Did you know the U.S. Constitution makes no specific allowance for any one of the three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial) to have access to information held by the others? A Congressional Research Service report, Access to Government Information in the United States, offers an overview of four information access laws and provides citations to additional resources related to these tools.
Comments off
The G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh is now history. The gathering of leaders ended with pledges for cooperation on a range of issues.
Comments off
Federal Elections 2008: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives is a biennial publication compiled by the Federal Election Commission.
This comprehensive report is a research tool designed to provide an accurate, historical record of federal election results in the 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia for the offices of President, Senate, and House of Representatives, as well as Delegates.
Previous reports for 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998 and 1996 are also available online.
Comments off
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) recently launched an enhanced U.S. foreign agricultural trade searchable database called the Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS).
The GATS database, which replaces the current U.S. trade data system, provides users with U.S. agricultural data not previously available from FAS, including U.S. Customs District trade data, monthly and annual trade data going back to 1967, and U.S. state export data.
July 2009 data was released on Thursday, September 10, 2009.
Comments off
President Obama tells the UN Summit on Climate Change that climate change is serious, urgent and growing. “Our generation’s response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it — boldly, swiftly, and together — we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe.”
Full text of the speech
Comments off
Statement from Charge d’Affaires Daniel Clune:
President Obama will speak to world leaders on climate change during a special U.N. summit in New York on the eve of the 64th U.N. General Assembly. Climate change is one of our greatest global challenges. Water supplies are increasingly at risk from both melting glaciers and extreme climate events, such as droughts and floods. Winter temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula have risen five times faster than the global average and the duration of sea-ice coverage has decreased. Arctic sea ice is disappearing faster than expected, and sea levels threaten to rise higher than previously anticipated. These changes threaten not only the environment, but also security and stability.
Science sends a simple and stark message: all countries must work together to combat climate change and the time for action is now.
President Obama recognizes that the United States, as the world’s largest historic emitter of greenhouse gases, must be a leader in the global effort to combat climate change. Without U.S. emissions reductions no solution to climate change is possible, so the U.S. will take the lead in building a 21st century clean energy economy.
The President, taking the United States in a new direction, called on our Congress to develop comprehensive clean energy legislation to cut emissions 14 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050. A bill has passed the House of Representatives and is making its way through Congress. The President’s economic stimulus package includes over $80 billion for clean energy. Recently instituted vehicle standards will increase fuel economy and reduce emissions. These steps are comparable to those being undertaken in other countries and lead to emissions reductions that are consistent with the science.
To preserve a safe and livable planet, all major emitting nations have to join together to take strong action. There is no other way to contain climate change – the International Energy Agency estimates 97 percent of future emissions growth will come from the developing world.
The United States is working internationally to combat climate change through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiating process, the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate and bilateral relationships.
All countries must be fully engaged in a strong international agreement to meet the climate challenge. Developed countries need to reduce their emissions substantially by 2020 on an absolute basis. Major developing nations must take actions that will substantially reduce their emissions by 2020 on a relative basis, compared to their so-called “business as usual” path. Other developing countries should focus on preparing low-carbon growth plans – including financial and technical assistance – as part of their long-term growth.
It is important to ensure that a new agreement not only limit carbon emissions but also provide a pathway for sustainable development. Clean energy development is the only sustainable way forward. Countries with advanced capabilities must stand ready to develop and disseminate technologies to countries in need. Working together, the effort to build a clean energy global economy can provide significant opportunity, driving investment, economic growth and job creation around the world.
The United States appreciates Australia’s efforts to help address the challenge of climate change, including ramping up deployment of renewable energy technologies. Australia is at the forefront of cleaner coal technology and carbon sequestration efforts. It is also assisting its neighbors to reduce deforestation and is working with Pacific Island states to strengthen their ability to adapt to climate change.
The United States is clear in its intent to secure a strong international agreement, and I am confident that together we can meet the climate change challenge.
Comments off
Museums, Libraries and 21st Century Skills is a website created by the Institute of Library and Museum Services to help libraries and museums evaluate their readiness to engage the public and to deliver 21st century skills.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums in the United States. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas.
Comments off
The Federal Reserve Bank has just published the September edition of the Beige Book, formally known as Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District. The summary indicated that economic activity continued to stabilize in July and August.
Each Federal Reserve Bank gathers anecdotal information on current economic conditions in its District through reports from Bank and Branch directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources. The Beige Book summarizes this information by District and sector. An overall summary of the twelve district reports is prepared by a designated Federal Reserve Bank on a rotating basis.
Comments off
President Obama has announced his intent to nominate Jeffrey L. Bleich as the next U.S. Ambassador to Australia. From the White House announcement:
Jeff Bleich, Nominee for Ambassador to Australia
Jeff Bleich is the Special Counsel to the President at the White House. From 1995 to 2009 he was a litigation partner in the San Francisco office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, where he was recognized as one of the nation’s top lawyers. Outside of his legal practice, Mr. Bleich has a long-standing commitment to international law. After clerking for Judge Howard Holtzmann at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal and acting as Special Rapporteur to the International Court of Arbitration, he assisted the Special Prosecutor for the International Tribunal for the Former-Yugoslavia. He has taught international human rights at UC Berkeley’s School of Law, and written and lectured extensively on the international criminal court. More recently, Mr. Bleich represented the ABA before the United States Supreme Court in several matters including the Medellin case concerning the Vienna Convention on Consular Rights. He recently chaired both the ABA’s Amicus Curiae Committee and the subcommittee on Corporate Social Responsibility. Mr. Bleich served as an officer or member in numerous foreign policy organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, the ABA Section on International Law, the Pacific Council on International Policy, the International Law Association, the American Society of International Law, and Human Rights Watch. In 2008, he served simultaneously as the Chair of the California State University Board of Trustees and as the President of the State Bar of California. Mr. Bleich received his B.A. from Amherst College, his Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, and his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. He received his certificate in Public International Law from the Hague Academy in 1993. Following graduation from law school, he clerked for Chief Justice Rehnquist on the United States Supreme Court as well as Judge Abner J. Mikva of the D.C. Circuit.
UPDATE: According to the THOMAS website, Mr Bleich’s nomination was received in the United States Senate on 14 September and referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
More info:
Comments off
The U.S. Congress established its Law Library in 1832, recognizing a need for ready access to reliable legal materials. The Law Library has grown over the years to become the world’s largest law library, with a collection of over 2.65 million volumes spanning the ages and covering virtually every jurisdiction in the world.
Learn more:
Comments off
