NEWS EXTRA

This segment provides the viewer / reader with news they might have missed and focuses on key issues related to current and past events. These articles are provided courtesy of our many contributing sources. We ask that you enjoy these stories and continue your support of beenetworknews.com, our contributing sources and publishers.

President Obama Delivered a Statement on Cuba

SOURCE:  The White House / The White House YouTube Channel

We are separated by 90 miles of water, but are brought together through shared relationships and the desire to promote a democratic, prosperous, and stable Cuba. President Obama is taking action to cut loose the anchor of failed policies of the past, and to chart a new course in U.S. relations with Cuba that will engage and empower the Cuban people.

WORLD CHAMPION DAVIDSON HEADING TO AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL

SOURCE: Cision / Autosport International 2015

Photo Courtesy: Cision / Autosport International 2015

Britain’s newly crowned FIA World Endurance Champion Driver, Anthony Davidson has joined the line-up for Autosport International’s 25thanniversary celebrations next month.

Also a Sky Sports F1 expert and Formula 1 development driver for the title-winning MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Davidson will head to Birmingham’s NEC on Saturday 10 January, during Europe’s biggest motorsport show on 8-11 January*.

Davidson switched to sportscar racing with Aston Martin in 2009 after contesting 24 Formula 1 GPs. Two seasons with Peugeot saw numerous endurance victories, including winning the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring on his debut with the team, before he moved to Toyota in 2012.

Recovering from a horror accident in the French classic a year earlier, Davidson claimed his first 24 Hours of Le Mans podium with second in 2013 alongside Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin, the trio also finishing third in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

In 2014, Davidson and Buemi sealed the Drivers’ World Championship with a round to spare, having taken their Toyota TS040 Hybrid to victory in four of the eight races. The pair also finished third at Le Mans with Nicolas Lapierre.

“It’s been a truly incredible year, winning the FIA World Endurance Championship with Sébastien and Toyota Racing,” Davidson said.

“The title is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people, so it’ll be great to celebrate that at Autosport International in January with the passionate British fans who have supported me throughout my career.”

Davidson joins 2013 FIA World Endurance Champion Driver Allan McNish and 2014 FIA World Rallycross Champion and 2003 FIA World Rally Champion Petter Solberg on the Autosport International guest list. Other stars heading to the NEC include David Coulthard, recent F1 debutant Will Stevens and British Touring Car Champions Colin Turkington, Matt Neal, Andrew Jordan and Gordon Shedden.

“We’re excited about welcoming Anthony Davidson to Autosport International and celebrating his success in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship,” said Ian France, Autosport International Show Director.

“Anthony has added another chapter to Britain’s fine record in sportscar racing, and it’s fitting that he’ll be joined by outgoing champion Allan McNish to review the season and look ahead to 2015, when Toyota, Audi and Porsche will be joined by Nissan.”

Exclusive collections spanning karting to Formula 1 will be on display, along with the best of the motoring world in the Performance Car Show, presented by Landsail Tyres, in association with Autocar and PistonHeads.com.

Tickets to Autosport International are available from £32 for adults, with children’s tickets priced from £21 and children under five years admitted for free. For tickets, visit www.autosportinternational.com

ASSIGNMENTS / APPOINTMENTS / ANNOUNCEMENTS

Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Supervisory Board appoints
Dr. Herbert Diess to Group Board of Management

• Dr. Herbert Diess to take over as Chairman of Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand

SOURCE:  Volkswagen Communications

Wolfsburg – The Supervisory Board of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft has unanimously appointed Dr. Herbert Diess (56) as a full member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG effective October 1, 2015. In his capacity as a member of the Group Board of Management, Diess will take over as Chairman of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand from Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, who remains Chairman of the Group Board of Management.

In the context of this appointment the new function of “Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars” is to be set up in the Group Board of Management. Diess is currently the Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. “With Herbert Diess we will be welcoming an outstanding personality and one of the most capable minds in the automotive industry to our Company. At the same time, this step puts the executive management of both the Group and the brand on an even broader footing”, Winterkorn commented.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHES SIX NEW WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTERS (WBCs)

SOURCE:  Blacknews.com

Nationwide — Women-owned businesses are growing like crazy. They have grown faster than the rate of small businesses, according to the annual American Express OPEN report.

Women entrepreneurs take advantage of free training at their local Women’s Business Center (WBC). Photo Courtesy: Blacknews.com / Go Girl Books

Between 1997 and 2014, the report states, the number of businesses in the United States increased by 47 percent but the number of women-owned firms increased by 68 percent. That’s 1-1/2 times the national average. Therefore, Women’s Business Centers are spreading to help continue their support and growth for women-owned companies.

What Women’s Business Centers provide

The growth of Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) continues to grow. The services they offer include training and counseling in a wide variety of areas that help women learn the skills they need to become successful entrepreneurs. There are currently about 100 of these centers located throughout the U.S. and women everywhere can locate a center nearest them to see what programs they offer.

6 new centers opening in 2015

The Obama adminstration has recently approved six new WBCs. One will open in 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, but the locations of the five others have yet to be determined. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lists all the centers by state on their website, making it much easier for women to locate and contact their nearest WBC. Women who are economically or socially disadvantaged are particularly encouraged to take advantage of the help that WBCs provide.

To find your nearest WBC center, visit:
http://www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance/wbc

To download the 2015 Directory of Grants, Scholarships and More For Women, visit
http://www.GoGirlBooks.com

PHOTO(s) OF THE DAY

SOURCE:  Department of Defense /Defense News Lead Photo

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MAYPORT, Fla. (Dec. 15, 2014) Gunners Mate 3rd Class Caleb Strother proposes to Brittney Apperson during a homecoming ceremony for the guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58). The crew of Samuel B. Roberts conducted theater security operations and provided deterrence, protected peace and security, and preserved freedom of the seas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Wiss/Released)

More than 80 Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division tried to obtain their Expert Infantry Badge Dec. 8-12, 2014, at the Rosepine Training Site, Fort Polk, La. The EIB was hosted by 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment.

Coast Guard members from Coast Guard Sector Boston, Coast Guard Station Merrimack River and the First Coast Guard District conduct flare training on Plum Island, Mass., Dec. 15, 2014. The participants fired several different types of flares to gain familiarity with the operation and appearance for each type of flare. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class MyeongHi Clegg)