were clouded with stories of eight-hour long voting experiences in Florida; polling places closing early due to the inability to handle voter volume; long lines in Virginia; voting machine issues in places such as Pennsylvania and Colorado; voter roll problems in Ohio; and balloting in Arizona.
"We can fix this. And we will," Obama said in his State of the Union speech in February when he announced the co-chairs for the commission. "The American people demand it, and so does our democracy."
The commissioners will drive the agenda. The two co-chairs declined to be interviewed for this article, choosing through a spokesman to defer to the White House until the commission is underway. Croley said once the commission is formed, it will take a hands-off approach and allow the co-chairs to lead the process.
Per the executive order creating the committee, the commission is supposed to examine voting problems highlighted in the 2012 election, and specifically examine potential voting obstacles to members of the military, overseas voters, voters with disabilities and voters ?with limited English proficiency." Several potential areas of study are outlined in the executive order?including training of polling workers, the operation of polling places and voting machines, ballot simplicity, and overseas balloting?but these are listed merely as suggestions.
Voting rights advocates have cheered the formation of the commission and the idea behind it, but with so little known about what the commission will do and how it will function, much skepticism remains about the commission?s potential or staying power.
At the very least, voting rights advocates say, the well-known and well-respected partisan co-chairs have the potential to send a strong message.
"I think it?s structurally set up so that if they do in fact come up with some good recommendations, that it will be very powerfully received," said Wendy Weiser, director of the Brennan Center for Justice's Democracy Program, which promotes voter rights.
Melanie Sloan, executive director of government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, added, ?If they could come to agreement and come up with some joint recommendations, that would be very meaningful because it'd be hard for anybody on either side to argue strongly against them."
But Sloan questioned exactly how motivated and involved the two busy co-chairs will be in their new positions.
"I do not have my hopes up," Sloane added. "It could be great, again, because Bauer and Ginsberg are highly respected. It could also be one of those things where there's a big announcement and there's very little follow-through."
Croley conceded that yes, the proof will be in the final result, but at the outset, he added, are "extremely motivated for this not to be viewed or become a commission that produces a paper report that sits on a shelf and collects dust." It will be a "hit-the-ground-running commission which takes its work and mission very seriously.?
Weiser would like to see the modernization of our nation's voting systems?with regard to voting machines, how and when we vote, and how we operate early voting?at the top of the commission's agenda "We're using 19th-century technology for 21st-century elections," she said.
While voting rights advocates await more details on the commission?who will staff it, how they will meet, their agenda and their budget?other critics say the whole effort is just wasteful.
"We already have a federal bipartisan election commission," Hans von Sapovsky opined in a post for Heritage's The Foundry blog following the president's State of the Union address. Von Sapovsky noted that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission was created in 2002, but the four commissioner seats have long been vacant as well as the support staff positions. "(They are supposed to be filled by the President," he wrote.)
Additionally, Sapovsky questions if a commission under Obama won't simply be used to push his agenda.
Some argue that reimbursing families or their lawyers may cause conflicts between the student?s education and outside financial interests.
by Zoe Tillman -
A new report details ongoing problems with how the District of Columbia school system reimburses lawyers who successfully represent the families of students with special needs. In light of recent policy changes by school officials, however, it wasn?t clear how much of the report would apply to the city?s new process for handling attorney fees in those cases.
Families that bring claims against the city over special education services can collect attorney fees if they win, and can negotiate fees if they choose to settle. In an April 23 report, Clarence Sundram, a court-appointed special master in a long-standing class action against the city over special education services, found inconsistencies, delays, and other problems with how the city processed those fees.
In a response filed with the report, city officials said they had gotten rid of the administrative process for attorney fee reimbursements in March. Instead, school official said they now attempted to settle fees in cases in which a parent prevailed and were prepared to go to court if they couldn?t reach a deal. If the city reached a settlement with parents on the underlying claims, officials were willing to include fees in that agreement.
A spokeswoman for the school system declined to comment on the report, pointing to the city?s filed response.
Lawyers have sparred with the city for years over attorney fees in special education cases. In 2009, parents? lawyers filed a report with the court complaining of arbitrary fee cuts and delays, and accused the city of purposefully making reimbursement difficult to discourage them from bringing claims. The city countered with accusations of overbilling and maintained that the number of complaints filed by families was going down because the city was improving services.
Sundram found that although school officials took steps to revise the process for reimbursing lawyers who represent families, it still ?falls short in several ways.? He wrote that in cases where a family prevailed and submitted a request for attorney fees, the city sometimes took too long to process invoices, lacked transparency in how it applied fee guidelines and inconsistently reduced fee requests.
The report didn?t address the city?s recent change in policy, however, which did away with the administrative process for handling fee requests. Several sections of the report did cover how the city negotiated fee settlements, though, which would apply to the city?s new process.
Sundram said attorneys reported the negotiating process was ?uneven.? Some lawyers said they had success getting fee proposals modified by going directly to a supervisor, assuming they had a good relationship. He called on the city to develop clear guidelines for handling the attorney fee issue during settlement talks.
In cases where the city reached a settlement on the underlying claims ? another scenario that would continue under the city?s new policy ? he warned that negotiating attorney fees at the same time raised the risk of an ?ethical conundrum? in which a student?s interests were pitted against a lawyer?s financial interest.
Read more at?In Special Education Cases, Complaints Over Fees Persist.
It is Soap Dish time again and this week I am dishing all about how the hunky men of Days of Our Lives stripped this week. Oh yes it was a Magie Mike moment that was freaking HOT HOT HOT! If you missed the episode never fear you can check it out right here, woot woot! Last week some of DOOL’s hottest men took it all off, well most of it off I guess, heating up the hit NBC show. It was a total Mike Mike spook when Daniel, Brady and Rafe did their best strip tease, for charity of course. The guys strutted their stuff to benefit Salem University Hospital as well as to help our there pal Cameron, who had been moonlighting as a stripper. That of course is a big no no, so the guys decide to step up and take it off. I personally thought the show was awesome, especially since each of the guys dressed up similar to the men of Magic Mike. Plus lets be honest these men are fine, so watching them get down to their skivies was a very nice break in an otherwise long work day. It wasn’t just the guys [...]
First things first: This review is for a pair of $999 (direct) custom-molded earphones aimed squarely at musicians. Unlike most custom pairs in this pricing stratosphere, the Logitech Ultimate Ears Vocal Reference Monitors, as the name suggest, are designed with vocalists in mind. The lowest and highest frequencies are decreased drastically, so that the focus is squarely on the mid-range frequencies that vocals inhabit. As you'd expect from a high-end earphone pair that's custom-molded to your ear canals, there's no distortion to speak of, but it bears repeating: The UE Vocal Reference Monitors are a fantastic musical tool, but not designed for typical music listening.
Design Visually, there are only so many directions you can go with custom in-canal earphones. When they're in your ears, the outside, flat panel will make it look as if your ears have been filled with a plastic substance. The earpieces themselves are offered in a wide variety of transparent and solid colors. It's also possible to customize your earpieces with artwork, for a higher price.
As for fit, if you've never worn a pair of custom-molded earphones, you're in for a treat. Not only do they fit comfortably and securely for hours on end, they also block out ambient noise more effectively than even active noise canceling headphones can.
A triple-braided, removable audio cable connects to each earpiece, terminating in a 3.5mm connection. There are no inline remotes or microphones to speak of?these earphones are intended for onstage and in-studio use. A gold, screw-on ?-inch adapter ships with the Vocal Reference Monitors,?as well as an earwax cleaning tool and a very sturdy hard case with your name engraved on it.
The fit of the earpieces will have everything to do with the audiologist you choose. The impression process is safe, quick, painless (though it can be uncomfortable for some), and, typically, the audiologist will then send your impressions to Logitech. Turnaround time will vary, but my earphones took about three weeks to arrive after my appointment. The cost for these appointments will also vary, especially if you have medical insurance that might cover your visit, but expect to add on roughly $50 to the price of the earphones.
Performance Discussing the earphones from an audio standpoint is tricky. Someone who typically likes rich or heavy low-end will hate them, but that's not the point. The earphones act almost like a filter for singers, turning down lower and higher frequencies that can cause listening fatigue over time and compete with the midrange frequencies the vocalist needs to concentrate on.
From a performance standpoint, the Vocal Reference Monitors do not distort on tracks with seriously deep bass, even at maximum, painfully loud volumes. So, these earphones will always deliver clean audio, but remarking upon their sound signature, beyond saying that they're quite light on bass or sparkling, bright highs, is kind of pointless.
Instead of discussing our typical testing suite, I decided to test the earphones in my home recording studio, laying down some vocals over instrumental tracks I had been recording. Lucky for you, you don't have to hear the tracks or my vocals, but I tested using some studio-level gear (a Lomo 19A-9 microphone into an Ampex 351 mic pre, with some very minimal compression via a Shadow Hills Optograph and into Pro Tools, for the recording-gear geeks who want to know the signal chain). So, hopefully, this can at least be seen as comparable with a studio or live set-up, though the gear is far less similar to typical live gear, and it's safe to say my signal chain is not transparent. But that's not the point?the point is: Did the tuning of the Vocal Reference Monitors make it easier for me to lay down vocals?
One of the more difficult aspects of recording or performing vocals while wearing in-canal monitors is not being able to hear your actual voice much, if at all?you hear only what's coming through the earpiece itself, really, and it can be disconcerting at first. It's common to see a vocalist in studio, singing with one headphone ear cup off?many vocalists prefer to hear a blend of the mix and their actual voice occurring in a real acoustic space.?
This fact, combined with the very premise of the Vocal Reference Monitors?that they rid the vocalist of unnecessary frequencies?had me approaching testing with a healthy amount of skepticism. A common studio adage is that most musicians want to hear more of themselves in their monitors; the best musicians ask to hear more of the other musicians. Granted, vocals are different because the sound is literally coming from within, but I wasn't sure, prior to testing, if I agreed with the concept that hearing less of the bass and higher frequencies would necessarily help a vocalist perform better.
In practice, I can say the Vocal Reference Monitors perform as advertised?I felt that my vocals were almost boosted in the mix, although this was not the case. Instead, many of the frequencies they normally compete with were simply not as loud, and thus my vocals, while recording, seemed louder to me. Admittedly, my first reaction was to turn my vocal fader down, so that I felt that the vocals blended a bit more with the overall mix. This was mainly to help my own performance (trust me, I need tons of help).
The pleasant surprise upon turning the fader down? I could still hear my vocals crisply and clearly within the mix?the volume had been lowered, but they still stood out and were intelligible and clear. The lower-mids, and lows, and well as high frequencies, that might have begun to push them down in the mix at that level were not really part of the equation. Basically, no matter whether I had the vocal fader high in the mix, or relatively even with the rest of the tracks, I could always hear my part, and the vocals always sounded crisp.
Again, the earphones were used in a studio, not during a live performance onstage, so the testing does have its limitations. But the earphones block out so much outside noise, it seems likely that what you hear through them will not be competing much with any PA systems, even?they're as effective as earplugs, if not more so. The mic and mic pre I used are not likely to be found in any live setting, but the point is the Vocal Reference Monitor helped the vocals stand out against a busy mix by lowering the frequency ranges that tend to make them more difficult to hear. It's hard to see how this would not translate to better clarity in a live scenario as well.
Some vocalists may still prefer to have the full mix in their ears when performing, or having the engineer customize their mix by carving out the ranges that bug them, but the UE Vocal Reference Monitors do a solid job of bringing vocal clarity to the forefront on its own. Personal monitoring preference in both live and studio scenarios will dictate whether this is a necessary tool or not, but these custom monitors inarguably perform a task that many vocalists will find useful.
Comparing the Vocal Reference Monitors with regular stereo earphones seems a bit pointless, given their unique purpose, although we have reviewed other custom in-ear pairs in the past. Some favorites include the $1,150 JH Audio JH16 Pro, brought to you by Jerry Harvey, the founder of Ultimate Ears before it was sold to Logitech, and the $1,350 Logitech UE 18 Pro, another solid option with a far beefier sound signature than the Vocal Reference Monitor. If these are way out of your range, and you're looking for a simple, effective pair of home studio headphones, the circumaural (over-ear) Sennheiser HD 280 Pro may not be a custom-molded in-canal earphone pair, but it's comfortable, accurate, and powerful?three necessary characteristics for studio gear.
For the $1,000 (and audiologist visit), the Logitech Ultimate Ears Vocal Reference Monitors will prove an effective tool for vocalists who often struggle to hear their own performance in monitors over booming bass or crashing cymbals. If this sounds like you, the UE Vocal Reference Monitor may just be the solution you're looking for.
Denver Nuggets' Ty Lawson looks at the scoreboard during the second half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Draymond Green
Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green reacts during the second half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Andre Iguodala
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) guards Denver Nuggets' Andre Iguodala, right, during the first half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Andre Iguodala
Denver Nuggets' Andre Iguodala (9) scores against Golden State Warriors' Festus Ezeli during the first half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Ty Lawson, Festus Ezeli
Denver Nuggets' Ty Lawson, left, lays up a shot against Golden State Warriors' Festus Ezeli (31) during the first half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
JaVale McGee
Denver Nuggets' JaVale McGee falls to the floor in pain during the first half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
JaVale McGee
Denver Nuggets' JaVale McGee falls to the floor in pain during the first half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Kenneth Faried
Denver Nuggets' Kenneth Faried (35) scores against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Jarrett Jack, Andre Iguodala
Denver Nuggets' Andre Iguodala (9) lays up a shot against Golden State Warriors' Jarrett Jack (2) during the first half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Friday, April 26, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Wilson Chandler #21 of the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Ty Lawson #3 of the Denver Nuggets goes up for a shot against Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Evan Fournier #94 of the Denver Nuggets goes us for a shot against Andrew Bogut #12 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Denver Nuggets drives on Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Head coach Mark Jackson of the Golden State Warriors shouts to his team during their game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Jarrett Jack #2 of the Golden State Warriors is surrounded by Wilson Chandler #21 and Ty Lawson #3 of the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Ty Lawson #3 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles past Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Fans cheer when the Golden State Warriors are introduced for their game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Head coach George Karl of the Denver Nuggets shouts at the officials during their game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts at the end of the third period of their game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Denver Nuggets drives on Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Kenneth Faried #35 of the Denver Nuggets shoots over Andrew Bogut #12 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a three point basket against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Wilson Chandler #21 of the Denver Nuggets drives on Jarrett Jack #2 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a three point basket against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Denver Nuggets dunks over Andrew Bogut #12 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after being fouled by the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: JaVale McGee #34 of the Denver Nuggets shoots over Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Klay Thompson #11 congratulates Jarrett Jack #2 of the Golden State Warriors after Jack made a basket during their game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after he drew an offensive foul from Corey Brewer #13 of the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after he made a three point basket against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors goes up for a shot against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after the Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets 110-108 in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors runs back down court after he made a three point basket during their game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors watches a three point basket go in during their game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Denver Nuggets shoots over Jarrett Jack #2 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors runs around a pick to try to get away from Andre Iguodala #9 of the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts at the end of the third period of their game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Corey Brewer #13 of the Denver Nuggets is fouled by Richard Jefferson #44 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Andrew Bogut #12 of the Golden State Warriors and Kenneth Faried #35 of the Denver Nuggets go for a loose ball during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors passes around Wilson Chandler #21 of the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: The Golden State Warriors bench reacts after Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors made a three point basket against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Corey Brewer #13 of the Denver Nuggets shoots over Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Denver Nuggets reaches for a loose ball during their game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors slips on the floor while guarded by Andre Miller #24 of the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Corey Brewer #13 of the Denver Nuggets reacts after the Nuggets got a loose ball during their game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors shoots over Wilson Chandler #21 of the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 26, 2013 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Late-night television host and comedian Conan O'Brien tours the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, April, 26, 2013. O'Brien visited the White House ahead of his schedule hosting of the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Late-night television host and comedian Conan O'Brien tours the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, April, 26, 2013. O'Brien visited the White House ahead of his schedule hosting of the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Late-night television host and comedian Conan O'Brien gives a 'thumbs-up' as he tours the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, April, 26, 2013. O'Brien visited the White House ahead of his schedule hosting of the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Late-night television host and comedian Conan O'Brien tours the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, April, 26, 2013. O'Brien visited the White House ahead of his schedule hosting of the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The annual gathering not far from the White House brings together journalists, government officials, politicians and media personalities for what's usually an evening of light-hearted banter and celebrity gawking.
Presidents are made fun of and they poke at themselves, too.
But President Barack Obama's scheduled appearance Saturday night at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was coming at a somber time, nearly two weeks after the deadly Boston Marathon bombing and 10 days after a devastating fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.
In 1995, in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, President Bill Clinton dispensed with the traditional presidential humor to remember victims and praise journalists for their coverage of the explosion.
Coincidentally, this year's dinner entertainer, comedian and late-night TV talk-show host Conan O'Brien, also headlined that 1995 gala.
Obama spent the afternoon on the golf course at Andrews Air Force Base with former U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and two White House aides.
Six journalists, including Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace, were to be awarded prizes for their coverage of the presidency and national issues.
The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza won the Aldo Beckman Award, which recognizes excellence in the coverage of the presidency.
Pace won the Merriman Smith Award for a print journalist for coverage on deadline.
ABC's Terry Moran was the winner of the broadcast Merriman Smith Award for deadline reporting.
Reporters Jim Morris, Chris Hamby and Ronnie Greene of the Center for Public Integrity won the Edgar A. Poe Award for coverage of issues of national significance.
AAA??Apr. 26, 2013?2:30 AM ET Select images from Bangladesh building collapse By The Associated Press??By The Associated Press
A Bangladeshi woman survivor is carried from the rubble by rescuers at the site of a building that collapsed Wednesday in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, April 25, 2013. By Thursday, the death toll reached at least 194 people as rescuers continued to search for injured and missing, after a huge section of an eight-story building that housed several garment factories splintered into a pile of concrete.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
A Bangladeshi woman survivor is carried from the rubble by rescuers at the site of a building that collapsed Wednesday in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, April 25, 2013. By Thursday, the death toll reached at least 194 people as rescuers continued to search for injured and missing, after a huge section of an eight-story building that housed several garment factories splintered into a pile of concrete.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
In this image taken from AP video, garment worker Mohammad Altab moans to rescuers for help while trapped between concrete slabs and next to two corpses in a garment factory that collapsed Wednesday in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, April 25, 2013. Deep cracks visible in the walls of the Bangladesh garment building had compelled police to order it evacuated a day before it collapsed, officials said Thursday. More than 200 people were killed when the eight-story building splintered into a pile of concrete because factories based there ignored the order and kept more than 2,000 people working. (AP Photo/AP video)
A Bangladeshi rescuer looks out from a hole cut in the concrete as he looks for survivors at the site of a building that collapsed Wednesday in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, April 25, 2013. By Thursday, the death toll reached at least 194 people as rescuers continued to search for injured and missing, after a huge section of an eight-story building that housed several garment factories splintered into a pile of concrete.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
Bangladeshis watch the rescue operations at the site of a building that collapsed Wednesday in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, April 25, 2013. By Thursday, the death toll reached at least 194 people as rescuers continued to search for injured and missing, after a huge section of an eight-story building that housed several garment factories splintered into a pile of concrete. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
A Bangladeshi woman survivor is lifted out of the rubble by rescuers at the site of a building that collapsed Wednesday in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, April 25, 2013. By Thursday, the death toll reached at least 194 people as rescuers continued to search for injured and missing, after a huge section of an eight-story building that housed several garment factories splintered into a pile of concrete.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
Garment workers trapped in the rubble plead for help. Rescuers, some in hard-hats and others wearing slippers, pick through the broken concrete. They fashion colorful cloth into makeshift stretchers that hold and lift hurt survivors and dead victims.
Thousands of relatives wail their grief and worry outside a collapsed building in Savar, Bangladesh, where at least 275 people were killed and more than 2,000 were rescued.
It is the worst-ever disaster in Bangladesh's $20 billion garment industry that supplies global retailers but has a notorious safety record.
Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon hits a grand slam against the Detroit Tigers pitcher Darin Downs in the 10th inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Thursday, April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon hits a grand slam against the Detroit Tigers pitcher Darin Downs in the 10th inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Thursday, April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon celebrates his grand slam with Chris Getz, left, against the Detroit Tigers in the 10th inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Thursday, April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon celebrates his grand slam against the Detroit Tigers in the 10th inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Thursday, April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander throws against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Thursday April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Kansas City Royals' Alcides Escobar celebrates scoring on a Billy Butler single against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Thursday April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
DETROIT (AP) ? Alex Gordon had already struck out three times when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the 10th inning.
"I was just trying to make contact," the Kansas City outfielder said.
He ended up hitting his first career grand slam, helping the Royals to an encouraging win at the end of a difficult road trip.
Gordon's drive highlighted a five-run 10th for Kansas City, which rallied against the Detroit bullpen for an 8-3 victory Thursday after Tigers ace Justin Verlander left with a blister on his thumb.
George Kottaras put the Royals ahead 4-3 with a bases-loaded walk off Phil Coke (0-3). Darin Downs came on for Detroit after that, but Gordon broke the game open one out later with a homer that easily cleared the 420-foot marker on the wall in center.
"That's a big outfield," Gordon said. "I think there was a storm coming in that kind of blew it out a little bit."
The game started after a 30-minute rain delay, another interruption in an unusual trip for the Royals. Kansas City had a game at Boston last Friday postponed because of the manhunt for a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.
When the Royals arrived in Detroit for what was supposed to be a three-game series, the opener was rained out Tuesday.
Kansas City has not played a home game since April 14. Since then, the Royals have played seven road games in 11 days. They adjusted fine to the unexpected days off and finished the trip with a two-game split against the Tigers, leaving Comerica Park in first place in the AL Central.
The Royals went 4-3 at Atlanta, Boston and Detroit.
"This was a phenomenal road trip for us," said right-hander James Shields, who pitched eight solid innings Thursday. "We're going to look back at this road trip, and I think it's going to be a pretty crucial road trip."
The Royals will be back home Friday night against Cleveland.
Verlander is day to day with what the Tigers said was cracked skin on his throwing thumb. He and manager Jim Leyland described the injury as a blister.
"It developed a little in my last start. Started getting a little bit worse after the fifth, and I started to notice it," Verlander said. "I didn't want to risk it becoming something that I might have to deal with in my next start and the start after that, and then it turns into a month. This way, it isn't an issue. That's why I got out of there."
The right-hander allowed two runs ? one earned ? in seven innings and left with a 3-2 lead. Bruce Rondon gave up the tying run in the eighth in his major league debut.
Tim Collins (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Royals and got the win.
Rondon, the hard-throwing 22-year-old who was a candidate in spring training to become Detroit's closer, began the season in the minor leagues but was called up this week.
Jose Valverde is back with the Tigers, trying to show he can handle the closer spot again, and Rondon came on for the first time Thursday.
He reached 100 mph according to the Comerica Park scoreboard, but Billy Butler led off against him with a single, and pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson stole second. Dyson eventually scored on Lorenzo Cain's sacrifice fly.
Coke looked sharp in the ninth but lost his control in the 10th as rain began falling harder at Comerica. Cain doubled with one out, and Coke walked Mike Moustakas. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Jeff Francoeur was walked intentionally, and Coke still couldn't find the plate against Kottaras.
Downs got Chris Getz to ground into a forceout at the plate, but Gordon's second homer of the year added four more runs.
Miguel Cabrera opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first, but Butler drove in a run with a single in the third. Butler had three hits on the day and improved to 23 for 55 (.418) off Verlander, the best mark of anyone with at least 30 at-bats against the Detroit ace.
Salvador Perez of Kansas City and Jhonny Peralta of Detroit each hit sacrifice flies in the fourth.
Torii Hunter's run-scoring single in the fifth gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
Verlander allowed eight hits, walked one and struck out four.
Shields, acquired from Tampa Bay in an offseason trade in an effort to bolster Kansas City's starting rotation, allowed three runs and five hits in eight innings. He walked three and struck out four.
"I felt I was in a good rhythm. I was making my pitches when I needed to," Shields said. "That's a tough team over there. Even if you're making your pitches, they're still going to hit you. I think I minimized my damage as well as I could."
NOTES: It was Butler's first three-hit game of the season. ... Ervin Santana (2-1) takes the mound for the Royals against Cleveland's Scott Kazmir (0-0) on Friday. The Tigers host a three-game series against Atlanta. Detroit's Anibal Sanchez (2-1) faces Paul Maholm (3-1) in the opener Friday night.
INFORMS awards 2013 UPS George D. Smith to the Naval Postgraduate SchoolPublic release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Barry List barry.list@informs.org 443-757-3560 Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) has awarded its prestigious UPS George D. Smith Prize to the Naval Post Graduate School. The prize was announced at a banquet on Monday, April 8 in San Antonio, Texas at the 2013 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics and Operations Research.
The UPS George D. Smith Prize is awarded to an academic department or program for effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of operations research. It is accompanied by a $10,000 cash award. For the purpose of this award, operations research is defined broadly to include operations research, management science, and analytics.
INFORMS, the INFORMS College for the Practice of Management Science (CPMS), and UPS collaborated to establish this award to emphasize the importance of operations research practice and to encourage operations research/analytics programs around the world to focus on preparing students for operations research practice. In the two years since its inception, the prize has gained international stature, and has been attracting applications from highly recognized academic programs in U.S. and abroad.
Delivering the selection committee's decision, Dr. Donald Smith of Monmouth University who chaired the committee, stated, "The Naval Postgraduate School trains its students in making important line and policy research that is meant to ensure military preparedness, proper military planning, strong execution during wartime, and overall enlightened policy planning. Its graduates help making important decisions at multitude of levels. The program is unique in its strong and inexorable link to its sponsor, the U.S. Department of Defense, which keeps NPS students and faculty focused on applying methods to solve problems facing the military and other diverse branches of government, with a focus improving operational efficiency and effectiveness. By awarding the 2013 UPS George D. Smith Prize, the committee recognizes the outstanding contribution made by the Naval Post Graduate School, and its graduates, by the practice of operations research."
The other finalists for 2013 were:
The Lehigh University Enterprise System Center and Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Leaders for Global Operations Program
Accepting the award on behalf of NPS, Dr. Robert Dell, the chairman of the school's Operations Research Department, said, "It's an honor to be recognized as an exceptional program. Certainly what we strive to do is produce exceptional practitioners of operations research who graduate from our program and go on to make a difference in their militaries, both in the U.S. as well as around the world. The idea behind the prize is to ensure that the best practices for universities are acknowledged and an opportunity to share best practices provided so other programs can learn and improve."
The Naval Postgraduate School began offering its degree program in Operations Research in 1951, making it the first O.R. degree program in the country.
Approximately 55 students per year graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) with a Master of Science in Operations Research degree. Its students are practitioners upon entry to the program, and on exit. They come to NPS in midcareer in the military, and leave it with a position in the military. They are full time employees of the military even as they undertake the NPS OR program. Thus, the practical usefulness of the material is paramount.
Students are required to conduct a three-week 'experience tour' in which they immerse themselves in the field to gain first-hand experience with the application of their research topic. The department celebrates student O.R. practice with a competition within each graduation class for the MORS/Tisdale award that is won by the student whose thesis demonstrates the greatest impact of operations research on the Department of Defense.
The NPS faculty frequently publishes on its teaching philosophy in the INFORMS magazine OR/MS Today and other outlets, and is regularly among the top schools in practical research according to the association's Rothkopf Rankings. They have received multiple Teaching of OR/MS Practice awards from INFORMS, among other awards.
The NPS program treats real world practice as laudable and necessary products of O.R. As such, NPS seeks to influence policy. NPS acts as a trusted source of policy advice for our government, and has been credited with advising and shaping defense investments of over a trillion dollars.
The UPS George D. Smith Prize is named in honor of the late UPS Chief Executive Officer who was a patron of operations researchers at this leading Fortune 500 corporation. George D. Smith was the second CEO of UPS, holding the position from 1962-1972. He joined UPS as an accountant in 1925and at some point in his long and illustrious career held almost every functional title within the company. He believed operations research practice was vital to the sustained growth of the company and championed its practice. UPS is generously underwriting the expenses for this prize to recognize the contribution of operations research discipline in transforming a small messenger company to a global logistics company.
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More information about the prize is at http://www.informs.org/Recognize-Excellence/INFORMS-Prizes-Awards/UPS-George-D.-Smith-Prize.
About INFORMS
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) is the leading professional association for professionals in advanced analytics. INFORMS is an international scientific society with 10,000 members, including Nobel Prize laureates, dedicated to applying scientific methods to help improve decision-making, management, and operations. Members of INFORMS work in business, government, and academia. They are represented in fields as diverse as airlines, health care, law enforcement, the military, financial engineering, and telecommunications. INFORMS serves the scientific and professional needs of operations research analysts, experts in analytics, consultants, scientists, students, educators, and managers, as well as their institutions, by publishing a variety of journals that describe the latest research in operations research. Further information about INFORMS, analytics, and operations research is at http://www.informs.org.
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INFORMS awards 2013 UPS George D. Smith to the Naval Postgraduate SchoolPublic release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Barry List barry.list@informs.org 443-757-3560 Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) has awarded its prestigious UPS George D. Smith Prize to the Naval Post Graduate School. The prize was announced at a banquet on Monday, April 8 in San Antonio, Texas at the 2013 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics and Operations Research.
The UPS George D. Smith Prize is awarded to an academic department or program for effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of operations research. It is accompanied by a $10,000 cash award. For the purpose of this award, operations research is defined broadly to include operations research, management science, and analytics.
INFORMS, the INFORMS College for the Practice of Management Science (CPMS), and UPS collaborated to establish this award to emphasize the importance of operations research practice and to encourage operations research/analytics programs around the world to focus on preparing students for operations research practice. In the two years since its inception, the prize has gained international stature, and has been attracting applications from highly recognized academic programs in U.S. and abroad.
Delivering the selection committee's decision, Dr. Donald Smith of Monmouth University who chaired the committee, stated, "The Naval Postgraduate School trains its students in making important line and policy research that is meant to ensure military preparedness, proper military planning, strong execution during wartime, and overall enlightened policy planning. Its graduates help making important decisions at multitude of levels. The program is unique in its strong and inexorable link to its sponsor, the U.S. Department of Defense, which keeps NPS students and faculty focused on applying methods to solve problems facing the military and other diverse branches of government, with a focus improving operational efficiency and effectiveness. By awarding the 2013 UPS George D. Smith Prize, the committee recognizes the outstanding contribution made by the Naval Post Graduate School, and its graduates, by the practice of operations research."
The other finalists for 2013 were:
The Lehigh University Enterprise System Center and Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Leaders for Global Operations Program
Accepting the award on behalf of NPS, Dr. Robert Dell, the chairman of the school's Operations Research Department, said, "It's an honor to be recognized as an exceptional program. Certainly what we strive to do is produce exceptional practitioners of operations research who graduate from our program and go on to make a difference in their militaries, both in the U.S. as well as around the world. The idea behind the prize is to ensure that the best practices for universities are acknowledged and an opportunity to share best practices provided so other programs can learn and improve."
The Naval Postgraduate School began offering its degree program in Operations Research in 1951, making it the first O.R. degree program in the country.
Approximately 55 students per year graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) with a Master of Science in Operations Research degree. Its students are practitioners upon entry to the program, and on exit. They come to NPS in midcareer in the military, and leave it with a position in the military. They are full time employees of the military even as they undertake the NPS OR program. Thus, the practical usefulness of the material is paramount.
Students are required to conduct a three-week 'experience tour' in which they immerse themselves in the field to gain first-hand experience with the application of their research topic. The department celebrates student O.R. practice with a competition within each graduation class for the MORS/Tisdale award that is won by the student whose thesis demonstrates the greatest impact of operations research on the Department of Defense.
The NPS faculty frequently publishes on its teaching philosophy in the INFORMS magazine OR/MS Today and other outlets, and is regularly among the top schools in practical research according to the association's Rothkopf Rankings. They have received multiple Teaching of OR/MS Practice awards from INFORMS, among other awards.
The NPS program treats real world practice as laudable and necessary products of O.R. As such, NPS seeks to influence policy. NPS acts as a trusted source of policy advice for our government, and has been credited with advising and shaping defense investments of over a trillion dollars.
The UPS George D. Smith Prize is named in honor of the late UPS Chief Executive Officer who was a patron of operations researchers at this leading Fortune 500 corporation. George D. Smith was the second CEO of UPS, holding the position from 1962-1972. He joined UPS as an accountant in 1925and at some point in his long and illustrious career held almost every functional title within the company. He believed operations research practice was vital to the sustained growth of the company and championed its practice. UPS is generously underwriting the expenses for this prize to recognize the contribution of operations research discipline in transforming a small messenger company to a global logistics company.
###
More information about the prize is at http://www.informs.org/Recognize-Excellence/INFORMS-Prizes-Awards/UPS-George-D.-Smith-Prize.
About INFORMS
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) is the leading professional association for professionals in advanced analytics. INFORMS is an international scientific society with 10,000 members, including Nobel Prize laureates, dedicated to applying scientific methods to help improve decision-making, management, and operations. Members of INFORMS work in business, government, and academia. They are represented in fields as diverse as airlines, health care, law enforcement, the military, financial engineering, and telecommunications. INFORMS serves the scientific and professional needs of operations research analysts, experts in analytics, consultants, scientists, students, educators, and managers, as well as their institutions, by publishing a variety of journals that describe the latest research in operations research. Further information about INFORMS, analytics, and operations research is at http://www.informs.org.
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Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
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