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Over Republican objections, Democrats pushed Mayorkas's nomination through the committee process and it is now before the full Senate.
The DHS Inspector General is investigating the program and allegations that Mayorkas intervened in particular applications.
In his letter, Grassley asked for more information about the outcome of the 2010 homeland security probe.
The memo makes reference to "concerns that this particular visa program (EB-5) may be abused by Iranian operatives to infiltrate the United States."
The Homeland Security Investigations unit initiated a probe after it found ties between an EB-5 program applicant and the Iranian military unit that the United States accuses of terrorist activity around the world.
Two operatives affiliated with the Iranian military allegedly "facilitate terrorism and are involved in an illegal procurement network that exports items to Iran for use by 'secret' Iranian government agencies," the memo cited by Grassley said.
Citing the HSI memo, Grassley said one of the operatives had ties to an affiliate of the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Peter Boogaard, a Homeland Security spokesman, said that "USCIS had undertaken unprecedented steps" in the past four years to dramatically increase security protocols and fraud detection.
"In fact, based on these new protocols put in place by current USCIS leadership, in 2011, USCIS identified potential concerns about this regional center, which were referred to key law enforcement partners," he said.
"As a result, all cases from the regional center were put on hold. A thorough investigation by our law enforcement partners found no evidence to suggest that the regional center was being used for nefarious purposes and following the completion of that investigation the request to hold all cases was formally lifted." he added.
Boogaard said USCIS ensures applicants go through background checks before making decisions on visa programs.
A DHS official added that the visa program participant, called a regional center, cited in the Grassley letter was approved prior to the tenure of the current USCIS leadership.
The official said that ICE and USCIS briefed members of Congress, including Grassley's office, on the aggressive steps already taken to address longstanding fraud and national security concerns in the EB-5 program.
Congress re-authorized the EB-5 program as recently as last year.
The Senate has approved changes to address security concerns in the EB-5 program as part of the immigration reform bill that awaits House action.
Democrats have cried foul at the Mayorkas revelations because it briefly became part of the recent Virginia gubernatorial campaign, and because they say they appear designed to derail Mayorkas's nomination.
One EB-5 investment vehicle associated with Virginia Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe became the center of controversy amid allegations - denied by Mayorkas - that he improperly intervened to help McAuliffe.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, chastised the Homeland Security Inspector General earlier this year for confirming an investigation of the Mayorkas matter to Grassley just before the official's nomination hearing and amid the gubernatorial election.
Leahy sent a letter to Charles Edwards, Deputy Homeland Security Inspector General, to express concern in November.
The letter obtained by CNN said the confirmation to Grassley called into question the impartiality of the Inspector General investigation.
"Its timing and content creates the perception that it was sent in an effort to curry favor with the Judiciary Committee's Ranking Member and to distract from a separate, bipartisan investigation being conducted by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of which you are the subject."
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Traditional large ensemble and chamber music experiences are reflected in the sample schedules below.
Each woodwind, brass, and percussion student will receive one 30-minute private lesson and one 50-minute group lesson each week. String students receive two 50-minute private lessons each week. Piano students receive one 30-minute lesson daily. Each singer and composition major receive one 25-minute private lesson each week.
All students gather daily for a live music listening experience (30 minutes) featuring mini-recitals by the Seminar faculty, alumni and guest artists.
Each student has a daily 50-minute musicianship (music theory) class assigned by level of ability ranging from the fundamentals of intervals, scales, key and time signatures to modes, counterpoint, and harmonization. There is an aural skills component to each class, where students have an opportunity to refine their sight singing and ear training and develop more reliable musical memory.
Each student will choose one 50-minute elective class from an array of options. Possibilities include instrumental jazz techniques, computers and music, beginning piano, beginning guitar, introduction to music therapy, music history topics, chamber winds, chamber choir, etc.
The intended string enrollment of violins, violas, cellos and double basses creates 4 quartets and a piano trio. Each will meet twice daily: one coached, one self led. The double basses will have one, 50-minute group coaching/ensemble session daily. The entire enrollment will meet as a string orchestra for one 60-minute period daily. Each string student will also receive two 50-minute private lessons each week.
The intended vocal-choral enrollment includes a balanced Concert Choir of 40 voices. All singers will meet for two 50-minute periods daily as a mixed chorus as well as for one 50-minute sectional rehearsal daily. Each singer will receive one, 25-minute private lesson each week and will meet with all voice majors for two group sessions on special topics.
The woodwind enrollment includes flutes, oboes, clarinets, bass clarinets, bassoons and saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone). These instruments constitute the woodwind section of a wind ensemble which meets for two 60-minute periods daily. Woodwind students meet one, 50-minute period daily in a wind quintet, saxophone quartet, clarinet sextet or flute trio. They receive one 30-minute private lesson and one 50-minute group lesson each week.
The brass enrollment includes trumpets, horns, trombones, euphoniums, and tubas. These instruments constitute the brass section of a wind ensemble which meets for two 60-minute periods daily. Brass students meet one 50-minute period daily in a brass quintet or quartet. They receive one 30-minute private lesson and one 50-minute group lesson each week.
The enrollment constitutes the percussion section of a wind ensemble which meets for one or two 60-minute periods daily. Percussion students begin their day with a variety of percussion chamber music experiences including mixed percussion and steel pan ensembles. They receive one 30-minute private lesson each week as well as two 50-minute drumset group lessons during the first week.
Pianists receive one 30-minute private lesson daily and are also assigned a duet partner. At their first lesson, they are assigned solo and four-hand works which are new to them. Pianists also have one 60-minute Piano Class daily, where they encounter sessions in technique, literature and special topics.
Composition students receive one 25-minute private lesson each week. They also have one 60-minute Composition Class daily, where they will discuss special topics. Compositon students will also participate in Concert Choir rehearsals and sectionals daily, and will preform with the choir at the end of the program.
ST. CLOUD -- This week in our Frozen In Time series we stopped out to St. Cloud's oldest park formerly known as Central Park.
Central Park was established back in 1855, predating the City of St. Cloud. The land was donated by John Wilson who is considered to be one of St. Cloud's founding fathers.
St. Cloud Mayor, Dave Kleis says at the time it was rare for a city to have designated park space, "it was very unique...pretty much any open space was considered park land, but this was an actual dedicated park."
An Irish immigrant named Charles Barden came to St. Cloud in 1895. He was instrumental in expanding the park and adding in the 1920s band shell.
The addition of the band shell made the park a destination for live local music. The St. Cloud Municipal Band was a park regular with weekly performances.
Kleis says the band was quite popular, "there were a lot more people that would come because there weren't a lot of outdoor music opportunities. A municipal band would have been a significant draw. You had hundreds of people that would come and listen to the band play."
Kleis says the park was later named Barden Park in the 1930s after Barden passed away.
The park received a cannon that was from a Spanish ship during the Spanish American War. The cannon was on display in the park until World War II. During the war metal and iron were in short supply so the cannon was melted down and donated to the war effort.
Today, the band shell remains a key feature of the park along with a water fountain that was donated by Clarence Atwood.
Kleis says despite a few missing trees from storms that rolled through St. Cloud in June, the park looks as it did in 1855.
All photos used in the video are courtesy of the Stearns History Museum.
Logistics officers are important parts of any company’s success. Logistics functions include import and export, customer engagement, and transportation, among other types of work. Logistics professionals are in high demand among many industries, making logistics a solid career choice for any young person who is looking for their niche in the business world.
Shawn Grzybowski, an experienced logistics officer with a military background, explains the daily life of a logistics manager and relates how young people can enter the field.
Logistics incorporates not only transportation functions, though this is a large part of a logistics officer’s role within a company. Logistics managers, like Shawn Grzybowski, are tasked with the details of running a transportation operation. This includes properly documenting all goods that are moved and keeping track of their position. Logistics managers need to have a handle on the legal and customs requirements of moving goods from one location to another.
They must not only deal with the physical locations of these items, but they also need to keep track of the costs of transporting and storing goods. The costs of transportation and storage need to be managed daily.
Logistics personnel is often in charge of trucks and delivery vehicles used by their companies. Caring for a fleet of trucks and other vehicles can be a difficult task, and logistics officers need to be able to pay attention to all of the technical details.
Planning, scheduling, and dispatching are all part of the logistics officers’ tasks. Generally, these tasks are delegated to skilled employees, but the responsibility for these tasks falls on the logistics officer themselves.
Logistics officers also help client companies with their needs. They help their clients streamline their operations, making sure that they are operating at peak efficiency. Working with clients is a large part of many logistics managers’ jobs. They need to build solid relationships with these clients and make sure that the service they receive is personalized and high-quality.
This potential daily schedule shows how important a logistics manager can be to the success of a company as a whole. With their increased level of responsibility for the work functions of other departments, the logistics officer occupies a special place in the company. These jobs are highly skilled and in strong demand in the American market.
In the morning, logistics officers may meet with their staff members to make sure that they are performing their tasks properly. They may need to schedule deliveries or help a client ensure that their valuable goods are cared for. They may need to meet with clients in person to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
In the afternoon, a logistics manager may need to work on cost-benefit analyses and expense reports. Data is a growing part of the logistics profession, and properly managed numbers will help a logistics officer perform his or her job with precision.
They may need to call clients in the rare case when their goods have been damaged in shipment. This requires diplomacy and complete attention to detail. The client will need to be reimbursed for their losses, meaning that the logistics officer needs to deal with other areas of his or her company to secure the payment.
Meeting with schedulers helps to make sure that all deliveries and goods movements are happening on time.
Without logistics, the business of moving goods could not happen. Logistics officers need to have specific training and on-the-job experience. Shawn Grzybowski encourages young people who are interested in entering the business world to consider a career in logistics. These jobs have a great deal of responsibility and job satisfaction.
Gordon Brown vowed to soldier on as Britain's prime minister yesterday, admitting that he faced an unprecedented period of turbulence as he awaited another electoral bloodbath.
A day after reshuffling his cabinet, a move aimed at reasserting his authority, Brown insisted he had no intention of resigning as he headed to the Normandy battlefields in a brief respite from the battle for his political survival.
"I think it's important to recognise that in these unprecedented times, we are bound to have ups and downs in politics," Brown told reporters as he promised to "clean up politics" in the wake of a blistering expenses scandal.
"We keep on with the task at hand... We are not diverted," he addded.
But despite his defiance, British newspapers said Brown's government had been fatally wounded and called for a general election, while some said it was time for him to step down after heavy defeat in local English elections. Official results from the polls held last Thursday showed the main opposition Conservatives gaining 233 seats and Labour losing 273.
Results from European elections are due today, and are expected to yield equally disastrous results for Labour.
Brown's cabinet shake-up was brought forward ahead of yesterday's trip to France to be alongside US President Barack Obama and France's Nicolas Sarkozy to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
Ten ministers - some embroiled in a row over personal expenses - have resigned in the past week. Political analysts believe Labour has little chance of winning the next general election that must be held by June 2010. A victory for the Conservatives, headed by David Cameron, would see the Tories in power for the first time since Labour swept back into power under Tony Blair in 1997.
Brown will be hoping his hasty reshuffle does not bring a repeat of Margaret Thatcher's downfall as prime minister, which came as she was holed up at a European summit in Paris in November 1990.
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said Brown should remain in power.
"I'm absolutely certain that Gordon is the best man to take us through the recession, which is by far the most dominant issue facing the country and on people's minds," he told Sky News television.
On Friday, Brown handed Kinnock's wife, Glenys, the position of European minister after incumbent Caroline Flint stormed out saying the prime minister had "strained every sinew" of her loyalty.
James Purnell quit as work and pensions secretary, saying that under Brown, Labour had no chance of winning the next general election. Defence Secretary John Hutton, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy also stepped down Friday.
Join the Innovation Collective, University of Idaho and rxperts from around the country trained in Apple’s Swift programming language for the Inspire Idaho Experience Tour. You'll enjoy a hands-on look at drone and robot programming while learning about the InspireID program and how you can receive high tech work-skill training at little to no cost. No registration required.
Before I had my own fruit trees, I had never truly experienced a glut. In that relatively narrow window where you go from nothing to bucket loads, you have to find creative avenues for using the surplus. So much can be eaten fresh, the neighbours will no doubt welcome some and the rest can be preserved to spread that glut out generously over the year.
Remove the tops and bases from the limes, discard and then thinly slice the remaining fruit. Transfer the cut fruit to a large mixing bowl and cover with water (about 1.5 litres). Leave the fruit to stand in the water overnight in the fridge to help alleviate some of the bitterness in the rind.
The next day, pour the contents of the bowl into a large heavy-based saucepan and bring it to the boil over high heat. Continue to boil for 1 hour or until the rind is soft.
Measure how much fruit mixture there is at this stage and for every 250 ml (1 cup), add 220 g (1 cup) of sugar, along with the grated ginger.
Return the saucepan to a rapid boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the jam reaches 105˚C on a sugar thermometer. Alternatively, put a few saucers in the freezer; when the boiling mixture appears to thicken, spoon some onto the cold plate. Once the jam has cooled on the plate, use your finger to slowly push the jam, if the surface wrinkles ahead of your finger, then the jam has set.
Transfer the hot jam into sterilised jars and seal.
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a gang attacked a man on a Middlesbrough street.
The 29-year-old victim was assaulted on Ayresome Street at around 1.45am on Sunday.
He was attacked by around five men who got out of a dark coloured car.
The man suffered facial injuries and bruising to his body, say Cleveland Police.
A 57-year-old woman who tried to intervene was also assaulted.
She suffered bruising to her head and face. Both victims received medical attention.
The men got back into the car and made off from the scene.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with further information is asked to contact PC Carl Drinkel of Middlesbrough Police on 01642 303126 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
In the seven or so years since Netflix began its streaming service, it has become one of the most successful companies in the video on-demand market.
It has an ever growing catalogue of films and TV shows, one which it has been supplementing since 2013 with its own original content. From House of Cards to this week’s Daredevil, Netflix's shows have garnered nothing but praise from critics and fans alike.
This original programming has a been a key to Netflix's success. Netflix's main competitors, Amazon Prime and Hulu, are certainly not standing down; both companies are producing original content of their own. However, Netflix still seems to be the most preferred service.
A recent study by Strategy Analytics Consumer Metrics revealed that Amazon Prime subscribers are more likely to watch Netflix than the Amazon service. Meanwhile, Hulu is currently restricted to the U.S., severely limiting its market potential. In contrast, Netflix operates in over 40 countries and has over 50 million subscribers globally.
Netflix began developing original content in 2013 with House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Hemlock Grove, each of which is getting a third season this year. Including Daredevil, Netflix now boasts 14 original TV shows (five of which are designed for children) with very little genre cross-over (if any). This does not take into account their continuations nor the assorted one-off specials, which number in the dozens.
Compare this to Amazon Prime's current original offerings - nine shows of similar genres and mixed reviews. Hulu hasn't fared much better, with 10 original shows, of which only four have been renewed, with most ending after their first season.
So what is it that has made Netflix, and more specifically, its original shows, so successful?
The very simple answer is this: Netflix knows what you’re watching. Last year, The Atlantic published an article detailing how Netflix creates those uber-specific genres you see popping up on your feeds. It included several graphs and charts that demonstrate just how much information Netflix is collecting from its users, and how detailed that information is.
According to Todd Yellin, VP of Product at Netflix the goal was to "tear content apart" with tags for genres, characterisations, etc. This data was first used to improve Netflix's recommendations metrics, but has since been applied to the original content. For instance, House of Cards is a dark, political thriller with charming yet immoral characters, while Orange is the New Black is a comedy-drama with strong female leads. Each are specific yet popular genres, meaning the shows had a built in audience.
Netflix is also not afraid to take risks. Back in 2013, when Netflix was developing all these new shows, the most successful film franchise was Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU), with Avengers Asssemble its crown jewel. Meanwhile, the dark and gritty Arrow was leading the ratings on the CW. Combining these two successes into a single model made perfect sense, and lead to the deal between Marvel and Netflix to develop not one, but five original series.
Like the MCU and Avengers Assemble, each of the first four series will focus on a single character then see them join forces in a Defenders mini-series. This kind of deal was completely unprecedented, and amounted to essentially ordering five shows direct to series. A bold move, but Daredevil’s early success seems to validate it.
Netflix is borrowing from their competitor's models as well. Hulu’s USP has always been that it’s the best way to catch up on current shows. Similarly, Amazon Prime offered episodes of the CBS hit Extant the day after they aired on the network, making them available to international subscribers who would not have been able to watch the show live. Not one to be outdone, Netflix was able to get the rights to stream the final season of Breaking Bad while it was airing, with new episodes added each week.
This was easily the most anticipated TV show of the time, not to mention one of the most popular, and gaining exclusive streaming rights was quite the coup. Netflix is continuing this model with Breaking Bad’s spin-off, Better Call Saul, as well as this season of ABC’s hit Once Upon a Time, which features characters from Disney’s Frozen, the most popular Disney animated film ever.
While it is hardly the only factor that has led to Netflix's success, its original content is certainly one of the main reasons it has stayed ahead of the competition.