What's New
November 2008
21 November 2008 Don't Gamble on Fraud to Win the Diversity Visa Lottery Unscrupulous businesses and attorneys are trying to lure British citizens into participating in a visa program that's not available to them. The U.S. Embassy in London has received reports of organizations which claim that - for a fee - they can make it easier to enter or win the U.S. State Department's annual Diversity Visa (DV) lottery, also known as the "green card lottery."
ODNI/NIC Releases "Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World" Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World projects the potential impacts of climate change, population growth, political re-shuffling and a host of other dynamic trends on the world of the near-future. The report aims to help leaders identify and understand the coming challenges and to steer toward positive solutions. Global Trends 2025 was prepared by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It is the fourth in a series. Read more or download the report (PDF).
20 November 2008 U.S. Intelligence Chief Outlines Successes Against Terrorism Michael Hayden, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, spoke recently of the international community's successes against terrorism in key regions of the world and diminished worldwide support for al-Qaida.
20 November 2008 Update by Ambassador McGee on Political Situation in Zimbabwe
20 November 2008 Law of the Sea Convention Enjoys Broad U.S. Support The Bush administration strongly supports ratifying the U.N. Law of the Sea Convention, according to senior State Department official John B. Bellinger III. Bellinger, the legal adviser to the secretary of state and former legal adviser to the National Security Council, outlined the administration’s position in a November 3 speech to the Law of the Sea Institute.
18 November 2008 Federal Reserve Chairman's Remarks Before House Finance Committee
19 November 2008 U.S. Envoys Report Progress in Russia-Georgia Peace Talks Mediators in Geneva have successfully restarted peace talks between Russia and Georgia, says U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, who urged sending more international monitors to the region to strengthen security and help refugees return home following the August 2008 conflict over the Moscow-backed separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
19 November 2008 Bush Calls Qadhafi to Praise Settlement Agreement A telephone call between President Bush and a world leader is a common enough event to not merit much attention, but when the president called Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi November 17, it represented a remarkable turnaround in U.S.-Libyan relations.
19 November 2008 Statement on U.S. Support to Afghan Refugees, Returnees
12 November 2008 Overlaps of Prostitution, Migration and Human Trafficking Ambassador Mark Lagon, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.
19 November 2008 American Embassy Pays Tribute to Ian Ralston, Former Director at Liverpool John Moores University Ambassador Robert Tuttle today paid tribute to a British academic who has devoted 30 years of his life to furthering understanding of the United States to students in the Liverpool area and beyond.
18 November 2008 Remarks by Deputy Secretary Negroponte at Trinity College Dublin
18 November 2008 Statement by President Bush's Special Envoy on Northern Ireland
18 November 2008 Mullen Issues Guidance Listing Priorities for Joint Staff Dealing with the greater Middle East, avoiding the militarization of U.S. foreign policy, resetting the forces and speeding up the Joint Staff are among the priorities the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has set for the coming year.
18 November 2008 Terror Groups Along Afghan-Pakistan Border Feel Pressure With U.S., Afghan and Pakistani forces applying pressure on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the enemy "is running out of options for places to go," a senior U.S. officer in the region said today.
18 November 2008 Secretary Paulson on Fighting the Financial Crisis, One Step at a Time
17 November 2008 Iraqi Cabinet Approves Security Pact with United States Iraq’s Cabinet has approved a new U.S.-Iraqi security agreement calling for a full withdrawal of American forces from the country by the end of 2011. The agreement now goes to Iraq’s parliament for approval. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe welcomed the Iraqi Cabinet’s November 16 vote as another step forward for Iraq’s fledgling democracy. “We remain hopeful and confident we’ll soon have an agreement that serves both the people of Iraq and the United States well and sends a signal to the region and the world that both our governments are committed to a stable, secure and democratic Iraq.”
17 November 2008 Palestinian Youth Center Shows U.S. Commitment to Mideast Peace While Middle East peace negotiations may dominate the headlines, the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership is helping to prepare a new generation of leaders essential to the successful establishment of a future Palestinian state, an undertaking that Under Secretary of State James K. Glassman says shows “the solid and continuing commitment of the United States government to the Palestinian people.”
17 November 2008 Obama Will Appoint Thousands to Government Positions President-elect Barack Obama will appoint thousands of people to important government positions in his administration, but more than 2.6 million employees of the federal government will continue in the jobs they now hold.
15 November 2008 Large World Economies Agree to Boost Growth, Tackle Crisis Leaders of 20 of the world’s largest economies vowed to reform the global financial system and take action against the economic slowdown. While they refrained from planning coordinated fiscal action, they vowed to cooperate closely as they individually pursue efforts to boost growth in their respective countries. “There was a common understanding by all of us that we should take pro-growth economic policies,” President Bush said after the meeting.
• Summit Declaration
• President Bush Remarks Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy
• Fact Sheet: Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy
• Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy
14 November 2008 U.S. Perspectives on International Criminal Justice Remarks by John B. Bellinger, III, Legal Adviser to the Secretary of State
14 November 2008 United States Provides $2.5 Million in Relief Aid to Pakistan In the wake of a series of four earthquakes measuring over 6 points on the Richter Scale and the dozens of aftershocks that rocked Balochistan, in southwestern Pakistan, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) moved swiftly to send money and aid to help people in the area.
13 November 2008 Secretary Rice's Remarks At The Baker Institute, Rice University
13 November 2008 G20 Summit to Address Immediate Financial Issues, Future Reforms
The Bush administration expects world leaders attending a summit on the financial crisis to agree on immediate steps to address the most pressing issues and an outline of reforms that would help prevent a similar crisis.
13 November 2008 Remarks by President Bush on Financial Markets, World Economy President Bush explained the objectives of the global financial summit.
13 November 2008 Bush Reflects on the Progress He's Seen in Africa President Bush says he has experienced a number of uplifting moments during his two-term presidency, but none more powerful that witnessing a new and more hopeful era dawning in Africa.
13 November 2008 Obama Team Severely Restricts Role of Lobbyists in Transition President-elect Obama’s transition team is implementing a set of rules designed to severely limit participation of federal lobbyists in what transition co-chairman John Podesta describes as “the most open and transparent transition in history.”
12 November 2008 Ambassador David A. Gross on Securing the Future of a Safe and Free Internet
12 November 2008 U.S. Financial Rescue Works but Needs Refinement, Paulson Says U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says the U.S. and global financial systems have improved in recent weeks, but the challenges faced by U.S. credit markets require a revised approach from the government.
12 November 2008 Washington Prepares for Global Economic Summit Leaders of the Group of 20 countries will dine at the White House and meet at Washington’s National Building Museum November 14–15 to discuss reforms of the global financial system.
12 November 2008 Legally, U.S. Presidential Election Not Yet Complete Although President-elect Obama is preparing for his administration, most people know he will not take office as the 44th president of the United States until January 20, 2009, when he takes the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
10 November 2008 Rising to the Challenge of Climate Change Under Secretary Dobriansky: "While I have no doubt that both the Administration and Congress will tackle this issue head-on, it is essential that the international community give the incoming team the time to engage on these issues. In addition to the full range of federal programs to reduce emissions – and consideration of new programs -- the United States will continue to benefit from strong action at the state and municipal level."
10 November 2008 Democrats' Success in Oregon Highlights Shift in Electorate On a night of historic change in the United States, the Oregon 1st Congressional District underlined the twin themes of change and continuity. The district supported Senator Barack Obama's bid to become became president, and Representative David Wu, the only Chinese-born member of the United States Congress, won his re-election bid by a wide margin. Perhaps not coincidentally, both candidates were Democrats.
10 November 2008 United States Sends Rescue, Engineering Teams to Haiti The U.S. has sent a search and rescue team from Fairfax County, Virginia, and an eight-person military engineering team to help the Haitian government with recovery efforts at a school that collapsed during classes in Petionville on November 7.
10 November 2008 Non-U.S. Journalists Cite American Voter Enthusiasm, Role of Race As U.S news commentators continue to assess the meaning of Senator Barack Obama’s November 4 presidential election victory, 50 journalists invited to the United States by the State Department's Foreign Press Center shared their impressions, expressing surprise at how highly engaged average Americans were in the campaigns.
08 November 2008 President's Radio Address " Ensuring that this transition is seamless is a top priority for the rest of my time in office. Our country faces economic challenges that will not pause to let a new President settle in. This will also be America's first wartime presidential transition in four decades. "
07 November 2008 Veterans Day Honors Those Who Served in U.S. Military November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, and parades, ceremonies and tributes to veterans are planned in small towns and large cities throughout the country to honor those who have served in the U.S. military.
07 November 2008 Obama Foreign Policy May Be Rooted in Multilateral Diplomacy When Barack Obama takes the oath of office January 20, 2009, a new American approach to foreign policy may be in the works. But change will not come immediately, a political analyst says. For the Obama administration, there is "potential for making real progress" in foreign policy, Stephen Flanagan of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told journalists at the State Department's Foreign Press Center.
07 November 2008 President-elect Obama Planning Response to Economic Crisis President-elect Obama said he and his transition team will confront economic challenges "head-on" in the coming weeks, working with economic experts to develop policies to ease the flow of credit and to support struggling American families.
07 November 2008 Rice Says Israeli-Palestinian Peace Is in U.S. Interests The Palestinians and Israelis have demonstrated a brave commitment to substantive talks in an effort to reach a comprehensive peace settlement, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice said at a news briefing that she wanted to assure the Israelis and Palestinians "the United States will continue to support and facilitate the efforts of the parties to reach a lasting peace. The United States has a national interest in sustaining that progress."
07 November 2008 The official website of the U.S. Presidential Transition Change.Gov, is now available.
06 November 2008 Illinois Congressman Is Obama's First White House Appointment Less than 48 hours after his election victory, President-elect Barack Obama made one of the most crucial personnel selections for his White House by asking Illinois Democratic Representative Rahm Emanuel to serve as White House chief of staff.
06 November 2008 Votes Still Being Counted in Handful of Congressional Races The process of ensuring every vote counts might take days or even weeks in some extremely close congressional races across the United States. Although the outcomes of some very close races are still unknown, it is clear that Democrats will increase their majorities in both houses of Congress — majorities achieved in the 2006 midterm elections. The 2008 results were not surprising in a year in which some Republicans opted not to run for re-election.
06 November 2008 Some American Forces Leave Iraq Ahead of Schedule Dramatic security progress in Iraq will allow the U.S. military to reduce troop levels faster than expected, says White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, who announced that approximately 3,500 American soldiers will return to their home base nearly two months ahead of schedule.
05 November 2008 World Celebrates Barack Obama's Historic Win In homes and on streets across the U.S., Americans celebrated the election of the first African-American president as a significant moment in U.S. history. Democrat Barack Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, had won the presidency with 349 Electoral College votes (as of noon November 5). Although some ballots remain to be counted, at least 63 million Americans voted for the Illinois senator.
05 November 2008 Work Begins Immediately for Next U.S. President and His Team Barack Obama will not take the oath of office until January 20, 2009, but work to address the many challenges that await him in the presidency begins immediately. As campaign staffs across the country clean out their offices, a transition team begins its work to ensure the Obama administration is ready to handle the major foreign policy and economic challenges facing the United States.
05 November 2008 Statement by President Bush on U.S. Presidential Election Results
05 November 2008 Barack Obama's Victory Speech On November 4, Americans elected Illinois Senator Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States. At the end of a very long Election Day, he addressed supporters at a park in Chicago.
05 November 2008 John McCain’s Concession Speech On November 4, Americans elected Illinois Senator Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States. In a concession speech that underscored the importance of the U.S. democratic process and the personal dignity and integrity of Senator John McCain, the defeated Republican nominee called on Americans to unite behind an Obama presidency in an address to supporters in Phoenix.
05 November 2008 United States Disappointed by Russian Missile Plans The U.S. is disappointed that Russia plans to deploy short-range missiles near the border with Poland and Lithuania. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Russia plans to deploy Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea. Medvedev said the missiles are to counter U.S. plans to locate a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
05 November 2008 Barack Obama Wins Historic Election Victory
04 November 2008 What's the State of the Party ? (Election Night party homepage)
• Election Night photo gallery
04 November 2008 2008 U.S. Voter Turnout on Course to Set Record Reports of large voter turnout are particularly significant in a country where, in recent decades, barely half of eligible voters cast ballots. The high numbers estimated for 2008 speak not only to voter engagement and concern, but also to a willingness to set aside weeks of polling data and exercise their right to vote, even for long-shot candidates.
03 November 2008 State-by-State List of Election Resources A directory of official government and unofficial local news media outlets.
03 November 2008 U.S. Not Involved in Any Taliban Negotiations The United States actively supports efforts by Afghanistan's government to reach out to militants willing to lay down their arms, but has no plans for direct negotiations with the former Taliban regime, says Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher.
01 November 2008 President's Radio Address "Election season brings out the spirit of competition between our political parties, and that competition is an essential part of a healthy democracy. But as the campaigns come to a close, Republicans, Democrats, and independents can find common ground on at least one point: Our system of representative democracy is one of America's greatest strengths."
October 2008
31 October 2008 Child Labor: U.S. Policy and Action The U.S. Government works with foreign governments, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others to monitor, report on, and prevent the worst forms of child labor and to protect and assist children who are involved in exploitative child labor.
31 October 2008 Child Soldiers: U.S. Policy and Action The forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict is defined as one of the “Worst Forms of Child Labor” under International Labor Organization Convention 182. An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children under the age of 18 are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts worldwide.
31 October 2008 What to Expect as Americans Head to the Polls November 04 After a nearly two-year campaign, Election Day is almost here. Americans are expected to turn out in record numbers to select their president, senators, congressional representatives and thousands of local officials. For campaign workers, election officials and election observers, November 4 will be the culmination of months of planning for the final day of the 2008 campaign.
31 October 2008 U.S. Election Day a Celebration of Political Activism Bright balloons bob above a sea of rainbow-colored signs as loudspeakers blare music and announcements, and people in hats and shirts emblazoned with slogans hand out fliers, stickers and buttons. Election Day in the United States often arrives dressed as a carnival, ready to attract attention and excite voter interest.
31 October 2008 Central Bank Aims to Prevent Financial Downturn from Worsening The U.S. central bank's push to restore the circulation of credit in the economy and calm currency markets is likely to mitigate an economic downturn in the United States and around the world, analysts say.
31 October 2008 Statement on U.S.-Libya Claims Settlement Agreement On October 31, 2008, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice certified to Congress that the United States has received $1.5 billion pursuant to the U.S.-Libya Claims Settlement Agreement. These funds are sufficient to provide the required compensation to victims of terrorism under the Libyan Claims Resolution Act. Concurrently, the President issued an Executive Order to implement the Claims Settlement Agreement.
30 October 2008 Advancing Freedom, Defeating Terror: Lessons from Senator Henry Jackson Secretary for Homeland Security Michael Chertoff spoke to the Henry Jackson Society at the House of Commons on October 30. He highlighted the advances made in the fight against terrorism but stressed how much more needs to be done to stay ahead of often tech-savvy extremists.
30 October 2008 Speech by Defense Secretary Gates on Nuclear Deterrence
30 October 2008 Egypt Meeting Increases Total Avian Flu Assistance With an extended burst of applause, representatives from more than 120 nations closed an international meeting whose focus was highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza and the need to control and then eradicate the virus in poultry and prepare the planet for a human pandemic.
30 October 2008 How the Media "Call" the U.S. Presidential Election With exit polling data and vote projection analyses in hand, the news media once again will be putting their professional credibility on the line during the evening and early morning hours of November 4 and November 5 by declaring victors in U.S. states well before most of the votes have been counted.
29 October 2008 Bush Expresses Confidence on U.S.-Iraq Troops Pact President Bush says he remains confident that a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) defining the future U.S. military presence in Iraq will be passed, while policymakers see Baghdad’s proposed changes to the plan as a further sign of political progress in Iraq.
• Remarks by Bush and Kurdish Regional Government President Barzani
29 October 2008 United Nations Urges Transparency from Iran's Nuclear Program If Iran's controversial nuclear program is as peaceful as claimed, the United Nations’ top nuclear guardian asks, why does Tehran refuse to answer questions about possible undeclared nuclear materials and alleged research into nuclear weapons design?
29 October 2008 United States Condemns Renewed Conflict in Congo As thousands flee a new outbreak of violence in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States urges government and opposition forces to stand down and underlines America's support for United Nations peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts.
29 October 2008 Population Changes Likely to Influence U.S. Election In 2008 the U.S. electorate is younger, better educated and more diverse than it was when the nation first elected President Bush in 2000, and these population shifts will affect the November 4 election and help shape America’s future political landscape, analysts say.
28 October 2008 Briefing on U.S. Public Diplomacy and the War of Ideas By James Glassman, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
28 October 2008 Palestinian, U.S .Business Leaders Working on Joint Ventures The U.S. and the Palestinian Authority are working to create new business partnerships to attract investment dollars and create jobs in the Palestinian Territories. Toward this goal, the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsored a meeting of the Palestinian Business and Investment Forum in Washington to build on the success of the Palestinian Investment Conference in the West Bank city of Bethlehem in May 2008, where $1.4 billion was pledged for various projects.
28 October 2008 State Department's Colleen Graffy Discusses Green Diplomacy Colleen P. Graffy, deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, answered questions in an Ask America webchat on green diplomacy.
28 October 2008 Improved Voting Technology Has Not Won Trust of U.S. Voters Some U.S. jurisdictions are backing away from using electronic voting systems even as many other democracies are adopting them, panelists at a discussion sponsored by the National Archives said. But while they decried this development, the panelists also agreed that techniques to assure the integrity of elections must be improved to gain public confidence in the high-tech systems.
28 October 2008 Fact Sheet: Ensuring a Smooth and Effective Presidential Transition
27 October 2008 U.S. Decision 2008 - The Hot Issues That Will Swing the Electorate. We had a record turn-out at the door and lively audience participation. You can view the recorded webcast at
http://london.usembassy.gov/webtv/decision2008-webcast.html
27 October 2008 U.S. Democracy Has "Come a Long Way," State's Glassman Says America's Founding Fathers would be "astounded" to see the presidential race of 2008, said James Glassman, under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs. "But I believe, as well, that they would be very proud," of the political developments, Glassman told a group of participants in the International Visitors Observe the Elections (I-Vote) program.
27 October 2008 Democrats Hoping for Major Senate Gains As Election Day nears, many Democrats are hoping for more than Barack Obama's victory in the presidential race. U.S. voters will also elect more than one-third of the U.S. Senate, and the Democratic Party could make gains that will enable it to pass more legislation.
27 October 2008 Alleged Opium Kingpin Charged With Financing Taliban The arrest of alleged Taliban-linked drug kingpin Haji Juma Khan marks another step forward in international efforts to break linkages between opium traffickers and violent militants that threaten Afghanistan’s fledgling democracy, say top U.S. officials.
25 October 2008 President's Radio Address
24 October 2008 Bush, NATO Secretary-General Address Pressing Issues President Bush signed the accession protocols for Albania and Croatia during a ceremony at the White House in a step bringing those two nations closer to joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
• Bush and NATO Secretary-General's Remarks at Protocol Signing
24 October 2008 Presidential Proclamation on United Nations Day, 2008
25 October 2008 U.S. International Avian and Pandemic Influenza Assistance Approaches $950 Million With the announcement of a new pledge of $320 million for avian and pandemic influenza assistance, U.S. support to international organizations and to more than 90 countries now totals $949 million.
24 October 2008 Going Pink to promote Breast Cancer Awareness!
24 October 2008 Embassy's Voting Assistance Officer hits the Road to Help Students Vote On October 20, 2008, Vice Consul Wendy Kolls, the Embassy's Voting Assistance Officer, visited a group of students and administrators from IES Abroad, a study abroad program hosting American students from colleges and universities all over the United States.
24 October 2008 Joint Statement by Representatives of the United States, the European Community and its Member States on GPS and Galileo Cooperation.
23 October 2008 Congressional Democrats Push for Economic Stimulus U.S. congressional leaders are discussing an economic stimulus plan to revive a slowing economy as credit markets gradually thaw. Congressional Democrats have been pushing for an economic recovery package in response to gloomy economic news.
23 October 2008 Briefing by White House Official on Global Financial Situation
23 October 2008 Security Responsibility Returns to Iraqis in Babil Province Coalition forces have turned over primary security responsibility for Iraq's Babil province to the Iraqis today, another sign of improvements being made in Iraq, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said at a news conference.
22 October 2008 Rice Discusses Changes Across the Middle East The Middle East is a very different place today, but it’s a different place for the better, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In recent wide-ranging news interviews, Rice said democracy now is widely discussed across the Middle East in a way it had not been before.
22 October 2008 U.S. Leads Surge of Donors Rebuilding Georgia The United States joined 67 nations, international financial institutions and private-sector donors to deliver $4.55 billion for Georgia following Russia’s August 2008 invasion. "We share a commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity," Henrietta Fore, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told delegates at a European Union-sponsored donors’ conference in Brussels, Belgium.
22 October 2008 Bush Calls Economic Summit for November 15 The leaders of 20 nations have been invited to attend an economic summit in Washington to discuss the current financial crisis, its causes and efforts to resolve it through more effective regulation and reform, the White House says.
22 October 2008 U.S. Focuses on Corruption-Terrorism Connection The international community needs to apply multiple capabilities in a strategy designed to tackle more effectively the threats posed by the convergence of transnational criminal networks and terrorist groups, U.S. officials say. The U.S. will emphasize this theme and the impact of related issues on national security — along with the U.S. Strategy to Internationalize Efforts Against Kleptocracy, the U.S. policy to deny refuge to corrupt officials, and other initiatives — at the October 30-November 2 International Anti-Corruption Conference in Athens, Greece.
22 October 2008 Remarks by Treasury Secretary on China, the Global Economy
21 October 2008 Bush Showcases International Development Progress The U.S. has ushered in a new era of international development, says President Bush, by empowering a new generation of leaders to lift their citizens from poverty, fight disease and increase educational and economic opportunities.
• President Bush Attends White House Summit on International Development
• Fact Sheet: Transforming International Development
• Secretary Rice at White House Summit on International Development
21 October 2008 U.S. Emphasizes the Need for International Space Cooperation International cooperation is a fundamental tenet of the United States and other "responsible spacefaring nations," according to the U.S. delegate to the U.N. General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security.
21 October 2008 McCain, Obama Call for More Engagement with Russia, Europe U. S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama agree the resurgence of Russia and security and cooperation in Europe will be key foreign policy issues of the next presidency. The candidates' interest in addressing security in Europe follows Russia’s August assault on Georgia, which has elevated U.S.-European/Russian relations to the rank of central international issues in the 2008 presidential election.
20 October 2008 Secretary Rice Interview With Lukman Ahmed of BBC Arabic Television.
20 October 2008 One-Third of Americans Likely to Vote Before Election Day By the time polls open on Election Day on November 4, about one-third of Americans might already have cast their votes. With record voter turnout expected in much of the country, state election officials are encouraging citizens to avoid Election Day lines and vote early by mailing an absentee ballot or stopping by an in-person voting center. Many jurisdictions are reporting high numbers of early voters, so it seems many Americans are following that advice.
20 October 2008 Persistent Conflicts Require Communal Approach to Stability The U.S. Army has rewritten its guidelines for stabilizing failing and failed states with the assistance of government partners, nongovernmental organizations and allies. After a 10-month dialogue with the U.S. Institute of Peace, the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development and a coalition of U.S.-based international NGOs called InterAction, the Army has published a document to provide guidance for today's post-conflict situations as well as those likely to occur in the next 25 years.
20 October 2008 New Defense Department Command Targets African Health Issues The U.S. Defense Department's newest regional military headquarters — the Africa Command, called AFRICOM — is set to streamline a range of operations and step up health care services in a part of the world where national security and infectious disease are inextricably linked.
20 October 2008 Briefing On the White House Summit on International Development: Sustaining The New Era
20 October 2008 Ambassador Robert H. Tuttle on the Rothko Exhibit currently showing at the Tate Modern, through February 1, 2009.
Listen to audio:
 Subscribe to podcast:
18 October 2008 President Bush Meets with President Sarkozy of France and President Barroso of the European Commission
• Statement of the U.S., France and the Presidency of the European Commission
• President's Radio Address
• Fact Sheet: Plan To Stabilize Financial System Is Limited In Size, Scope, And Duration
17 October 2008 "Youthquake" Expected in 2008 U.S. Election It is a historic presidential election, no matter what the outcome: Either an African American or a woman will be elected to one of the United States' top two elected positions for the first time. But 18- to 29-year-olds also will be making history, as they turn out to vote in numbers projected to set new records.
17 October 2008 Seven Nations to Join U.S. Visa Waiver Program Citizens from six European nations and South Korea will be able to travel to the U.S. for short-term business or tourism without a visa in about a month. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and South Korea will be added to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program on November 13.
16 October 2008 Remarks by John Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State, at the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs
16 October 2008 Geneva Talks Seek Stability, Security in Georgia, U.S. SaysThe U.S. welcomes international talks on security and stability in Georgia and its two breakaway regions, said Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried.
• State's Daniel Fried on Georgia Talks
16 October 2008 Bernanke Speech on Stabilizing Financial Markets, Economy
15 October 2008 Defense Secretary Gates Remarks at U.S. Institute of Peace Says Afghanistan tests military, civilian, public and private integration efforts.
16 October 2008 Voters in 11 States Will Elect Governors in 2008 On November 4, voters throughout the U.S. will be casting their votes for president and for their delegates to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 33 states, voters also will be choosing U.S. senators. But in a few — 11, to be precise — voters also will select their state’s chief executive.
16 October 2008 Statement on Iraq's Cultural Heritage Project Following today’s announcement by Mrs. Bush launching the Iraq Cultural Heritage Project, the U.S. Department of State will begin implementation of this initiative to assist in the preservation of the ancient history of Iraq.
15 October 2008 G8 Leaders Statement on the Global Economy "We welcome and commend the recent decisions and actions taken in support of implementation of the G7 Plan of Action, adopted by finance ministers and central bank governors and endorsed by the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund, which set forth a concerted framework for individual and collective action."
15 October 2008 President Bush Remarks on Economic Rescue Plan
15 October 2008 Success of the Surge and Political Improvements in Iraq Today, President Bush received an update from Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team leaders and Brigade Combat Team Commanders on the important progress they are making in communities around Iraq. The President spoke to representatives from PRTs and BCTs in Ninewa, Maysan, and Sadr City.
15 October 2008 Gates: U.S. Toolbox to Confront Threats Requires More Than 'Just Hammers' The war on terror, particularly in Afghanistan , has put the United States and its allies and partners to the test as they strive to apply both "soft-" and "hard-power" capabilities to ward off violent extremism, said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
14 October 2008 U.S. Government to Invest in Banks to Boost Confidence The U.S. government is taking partial ownership of some of the largest banks and is applying other extraordinary and aggressive measures to return confidence to financial markets and restore their capacity to lend to consumers and businesses.
• President Bush Discusses Economy
• Statement by Secretary Paulson on Actions to Protect the U.S. Economy
• Chairman Bernanke Remarks At the President’s Working Group Market Stability Initiative Announcement
14 October 2008 U.S. Removes North Korea from State Sponsors of Terrorism List The U.S. removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism after the North Korean government agreed to resume dismantling a plutonium processing plant at Yongbyon and to allow international inspectors.
14 October 2008 Nobel Prize for Economics Goes to American Professor American academic Paul Krugman was awarded the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in recognition of his "analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity," according to the Nobel Committee, which announced the award October 13.
13 October 2008 Fact Sheet: Protecting American Innovation Today, President Bush signed the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property (PRO IP) Act.
11 October 2008 President Bush Meets with G7 Finance Ministers to Discuss World Economy
11 October 2008 President's Radio Address
10 October 2008 U.S. Acting Aggressively to Stem Market Instability, Bush Says The U.S. has developed an effective and aggressive financial plan to restore stability to the nation’s financial markets, ease a credit crunch that has gripped the nation's economy, and help world economies stabilize, President Bush says.
10 October 2008 Ministers Approve Drug Network Attacks, Increasing Alliance Readiness NATO defense ministers approved a proposal that will allow the International Security Assistance Force soldiers in Afghanistan to shut down drug networks that funnel money to the Taliban.
09 October 2008 Russian Claims of Privileged Sphere Draw Criticism In the wake of Russia's assault on Georgia, its claims of a "privileged" sphere of influence within the boundaries of the former Soviet Union, along with the declaration of a right to intervene on behalf of Russian citizens outside its borders, have drawn expressions of confusion, dismay and outright rejection in the United States and Europe.
09 October 2008 U.S. Moves Forward on Financial Rescue, Considers Other Measures Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in a prepared statement that his department has made progress in implementing the $700 billion financial rescue plan, which gives the government broad powers to intervene in the markets. But it will take several weeks before the department will make its first purchases of troubled securities, he said.
• Updated Statement by Treasury’s Paulson on Financial Markets
09 October 2008 Rice Remarks at the Advisory Committee on Democracy Promotion
• Related:Institutionalizing The Freedom Agenda
09 October 2008 Arab Americans Hear They Can Sway Presidential Election As surrogates for Barack Obama and John McCain vied for Arab-American votes at a Virginia candidates forum sponsored by the Arab American Institute (AAI), the group's leaders urged attendees to volunteer and make their voices heard, regardless of party affiliation.
09 October 2008 NASA Extends Phoenix Mission as Snow Falls on Martian Plains Five months after NASA's Phoenix spacecraft touched down on the arctic plains of Mars, the instrumented lander has given scientists a new understanding of the Red Planet and its soil, water history, chemistry and climate.
08 October 2008 U.S. Committed to NATO Membership for Ukraine, Georgia The United States remains committed to NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia, and it calls on southeastern European nations to send more troops to Afghanistan. At the Southeast European Defense Ministerial meeting in Ohrid, Macedonia, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said October 8 that the U.S. commitment made by President Bush at the 2008 Bucharest NATO Summit remains unchanged.
08 October 2008 Defeating Terrorism Requires Common Goal, Strategic Effort No cause can justify or excuse the murder of innocent people, which makes the struggle against terrorism a fight for values and principles that are universal, says Ambassador Dell Dailey, the U.S. State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism.
08 October 2008 Economic Issues Dominate Second Presidential Debate With troubles in financial markets continuing to dominate world headlines, John McCain and Barack Obama spent more than half of their second presidential debate discussing economic issues. Members of the audience, who were uncommitted voters, posed questions directly to the candidates. For the first time, the debate's moderator also asked questions posed by Americans on the Internet.
08 October 2006 Highest U.S. Court Will Address Key Constitutional Principles The first Monday in October, October 6, marked the opening of another term of the U.S. Supreme Court, a session that thus far lacks the headline-grabbing cases of the previous session but might offer more opportunities to limit or strengthen a number of constitutional principles.
07 October 2008 World Markets Remain Hesitant Following Financial Rescue Plan World stock markets remain jittery even after the U.S. Congress approved a $700 billion financial rescue plan. In the first full day of trading after President Bush signed the bill into law, New YorkÂ’s Dow Jones industrial average stock index fell more than 7 percent before rebounding slightly and closing down 3.5 percent. These movements were echoed in markets around the globe.
• President Bush Discusses Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
• Bernanke Speech on Current Economic and Financial Conditions
• Secretary Rice Remarks at the World Steel Association 42nd Annual Meeting
07 October 2008 Gates Meets With Kosovo Leaders, Promises Continued U.S. Support Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today congratulated the citizens of Kosovo on their progress in establishing the newest nation on Earth. Gates became the first U.S. cabinet officer to visit Kosovo since it declared its independence from Serbia in February.
07 October 2008 U.S. Presidential Nominees Market Themselves to Voters Republican presidential nominee John McCain and Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama are using the advertising tool of "branding" to market themselves to the U.S. electorate, advertising specialists tell America.gov.
06 October 2008 U.S. Military Aid to Georgia Was Never Directed at Russia Contrary to repeated claims by Russian authorities, the U.S. took careful steps to ensure that its military training efforts in Georgia never constituted any kind of threat to Russian security interests, according to the official who oversaw the program in 2007 and 2008.
06 October 2008 Rice Says U.S. Seeks Closer Ties with Kazakhstan The U.S. is trying to build closer ties with Kazakhstan, but that is not intended to undermine Russian influence in Central Asia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says. "First of all, Kazakhstan is an independent country. It can have friendships with whomever it wishes, and I think Kazakhstan has wished to have friendships and relationships with all of its neighbors," Rice said during a three-day trip to Kazakhstan and India Octobe.
06 October 2008 Bush Remarks on Judicial Accomplishments and Philosophy
04 October 2008 Financial Rescue Bill Boosts Hope as Bush Signs It into Law The president signed into law a $700 billion financial rescue bill within hours of its passage by the House of Representatives. The congressional chamber reversed itself October 3 and approved a revised version of the $700 billion rescue it had rejected four days earlier.
• President's Radio Address
03 October 2008 U.S. Committed to Protecting World’s Oceans The U.S. has met or is on schedule to meet all initiatives proposed in the president’s Ocean Action Plan, a program announced in December 2004 to protect and preserve Earth’s oceans and coastal resources, according to a statement by the White House.
03 October 20008 Statement on Iraqi Refugee Admissions, Humanitarian Assistance By the end of the U.S. government's fiscal year on September 30, 13,823 Iraqi refugees had arrived for resettlement in the United States, surpassing the target of 12,000. This figure represents a more than eightfold increase over the 1608 Iraqis admitted in the previous year. Most of the Iraqis who arrived in the U.S. – over 9,000 – came from Jordan and Syria, the two countries hosting the most Iraqi refugees. Smaller groups came from Turkey, Lebanon, and Egypt.
02 October 2008 U.S. Takes First Steps Toward Embassy Relocation
02 October 2008 U.S. Senate Endorses Financial Rescue Plan The U.S. Senate approved a revised version of the $700 billion plan to shore up the U.S. and global financial systems, reviving hope that the measure will be passed by the other congressional chamber, which rejected the plan days earlier. Senators voted overwhelmingly October 1 in favor of the bill.
02 October 2008 Conflict Prevention Will Be Key for New Africa Command The U.S. military activated its sixth geographic command, dedicated exclusively to the continent of Africa, on October 1. The new U.S. Africa Command flag was unfurled during a formal ceremony held at the Pentagon before African dignitaries and members of the U.S. Congress on the first day of AFRICOM — as it is known — as a fully independent unified command.
02 October 2008 Congress Approves U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Accord The U.S. Congress approved legislation that will bring India's nuclear programs under international inspections and enhance trade between the United States and India. The legislation, which the Senate passed October 1 by a vote of 86 to 13, now goes to President Bush. The House of Representatives passed the bill 298 to 117 on September 28.
02 October 2008 Record Turnout Likely for 2008 General Election A record voter turnout is expected for the 2008 U.S. presidential election, and that prediction is putting new election law reforms to the test. In 2004, 125 million people voted in the presidential election, about 88 percent of registered voters. Experts believe that turnout in 2008 will be somewhere between 125 million and 200 million voters, the highest numbers in recent memory.
02 October 2008 U.S. and Sustainable Fisheries Dr. Rebecca Lent, Director of International Affairs at NOAA Fisheries talks to Environment Counselor Jock Whittlesey of the U.S. Embassy.
Listen to audio:
Subscribe to podcast:
01 October 2008 Statement by the President on Senate for Strong Bipartisan Vote in Favor of the Financial Rescue Plan
01 October 2008 NATO Seen as Strengthening Security for All, Including Russia
Despite Russian claims that NATO enlargement is directed at Russia, the record demonstrates quite the opposite — that a new NATO has helped create an area of security, freedom and democratic governance which benefits, rather than threatens, neighboring Russia.
01 October 2008 Treasury Official at Foreign Press Center on Financial Turmoil Under Secretary McCormick briefs on U.S. actions to stabilize markets.
| 
What's New
