Washington, DC –The Center for American Progress release today a report entitled A Global Imperative: A Progressive Approach to U.S.-China Relations in the 21st Century, authoredby Nina Hachigian, Michael Schiffer, Winny Chen. The report argues that though we have serious policy differences with China, the urgency of our shared challenges, most particularly on the need for dramatic reductions in global carbon emissions, does not allow time for posturing that ultimately fails to deliver. Without a serious commitment by the United States and China, we will not be able to avoid the dire consequences of climate change.

A new report from the Center for American Progress argues that though we have many serious policy differences with China—on human rights, currency, and Sudan, to name a few—the urgency of our shared challenges, most particularly on the need for dramatic reductions in global carbon emissions, does not allow time for posturing that ultimately fails to deliver. The report, written in the form of a memorandum to the president elect, thus suggests that the next administration adopt a clear-eyed, practical approach called "risk management" that makes steady progress in advancing American interests and at the same time recognizes China's growing importance to global problem-solving. Without a serious commitment by the United States and China, we will not be able to avoid the most dire consequences of climate change.

WASHINGTON, DC - "The ongoing violence between Russia and the Republic of Georgia over the status of Georgia's breakaway regions demonstrates not only the tense nature of Russia's relations with its neighbors, but also the weakness of U.S.-Russian relations. The administration is correct to condemn Russia's overreaction and aggression in both Georgia proper and the South Ossetian region. Key strategic interests are at stake. But the crisis also shows that we need a more comprehensive and coherent Russia policy. Whether the United States likes it or not, we need Russia to effectively deal with Iran, nonproliferation, and other security matters, and must have a more effective strategy than simply reacting aggressively to crises as they arise."

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Center for American Progress released three reports detailing a new federal approach to ensuring student success in higher education. Two reports are research papers, while the third is CAP's own policy agenda to enhance the effectiveness of the postsecondary education system.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund are pleased to announce that Esther Olavarria has joined American Progress as Senior Fellow for Immigration.

A new report from the Center for American Progress argues that though we have many serious policy differences with China—on human rights, currency, and Sudan, to name a few—the urgency of our shared challenges, most particularly on the need for dramatic reductions in global carbon emissions, does not allow time for posturing that ultimately fails to deliver. The report, written in the form of a memorandum to the president elect, thus suggests that the next administration adopt a clear-eyed, practical approach called "risk management" that makes steady progress in advancing American interests and at the same time recognizes China's growing importance to global problem-solving. Without a serious commitment by the United States and China, we will not be able to avoid the most dire consequences of climate change.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for American Progress released a new report by Senior Fellow Scott Lilly entitled, “Understanding Bushonomics.” The report lays out the many policy missteps the Bush Administration has made that will affect the economic health of the country for years to come.

On Monday, August 11, The Center for American Progress will host an event to release an updated version of "How to Redeploy: Implementing a Responsible Drawdown of U.S. Forces from Iraq." The report, which takes into account recent developments on the ground, will demonstrate that an orderly and safe withdrawal of all U.S. forces is best achieved over an 8- to 10-month period. Please join CAP for a discussion of the report's recommendations with CAP Senior Fellow Lawrence J. Korb and Col. John Nagl, US Army (Retired) and a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

The Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund are pleased to announce that Melissa Lazarín has joined CAP/CAPAF as Associate Director for Education Policy.

The housing package recently signed into law by President Bush will help struggling neighborhoods around the country by distributing funds to convert foreclosed properties into affordable housing.

U.S. manufacturers across the country have suffered dramatic job losses over the past seven years of economic growth, with these losses falling particularly hard on states that are heavily dependent on manufacturing and are now suffering the most as the U.S. economy struggles to cope with the housing crisis and slowing economic growth.

As the Beijing Olympics get underway, one issue that is unfortunately on many minds is doping. In light of the scandals that have rocked major league baseball, the Tour de France, and past Olympic gold medalists, the Center for American Progress will host a discussion that aims to go past the headlines and put doping into a broader context. Sports doping is just one aspect of a larger discussion about human biological enhancement that has been taking place among those in the medical, bioethics, and sports communities.

WASHINGTON – The Center for American Progress released a new report today, “America’s Middle Class Still Losing Ground,” detailing the deteriorating financial health and well-being of the American middle class. The report describes the public’s clear awareness of the problem and points out a variety of progressive policy alternatives to help restore middle-class vitality and with it, U.S. economic vigor. The report finds that rising middle-class financial insecurity is the result of several factors including falling incomes, rising prices for necessary items and the decimation of personal wealth.

There were an estimated 1.4 million properties in foreclosure in the United States at the end of the second quarter of 2008. The negative effects that existing foreclosures have on local house prices, including losses in accumulated middle-class wealth built up through home equity, are well-documented. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, as enacted, provides almost $4 billion in grants to help states and localities stem the housing crisis by reducing downward pressure on local housing markets.

READ “Expanded Learning Time in Action – Initiatives in High-Poverty and High-Minority School and School Districts”

READ “Taking Stock of the Fiscal Costs of Expanded Learning Time”

WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for American Progress, made possible with support from The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, released today two reports geared to help policy-makers and practitioners make practical and informed decisions on expanding the school day and year to create more opportunities for students to learn.

READ “Expanded Learning Time in Action – Initiatives in High-Poverty and High-Minority School and School Districts”

READ “Taking Stock of the Fiscal Costs of Expanded Learning Time”

WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for American Progress, made possible with support from The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, released today two reports geared to help policy-makers and practitioners make practical and informed decisions on expanding the school day and year to create more opportunities for students to learn.

The bad economic news is mounting daily for America's families. Six straight months of job losses have followed the weakest job expansion since the Great Depression. Wages have fallen for much of the past two years, erasing most of the meager gains before then. And prices for large necessities are up sharply. At the same time, families still struggle with large amounts of debt. More and more families are succumbing to pressure to declare bankruptcy and default on their loans.

CAPAF's Christian E. Weller testifies today to the Joint Economic Committee. Read the full testimony.

A recent poll conducted by Bankrate Inc. found that only about 3 in 10 workers expect to have enough money to retire comfortably. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans have set low expectations about their retirement prospects. And one in five Americans say they are afraid they will never be able to retire.

Racial profiling and genetic privacy are two related issues that together present a singular problem for policymakers: How do we reconcile our desire for excellent police work with maintaining criminal investigation protocols that respect the rights of citizens?

President Bush will attend the last G8 summit of his presidency next week, concurrently with the Major Economies Meeting that includes eight other major emitters. An international agreement on global warming is once again at the top of the agenda for these meetings. But once again, the Bush administration plans to scuttle any concrete steps toward adopting binding greenhouse gas reductions.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for American Progress released a new report detailing how rising gas prices have hurt American families in more ways than just at the pump. Families will especially be hit hard during the upcoming 4^th of July holiday; the report estimates that the total cost of a barbeque for 20 family members driving 30 miles round trip has soared by 8.7 percent since last year, and 46.8 percent since 2000, to $262.34 this year. This figure is up from $241.40 last year, and $178.75 in 2000, before the last recession hit.

Congressional committees on both sides of Capitol Hill hold hearings this week on “excessive” speculation in the commodities markets, with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle looking for someone to blame for rising oil and food prices. Financial speculators are popular culprits these days, despite the fact that global supply and demand largely drive prices. Instead, our representatives in the House and Senate should be looking for solutions to rising commodities prices by diversifying our sources of energy and food and thus directly addressing economic fundamentals.

The mainstream media has a profound impact on politics, helping everyday Americans determine what topics people think are important, shape how they feel about issues, and even how they vote.

Alternative media outlets such as blogs and social networking sites have proliferated in recent years, yet most people still receive their news from the mainstream media, which is especially true for economic news. This report focuses on how the mainstream media covers the economy, a subject where fundamental political questions arise about how income is generated and allocated among individual Americans and the businesses and companies they work for and sometimes invest in. Specifically, in its coverage of economic issues, does the media provide a balanced discussion of who gets what and why? Or instead is coverage biased toward a particular interest group?

The Bush administration may not be calling it a recession, but it certainly feels like one for many American families. Job losses are mounting, wages are flat, and prices for large necessities are up, all while families struggle with record amounts of debt. In this stagflationary environment, more and more families are succumbing to the pressures and declaring bankruptcy and defaulting on their loans

Americans are living longer than ever, the government reported yesterday. But that seemingly good news (who wants to die young?) is more of a mixed blessing than might be apparent at first. That’s because it does not address the quality of life during those added months and years of existence. In particular, it does not address our nation’s ongoing failure to generate novel solutions to the problem of what to do with the quickly growing population of elders who cannot live independently and are in need of varying levels of long-term care.

Washington, D.C. – The Center for American Progress announced today that Rick Weiss, veteran Washington Post science reporter, has joined the Center as a Senior Fellow. Weiss will be initiating and contributing to a number of projects at the Center, and will be a regular contributor to Science Progress, the Center’s science magazine.

Washington, DC – Today, the Center for American Progress released a report comparing, from an economic standpoint, the Presidencies of Herbert Hoover and George W. Bush.

Read the full report (pdf)

WASHINGTON, DC - The Center for American Progress today released a report that explores the background of the issue of identification and authentication in American society, including the sharp rise in recent years in how often Americans are asked for proof of identity. The report then examines the facts of the ID Divide in detail, identifying at least four important types of problems:

In early June, top U.S. officials will address the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, with Iran likely to be the major focus of the gathering. As these policymakers deliver their speeches about Iran and the strategic necessity to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions, they should examine the fundamental contradiction that exists in the current Bush administration approach to the Middle East—current U.S. policy in Iraq boosts Iran’s close allies in Baghdad, which in turn represents a new emerging challenge to Israel and other key allies in the Middle East.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Center for American Progress released a report today outlining the grave impact the weak dollar has on consumer prices, including the analysis that 40% of the increased price of oil for Americans is attributed to the weak dollar. In dollars, oil cost about 28 percent more on average in 2004 than it had cost in 2000, but in Euros, the price was 8 percent lower in 2004 than in 2000.

Summer vacation season began this past weekend, just as oil prices approached $130 per barrel. What's more, oil investor T. Boone Pickens told CNBC recently that he thinks "we'll get to $150 this year.” With oil on its way to $200 per barrel, possibly as soon as 2012, summer could get even more expensive for the average American family.

U.S. oil consumption remains high even as the price of oil skyrockets, and the United States is forced to funnel money directly into unstable and hostile regimes to fund its habit. “We are addicted to oil, and the oil is coming from the most dangerous places in the world,” former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told attendees at a CAP event almost two years ago. And now, with oil and gas prices reaching record highs, the threat from our dependence on foreign oil to feed our carbon economy is more real than ever.

The Bush administration has steadfastly opposed direct assistance to homeowners caught up in the subprime mortgage mess. Instead, the administration is relying on voluntary negotiation between mortgage lenders and imperiled homeowners to help Americans stay in their homes. This is unlikely to be effective given the continued resistance of mortgage service companies and the lenders and investors they work for to voluntarily help struggling homeowners restructure their mortgage payments. It is also, as is all too common with the policies of this administration, completely out of step with the public’s views on the issue.

Please join the Center for American Progress and the Service Employees International Union for a special presentation.

Albuquerque, New Mexico – A new commitment by local government leaders to build a green economy, launched today, will drive momentum to combat global warming, pollution and poverty. Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez introduced the commitment to 400 local government elected officials and staff at the ICLEI Local Action Summit, a gathering on climate protection and sustainability efforts in America’s cities, towns and counties.

Washington, D.C. - President Bush has submitted a new war funding request totaling $178 billion. $135.4 billion of this war supplemental would go toward operations in Iraq through the end of the year. The remainder of the $42.6 billion would go to operations in Afghanistan and other activities in the global war against terrorist networks.

Today Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio talk host, said in a TV interview that he thought Mayor Villaraigosa was a “shoe shine guy.”

Opening Remarks:

John Podesta, President and CEO, Center for American Progress

Introduction:

Lawrence Korb, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Distinguished Speaker:

Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)

Featured Speaker: Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times

Featured Panelists: Stewart Acuff, Organizing Director, AFL-CIO Gerald Seib, Assistant Managing Editor and Executive Washington Editor, The Wall Street Journal Ruy Teixeira, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation

Moderated by: Gene Sperling, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Washington, D.C. - U.S. economic growth estimates released today for the first quarter of 2008 show that all parts of our economy experienced slower growth compared to the previous quarter, even exports, which is especially troubling given the overall weak performance of all other sectors.

Washington, D.C. - A new report from the Center for American Progress by Bob Sussman and Ken Berlin analyzes the provisions of S. 2191, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008, which seeks to encourage early deployment of carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) at new coal plants. The report focuses on the "bonus allowance program," which would issue free allowances to utilities who build plants with CCS based on the tons of CO2 sequestered. The conclusion: This program would be very costly (between $68 and $110 billion through 2030) but would result in a small number of new plants with CCS (no more than 48 gigawatts by 2030). This is because utilities would receive windfalls far greater than the added costs of CCS itself—up to $4.6 billion for some 1 gigawatt plants.

Washington, D.C. - Rapidly increasing amounts of debt, high job losses, skyrocketing gas and food prices, and a tidal wave of foreclosures are driving many American families to the edge of financial ruin. Although all U.S. households are hurt in the economic slowdown, Hispanic and African-American households are more vulnerable; they are likely to suffer first and to suffer more.

Washington, D.C. - New housing numbers show that annual declines in house prices have hit record lows for the fifth consecutive month and the number of properties in the foreclosure process in the first quarter of 2008 have doubled since last year. The need for congressional action is ever more urgent.

Washington, D.C. - The world stands on the brink of a genome-based personalized-medicine revolution, with individual Americans poised to be the greatest beneficiaries. An international research consortium that includes our country’s National Human Genome Research Institute recently announced its $50 million plan to sequence the genomes of at least 1,000 individuals from around the world. According to NHGHRI Director Francis Collins, this project will increase the sensitivity of disease discovery efforts across the human genome five-fold, and within gene regions (the portions of a chromosome on which a particular gene is located) at least 10-fold.

Washington, D.C. - April is a tense month for high school seniors and their parents. Hopes and dreams for a successful future lie in the college admissions (or rejection) letters that millions will receive this month, after which students and parents gather together to decide on their final choice.

But for most students, getting into school is the easy part. Successfully completing college is the hard part, especially for young people from low-income and minority communities.

Washington, D.C. - Prices at the pump have now soared to $3.51 per gallon for regular gasoline, according to the Energy Information Administration, easily shattering an inflation-adjusted record that has stood since March 1981. As gasoline prices rise quickly, consumers’ spending is further squeezed, driving them deeper into debt.

Mañana martes se llevara a cabo la primaria en Pennsylvania donde alrededor del 3% son votantes latinos.

Washington, D.C. - Amid the worsening U.S. housing crisis, lenders are tightening their mortgage standards, leaving only the most creditworthy borrowers able to take out new mortgages and tap new home equity lines of credit. That means more and more Americans are racking up record levels of credit card debt to make ends meet—tapping expensive and potentially explosive debt that lenders continue to offer.

Washington, D.C. - On the eve of the three-year anniversary of president Bush’s controversial bankruptcy bill becoming law, data show that in the last two years nearly 1.5 million individuals filed for personal bankruptcy. The new data further questions the merits of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.

“After squandering seven years, President Bush still refuses to respond to alarm bells. His strategy announced today is like trying to douse a 10-alarm fire with a garden hose—it is completely inadequate.” -- Daniel J. Weiss, Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy

Please join the Center for American Progress for a special presentation:

Iraq: Examining the Diplomatic and Political Tools to Achieve Progress and Stability

When the nation learned that prisoners detained and interrogated after 9/11 had been tortured by U.S. personnel, the Bush administration sought to portray these episodes as a rogue operation or, at best, the actions of “a few bad apples.”

WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for American Progress today is happy to announce the release a new book edited by Senior Fellow William F. Schulz entitled The Future of Human Rights.

Washington, D.C. – The Center for American Progress today announced that Elizabeth Edwards, New York Times best-selling author, attorney, and advocate, will be joining the Center as a Senior Fellow. Mrs. Edwards will be working on health care issues and will also write occasionally for the "Wonk Room," the Center for American Progress Action Fund's newly-launched, first-of-its-kind policy rapid-response blog. "Elizabeth is a woman of extraordinary talent, knowledge, and grace,” said John Podesta, President of CAP and CAPAF. “She has proven herself to be one of the most effective, tenacious, and caring spokespeople for progressive policies in the country and it is a distinct honor to have her join the Center for American Progress. We are thrilled to have her bring her talent and commitment to CAP.”

WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for American Progress released a new report entitled “Additional Learning Opportunities in Rural Areas.” The report, by Roy Forbes, takes a look at an often-overlooked aspect of public education – the troubles of rural districts.

PITTSBURGH – The Center for American Progress, along with the Apollo Alliance, Green For All, and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, released a first-of-its-kind guide outlining how cities can leverage local environmental, economic development, and workforce development programs to grow the “green-collar jobs” of the future.

Against the backdrop of slowing U.S. economic growth and rising economic uncertainty among most working Americans, we as a nation at least find comfort in the underlying resilience of an economy traditionally strong in creativity and innovation. After all, a skilled and innovative workforce has fueled American productivity and economic growth for decades, allowing the United States to remain at the forefront of global competition, especially since the mid-1990s.

The U.S. credit card market is showing signs of trouble just as the home mortgage crisis surges to unprecedented heights across the United States and throughout the global financial marketplace. Against the backdrop of record-high numbers of home foreclosures, lenders are tightening mortgage lending standards, making it harder for families to maintain their consumption in the face of weakening income growth. At the same time, credit card issuers present their all-too-convenient lending product as a much needed but inevitably dangerous pressure valve for cash-strapped borrowers.

Solar photovoltaic energy is an established technology that has proven its ability to improve our national security and boost the economy. Photovoltaics produce energy that is both domestic and emission-free, making it key to weaning the United States of our dependence on polluting fossil fuels and helping to curb the effects of global warming. Solar PV also bolsters our economic security by creating more new jobs than any other energy technology.

Today it is almost impossible to pick up a newspaper or open a Web browser without finding an article that links a specific gene to a certain medical condition. In fact, a simple Google search of “gene linked” in November last year pulled up hits with genes linked to depression risk, restless leg syndrome, autism, breast cancer, childhood asthma, and type 1 diabetes in children. This is only on the first page of results from a total of 30,600,000 hits.
 

The Center for American Progress today released "Global Warming: The Security Challenges of Climate Change" authored by John Podesta and Peter Ogden. The piece is CAP's chapter in the new report entitled “The Age of Consequences.”

Amid the most recent immigration debate on Capitol Hill, a new crop of spokespeople has emerged in the media against the efforts to reform our broken immigration system. The Center for American Progress’ Senior Fellow Henry Fernandez writes about the ties these so called “immigration experts” have to white supremacists groups and their connections to leading restrictionist organizations such as NumbersUSA, FAIR, and the American Immigration Control Foundation.

A crescendo of support from education researchers, analysts, reform advocates, and lawmakers about the need for additional learning time for our nation’s under-performing students may well result in the coming months in meaningful reform. In fact, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings believes that the expansion of learning time will be the next major push in school reform. The reason: our nation’s public school students need to meet the demands and challenges of the 21st century but they simply cannot in public school systems that remain much the same as they were 50 years ago. The shift in educational rigor that globalization has ushered in is pushing policymakers to embrace systemic change in public education, with particular focus on closing achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and their peers.

Thanks in part to a century of progress in public health and medicine, many people are enjoying healthier lives. Yet the success of modern medicine also presents us with challenges: As Americans live longer, the need for long-term care and long-term caregivers will continue to grow. Indeed, a defining issue for current and coming generations is how the United States and other nations will address the needs of their aging populations and provide adequate care for the

The unemployment rate jumped in May by half a percent, rising from 5.0 to 5.5 percent, the biggest increase in over 20 years, according to figures released today by the Department of Labor. The last time the unemployment rate increased by this much was February 1986.