Tag Archives: Ben Bernanke

Counterterrorism Techniques / The U.S. Economy / Chinese-American Mayors

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The United States is continually adapting its counterterrorism techniques to respond to evolving terrorist threats, says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the U.S. economy continues to strengthen but that unemployment remains stubbornly high. What is more important for the environment and for humans in the long run: clean energy or trees? And there are approximately 40 Asian-Americans currently serving as mayors of U.S. cities.

Janet Napolitano speakingPreventing Terror Threats
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The United States is continually adapting its “counterterrorism techniques to effectively detect, deter and prevent terrorist acts,” says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. “Working with our federal partners, law enforcement across the country, the private sector, and the American public, we are making great progress in addressing today’s evolving terrorist threats,” Napolitano, right, says.

Bernanke on Economic Recovery
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The U.S. economy continues to strengthen as greater consumer and business spending take hold, but unemployment remains stubbornly high, says Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. “Until we see a sustained period of stronger job creation, we cannot consider the recovery to be truly established,” Bernanke said during a February 9 House Budget Committee hearing.

Solar Panels Versus Trees
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What is more important for the environment and for humans in the long run: clean energy or trees? As the United States continues to develop renewable power sources and encourage homeowners to take advantage of solar and wind power tax credits, clean energy advocates increasingly run into opposition from environmentalists who fear for the trees that are often lost to allow better access to sun and wind.

Chinese-American Mayors
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The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies says approximately 40 Asian-Americans currently serve as mayors of U.S. cities, with San Francisco and Oakland the two largest. At right, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee (left) and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan (right) join other prominent Chinese-American guests at a White House state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Haiti Braces for Tropical Storm / New U.S. Central Bank Initiative / Social Media, Social Change

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The U.S. is helping Haiti prepare for tropical storm Tomas. The Federal Reserve announces an aggressive new economic plan while the U.S. Treasury announces new sanctions on terror groups. Americans celebrate their heritage in many ways; explore a photo gallery showing some of them. And finally, watch a video of students from America and Kosovo discussing the potential of social media for effecting social change.

Haiti Braces for Storm, With U.S. Help
U.S. civilian and military personnel are helping the Haitian government prepare its people for tropical storm Tomas which is bearing down on the island nation. Of special concern: More than one million Haitians who have lived in temporary shelters after being displaced from their homes by the January 13 earthquake. At right, a man holds a child in a refugee camp.


New Action by U.S. Central Bank
The Federal Reserve has stepped in to boost the sputtering U.S. economy with an aggressive plan to buy $600 billion in U.S. Treasury securities aimed at reducing interest rates and spurring employment. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, right, says the buying of Treasury securities has helped in the past and looks to be effective again.

New Sanctions for Terror Groups
The U.S. Treasury Department announces actions against the financial and support networks of two Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including sanctions to seize or freeze the assets of their key leaders. The two terrorist groups, Lashkar-e Tayyiba and Jaish-e Mohammed, “have proven both their willingness and ability to execute attacks against innocent civilians,” says Under Secretary Stuart Levey.

Americans Preserving Cultural Heritage
Americans preserve music, dance and other cultural expressions by living and celebrating them in communities both large and small. This photo gallery explores ways Americans celebrate their cultural heritages. It includes shots from a Vietnamese Cultural Center in Boston, Massachusetts; a steel drum performance in Houston, Texas; and a Scottish Heritage Festival and Celtic Gathering in West Virginia. The photo gallery is part of an eJournal called “A Living Legacy: Preserving Intangible Culture”

Student Dialogue: New Media and Social Change
In the below video, students from the United States and Kosovo meet in Washington, D.C. to discuss the role of new media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, and their profound effects on social change. One woman says that the international view of Kosovo as a whole has changed because observers see that young people in Kosovo are up-to-date on movies, culture and global issues and are not “all about war.” Another woman discusses how social media “gives people a voice who didn’t have a voice before.” See what others had to say.

[video href = "http://www.america.gov/multimedia/video.html?videoId=653165684001"]

Obama reappoints Ben Bernanke to Federal Reserve chairmanship

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Obama and Bernanke

President Obama stepped away from vacationing to appoint Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to a second term. The Federal Reserve Board, under Bernanke’s leadership, “has helped put the brakes on our economic freefall,” Obama said at Martha’s Vineyard.

“We are a long way away from completely healthy financial systems and a full economic recovery,” Obama said. “And I will not let up until those Americans who are looking for jobs can find them; until qualified businesses, large and small, who need capital to grow can find loans at a rate they can afford; and until all responsible mortgage-holders can stay in their homes. That’s why we need Ben Bernanke to continue the work he’s doing.”

The Senate will have to vote on and confirm Bernanke.