FedEx was recognized by Computerworld for its people-centric culture, including a strong emphasis on work-life balance, healthy employee initiatives and professional development programs offered throughout the organization. FedEx is consistently ranked among the world's most-admired companies.

'Our people-first philosophy celebrates the talents of our IT team members around the world, and is the driving force behind our innovative spirit and our ability to connect millions of people around the globe every day,' said Rob Carter, EVP FedEx Information Services, CIO FedEx Corp. 'We are honored to be recognized as a Best Place to Work in IT.'
"We applaud the organizations on the Best Places to Work in IT list for creating and sustaining dynamic IT work environments," said Scot Finnie, editor-in-chief of Computerworld. "This year, several new names have joined the stalwarts that make the list year after year. It's clear that the best IT workplaces are constantly raising the bar with great benefits, new learning opportunities, access to cutting-edge technologies and challenging business-critical projects."

Organizations will be included in coverage in Computerworld along with results from the 20th annual Best Places to Work in IT survey.

About the Best Places to Work in IT
The Best Places to Work in Information Technology (IT) list is an annual ranking of the top 100 work environments for technology professionals by IDG's Computerworld. The list is compiled based on a comprehensive questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention. In addition, Computerworld conducts extensive surveys of IT workers, and their responses factor heavily in determining the rankings.

About FedEx

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $44 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

About Computerworld
Computerworld is the leading source of technology news and information for IT influencers, providing peer perspective, IT leadership and business results. Computerworld's award-winning website (www.computerworld.com), publication, focused conference series, custom solutions and custom research forms the hub of the world's largest (40+ edition) global IT media network and provides opportunities for IT solutions providers to engage this audience. Computerworld leads the industry with an online audience of over 3.8 million unique, monthly visitors (Omniture, November 2012) and was recognized as the Best Website by ASBPE and TABPI in 2012. Computerworld is published by IDG Enterprise, a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading media, events and research company. Company information is available at www.idgenterprise.com.

Note: All product and company names are trademarks of their respective organizations.

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The company's belief is that it will enable women of color to celebrate the myriad qualities of their natural hair as a way of life.

With the recent popularity of wearing our natural textures, natural hairstyles can better express the individual personality of the woman. In terms of transitioning to natural hair, today, there are many choices available for achieving your goals with very little inconvenience to your lifestyle. Micro braids are one popular modern hairstyle long natural hair.

Self-esteem is a complex subject, and the many changes in contemporary fashion reflect this reality. When women are transitioning to natural hairstyles, they find themselves at the vanguard of cultural creativity and innovation. Relaxed hairstyles still have a widespread appeal, but natural hairstyles add a dimension of honesty that is in keeping with our unique history and culture.

Even after transitioning however, women will always want longer hair so how do you grow hair long when our naturally dry textures make it difficult to retain length? Blackhairinformation.com provides numerous solutions for achieving long hair as well as teaching you the best natural hairstyles to incorporate into your regimen in order to retain the most length. For example, micro braids reduce the amount of manipulation thereby speeding up the process to long hair and styles while also accentuating the natural beauty of African hair. Even controversies around wearing natural hair at work still open up the possibility of celebration with different hairstyles suitable for all circumstances.

The company recently opened a new T Shirt store that further celebrates natural hair with unique and beautiful designs to further enhance your decision to transition to and remain natural in the long term.

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'It is an honor to be a part of STEMconnector's list of 100 CEO Leaders in STEM, and to have the opportunity to highlight Discovery's efforts to help prepare our nation's students for the jobs of the future and inspire the next great discovery,' said Zaslav. 'As a company founded on igniting curiosity across generations, and with science, technology, engineering and math in our DNA, Discovery is proud to do its part to encourage the next generation of innovators and leaders to take on the planet's challenges and shape a bright, healthy future by embracing STEM careers.'

STEMconnector CEO Edie Fraser stated: 'It is all about CEO commitment. We are collectively humbled by the caliber of the entries and salute and congratulate all of those included. We urge all readers to review and discuss what you learn understanding the collective action we must all take to ensure America's youth and workforce are equipped with the STEM skills needed to compete in the market economy.'

Most recently, under Zaslav's leadership, Discovery launched 'Connect the Dots,' a multimedia, national STEM education initiative designed to provide pathways for kids to achieve today and lead tomorrow by inspiring interest in STEM subjects and careers within industries looking for highly skilled workers.

'Connect the Dots' programs include: Discovery Education STEM Camp, in partnership with STEMconnector and the Afterschool Alliance, which offers after school and summer STEM learning resources at no cost to educators, non-profit organizations and parents; new science-focused programming on Discovery Channel and Science Channel; a partnership between Science Channel and America's manufacturers to promote careers in the skilled trades; and the Lumosity Education Access Program (LEAP), a no-cost program for K-12 schools that seeks to study the effects of cognitive training in the classroom.

In addition, through programs including the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, Siemens "We Can Change the World Challenge" and Navy STEM for the Classroom, Discovery Education and its partners empower educators and promote STEM engagement in classrooms around the world. As a global leader in educational transformation, Discovery Education reaches over half of all K12 classrooms, one million educators, 35 million students in the U.S., as well as 50 countries around the world, partnering with Districts throughout the country to support educators with high-quality STEM multimedia content, professional development, assessment services, and common core solutions that drive student achievement.

Also, in May 2011, Discovery launched 'Discover Your Skills,' a multimedia public affairs campaign, including the www.DiscoverYourSkills.com website, designed to help address the growing gap between the needs of employers and the skills of America's workforce, including jobs in STEM-related fields.

100 CEO Leaders in STEM Sponsors include KPMG; Cisco; Raytheon; Dow Chemical; PTC; TATA Consultancy Services and University of Phoenix. The publication partners are US News; Business-Higher Education Forum; The Manufacturing Institute and Fortune Magazine.

The publication itself will be presented for the first time on June 18th in the frame of the 2013 STEM Solutions Summit, presented by US News and World Report in Austin, TX.

About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than two billion cumulative subscribers in 223 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 162 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Across the Nordic region, Discovery owns and operates SBS Discovery Media, a top-three portfolio of 20 television brands that feature leading nonfiction content, as well as locally produced entertainment programs, sports and the best scripted series and movies from major studios. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including Revision3. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

About STEMconnector
STEMconnector is 'the one-stop-shop' for STEM information. With several products and services, STEMconnector supports its members design, implement and measure their STEM strategies. Since its launch in 2011, STEMconnector has been the leader in leveraging a network of STEM stakeholders and 'making things happen.' STEMconnector's charge is to identify, inform and connect entities working in STEM Education/Careers to assess smart STEM investments and results. For information on how to become a sponsor, contact: Lorena.Fimbres@STEMconnector.org.

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'We have focused on creating great value in our online all-access subscriptions, with a large library of varied titles, all available for a single low price' said Total Training founder Brian Maffitt. 'But we have also learned that our customers want choices, including the ability to acquire just a single title, rather than a whole library.'

New individual licenses range from $49.99 per year for newer courses, with vintage titles going for $39.99 or even $29.99, depending on the age and length of the series. All individual licenses are good for a year's access to the videos, as well as project files if available.

Total Training is a leading provider of professional video training for a wide variety of software packages from Adobe®, Microsoft®, and other publishers. All titles can be viewed online via subscription, and many titles are also available separately on DVD-ROM.

For product information visit http://www.totaltraining.com/prod/online/listing.asp or call (800) 546-9620 (toll-free inside the US) or (760) 517-9060 (outside the US), or email salesteam@totaltraining.com .

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Eagan, Minn. – Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, have been a hotly debated topic in the political arena leading to proposed or enacted legislation in 43 states, according to WestlawNext, the nation's leading online legal research service.

The data researched and compiled from WestlawNext through May 25, 2013, highlights the wide variation in legislation. States are looking to better define what a drone is, who can and cannot operate or use them, and how they can be used. Common issues surrounding drones include privacy, use by law enforcement and emergency exceptions, among others.

As legislation around drones continues to increase, there currently are just seven states, along with the District of Columbia, that do not have any proposed legislation surrounding drones.

Here is a breakdown of what states have enacted or are currently proposing:

• 39 states have laws or bills addressing search warrants for law enforcement's use of drones.
• 18 states have laws or bills that limit use of drones for surveillance by non-law enforcement personnel.
• 17 states have laws or bills that prohibit weaponized drones.
• 16 states have laws or bills for criminal penalties for violation of their proposed or enacted statutes relating to drones.
• 20 states have laws or bills for a private right of action by individuals aggrieved by violations of drone rules.
• 17 states have laws or bills providing exceptions for drone use in case of emergencies.

Among the unique attributes of current drone legislation:

• Virginia has proposed legislation to make it unlawful to use a drone to 'impede the lawful hunting of wild birds or wild animals.'
• At least three states, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia, have called for the investigation of, or express concern for, the authorized use of drones against U.S. citizens by the U.S. government.
• Some states, such as Nevada, Ohio, Texas and Washington, are encouraging the development of drone technology within their borders.
• At least two states, Nevada and Washington, noted tax incentives or abatements in their legislation for aircraft businesses or the aerospace industry. The legislature in Nevada also endorsed 'the promotion of efforts to support the establishment of Nevada as the "Silicon Valley" of unmanned aircraft systems education, testing, research and manufacture.'
• A Massachusetts bill specifically prohibits use of drones to 'collect or maintain information about the political, religious or social views, associations or activities of any individual.'

'There are a number of issues surfaced by the various legislation, but clearly privacy and public safety top the list,' said Michael Carlson, reference attorney at Thomson Reuters. 'The wide-ranging points of legislation demonstrate multiple views, perceived opportunities and a variety of concerns surrounding the use and development of drones.'

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with agencies and aviation industry representatives, has been tasked to develop rules and regulations surrounding drone usage. The mandate from Congress includes many recommendations, including: a focus on acceptable standards of operation and certification of drones; ensuring specific drones include a sense-and-avoid capability; and creating standards and requirements for pilots and operators of drones, including registration and licensing requirements.

All research was conducted through WestlawNext, the industry-leading legal research solution from Thomson Reuters. WestlawNext includes the most authoritative collection of primary law, as well as the largest library of analytical resources and current awareness content.

Editor's Note: For a high-resolution infographic of this data, please visit http://www.legalcurrent.com/?attachment_id=4805, or email email Alex Cook at alex.cook@thomsonreuters.com.

Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs approximately 60,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

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DETROIT – – Emerging from more than 1,400 submissions, 84 projects were named finalists today in the Knight Arts Challenge, a community-wide contest funding cultural projects that engage and enrich Detroit.

The projects represent a wide range of ideas that would enliven public spaces, use vacant buildings as artistic canvases and celebrate local traditions, including puppetry, Armenian folk music and the Detroit Jit. Most of the finalists are grassroots efforts proposed by individual artists and small organizations.

A full list is below and at KnightArts.org. Winners of the challenge, a project of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, will be announced in September.

'These finalists reflect the city's growing community of artists creating new narratives for Detroit and a promising momentum for the city's future,' said Dennis Scholl, Knight Foundation's vice president for arts.

At their core, the finalists have one thing in common, Scholl added: 'In addition to reaching for artistic excellence, they each keep the community at the heart of their efforts.'

In addition, the public will have a say in who receives funding with the Knight Arts Challenge People's Choice Award. Later this summer, Detroiters will be invited to vote via text message for one of several up and coming cultural organizations. The winner will receive $20,000 in support.

Launched in early 2013, the challenge, which is open to anyone, offers matching grant money to the best ideas for the arts. Applicants must follow only three rules: 1) The idea must be about the arts; 2) The project must take place in or benefit Detroit; 3) The grant recipient must find funds to match Knight's commitment.

The challenge is part of a $19.25 million investment in the Detroit arts that Knight Foundation announced last fall. It includes support for the three-year challenge, which provides funding, exposure and momentum to smaller arts efforts, and $10.25 million to some of the region's premiere cultural institutions: the Arab American National Museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit School of Arts, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Opera Theatre and the Sphinx Organization.

For more information, visit www.knightarts.org.

2013 Detroit Knight Arts Challenge finalists

A Host of People

To reinvent the theater experience by making it 'radically inviting' through original performances that feel more like neighborhood potluck dinners

Adrienne Maree Brown

To help Detroiters generate new ideas and narratives about the city's future through a series of sci-fi writing workshops that bring together a cross-section of residents

ADULT

To build on the city's musical legacy by having this band invite international and national musicians as 'house guests' to live together and collaborate on music

Allied Media Projects

To help fuel new ideas for the classroom by providing digital media teachers with a week-long artists' retreat

Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Project

To celebrate the exhibition of an international book project commemorating the 2007 bombing of the famed street of Baghdad booksellers through a book arts festival

Alonso del Arte

To introduce classical music to new audiences by driving an ice cream truck through the city playing Anton Bruckner's March in E-flat major and other works

Ara Topouzian

To preserve the heritage of Armenian-American Detroiters by producing a documentary that highlights their history through traditional folk music

Arts League of Michigan

To help inspire local artists by creating a community hub that offers multidisciplinary workspaces, including studios and rehearsal spaces

Audrey Allison

To showcase the family of thumb piano instruments, which originated in Africa and have variations worldwide, by creating an ensemble that will present original works

Biba Bell

To honor Detroit's legacy as the birthplace of the assembly line through a performance that explores the relationship between two forms of movement: modern dance and factory labor

Brightmoor Alliance

To revitalize open spaces in the Brightmoor community by commissioning artwork for neighborhood projects

Carrie Morris Arts Production

To expose Detroiters to experimental art forms – think Shakespeare told through Lego action figures – via an intimate 'Living Room' performance series staged in an abandoned house

Center of Music & Performing Arts Southwest

To preserve and expand the reach of traditional Mexican music by creating a mariachi youth ensemble that would celebrate the popular format while incorporating the music of other Latin American countries

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

To illuminate some of Detroit's dark neighborhood streets through an outdoor video art installation showcasing the faces and wisdom of the city's elders

Christa Grix

To honor iconic jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby through a Hip Harp Happening consisting of community lectures and recitals

Clinton Snider

To help redefine and inspire Detroit's neighborhoods by turning billboards into works of art

Collaboration of Marsha Music and Juanita Anderson

To explore the resilience and vitality of Detroit's mid-century, African-American community through a documentary on Joe Von Battle and his seminal record shop

Complex Movements

To explore the relationship between art, science and social justice movements through a multimedia performance installation inspired by community-led efforts in Detroit

Corktown Cinema

To expand the region's cinematic offerings by creating a community-oriented art house cinema in Hamtramck that presents films in addition to music and performance art

Cosmic Slop Festival

To celebrate rock music's multicultural roots through a festival that showcases rock musicians of color

CutTime Productions

To inspire a love of the classics by having classical music performers play at neighborhood bars, clubs and eateries

Detroit Chamber Winds

To expand the audience for classical music through a program where the city's architecturally and historically significant locations are transformed into musical performance spaces

Detroit Educational Television Foundation

To show the possibilities for art making in communities by having artists solicit project ideas from residents, work together to produce works, and document the process on video

Detroit SOUP

To engage more Detroiters in giving to creative projects by converting a bread truck into a portable space where people can meet to microfund ideas

Detroit Techno Foundation

To provide exposure for Detroit visual artists by showcasing large-scale projects that reflect the city's future at the annual Movement Electronic Music Festival

East Side Riders

To foster a community of urban bike design by helping the East Side Riders – artists who build bikes as a means of expression – open a shop and expand

Frank Pahl

To experiment with the musical experience by filling a home in Detroit with instruments that play when guests enter, flip a light switch, or do a variety of other activities

Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation

To promote creative expression in local youth through a free summer art program for teens

Gunstar Productions

To explore Detroit's neighborhoods through the arts by distilling the essence of 30 communities into 30 short plays that will be performed back to back in the order chosen by the audience

Hardcore Detroit

To preserve the legacy of the 1970s dance craze, the Detroit Jit, through a video featuring the original Jitterbugs and an instructional video on how it's performed

Hatch: A Hamtramck Art Collective

To foster a community of art collectors through an art library, where they can borrow a Detroiter's work to display for two months

Heritage Works

To explore cultural understanding through the arts by having a trio of choreographers engage the community in creating new works that explore cultural identities and stereotypes

Holladay Brothers

To create a musical map of Detroit where residents and visitors can access a smartphone app to listen to a composition that matches their location

HYPE Teen Center Makerspace

To help Detroit teens discover their inner artist and inventor through a Makermobile that will bring computers, 3D printers, paint, robotics kits and more to libraries and community events

InsideOut Literary Arts Project

To help teens develop their artistic and entrepreneurial skills by producing and marketing an online literary journal

Jazz Network Foundation

To strengthen Jazz in Detroit by creating a competition for musicians where the winners will form a performance band

Jeff Karoub

To create an intimate yet profoundly engaging musical experience through a series of small concerts rotating through Detroit homes

Jon Brumit

To create a drive-through audio collage of the city's 143 square miles through a series of community radio stations playing from the frequency 143FM

Leander Johnson

To engage Detroiters in the city's history by creating a series of 'zines that explore the city's people and places

LeeLeeFilms

To engage the community in a conversation on the creative process through screenings of a documentary on Chinese-American philosopher and activist Grace Lee Boggs

Leni Sinclair

To preserve the history of Detroit musicians by archiving a photography collection that dates to the 1960s

Living Arts

To weave the arts into neighborhoods by creating a performance series with local youth and adult artists at a theater at the Mexicantown Mercado

LO & BEHOLD! Records & Books

To present and document traditional music in Detroit by preserving and making available the traditionally produced recordings of the store's Folk Blues Night performances

Maison LaFleur

To spur interest in contemporary art from Africa and the Diaspora through a series of art exhibitions, Afrofuturist lectures and events

Mark Wallace

To turn abandoned homes into a source of creativity by using reclaimed lumber to create guitars

Megan Heeres

To engage Detroiters in papermaking projects through traveling workshops that use invasive plants as pulp

Michigan Arab Orchestra

To help bridge cultural gaps in Detroit through an education program centered on the performance of classical Arab music

Michigan Equity Theatre Alliance

To strengthen local theater management by creating a network that matches administrators and performers with boards of directors that need their expertise

Michigan Philharmonic

To bring together Detroit's diverse cultures and communities by producing a fusion event featuring the Michigan Philharmonic and the Michigan Arab Orchestra playing Middle Eastern music

Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion

To produce writing and filmmaking workshops that will explore the city's rich history through recording Detroiters' personal involvement in the civil rights movement

Michigan Theater

To inspire Detroit through film by creating a signature film festival for the city

Midtown Detroit

To bring Detroiters together by expanding the light-based outdoor art festival DLECTRICITY to include, among other things, a permanent installation on Woodward Avenue

MODCaR

To use the power of design to produce vibrant civic spaces by bringing together architects and creatives with community advocates

Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit

To inspire the city's youngest minds through a new program that integrates the arts into every element of an elementary school's curriculum

Motor City Brass Band

To help build community through the arts by creating a series of events that use brass band music and the movies to celebrate the people of Detroit

Mt Elliott Makerspace

To celebrate Detroit's vibrancy by creating a Hyper Interactive Hip Hop Mardi Gras Parade that combines the unique traditions of the city's Caribbean Mardi Gras Festival, local Hip Hop artists and the DIY innovators at the Mt Elliott Makerspace

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD)

To give teens a stake in the arts by creating a teen council at MOCAD that will produce programs, events and materials for both their peers and adults

Thomas Kloc

To bring Detroit kids together around creative projects by installing sandboxes around the city where children can build their creations, share them online and come together for a culminating event on Belle Isle Beach

NKSK Events + Productions

To engage the community in creating art through workshops at the Charles Wright Museum's African World Festival where visitors participate in craft and performance projects alongside professional artists

N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art

To strengthen the city's galleries by creating a training program where workers learn skills in installing, shipping and archiving art

North American Residency

To showcase Detroit to the city's neighbors by creating a residency for Canadian visual artists in the city

Notes for Notes

To promote free and creative expression by Detroit's youth through an afterschool music program where children can explore, produce and record music

Omowale Entertainment

To bring Detroit residents together through a series of West African drumming and dancing workshops that teach the form's historical and cultural significance

Plowshares Theatre Company

To help high schoolers discover their artistic talents through theater workshops in partnership with Michigan State University

Popps Packing

To create a venue for fostering creativity across artistic disciplines by bringing together artists with architects, tradesmen and craftsmen to transform a storefront and attached home

Power House Productions

To bring art to the public by creating a sculpture park that combines a large-scale, skateable artwork and space for meditation

Public Art Workz

To provide an artful space by placing handcrafted, whimsical porch swings – equipped with LED lights and cellphone charging stations – at bus stops and in parks around the city

Public Pool

To cultivate interest in the written word by expanding a neighborhood art space's literary series to include authors from outside the city

PuppetART Theater

To challenge modern perceptions of puppetry by bringing together four Detroit organizations for puppet theater productions

Re(Fab) Creating Consulting

To use art to help revitalize the Livernois Corridor by creating pop-up fashion, art and design galleries in three vacant storefronts

Rowe Niodior African Dance Company

To illustrate how African groups use music and dance to create community through four days of workshops and performances

Scott Hocking

To turn Detroit's aging and vacant cast concrete structures into artworks by creating and photographing site-specific sculptural installations

Secret Society Of Twisted Storytellers

To bring Detroiters together through spoken word by expanding a monthly show where Detroiters share a true, personal story

The Alexandrine Street Seminars

To document the emerging movement of artists and social entrepreneurs in Detroit through a journal of contemporary culture

The Heidelberg Project

To infuse the city with photography by launching Detroit Photo Day, where each resident is invited to take a picture and submit it for the chance of appearing on billboards, on public transit and in an exhibition

The Hinterlands

To help unite Hamtramck and Detroit by creating a 24-hour festival along the municipalities' border

The Woodward Line Poetry Series

To expand the local audience for poetry by broadening the poetry series to include more prominent national writers and a session where guest authors discuss Detroiters' unpublished works

Theatre Bizarre

To inspire performers and audiences alike through a large scale, immersive art installation that brings together local artists, including acrobats and circus and sideshow artists

Trinosophes

To shine a spotlight on Detroit's contributions to soul, R&B and jazz by transforming a Gratiot Avenue storefront into a small music museum with a community-run radio station

uRban Detail

To increase Detroit's awareness of the built environment by spreading knowledge of architecture and design through a series of panel discussions, competitions and a mobile design unit

Wayne State University Press and Signal-Return

To create uniquely Detroit narratives by holding writing workshops where residents create limited-edition letterpress printings of their work that will be showcased at community events

Wayne Writers Forum

To engage the city in literature by expanding a literary walk in Midtown where national and local writers read at a series of stops a short walking distance from each other

Young Nation

To spread art into neighborhoods by commissioning local artists to create a series of skateboard and bicycle designs that will be sold out of a local shop

Zimbabwe Cultural Centre in Detroit

To unite artists in Harare, Zimbabwe, and Detroit by transforming two living spaces into cultural consulates

-----
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

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You can read all of Tom's Info Cash Review at BullseyeMoneySites.com/affiliatemarketing

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WASHINGTON — Six exceptional individuals were honored last night at the National Geographic Society's 125th Anniversary Gala celebration for their efforts to lead exploration, advance scientific understanding, conserve natural resources and expand knowledge of the world.

At the sold-out event held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., National Geographic Society CEO and Chairman John Fahey presented the Hubbard Medal — the Society's highest honor — to explorer and filmmaker James Cameron, oceanographer Sylvia Earle and scientist and author Edward O. Wilson. Cameron and Earle were recognized for their critical efforts in ocean exploration and conservation, and Wilson was honored for his lifelong commitment to the planet's rich diversity through his research and writing. Fahey presented the Chairman's Award to philanthropist and humanitarian Howard G. Buffett for his contribution to conservation, the Adventurer of the Year Award to BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner for his 2012 feat of accelerating through the speed of sound in freefall to advance aerospace research, and the Alexander Graham Bell Medal to National Geographic Bee moderator and 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek for his 25 years of service to the Bee and his commitment to geography education. Cameron also received the Explorer of the Year Award for his record-setting solo dive to the deepest point of the ocean in 2012.

'Exploration for our founders in 1888 was driven by a desire for knowledge and adventure,' said Fahey. 'Today we have the same goals, but our explorers — and those who support them — are driven by a deeper purpose. In this new age of exploration, they want to help navigate the increasingly complex relationship between humanity's needs and the natural world that sustains us.'

The gala was presented by Rolex, FOX Networks Group and RBC. Co-chairs for the evening were Lucy and Henry Billingsley, Rosemary and Roger Enrico, Julie and Lee Folger, Gayle and Ed Roski Jr., Tricia and Frank Saul and Donna and Garry Weber.

The evening's theme, 'A New Age of Exploration,' echoed the yearlong celebration of the Society's 125th anniversary. The gala was attended by global leaders in science, exploration and conservation, including oceanographer Robert Ballard, award-winning wildlife filmmakers and conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert, paleontologist Louise Leakey, population geneticist Spencer Wells, marine ecologist Enric Sala and conservationist Mike Fay, all National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence. Also in attendance was former Hubbard Medal winner Capt. Don Walsh, who, with late Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard, was the first to reach the ocean's deepest point, the Mariana Trench, in 1960.

The evening concluded with an announcement of philanthropic commitments from nine families and one organization in support of the work of the National Geographic Society. These contributions and additional proceeds from the gala are part of $35 million in new gift commitments since Jan. 1, 2013, to honor the Society's 125th anniversary and support a wide range of individuals leading research, exploration and conservation efforts that are fueling new discoveries and innovations. These commitments include a $1 million pledge by Alex Trebek to create an endowment for the National Geographic Bee, a competition he hosted for the last 25 years.

The gala featured an original music arrangement of National Geographic's theme song played by the Washington Symphonic Brass, Washington's critically acclaimed, award-winning orchestral brass ensemble; extraordinary videos projected in high definition on 80-foot screens — set design components never before seen in the United States; and custom-made dining tables featuring topographical maps, compasses and live plants. The menu was designed by renowned chef and National Geographic Fellow Barton Seaver. All the food was created with ingredients sourced from sustainable farms. Wine was provided by Iron Horse Vineyards, which is donating proceeds from each publicly sold bottle of its 2008 Ocean Reserve Blanc de Blancs to National Geographic's initiative to restore the ocean's health and productivity.

Additional support for the gala was provided by Bank of America, Fox International Channels, GEICO, Cengage Learning, National Geographic Channels, PetSmart, Southwest Airlines and SVM Foundation.

The gala was the culmination of the two-day National Geographic 2013 Explorers Symposium, #LetsExplore, an annual gathering of National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, Fellows, Emerging Explorers, grantees and others affiliated with the Society to share updates of their research and fieldwork. This year, the National Geographic Society celebrates its 125th anniversary and its evolution from a small scientific body founded in 1888 'to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge' to one of the world's largest educational and scientific nonprofit organizations, committed to inspiring people to care about the planet.

Photos are available at http://press.nationalgeographic.com/downloads/125_gala.

Username: Press

Password: Press

Bios of each award recipient follow.

Awardee Bios

Felix Baumgartner

On Oct. 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner stepped onto a platform the width of a skateboard on a capsule hovering 127,852.4 feet above Earth. Millions of people around the world watched as the Austrian BASE jumper prepared to jump into thin air. 'I wish the whole world could see what I see,' said Baumgartner. 'Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you are.' Then he leapt. With that jump, the then-43-year-old completed his seven-year quest to become the first person to accelerate through the sound barrier without a vehicle, setting numerous records and providing valuable scientific research data in the process. His top speed was 843.6 miles per hour.

The Red Bull Stratos pilot is an expert parachutist previously best known for completing an unprecedented freefall flight across the English Channel using a carbon wing.

Baumgartner grew up in Salzburg, Austria. He made his first skydive at age 16. After sharpening his parachute skills as a member of a Special Forces demonstration team for the Austrian military, he supported himself by repairing motorcycles before becoming a skydiving professional.

Baumgartner set a record for history's lowest BASE jump (from Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue), twice set world records for the highest BASE jump from a building (Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Taipei 101 tower) and even landed his canopy inside a cave in Croatia.

Baumgartner is the winner of the BAMBI 'Millennium' Award and Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year, among other honors. A licensed gas balloon pilot, he has earned private helicopter licenses in Austria and the United States and a commercial European helicopter license. He is an advocate for the nonprofit Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation. Baumgartner lives in Switzerland, but says, 'The air is where I am at home.'

Howard G. Buffett

Howard G. Buffett grew up in Omaha, Neb., and has been active in agriculture, business, conservation, philanthropy, photography and politics. He currently spends the majority of his time managing the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private charitable foundation. Buffett has served in a number of public positions, including on two Office of the United States Trade Representative committees and as chairman of the Nebraska Ethanol Authority and Development Board. He held senior executive positions at Archer Daniels Midland Company and The GSI Group. He serves on the corporate boards of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.; The Coca-Cola Company; Lindsay Corporation; and Sloan Implement Company.

In 1997, he was appointed a member of the Commission on Presidential Debates. He received the Aztec Eagle Award in 2000, the highest honor bestowed on a foreign citizen by the government of Mexico. In 2002, he was recognized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture as one of the most distinguished individuals in the field of agriculture. In 2005, he received the Will Owen Jones Distinguished Journalist of the Year Award, and in 2007, was appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Against Hunger on behalf of the World Food Programme. In 2011, Buffett received the Triumph of Agriculture Exposition Agri Award, the World Ecology Award and the George McGovern Leadership Award. Honors in 2012 included the National Farmers Union Meritorious Service to Humanity Award, the Columbia University Global Leadership Award, an honorary doctorate from Pennsylvania State University, the Leader in Agriculture Award from Agriculture Future of America and a Special Service Award from the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development.

Buffett has traveled to more than 115 countries documenting the challenges of preserving biodiversity while providing adequate resources to meet the needs of a growing global population. He has written seven books on conservation, wildlife and the human condition.

James Cameron

On March 26, 2012, explorer and filmmaker James Cameron made history by completing the first-ever, single-pilot dive to the Challenger Deep, the deepest place on the planet. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible, which was designed and engineered by Cameron and his team, achieved 35,787 feet (about 7 miles) during the first manned scientific exploration of the deepest point in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench.

Cameron has written, produced and directed a number of award-winning films that have blazed new trails in visual effects and set numerous box office records, including 'Avatar' and 'Titanic,' the two highest-grossing films in history.

Two of Cameron's passions — filmmaking and diving — blended in his work on the movies 'The Abyss' and 'Titanic.' The latter required him to make 12 dives to the wreck itself, 2.5 miles down in the North Atlantic. Cameron has led eight marine expeditions, including a forensic study of the Bismarck wreck site and 3-D imaging of deep hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the East Pacific Rise and the Sea of Cortez. He has made more than 80 deep submersible dives, 51 of them in Russian Mir submersibles, to depths of up to 16,000 feet, including 33 to the Titanic. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition was the result of a more-than-seven-year engineering effort by Cameron and his team. The expedition is featured in the June 2013 edition of National Geographic magazine and will be the subject of a 3-D feature film.

Sylvia A. Earle

National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and Rosemary and Roger Enrico Chair for Ocean Exploration Sylvia Earle is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer. Formerly chief scientist of NOAA, Earle is the founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Inc.; founder of Mission Blue and SEAlliance; and chair of the advisory councils of the Harte Research Institute and the Ocean in Google Earth. She is a Founding Ocean Elder, IUCN Patron of Nature, patron of ARKive and member of the 2013 World Bank Blue Ribbon Panel for the Ocean.

Earle has a Ph.D. from Duke University and 24 honorary degrees. She has authored more than 190 scientific, technical and popular publications.

Earle has led more than 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater, including leading the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project in 1970; participating in 10 saturation dives; and setting a record for solo diving in 1,000-meter depth. Her research concerns marine ecosystems with special reference to exploration, conservation and the development and use of new technologies for access to and effective operations in the deep sea and other remote environments.

Her special focus is on developing a global network of areas on land and in the ocean to safeguard the living systems that provide the underpinnings of global processes, from maintaining biodiversity and yielding basic life support services to providing stability and resiliency in response to accelerating climate change.

Earle's more than 100 national and international honors include France's 2013 Légende de la Planète Medal, the 2011 Royal Geographical Society Gold Medal, the 2011 Medal of Honor from the Dominican Republic, the 2009 TED Prize, the Netherlands Order of the Golden Ark, Australia's International Banksia Award, Italy's Artiglio Award, the International Seakeepers Award, the International Women's Forum, the National Women's Hall of Fame, Academy of Achievement, Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year, and medals from Explorers Club, Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, Lindbergh Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Barnard College and Society of Women Geographers.

Alex Trebek

'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek has moderated the National Geographic Bee for 25 years — since its inception in 1989. He also has been the moderator of all 10 National Geographic World Championships, the biennial international geography competition that this year will take place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Additionally, he serves on the board of the National Geographic Society Education Foundation.

Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Trebek earned two degrees in philosophy from the University of Ottawa. Interested in a broadcasting news career, he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Company, where he covered national news and special events for radio and television. With the growing popularity of game shows, he segued into the role of host. Trebek was first noticed by American viewers in 1973 when he hosted the NBC game show 'Wizard of Odds.' After several other hosting roles, Trebek was chosen as host of 'Jeopardy!' and quickly became a pop culture icon. He has been honored with a coveted star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the prestigious Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto, making him one of only a handful of people honored by both the United States and Canada.

Trebek has won five Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host and is nominated for the award again this year. In 2011, he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. In 2012, he received the Peabody Award, one of the most selective awards in the industry.

In addition to his hosting duties, Trebek has a long-standing commitment with numerous charities and educational organizations. With World Vision, he has traveled to many Third World countries, taping reports on the group's efforts on behalf of children around the world. In Zambia, Trebek and his family adopted a village and helped build a school, three homes for teachers and a medical facility.

Edward O. Wilson

Edward Osborne Wilson is generally recognized as one of the leading scientists in the world. He is also known as one of the foremost naturalists in both science and literature as well as a synthesizer in works from pure biology to the social sciences and humanities. He is acknowledged as the creator of two scientific disciplines (island biogeography and sociobiology), three unifying concepts for science and the humanities jointly (biophilia, biodiversity studies and consilience), and one major technological advance in the study of global biodiversity (the Encyclopedia of Life).

Among the more than 100 awards he has received worldwide are the U. S. National Medal of Science, the Crafoord Prize (equivalent of the Nobel, for ecology) of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the International Prize of Biology of Japan; and in letters, two Pulitzer Prizes in nonfiction, the Nonino and Serono Prizes of Italy and COSMOS Prize of Japan. For his work in conservation, he has received the Gold Medal of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Audubon Medal of the Audubon Society. He is currently Honorary Curator in Entomology and University Research Professor Emeritus at Harvard University.

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Portland, OR, USA – Charles Deemer has launched 'Stories In Overdrive,' a series of fast-paced novellas designed especially to be read on smart phones and tablets. The first title, 'Stop the Whistleblower,' was released on June 13, 2013. Deemer plans to publish a new title every six to eight weeks.

In 'Stop the Whistleblower,' Ray, a corporate employee, plans to expose the dangerous side effects of the company's 'suntan pill', which is based on a new Temporary Genetic Manipulation technology (TGM). But before Ray can break the news at a stockholders meeting, he is slipped an overdose of the suntan drug -- and wakes up as a black man. Now nobody will believe him and, moreover, he gets arrested for the disappearance of his own white self!

Deemer got the idea of a special writing style for reading on smart phones and tablets from teaching screenwriting at Portland State University for 15 years. 'In screenwriting,' says Deemer, 'we use the term 'vertical writing' to indicate that the eye should move down the page, not across the page. Story elements take precedence over rhetorical flourishes. The story is the thing. Watching my students read on their smart phones, it occurred to me that this vertical writing style was perfectly suited to electronic devices and that stories could be told this way.'

The Stories In Overdrive website contains news of available titles, future releases and promotions and can be found at http://storiesinoverdrive.blogspot.com.

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PR pros who attend Top Mom Bloggers Tell PR How to Reach Millions: New Editorial Trends, Topics and PR Pitching Tips will also discover how the 'momosphere' has changed in light of the economy, the latest consumer hot buttons—and how major brands are interacting successfully with moms online so you can do the same.

This exclusive PR University webinar takes place on Thursday, June 27, at 1PM EDT (noon CDT; 11AM MDT; 10AM PDT).

Featuring Trainers: 

Heather Gibbs Flett, Publisher, RookieMoms.com and 510Families.com

Trisha Haas, Professional Mom Blogger, MomDot

Stacy Debroff, Founder and CEO, Mom Central Consulting

Janis Brett Elspas, Mom Blogger and Founder and Editor, 'MommyBlogExpert'

Zippy Sandler, Blogger, 'Champagne Living' 

What PR pros will learn: 

• State of the 'Momosphere': Hear straight from leading mom bloggers about the incredible growth, reach and influence of this sector—and why this top online demographic must be a part of every media relations program today

• Hot Topics and Trends: Family, safety, children, economic pressures—the concepts, trends, products, services and influencers that appeal most to the 'mom market'—and how to incorporate them into pitches and programs

• What Motivates Mom Bloggers: Key insights into the mindset fueling the momosphere—and how to use that knowledge to protect and promote a brand or product

• Targeting Essentials: How our mom bloggers view their editorial missions, the stories they blog about and how to make sure your ideas match their pitch preferences

• How to reach them directly, whether they do 'deskside' meetings, and how they want to work with PR pros

• Multimedia to Pitch Now: Online video, multimedia, podcasts—the new media assets that mommy bloggers say sweeten the pitch and boost the chances of getting posted

• New rules for crafting irresistible mom blog pitches—story elements and exclusive pegs that resonate with these bloggers and how to use them to generate wide coverage

• How the best PR pros have gained the ear—and trust—of key mom bloggers and how to build long-term relationships with top online journalists covering the mom market

• The inside scoop on sponsorships and freebies—which ones are welcomed by mom bloggers and which are rookie mistakes to avoid

For more details, go to the conference home page.

Bulldog Reporter's PR University produces over 60 high-level professional development conferences per yearwith extraordinary speakers on media relations skills, PR measurement, crisis communications, advanced PR technology, social media, and the nation's most influential media—a complete professional development program to meet all your training and updating needs.

Attendance at this Bulldog Reporter PR University webinar costs just $299 per login. Participants in this 90-minute webinar will be able to pose specific questions for the presenter at several junctures during the discussion.

Attendees of PR University conferences receive one credit toward PRSA accreditation maintenance. Registration also includes an up-to-the-minute conference manual. For more information on taking part in the event, go to the conference home page or for personalized service and special offers please contact one of our sales consultants toll free at: 1-800-959-1059.

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PR pros who attend The New Science of Pinterest PR: How Top Brands Build Buzz and Business will learn proven Pinterest techniques and strategies from a panel of social media marketers willing to share what they've learned from their own campaigns.

This exclusive PR University webinar takes place on Friday, June 21, at 1PM EDT (noon CDT; 11AM MDT; 10AM PDT).

Featuring Trainers: 

Angie Rolle Thompson, Public Relations and Social Media Specialist, Target

Alejandra S. Owens, Managing Editor AARP Blog, Social Communications Advisor, AARP

Danny Maloney, CEO and co-Founder, PinLeague

Kelby Carr, Author, 'Pinterest For Dummies' and 'Pinterest Marketing For Dummies' 

What PR pros will learn: 

• Why Pinterest has gained traction so fast—and why PR needs a Pinterest strategy before it's too late

• Building a Brand: What brands need to do to engage correctly on Pinterest to not look like they are selling and drive Web traffic and sales

• Setting up Superior Accounts: How to quickly get a Pinterest presence up to speed—or supercharge an existing account for greater results

• How to attract Pinterest followers as well as key influencers–and be able to integrate this into current social media strategies without it being too much to maintain

• Which board categories and visual stories to create and why pinning from sites other than your own is so important

• Best Practices and Case Studies: Most effective techniques being used by brands like Target and AARP using Pinterest to build buzz—and how to imitate their success

• Why experts have found Pinterest to be a better-than-expected location to drive referral traffic to their Pinterest boards and ultimately their websites

• Measurement and Metrics: How to measure the value of Pinterest efforts and prove their worth to management

• Faux Pas to Avoid: The most common missteps brands and Pinterest users make when trying to make a splash—and how to avoid them

For more details, go to the conference home page.

Bulldog Reporter's PR University produces over 60 high-level professional development conferences per yearwith extraordinary speakers on media relations skills, PR measurement, crisis communications, advanced PR technology, social media, and the nation's most influential media—a complete professional development program to meet all your training and updating needs.

Attendance at this Bulldog Reporter PR University webinar costs just $299 per login. Participants in this 90-minute webinar will be able to pose specific questions for the presenter at several junctures during the discussion.

Attendees of PR University conferences receive one credit toward PRSA accreditation maintenance. Registration also includes an up-to-the-minute conference manual. For more information on taking part in the event, go to the conference home page or for personalized service and special offers please contact one of our sales consultants toll free at: 1-800-959-1059.

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As an online source for current Nigeria events and latest news, the site is meant for the business elite. Most of the editorials are dedicated to advancing the principles of freedom and justice. World affairs, public policies, and health issues also receive their fair share of attention.

On a continent where unrest sometimes shows itself without warning, tourists will want to keep up with current events. Political news updates in Nigeria will give travelers an excellent idea of what to expect. The newspaper also analyzes the relationships between Nigeria and its neighbors.

Ultimately, individuals who are interested in political Nigeria news updates will find all they need at thenationonlineng.net. Whether men and women are interested in politics, economics, or fashion, they can consider the newspaper the best source for Nigeria news and current events. The site is updated multiple times each day and is especially adept at handling breaking news.

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Social Business Accelerator includes 5 of Travis's best videos on how he makes money helping businesses with their social media.

The new Social Business Accelerator program will solve every small business social media issue.  Right now there are 1000s of businesses who need help and expertise with regard to social media marketing.

Social Media Consultant Ronnie Braden says: 'Social Business Accelerator can help any business with its social media marketing, it's a great solution for all businessess.'

Social Business Accelerator is a course that teaches social media marketing to every business that is struggling to get their social media marketing on track.

Social Business Accelerator can take any business from beginner to becoming an expert in social media marketing.

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PR pros who attend Breakthrough Online Video for PR: Twitter Vine and Other New Tools to Build Brand and Followers in Social Media will also learn why Twitter Vine is the future of content marketing, and how to add it to online video PR and marketing efforts.

This exclusive PR University webinar takes place on Thursday, June 20, at 1PM EDT (noon CDT; 11AM MDT; 10AM PDT).

Featuring Trainers: 

Leslie Drate, Social Media Team Lead, Cisco

Katrina Klier, Managing Director, Marketing and Communications, Digital, Accenture

Nicole Shea, Executive Producer, 'The Cheap Life with Jeff Yeager,' AARP

Douglas Simon, President & CEO, D S Simon Productions Inc. 

What PR pros will learn: 

-- Twitter Vine Update: Stats, facts and how-tos behind social media's latest online video tool, and how to get started on this new channel

-- YouTube Primer: What works and who's watching on YouTube compared to other online services and more

-- Getting Started: A step-by-step guide designed to help create and distribute Web video for a client, company or brand

-- Secrets of Killer Content: Tips for telling an effective story using Web video

-- The talent and technology to have on hand to ensure success, a checklist of off-the-shelf hardware and software necessary to launch streaming video efforts

-- How to go viral using social media: Steps to post on YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter Vine and other top online video sites

-- Cost-cutting tips for using video on a shoestring, while still generating great ROI

-- How to integrate Web video into traditional programs and across other social media channels, including social networks like Facebook

-- Measurement and Metrics: How to track and measure the value of a Web video program and prove it to top management

For more details, go to the conference home page.

Bulldog Reporter's PR University produces over 60 high-level professional development conferences per yearwith extraordinary speakers on media relations skills, PR measurement, crisis communications, advanced PR technology, social media, and the nation's most influential media—a complete professional development program to meet all your training and updating needs.

Attendance at this Bulldog Reporter PR University webinar costs just $299 per login. Participants in this 90-minute webinar will be able to pose specific questions for the presenter at several junctures during the discussion.

Attendees of PR University conferences receive one credit toward PRSA accreditation maintenance. Registration also includes an up-to-the-minute conference manual. For more information on taking part in the event, go to the conference home page or for personalized service and special offers please contact one of our sales consultants toll free at: 1-800-959-1059.

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The US recorded the world's highest growth in production of both oil and natural gas in 2012, on the back of increasing production of unconventional hydrocarbons such as tight oil, an example of the increasing diversity of energy sources as the global market continues to adapt, innovate and evolve. With rising natural gas output driving prices lower in the US, natural gas displaced coal in power generation, causing the US to experience the largest decline of coal consumption in the world.

Elsewhere, 2012 saw the largest annual decline in world nuclear output. In Japan, where nuclear power generation all but disappeared after 2011's Fukushima accident, higher imports of fossil fuels including liquefied natural gas (LNG) 'kept the lights on'. In Europe, where gas prices were higher than in the US, power generators took the opposite course from the US, and substituted coal for gas.

'For those of us in the energy industry, the challenges are about how we respond to the big shifts we are seeing – a shift in demand towards emerging economies and a shift in supply towards a greater diversity of energy sources, including unconventionals,' said Bob Dudley, BP Group Chief Executive.

'The data show there is ample energy available. Our challenge as an industry is to make the best choices about where to invest. We want to provide energy in ways that enable us to be both safe and competitive – deploying our strengths while reducing our risks, and managing our costs.'

The Review also revealed a drop in the growth of overall global energy consumption to 1.8% in 2012, down from 2.4% the previous year. This was partly as a result of the economic slowdown, but also because individuals and businesses responded to high prices by becoming more efficient in their use of energy. The emerging economies - the non-OECD countries - firmly established themselves as the source of what demand growth was seen, with China and India alone accounting for nearly 90% of the increase. Just twenty years ago, the emerging economies accounted for only 42% of global consumption; now that figure is 56%.

For a second consecutive year, oil supply disruptions in Africa and the Middle East were offset by growth among other Middle East producers, with record oil production in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. Despite these supply increases, average nominal oil prices reached another record high.

Coal remained the fastest-growing fossil fuel, with China now consuming the majority of the world's coal for the first time—but it was also the fossil fuel that saw the weakest growth relative to its historical average.

Hydroelectric and renewable energy (along with cheap natural gas in North America) competed against coal in power generation. Global biofuels output fell for the first time since 2000 due to weakness in the US, but renewables in power generation grew by 15.2% and accounted for a record 4.7% of global power output.

Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy use continued to grow in 2012, but at a slower rate than in 2011. Lower coal use helped the US reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide to 1994 levels, and EU emissions declined despite coal gaining market share from natural gas in power generation.

'2012 was yet another year of adaptation to a changing energy landscape,' said Christof Rühl, BP's Chief Economist. 'As the non-OECD economies industrialize, they unlock ever more resources. The data tell us that the industrializing part of the world not only outpaces the OECD in terms of proved reserves growth, it also contributes its fair share to energy production.'

Review highlights – energy developments

-World primary energy consumption grew by 1.8% in 2012, well below the 10-year average of 2.6%.
-Consumption in OECD countries fell by 1.2%, led by a decline of 2.8% in the US (the world's largest decline in volumetric terms).
-Non-OECD consumption grew by 4.2%, below the 10-year average of 5.3%.
-Global consumption growth was below average for all fossil fuels and nuclear power; regionally growth was below average everywhere except Africa.
-Oil remains the world's leading fuel, at 33.1% of global energy consumption, but oil continued to lose market share for the 13th consecutive year and its current market share is the lowest in BP's data set, which begins in 1965.

Oil

-Dated Brent averaged $111.67 per barrel in 2011, an increase of $0.4 per barrel from the 2011 level.
-Global oil consumption grew by 890,000 barrels per day (b/d), or 0.9%, below the historical average.
-Oil had the weakest global growth rate among fossil fuels for the third consecutive year. OECD consumption declined by 1.3% (530,000 b/d), the sixth decrease in the past seven years; the OECD now accounts for just 50.2% of global consumption, the smallest share on record. Outside the OECD, consumption grew by 1.4 million b/d, or 3.3%.
-China again recorded the largest increment to global consumption growth (+470,000 b/d, +5%) although the growth rate was below the 10-year average. Japanese consumption grew by 250,000 b/d (+6.3%), the strongest growth increment since 1994.
-Global oil production increased by 1.9 million b/d, or 2.2%. OPEC accounted for about three-quarters of the global increase despite a decline in Iranian output (-680,000 b/d) due to international sanctions. Libyan output (+1 million b/d) nearly regained all of the ground lost in 2011.
-For a second consecutive year, output reached record levels in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. Iraq and Kuwait also registered significant increases.
-Non-OPEC output grew by 490,000 b/d, with increases in the US (+1 million b/d), Canada, Russia and China offsetting unexpected outages in Sudan/South Sudan (down 340,000 b/d) and Syria (-160,000 b/d), as well as declines in mature provinces such as the United Kingdom and Norway.
-US net oil imports fell by 930,000 b/d and are now 36% below their 2005 peak. Conversely, China's net oil imports grew by 610,000 b/d.

Natural gas

-World natural gas consumption grew by 2.2%, below the historical average of 2.7%.
-Consumption growth was above the 10-year average in South & Central America, Africa and North America, where the US (+4.1%) recorded the largest increment in the world. In Asia, China (+9.9%) and Japan (+10.3%) were responsible for the next-largest growth increments. Globally, natural gas accounted for 23.9% of primary energy consumption.
-Global natural gas production grew by 1.9%. The US (+4.7%) once again recorded the largest volumetric increase and remained the world's largest producer. Norway (+12.6%), Qatar (+7.8%), and Saudi Arabia (+11.1%) also saw significant production increases, while Russia (-2.7%) had the world's largest decline in volumetric terms.
-Global liquefied natural gas trade declined for the first time on record (-0.9%), while pipeline trade grew weakly (+0.5%).

Other fuels

-Coal consumption grew by 2.5% in 2012, well below the 10-year average of 4.4% but still the fastest-growing fossil fuel.
-Global coal production grew by 2%, with growth in China (+3.5%) and Indonesia (+9%) offsetting a decline in the US (-7.5%). Coal reached the highest share of global primary energy consumption (29.9%) since 1970.
-Global nuclear output fell by 6.9%, the largest decline on record for a second consecutive year; Japanese output fell by 89%, accounting for 82% of the global decline. Nuclear output accounted for 4.5% of global energy consumption, the smallest share since 1984. Hydroelectric output rose by an above-average 4.3%, with China accounting for all of the net increase.
-Renewable energy sources saw mixed results in 2012. Global biofuels production recorded the first decline since 2000 (-0.4%), due to a decline in the US (-4.3%). In contrast, renewable energy used in power generation grew by 15.2%, slightly above the historical average.
-Renewable forms of energy accounted for 2.4% of global energy consumption, up from 0.8% in 2002; renewables in power generation accounted for a record 4.7% of global power generation.

Notes to editors:
The BP Statistical Review of World Energy, 2013 is available online at www.bp.com/statisticalreview.

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JAKARTA Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today announced that it will host the second Indonesian Regulatory Summit in Jakarta in collaboration with and the support of the principal Indonesian regulatory bodies of Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK), the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board and the Ministry of Finance. The event will take place on 04 July 2013 and Dr Muliaman Hadad, chairman of OJK, will deliver the welcome keynote address.

Building on the success of the inaugural Regulatory Summit last year, this year's Summit will focus on corporate governance, exploring the new regulatory landscape in Indonesia and what policies and procedures are being implemented to help strengthen a company's macroprudential framework. Other key themes include fraud in the financial services industry, risk governance, and regulations in the insurance industry.

The regulatory summit will deliver a comprehensive programme that comprises a series of presentations, panel discussions and debates, providing a platform for regulators and industry experts to examine the pace and impact of regulatory development and reform in the region. The regulatory summit also offers an opportunity for local regulatory bodies to connect with key financial service providers and corporate entities to create and promote dialogue around some of the most pressing governance, risk and compliance issues in the financial industry today.

Over 250 senior-level executives are expected to attend the summit from various financial regulatory bodies, exchanges, associations and authorities. In addition, senior management and key heads of compliance, risk management, legal and audit from local and overseas leading banks, financial institutions and corporate entities will be in attendance.

Other organisations and leading industry practitioners supporting the regulatory summit include Ernst & Young, Moody's, Bank Mandiri, CFA Institute, Bank Ekonomi and Herbert Smith Freehills.

'An effective regulatory regime is essential to promote and sustain economic growth in Asia in the long term, and so we are honoured to host the second Regulatory Summit in Jakarta this year,' said Leas Bachatene, managing director Asia Pacific, Governance, Risk & Compliance, Thomson Reuters. 'The tremendous support we receive from the government bodies and corporate entities reflects that regulation is at the top of the agenda for the financial industry.'

For more information or to register, please visit the summit's web site at: http://accelus.thomsonreuters.com/the-2nd-indonesian-regulatory-summit

Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs approximately 60,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com

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The Hot Niche Firesale includes a brand new fantastic Wordpress theme developed by Jeff Alderson and his team. The theme includes several built-in traffic and monetization tools that appeal to a broad range of marketers.

In case you hadn't noticed, WordPress is bigger than ever, and only continues to grow in popularity.  It's the most popular blogging platform on the planet and millions of websites are running WordPress.  Hot Niche Firesale contains the most recent theme developed by these two internet marketers.

Hot Niche Firesale now includes full resale rights and private label rights with the new Wordpress theme.  It would cost thousands of dollars to develop a theme like this one. 

Hot Niche Firesale also has some other Wordpress related themes, plugins, and materials available to make this such a massive niche firesale package.

Eric Holmlund and Jeff Alderson are 2 of the top Internet Marketer in the business and they know what people are looking for in a great Wordpress theme.  They have developed this theme with some amazing features and are now showing it to the internet marketing world. 

Hot Niche Firesale offers the solutions to Wordpress theme problems.

Local Marketing consultant Thomas Phillips states that 'Hot Niche Firesale is such a great theme and has some amazing features that anyone who uses Wordpress should take a serious look at this theme.'

Niche Firesale is a complete Wordpress theme that will help every business.

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