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Daily Archives: October 19, 2011

Report: Top Ways Obama Administration Should Strengthen Endangered Species Act

News release: “The Center for Biological Diversity released a new report today outlining the best ways to ensure that plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act get the help they need and that’s required by law. The report, A Future for All: A Blueprint for Strengthening the Endangered Species Act, includes 20 important policy recommendations for the Obama administration to improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act. The proposals range from addressing global warming and safeguarding critical habitat to protecting species from harm and fully funding efforts to protect them from extinction…Today’s report follows an announcement earlier this year that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service are developing new regulations for the Endangered Species Act to ensure they are “up-to-date, clear, and effective.” So far, details of the changes have yet to be released. “A Future for All” outlines some of the most pressing recommendations for implementing the Act.”

World Bank Report Finds More Economies Implemented Business Reforms in 2010-2011

News release: “A new IFC and World Bank report finds that economies continued to implement reforms that enhance local firms’ ability to do business, with transparency and access to information playing a key role in the reforms. Released today, Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World assesses regulations affecting domestic firms in… Continue Reading

Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments – Changing the Business of Defense

Changing the Business of Defense, by Todd Harrison and Evan Braden Montgomery, CSBA Backgrounder, October 2011 “The passage of the Budget Control Act of 2011 exacerbated an already uncertain budget environment for the Department of Defense. While the act did provide some clarity on the level of funding for the current fiscal year (roughly $26-27… Continue Reading

Brookings: Technology and the Innovation Economy

Technology and the Innovation Economy, Darrell M. West, Vice President and Director, Governance Studies. October 19, 2011. “Innovation and entrepreneurship are crucial for long-term economic development. Over the years, America’s well-being has been furthered by science and technology. Fears set off by the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of its Sputnik satellite initiated a wave of… Continue Reading

CRS: Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance, Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, September 7, 2011 “The limited capacity and widespread corruption of all levels of Afghan governance are factors in congressional debate over the effectiveness of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and in implementing a transition to Afghan security leadership. That transition is to be… Continue Reading

NOAA – Annual minimum Arctic sea ice extent second smallest ever recorded

News release: “The Earth experienced its eighth warmest September since record keeping began in 1880. The annual minimum Arctic sea ice extent was reached on September 9 and ranked as the second smallest extent since satellite records began in 1979. This monthly analysis from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center is part of the suite of… Continue Reading

CRS – Presidential Nominating Process: Current Issues

Presidential Nominating Process: Current Issues. Kevin J. Coleman, Analyst in Elections, October 6, 2011. “The presidential nominating calendar for 2012 is still unsettled, as some state and party officials continue to consider date changes for primaries and caucuses in response to recent scheduling changes. Consequently, the dates of the earliest contests in Iowa and New… Continue Reading

CRS: Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance, Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, September 7, 2011 “The limited capacity and widespread corruption of all levels of Afghan governance are factors in congressional debate over the effectiveness of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and in implementing a transition to Afghan security leadership. That transition is to be… Continue Reading

Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking 2012: Eyes on Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific

“A new report by the World Bank Group assesses the investment facilitation of 77 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific (APC) by evaluating their investment promotion intermediaries and responses to information requests by potential investors in the tourism and agribusiness sectors. The report, Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking 2012: Eyes on ACP, is a… Continue Reading