Hi, all. Today's report features:
• State of the Union: Preview of the President’s address to Congress; lineup of the week’s related events.
• Weekly Address: The President discusses what he’s doing to make America competitive.
• Competing in the global economy: The President on innovation; Jeff Immelt to chair the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
• President names mentoring awards recipients: They’ll receive Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.
• Justice news: RFK anniversary; recent sentences.
• Labor news: Secretary Solis: "Union jobs ... are central to restoring our middle class"; OSHA cites company for exposing employees to lead.
• Medicare update: Secretary Sebelius: Health reform strengthens Medicare.
• China connection: Commemorative art; videoconference with Chinese bloggers; new conservation agreement keeps pandas at National Zoo.
• STATE OF THE UNION •
BarackObamadotcom, Jan. 22, 2011:
A State of the Union Preview
President Obama gives an advance look at what he'll ask of Congress on Tuesday.
White House Blog, Jan. 21, 2011:
The State of the Union and You
Posted by Dan Pfeiffer, White House Communications Director
On Tuesday, January 25, at 9 p.m. EST, President Obama will deliver the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol. We have been working on a number of ways citizens can get involved in the State of the Union and ask their questions of President Obama and senior Administration officials. You can find all the details on our brand new State of the Union page.
Here’s the lineup of events next week. Be sure to tune in to watch the speech live at 9 p.m. on Tuesday and find a way get involved.
Tuesday at 9 PM: Live Stream of the State of the Union
Watch the live stream of the State of the Union Address on WhiteHouse.gov.
Tuesday Immediately After the Speech: Open for Questions
Immediately following the State of the Union Address, stay tuned for a live Open For Questions event where Senior White House officials will answer your questions about key issues addressed in the speech live from the White House. Panelists include:
• Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council
• Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy
• David Simas, Director and Aide to the Senior Advisor
• Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications.
Submit your questions on Twitter by replying to @whitehouse using the hashtag #sotu, on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/WhiteHouse, or on our webform.
Wednesday: Twitter Interview with Press Secretary Gibbs
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs will be taking your questions via Twitter before his post-State of the Union briefing on Wednesday, January 26. Follow @PressSec on Twitter to find out when he’ll be taking your questions, then respond to @PressSec using the hashtag #1Q and watch for his video responses.
Thursday at 2:30 PM: Live YouTube Interview with President Obama
President Obama will answer your questions during a live YouTube interview at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday January 27. Submit your questions on youtube.com/askobama.
Thursday: Open for Questions Policy Roundtables
Throughout the day on Thursday, January 27, policy experts from the White House and around the Administration will be answering your questions key issue areas. You can submit your questions during the event on Facebook or ahead of time with participating sites. Check out the line up below:
• 11:30 AM EST: Economy Roundtable with Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, and communities from MSNMoney, Mint.com and Examiner.com
• 1:00 PM EST: Foreign Policy Roundtable with Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor, and communities fromForeignPolicy.com, Economist.com, and Military.com
• 3:15 PM EST: Education Roundtable with Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, and communities from mtvU, GOOD, BabyCenter, and PBS Education
• 4:30 PM EST: Health Care Roundtable with Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and communities from WebMD, AOL Health, Nurse.com, and Medscape.
Vice President Joe Biden Answers Your Questions from Yahoo!
Vice President Joe Biden will be taking questions from Yahoo! readers. Be sure to check out The State of the Union page next week to find out how to submit your questions and watch for the answers.
• WEEKLY ADDRESS •
White House, Jan. 22, 2011:
Weekly Address: "We Can Out-Compete Any Other Nation"
President Obama discusses the steps he is taking to make America competitive in the short and long terms, and why he chose GE CEO Jeff Immelt to head up the new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
Office of the Press Secretary, Jan, 22, 2011:
WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama: "We Can Out-Compete Any Other Nation"
WASHINGTON – President Obama used his weekly address to highlight the steps his administration is taking to make America more competitive. As a result of the deals made with China this week, U.S. exports to China will increase by more than $45 billion and China will increase its investments in America by several billion dollars. These deals will support some 235,000 American jobs. Also, the President named GE CEO Jeff Immelt to head up the new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which will help find ways to grow the economy by investing in American businesses.
THE PRESIDENT:
Here’s the truth about today’s economy: If we’re serious about fighting for American jobs and American businesses, one of the most important things we can do is open up more markets to American goods around the world.
That’s why I met with China’s President Hu Jintao at the White House this past week. We’re now exporting more than $100 billion a year to China in goods and services. And as a result of deals we completed this week, we’ll be increasing U.S. exports to China by more than $45 billion, and China’s investments in America by several billion dollars. Most important, these deals will support some 235,000 American jobs. And that includes a lot of manufacturing jobs.
That goal is why I fought so hard to negotiate a new and better trade deal with South Korea – a deal with unprecedented support from business and labor – that will support more than 70,000 American jobs. And that’s why I traveled to India last fall to help pave the way for $10 billion in new deals for American businesses and more than 50,000 new American jobs.
Now, these may just sound like statistics. But yesterday, I saw what that means firsthand when I traveled to a GE plant in Schenectady, New York. This plant is manufacturing steam turbines and generators for a big project in India that resulted from a deal we announced around that trip – a project that’s helping support more than 1,200 manufacturing jobs and more than 400 engineering jobs in Schenectady. Good jobs at good wages, producing American products for the world.
At the same time, GE has also been investing in innovation, building a clean energy center, an advanced battery manufacturing plant, and other state-of-the-art facilities in Schenectady that are resulting in hundreds of new American jobs and contributing to America’s global economic leadership.
Leading the world in innovation. Opening new markets to American products. That’s how we’ll create jobs today. That’s how we’ll make America more competitive tomorrow. And that’s how we’ll win the future.
While I was in Schenectady, I announced that Jeff Immelt, GE’s CEO and one of the most imaginative and visionary business leaders in America, has agreed to head up our new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The purpose of this council is to help us find ways to grow our economy by investing in our businesses here at home. And under Jeff’s leadership, I’m confident that they’ll generate good ideas about how we can spur hiring, educate our workers to compete in the 21st century, and attract the best jobs and businesses to America rather than seeing them spring up overseas.
We’re living in a new and challenging time, in which technology has made competition easier and fiercer than ever before. Countries around the world are upping their game and giving their workers and companies every advantage possible. But that shouldn’t discourage us. Because I know we can win that competition. I know we can out-compete any other nation on Earth. We just have to make sure we’re doing everything we can to unlock the productivity of American workers, unleash the ingenuity of American businesses, and harness the dynamism of America’s economy. Thanks everyone, and have a nice weekend.
• COMPETING IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY •
White House, Jan. 21, 2011:
Competing in the Global Economy
President Obama speaks about the importance of innovation in the global economy and introduces Jeff Immelt as the chairman of the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness after touring a General Electric plant in Schenectady, NY.
Office of the Press Secretary, Jan. 21, 2011:
Remarks by the President on the Economy in Schenectady, New York
THE PRESIDENT: .... what has never changed –- we see it right here at this plant, we see it right here at GE –- is that America is still home to the most creative and most innovative businesses in the world. We’ve got the most productive workers in the world. America is home to inventors and dreamers and builders and creators. (Applause.) All of you represent people who each and every day are pioneering the technologies and discoveries that not only improve our lives, but they drive our economy.
Across the country, there are entrepreneurs opening businesses. There are researchers testing new medical treatments. There are engineers pushing the limits of design and the programmers poring over lines of code. And there are workers like you on assembly lines all across the country, eager to create some of the best products the world has ever seen.
There are students training to take new jobs by their side. In this community, GE is building one of the world’s most sophisticated manufacturing facilities to produce state-of-the-art batteries. (Applause.) Last year, you opened the headquarters of your renewable energy operations, and you created 650 jobs on this campus. (Applause.)
So our challenge, especially as we continue to fight our way back from the worst recession in our lifetimes, is to harness this spirit, to harness this potential, the potential that all of you represent.
Our challenge is to do everything we can to make it easier for folks to bring products to market and to start and expand new businesses, and to grow and hire new workers. I want plants like this all across America. You guys are a model of what’s possible.
And that’s why, as part of the tax cut compromise that I signed at the end of the year, we provided incentives for businesses to make new capital investments -– and in fact GE is investing $13 million in advanced manufacturing at this plant, taking advantage of some of these tax breaks.
We also extended a program that GE says its customers have used to invest $6 billion in clean energy production across this country –- driving demand for the company’s wind turbines. And I saw one of those big turbines on the way in. So we know we can compete. Not just in the industries of the past, but also in the industries of the future.
But in an ever-shrinking world, our success in these efforts will be determined not only by what we build in Schenectady, but also what we can sell in Shanghai. For America to compete around the world, we need to export more goods around the world. That’s where the customers are. It’s that simple. (Applause.)
And as I was walking through the plant, you guys had put up some handy signs so I knew what I was looking at. (Laughter.) And I noticed on all of them they said, this is going to Kuwait; this is going to India; this is going to Saudi Arabia.
That's where the customers are, and we want to sell them products made here in America. That’s why I met with Chinese leaders this week, and Jeff joined me at the state dinner.
During those meetings, we struck a deal to open Chinese markets to our products. They're selling here, and that's fine. But we want to sell there. We want to open up their markets so that we got two-way trade, not just one-way trade. (Applause.)
So the deals we struck are going to mean more than $45 billion in new business for American companies -– $45 billion -- that translates into 235,000 new jobs for American workers. (Applause.)
And that’s also why I fought hard to negotiate a new trade deal with South Korea that will support more than 70,000 American jobs. That’s why I traveled to India a few months ago -- and Jeff was there with us -- where our businesses were able to reach agreement to export $10 billion in goods and services to India. And that’s going to lead to another 50,000 jobs here in the United States. (Applause.)
Part of the reason I wanted to come to this plant is because this plant is what that trip was all about. As part of the deal we struck in India, GE is going sell advanced turbines -- the ones you guys make -- to generate power at a plant in Samalkot, India -- Samalkot, India. Most of you hadn’t heard of Samalkot -- (laughter) -- but now you need to know about it, because you’re going to be selling to Samalkot, India. And that new business halfway around the world is going to help support more than 1,200 manufacturing jobs and more than 400 engineering jobs right here in this community -- because of that sale. (Applause.)
So it’s a perfect example of why promoting exports is so important. That’s why I’ve set a goal of doubling American exports within five years. And we’re on track to do it. We’re already up 18 percent and we’re just going to keep on going, because we’re going to sell more and more stuff all around the world. (Applause.)
When a company sells products overseas, it leads to hiring on our shores. The deal in Samalkot means jobs in Schenectady. That’s how we accelerate growth. That’s how we create opportunities for our people. This is how we go from an economy that was powered by what we borrow and what we consume -- that’s what happened over the last 10 years. What was driving our economy was we were spending a lot on credit cards. Everybody was borrowing a lot. The Chinese were selling a lot to us. Folks were selling a lot to us from all over the world. We’ve got to reverse that. We want an economy that’s fueled by what we invent and what we build. We’re going back to Thomas Edison’s principles. We’re going to build stuff and invent stuff. (Applause.)
Now, nobody understands this better than Jeff Immelt. He understands what it takes for America to compete in the global economy. As he mentioned, I’ve appreciated his wisdom during these past two years. We had a difficult, difficult crisis on our hands. It was a few days after I took office that I assembled a group of business leaders, including Jeff, to form a new advisory board, because at that time the economy was in a freefall and we were facing the prospects of another Great Depression, with ripple effects all around the world. It wasn’t just the United States. The entire world economy was contracting. At such a dangerous moment, it was essential that we heard voices and ideas from business leaders and from experts who weren’t part of the usual Washington crowd.
And I tasked Jeff and the other advisors with one mission -- help to steer our nation from deep recession into recovery; help take the economy from one that’s shrinking to one that’s growing. And over the past two years, I’ve been very grateful for their advice.
And I especially want to commend the man who chaired the panel, one of the nation’s preeminent economists, the former head of the Federal Reserve, Paul Volcker, because he offered unvarnished advice and he wasn’t afraid to counter the conventional wisdom. He did a great service to this country.
In fact, it was six months ago today that I signed into law a set of financial reforms to protect consumers and prevent future financial crises and put an end to taxpayer-funded bailouts -– and that's an achievement in which Paul Volcker was instrumental. So we're very proud of him for that work. (Applause.)
Now, two years later, though, we're in a different place. In part because of the economic plan that my recovery board helped shape, the economy is now growing again. Over the last year, businesses have added more than a million jobs. The pace of hiring and growth is picking up, and that's encouraging news. But at the same time, while businesses are adding jobs, millions of people are still out there looking for work. And even here in Schenectady, as well as GE is doing, I know everybody here knows a neighbor or friend or relative who’s still out of work.
So it’s not -- it’s a great thing that the economy is growing, but it’s not growing fast enough yet to make up for the damage that was done by the recession.
The past two years were about pulling our economy back from the brink. The next two years, our job now, is putting our economy into overdrive. Our job is to do everything we can to ensure that businesses can take root and folks can find good jobs and America is leading the global competition that will determine our success in the 21st century.
And so now, to help fulfill this new mission, I’m assembling a new group of business leaders and outside advisors. And I am so proud and pleased that Jeff has agreed to chair this panel -- my Council on Jobs and Competitiveness -- because we think GE has something to teach businesses all across America. (Applause.)
Now, I hope you don't mind, I’m going to brag about your boss for a second here. Jeff is somebody who brings a wealth of experience to the table. He is one of the nation’s most respected and admired business leaders, and that's a reputation he earned over 10 years at the helm of this company. In the coming days, we’ll be announcing the business leaders, the labor leaders, the economists and others who will join with Jeff to help guide us into that overdrive mode.
I know this council will be an important asset as we seek to do everything we can to spur hiring and ensure our nation can compete with anybody on the planet. That means spurring innovation in growing industries like clean energy manufacturing, the kind of stuff that's being done right here at this plant; ensuring our economy isn’t held back by crumbling roads and broken-down infrastructure.
It means educating and training our people. I just had a chance to meet one of the guys here at the plant who had been trained at Hudson Valley, which I had an opportunity to visit a while back. And that's an example of the kind of partnerships that we’ve got to duplicate all across the country.
Schenectady offers that kind of example. Hudson Valley Community College created a program so students could earn a paycheck and have their tuition covered while training for jobs at this plant. That’s helping folks find good work; it’s helping GE fill high-skill positions; it’s making this whole region more competitive.
So ultimately winning this global competition comes down to living up to the promise of places like this. Here in Schenectady, you’re heirs to a great tradition of innovation and enterprise: the pioneering work of Edison that made the entire modern age possible -- the tungsten filaments that still light our homes; the x-rays that diagnose disease; now the advanced batteries and renewable energy sources that hold so much promise for the future.
In these pioneering efforts, we see what America is all about. We see what has in our past allowed us to not only weather rough storms but reach brighter days. And it’s got to remind us that we’ve got those same strengths. This is America. We still have that spirit of invention, and that sense of optimism, that belief that if we work hard and we give it our all, that anything is possible in this country.
The future belongs to us. And you at this plant, you are showing us the way forward. So thank you so much, everybody. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
• PRESIDENT NAMES MENTORING AWARDS RECIPIENTS •
Office of the Press Secretary, Jan. 21, 2011:
President Honors Outstanding Science, Math, Engineering Mentors
President Obama today named 11 individuals and 4 organizations as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. The mentors will receive their awards at a White House ceremony next week.
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, awarded by the White House each year to individuals or organizations, recognize the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science or engineering—particularly those who belong to groups that are underrepresented in those fields. By offering their expertise and encouragement, mentors help prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers while ensuring that tomorrow’s innovators reflect the full diversity of the United States.
Candidates for the Presidential Mentoring Awards are nominated by colleagues, administrators, and students in their home institutions. The mentoring can involve students at any grade level from elementary through graduate school. In addition to being honored at the White House, recipients receive awards of $10,000 to advance their mentoring efforts.
"These individuals and organizations have gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the United States remains on the cutting edge of science and engineering for years to come," President Obama said. "Their devotion to the educational enrichment and personal growth of their students is remarkable, and these awards represent just a small token of our enormous gratitude."
The individuals and organizations receiving the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring this year are:
• Richard L. Cardenas, St. Mary’s University, TX
• Anthony Carpi, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, NY
• Isaac J. Crumbly, Fort Valley State University, GA
• Jo Handelsman, Yale University, CT
• Douglass L. Henderson, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI
• Bruce A. Jackson, Massachusetts Bay Community College, MA
• Marigold L. Linton, University of Kansas, KS
• Maja J. Matarić, University of Southern California, CA
• Gerard F. R. Parkin, Columbia University, NY
• Julio J. Ramirez, Davidson College, NC
• Michelle A. Williams, University of Washington, WA
• Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ
• Baccalaureate and Beyond Community College Mentoring Program, State University of New York, Purchase College, NY
• Grinnell Science Project, Grinnell College, IA
• Women in Science and Engineering Mentoring Initiatives, Center for Research on Women and Gender, University of Illinois-Chicago, IL
• JUSTICE NEWS •
Department of Justice, Jan 21, 2011:
Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy’s Swearing-In as 64th Attorney General
"Today, we come together to celebrate the achievements and enduring contributions of our nation’s 64th Attorney General – a man whose legacy continues to guide us, whose memory continues to touch us, and whose example continues to inspire us."
Former Controller of a Miami-Dade County Telecommunications Company Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for His Role in Foreign Bribery Scheme
The former controller of a Miami-Dade County, Fla., telecommunications company was sentenced to 24 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to pay and conceal bribes to former Haitian government officials.
Former Chicago Police Officer Jon Burge Sentenced for Lying About Police Torture
Former Chicago Police Department Commander Jon Burge, 63, of Apollo Beach, Fla., was sentenced today to 54 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for lying in a deposition in a civil case about torture and abuse of suspects by Chicago Police Department officers.
Mobile, Alabama, Man Sentenced on Federal Civil Rights and Weapons Charge Related to Desecration of Synagogue
A judge sentenced Thomas Hayward Lewis to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for violating the civil rights of congregants of the Congregation Tree of Life Messianic Synagogue, as well as possession of an unregistered firearm.
• LABOR NEWS •
Department of Labor, Jan. 21, 2011:
Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on Bureau of Labor Statistics report on union members in 2010
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement regarding the Bureau of Labor Statistics' annual "Union Members – 2010" report released (Jan. 21):
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that, in 2010, the unionization rate of employed wage and salary workers was 11.9 percent, down from 12.3 percent in 2009. Among private sector employees, the rate dropped to 6.9 percent from 7.2 percent in 2009.
The data also show the median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary union members were $917 per week, compared to $717 for workers not represented by unions. For Latinos, the wage disparity is even greater with union members earning an average of $771 compared to $512 for workers not represented by unions, a difference of 33.6 percent.
When coupled with existing data showing that union members have access to better health care, retirement and leave benefits, today's numbers make it clear that union jobs are not only good jobs, they are central to restoring our middle class.
As workers across the country continue to face lower wages and difficulty finding work due to the recent recession, these numbers demonstrate the pressing need to provide workers with a voice in the workplace and protect their right to organize and bargain collectively.
Department of Labor, Jan. 21, 2011:
US Labor Department’s OSHA cites Miami business for deliberately failing to protect employees from lead exposure
Lead Enterprises Inc. issued 32 citations, more than $307,000 in penalties
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to Lead Enterprises Inc. in Miami, Fla., alleging that the company knowingly neglected to protect employees from lead exposure. The company is being cited with 32 safety and health violations, and $307,200 in total proposed penalties.
"This company was well aware of what it needed to do to protect its workers from a well-known hazard but failed to provide that protection," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "Lead exposure can cause many serious health issues including brain damage, kidney disease and harm to the reproductive system. Such a blatant disregard for OSHA's lead standard is shameful and will not be tolerated."
Lead Enterprises is a lead recycling and manufacturing company that produces lead products, including fish tackle, lead diving weights and lead-lined walls used in medical radiology facilities....
"The management of Lead Enterprises acknowledged awareness of the OSHA lead standard and the dangers associated with lead exposure but continued to allow the hazard to exist, exposing employees to a serious health risk," said Darlene Fossum, OSHA's area director in Fort Lauderdale....
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit .
• MEDICARE UPDATE •
Department of Health and Human Services, Jan. 20, 2011:
Medicare & the Affordable Care Act in 2011
Secretary Sebelius talks about Medicare in the new year and how it's strengthened by the Affordable Care Act.
HealthCare.gov, Jan. 20, 2011:
A New Year Brings New Improvements to Medicare in 2011
By Donald Berwick, M.D., Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
.... Starting on January 1, people with Medicare began see improvements to their coverage to help make sure they get the very best care from the doctors of their choice.
From free preventive care and wellness visits to drug discounts for people in the Medicare Part D coverage gap known as the donut hole, people with Medicare will receive more benefits. New initiatives to increase payments for primary care doctors and to better coordinate care will help Medicare work better for seniors and people with disabilities.
And as of this week, over 3 million seniors have received their donut-hole rebate check, a one-time, tax-free $250 rebate checks are being mailed to eligible beneficiaries across the country....
Here are some of the new benefits people on Medicare should look out for:
Original Medicare will no longer have out-of-pocket costs for the "Welcome to Medicare" physical exam as of January 1, 2011 and, for the first time since the Medicare program was created in 1965, Original Medicare will cover an annual wellness visit with a participating doctor, also at no cost. This will allow Medicare beneficiaries who have been enrolled in Medicare for more than 12 months to meet with their doctors once a year to develop and update a personalized prevention plan as their needs change over time.
In addition to these annual wellness visits, most people with Medicare will be able to receive many critical preventive services for free, including certain cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies.
People with Medicare with high prescription drug costs will receive 50 percent discounts for covered brand-name drugs in the Medicare Part D coverage gap known as the "donut hole." In addition, in 2011 Medicare will begin paying 7% of the price for generic drugs during the coverage gap. Following the 3 million rebate checks, these discounts are the next step in how the Affordable Care Act will reduce prescription drug costs for beneficiaries in the donut hole each year until it is closed in 2020.
Qualifying doctors and other health care professionals who provide primary care to people on Medicare will get a 10 percent bonus for primary care services. This will help ensure that those primary care providers can continue to be there for Medicare patients.
To learn more about the "Welcome to Medicare" physical exam and the annual wellness visit, search for participating doctors in their area, and find other helpful information, contact a trained customer service representative toll-free at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or visit www.medicare.gov.
• CHINA CONNECTION •
White House, Jan. 21, 2011:
The Zhou Brothers: A Painting In Honor Of President Hu Jintao's State Visit
A behind-the-scenes look at The Zhou Brothers original multi-textural oil painting that President Obama gifted to President Hu Jintao of China in honor of the State Visit. Featuring the last eight Presidents of the United States and the Great Wall of China, watch as renowned Chinese American contemporary artists, DaHuang and Shan Zuo Zhou, explain the significance and creation of the painting.
White House, Jan. 21, 2011:
Videoconference with Chinese Bloggers
Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes and National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Jeff Bader participate in a videoconference with influential bloggers in China.
Department of the Interior, Jan. 21, 2011:
Pandas to Remain at National Zoo under New Conservation Research and Breeding Agreement with China
Interior Secretary Salazar today joined Chinese officials at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park to announce that two giant pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, will remain at the zoo.
Department of the Interior, Jan. 20, 2011:
Pandas to Remain at National Zoo under New Conservation Research and Breeding Agreement with China
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today joined Chinese officials at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park to announce that two giant pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, will remain at the zoo under a new agreement to support breeding, research and conservation efforts by the two countries.
"The loan of giant pandas to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo has long symbolized the close partnership the United States has with China as we work together to conserve and recover one of the world’s most endangered species in the wild," Salazar said. "I am proud that this agreement not only ensures that visitors to the zoo will continue to be able to visit and learn about these beautiful animals, but also provides a strong platform for improving the conservation of wild pandas and their habitat in China. The agreement is a reminder that a love for our planet’s land and wildlife is shared across boundaries and brings people together around the world."
The agreement, signed today by Dennis Kelly, Director of the National Zoo and Secretary General Zang Chunlin of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, extends the Zoo’s giant panda program for five more years.
The first two years of the agreement include a cooperative study involving reproductive experts from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong and the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute to oversee the breeding of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian.
If after two years, either panda is found unsuitable for breeding, the two institutions will enter into discussions about the possibility of exchanging the pandas with another pair to support China’s conservation efforts.
"We are happy to announce that for now, we will keep our beloved Mei Xiang and Tian Tian at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo," Kelly said. "With only about 1,600 individuals now found in the wild, giant pandas are among the most endangered animals on earth so it is a great privilege and responsibility to have two animals in our care."
Salazar commended the work of a delegation from the department’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that met with Chinese officials in Beijing late last year to strengthen ties on panda conservation and improve coordination in the overall effort to save the species and its rapidly declining habitat.
Those successful discussions led to consensus on a new framework for working with China on its priorities for giant panda conservation. Under the new framework, the government of China will fund specific projects to support wild panda conservation based on a mutually agreed list of activities.
During the discussions in Beijing, the Chinese expressed their intent to initiate a new 10-year survey and census, and build on their recent efforts to begin panda reintroductions into the wild.
These efforts are funded, in part, through cooperative agreements with the National Zoo and other U.S. zoos authorized by the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Giant Panda Policy under the Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
The ongoing funding effort included the transfer of approximately $10 million from U.S. zoos with giant pandas, which China will use to support its panda conservation efforts.
"We are committed to supporting China’s efforts to conserve wild pandas and their habitats, as well as China’s intent to shift captive-breeding efforts toward the reintroduction of giant pandas into the wild," said Secretary Salazar.
Currently, four zoos in the United States host giant pandas under exchange agreements with the Chinese government: Zoo Atlanta, Memphis Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, and the National Zoo—more than any country outside China.
Also in attendance at the signing ceremony was Ambassador Chen Naiqing, wife of Chinese Ambassador ZhangYan and Mary Kaye Huntsman, wife of U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman Jr.
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have lived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo since Dec 6, 2000. Both pandas were born at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong and had parents that were wild born. Mei Xiang, which means "beautiful fragrance," will turn 13 on July 22 and Tian Tian, meaning "more and more," will turn 14 on Aug. 27.
The current pair has not produced a cub since 2005, when Tai Shan, a male, was born. Tai Shan was sent to China in February, 2010, per the terms of the former agreement. Since his birth, efforts from attempted natural breeding and artificial inseminations have not resulted in a viable cub. If the zoo successfully produces a cub, the offspring will be allowed to stay at the zoo until the age of four. Previously, cubs were to return to China before age two. Both parents and any offspring remain under the ownership of China.