Armstrong resisted subpoena, then sought secrecy

Embattled former cycling great Lance Armstrong resisted turning over records sought by U.S. Postal Service investigators and then tried to keep the inquiry under seal and out of the public eye, according to recently released court documents. In 2011, Postal Service officials investigating Armstrong and his cycling teams because of doping allegations sought records from his team management groups, financial statements, training journals and correspondence with former training consultant Michele Ferrari. Armstrong eventually complied with the subpoena but as recently as October was still asking the courts to keep the inquiry private. “They’ve been given everything they wanted and that they asked for … months ago,” Armstrong attorney Tim Herman said Tuesday. The Postal Service was Armstrong’s main sponsor when he won the Tour de France from 1999 to 2004. The team was sponsored by the Discovery Channel for Armstrong’s seventh Tour victory in 2005. Armstrong, an Austin resident, was stripped of those titles this year. Last week, federal Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson in Washington ordered that the subpoena be released to the public. The judge rejected Armstrong’s arguments that releasing the subpoena would violate the secrecy of the grand jury process or a pending whistle-blower lawsuit filed against Armstrong by former teammate Floyd Landis. Armstrong was still the target of a federal criminal grand jury investigation into allegations of doping by the Postal Service teams when the subpoena was issued. That investigation was closed in February, and no charges were filed. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigated Armstrong for doping and in August ordered him stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. In October, the agency released a massive report detailing use of performance-enhancing drugs by Armstrong and his teammates. The report included sworn statements from 11 former teammates, including Landis. Armstrong denies doping and insists he never cheated, but he chose not to fight the USADA charges. USADA’s stand was upheld in October by the International Cycling Union, known by the French acronym UCI. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Armstrong had been given three weeks to appeal a decision by UCI to strip him of all the titles he’s won in the past 14 years. Armstrong, 41, has been officially informed that his results dating back to Aug. 1, 1998, have been nullified, the Lausanne, Switzerland-based UCI said. Backdated to Thursday, Armstrong has three weeks to appeal. The UCI decision came after USADA released a 202-page summary of its findings on Oct. 10, stating that Armstrong “engaged in serial cheating” throughout his career.

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Armstrong resisted subpoena, then wanted secrecy

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Lance Armstrong resisted turning over records sought by U.S Postal Service investigators, then tried to keep the inquiry under seal and out of the public eye, according to recently released court documents. In 2011, Postal Service officials investigating Armstrong and his teams for doping wanted records from his team management groups, financial statements, training journals and correspondence with former training consultant Michele Ferrari. Armstrong eventually complied with the subpoena but as recently as October was still asking the courts to keep the inquiry private. ''They've been given everything they wanted and that they asked for ... months ago,'' Armstrong attorney Tim Herman said Tuesday. The Postal Service was Armstrong's main sponsor when he won the Tour de France from 1999-2004. The team was sponsored by the Discovery Channel for Armstrong's seventh victory in 2005. Armstrong was stripped of those titles this year. Last week, federal Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson in Washington ordered the subpoena and Armstrong's efforts to keep it private released to the public. The judge rejected Armstrong's arguments that releasing the subpoena would violate the secrecy of the grand jury process or a pending whistleblower lawsuit filed against Armstrong by former teammate Floyd Landis. But by Tuesday night, the federal court's online case tracking system was again showing the case as sealed from public view. The documents Robinson had ordered released had been available online for several hours earlier in the day. There was no document available Tuesday night showing if a court had ordered the case resealed, and Armstrong's attorneys did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment. Armstrong was still the target of a federal criminal grand jury investigation into allegations of doping on the Postal Service teams when the subpoena was issued. That investigation was closed in February with no charges filed. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigated Armstrong for doping and in August ordered him stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. In October, the agency released a massive report detailing performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong and his teammates. The report included sworn statements from 11 former teammates, including Landis. Armstrong denies doping and insists he never cheated, but chose not to fight the USADA charges.

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Armstrong resisted subpoena in doping inquiry, then wanted secrecy

AUSTIN, Texas - Lance Armstrong resisted turning over records sought by U.S Postal Service investigators, then tried to keep the inquiry under seal and out of the public eye, according to recently released court documents. In 2011, Postal Service officials investigating Armstrong and his teams for doping wanted records from his team management groups, financial statements, training journals and correspondence with former training consultant Michele Ferrari. Armstrong eventually complied with the subpoena but as recently as October was still asking the courts to keep the inquiry private. "They've been given everything they wanted and that they asked for ... months ago," Armstrong attorney Tim Herman said Tuesday. The Postal Service was Armstrong's main sponsor when he won the Tour de France from 1999-2004. The team was sponsored by the Discovery Channel for Armstrong's seventh victory in 2005. Armstrong was stripped of those titles this year. Last week, federal Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson in Washington ordered the subpoena and Armstrong's efforts to keep it private released to the public. The judge rejected Armstrong's arguments that releasing the subpoena would violate the secrecy of the grand jury process or a pending whistleblower lawsuit filed against Armstrong by former teammate Floyd Landis. But by Tuesday night, the federal court's online case tracking system was again showing the case as sealed from public view. The documents Robinson had ordered released had been available online for several hours earlier in the day. There was no document available Tuesday night showing if a court had ordered the case resealed, and Armstrong's attorneys did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment. Armstrong was still the target of a federal criminal grand jury investigation into allegations of doping on the Postal Service teams when the subpoena was issued. That investigation was closed in February with no charges filed. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigated Armstrong for doping and in August ordered him stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. In October, the agency released a massive report detailing performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong and his teammates. The report included sworn statements from 11 former teammates, including Landis. Armstrong denies doping and insists he never cheated, but chose not to fight the USADA charges.

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Tuesday's Sports in Brief

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Finding fault with nearly everyone tied to the New Orleans Saints' bounty case, from the coaches to Roger Goodell, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue tossed out the suspensions of four players Tuesday and condemned the team for obstructing the investigation. In a surprising rejection of his successor's overreaching punishments, Tagliabue wrote that he would ''now vacate all discipline to be imposed upon'' two current Saints, linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith, and two players no longer with the club, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita and free-agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove. Tagliabue essentially absolved Fujita, but did agree with Goodell's finding that the other three players ''engaged in conduct detrimental to the integrity of, and public confidence in, the game of professional football.'' It was a ruling that allowed both sides to claim victory: The NFL pointed to the determination that Goodell's facts were right; the NFL Players Association issued a statement noting that Tagliabue said ''previously issued discipline was inappropriate.'' Vilma has filed a defamation lawsuit against Goodell, and his lawyers said by email to The Associated Press that they would ''pursue the defamation action vigorously.'' WASHINGTON (AP) - A lack of action by the NFL and players' union in the two years since they signed a labor deal paving the way for testing for human growth hormone has prompted Congress to look at the science behind the tests. The NFL Players Association won't concede the validity of a test that's used by Olympic sports and Major League Baseball, and the sides haven't been able to jointly pick a scientist to help resolve that impasse. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is holding a hearing Wednesday to take a look at the science behind tests for human growth hormone, a substance that is hard to detect and believed to be used by athletes for a variety of benefits, whether real or only perceived - such as increasing speed or improving vision. PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Steelers suspended the running back Rashard Mendenhall for their game Sunday at Dallas for conduct detrimental to the team. Pittsburgh promoted running back Baron Batch from the practice squad to take his place. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - The New England Patriots placed wide receiver Donte' Stallworth on injured reserve with an ankle injury. The move ended his season after just one game, a 42-14 win over the Houston Texans on Monday night in which he scored on his only reception, a 63-yarder from Tom Brady. The Patriots, who had released Stallworth following training camp, re-signed him on Dec. 4 after wide receiver Julian Edelman went on injured reserve with a foot injury. The Patriots did not give details of Stallworth's injury and he did not mention it as he talked with reporters after the game. DALLAS (AP) - The Dallas Cowboys paid tribute to Jerry Brown at a private memorial that included Josh Brent, the player charged with intoxication manslaughter in the one-car accident that killed his teammate. Quarterback Tony Romo, owner Jerry Jones and other players, executives and staff members arrived at the service on a sunny but chilly afternoon at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas. Brent arrived earlier than most in a van with several other people and hugged an unidentified woman before walking into the building. NEW YORK (AP) - Braylon Edwards is back with the New York Jets - a week after bashing them. The veteran wide receiver was awarded to New York off waivers from Seattle as the Jets try to bolster their injured receiving corps with a familiar face. Edwards, waived by Seattle on Monday, developed a good rapport with Sanchez in helping New York to consecutive trips to the AFC title game in 2009 and 2010. Edwards reiterated his feelings for Sanchez last week when he took to Twitter and criticized the Jets organization. BASEBALL NEW YORK (AP) - Kevin Youkilis is about to get a different look at the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. The hard-nosed Youkilis, who helped personify Boston's championship teams over the past decade, became the latest former Red Sox star to switch sides and land in Bronx. The free agent reached a deal that filled New York's immediate need for a third baseman to fill in for injured Alex Rodriguez. The one-year contract for $12 million is pending a physical. A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press about the agreement under condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. Youkilis, who turns 34 in March, is expected to play third base while Rodriguez recovers from hip surgery. A-Rod plans to have the operation in mid-January and could be sidelined until the All-Star break or beyond. CLEVELAND (AP) - The Indians traded outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to the Cincinnati Reds and acquired prized pitching prospect Trevor Bauer from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team deal. Center fielder Drew Stubbs was sent from Cincinnati to Cleveland as part of the nine-player swap. In addition to Stubbs, the Indians received Bauer, the No. 3 pick in the 2011 draft, and right-handers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw from the Diamondbacks. Cleveland shipped Choo, infielder Jason Donald and about $3.5 million to the Reds, while sending left-handed reliever Tony Sipp and first baseman Lars Anderson to Arizona. The Diamondbacks also received shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius from Cincinnati. COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEW YORK (AP) - Second-ranked Alabama placed four players on The Associated Press All-America team. Among them was center Barrett Jones, who became a two-time first-team selection. No other team had more than one player selected to the first team. The Tide also led with six players chosen to all three teams. Notre Dame and Texas A&M were second with four players on the three teams, though linebacker Manti Te'o was the only Fighting Irish player to make the first team. Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel was the first-team quarterback. MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez will earn $118,500 for returning to the sidelines to coach the Badgers in the Rose Bowl and a win against Stanford will mean a $50,000 bonus. The executive committee of the university Board of Regents on Tuesday agreed to the terms following the surprise departure last week of head coach Bret Bielema to take the same job at Arkansas. PRO HOCKEY TORONTO (AP) - NHL labor negotiations will resume Wednesday, with mediators rejoining the talks at an undisclosed location in an effort to save the hockey season. The Canadian Press reported the restart of bargaining between the league and union, citing unidentified people on both sides of the lockout. U.S. federal mediators Scot Beckenbaugh and John Sweeney are to return to the process. They took part in sessions Nov. 27 and 28 before deciding they couldn't help. GOLF The PGA of America is bringing a mystery guest to the ''Today'' show - its next Ryder Cup captain. Golf Digest reported on its website Tuesday night that it would be Tom Watson. An organization that is not shy about giving rock-star treatment to the Ryder Cup, the PGA of America said it would reveal the next U.S. captain during a segment Thursday of NBC's morning show, followed by a news conference in the Empire State Building. NBC is the longtime broadcast partner of the Ryder Cup. Golf Digest cited sources it did not identify in reporting the PGA of America planned to pick Watson. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Colleen Walker, the former LPGA Tour player who won nine times during her 23-year career, died Tuesday night after her second battle with cancer. She was 56. The LPGA Tour said Walker died at her home in Valrico. CYCLING AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Lance Armstrong resisted turning over records sought by U.S Postal Service investigators, then tried to keep the inquiry under seal and out of the public eye, according to recently released court documents. In 2011, Postal Service officials investigating Armstrong and his teams for doping wanted records from his team management groups, financial statements, training journals and correspondence with former training consultant Michele Ferrari. Armstrong eventually complied with the subpoena but as recently as October was still asking the courts to keep the inquiry private. The Postal Service was Armstrong's main sponsor when he won the Tour de France from 1999-2004. The team was sponsored by the Discovery Channel for Armstrong's seventh victory in 2005. Armstrong was stripped of those titles this year. Last week, federal Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson in Washington ordered the subpoena and Armstrong's efforts to keep it private released to the public. But by Tuesday night, the federal court's online case tracking system was again showing the case as sealed from public view. The documents Robinson had ordered released had been available online for several hours earlier in the day. SOCCER LONDON (AP) - Arsenal was eliminated in the League Cup quarterfinals with an embarrassing loss to fourth-tier Bradford, falling 3-2 in a penalty shootout. TENNIS MADRID (AP) - Rafael Nadal confirmed that he'll return to tennis at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month following a six-month break to recover from a knee injury.

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Friday's Sports In Brief

NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball's all-time home run king and its most decorated pitcher likely will be shut out of the Hall of Fame in January. A survey by The AP shows that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, as well as slugger Sammy Sosa, don't have enough votes to get into Cooperstown. With steroid scandals still very much on the minds of longtime members of the Baseball Writers' Association as they cast their ballots, the trio failed to muster even 50 percent support among the 112 voters contacted by the AP - nearly one-fifth of those eligible to choose. Candidates need 75 percent for election Bonds is baseball's only seven-time MVP and Clemens its only seven-time Cy Young winner. NFL FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - It appears Tim Tebow will be watching from the sideline again. And this time, the Jets' backup quarterback might be in sweats instead of his uniform. Tebow was listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals because of two broken ribs that limited him all week. Coach Rex Ryan wouldn't officially rule out Tebow, but it sounded unlikely he would play. Tebow was injured at Seattle on Nov. 11, played three offensive snaps the following week at St. Louis and was active but didn't play Thanksgiving night against New England. Tebow spent most of the 49-19 loss standing on the sideline while Mark Sanchez played the entire game. CYCLING LONDON (AP) - His seven Tour de France titles erased from cycling's record books, Lance Armstrong still holds claim to one piece of sports hardware - an Olympic medal. But for how much longer? The fate of Armstrong's medal will be addressed when the International Olympic Committee executive board meets next week in Lausanne, Switzerland. Twelve years after Armstrong won bronze in the road time trial at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the IOC wants the medal back after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's report of widespread doping by Armstrong and some teammates during his seven Tour de France victories from 1999-2005. COLLEGE FOOTBALL STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - A former U.S. senator brought in to monitor Penn State said the university has gotten ''off to a very good start'' in responding to NCAA sanctions for the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal. George Mitchell's first quarterly report as Penn State's athletics integrity monitor noted there was a looming deadline to complete a set of reforms, including implementation of a college sports code of conduct, but he said he believes university officials are acting in good faith. The 68-year-old Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant coach, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence for abusing several boys, some on campus. He maintains his innocence. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Minnesota judge has dismissed child pornography charges against a college football head coach accused of making pornographic videos of his children. A district court judge dismissed the case for lack of probable cause. Todd Hoffner, the head coach at Minnesota State, Mankato, was charged in August with two felonies. Prosecutors said he made filmed his children performing suggestive acts while naked. Hoffner and his wife insisted all along that the videos were not inappropriate, and were merely images of children acting silly and dancing after taking a bath. No evidence of child porn was found and social workers found no evidence of abuse. TENNIS LOS ANGELES (AP) - Citing insufficient evidence, prosecutors have suddenly dropped a murder case against professional tennis referee Lois Goodman in the death of her husband. A judge dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning it could be brought back. The 70-year-old Goodman was accused of bludgeoning her 80-year-old husband Alan to death with a coffee cup in April. Authorities initially believed he fell down stairs at home while his wife was away, but later decided it was homicide after a mortuary reported suspicious injuries. Goodman was arrested in August as she arrived to serve as a line judge at the U.S. Open. BASKETBALL ATLANTA (AP) - A lawyer for former WNBA star Chamique Holdsclaw says he's investigating the circumstances that led to assault and weapons charges against the Olympic gold medalist. The 35-year-old is accused of smashing the windows and firing a shot into a car belonging to Jennifer Lacy, who plays for the Tulsa Shock. No one was injured. Lacy told police Holdsclaw was an ex-girlfriend and they were Atlanta Dream teammates in 2009. After an appearance in Fulton County Magistrate Court, lawyer Patrick Sullivan said the case hasn't been indicted yet. Holdsclaw is out on bond and has been ordered to wear a monitoring device and have no contact with the 29-year-old Lacy. COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - VCU women's volleyball coach James Finley is fighting to get his job back after he says he was fired because he is gay. Finley, 52, has filed a complaint with VCU's Office for Institutional Equity. University spokesperson Pamela D. Lepley said an investigation is being conducted and must be completed within 45 days. The findings will be provided to Finley and VCU President Michael Rao. The coach said he would consider taking legal action if he is not reinstated. He was fired Nov. 19, one day after losing in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament.

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Nexen chief executive says CNOOC deal not yet done

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - The $15.1 billion takeover of Canadian oil and gas producer Nexen Inc by China's state-owned CNOOC Ltd is not yet wrapped up despite the Canadian government's blessing after months of heated debate, Nexen's chief executive said on Monday. "We are nowhere near done," Nexen interim CEO Kevin Reinhart told Reuters as he left a business conference about economic ties between Canada and Asia. He declined to give his reaction to Ottawa's decision on Friday to approve the deal, saying it was too early. A further decision on the high-profile transaction still rests with a secretive U.S. foreign investment panel, which gets a say because Nexen has exploration and production assets in the Gulf of Mexico. Investors had been assuming that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's green light on Friday - after deliberating on how much control foreign state-owned enterprises may have over the country's energy resources - would be the biggest hurdle. Reinhart would not give details on what else was needed before the deal could close. "It's in the press release, so that's all I'm going to say," Reinhart said. In a statement released early on Saturday, Nexen and CNOOC said the deal's closing remained subject to "the receipt of other applicable government and regulatory approvals, and the satisfaction or waiver of the other customary closing conditions." A source familiar with the matter highlighted the ruling by Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, as the main regulatory decision still remaining. "That's the principal one," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the matter. He would not speculate how long the committee, which is led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, might take to rule. In late November, the companies said they withdrew and resubmitted their application for CFIUS approval and discussions with the committee were taking place "with a view to completing the CFIUS review process as expeditiously as possible". The panel has the power to negotiate or impose conditions, including divestitures and security-control agreements to mitigate any national security threats, possibly forcing the combined company to sell interests in the Gulf, where Nexen's production averaged 14,000 barrels a day in the third quarter. It also has a stake in the recently discovered Appomattox field, operated by Royal Dutch Shell . The U.S. has been traditionally been more wary than Canada of Chinese investment. In 2005, it blocked CNOOC's bid for Unocal Corp because of national security concerns, and an influential House committee earlier this year urged U.S. companies not to do business with Chinese telecommunications firms like Huawei and ZTE, because Beijing could use equipment made by the two to spy. Nexen stock rose steeply on Monday, the first trading day since the Canadian decision. But the shares still reflect some risk that the transaction may not close as planned. Nexen's shares on the New York Stock Exchange closed up 14 percent at $26.77, still below the CNOOC bid price of $27.50. Its Toronto-listed shares finished up 13.5 percent at C$26.44. NEW RULES MAY HAVE PREVENTED DEAL Along with its approval of the Nexen transaction, the government also served notice that foreign control of the Alberta oil sands had reached the end of its comfort zone with new rules that any future bids from state-owned enterprises like CNOOC for full control of oil sands businesses would be allowed only in exceptional circumstances. Ottawa also approved allowed a C$5.2 billion ($5.3 billion) takeover of Progress Energy Resources Corp by Malaysia's Petronas , another state oil company. Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said CNOOC's takeover of Nexen would have been "difficult" under the new guidelines. Nexen has a 7.2 percent stake in the Syncrude Canada Ltd oil sands project in northern Alberta, one of the largest such ventures. It also has a 65 percent interest in the Long Lake oil sands venture. CNOOC is already the minority partner.

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Meeting delay a sign of cooling US-Vietnam ties

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The U.S. and Vietnam, former enemies who share concerns about China's rise, are finding that one issue — human rights — is keeping them from becoming closer friends. Stress between the nations is clear from a delay in an annual meeting between Washington and Hanoi on human-rights concerns. Such consultations have been held every year since 2006, but the last ones in November 2011 produced little, and a senior State Department official said the two sides were still working to "set the parameters" of the next round so it would yield progress. The U.S. is frustrated over Vietnam's recent crackdown on bloggers, activists and religious groups it deems a threat to its grip on power, and over the detention of an American citizen on subversion charges that carry the death penalty. "We have not seen the improvements that we would like," the State Department official said last week on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly. "We would very much like to see concrete actions." The delay in holding the meeting, to be hosted by Hanoi, could just be a matter of weeks. But it underscores how Vietnam's worsening treatment of dissidents over the last two years has complicated efforts to strengthen its ties with the U.S. Vietnam's foreign affairs ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said the human rights dialogues had "contributed to enhancing trust" between the two countries and that both sides were in discussion on the timing of the next round. A U.S. Embassy spokesman also said the countries were discussing when to hold the talks. Like Washington, Vietnam wants deeper trading and security relations, but the U.S. says it must be accompanied by improvements in human rights. Some influential members of Congress are also pressing the Obama administration to get tougher on Hanoi's suppression of dissent and religious freedom. Vietnam's relationship with the U.S. has improved greatly in recent years, largely because of shared concerns over China's increasing assertiveness in Southeast Asia. Their shared strategic interests are reflected most clearly in U.S. diplomacy in the South China Sea, where Beijing's territorial claims clash with those of Vietnam and four other countries in the region. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Vietnam has opened its economy but has been unwilling to grant religious or political freedom to its 87 million people. The U.S. and Vietnam restored diplomatic relations in 1995, 20 years after the end of the Vietnam War, and their rapprochement has accelerated as President Barack Obama has prioritized stronger ties with Southeast Asia. Vietnam's crackdown on dissent follows a downturn in its once-robust economy. Analysts say Hanoi's leadership is defensive about domestic criticism of its economic policies, corruption scandals and infighting, much of it being spread on the Internet, out of their control. Last year, Vietnam locked up more than 30 peaceful activists, bloggers and dissidents, according to Human Rights Watch. This year, 12 activists have been convicted in short, typically one-day trials, and sentenced to unusually long prison terms. Seven others are awaiting trial. The country is also preparing laws to crackdown on Internet freedoms. "The internal party ructions have trumped everything," said Carl Thayer, an expert on Vietnam from the University of New South Wales. "They are so paranoid about criticism they don't care about the U.S." The detention and looming trial of American democracy activist Nguyen Quoc Quan may be the clearest example of Hanoi's unwillingness to listen to American concerns over human rights. Quan, 59, was arrested at Ho Chi Minh City airport in April soon after arriving on a flight from the United States, where he has lived since fleeing Vietnam by boat as a young man. Quan's family and friends say he is a leading member of Viet Tan, a nonviolent pro-democracy group that the Vietnamese authorities have labeled a terrorist outfit. He was detained in 2007 in Vietnam for six months. Authorities initially accused Quan of terrorism, but he is now charged with subversion against the state, which carries a punishment ranging from 12 years in prison to death. With the investigation now complete, his trial could be near. Court dates are typically released only a few days in advance. According to a copy of the indictment obtained by The Associated Press, Quan met with fellow Vietnamese activists in Thailand and Malaysia between 2009 and 2010 and discussed Internet security and nonviolent resistance. The indictment said he traveled to Vietnam under a passport issued under the name of Richard Nguyen in 2011, when he recruited four other members of Viet Tan. His wife doesn't deny that Quan wants to change Vietnam's political system. "He wanted to talk to the young people and bring up the idea of democracy in Vietnam," Huong Mai Ngo, said in an interview with The Associated Press by phone from Sacramento. "He has lived in the U.S., he has had freedom here and he wants them to have the same." Congress members with large Vietnamese-American constituencies are pressuring the Obama administration. Rep. Frank Wolf, a leading critic, maintains the government has neglected human rights as it looks to forge economic and security ties. With three Republican colleagues, the Virginia congressman has demanded the sacking of U.S. Ambassador David Shear, accusing him of failing to invite democracy and rights activists to the July 4 celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi after giving assurances he would. "The administration's approach has been a disaster. All they care about are economic and defense issues," said Wolf, who also took aim at Shear for failing to visit Quan in prison. "Human rights and religious freedom should be the number one priority." U.S. officials have visited Quan five times in jail, mostly recently in late September. "We believe no one should be imprisoned for peacefully expressing their political views or their aspirations for a freer, more democratic and prosperous future," embassy spokesman Christopher Hodges said. "We continue to call on the government of Vietnam to quickly and transparently resolve this case." Wolf and other lawmakers interested in Vietnam do not have much say in setting policy, but can make life awkward for the Obama administration. Wolf hinted that he could propose amendments to budget legislation to put more pressure on the administration over its Vietnam policy. Wolf is a senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which oversees much of the federal budget. The U.S. has some leverage if it wishes to try and get Vietnam to improve its human rights record: Vietnam is one of the largest recipients of American aid in Asia and is currently negotiating a free trade deal with Washington and seven other countries. The Vietnamese government declined to comment on the charges against Quan, but Hanoi is aware of U.S. sensitivities in this case. Many observers say Quan is likely to be convicted but sentenced to time served and quickly expelled, though even that is likely to raise congressional pressure on the White House to tie the trade deal and aid to progress on human rights. "It would be a disaster for Vietnam if they come down on U.S. citizen with an extreme sentence for peacefully advocating human rights," said Linda Malone, a professor at William and Mary Law School who is advising Quan's local counsel on his defense. "They will lose tremendous ground on what they seek to advance themselves."

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Court OKs sale of U.S. government-backed A123 to Chinese firm

WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - China's largest auto parts maker got court approval on Tuesday for its controversial purchase of A123 Systems Inc, a bankrupt maker of electric car batteries, but the judge said he was troubled that a U.S. rival might be working to kill the deal. A123, which was partly funded with U.S. government money, was sold at an auction on Saturday for $256.6 million to Wanxiang Group of China, which outbid Johnson Controls Inc of Milwaukee. The auction result prompted outcry from U.S. politicians who objected to A123's taxpayer-financed lithium-ion technology ending up in the hands of an economic rival. Johnson Controls has said it remains interested in A123 if Wanxiang fails to get approval from the U.S. government, which is coming under pressure to block the deal. "I'm troubled by suggestions that someone who participated in the auction may in fact already be working against it," said Delaware Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey at the end of Tuesday's hearing. Carey ordered into escrow a $5.5 million fee from the sale that was earmarked for Johnson Control's in return for it being the lead bidder to support the A123 auction. The money will be released when the sale closes or after an investigation by A123 creditors. William Baldiga of Brown Rudnick, who represents the official committee of unsecured creditors, had told Carey he had a confidential letter that suggested Johnson Controls planned to undermine Wanxiang if the Chinese company won the auction. Johnson Controls attorney, Joshua Feltman of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, said the company should not be punished "because we sympathize with Michigan Congressional delegation." A123 has several facilities in Michigan and its politicians have been vocal in opposing the sale to Wanxiang. A123 has never turned a profit and received a $249 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop lithium-ion batteries. A Department of Energy official said on Monday the grant, which has about $120 million remaining, would not be transferred to Wanxiang. Opposition to the deal will now shift to Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Pressure has been building on Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the head of the panel, to block the takeover. Chinese firms have been pouring cash into overseas investments, and with that money has come concerns around the globe that firms with ties to Beijing may not play by free-market rules. CFIUS recently rejected a bid to build wind farms in Oregon by Ralls Corp, owned by two executives of China's Sany Group, and has blocked multiple deals by Huawei Technologies Co, a Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer. China's state-owned oil company CNOOC Ltd received approval on Monday for the country's biggest foreign takeover, a $15.1 billion acquisition of Nexen Inc after intense scrutiny. CNOOC withdrew its bid for California-based Unocal Corp in 2005 in the face of political opposition. Wanxiang has tried to blunt some of the political opposition by excluding A123's defense contracts from its bid. A123 filed for bankruptcy in October as demand for electric vehicles did not live up to expectations and it was forced to recall defective car batteries. Its customers include Fisker Automotive, General Motors Co and BMW. If the foreign investment committee does not approve the sale in the coming weeks, Wanxiang could walk away, although it would forfeit a $25 million deposit that would go toward repaying A123's creditors. If that were to happen, A123 could then go back on the block. Johnson Controls and NEC Corp of Japan made a final runner-up bid of about $251 million, according to Alex Molinaroli, president of Johnson Controls Power Solutions. The only other company that qualified for the auction, Siemens AG of Germany, does not appear to have made a bid, according to a transcript of the auction. If the foreign investment committee has not approved the sale by January 15, the deal could still close by transferring A123 to a trust controlled by U.S. citizens, which would not need CFIUS approval. Wanxiang's money would then be turned over to repay the creditors of A123, which filed for bankruptcy with $376 million in liabilities. The Chinese company is no stranger to investing in the United States. Wanxiang generates about $1 billion in revenue in the United States by supplying parts to GM and Ford Motor Co and has bought or invested in more than 20 U.S. companies, many of them in bankruptcy, said a congressional report published in October. The case is A123 Systems Inc, Delaware Bankruptcy Court, No. 12-12859.

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Google explains cause of massive Gmail, Chrome outages

Users took to social networks on Monday to vent their displeasure with Google (GOOG) following a 40-minute disruption of service affecting the company’s Chrome Web browser and Gmail service. It was previously unclear what caused the services to simultaneously crash and some suspected the company was hit with a denial-of-service attack. Google engineer Tim Steele took to the company’s developer forums to clear up the confusion and confirmed what some developers had already suspected: The reason for the crash had to do with the Google Sync servers getting overwhelmed following a change in the code, not a DDoS attack. “It’s due to a backend service that sync servers depend on becoming overwhelmed, and sync servers responding to that by telling all clients to throttle all data types,” he said, noting that the “throttling” messed things up in the browser and caused it to crash. Google Sync keeps bookmarks, extensions, apps and settings in the Chrome browser synchronized across a variety of devices and services. Along with Chrome and Gmail, the worldwide outage also affected Google Docs, Drive and Apps, all of which rely heavily on Google Sync.

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Facebook helps FBI bust cybercriminals blamed for $850 million losses

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Investigators led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and aided by Facebook Inc, have busted an international criminal ring that infected 11 million computers around the world and caused more than $850 million in total losses in one of the largest cybercrime hauls in history. The FBI, working in concert with the world's largest social network and several international law enforcement agencies, arrested 10 people it says infected computers with "Yahos" malicious software, then stole credit card, bank and other personal information. Facebook's security team assisted the FBI after "Yahos" targeted its users from 2010 to October 2012, the U.S. federal agency said in a statement on its website. The social network helped identify the criminals and spot affected accounts, it said. Its "security systems were able to detect affected accounts and provide tools to remove these threats," the FBI said. According to the agency, which worked also with the U.S. Department of Justice, the accused hackers employed the "Butterfly Botnet". Botnets are networks of compromised computers that can be used in a variety of cyberattacks on personal computers. The FBI said it nabbed 10 people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, New Zealand, Peru, the United Kingdom, and the United States, executed numerous search warrants and conducted a raft of interviews. It estimated the total losses from their activities at more than $850 million, without elaborating. Hard data is tough to come by, but experts say cybercrime is on the rise around the world as PC and mobile computing become more prevalent and as more and more financial transactions shift online, leaving law enforcement, cybersecurity professionals and targeted corporations increasingly hard-pressed to spot and ward off attacks.

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10 Great Opportunities for Older Volunteers

If you have time and an interest in volunteering, you can literally create your own program. Aided by Internet sites that match needs and volunteers, along with other do-it-yourself online tools, boomers are rewriting the book on how volunteering works. [See Top 10 U.S. Places for Healthcare.] AARP has kicked off a large volunteer effort through its "Create the Good" program and website. "People want more flexibility in their volunteering," says Barb Quaintance, AARP senior vice president for volunteer and civic engagement. There is a preference for self-directed volunteer efforts: More than half of all boomers select this approach, according to AARP, as it allows them to satisfy their needs as well as those of the recipients they help. Americans' willingness to volunteer has been steadily increasing, according to a survey from the government's Corporation for National & Community Service, which oversees the Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and related volunteering programs. Across different age groups, the rate of volunteering has grown dramatically. More than 26.5 percent of adults ages 45 to 64 volunteer, the corporation says, up from 22 percent 20 years ago. For older volunteers, the rate has increased during the same period, from 17 percent to more than 28 percent. In 2010, 21.9 million baby boomers dedicated 2.9 billion hours of service to communities throughout the country, most often with a religious institution--the most popular organizations through which this age group volunteers. "The baby boomer generation is the largest, healthiest, and most educated generation in history," says Robert Velasco, II, acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). "While a large portion of older adults volunteer, it's crucial to not place them in the same category. Seniors aren't monolithic," he says. "All of them want to make a difference, but I think they may want to make a difference in different ways." At the younger end of the senior age spectrum are people who are still working or have recently retired. They might have a preference for skills-based volunteering, in which they can put their career skills to work in volunteer settings. Funding cutbacks during the recession have increased the needs of nonprofits, he notes. Accountants are needed to work on agency finances. Social workers are needed to work with children and at-risk populations. Various nonprofits may need a range of skilled tradespeople--plumbers, electricians, and the like. [See AARP Moves to Protect Social Security and Medicare.] But it's the wave of younger volunteers that is changing the model. "There's a whole new world of volunteering," Quaintance says. In some cases, volunteers' demand for flexibility and control has been hard for nonprofits to accept. Some agencies are accustomed to recruiting volunteers who go where they are directed and do what they're told. "Nonprofits are waking up to the fact that they need to be more flexible," and it can be a difficult adjustment, Quaintance says. On the Create the Good site, volunteers can access local volunteer needs by ZIP code and see these needs broken down into several categories: Show-Up, DIY (Do It Yourself), Online, and what it calls "5 Minute" opportunities that may be nonrecurring, relatively quick ways that people can help. "The strategic nonprofits have figured out how volunteers can be a critical part of their solution," Velasco says. "Many boomers bring advanced professional and management skills that can help nonprofits increase their impact on community issues. Engaging boomers in more challenging assignments has the added benefit of increasing the likelihood they will continue to volunteer over a longer period of time because they find the work more engaging." Here is a list of volunteering opportunities that might be of interest: Preparing income taxes. The AARP Tax Aide program has more than 34,000 volunteers throughout the country who donate their time and expertise to help people with their taxes. It is a major example of "skills-based" volunteering, which is growing. Road and waterway clean-ups. If it's green, people want to help. Weekend clean-up campaigns are great opportunities for people to improve their communities, meet like-minded neighbors, and get outside for some exercise. These activities also meet volunteers' growing interest in flexible and even one-shot volunteer opportunities. Helping the helpers. Nonprofits have seen funding decline even as demand for their services soars. Skills-based volunteers are increasingly filling key roles at agencies that had been performed by full-time staffers. [See The Secret to a Long and Happy Life.] Applying for benefits. The steep recession has led to record increases in food and other assistance programs. Often, people need help in applying for benefits, to make sure they qualify and obtain benefits promptly. Helping kids at school. Just about anything that has to do with children is high on the list of desired activities, ranging from reading to younger children, tutoring, helping coach sports teams, and assisting with a wide range of extracurricular enrichment programs. There are many other school-based volunteer opportunities, and the need will grow this fall because of widespread school funding cutbacks throughout the country. Helping kids at home. The slow economic recovery has put tremendous stress on families, forcing all adults in a household to seek work and creating rising demand for home-based caregivers and after-school support programs. Repairing safety nets. From assisting food banks to driving people to healthcare clinics, there is plenty of help needed. Cash-strapped governments and social-service support programs badly need volunteers to help meet a range of human needs. Live the dream. There are loads of opportunities to volunteer in activities you've always wanted to try: working with animals, being a docent or tour guide, helping arts organizations, and the like. Someone needs and will appreciate having the benefit of your skills. National and state parks. Parks often take an early hit when budgets are cut. The government regularly seeks volunteers to clean and even help manage the under-staffed and under-funded National Park Service. When disaster hits. Americans step up when their neighbors are hurting. Recent weather volatility has produced unusually severe storm damage throughout the country, and a related increase in volunteer activity.

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One Big Reason Not to Rush into Early Retirement

You might want to think twice about retiring early. That’s because, new research has shown a link between early retirement and premature death. Research by Andreas Kuhn, Jean-Philippe Wuellrich and Josef Zweimüller found that men, in particular, had an increased risk of death before age 67 when they retired early. To prove this, the researchers looked at a group of blue-collar workers from Austria, born between 1929 and 1941. "We find that a reduction in the retirement age causes a significant increase in the risk of premature death for males, but not for females," the research said. "The effect for males is not only statistically significant but also quantitatively important. According to our estimates, one additional year of early retirement causes an increase in the risk of premature death of 2.4 percentage points (a relative increase of about 13.4 percent, or 1.8 months in terms of years of life lost)." [10 Easy Paths to Self Destruction] According to the research, this can be attributed to negative health habits of people during retirement. These habits, which include smoking, drinking, unhealthy diet and limited exercise, contribute to 78 percent of casual retirement deaths, while smoking and drinking alone result in 32 percent of casual retirement deaths. "Our results also suggest that preventive health policies should be targeted to (early) retirees," the research said. "Policies that induce individuals to adopt healthy (or avoid unhealthy) behaviors may have disproportionately positive health consequences for workers who (are about to) permanently withdraw from the labor market."

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Aging in America Conference Attendees Told Who Will 'Transform Aging'

Aging in America 2012 Conference The conference is held each year to allow those interested in aging and older adults to come together to talk, learn and advocate for their various agencies, businesses and institutions, as explained in the conference introduction. Three thousand attendees were expected for the event. With 80 million Americans reaching age 65 from 2011 to 2029, all aspects of American life will be affected, just as they have been throughout the lifetimes of the baby boomer generation. Putting Effects of Baby Boomer Aging into Perspective Ken Dychtwald, CEO of AgeWave and noted gerontologist, was one of the panel of presenters at the conference. Dychtwald said just as hospitals, pediatricians, schools and other institutions were strained by the volume of those people born from 1946 to 1964, so it is with health care and geriatric medicine today, according to the Huffington Post. Solutions for Dealing with Aging and the Future Baby boomers have done more than strain institutions and budgets throughout the decades. As Dychtwald stated, "Anyone who thinks (the boomers) will turn 65 and be the same as the generation before are missing out on the last 60 years of sociology. The boomers change every stage of life through which they migrate." Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer of United Healthcare, said the single biggest factor driving the cost of health care upward is the care required for chronic diseases. Preventive care is becoming increasingly important -- and covered -- by health insurance providers. Scripps Howard columnist Ann McFeatter reported Dychtwald's proposed solutions for the future in CrescentNews.com: Americans need to take control of their health by avoiding unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking and becoming/remaining overweight; more funding is needed for scientific research to eliminate, control and cure diseases affecting older adults; and more health care professionals need to be better versed in health and lifestyle issues associated with aging. Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of "The Red Man" state. With what he hopes is an everyman's view of life's concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions.

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How to Communicate with Younger Colleagues

In today's workforce, baby boomers constantly interact with younger co-workers and managers. These younger workers have been raised in a generation of social media, with connectivity always and everywhere. Individuals constantly update their status and current events via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, texting, and other technologies. If anything new or unexpected occurs, friends are notified immediately. This tendency to constantly update and make on-the-fly changes sometimes leads to reluctance to meet commitments for meetings and appointments. When baby boomers were young, our technology was pretty basic. We called each other from a land line, mail was in written form and took days to arrive, and "being connected" meant you knew people, rather than were accessible 24/7. Making plans required planning in advance, and last-minute changes happened only for emergencies. Our lives may have seemed less flexible, but we generally met commitments and arrived on time. With the advent of today's smart phones, people are perpetually connected. Why worry about making changes in advance when, with a quick text, plans are easily altered at the last moment. It is a new way of thinking. Being late has become acceptable as long as you warn your companion before the actual hour ticks by. Fewer people feel obligated to honor specific time commitments since they can quickly make changes on the fly. Without feeling a need to stick to a scheduled event, a mindset develops that accepts last-minute changes as the norm, often frustrating those patiently waiting at the other end. Have you had the experience of arriving on time only to receive a last minute message that "plans have changed" as your young friend lays out an alternative agenda? Some young people make on-again, off-again arrangements for a visit which changes multiple times until the very last minute. I have learned to write in pencil on my calendar and believe the kids are coming only when they physically walk through the front door. Another concern is the incredible distraction that perpetual connectivity encourages. Everywhere you go people are using smart phones to communicate and update their status. Lunches are interrupted, conversations misunderstood, and attention is diverted from where it should be directed. Not only does it give the impression that those on the other end are more important than the person you are currently engaged with, but it can be dangerous. Every day I see people texting while driving. There is a time and a place for connectivity. A balance needs to be maintained if we are to best interact with each other. Respect for each other's time and busy life is a basic tenant of living and working together harmoniously. Calendars are typically packed with events for the weeks and months ahead as we carefully monitor and balance free time with our obligations. We count on others to be there when they say, and that most changes will be made in advance. This new lifestyle with instant access everywhere is not a bad thing. It is a powerful technology with broad applications that can be more effective if better controlled and managed. Baby boomers should attempt to understand that this is how the younger generation operates and adapt accordingly. If you have an appointment, reconfirm as the date gets closer. If you experience a last-minute change of plans, don't get angry. At least you were made aware of the delay and understand what is happening, rather than wondering what is up. Feel free to inform others that you are a bit of a stickler when it comes to being on time, but realize that you may be in the minority. Since it appears that perpetual connectivity is here to stay, a little tolerance can go a long way.

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Do Baby Boomers Resent Their Children?

When new research came out recently about 20-somethings' financial struggles, the survey also revealed some encouraging news: Not only are members of Gen Y optimistic about their future, but older Americans--Gen Y's parents and grandparents--agreed that young people today have it rough. That kind of cross-generational solidarity suggests a mutual understanding and support network that Gen Yers desperately need to get on their feet. After all, some experts have found that help from family members, in the form of emotional support or financial assistance, can make the difference between falling further behind and finding a way to move forward. Luckily, many of today's 20-somethings benefit from so-called "helicopter parenting" and continued closeness with their parents--one reason why at least 1 in 4 feel comfortable enough to move back home after college graduation. But the comments left by readers in response to our recent articles on the subject suggest that a far stormier relationship might be lurking beneath those cheery survey findings. Comments left by older Americans are often full of resentment toward the younger generation, describing them as spoiled brats who don't know how to be frugal and lack any appreciation for what's been given to them. In response to the finding that half of young adults have taken jobs they don't want in order to pay bills, a commenter calling himself "old unemployed guy" wrote, "The shock! The horror! It's called being a grown up and it really sucks. Fortunately there is a support group that meets at the corner bar every night." Another commenter wrote, "The problem with Generation Y is that they're[sic] idiotic enough to believe government can fix the economy." Another focused on student-loan debt and argued that young people should not complain about having so much of it. Rick of Texas wrote, "We worked our way through school, and graduated without debt. I have two sons, and both worked their way through school. If you built up debt going through school, you have to pay it off." A commenter calling herself Kathryn also disagreed with the premise that young people have it harder today. "Things are no harder now, than [they were] in their grandparents' generation. They just want more, and sooner. They see the house the earlier generations have, and automatically think that is what they should have," she wrote. The harsh words also flowed in the other direction. A younger American, calling himself Danny of New York, wrote, "I am really tired of older Americans trying to talk about how younger Americans are stupid? The economy is crap, not because of us but because of you." Another story that profiled a young man surviving on $20,000 a year drew similar ire from older commenters. They wrote that it was irresponsible to live without health insurance and that he was too young to understand how hard life would become once he also had a family to support. These commenters raise questions about how older and younger Americans are truly getting along. We might be living together more than in the past, and be more involved in each other's daily decisions and lives, but do we like each other? What explains this intergenerational anger? Do older Americans resent younger ones, and if so, why? Does either generation really have it "better" than the other? The unfortunate truth might be that the economy has made it harder for everyone--young and old--to feel good about their financial state. And that frustration easily pours out into angry comments.

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The Challenges of Launching an Encore Career

Many people dream about launching a second career in a field they have always wanted to try. But the transition into an encore career can be a long and costly process. Most people earn a significantly lower amount of money (43 percent) or no money at all (24 percent) during the transition from one job to the next, according to a recent MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures survey conducted by Penn Schoen Berland. The online survey of 253 adults between ages 44 and 70 who are currently in encore careers found that over half (57 percent) of these older workers had to tap their personal savings to make ends meet during the transition. "That transition is not necessarily a very easy or a sure thing," says Jim Emerman, executive vice president of Civic Ventures. "The financial hardship of the transition, while not really surprising, really jumped out at us as one of the big challenges." It often takes a significant amount of time for older workers to launch second careers. Three quarters of the survey respondents currently in encore careers experienced an employment gap of longer than 6 months. And a third (34 percent) of these older workers were unemployed for two or more years before they found another job. Some people used that time to volunteer (23 percent) or retrain by taking college courses (20 percent). When Lisa Roger, 53, a former software engineering project director, was laid off in 2009, she faced a substantial reduction in income for about 14 months. She had to use her savings, collect unemployment benefits, and sign up for COBRA continuing health coverage to make ends meet. During the transition she participated in the Encore Hartford program in Storrs, Conn., a fellowship that helps experienced professionals transition to the nonprofit sector. She eventually found a new job as a family self-sufficiency services manager for the Norwalk Housing Authority. "Today I don't make nearly the salary that I did as a software engineer and I am ok with that," Roger says. "The work is incredibility rewarding. I know I am making a difference." The new job has caused her to reevaluate her retirement plans. "I used to feel that I was going to retire at a really early age, before 65," Roger says. "The career that I am in now, I see myself going beyond that because it is so rewarding." Older workers are motivated to make a career change by a variety of financial and personal reasons. Insufficient income (28 percent) and inadequate savings (25 percent) were among the top reasons for making the switch. But realizing that some lifetime goals have yet to be fulfilled (28 percent) and a desire to make a bigger difference in the world (21 percent) also play a large role in decisions to move on to something new. Sometimes the transition is sparked by health problems (15 percent), an empty nest (11 percent), or hitting a specific age such as 50 (12 percent). Some people also speak of a spiritual calling into a new line of work (12 percent). Most people switched into new jobs at for-profit businesses (22 percent) or nonprofit organizations (20 percent). Education (19 Percent), health care (15 percent), and government agencies (6 percent) are also popular second career choices. "Some people will work longer in their current jobs, whatever they are, and other people will want a change," says Emerman. Often the new job comes with shorter hours and a more flexible schedule. People in encore careers work an average of 30.5 hours per week, the Civic Ventures survey found. Almost half of people who made a career change (47 percent) did so between ages 50 and 59. Only 3 percent of those surveyed changed careers at age 60 or older. The typical person in an encore career expects to continue working for an average of another 11 years and eventually retire at an average age of 69. They have an average of 24 years of work experience. Many individuals need to keep working for the income (69 percent) and benefits (30 percent). Other people launch second careers to stay active and productive (58 percent), pursue a new challenge (6 percent), and because they simply enjoy the work (31 percent). Some older workers also want to give something back by helping others in the community (35 percent) and staying involved with other people (19 percent). "People are living much longer and they are healthier, and so they want to stay engaged. People need and want and are able to work longer," says Emerman. "If people are out of work now or worried about their current job, the idea of a next career that combines continued financial security with personal satisfaction and something that they are passionate about is very strong."

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