INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

INCOME TAXES

Schedule of components of the income tax benefit/ (expense)

	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2018		2017		2016
Current
State	$	19	$	(4)	$	(95)
Deferred
Federal		190,195		—		—
State		5,859		—		—
		196,054		—		—
Total income tax benefit (expense), net	$	196,073	$	(4)	$	(95)

Schedule of impacts of the differences between the expected U.S. federal statutory income tax to our income tax expense

		Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2018		2017		2016
Expected tax at federal statutory rate	$	44,154	$	46,997	$	20,871
State income tax, net of federal benefit		(5,878)		4		—
Non-deductible executive compensation		747		987		925
Noncontrolling interest		(2,367)		—		—
Other		310		(1,506)		(122)
Impact of tax reform rate change		—		124,017		—
Change in valuation allowance		(233,039)		(170,495)		(21,579)
Income tax expense (benefit), net	$	(196,073)	$	4	$	95

Schedule of significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities

	As of December 31,
(In thousands)	2018		2017
Deferred tax assets
Net operating loss carryforwards	$	215,497	$	257,000
Research and development tax credit carryforwards		56,231		57,000
Other		1,647		3,000
Total deferred tax assets before valuation allowance		273,375		317,000
Valuation allowance		(64,199)		(303,000)
Total deferred tax assets		209,176		14,000
Deferred tax liabilities
Debt issuance discount and other		(13,122)		(14,000)
Net deferred tax assets	$	196,054	$	—

Summary of changes in unrecognized tax benefits

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits are as follows (in thousands):

(In thousands)
Unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015	$	15,488
Gross decrease in tax portions for 2018		(75)
Unrecognized tax benefits as of  December 31, 2018	$	15,413