Tag Archives: Gary Locke

2010 U.S. Census Results / A New Climate Law / Literary New York

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The first results of the 2010 U.S. census are in; learn about the findings. In California, comprehensive climate legislation will go into effect in January. A new report says that Afghan businesses have great growth potential. At a business conference in Algeria, Tunisian and Moroccan entrepreneurs enjoy networking opportunities. And finally, explore literary New York.

First Results of 2010 U.S. Census
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The first results from the 2010 U.S. census reflect a modest overall population growth over the past 10 years, with continued population shifts towards Southern and Western states. The newest data will cause changes in the location of U.S. congressional districts. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, right, says the data will also be used to determine how federal resources are allocated and will help businesses identify new markets.

New California Climate Law
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With national climate legislation stalled in Congress, environmental advocates are focusing on action-oriented states like California, where the most comprehensive climate legislation in the United States will go into effect in January.

A Boost for Afghan Business
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A new report says that the private sector in Afghanistan has great potential for growth under improved business conditions, citing food production, mining, light manufacturing and services as particularly promising sectors.

Tunisian Entrepreneurs Meet
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Twenty-two Tunisian entrepreneurs attended the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference in Algiers, which was organized by the State Department in partnership with the U.S.-Algeria Business Council. The conference featured panels and networking opportunities for up and coming North African business leaders.

Moroccan Youth Network
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After attending the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference, young Moroccan entrepreneurs learned fear has no place when it comes to starting a business. Student Hamza El Fisiki says promoting entrepreneurship among Morocco’s youth is an important component to attracting overseas business.

Literary New York
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New York’s book culture sustains great writers and their work. Read about literary culture in the city and hear from authors Tom Wolfe, Pete Hamill and Emily Barton. Founded in 1927, the Strand Book Store, right, located on the corner of Broadway and East 12th Street, occupies five floors and contains 18 miles of books. The New York Public Library, on 5th Avenue at 42nd Street, is an integral part of the intellectual fabric of American life with more than 1 million books.

Obama in Afghanistan / Clinton in Bahrain / Banjo Diplomacy

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President Obama makes a surprise visit to Afghanistan to deliver holiday greetings to the troops. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Iran’s nuclear ambitions are a global concern. We’ve got two stories on trade: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke says trade can no longer depend so heavily on consumers, and the U.S. and South Korea wrap up four days of trade talks. A presidential commission releases a controversial new plan on reducing the budget deficit. And finally, find out how the U.S. and Russia are strengthening their relationship, with banjos.

President Obama in Afghanistan
President Obama made a quick, unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Friday. He traveled there to meet with American officials, speak to Afghan president Hamid Karzai, and thank U.S. troops for their service. Above, Obama is greeted by NATO Commander in Afghanistan General David Petraeus, left, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Elkenberry, center, after stepping off Air Force One.

Iran’s Nuclear Threat
There is “no debate” in the international community over its shared concern that Iran may be developing nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. Speaking with Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa in Manama, Clinton says a nuclear armed Iran could destabilize the Middle East.

Easing World Trade Imbalances
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke says nations that have been overly reliant on exports to fuel economic growth will benefit by pursuing policies that will help boost their own consumer demand. “We can no longer depend so heavily on consumers in the United States, Europe and other developed countries to be engines of global economic growth,” says Locke.

U.S.-Korea Trade Talks Conclude
U.S. and South Korean trade negotiators wrapped up four days of trade talks on a bilateral free trade agreement. An announcement of the details is not expected before negotiators brief President Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Cutting the U.S. Deficit
Warning Americans that “the moment of truth” had come, a presidential commission released a sweeping and controversial plan to reduce U.S. chronic budget deficits and slow the growth of the public debt by 2020. The proposal calls for drastic cuts in defense and other government spending, the elimination of popular tax breaks, and an increase in taxes most working Americans pay for social programs.

Building Bridges with Banjos
The banjo, a traditional American instrument, is helping strengthen relations between the American and Russian people. The California-based Deering Banjo Company recently chose Liza Karpacheva, a 15-year-old Russian orphan from Obninsk, Russia (sister city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee), to receive the Brian Friesen Banjo Award. Karpacheva, right, is the first non-American to receive this award.