Jihadist Cells and “IED” Capabilities in Europe: Assessing the Present and Future Threat to the West

Jihadist Cells and “IED” Capabilities in Europe: Assessing the Present and Future Threat to the West. Strategic Studies Institute. Jeffrey M. Bale. November 14, 2012.

The increasing diffusion and application of expertise acquired by jihadists in fabricating “improvised explosive devices” and the extent to which local jihadist cells in the West may or may not be connected to veteran terrorist groups and networks in other countries and regions are vital concerns for Western military forces and security and intelligence agencies as they relate to these veteran terrorist groups and networks in other countries and regions of the world.

[HTML format with a link to PDF file, 176 pages, 3.42 MB].

Economic Recovery and Social Investment

Economic Recovery and Social Investment. New America Foundation. Robert Kuttner. November 26, 2012.

Today’s prolonged economic slump is fundamentally different from an ordinary recession. In the aftermath of a severe financial collapse, an economy is at risk of succumbing to a prolonged deflationary undertow. With asset prices reduced, the financial system damaged, unemployment high, consumer demand depressed, and businesses reluctant to invest, the economy gets stuck well below its full employment potential, according to the author. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 14 pages, 294.78 KB].

Report of a National Survey of Women’s Initiatives: The Strategy, Structure And Scope Of Women’s Initiatives In Law Firms

Report of a National Survey of Women’s Initiatives: The Strategy, Structure And Scope Of Women’s Initiatives In Law Firms. The NAWL Foundation. November 2012.

The study details the results of its first ever survey of women’s initiatives in law firms. This study was conducted in an attempt to find solutions to the troubling results of the NAWL’s Annual National Survey of Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms, which has been published every year since 2006. One of the most startling statistics from that survey that illustrates the stark difference in advancement between men and women is the fact that only about 15% of equity partners are women in the typical large law firm. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 34 pages, 1.12 MB].

An American President in the Age of Globalization

An American President in the Age of Globalization. YaleGlobal. Strobe Talbott. November 19, 2012.

In Washington and Beijing, new administrations prepare to take the reins. Strobe Talbott gives an analysis of the significance of President Barack Obama’s reelection. A child of an African man, raised in a middle-class American home, Obama represents high aspirations for many around the globe. But he’s also a target for those who fear globalization and change. “The same attributes of the 44th president that have made him a prodigy in the eyes of many Americans – and much of the rest of the world – have also made him a target of unprecedented mistrust and hatred,” writes Talbott. Obama is qualified to lead in an era of globalization, and Talbott points out two areas that demand political courage: strengthening the global nuclear non-proliferation regime with ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and leading an international effort to slow the process of human-induced climate change. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[HTML format, various paging].

Biomass: Comparison of Definitions in Legislation Through the 112th Congress

Biomass: Comparison of Definitions in Legislation Through the 112th Congress. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Kelsi Bracmort. November 14, 2012.

The use of biomass as an energy feedstock is emerging as a potentially viable alternative to address U.S. energy security concerns, foreign oil dependence, rural economic development, and diminishing sources of conventional energy. Biomass (organic matter that can be converted into energy) may include food crops, crops for energy (e.g., switchgrass or prairie perennials), crop residues, wood waste and byproducts, and animal manure. Most legislation involving biomass has focused on encouraging the production of liquid fuels from corn. Efforts to promote the use of biomass for power generation have focused on wood, wood residues, and milling waste.

[PDF format, 20 pages, 331.50 KB].

Parents, Teens, and Online Privacy

Parents, Teens, and Online Privacy. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Mary Madden et al. Web posted on November 20, 2012.

Most parents of teenagers are concerned about what their teenage children do online and how their behavior could be monitored by others. Some parents are taking steps to observe, discuss, and check up on their children’s digital footprints, according to the survey. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 29 pages, 1.37 MB].

Medical Marijuana: The Supremacy Clause, Federalism, and the Interplay Between State and Federal Laws

Medical Marijuana: The Supremacy Clause, Federalism, and the Interplay Between State and Federal Laws. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Todd Garvey. November 9, 2012.

As part of a larger scheme to regulate drugs and other controlled substances, federal law prohibits the cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana. No exception is made for marijuana used in the course of a recommended medical treatment. Indeed, by categorizing marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the federal government has concluded that marijuana has “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” Yet 18 states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized medical marijuana by enacting exceptions to their state drug laws that permit individuals to grow, possess, or use marijuana for medicinal purposes. In contrast to the complete federal prohibition, these 19 jurisdictions see medicinal value in marijuana and permit the drug’s use under certain circumstances.

[PDF format, 20 pages, 271.41 KB].

The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ and Beyond: Principles for Upcoming Budget Debates

The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ and Beyond: Principles for Upcoming Budget Debates. Economic Policy Institute. Josh Bivens. November 15, 2012.

As policymakers begin negotiations on addressing the nation’s fiscal challenges, it is crucial that they clearly understand the economic context of the choices they face, according to the report. It provides analyses and recommendations for specific actions regarding both the impending so-called fiscal cliff and future projected budget deficits. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 3 pages, 200.38 KB].

U.S.-Turkish Relations: A Review at the Beginning of the Third Decade of the Post-Cold War Era

U.S.-Turkish Relations: A Review at the Beginning of the Third Decade of the Post-Cold War Era. Center for Strategic & International Studies. Bulent Aliriza and Bulent Aras. Novebem 13, 2012.

As the United States and Turkey enter the third decade following the end of the Cold War, they are enjoying a new era in their long partnership. Their cooperation has recently been enhanced by overlapping perspectives on the unprecedented transformation sweeping the Middle East as well as in a number of other regional and functional areas. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 30 pages, 3.78 MB].

Government Transparency and Secrecy: An Examination of Meaning and Its Use in the Executive Branch

Government Transparency and Secrecy: An Examination of Meaning and Its Use in the Executive Branch. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Wendy Ginsburg et al. November 8, 2012.

From the beginnings of the American federal government, Congress has required executive branch agencies to release or otherwise make available government information and records. Some scholars and statesmen, including James Madison, thought access to information – commonly referred to in contemporary vernacular as “transparency” – was an essential cornerstone of democratic governance. Today, the federal government attempts to balance access to information with the need to protect certain information (including national security information and trade secrets) in order to achieve transparency. As a consequence, access and protection are often in tension with one another.

[PDF format, 39 pages, 450.42 KB].