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USA WEB ALERT

 

U.S. Reference Service

Public Affairs Section

U.S. Embassy in Australia

 

April 2009

 

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Web Alert is produced by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Mission to Australia as a free service to our subscribers.  The views expressed in these documents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. federal government.

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TOPICS IN THIS WEB ALERT:

 

Featured item  

 

Middle East

South Asia and Afghanistan

Defense and international security

Terrorism, extremism and homeland security

 

Economics and finance

International economic relations and trade

Development and international assistance  

Agriculture and food  

 

Fisheries and marine environment

Energy

Climate change

Water

Science, technology and space

 

Transportation and infrastructure

Cities

Labor

Education

Nonprofits and volunteering

Arts and entertainment

 

Politics and elections  

Public administration and budget  

 

Internet

Intellectual property  

 

 

 

FEATURED ITEM

 

Energy Efficiency: The First Fuel 

eJournal USA, April 2009 

http://www.america.gov/publications/ejournalusa/0409.html  

Increasing the efficient use of existing energy supplies is widely acknowledged as the fastest, cheapest, and cleanest way to meet future energy needs. Energy Efficiency: The First Fuel examines the strong U.S. record of tapping efficiency as a resource, and the accelerated efforts by individuals, organizations, and governments to squeeze greater productivity from all energy sources. eJournal USA is an online journal of the U.S. Department of State. 

 

TOP

 

 

MIDDLE EAST 

 

Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience 

Briefing by Stuart Bowen, Jr., U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq, at the Foreign Press Center, U.S. Dept of State, April 14, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/121681.htm 

 

Iraq: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight 

Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, March 2009 

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09294sp.pdf 

 

Land, Property, and the Challenge of Return for Iraq’s Displaced 

Deborah Isser and Peter Van der Auweraert, U.S. Institute of Peace, April 2009 

http://library.usip.org/articles/1012167.1075/1.PDF 

There is a summary at

http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr221.html 

 

The Return and Resettlement of Displaced Iraqis 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, March 31, 2009  

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090331pp.html 

 

Poor Policy, Not Sanctions, Weaken Iran’s Economy 

Interview with Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, interviewed by Greg Bruno, Council on Foreign Relations, March 26, 2009 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/18937/ 

Djavad Salehi-Isfahani is professor of economics at Virginia Tech, and a nonresident guest scholar at the Brookings Institution. 

 

The Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) 

Congressional Research Service, updated March 9, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/121921.pdf 

 

Lebanon 

Briefing by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Hale and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl, at the Foreign Press Center, U.S. Dept of State, April 8, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/121571.htm 

 

Update on Lebanon 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 24, 2009 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1057 

For transcripts, please go to

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down. 

 

The Oil Boom in the GCC Countries, 2002-2008: Old Challenges, Changing Dynamics 

Ibrahim Saif, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, March 2009 

http://carnegieendowment.org/files/cmec15_saif_final.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=22869&prog=zgp&proj=zme with a link to the full text in Arabic. 

 

TOP

 

 

SOUTH ASIA and AFGHANISTAN 

 

A New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan 

The White House, March 27, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/27/A-New-Strategy-for-Afghanistan-and-Pakistan/ 

There is a 6-page White Paper on the new policy at http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Afghanistan-Pakistan_White_Paper.pdf

and a further description at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Whats-New-in-the-Strategy-for-Afghanistan-and-Pakistan/ 

 

President Obama’s Afghanistan-Pakistan (AFPAK) Strategy 

Briefing by General James Jones, U.S. National Security Adviser, at the Foreign Press Center, U.S. Dept of State, March 27, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/120965.htm 

 

Obama’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Strategy: ‘A Reasonable First Step’ 

Interview with Stephen Biddle, interviewed by Bernard Gwertzman, Council on Foreign Relations, March 30, 2009 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/18982/ 

 

U.S. Strategy for Afghanistan: Achieving Peace and Stability in the Graveyard of Empires 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, April 2, 2009  

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1062 

For transcripts, please go to

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down. 

 

U.S. Policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, April 1, 2009 

http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=3758 

 

Remarks at the International Conference on Afghanistan 

Remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in The Hague, March 31, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/03/121037.htm 

 

Negotiating with the Taliban 

Views of six experts. Council on Foreign Relations, March 20, 2009 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/18893/ 

The experts whose views are presented here are Shuja Nawaz; Thomas H. Johnson; Robert Templer; Hilary Synnott; Michael Semple; and Masood Aziz. 

 

Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, April 1, 2009 

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090401p.html 

 

Pakistan’s Fragile Foundations 

Backgrounder by Jayshree Bajoria, Council on Foreign Relations, March 12, 2009 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/18749/ 

 

Reforming the Intelligence Agencies in Pakistan’s Transitional Democracy 

Frederic Grare, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, March 2009 

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/pakistan_intelligence_transitional_democracy.pdf 

There is a summary of this 109-page publication at

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=22817&prog=zgp&proj=zsa 

 

Remarks on India 

Remarks by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg, at the Brookings Institution, March 23, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/s/d/2009/120856.htm 

 

TOP

 

 

DEFENSE and INTERNATIONAL SECURITY 

 

Address by President Obama in Prague 

White House Press Office, April 5, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-By-President-Barack-Obama-In-Prague-As-Delivered/ 

In this major speech, President Obama addressed issues relating to U.S. nuclear weapons policy, arms control, and disarmament. 

 

START Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms 

Fact sheet, U.S. Dept of State, April 1, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/t/vci/rls/121027.htm 

 

The Status of U.S. Strategic Programs 

Opening statement by subcommittee chair Ellen Tauscher at a hearing on The Status of U.S. Strategic Programs, before the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, March 17, 2009 

http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/tauscheros031709.shtml 

For transcripts, please go to

http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml and scroll down. 

 

Project on National Security Reform: Commentary and Alternate Views 

Opening statement by subcommittee chairman Vic Snyder at hearing on National Security Reform: Commentary and Alternate Views, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, March 19, 2009 

http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/snyderos031909.shtml 

For transcripts, please go to

http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml and scroll down. 

 

Future Naval Capabilities 

Opening statement by subcommittee chairman Gene Taylor at hearing on Future Naval Capabilities of the U.S. Maritime Forces, before the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, March 26, 2009 

http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/tayloros032609.shtml 

For transcripts, please go to

http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml and scroll down. 

 

The Current and Future Roles, Missions, and Capabilities of U.S. Military Land Power 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Airland, U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, March 26, 2009 

http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=3738 

A transcript of the hearing is now available at

 http://armed-services.senate.gov/Transcripts/2009/03%20March/Airland/09-15%20-%203-26-09.pdf 

 

Special Operations Forces: Challenges and Opportunities 

Opening statement by subcommittee chairman Adam Smith at a hearing on Special Operations Forces: Challenges and Opportunities, before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, March 3, 2009 

http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/smithos030309.shtml 

For transcripts, please go to

http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml and scroll down. 

 

TOP

 

 

TERRORISM, EXTREMISM and HOMELAND SECURITY 

 

The New Age of Irregular Warfare: Challenges and Opportunities 

Opening statement by subcommittee chairman Adam Smith at a hearing on The New Age of Irregular Warfare: Challenges and Opportunities, before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, April 2, 2009 

http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/smithos040209.shtml 

 

100% Air Cargo Screening: Can We Secure America’s Skies?

 Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, March 18, 2009 

http://homeland.house.gov/Hearings/index.asp?ID=179 

 

TOP

 

 

ECONOMICS and FINANCE

 

A New Foundation 

Speech by President Barack Obama, at Georgetown University, April 14, 2009 

http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2009/April/20090414142247eaifas0.3019068.html 

 

Monetary Policy in the Financial Crisis 

Speech by Donald L. Kohn, vice chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve, April 18, 2009 

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kohn20090418a.htm 

 

Financial Innovation and Consumer Protection 

Speech by Ben S. Bernanke, chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve, April 17, 2009 

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/bernanke20090417a.htm 

 

Four Questions about the Financial Crisis 

Speech by Ben S. Bernanke, chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve, April 14, 2009 

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/bernanke20090414a.htm 

The four questions referred to in the title are: How Did We Get Here? What is the Fed Doing to Address the Situation? Does the Fed’s Aggressive Response Risk Inflation down the Road? and

Why Did the Fed and the Treasury Act to Prevent the Bankruptcy of Some Major Financial Firms? 

 

The Return of Depression Economics? 

Briefing by Professor Paul Krugman at the Foreign Press Center, U.S. Dept of State, April 13, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/121662.htm 

Paul Krugman is professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University. 

 

Could a Systemic Regulator Have Seen the Current Crisis? 

Speech by Eric S. Rosengren, president and chief executive officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, April 15, 2009 

http://www.bos.frb.org/news/speeches/rosengren/2009/041509.htm 

 

The Panic of 2008 

Speech by Kevin Warsh, a governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve, April 6, 2009 

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/warsh20090406a.htm 

 

Policies to Bring Us out of the Financial Crisis and Recession 

Speech by Donald L. Kohn, vice chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve, April 3, 2009 

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kohn20090403a.htm 

 

Economic Policy: Lessons from the New Deal 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, March 31, 2009 

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=f5afa171-b136-4f39-9b81-27937a9bbd3b 

 

Better Late than Never: Addressing Too-Big-To-Fail 

Speech by Gary H. Stern, president, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, March 31, 2009 

http://www.minneapolisfed.org/news_events/pres/Stern03-31-09.cfm 

 

Treasury Outlines Framework for Regulatory Reform 

U.S. Dept of the Treasury, March 26, 2009 

http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg72.htm 

 

Remarks before the Council on Foreign Relations 

Remarks by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner before the Council on Foreign Relations, March 25, 2009 

http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg68.htm 

In this speech, the Treasury Secretary describes the Obama Administration’s actions to confront economic and financial challenges facing the United States. 

 

Primer: The Financial Stability Plan 

Backgrounder by Lee Hudson Teslik, Council on Foreign Relations, March 24, 2009 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/18921/ 

 

A Framework for Analyzing Bank Lending 

Speech by Elizabeth A. Duke, a governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve, March 30, 2009 

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/F918CF1E7D0C4ABCBE1BDCB5E4918006.htm 

 

Lessons Learned in Risk Management Oversight at Federal Financial Regulators 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, March 18, 2009 

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=5cd439f6-e2fa-4b9b-b78d-6d86c3c07aa4 

 

The Credit Crisis and Cycle Proof Regulation 

The 2009 Homer Jones Lecture, by Raghuram Rajan. Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, April 15, 2009 

http://www.stlouisfed.org/news/fiyc/assets/2009HomerJones.pdf 

Raghuram Rajan is professor in finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. 

 

Current Issues in Deposit Insurance 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, March 19, 2009 

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=bc4ca0f7-a282-4112-8422-18750ef0dd70 

 

Mortgage Lending Reform: A Comprehensive Review of the American Mortgage System 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, March 11, 2009 

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr0311092.shtml 

 

Technological Change, Financial Innovation, and Diffusion in Banking 

Working paper by W. Scott Frame and Lawrence J. White, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, March 2009 

http://www.frbatlanta.org/filelegacydocs/wp0910.pdf 

This 33-page paper discusses the technological change and financial innovation that commercial banking has experienced in the past 25 years. There is a summary at

http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=19B5C40B-5056-9F12-1245D4FD2BB3C59E&method=display 

 

Lessons of the Financial Crisis 

Benn Steil, Council on Foreign Relations, March 2009 

http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Financial_Regulation_CSR45.pdf 

 

Reform of Financial Markets: The Collapse of Market Fundamentalism and the First Steps to Revitalize the Economy 

Mark Cooper and Barbara Roper, Consumer Federation of America, April 2009 

http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/FinancialMarketReformReport.pdf 

There is an issue brief at

http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/FinancialMarketReformIssueBrief.pdf and a press release at http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Press_Release_Market_Fundamentalism_4_06_09.pdf 

 

‘Too Big to Fail’? The Role of Antitrust Law in Government-Funded Consolidation in the Banking Industry 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, March 17, 2009 

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_090317.html 

 

Merger Review of Firms in Financial Distress 

EAG discussion paper by Ken Heyer and Sheldon Kimmel, Economic Analysis Group (EAG), Antitrust Division, U.S. Dept of Justice, March 2009 

http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/eag/244098.pdf 

 

Remarks by the President on the American Automotive Industry 

Remarks by President Obama, March 30, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-the-American-Automotive-Industry-3/30/09/ 

 

The Wall Street Journal Survey of CEO Compensation 

Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2009 

http://graphicsweb.wsj.com/php/CEOPAY09.html 

 

Innovation in Small Business: Drivers of Change and Value Use 

C.J. Isom and David R. Jarczyk, Small Business Administration, March 2009 

http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs342tot.pdf 

There is a fact sheet at

http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/factsinnovation09.pdf 

 

Research on the Economic Impact of Cooperatives 

Findings of a project of the U.S. Dept of Agriculture; the Wisconsin Dept of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; the University of Wisconsin at Madison; and the National Cooperative Business Association, 2009 

http://reic.uwcc.wisc.edu/ 

There is a news release, April 8, 2009, at

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/0/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2009%2F04%2F0094.xml&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NEWS_RELEASE#7_2_5JM 

 

TOP

 

 

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS and TRADE 

 

Money, Markets, and Sovereignty 

Briefing with Dr Benn Steil, Council on Foreign Relations, at the Foreign Press Center, U.S. Dept of State, April 14, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/121915.htm 

Dr Steil is senior fellow and director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York. 

 

International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies 

Release of Semi-Annual Report to Congress on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies. Statement by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, April 15, 2009 

http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg90.htm 

There are links to the report and appendices. 

 

2009 Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers 

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), March 2009 

http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2009/2009_National_Trade_Estimate_Report_on_Foreign_Trade_Barriers/Section_Index.html 

There is a USTR news release at

http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2009/March/USTR_Identifies_International_Trade_Barriers,_Outlines_Efforts_to_Open_Markets_for_UShtml.html

 

China-U.S. Trade Issues 

Congressional Research Service, updated March 4, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/121916.pdf 

 

TOP

 

 

DEVELOPMENT and INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE 

 

USAID in the 21st Century 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, April 1, 2009 

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090401a.html 

 

2008 U.S. Official Development Assistance 

U.S. Dept of State, March 30, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/03/120982.htm 

(statistical summary) 

 

Striking the Appropriate Balance: The Defense Department’s Expanding Role in Foreign Assistance 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 18, 2009 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1054 

For transcripts, please go to

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down. 

 

Swimming against the Tide: How Developing Countries are Coping with the Global Crisis 

World Bank, March 2009 

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/NEWS/Resources/swimmingagainstthetide-march2009.pdf 

There is a news release at

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22093316~menuPK:34463~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html 

 

TOP

 

 

AGRICULTURE and FOOD 

 

The 2008-2009 World Economic Crisis: What It Means for U.S. Agriculture 

Economic Research Service, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, March 2009 

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/WRS0902/WRS0902.pdf 

 

Agricultural Commodity Price Spikes in the 1970s and 1990s: Valuable Lessons for Today 

Economic Research Service, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Amber Waves, March 2009 

http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/March09/Features/AgCommodityPrices.htm 

 

Growing Crops for Biofuels Has Spillover Effects 

Economic Research Service, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Amber Waves, March 2009 

http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/March09/Features/Biofuels.htm 

 

Land Use Effects of U.S. Corn-Based Ethanol 

Thomas L. Darlington, published by Renewable Fuels Association, February 24, 2009 

http://www.ethanolrfa.org/objects/documents/2192/land_use_effects_of_us_corn-based_ethanol.pdf 

 

The Impact of Ethanol Use on Food Prices and Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

Congressional Budget Office, April 2009 

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10057/04-08-Ethanol.pdf 

There is a blog entry, summarizing the publication, at http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=228 

 

Traceability in the Food Supply Chain 

Office of Inspector General, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, March 2009 

http://www.oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-02-06-00210.pdf 

 

TOP

 

 

FISHERIES and MARINE ENVIRONMENT 

 

The South Pacific Tuna Treaty: Next Steps for Renewal 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, April 2, 2009 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1061 

For transcripts, please go to

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down. 

 

Hungry Oceans: What Happens When the Prey is Gone? 

Oceana, March 2009 

http://oceana.org/fileadmin/oceana/uploads/Hungry_oceans/hungry_oceans_OCEANA_01.pdf 

There is a news release at

http://oceana.org/north-america/media-center/press-releases/all-press-releases/press_release/0/964/ 

 

A Rising Tide of Ocean Debris and What We Can Do about It 

Ocean Conservancy, March 2009 

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=icc_report 

There is a press release at

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=12527&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=press_ 

 

TOP

 

 

ENERGY 

 

Building a Sustainable Energy Future 

Draft for public comment, National Science Board, April 10, 2009 

http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2009/comments_se_report.pdf 

There is an announcement at http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/committees/se/pub_comment.jsp and a news release, April 14, 2009, at

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114501&org=OLPA&from=news 

 

On Pending Legislation to Strengthen American Manufacturing through Improved Industrial Energy Efficiency 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, March 26, 2009 

http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1f9bb14e-dc99-9ef6-9d1a-793133e82d0b 

 

Annual Wind Energy Report: Year Ending 2008 

American Wind Energy Association, April 2009 

http://www.awea.org/publications/reports/AWEA-Annual-Wind-Report-2009.pdf 

There is a news release at

http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/Annual_Industry_Rankings_2009_041209.html 

 

U.S. Solar Industry Year in Review 2008 

Solar Energy Industries Association, March 2009 

http://www.seia.org/galleries/pdf/2008_Year_in_Review-small.pdf  

There is a news release at

http://www.seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=385 

 

Three Mile Island: Looking Back on 30 Years of Lessons Learned 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, March 24, 2009 

http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=14bb4a7c-802a-23ad-47ef-d330baa4c02b 

 

TOP

 

 

CLIMATE CHANGE 

 

Proposed Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act 

Finding by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), April 17, 2009 

http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html 

There is a press release describing the context of this EPA action at

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/0EF7DF675805295D8525759B00566924 

 

Evaluating Options for U.S. Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation Using Multiple Criteria 

RAND, 2009 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2009/RAND_OP252.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP252/ 

 

Price Volatility in Climate Change Legislation 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, March 26, 2009 

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=668 

 

Flexibility in the Timing of Emission Reductions under a Cap-and-Trade Program 

Statement by Congressional Budget Office director Douglas W. Elmendorf to a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, March 26, 2009 

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10020/03-26-Cap&Trade_Testimony.1.1.shtml 

 

Trade Aspects of Climate Change Legislation 
Hearing before the Subcommittee on Trade, U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, March 24, 2009 

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=667 

 

Monitoring, Verification, and Accounting for CO2 Stored in Deep Geologic Formations 

National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Dept of Energy (DOE), March 2009 

http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/carbon_seq/refshelf/MVA_Document.pdf 

There is a DOE news release at

http://www.fossil.energy.gov/news/techlines/2009/09016-DOE_Releases_MVA_Report.html 

 

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WATER 

 

The California Drought: Actions by Federal and State Agencies to Address Impacts on Lands, Fisheries, and Water Users 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, March 31, 2009 

http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=54&extmode=view&extid=238 

 

EPA’s Role in Promoting Water Use Efficiency 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, March 31, 2009 

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=3aebcf6c-802a-23ad-4859-ebf9c54463d7 

 

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY and SPACE 

 

Draft National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research 

National Institutes of Health, April 17, 2009 

http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/2009draft 

 

Federal R&D Obligations to Universities and Colleges Totaled $25 Billion in FY 2007 

National Science Foundation, March 2009 

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf09313/ 

 

More Than 9,000 National Academies Reports Now Available in Open Access 

News release, the National Academies, April 10, 2009 

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=04102009 

“The National Academies today announced the completion of the first phase of a partnership with Google to digitize the library’s collection of reports from 1863 to 1997, making them available – free, searchable, and in full text – through Google Book Search. The Academies plan to have their entire collection of nearly 11,000 reports digitized by 2011.” 

 

The Budgetary Implications of NASA’s Current Plans for Space Exploration 

Congressional Budget Office, April 2009 

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10051/04-15-NASA.pdf 

 

Export Controls on Satellite Technology 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, April 2, 2009 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1060 

For transcripts, please go to

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down. 

 

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TRANSPORTATION and INFRASTRUCTURE 

 

A Vision for High-Speed Rail in America 

Remarks by President Obama and Vice President Biden, April 16, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-and-the-Vice-President-on-High-Speed-Rail/ 

Federal Railroad Administration information about this is at

http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/31 

 

High Speed Passenger Rail: Future Development Will Depend on Addressing Financial and Other Challenges and Establishing a Clear Federal Role 

Government Accountability Office (GAO), March 2009 

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09317.pdf 

 

The Need for Transportation Investment 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, March 25, 2009 

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1bb31d28-802a-23ad-44f0-eda8794c5bbb 

 

The Role of Research in Addressing Climate in Transportation Infrastructure 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, March 31, 2009 

http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2400 

 

Examining Federal Vehicle Technology Research and Development Programs 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, March 24, 2009 

http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2395 

 

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CITIES 

 

Getting Current: Recent Demographic Trends in Metropolitan America 

Brookings Institution, March 2009 

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2009/03_metro_demographic_trends/03_metro_demographic_trends.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2009/03_metro_demographic_trends.aspx 

 

Miracle Mets: Our Fifty States Matter a Lot Less Than Our 100 Largest Metro Areas 

Bruce Katz, Mark Muro and Jennifer Bradley, Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, Spring 2009 

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/articles/2009/0311_metro_katz/0311_metro_katz.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2009/0311_metro_katz.aspx 

 

Philadelphia 2009: The State of the City 

Pew Charitable Trusts, March 2009 

http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Philadelphia-area_grantmaking/PRI_09ReportSNGL.pdf 

There is a news release at

http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=50476 

 

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LABOR 

 

Explaining Trends in Wages, Work, and Occupations 

David H. Autor, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago Fed Letter, April 2009 

http://www.chicagofed.org/publications/fedletter/cflapril2009_261.pdf 

 

Job Sprawl Revisited: The Changing Geography of Metropolitan Employment 

Elizabeth Kneebone, Brookings Institution, April 2009 

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2009/0406_job_sprawl_kneebone/20090406_jobsprawl_kneebone.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2009/0406_job_sprawl_kneebone.aspx 

 

U.S. Labor Market in 2008: Economy in Recession 

Monthly Labor Review, March 2009 

http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2009/03/art1full.pdf 

 

Substantial Job Losses in 2008: Weakness Broadens and Deepens across Industries 

Monthly Labor Review, March 2009 

http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2009/03/art2full.pdf 

 

Green Jobs and Their Role in Our Economic Recovery 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, March 31, 2009 

http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/2009/03/green-jobs-and-their-role-in-o.shtml 

 

Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2008 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Dept of Labor, March 2009 

http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2008.htm 

 

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EDUCATION 

 

A Complete and Competitive American Education 

Speech by President Barack Obama to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, March 10, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-the-President-to-the-United-States-Hispanic-Chamber-of-Commerce/ 

 

Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries: 2009 

National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education, March 2009 

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009039.pdf 

 

The Rapid Growth and Changing Complexion of Suburban Public Schools 

Richard Fry, Pew Hispanic Center, March 31, 2009 

http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/105.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1173/suburban-schools-rapid-growth-latino-enrollment 

 

Charter Schools in Eight States: Effects on Achievement, Attainment, Integration, and Competition 

RAND, 2009 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG869.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG869/ 

 

Achieving Excellence at Scale: State Support for High-Performing Charter School Expansion 

Issue brief, NGA Center for Best Practices, April 15, 2009 

http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0904CHARTERSCHOOLEXPANSION.PDF 

There is a news release at

http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.6c9a8a9ebc6ae07eee28aca9501010a0/?vgnextoid=072840abf10b0210VgnVCM1000005e00100aRCRD&vgnextchannel=6d4c8aaa2ebbff00VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD 

 

The Challenge of Establishing World Class Universities 

Jamil Salmi, World Bank, 2009 

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1099079877269/547664-1099079956815/547670-1237305262556/WCU.pdf 

 

Findings from the 2009 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey: Phase I: Applications 

Council of Graduate Schools, April 2009 

http://www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/R_IntlApps09_I.pdf 

 

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NONPROFITS and VOLUNTEERING 

 

Foundations Address the Impact of the Economic Crisis 

Steven Lawrence, The Foundation Center, April 2009 

http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/econ_outlook5.html 

 

Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: Current Outlook: 2009 Edition 

The Foundation Center, March 2009 

http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/fgge09.pdf 

There is a news release at

http://foundationcenter.org/media/news/20090331.html 

 

Nonprofit Finance Fund Survey: America’s Nonprofits in Danger 

Nonprofit Finance Fund, March 26, 2009 

http://www.nonprofitfinancefund.org/content.php?autoID=166 

 

Philanthropy Annual: 2008 Review 

The Foundation Center, 2009 

http://foundationcenter.org/philanthropyannual/philanthropyannual2008.pdf 

There is general information about this 116-page publication at

http://foundationcenter.org/philanthropyannual/;jsessionid=4AGXHKUCDGLNPLAQBQ4CGXD5AAAACI2F 

 

The Next Generation of National Service 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, March 10, 2009 

http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_03_10_b/2009_03_10_b.html 

 

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ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT 

 

The Geography of Buzz: Art, Culture and the Social Milieu in Los Angeles and New York 

Working paper by Elizabeth Currid and Sarah Williams, Norman Lear Center, April 2009 

http://www.learcenter.org/pdf/CurridWilliamsGeogBuzz.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://www.learcenter.org/html/events/index.php?year=&browse=&search=The%20Geography%20of%20Buzz:%20Art,%20Culture%20and%20the%20Social%20Milieu%20in%20Los%20Angeles%20and%20New%20York

and an article in the New York Times, April 7, 2009, at

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/arts/design/07buzz.html 

 

The Economic and Employment Impact of the Arts and Music Industry 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, March 26, 2009 

http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/2009/03/the-economic-and-employment-im.shtml 

The Committee has summarized the respective witnesses’ statements in a news release “Economic Crisis is Having Catastrophic Effects on the Arts and Music, Witnesses Tell House Panel”, at

http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/03/economic-crisis-is-having-cata.shtml 

 

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POLITICS and ELECTIONS 

 

Diverging Coalitions: The Transformation of the American Electorate 

Alan Abramowitz, April 9, 2009 

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=AIA2009040901 

 

The Internet’s Role in Campaign 2008 

Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 2009 

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/6--The-Internets-Role-in-Campaign-2008.aspx?r=1 
There is a PDF version at

http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2009/The_Internets_Role_in_Campaign_2008.pdf 

 

Election 08 Results by District 

Congressional Quarterly Inc., 2009 

http://innovation.cqpolitics.com/atlas/district_08 

This interactive map shows November 2008 Presidential and House of Representative results by House electoral district. There is an announcement, April 6, 2009, at

http://corporate.cq.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=353 

 

Reining in the Imperial Presidency: Lessons and Recommendations Relating to the Presidency of George W. Bush 

Final report by the majority staff of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary to committee chairman John Conyers, Jr., March 2009 

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/printers/111th/IPres090316.pdf 

There is a news release, April 2, 2009, at

http://judiciary.house.gov/news/090402.html 

 

Statehouse Rock: 36 Governorships on the Chopping Block in 2010 

Larry J. Sabato, March 12, 2009 

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=LJS2009031201 

There are further analyses,

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=LJS2009031901 (March 19, 2009) and

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=LJS2009032601 (March 26, 2009). 

 

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PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION and BUDGET 

 

Fiscal Responsibility Summit 

Washington DC, February 23, 2009, report released March 20, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/blog/Fiscal_Responsibility_Summit_Report.pdf 

 

Financial Crisis and Public Policy 

Jagadeesh Gokhale, Cato Institute, March 23, 2009 

http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa634.pdf

 

The Federal Government Debt: Its Size and Economic Significance 

Congressional Research Service, March 4, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/121929.pdf 

 

Tax Compliance and Enforcement Issues with Respect to Offshore Accounts and Entities 

Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, U.S. Congress, March 30, 2009 

http://www.jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=3520 

 

States Strengthen Whistleblower Protection Laws 

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, April 16, 2009 

http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1181 

 

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INTERNET 

 

Internet Typology: The Mobile Difference: Wireless Connectivity Has Drawn Many Users More Deeply into Digital Life 

Pew Internet & American Life Project, March 25, 2009 

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1162/internet-typology-users-mobile-communication-devices 

 

Freedom on the Net: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media 

Freedom House, April 1, 2009 

http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/specialreports/NetFreedom2009/FreedomOnTheNet_FullReport.pdf 

This publication includes country reports on Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. 

 

Internet Crime Report 2008 

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), March 2009 

http://www.nw3c.org/downloads/2008_IC3_Annual%20Report_3_27_09_small.pdf 

There is an FBI news release, March 30, 2009, at

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/internet033009.htm 

 

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

 

Sinking the Copyright Pirates: Global Protection of Intellectual Property 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, April 6, 2009

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1065 

For transcripts, please go to

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down. 

 

The Office of U.S. Trade Representative Releases Summary of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) Negotiations 

News release, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), April 6, 2009 

http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2009/April/The_Office_of_US_Trade_Representative_Releases_Summary_of_Anti-Counterfeiting_Trade_Agreement_(ACTA)_Negotiations.html 

The summary is at

http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Fact_Sheets/2009/asset_upload_file917_15546.pdf 

 

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____________________________________________________________________________________

 

U.S. Reference Service

 

Canberra: Alexis Yeadon

[ACT, NT, SA, TAS, VIC, WA]

 

Sydney: Peter Gilbert

[NSW, QLD]