Hi, all. Today's report features:
• Marking Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday: The President observes Dr. King's birthday with a service project at Stuart Hobson Middle School in Washington, DC.
• President's statement on Sudan: "The sight of so many Sudanese casting their votes in a peaceful and orderly fashion was an inspiration to the world...."
• Energy News: Secretary Chu on the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in training scientists and engineers to discover clean energy solutions; international students prepare for the DOE Solar Decathlon.
• Commerce news: Secretary, co-chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, speaks at an AAPI event for small business owners. Next month he leads a trade mission to India.
• NASA news: Video review of the previous week, including shuttle and ISS updates and a condolence call from Russian Prime Minister Putin to Commander Kelly regarding the shooting of his sister-in-law, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ).
• MARKING MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.'S BIRTHDAY •
White House, Jan. 17, 2011:
Marking Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday
President Obama speaks about the importance of service and volunteering after marking Martin Luther King's birthday with a service project at Stuart Hobson Middle School in Washington, DC.
Office of the Press Secretary, Jan. 17, 2011:
Remarks by the President on Martin Luther King's Birthday
THE PRESIDENT: This is just an outstanding program, an example of what Martin Luther King’s birthday should be all about. I want to thank all the mentees and mentors who are participating.
Dr. King obviously had a dream of justice and equality in our society, but he also had a dream of service, that you could be a drum major for service, that you could lead by giving back to our communities. And that's what this program is all about and that's what these participants are all about.
Michelle and I the girls are extraordinarily proud that each year on Martin Luther King’s birthday this is how we celebrate, is making sure that we're giving a little something back to the community. And I hope that all the projects that are taking place all across the country on this day are getting similar attention, because this is part of what America is all about. And after a painful week where so many of us were focused on tragedy, it’s good for us to remind ourselves what this country is all about. This kind of service project is what’s best in us and we're thrilled with everybody who is participating.
• PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT ON SUDAN •
Office of the Press Secretary, Jan. 16, 2011:
Statement by the President on Sudan
The United States congratulates the Sudanese people, the government of Sudan, and the government of Southern Sudan on the end of their historic, week-long referendum on the future of southern Sudan. The sight of so many Sudanese casting their votes in a peaceful and orderly fashion was an inspiration to the world and a tribute to the determination of the people and leaders of south Sudan to forge a better future. We wish to commend the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission, the Southern Sudan Referendum Board, the domestic and international observers, the United Nations Mission in Sudan, and most of all, the voters who turned out in high numbers and high spirits to take their turn at the ballot box. The past week has given the world renewed faith in the prospect of a peaceful, prosperous future for all of the Sudanese people -- a future that the American people long to see in Sudan.
The referendum now moves into another phase, and while official results will not be available for some time, independent observers have been extremely encouraged by the credibility of the process to date. We urge all parties to continue to urge calm and show restraint as the parties work to complete implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The United States will continue to assist the parties amid the tough challenges and historic opportunities that lie ahead.
• ENERGY NEWS •
Department of Energy, Jan. 14, 2011:
Strengthening Our Partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities
By Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy
Last February, President Obama renewed the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to encourage collaboration between government agencies, educational associations, philanthropic organizations, the private sector and others to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide high-quality education to a greater number of students.
The Department of Energy is committed to supporting education at HBCUs and has partnered with HBCUs on a variety of projects. As part of that commitment, today I met with Dr. William Harvey, Chairman of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and President of Hampton University, as well as Langston University President JoAnn Haysbert and Morgan State University President David Wilson. The presidents and I discussed how the Department can better engage HBCUs in our science and laboratory projects, and what lessons we can learn from the many ongoing and successful partnerships we have in place.
President Harvey highlighted Hampton University’s outstanding working relationship with the Department’s Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory. At Jefferson Lab, Hampton students have supported work conducted in the nuclear physics program. Now, Hampton is building on that partnership by working with Brookhaven National Laboratory.
President Wilson spoke about his school’s promising collaboration with the Department. Morgan State, which leads Maryland in the number of African American engineering graduates, is a member of the Department’s Energy Innovation Hub team that is developing ways to make buildings more efficient. Specifically, the school is working on ways to adopt technology developed by the Hub so it can be used in urban centers like Baltimore.
Finally, President Haysbert discussed Langston University’s partnership with the Department, the Oklahoma Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, and others to explore the market for and the benefits of developing and purchasing wind generated power. Particularly, Langston is focused on developing wind energy as an alternative energy source that can promote rural economic development -- supporting farmers and other HBCUs.
These examples show that HBCUs can play an important role in promoting American leadership in clean energy by training a new generation of scientists and engineers to discover and deliver energy solutions. To continue to support these efforts, the Department has awarded more than $31 million to HBCUs since 2009, including $22 million for research and development programs. These research dollars support initiatives at institutions including Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College to build the capacity to develop clean energy technologies on campus and to conduct studies on energy usage. Additionally, we have provided internships, grants and scholarships to students at a number of Historically Black institutions.
By continuing to expand and support our partnerships with HBCUs, we can encourage more students from minority communities to explore careers in science, engineering and mathematics. A diversity of students, from diverse backgrounds, will create a diversity of ideas, spurring innovation in the clean energy sector.
To learn more about the Department’s work with HBCUs, visit diversity.doe.gov.
Department of Energy, Jan. 14, 2011:;
Solar Decathletes Inspire Today's Green Builders and Tomorrow's Innovations
By Richard King, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon
An energetic group of university students from New Zealand to North Carolina are a huge draw at this year’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida.
The students are preparing for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon – a competition that challenges 20 collegiate teams to construct and operate solar-powered homes that incorporate energy-saving designs. On Thursday, the teams’ scale models, which have been on exhibit throughout the week, attracted increased attention from green builders and show visitors during "Green Day" at the International Builders’ Show.
While the design inspiration for the houses ranges from the architecture of ancient Greece to the homes of the American frontier, the technologies and engineering approaches are decidedly modern. In addition to photovoltaic and passive solar techniques, the teams are incorporating a wide range of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies. All of the houses will employ high-efficiency technologies, such as state of the art insulation and windows, next-generation lighting, advanced temperature controls, and energy monitoring systems. The teams will also focus on affordability and sustainability – many of the homes are designed to collect and reuse rainwater and others will use reclaimed wood and building materials.
• COMMERCE NEWS •
White House AAPI, Jan. 17, 2011:
Commerce Secretary Locke gives AAPI Keynote
StanfordDaily.com, Jan. 10, 2011:
Local Asian-American business owners find support at White House summit
by Amy Julia Harris
Mountain View hosted a meeting of technological minds on Friday when about a thousand small business owners in Silicon Valley convened for a White House summit on entrepreneurship and small business growth. The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) put on the five-and-a-half-hour event held on Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus. It was free of charge.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, co-chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, kicked off the summit with a keynote speech that underscored the role of Asian Americans in the small business sector and the Obama administration’s efforts to jumpstart entrepreneurship.
"There’s a great legacy of Asian American/Pacific Islander entrepreneurs, innovators and small business owners in America– all we want to do is smooth the way for that long line of accomplishment to continue," Locke told the audience Friday morning. "Despite continued hardship among Asian/Pacific Islanders, the community overall is thriving. Asian American/Pacific Islanders are now more likely to hire and retain employment and spur economic growth than other business owners."
The White House Initiative, housed in the Department of Education, was spearheaded by the Clinton administration to address issues in health disparity, but has since broadened its charter to increase Asian American and Pacific Islander access to and participation in federal programs where they are underserved. The summit featured talks by politicians and policy wonks that shared tips for small business financing, how best to utilize tax credits and loans and what the emerging opportunities are in the realm of big data in clean energy and healthcare information technology. Also included were workshops on financing a start-up, government contracting, exporting, clean energy technology and healthcare IT.
There are currently more than two million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders involved in small business and more than one million AAPI-owned firms in the United States. They represent 10 percent of the United States’ entrepreneurs and cumulatively bring in over $300 billion dollars in sales.
"If you were to take out a Blackberry, break it apart and see how many Asian-Americans were involved in producing it, you’d be amazed," said Rep. Mike Honda (CA-15), a speaker at the afternoon portion of the event. "All of us have contributed to all the technology of this... The White House Initiative recognizes that the Asian American Diaspora is a resource that that government needs to tap into."
Silicon Valley, where Asian Americans head about a third of start-ups, was the first stop on the White House Initiative’s national tour to discuss what the federal government is doing across different priority areas to promote opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
For small business owners like Van Leong, who owns an Internet marketing firm out of his home in Milpitas, the summit was a reassuring reminder that the government was working to address the problems, like loan contracts, that face AAPI in the business sector.
"As an Asian American, I’m glad to see that we’re a focus in the White House," said Leong, who has a 20-year background in high tech. "For me, what this really showed was how different the economic situation now is from 10 years ago. There’s a different environment for getting money today, which the summit addressed, and the small business mentality is different. I think getting the word out is positive."
Department of Commerce, Jan. 14, 2011:
Secretary Locke to Lead 24 U.S. Businesses on High-Tech Trade Mission to India
Twenty-four U.S. businesses will join Commerce Secretary Gary Locke for a business development mission to India on February 6-11. The businesses joining the trade mission are based in 13 states across the country and more than half of them are small- and medium-sized companies.
The delegation, which also includes senior officials from the Export-Import Bank (EX-IM) and the Trade Development Agency (TDA), will make stops in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, where Locke will highlight export opportunities for U.S. businesses in the advanced industrial sectors, of civil-nuclear trade, defense and security, civil aviation, and information and communication technologies. Locke accompanied President Obama to India in November, where they witnessed more than $10 billion in business deals between U.S. companies and Indian private sector and government entities, supporting 50,000 American jobs.
"Exports are leading the U.S. economic recovery, spurring future economic growth and creating jobs in America," Locke said. "The business leaders joining me on this mission see the great potential to sell their goods and services to India, helping drive innovation and create jobs in both countries."
The India business development mission will help build on the exporting success U.S. companies had 2010 – up 17 percent compared to the same period in 2009. It will be Locke’s second trade mission as Commerce Secretary; in May, he led a clean energy business development mission to China and Indonesia.
• NASA NEWS •
NASA Television, Jan. 14, 2011:
This Week @ NASA
STS-133 is now targeted to liftoff to the International Space Station on February 24. Cracks in a portion of shuttle Discovery's external tank will be repaired by then. Also, a new date -- and backup commander -- for STS-134; Russia's prime minister calls the station; Kepler grabs headlines in Seattle; and Mars experts gather for exploration update. Plus, shh shh chevrons; Langley's new impact water basin; and, the NASA Knights go robotic!