___________________________________________________________________
U.S. Reference Service
Public Affairs Section
U.S. Embassy in Australia
March 2009
________________________________________________________________________________
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.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Defense and international security
Terrorism, extremism and homeland security
International economic relations and trade
Environment and
climate change
Science,
technology and innovation
Transportation and infrastructure
Government and public
administration
Communications and information technology
Nonviolent Paths to Social
Change
eJournal USA, March 2009
http://www.america.gov/publications/ejournalusa/0309.html
The
past 30 years have seen a surge of nonviolent, “people power” movements around
the world advancing human rights and toppling repressive rulers. This edition
of eJournal USA demonstrates that
nonviolent actions can be more powerful than armed insurrections in bringing
about social change. Articles include
“Nonviolent Thought through U.S. History,” “What Do Community Organizers Do?”
and “The E-Campaign: Rallying Volunteers and Voters”. eJournal USA is an electronic journal of the Department of State’s
Bureau of International Information Programs.
Women’s History Month
http://womenshistorymonth.gov/
March
2009 is Women’s History Month in the United States. This rich website, a joint
project of the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution and five other
prominent American organizations, is a gateway to exhibitions and collections,
images, audio and video files, profiles of eminent American women through the
ages, and material for teachers.
Foreign
Policy and the Global Economic Crisis
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, March 25, 2009
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090325p.html
Foreign Policy Implications
of the Global Economic Crisis
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, February 11, 2009
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090211p.html
The Role of Civil Society
in Building a Stronger, More Peaceful World
Address
by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Indonesian Civil Society
Dinner, Washington DC, February 18, 2009
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/02/119425.htm
Engaging with Muslim
Communities around the World
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, February 26, 2009
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090226p.html
Prospects
for Engagement with Russia
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, March 19, 2009
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090319a.html
U.S.
Strategy Regarding Iran
Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations, March 5, 2009
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090305a.html
Iranian
Political and Nuclear Realities and U.S. Policy Options
Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations, March 3, 2009
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090303a.html
The
Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009
Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House
Committee on Financial Services, March 12, 2009
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr0312092.shtml
The
Iran Sanctions Act (ISA)
Congressional Research Service report, February 2,
2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120545.pdf
Iran:
U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
Congressional Research Service report, updated February
20, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120588.pdf
Saudi-Iranian
Relations since the Fall of Saddam: Rivalry, Cooperation, and Implications for
U.S. Policy
RAND, 2009
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG840.pdf
There is a brief summary at http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG840/
Responsibly
Ending the War in Iraq
Remarks by President Barack Obama at Camp LeJeune,
North Carolina, February 27, 2009
Israeli-Arab
Negotiations: Background, Conflicts, and U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service report, updated
March 9, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120969.pdf
Mapping
Peace between Syria and Israel
Report by Frederic C. Hof, U.S. Institute of Peace,
March 2009
http://library.usip.org/articles/1012101.1042/1.PDF
There is a summary at http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr219.html
Reconstructing
Gaza: Lessons from Lebanon
Alistair Harris, U.S. Institute of Peace, March
2009
http://library.usip.org/articles/1012112.1065/1.PDF
There is a summary at
http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2009/0309_reconstructing_gaza.html
The
New Mideast Map: Israeli Election and the Arab Split
Briefing by Dr David Pollock, senior fellow,
Washington Institute for Near East Policy, at the Foreign Press Center, U.S.
Dept of State, February 11, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/117165.htm
Building a Strategic
Partnership: U.S.-India Relations in the Wake of Mumbai
Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
February 26, 2009
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1049
For
witness testimony, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down.
Recent Developments in Sri
Lanka
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, February 24, 2009
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090224p.html
Afghanistan and Pakistan:
Understanding a Complex Threat Environment
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform, March 4, 2009
http://nationalsecurity.oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=2325
Afghanistan: Post-Taliban
Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
Congressional
Research Service, March 4, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120961.pdf
The Summit of the Americas:
A New Beginning for U.S. Policy in the Region?
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 11, 2009
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1052
For
transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down.
U.S. Policy toward Latin
America in 2009 and Beyond
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, February
4, 2009
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1044
For
transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down.
Guns, Drugs, and Violence:
The Merida Initiative and the Challenge in Mexico
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 18,
2009
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1055
For
transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down.
Law Enforcement Responses
to Mexican Drug Cartels
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, March 17,
2009
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3718
The Violent Drug Market in
Mexico and Lessons from Colombia
Vanda
Felbab-Brown, Brookings Institution, March 2009
There
is a summary at
U.S.-Bolivia Relations:
Looking Ahead
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 3,
2009
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1050
For
transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down.
Cuba: Issues for the 111th
Congress
Congressional
Research Service, updated March 18, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120972.pdf
U.S.-Cuba Relations
Backgrounder
by Stephanie Hanson, Council on Foreign Relations, updated March 11, 2009
http://www.cfr.org/publication/11113/
DEFENSE and INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Security Challenges Arising
from the Global Financial Crisis
Opening
statement by committee chairman Ike Skelton at a hearing on Security Challenges Arising from the Global Financial Crisis, U.S. House Committee on
Armed Services, March 11, 2009
http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/skeltonos031109.shtml
For
witness testimony, please go to http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml
and
scroll down.
Current and Future
Worldwide Threats to the National Security of the United States
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, March 10, 2009
http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=3704
Global Security Engagement:
A New Model for Cooperative Threat Reduction
Report
by a committee of the U.S. National Academies, National Academies Press,
2009
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12583
There
is a news release about this Congressionally mandated report at
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12583
Resources for “Hard Power”:
The 2010 Budget for Defense, Homeland Security, and Related Programs
Michael
O’Hanlon, Brookings Institution, February 2009
There
is a summary at
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2009/02_national_security_budget_ohanlon.aspx?rssid=21defense
Military
Power of the People’s Republic of China 2009: Annual Report to Congress
U.S.
Dept of Defense, March 2009
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Power_Report_2009.pdf
The National Security
Council: An Organizational Assessment
Congressional
Research Service report, February 6, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120585.pdf
Restructuring National
Security and Homeland Security at the White House
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
February 12, 2009
The Role of the National
Security Advisor
Briefing
by I.M. Destler at the Foreign Press Center, U.S. Dept of State, March 16,
2009
http://fpc.state.gov/120437.htm
The Role for the President
and Congress in War: The Recommendations of the National War Powers Commission
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 5, 2009
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1051
War Powers Resolution:
Presidential Compliance
Congressional
Research Service report, updated February 2, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120578.pdf
Strategic Arms Control
after START: Issues and Options
Congressional
Research Service report, February 12, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120590.pdf
Nuclear Weapons R&D
Organizations in Nine Nations
Congressional
Research Service, March 16, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120973.pdf
The
nine nations referred to in the title are China, France, India, Pakistan,
Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, and North Korea.
Options for Deploying
Missile Defenses in Europe
Congressional
Budget Office, February 2009
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10013/02-27-MissileDefense.pdf
The Future of Missile
Defense Testing Programs
Opening
statement by subcommittee chair Ellen Tauscher, at hearing on The Future of Missile Defense Testing Programs, before a
subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, February 25,
2009
http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/tauscheros022509.shtml
For
witness testimony, please go to http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml and scroll down.
National Missile Defense: A
Status Report
Greg
Bruno, Council on Foreign Relations, updated March 18, 2009
http://www.cfr.org/publication/18792/
Space and U.S.
Security
Opening
statement by subcommittee chair Ellen Tauscher at a hearing on Space and U.S. Security before a
subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, March 18, 2009
http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/tauscheros031809.shtml
For
witness testimony, please go to http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml and scroll down.
Peacekeeping/Stabilization
and Conflict Transitions: Background and Congressional Action on the Civilian Response/Reserve Corps and Other Civilian Stabilization
and Reconstruction Capabilities
Congressional
Research Service, February 5, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120582.pdf
TERRORISM, EXTREMISM and HOMELAND
SECURITY
Violent Islamist Extremism:
al-Shabaab Recruitment in America
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
March 11, 2009
Strategies for Countering
Violent Extremist Ideologies
Opening
statement by subcommittee chairman Adam Smith to a hearing on Strategies for Countering Violent Extremist Ideologies, before a subcommittee of
the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, February 12, 2009
http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/smithos021209.shtml
For
witness testimony, please go to http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml and scroll down.
Tracking and Disrupting
Terrorism Financial Networks
Opening
statement by subcommittee chairman Adam Smith to a hearing on Tracking and Disrupting Terrorist Financial Networks: A Potential Model for
Inter-Agency Success? held before a subcommittee of the U.S. House
Committee on Armed Services, March 11, 2009
http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/smithos031109.shtml
For
witness testimony, please go to http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml and scroll down.
Analysis of Legislative
Proposals Addressing Guantanamo Detainees
Congressional Research Service, March 5, 2009
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40419_20090305.pdf
Closing Guantanamo
Backgrounder
by Greg Bruno, Council on Foreign Relations, February 12, 2009
http://www.cfr.org/publication/18525/
The Mumbai Attacks: A
Wake-Up Call for America’s Private Sector
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, March
11, 2009
http://homeland.house.gov/Hearings/index.asp?ID=176
DHS: The Path Forward
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, February 25, 2009
http://homeland.house.gov/Hearings/index.asp?ID=171
The 2009 National
Infrastructure Protection Plan
U.S.
Dept of Homeland Security, 2009
http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/editorial_0827.shtm
The
text in PDF format (188 pages) is at http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/NIPP_Plan.pdf
Responding to an Historic
Economic Crisis: The Obama Program
Discussion
with Lawrence Summers, director, U.S. National Economic Council, at the
Brookings Institution, March 13, 2009
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/events/2009/0313_summers/20090313_summers.pdf
General
information about the event is at
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2009/0313_summers.aspx
Treasury Department
Releases Details on Public Private Partnership Investment Program
U.S.
Dept of the Treasury, March 23, 2009
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg65.htm
There
is a 5-page fact sheet at
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/reports/ppip_fact_sheet.pdf
The Role of the Federal
Reserve in Preserving Financial and Monetary Stability
Joint
statement by the U.S. Dept of the Treasury and the U.S. Federal Reserve, March
23, 2009
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg66.htm
Financial Reform to Address
Systemic Risk
Speech
by Ben S. Bernanke, chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve, March 10, 2009
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/bernanke20090310a.htm
Perspectives on Regulation
of Systemic Risk in the Financial Services Industry
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, March 17, 2009
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/press031709.shtml
Perceptions on Systemic
Risk
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, March
5, 2009
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr030509.shtml
Credit and Liquidity
Programs and the Balance Sheet
Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2009-
http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/bst.htm
“This
section serves, in particular, as a resource for describing the new policy
tools that the Federal Reserve has implemented to address the financial crisis
that emerged during the summer of 2007.”
There
is a press release at
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/other/20090223a.htm
Too Big Has Failed
Address
by Thomas M. Hoenig, president and chief executive officer, Federal Reserve
Bank of Kansas City, March 6, 2009
http://www.kansascityfed.org/speechbio/hoenigPDF/Omaha.03.06.09.pdf
Fixing Finance: A Roadmap
for Reform
Robert
E. Litan and Martin N. Baily, Initiative on Business and Public Policy at
Brookings, Brookings Institution, February 17, 2009
There
is a summary of this 45-page paper at
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2009/0217_finance_baily_litan.aspx
Who Regulates Whom? An
Overview of U.S. Financial Supervision
Congressional
Research Service report, February 24, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120574.pdf
Where Were the Watchdogs?
Systemic Risk and the Breakdown of Financial Governance
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
March 4, 2009
Revisiting the CRA:
Perspectives on the Future of the Community Reinvestment Act
Federal
Reserve Banks of Boston and San Francisco, February 2009
http://www.frbsf.org/publications/community/cra/index.html
This
is a compilation of recent papers, speeches, articles and commentary about the
Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).
The U.S. Economic Stimulus
Plan
Backgrounder
by Lee Hudson Teslik, Council on Foreign Relations, updated February 18,
2009
http://www.cfr.org/publication/18348/
U.S. Economy in Recession:
Similarities to and Differences from the Past
Congressional
Research Service, February 5, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120551.pdf
Oil and the Macroeconomy:
Lessons for Monetary Policy
Speech
by Janet L. Yellen, president and chief executive officer, Federal Reserve Bank
of San Francisco, February 27, 2009
http://www.frbsf.org/news/speeches/2009/0227.html
Examining the Efficiency
and Effectiveness of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Center
for Capital Markets Competitiveness, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, February
2009
http://www.uschamber.com/assets/ccmc/090211ccmc_sec_speed.pdf
There
is a news release about this 92-page report at
http://www.uschamber.com/press/releases/2009/february/090211_study.htm
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC
RELATIONS and TRADE
U.S. Fact Sheet in Advance
of G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting
Fact
sheet, U.S. Dept of the Treasury, March 11, 2009
http://www.treas.gov/international/docs/03112009G20FactSheet.pdf
G-20 Finance Ministers’ and
Central Bank Governors’ Communiqué
Meeting
of the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, at Horsham, United
Kingdom, March 14, 2009
http://www.g20.org/Documents/2009_communique_horsham_uk.pdf
U.S. Foreign Economic
Policy in the Global Crisis
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 12,
2009
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=1053
For
transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/schedule.asp and scroll down.
Understanding the G-20
Economic Stimulus Plans
Eswar
Prasad and Isaac Sorkin, Brookings Institution, March 2009
http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2009/03_g20_stimulus_prasad.aspx
Includes
Mapping the Money – “an interactive
map of the G-20 stimulus plans”
Financial Stimulus Plans:
Recent Developments in Selected Countries
Law
Library of Congress, February 26, 2009
http://www.loc.gov/law/help/financial_stimulus_plan.php
This
looks at economic stimulus efforts in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, the European Union, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand,
Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
The Financial Crisis:
Impact on and Response by the European Union
Congressional
Research Service, March 9, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120968.pdf
Adjusting to Global
Economic Change: The Dangerous Road Ahead
Robert
A. Levine, RAND, 2009
http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2009/RAND_OP243.pdf
The Atlantic Century:
Benchmarking EU and U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness
European-American
Business Council, February 2009
http://www.itif.org/files/2009-atlantic-century.pdf
There
is a summary with tables at http://www.itif.org/index.php?id=226
2009 Trade Policy Agenda
and 2008 Annual Report of the President of the United States on the Trade Agreements Program
Office
of the U.S. Trade Representative, February 2009
There
is a summary and chapter list at
Stimulating the Economy
through Trade: Examining the Role of Export Promotion
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, March
17, 2009
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1538&Itemid=95
Consumer Protection in the
States: A 50-State Report on Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices Statutes
Carolyn
L. Carter, National Consumer Law Center, February 2009
http://www.nclc.org/issues/udap/content/UDAP_Report_Feb09.pdf
There
is a press release at
http://www.consumerlaw.org/issues/udap/content/PR_UdapReportFeb09.pdf
Consumer Protections in
Financial Services: Past Problems, Future Solutions
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, March
3, 2009
New Directions for Energy
Research and Development at the U.S. Department of Energy
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, March 17, 2009
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2382
The
witness is U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.
Draft Legislative Proposals
on Energy Research and Development
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, March 5,
2009
FERC Accelerates Smart Grid
Development with Proposed Policy, Action Plan
Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) news release, March 19, 2009
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2009/2009-1/03-19-09.asp
More
information is at http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/smart-grid.asp
Smart Grid Initiatives and
Technologies
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, March 3,
2009
Light-Duty Diesel Vehicles:
Efficiency and Emissions Attributes and Market Issues
Energy
Information Administration, U.S. Dept of Energy, February 2009
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/lightduty/index.html
The Future of Coal under
Climate Legislation
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, March
10, 2009
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523&Itemid=95
FutureGen and the Department
of Energy’s Advanced Coal Programs
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology,
March 11, 2009
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2375
Green Power Superhighways:
Building a Path to America’s Clean Energy Future
American
Wind Energy Association and Solar Energy Industries Association, February
2009
http://seia.org/galleries/pdf/GreenPowerSuperhighways.pdf
There
is a news release about this 28-page publication at
http://www.seia.org/cs/news_detail?pressrelease.id=346
Nuclear Energy
Development
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, March 18,
2009
Building for the Future in
a Time of Change
Speech
by Peter B. Lyons, a commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
March 10, 2009
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/commission/speeches/2009/s-09-005.html
International Status and
Prospects of Nuclear Power
International
Atomic Energy Agency,
http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Booklets/NuclearPower/np08.pdf
There
is a news release and links to other resources at
http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/status-and-prospects-of-np.html
ENVIRONMENT and CLIMATE CHANGE
Keynote Remarks at U.S. Climate
Action Symposium
Remarks
by Todd Stern, Special Envoy for Climate Change, U.S. Dept of State, March 3,
2009
http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/remarks/2009/119983.htm
Informing Decisions in a
Changing Climate
Report
by a committee of the U.S. National Research Council, National Academies Press,
2009
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12626
There
is a news release, March 12, 2009, at
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12626
Climate Science: Empowering
Our Response to Climate Change
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, March
12, 2009
Restructuring Federal
Climate Research to Meet the Challenges of Climate Change
Report
by a committee of the National Research Council, National Academies Press, 2009
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12595
There
is a press release at
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12595
Climate Literacy: The
Essential Principles of Climate Sciences
U.S.
Climate Change Science Program and NOAA Climate Program Office, March 2009
http://www.climate.noaa.gov/education/pdfs/ClimateLiteracy-8.5x11-March09FinalHR.pdf
“A
Guide for Individuals and Communities”
General
information about this publication, and links to related resources, are at
http://climate.noaa.gov/index.jsp?pg=/education/edu_index.jsp&edu=literacy
Carbon Tax and Greenhouse
Gas Control: Options and Considerations for Congress
Congressional
Research Service, February 23, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120592.pdf
The Role of Offsets in
Climate Legislation
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, March
5, 2009
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1516&Itemid=95
Fighting Climate Change in
the Developing Countries
Hearing
before the U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global
Warming, March 4, 2009
http://globalwarming.house.gov/pubs?id=0004
Competitiveness and Climate
Policy: Avoiding Leakage of Jobs and Emissions
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, March
18, 2009
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1539&Itemid=95
Consumer Protection
Provisions in Climate Legislation
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, March
12, 2009
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1531&Itemid=95
Protecting Lower-Income
Families While Fighting Global Warming
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, March 12,
2009
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=660
Who Pays for Climate
Policy? New Estimates of the Household Burden and Economic Impact of a U.S. Cap-and-Trade System
Andrew
Chamberlain, Tax Foundation, March 2009
http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/wp6.pdf
There
is a brief summary at
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/24472.html
and
a news release at
http://www.taxfoundation.org/press/show/24473.html
Inventory of U.S.
Greenhouse Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007
Public
review draft, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March 1, 2009
http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads09/07Inventory.pdf
Information
about this report is at
http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html
Estimates of Carbon
Mitigation Potential from Agricultural and Forestry Activities
Congressional Research Service, February 20, 2009
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40236_20090220.pdf
21st Century
Water Planning: The Importance of a Coordinated Federal Approach
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, March 4, 2009
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2365
Thirsty Energy: Water and
Energy in the 21st Century
World
Economic Forum in partnership with Cambridge Energy Research Associates,
2009
http://www.weforum.org/pdf/ip/energy/energyvision2009.pdf
There
is a press release, February 19, 2009, at
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/PR_thirstyenergy
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY and INNOVATION
The President’s Office of
Science and Technology Policy: Issues for Congress
Congressional
Research Service, February 6, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120584.pdf
Science, Technology, and
American Diplomacy: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional
Research Service, February 3, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120579.pdf
Coordination
of International Science Partnerships
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=2391
Removing Barriers to
Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells
Executive
Order by President Obama, March 9, 2009
There
is a White House fact sheet at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Fact-Sheet-on-Presidential-Executive-Order/ and a note on the
circumstances of the Executive Order at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/09/A-debt-of-gratitude-to-so-many-tireless-advocates/
NASA: Assessments of
Selected Large-Scale Projects
Government
Accountability Office (GAO), March 2009
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09306sp.pdf
E-Science
Science
Reference Services, Library of Congress, February 19, 2009
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/tracer-bullets/esciencetb.html
This
is a partly annotated guide to print and online resources and to projects and
initiatives in the field of e-science, large-scale science carried out through
distributed global collaborations enabled by the internet.
Women and Minorities in
Science and Technology: A Guide to Selected Resources
Science
Reference Services, Library of Congress, March 6, 2009
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/womenminorities.html
TRANSPORTATION and INFRASTRUCTURE
Paying Our Way: A New
Framework for Transportation Finance
Final
report of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing
Commission, February 2009 (advance copy)
http://financecommission.dot.gov/Documents/NSTIF_Commission_Final_Report_Advance%20Copy_Feb09.pdf
There
is a 16-page summary at
http://financecommission.dot.gov/Documents/NSTIF_Commission_Final_Report_Exec_Summary_Feb09.pdf
Suitable Transportation
Solutions: Investing in Transit to Meet 21st Century Challenges
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, March
12, 2009
Driven
by Dollars: What States Should Know When Considering Public-Private Partnerships
to Fund
Transportation
Pew
Center on the States, March 2009
There
is a brief summary at
http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=50316&category=544
and
a longer news release at
http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=50282
Integrating U.S. Climate,
Energy, and Transportation Policies
Proceedings
of three workshops, RAND, 2009
http://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/2009/RAND_CF256.pdf
There
is a summary at http://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/CF256/
Transportation and Climate
Change Clearinghouse
This
U.S. Department of Transportation initiative is “designed as a one-stop source
of information on transportation and climate change issues”.
Health Reform
Remarks
by President Obama at the Opening of the White House Forum on Health Reform,
March 5, 2009
Health Care for All
Americans
Managed
by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this U.S. Government web
site was launched in March 2009
What Is Health Care Quality
and Who Decides?
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on Health Care, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, March
18, 2009
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing031809.htm
Prospects for Healthcare
Reform in the United States
Briefing
by Karen Davenport (Center for American Progress) and Robert Moffit (Heritage
Foundation) at the Foreign Press Center, U.S. Dept of State, March 17,
2009
http://fpc.state.gov/120650.htm
American Religious
Identification Survey: ARIS 2008
Summary
report, March 2009
http://b27.cc.trincoll.edu/weblogs/AmericanReligionSurvey-ARIS/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf
There
is a highlights page at
http://b27.cc.trincoll.edu/weblogs/AmericanReligionSurvey-ARIS/reports/highlights.html
which notes regional and nationwide shifts in religious identification in the
United States, and says “America’s religious geography has been transformed
since 1990.”
Being Muslim in
America
U.S.
Dept of State, Bureau of International Information Programs, March 2009
http://www.america.gov/publications/books/being-muslim-in-america.html
The Law of Church and
State: Public Aid to Sectarian Schools
Congressional
Research Service, February 5, 2009
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40195_20090205.pdf
President Obama Announces
White House Council on Women and Girls
White
House press release, March 11, 2009
Women’s History Month:
March 2009
This
Census Bureau “Facts for Features” item gives statistical information on women
in the United States.
The Changing Impact of
Marriage and Children on Women’s Labor Force Participation
Bureau
of Labor Statistics, U.S. Dept of Labor, Monthly Labor Review, February
2009
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2009/02/art1full.pdf
Current Priorities and
Challenges of Women Business Owners
National
Women’s Business Council, Spring 2009
http://www.nwbc.gov/ResearchPublications/documents/2009TownHallReport.pdf
There
is a news release about this 12-page report at
http://www.nwbc.gov/ResearchPublications/documents/NWBC.THReport.031909.pdf
Self-Employed Women and
Time Use
Report
for the U.S. Small Business Administration, February 2009
http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs341tot.pdf
There
is a summary at http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs341.pdf
20th-Century
U.S. Generations
Elwood
Carlson, Population Reference Bureau, March 2009
http://www.prb.org/pdf09/64.1generations.pdf
This
20-page paper looks at seven generational cohorts and their impact on the
America of the 20th century and into the present century.
There
is a summary at
http://www.prb.org/Publications/PopulationBulletins/2009/20thcenturyusgenerations.aspx which notes that “The 2008
U.S. presidential election clearly demonstrated that individual choices and
expectations vary considerably across U.S. generations. Generational
differences in demographic experiences provide some clues about the sources of
the generational divide seen in some political, social, and consumption
choices.”
The Wealth of the Baby Boom
Cohorts after the Collapse of the Housing Bubble
David
Rosnick and Dean Baker, Center for Economic & Policy Research, February
2009
http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/baby-boomer-wealth-2009-02.pdf
There
is a summary at
and
a press release at
Across the States: Profiles
of Long-Term Care and Independent Living
AARP
(American Association of Retired Persons), 8th edition, 2009
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/d19105_2008_ats.pdf
General
information about the report and links to previous editions are at
http://www.aarp.org/research/longtermcare/trends/d19105_2008_ats.html
End-of-Life Care: Services,
Costs, Ethics, and Quality of Care
Congressional
Research Service, February 23, 2009
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40235_20090223.pdf
Artists in a Year of
Recession: Impact on Jobs in 2008
Research
note, National Endowment for the Arts, March 2009
http://arts.endow.gov/research/Notes/97.pdf
There
is a news release at
http://arts.endow.gov/news/news09/artist-unemployment-rates.html
The Ticketmaster/Live
Nation Merger: What Does It Mean for Consumers and the Future of the Concert Business?
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, February
24, 2009
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3674
Strengthening Forensic
Science in the United States: The Role of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology,
March 10, 2009
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2374
The Need to Strengthen
Forensic Science in the United States: The National Academy of Sciences’ Report on a Path Forward
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, March 18, 2009
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3714
Strengthening Forensic
Science in the United States: A Path Forward
Report
of a committee of the U.S. National Research Council, National Academies Press,
2009
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12589
The
text is online at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12589#toc
Identity Data Breaches
Identity
Theft Resource Center, updated March 2009
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/publish/lib_survey/ITRC_2008_Breach_List.shtml
This site links to information on recent personal data breaches (incidents and
statistics) occurring through theft or in other circumstances.
Youth Violence: Trends,
Myths, and Solutions
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, February
11, 2009
http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_090211.html
One in 31: The Long Reach
of American Corrections
Pew
Center on the States, March 2009
There
is a news release at http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=49696
GOVERNMENT and PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Attorney General Issues New
FOIA Guidelines to Favor Disclosure and Transparency
U.S.
Dept of Justice, March 19, 2009
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/March/09-ag-253.html
The
memorandum containing the new guidelines is at
http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/foia-memo-march2009.pdf
Filling U.S. Senate
Vacancies: Perspectives and Contemporary Developments
Congressional
Research Service, March 10, 2009
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40421_20090310.pdf
S.J. Res. 7 and H.J. Res.
21: A Constitutional Amendment Concerning Senate Vacancies
Hearing
before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, U.S. Senate Committee on the
Judiciary, March 11, 2009
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3705
The Climate Change Lobby Explosion
Center
for Public Integrity, February 2009
http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/climate_change/
There
is a news release at http://www.publicintegrity.org/news/entry/1187/
A New Era of
Responsibility: Renewing America’s Promise
Budget
of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2010, Office of Management and Budget,
February 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/A_New_Era_of_Responsibility2.pdf
The
President’s Budget Message is at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/President's_Message1.pdf
A Preliminary Analysis of
the President’s Budget and an Update of CBO’s Budget and Economic Outlook
Congressional
Budget Office, March 2009
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10014/03-20-PresidentBudget.pdf
The Obama Budget: A Summary
and Analysis
U.S.
Senate Committee on the Budget, February 26, 2009
http://budget.senate.gov/republican/pressarchive/2009-02-26BudgetOutlineSummary.pdf
Hearing on the President’s
Fiscal Year 2010 Overview
Hearing
before the U.S. House Committee Ways and Means, March 3, 2009
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=657
Tax Reform: An Overview of
Proposals in the 111th Congress
Congressional
Research Service report, March 5, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120965.pdf
The High Road to Fiscal
Reform
A
joint project of The Century Foundation and Demos, 2009-
http://www.fiscalhighroad.org/
The Economic Crisis and the
Fiscal Crisis: 2009 and Beyond
Alan
J. Auerbach and William G. Gale, February 19, 2009
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411843_economic_crisis.pdf
Addresses
the potential impact of recent economic and financial developments on the U.S.
federal fiscal outlook for the near term and for the longer term.
The State of the News Media
2009
An
Annual Report on American Journalism, Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism,
2009
http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2009/index.htm
Newspapers Face a
Challenging Calculus: Online Growth, but Print Losses are Bigger
Pew
Research Center for the People & the Press, February 26, 2009
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1133/decline-print-newspapers-increased-online-news
COMMUNICATIONS and INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Universal Service:
Reforming the High-Cost Fund
Hearing
before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, March
12, 2009
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1530&Itemid=95
The Evolving Broadband
Infrastructure: Expansion, Applications, and Regulation
Congressional
Research Service, February 19, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120591.pdf
Rural Broadband at a
Glance: 2009 Edition
Economic
Research Service, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, February 2009
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB47/EIB47.pdf
There
is a summary at http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB47/#2009-2-27
The Need for Speed: The
Importance of Next-Generation Broadband Networks
Information
Technology & Innovation Foundation, March 2009
http://www.itif.org/files/2009-needforspeed.pdf
There
is a brief summary with related links at http://www.itif.org/index.php?id=231
Global Faces and Networked
Places
“A
Nielsen Report on Social Networking’s New Global Footprint”
Nielsen,
March 2009
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/nielsen_globalfaces_mar09.pdf
There
is a summary news release about this 16-page report at
http://en-us.nielsen.com/main/news/news_releases/2009/march/social_networks__
and
a fuller news release with charts at
How Children Search the
Internet with Keyword Interfaces
Human-Computer
Interaction Lab, 2009
http://hcil.cs.umd.edu/trs/2009-04/2009-04.pdf
There
is a summary at
http://www.cs.umd.edu/localphp/hcil/tech-reports-search.php?number=2009-04
which
notes that “although today’s children have been exposed to computers for most
of their lives, spelling, typing, query formulation, and deciphering results
are all still potential barriers to finding the information they need.”
Comprehensive National
Cybersecurity Initiative: Legal Authorities and Policy Considerations
Congressional
Research Service, March 10, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120971.pdf
Cybersecurity: Assessing
Our Vulnerabilities and Developing an Effective Defense
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, March
19, 2009
Protecting What Matters:
The 6th Annual Global Security Survey
Deloitte,
2009
http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/dtt_fsi_GlobalSecuritySurvey_0901.pdf
This
paper looks at information security in the financial sector. There is a summary
at
http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/article/0,1015,cid=243032,00.html
Patent Reform in the 111th
Congress: Legislation and Recent Court Decisions
Hearing
before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, March 10, 2009
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3701
Film Piracy, Organized Crime,
and Terrorism
RAND,
2009
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG742.pdf
There
is a summary at http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG742/
The False Connection
between Strong Patent Rights and Global Inequity: A Response to Professor Stiglitz
Sidney
A. Rosenzweig, the Progress & Freedom Foundation, March 2009
http://www.pff.org/issues-pubs/pops/2009/pop16.8patentstiglitz.pdf
There
is a news release, “Patents Not Responsible for ‘Knowledge Gap’”, at
http://www.pff.org/news/news/2009/031209patentstiglitz.html
Intellectual Property
Rights and International Trade
Congressional
Research Service, February 5, 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/120583.pdf
____________________________________________________________________________________
U.S. Reference Service
Canberra: Alexis Yeadon
[ACT, NT, SA, TAS, VIC, WA]
Sydney: Peter Gilbert
[NSW, QLD]