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USA WEB ALERT

 

U.S. Reference Service

Public Affairs Section

U.S. Embassy in Australia

 

August 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  

 

East Asia and the Pacific

South Asia and Afghanistan

Russia and the Caucasus

Middle East

Defense and international security

Terrorism, extremism and homeland security

 

Economics and finance

Agriculture and food

Energy

Climate change  

Health

 

Education

Science and mathematics education  

Government and politics  

Justice and law enforcement  

Media and advertising

Telecommunications and the internet

 

 

 

FEATURED ITEM

 

Campus Connections 

eJournal USA, August 2009 

http://www.america.gov/publications/ejournalusa/0809.html 

A globalized economy makes business and employment spill across national boundaries, so an education abroad is likely to make a young person better prepared for the world’s future. Almost double the numbers of students travel abroad for an education today as compared with 20 years ago. Campus Connections examines the international study experience and its influence on individual growth. eJournal USA is an electronic journal of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. 

 

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EAST ASIA and the PACIFIC 

 

Asia-Pacific U.S. Military Overview 

Briefing by Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), at the Foreign Press Center, U.S. Dept of State, July 28, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/126572.htm 

 

Ushering in Change: A New Era for U.S. Regional Policy in the Pacific 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, July 29, 2009 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1105 

For transcripts, please go to

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp

and scroll down. This hearing looks at U.S. policy in relation to the smaller island nations of the Pacific. 

 

Closing Remarks for U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue 

Remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo, and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, July 28, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/july/126599.htm 

There is a joint press release on the First Round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue at

http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg242.htm

and a joint fact sheet on the Economic Track at

http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg240.htm 

 

China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy 

Congressional Research Service, updated July 10, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/128379.pdf 

 

Human Rights in China: Trends and Policy Implications 

Congressional Research Service, updated July 13, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/128378.pdf 

 

Managing Strategic Competition with China 

Phillip G. Saunders, Institute for National Strategic Studies, Strategic Forum, July 2009 

http://www.ndu.edu/inss/Strforum/SF242/SF242.pdf 

 

A Question of Balance: Political Context and Military Aspects of the China-Taiwan Dispute 

RAND, 2009 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG888.pdf 

There is a summary, August 5, 2009, at

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG888/index.html 

 

China’s New Think Tanks: Where Officials, Entrepreneurs, and Scholars Interact 

Cheng Li, Hoover Institution, China Leadership Monitor, Summer 2009 

http://media.hoover.org/documents/CLM29CL.pdf 

There is a brief summary at

http://www.hoover.org/publications/clm/issues/52971792.html 

 

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SOUTH ASIA and AFGHANISTAN 

 

Pakistan 2009 

Annotated webliography with hyperlinks, by Muir S. Fairchild Research Information Center, July 2009 

http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/pakistan09.htm 

 

Afghanistan’s Narco War: Breaking the Link between Drug Traffickers and the Insurgents 

A report to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, August 10, 2009 

http://www.foreign.senate.gov/afghan.pdf 

There is a press release at

http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=316988 

 

How Opium Profits the Taliban

Gretchen Peters, U.S. Institute of Peace, August 2009 

http://www.usip.org/files/resources/taliban_opium_1.pdf 

 

Afghanistan’s Police: The Weak Link in Security Sector Reform 

Robert M. Perito, U.S. Institute of Peace, August 2009 

http://www.usip.org/files/resources/afghanistan_police.pdf 

 

Afghanistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance 

Congressional Research Service, July 14, 2009 

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40699_20090714.pdf 

 

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RUSSIA and THE CAUCASUS 

 

The U.S. Security Relationship with Russia and its Impact on Transatlantic Security 

Statement by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip H. Gordon to the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, July 30, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/rm/2009/126769.htm 

For other witnesses’ testimony, please go to

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

 

The Reset Button Has Been Pushed: Kicking off a New Era in U.S.-Russian Relations 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, July 28, 2009 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1104 

For transcripts, please go to

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

 

Georgia: One Year after the August War 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, August 4, 2009 

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090804p.html 

 

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MIDDLE EAST 

 

U.S.-Iraq Withdrawal/Status of Forces Agreement: Issues for Congressional Oversight 

Congressional Research Service, updated July 13, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/128352.pdf 

 

Withdrawing from Iraq: Alternative Schedules, Associated Risks, and Mitigating Strategies 

RAND, July 2009 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG882.pdf 

There is a short summary at

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG882/?ref=homepage&key=t_iraq_withdrawal 

 

Iran Status Report: Iran and the Challenges to U.S. Policy 

Anthony H. Cordesman and Adam C. Seitz, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University, August 11, 2009 

http://csis.org/files/publication/090812_iranbrief.pdf 

 

Minimizing Potential Threats from Iran: Assessing Economic Sanctions and Other U.S. Policy Options 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, July 30, 2009 

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1f18fbbb-aae7-436c-bf8e-bfa12c59ae71 

 

Iran Sanctions 

Congressional Research Service, July 9, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/127295.pdf 

 

U.S. Foreign Assistance to the Middle East: Historical Background, Recent Trends, and the FY2010 Request 

Congressional Research Service, July 17, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/128331.pdf 

 

Internet in the Middle East and North Africa 

OpenNet Initiative, August 2009 

http://opennet.net/research/regions/mena 

The OpenNet Initiative blog has an extensive Q&A on the report and its findings:

http://opennet.net/blog/2009/08/oni-releases-2009-middle-east-north-africa-research 

 

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DEFENSE and INTERNATIONAL SECURITY 

 

The Long Road from Prague 

Address by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, August 14, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/t/vci/rls/127958.htm 

In this address, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Verification, Compliance, and Implementation outlines the Obama Administration’s policy on arms control and nuclear disarmament, and looks at issues relating to the START treaty (which expires on December 5, 2009), the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, and efforts towards a fissile material cutoff treaty. 

 

Remarks to U.S. Strategic Command Deterrence Symposium 

Remarks by U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher, at the U.S. Strategic Command, Omaha, Nebraska, July 30, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/t/us/126862.htm 

 

Strategic Arms Control after START: Issues and Options 

Congressional Research Service, July 9, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/128392.pdf 

 

Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1874 on North Korea 

Briefing by Philip S. Goldberg, U.S. Coordinator for Implementation of UNSC Resolution 1874, August 13, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/aug/127860.htm 

 

Climate Change and National Security 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, July 30, 2009 

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=a9b14e35-802a-23ad-4c3f-77bca7f663e0 

 

New Challenges for International Peacekeeping Operations 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, July 29, 2009 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1106 

For transcripts, please go to

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

 

U.S. Department of State Surpasses Target of 75,000 Trained Peacekeepers by 2010 

U.S. Dept of State, July 23, 2009 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/july/126396.htm 

 

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TERRORISM, EXTREMISM and HOMELAND SECURITY 

 

A New Approach to Safeguarding Americans 

Address by John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, August 6, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-John-Brennan-at-the-Center-for-Strategic-and-International-Studies/ 

There is a summary at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/A-New-Approach-to-Combating-Violent-Extremism/ 

 

Striking a Balance on Counterterrorism Policies 

Interview with Steven Simon, Council on Foreign Relations, August 10, 2009 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/19992/ 

 

Reforming the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and Detainee Policy 

Opening statement by committee chairman Ike Skelton at a hearing on Reforming the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and Detainee Policy, before the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, July 24, 2009 

http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/SkeltonOS072409.shtml 

For witness testimony, please go to

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

 

Proposals for Reform of the Military Commissions System 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Commission on the Judiciary, July 30, 2009 

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_090730.html 

 

Prosecuting Terrorists: Civil and Military Trials for GTMO and Beyond 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, July 28, 2009 

http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=4002 

 

Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues 

Congressional Research Service, July 20, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/128329.pdf 

 

Understanding Why Terrorist Operations Succeed or Fail 

Brian A. Jackson and David R. Frelinger, RAND, August 2009 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2009/RAND_OP257.pdf 

There is a short summary of this 41-page paper at

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP257/

 

The Second Wave: Return of the Militias 

Southern Poverty Law Center, August 2009 

http://www.splcenter.org/images/dynamic/main/The_Second_Wave.pdf 

There is a summary of this 24-page study of domestic extremist groups in the United States at

http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=392

and a news release at

http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=393

 

The Macroeconomic Impacts of the 9/11 Attack: Evidence from Real-Time Forecasting 

Working paper by Bryan W. Roberts, U.S. Dept of Homeland Security, August 2009 

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/publications/ois_wp_impacts_911.pdf 

 

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosives Consequence Management 

Opening statement by subcommittee chairman Adam Smith at a hearing on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosives Consequence Management, before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, July 28, 2009 

http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/SmithOS072809.shtml 

For witness testimony, please go to

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

 

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ECONOMICS and FINANCE

 

The Economic Outlook and the Fed’s Balance Sheet: The Issue of “How” versus “When” 

Speech by William C. Dudley, president and chief executive officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, July 29, 2009 

http://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2009/dud090729.html 

 

Financial Intermediation and the Post-Crisis Financial System 

Speech by Donald L. Kohn, vice-chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve, July 10, 2009 

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kohn20090710a.htm 

 

Regulatory Perspectives on the Obama Administration’s Financial Regulatory Reform Proposals 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, July 22, 2009 

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/fchr_072209.shtml 

 

Industry Perspectives on the Obama Administration’s Financial Regulatory Reform Proposals 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, July 17, 2009 

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hrfc_071709.shtml 

 

Banking Industry Perspectives on the Obama Administration’s Financial Regulatory Reform Proposals 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, July 15, 2009 

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/fchr_071509.shtml 

 

Regulatory Restructuring: Balancing the Independence of the Federal Reserve in Monetary Policy with Systemic Risk Regulation 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, July 9, 2009 

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hrdmp_070909.shtml 

 

Strengthening and Streamlining Prudential Bank Supervision 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, August 4, 2009 

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=f52f78d8-b048-4e33-8b50-8ae5c7c4f73c 

 

Regulatory Modernization: Perspectives on Insurance 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, July 28, 2009 

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=f998d04a-7ef1-4a53-b178-e033fdb2815b 

 

Regulating Hedge Funds and Other Private Investment Pools 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, July 15, 2009 

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=b4b5348b-ba91-4512-bca2-bf45b2e5fbde 

Of related interest is this U.S. Department of the Treasury fact sheet, July 15, 2009:

http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg214.htm 

 

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AGRICULTURE and FOOD 

 

Issues and Prospects in Corn, Soybean, and Wheat Futures Markets: New Entrants, Price Volatility, and Market Performance Implications 

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

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/FDS/2009/08Aug/FDS09G01/FDS09G01.pdf 

 

U.S. Food Import Patterns, 1998-2007 

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

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/FAU/2009/08Aug/FAU125/FAU125.pdf 

 

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ENERGY 

 

America’s Energy Future: Technology and Transformation 

Summary edition. National Academies Press, 2009 

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12710 

Information about the full edition (650 pages) is at

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12091

and a news release, July 28, 2009, is at

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12710 

 

President Obama Announces $2.4 Billion in Grants to Accelerate the Manufacturing and Deployment of the Next Generation of U.S. Batteries and Electric Vehicles 

The White House, August 5, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/24-Billion-in-Grants-to-Accelerate-the-Manufacturing-and-Deployment-of-the-Next-Generation-of-US-Batteries-and-Electric-Vehicles/ 

 

Moving America toward a Clean Energy Economy and Reducing Global Warming Pollution: Legislative Tools 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, July 7, 2009 

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=36d4e3a5-802a-23ad-46dc-18337864995f 

 

Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy 

McKinsey, July 2009 

http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/electricpowernaturalgas/downloads/US_energy_efficiency_full_report.pdf 

There is an EPA statement on the report at

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6427a6b7538955c585257359003f0230/5b2e6d9aa8d257758525760200686356 

 

Energy Market and Economic Impacts of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 

Energy Information Administration, U.S. Dept of Energy, August 4, 2009 

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/hr2454/index.html 

The report is also in PDF format at

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/hr2454/pdf/sroiaf(2009)05.pdf 

 

What is the Status of the U.S. Nuclear Industry? 

Energy Information Administration, U.S. Dept of Energy, Energy in Brief, updated August 10, 2009 

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/nuclear_industry.cfm 

 

The Peak Oil Debate 

Laurel Graefe, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Economic Review, 2009, No.2 

http://www.frbatlanta.org/filelegacydocs/er0902_graefe.pdf 

There is a summary at

http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=1D013A74-5056-9F12-12091C5E6619AFB5&method=display_body 

 

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CLIMATE CHANGE 

 

Climate Change and Ensuring That America Leads the Clean Energy Transformation 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, August 6, 2009 

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=cdecc040-802a-23ad-4421-dd97594eaafb 

 

The Use of Offsets to Reduce Greenhouse Gases 

Congressional Budget Office, August 3, 2009 

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/104xx/doc10497/08-03-Offsets.pdf 

 

Greenhouse Gas Legislation: Summary and Analysis of H.R. 2454 as Passed by the House of Representatives 

Congressional Research Service, July 27, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/127293.pdf 

 

Fifty-Year Record of Glacier Change Reveals Shifting Climate in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, USA 

U.S. Geological Survey, August 2009 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3046/pdf/fs20093046.pdf 

See also http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3046/

and a news release at

http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/080609b.html 

 

Declaration of the Leaders: The Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate 

Declaration at summit at L’Aquila, Italy, July 9, 2009 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Declaration-of-the-Leaders-the-Major-Economies-Forum-on-Energy-and-Climate/ 

 

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HEALTH 

 

Health Care Reform: An Introduction 

Congressional Research Service, July 29, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/127294.pdf 

 

Comprehensive Health Insurance Reform: An Essential Prescription for Women 

Report of the Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress, August 6, 2009 

http://jec.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Reports.Reports&ContentRecord_id=efb1d290-5056-8059-7656-1205b6b933c1&Region_id=&Issue_id 

There is a press release at

http://www.jec.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Press.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=f14a0d08-5056-8059-76c7-70ecbc91639c 

 

Health Care Cost Growth and the Economic Performance of U.S. Industries 

RAND fact sheet, July 2009 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/2009/RAND_RB9465.pdf 

There is a news release at

http://www.rand.org/news/press/2009/07/23/ 

 

The Five Most Costly Conditions, 1996 and 2006: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 

Statistical brief, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, July 2009 

http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st248/stat248.pdf 

 

U.S. Obesity Trends: Trends by State, 1985-2008 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, July 2009 

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html 

There is a press release at

http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/r090708.htm 

 

CDC Launches New Environmental Public Health Tracking Network 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), news release, July 7, 2009 

http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/r090707.htm 

For the network, please see

http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showHome.action 

 

Protecting Patients from Defective Medical Devices 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, August 4, 2009 

http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_08_04/2009_08_04.html 

 

Back to Basics: Ten Steps to Save 85,000 Lives and $35 Billion a Year in Health Care Delivery 

Public Citizen, August 6, 2009 

http://www.citizen.org/documents/BackToBasics.pdf 

There is a news release at

http://www.publiccitizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2943 

 

Wisdom at Work: Retaining Experienced Nurses 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, June 2009 

http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=43408 

The text (79 pages) is at

http://www.rwjf.org/files/publications/other/wisdomatwork.pdf

and there is a news release, July 29, 2009, at

http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/product.jsp?id=46431 

 

Beyond Readiness: An Examination of the Current Status and Future Outlook of the National Response to Pandemic Influenza 

Hearing before the U.S. House Dept of Homeland Security, July 29, 2009 

http://homeland.house.gov/Hearings/index.asp?ID=209 

 

Influenza A(H1N1) and Pandemic Preparedness under the Rule of International Law 

Lawrence O. Gostin, O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law Scholarship, Georgetown University, July 7, 2009 

http://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/ois_papers/28/ 

 

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EDUCATION 

 

U.S. Performance across International Assessments of Student Achievement 

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2009. National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education, August 2009 

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009083 

The text in PDF format (85 pages) is at

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009083.pdf

and there is a summary at

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2009/analysis/ 

 

AASL Announces Inaugural Best Web Sites for Teaching and Learning 

News release, American Library Association, July 15, 2009 

http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/july2009/top25_aasl.cfm 

This describes an initiative of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). The list and related material are at

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsites.cfm 

 

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SCIENCE and MATHEMATICS EDUCATION 

 

Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood: Paths toward Excellence and Equity 

Report by a committee of the National Research Council. National Academies Press, 2009 

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12519 

There is a news release about this 448-page report at

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12519 

 

A Systems Approach to Improving K-12 STEM Education 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, July 30, 2009 

http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2562 

 

Encouraging the Participation of Female Students in STEM Fields 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, July 21, 2009 

http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2541 

 

Students Who Study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in Postsecondary Education 

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

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009161.pdf 

There is a brief summary at

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009161 

 

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GOVERNMENT and POLITICS 

 

Federal Elections 2008: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives 

Federal Election Commission (FEC), July 2009 

http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2008/federalelections2008.shtml 

The full report (181 pages, 7.4 MB) is at

http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2008/federalelections2008.pdf

and a news release, August 6, 2009, is at

http://www.fec.gov/press/press2009/20090806_ElectionResults.shtml 

 

Pro Publica and Sunlight Lift the Lid on Foreign Lobbying 

News release, Sunlight Foundation, August 18, 2009 

http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2009/08/18/pro-publica-and-sunlight-lift-the-lid-on-foreign-lobbying/ 

This describes the new Foreign Lobbying Influence Tracker database

http://www.foreignlobbying.org/ 

 

State/Local Employment Up Slightly since Start of Recession, but Cuts Are Now Underway 

Donald J. Boyd, Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, August 20, 2009 

http://www.rockinst.org/pdf/government_finance/2009-08-20-State_Local_Employment.pdf 

There is a press release about this 21-page study at

http://www.rockinst.org/newsroom/news_releases/2009/2009-08-20-state_local_employment_up.aspx 

 

The Size and Role of Government: Economic Issues 

Congressional Research Service, July 1, 2009 

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL32162_20090701.pdf 

 

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JUSTICE and LAW ENFORCEMENT 

 

The Changing Face of the Federal Judiciary 

Russell Wheeler, Brookings Institution, August 2009 

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2009/08_federal_judiciary_wheeler/08_federal_judiciary_wheeler.pdf 

There is a study of this 17-page study of recent trends in the composition of the U.S. federal judiciary at

http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2009/08_federal_judiciary_wheeler.aspx 

 

Over-Criminalization of Conduct/Over-Federalization of Criminal Law 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, July 22, 2009 

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_090722_2.html 

 

Mandatory Minimums and Unintended Consequences 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, July 14, 2009 

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_090714.html 

 

No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences in America 

Ashley Nellis and Ryan S. King, The Sentencing Project, July 2009 

http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/inc_noexit.pdf 

There is a news release at

http://www.sentencingproject.org/detail/news.cfm?news_id=754&id=167 

 

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MEDIA and ADVERTISING 

 

The U.S. Newspaper Industry in Transition 

Congressional Research Service, July 8, 2009 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/126872.pdf 

 

Rethinking the Children’s Television Act for a Digital Age 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, July 22, 2009 

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=caf69233-a0a4-4c94-8411-d51c651430b6 

 

Duke Puts Historic Ads on ITunes 

News release, Duke University, July 21, 2009 

http://durham.mync.com/site/durham/news/story/38628/duke-puts-historic-commercials-on-itunes/ 

This digital collection of vintage television commercials is at

http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adviews/  

 

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS and THE INTERNET 

 

Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband: Issues for Congress 

Congressional Research Service, July 13, 2009 

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40674_20090713.pdf 

 

Teens and Mobile Phones over the Past Five Years: Pew Internet Looks Back 

Amanda Lenhart, Pew Internet & American Life Project, August 2009 

http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2009/PIP%20Teens%20and%20Mobile%20Phones%20Data%20Memo.pdf 

There is an overview at

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/14--Teens-and-Mobile-Phones-Data-Memo.aspx 

 

The Audience for Online Video-Sharing Sites Shoots Up 

Pew Internet & American Life Project, July 2009 

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/13--The-Audience-for-Online-VideoSharing-Sites-Shoots-Up.aspx?r=1 

The text in PDF format is at

http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2009/The-Audience-for-Online-Video-Sharing-Sites-Shoots-Up.pdf 

 

Parental Controls and Online Child Protection: A Survey of Tools and Methods 

Progress & Freedom Foundation, 2009 

http://www.pff.org/parentalcontrols/Parental%20Controls%20&%20Online%20Child%20Protection%20[VERSION%204.0].pdf 

There is a summary of this 253-page study at http://www.pff.org/parentalcontrols/ 

 

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____________________________________________________________________________________

 

U.S. Reference Service

 

Canberra: Alexis Yeadon

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

 

Sydney: Peter Gilbert

[NSW, QLD]