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Policy News Archive 2009

Follow us through the past weeks with a look back at some of the stories that we featured on our front page:

Responding to World Hunger

October 16 was World Food Day
• Clinton op-ed & more
• October 8: National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced
• Video: Global Food Security

Transforming the U.S.-Russian Relationship

October 13, 2009. After her meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Secretary Hillary Clinton said: “We have had a very productive and comprehensive set of discussions. This follows on the work that we began over the last many months to transform the relationship between our two countries, to find common ground wherever we can, to further mutual respect and mutual interests, without in any way accepting the fact that there are not differences between us, because there are. But to talk about those differences, to share them openly, we think is also an important part of this new aspect to our relationship."  Full Text | More on Trip

Update:
• Positive Future for U.S.-Russian Relations (on common economy’s challenges, Oct. 14)
• Forging a New Relationship With Russia (on nuclear weapons, Oct. 14)

President Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

October 12, 2009. The 2009 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences goes to Elinor Ostrom and Oliver E. Williamson. Read more at nobelprize.or | america.gov
October 09, 2009. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awards this year’s Peace Prize to President Barack Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons. The Prize will be awarded at a ceremony in the Oslo City Hall on December 10, the date on which Alfred Nobel died. nobelpeaceprize.org | WH Foreign Policy Issues | Interview with Ambassador Murphy

October 06, 2009. After three American Researchers had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine on Monday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that three other American Researchers would win the Nobel Prize in Physics. Charles Kuen Kao was honored for his discovery that led to a breakthrough in fiber optics while the second half of the award goes to Willard Sterling Boyle and George Elwood Smith for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit known as the CCD sensor in digital cameras. The 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine will go to Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California, San Francisco, Carol Greider of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Jack Szostak of Harvard Medical School for their research into how cells operate. Their work has affected cancer treatment and understanding of the aging process. read more on Science & Technology at America.gov | Nobel Prize in Chemistry (October 07, 2009)

President Obama signed a new Executive Order on Federal Sustainability

October 5, 2009. President Obama signed a new Executive Order on Federal Sustainability which gives Federal agencies 90 days to set a 2020 greenhouse reduction goal. It also sets targets for efficient, sustainable buildings, petroleum use reduction in fleets, water efficiency, waste reduction, purchasing green technologies and product, and supporting sustainable communities. “As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the Federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, reduce waste, and use environmentally-responsible products and technologies,” President Obama said. remarks in full

Iran: A "Constructive Beginning" With "Hard Work Ahead"

October 1, 2009. Upon conclusion of the P5+1 meeting on Iran, President Obama sent a strong message on behalf of the international community: Iran must take “concrete action” in regards to its nuclear program. He also warned that Washington and allied nations are prepared to increase pressure if Iran does not take “constructive” steps: “We’re committed to serious and meaningful engagement. But we’re not interested in talking for the sake of talking. If Iran does not take steps in the near future to live up to its obligations, then the United States will not continue to negotiate indefinitely, and we are prepared to move towards increased pressure.” remarks in full | Background Briefing on today’s P5+1 Meeting | Background Briefing On Iranian Nuclear Facility (Sep 25)