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Public Affairs Section
U.S. Embassy in Australia
December 2008
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Alert is produced by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Mission to
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International economic issues,
trade and investment
Defense and international
security
Environment
and climate change
Government,
public administration and budget
Communications and information technology
Choosing a
Career
eJournal USA, December 2008
http://www.america.gov/publications/ejournalusa/1208.html
This
issue of eJournal USA looks at “the
many varied paths that Americans take on their way to find their life’s work.
Professionals in various fields explain how they got there, and some wrong
turns they made along the way. Experts describe how young people can weigh and
explore the options before them.” eJournal
USA is an online publication of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of
International Information Programs. The full text of this issue in PDF format
is at http://www.america.gov/media/pdf/ejs/1208ej.pdf
Pacific Currents:
The Responses of U.S. Allies and Security Partners in East Asia to China’s
Rise
RAND,
2008
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG736.pdf
There
is a news release about this 309-page publication, November 17, 2008, at
http://www.rand.org/news/press/2008/11/17/
Statement by U.S.
Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr.,
at the EcoPartnerships signing during the
U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue, in Beijing, December 4, 2008
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1309.htm
There
is a U.S. fact sheet, “Energy and Environment Accomplishments”, at
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1310.htm,
and a U.S.-China joint fact sheet, “Ten Year
Energy and Environment Cooperation”, at
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp1311.htm
Chinese Corporate
Governance: History and Institutional Framework
RAND,
2008
http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2008/RAND_TR618.pdf
There
is a brief summary at
http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR618/
Restoring the
Balance: A Middle East Strategy for the Next President
Edited
by Richard N. Haass and Martin S. Indyk, Saban Center-Council on Foreign
Relations Middle East Strategy Project, 2008
http://www.brookings.edu/projects/saban-cfr/middle_east_strategy.aspx
There
is a summary of this 288-page book at
http://www.brookings.edu/press/Books/2008/restoringthebalance.aspx
Evaluating Iraq’s
Provincial Reconstruction Teams While Drawdown Looms: A USIP Trip Report
Rusty
Barber and Sam Parker, U.S. Institute of Peace, December 2008
http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2008/1208_iraq_prt.html
Iran: U.S. Concerns
and Policy Responses
Congressional
Research Service report, updated November 24, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/113241.pdf
Iran
A
partly annotated bibliography with hyperlinks, by the Muir S. Fairchild
Research Information Center, November 2008
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/iran08.htm
U.S. Diplomacy in
the Americas: A Conversation with the Diplomatic Corps
U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas A. Shannon
and United States Ambassadors to western hemisphere countries, December 5,
2008
http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/rm/2008/q4/112956.htm
China’s New Foray
into Latin America
David
Shambaugh, YaleGlobal, November 17, 2008
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=11615
Argentina: Background
and U.S. Relations
Congressional
Research Service report, November 5, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/112396.pdf
NAFTA and the
Mexican Economy
Congressional
Research Service report, November 4, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/112402.pdf
The U.S. Economy
and Financial System
Remarks
by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr., December 1, 2008
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1301.htm
Assessing the
Potential for Instability in Financial Markets
Speech
by Randall S. Kroszner, a governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve, in Geneva,
December 8, 2008
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kroszner20081208a.htm
Questions about the
$700 Billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Funds
The
First Report of the Congressional Oversight Panel for Economic Stabilization,
December 10, 2008
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/cop121008.pdf
Economic Slowdown:
Issues and Policies
Congressional
Research Service report, updated November 26, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/113238.pdf
Restoring Financial
Intermediation by Banks: The Role of Regulators
Speech
by Donald L. Kohn, Vice Chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve, December 8, 2008
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kohn20081208a.htm
FDIC Study of Bank
Overdraft Programs
Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), November 2008
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/overdraft/FDIC138_Report_FinalTOC.pdf
There
is a summary of this 120-page report at
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/overdraft/FDIC138_ExecutiveSummary.pdf
and a brief study with links to the data at
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/overdraft/
OTC Derivatives
Oversight and Infrastructure
President’s
Working Group on Financial Markets announces initiatives to strengthen OTC
derivatives oversight and infrastructure. U.S. Dept of the Treasury, November
14, 2008
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1272.htm
Hedge Funds and the
Financial Market
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, November
13, 2008
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=2271
SEC Approves
Measures to Strengthen Oversight of Credit Rating Agencies
News
release, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), December 3, 2008
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2008/2008-284.htm
There
is a fact sheet at
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2008/nrsrofactsheet-120308.htm
Executive
Compensation
Resources
compiled by the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services
http://financialservices.house.gov/ExecutiveCompensation.html
Immigration and the
Macroeconomy
Working
paper by Federico S. Mandelman and Andrei Zlate, Federal Reserve Bank of
Atlanta, November 2008
http://www.frbatlanta.org/filelegacydocs/wp0825.pdf
Review of Industry
Plans to Stabilize the Financial Condition of the American Automobile Industry
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, December 5, 2008
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr120508.shtml
Auto
industry stabilization plans submitted by the Chrysler, Ford, and General
Motors companies respectively are at
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/press1202083.shtml, http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/press120208.shtml,
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/press1202082.shtml
The State of the
Domestic Auto Industry, Part II
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs,
December 4, 2008
Examining the State
of the Domestic Automobile Industry
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs,
November 18, 2008
Stabilizing the Financial
Condition of the American Automobile Industry
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, November 19, 2008
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr111908.shtml
When Giants Fall:
Shutdown of One or More U.S. Automakers Could Eliminate up to 3.3 Million U.S. Jobs
Briefing
paper by Robert E. Scott, Economic Policy Institute, December 3, 2008
http://www.epi.org/briefingpapers/227/bp227.pdf
The Ripple Effect:
Why Failure of the Big 3 Is Not an Option
Office
of Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, 2008
http://maloney.house.gov/documents/economy/employment/The%20Ripple%20Effect%20(2).pdf
Federal Loans to
the Auto Industry under the Energy Independence and Security Act
Congressional
Research Service report, November 13, 2008
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34743_20081113.pdf
Housing, Mortgage
Markets, and Foreclosures
Speech
by Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve, December 4, 2008
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/bernanke20081204a.htm
The Community
Reinvestment Act and the Recent Mortgage Crisis
Speech
by Randall S. Kroszner, a governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve, December 3,
2008
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kroszner20081203a.htm
The Global
Financial Crisis and the IMF’s Response
Address
by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Mark Sobel, December 2,
2008
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1307.htm
The U.S. Financial
Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy
Congressional
Research Service report, November 18, 2008
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34742.pdf
U.S.-China Economic
Relations
Remarks
by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr., December 2, 2008
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1306.htm
United States and
China Announce $20 Billion in Finance Facilities That
Will Create up to
$38 Billion in Annual Trade Finance to
Assist Global Trade
U.S.
Dept of the Treasury, December 5, 2008
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1318.htm
China and the
Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States
Congressional
Research Service report, updated November 17, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/112547.pdf
China’s Currency: A
Summary of the Economic Issues
Congressional
Research Service report, updated November 20, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/113210.pdf
International
Financial Institution Reform
Remarks
by U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Clay Lowery at the Reinventing
Bretton Woods Committee Conference on Building an International Monetary and
Financial System for the 12st Century, November 24, 2008
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1288.htm
Sixty Years:
Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
U.S.
Dept of State, Bureau of International Information Programs, eJournal USA, November 2008
http://www.america.gov/publications/ejournalusa/1108.html
This
issue of eJournal USA celebrates the
60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; it
explores the document’s origins, sites it within humanity’s common intellectual
heritage, and explains how it has bettered the lives of individuals in every
corner of the globe.
Trouble Plagues UN
Human Rights Council
Backgrounder
by Lauren Vriens, Council on Foreign Relations, December 9, 2008
http://www.cfr.org/publication/9991/
The 2009 U.N.
Durban Review Conference: Follow-up to the 2001 U.N. World Conference Against Racism
Congressional
Research Service report, November 20, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/113209.pdf
Preventing
Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers
Final
report of the Genocide Prevention Task Force, December 2008
http://www.usip.org/genocide_taskforce/report.html
The
Genocide Prevention Task Force was chaired by Madeleine K. Albright and William
S. Cohen, respectively Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense in the Clinton
Administration.
Treasury’s Approach
toward Combating Kleptocracy
Prepared
remarks of U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Patrick O’Brien, December
1, 2008
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1300.htm
DEFENSE and INTERNATIONAL
SECURITY
A Balanced
Strategy: Reprogramming the Pentagon for a New Age
Robert
M. Gates, Council on Foreign Relations, Foreign
Affairs, January-February 2009
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20090101faessay88103/robert-m-gates/a-balanced-strategy.html
Robert
M. Gates is the U.S. Secretary of Defense. On December 1, 2008, President-Elect
Barack Obama announced that he would ask Secretary Gates to continue in this
role after the new Administration takes office on January 20, 2009.
World at Risk
The
Report of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Proliferation and Terrorism, December 2008
http://www.preventwmd.gov/report/
The
full report is also available at
http://documents.scribd.com/docs/2avb51ejt0uadzxm2wpt.pdf
Defending against
Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism
White
House fact sheet, December 3, 2008
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/12/20081203-4.html
Nuclear Energy:
Policies and Technology for the 21st Century
Nuclear
Energy Advisory Committee report to the U.S. Secretary of Energy, November
2008
http://www.ne.doe.gov/pdfFiles/rpt_NEPoliciesTechnologyfor21stCentury_Nov2008.pdf
Strengthening Our
Economy: The Untapped U.S. Oil and Gas Resources
A
report prepared for the American Petroleum Institute, December 5, 2008
http://api-ec.api.org/Newsroom/upload/Access_Study_Final_Report_12_8_08.pdf
There
is a news release at
http://api-ec.api.org/Newsroom/icf_study.cfm
Developments in Oil
Shale
Congressional
Research Service report, November 17, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/113204.pdf
Challenges to
Globalizing Natural Gas
Backgrounder
by Toni Johnson, Council on Foreign Relations, December 8, 2008
http://www.cfr.org/publication/17946/
Gasoline Prices:
Causes of Volatility and Congressional Response
Congressional
Research Service report, updated November 13, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/113236.pdf
ENVIRONMENT and CLIMATE CHANGE
DOI Climate Change
Task Force Draft Subcommittee Reports
U.S.
Dept of the Interior, December 2008
http://www.usgs.gov/global_change/doi_taskforce.asp#reports
This
site contains links to the three reports. There is a news release at
http://www.doi.gov/news/08_News_Releases/120308a.html
Emissions of
Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2007
U.S.
Dept of Energy, Energy Information Administration, December 2008
ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oiaf/1605/cdrom/pdf/ggrpt/057307.pdf
The U.S.
Government’s Methane to Markets Partnership Accomplishments
Third
annual report, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, November 2008
http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets/pdf/2008-accomplish-report/m2m08_usg_report_08_scrnrez.pdf
There
is a news release at
International
Climate Change Programs: Lessons Learned from the European Union Emission Trading Scheme and the Kyoto Protocol’s
Clean Development Mechanism
Government
Accountability Office (GAO) report, November 2008
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09151.pdf
The World Bank’s
Clean Technology Fund (CTF)
Congressional
Research Service report, November 24, 2008
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22989_20081124.pdf
Trends in Emissions
of Ozone-Depleting Substances, Ozone Layer Recovery, and Implications for Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure
U.S.
Climate Change Science Program, November 2008
http://downloads.climatescience.gov/sap/sap2-4/sap2-4-final-all.pdf
Outlook for U.S.
Agricultural Trade
U.S.
Dept of Agriculture, December 1, 2008
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/AES/AES-12-01-2008.pdf
Earlier
documents in this series are available at
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1196
Fluctuating Food
Commodity Prices: A Complex Issue with No Easy Answers
U.S.
Dept of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Amber Waves, November 2008
http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/November08/Features/FoodPrices.htm
Federal Biomass
Board Releases Biofuel Feedstocks Report
News
release, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, December 4, 2008
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/12/0304.xml
The
text of the report, Increasing Feedstock
Production for Biofuels (167 pages), is available at http://www.brdisolutions.com/default.aspx
Genetically
Engineered Crops: Agencies are Proposing Changes to
Improve Oversight, but Could Take
Additional Steps to Enhance Coordination and Monitoring
Government
Accountability Office (GAO) report, November 2008
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0960.pdf
U.S. International
Aviation Policy and Challenges
Remarks
by John Byerly, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation
Affairs, December 4, 2008
http://www.state.gov/e/eeb/rls/rm/2008/112998.htm
Transformation of
the National Air Transportation System
Executive
Order, the White House, Washington DC, November 18, 2008
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/11/20081118.html
Requirements for
Private Aircraft Arriving and Departing the United States
Fact
sheet, U.S. Dept of Homeland Security, November 17, 2008
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1226943980107.shtm
The
final rule is at
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-26621.htm
Emerging
Infections: A Perpetual Challenge
David
M. Morens, Gregory K. Folkers, and Anthony S. Fauci, The Lancet, November 2008
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/about/directors/pdf/EmergingInfectionsLancetID.pdf
Annual Report to
the Nation Finds Declines in Cancer Incidence and Death Rates
News
release, U.S. National Institutes of Health, November 25, 2008
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2008/nci-25.htm
How is a Shortage
of Primary Care Physicians Affecting the Quality and Cost of Medical Care?
A
Comprehensive Evidence Review, American College of Physicians, November
2008
http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/policy/primary_shortage.pdf
There
is a news release at
http://www.acponline.org/pressroom/primary_shortage.htm?hp
Measuring Up 2008:
The National Report Card on Higher Education
National
Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2008
http://measuringup2008.highereducation.org/print/NCPPHEMUNationalRpt.pdf
There
are summaries at
http://measuringup2008.highereducation.org/index.php
Addressing the
Teacher Qualification Gap: Exploring the Use and Efficacy of Incentives to Reward Teachers for Tough Assignments
Report
by Dan Goldhaber, Center for American Progress, November 2008
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/11/pdf/teacher_qualification_gap.pdf
There
is a summary at
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/11/teacher_qualification_gap.html
California’s Future
Workforce: Will There Be Enough College Graduates?
Public
Policy Institute of California, December 2008
http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_1208DRR.pdf
There
is a press release at http://www.ppic.org/main/pressrelease.asp?i=898
Valuing the
Invaluable: The Economic Value of Family Caregiving, 2008 Update
AARP
Public Policy Institute, November 2008
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/i13_caregiving.pdf
There
is a summary at
http://www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility/caregiving/i13_caregiving.html
Serving People in
Need, Safeguarding Religious Freedom: Recommendations for the New Administration on Partnerships with
Faith-Based Organizations
Melissa
Rogers and E.J. Dionne Jr., the Brookings Institution, December 2008
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2008/12_religion_dionne/12_religion_dionne.pdf
There
is an executive summary at
and a brief summary with links to related
resources at
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2008/12_religion_dionne.aspx
Recognition of
Excellence in Aging Research
Report
of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, December 2008
http://www.aging.senate.gov/award/report.pdf
The
report describes U.S. federally-funded research that addresses the well-being
of older adults in a wide range of areas. There is a news release at
http://aging.senate.gov/hearing_detail.cfm?id=305689&
CDC Childhood
Injury Report: Patterns of Unintentional Injuries among 0-19 Year Olds in the United States, 2000-2006
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Dept of Health and Human
Services, December 2008
http://www.cdc.gov/SafeChild/images/CDC-ChildhoodInjury.pdf
There
is a summary at
http://www.cdc.gov/safechild/Child_Injury_Data.htm
and a press release at
http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r081210.htm
World Report on
Child Injury Prevention
World
Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, December 2008
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2008/9789241563574_eng.pdf
There
is a news release at
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr46/en/index.html
GOVERNMENT,
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION and BUDGET
Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming
Administrations
Congressional Research Service report, updated November
25, 2008
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/113208.pdf
“Fast Track” Parliamentary Procedures of the Emergency Economic
Stabilization Act
Congressional Research Service report, November 14,
2008
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22985_20081114.pdf
Thinking about Tomorrow
Report by Andrew J. Rettenmaier and Thomas R.
Saving, National Center for Policy Analysis, December 2008
http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st/st317/st317.pdf
This report from a non-government think tank looks
at U.S. federal government liabilities under the Social Security and Medicare
programs.
There is a news release, “Medicare, Social Security
Owe up to $52 Trillion to Current Retirees and Workers”, at
http://www.ncpa.org/prs/rel/2008/12032008.html
New National Survey Reveals Escalating Budget Crisis for States
National Conference of State Legislatures, December
4, 2008
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/press/2008/pr120408SBUDec08.htm
COMMUNICATIONS and
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Securing Cyberspace
for the 44th Presidency: A Report of the CSIS Commission on
Cybersecurity
for the 44th Presidency
Center
for Strategic and International Studies (Washington DC), December 2008
http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/081208_securingcyberspace_44.pdf
There
is a brief summary at
http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_pubs/task,view/id,5157/
Living and Learning
with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project
John
D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, November 2008
http://www.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7BB0386CE3-8B29-4162-8098-E466FB856794%7D/DML_ETHNOG_WHITEPAPER.PDF
Online Threats to
Youth: Solicitation, Harassment, and Problematic Content
Literature
review by the Research Advisory Board of the Internet Safety Technical Task
Force, draft version, November 14, 2008
http://www.zephoria.org/isttf/ISTTF-LitReviewDraft.pdf
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