Former UK PM Tony Blair Calls For Two-State Solution To Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

By Antonia Aguilar - University of New Mexico / Talk Radio News

Former Prime Minister of the U.K. Tony Blair called for a two-state solution to the decades old conflict between Israel and Palestine Tuesday during an appearance before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

"If one day, Israel can be secure, recognized, understood and respected by the nations which surround it; if one day the Palestinian people can have their own state and can prosper in peace within it and beyond it, we will bring more than peace to people who have lived too long with conflict,” said Blair. “We will lift the scourge of extremism and bring hope to the world."

According to Blair both leaders already agree on a two state solution and the only step missing is a formal discussion wherein both parties trust each other and act accordingly.

“It isn’t that sensible, well-intentioned people could not sit down and negotiate their way through the issues of borders, refugees, even Jerusalem," said Blair. "The challenge arises from the breakdown of trust,” said Blair.

New Interdisciplinary Program Will Generate Better Climate Change Predictions

By Antonia Aguilar - University of New Mexico / Talk Radio News Service

The National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and Agriculture announced Monday the release of a new interdisciplinary research program designed to produce better models for predicting climate change.

“These models will help decision makers develop strategies for adapting to the impact of climate change which is becoming more immediate and profound then anticipated.” said NSF Director Arden Bement.

The new program, Decadal and Regional Climate Prediction Using Earth System Models or EaSM, will be used to form high-resolution models that will make it easier to identify specific areas of greater vulnerability to climate change over a shorter time frame. These models will incorporate the views from a wide range of different authorities such as biologists, mathematicians, physicists and social scientists.

“We need to further improve our understanding about the impacts of climate change,” said Director of the Office of Science at the Energy Department William Brinkman. “We need to move from a global model operating on century long time scale to models that viably capture regional conditions on the scale of a few decades.”

Filibuster Rules Need To Be Reevaluated, Says Sen. Udall

By Antonia Aguilar - University of New Mexico / Talk Radio News

Senate rules on the filibuster, a procedure that allows a single Senator to block legislation indefinitely, need to be modified to prevent minority obstruction, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), a member on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee said Friday.

“Over the past couple of years the impact of the filibuster has become even more pronounced,” Udall said during remarks before an audience at the Center for American Progress. “Senators from both sides of the aisle have increasingly used it as a weapon of partisan warfare.”

Udall proposes using the constitutional, often derided as 'nuclear,' option to prevent the abuse of the filibuster. Through the option, any legislation would only need a majority vote, as opposed to the 60 currently needed through a cloture vote.

“You only have to look at the lengthy and winding path of health care reform to understand that something is seriously broken in the system,” said Udall.

Udall will push for rule reform in the Senate and says he hopes to establish new rules that serve both the minority and the majority by next January.

Obama Repeats Pledge To Boost Nation's Exports

By Antonia Aguilar
University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

President Barack Obama addressed the annual Export-Import Bank conference on Thursday, outlining details of his proposed National Export Initiative.

In his speech, Obama said he'd like to see U.S. exports doubled over the next five years, a figure he first announced during his State of The Union address this past January. The President reiterated his pledge that such growth will create two million U.S. jobs.

"If we want to once again approach full employment; if we want to create broad, shared, and lasting wealth for our workers and our families; if we want an America that is ready to compete on the global playing field of the 21st century – then we cannot slide back into an economy where we borrow too much and put off tough challenges," he said.

“In 2010, as the world economy recovers, export-driven growth opportunities will continue to multiply,” said U.S.Trade Representative Ron Kirk in a conference call with reporters earlier in the week. “This administration has laid out an aggressive agenda to seize the full measure of those opportunities - one that supports the creation of more and better jobs.”

To help U.S. companies better compete in the global market, the President stressed the need for export control reform, which would help better maintain control over the output of sensitive items. Such reform would also help minimize theft and production of counterfeit items of American intellectual property.

"In a time when millions of Americans are out of work, boosting our exports is a short-term imperative...It’s also critical for our long-term prosperity. 95% percent of the world’s customers and the world’s fastest-growing markets are outside our borders. We need to compete for those customers. Because other nations are," said Obama.

More International Trade Will Lead To More Domestic Jobs, Says U.S. Trade Representative

By Antonia Aguilar - University of New Mexico / Talk Radio News

By enhancing market access for American exporters, the U.S. can create jobs and mend the economy, Trade Representative Ron Kirk said during a luncheon at the National Press Club Tuesday.

“We can [create new market access] in two ways: by enforcing America’s existing trade rights and negotiating new trade opportunities,” Kirk stated.

In order to maintain a balanced and comprehensive trade policy, Kirk stressed the need to uphold basic international labor rights and laws that will confront counterfeiters and thieves. According to Kirk, these efforts will lessen competition for American businesses and workers.

Kirk also stated that the Obama administration will initiate a comprehensive report to help identify technical barriers to trade and unfair restrictions.

"[The Office of the United States Trade Representative] is working around the clock to help American businesses and workers of all sizes ... succeed in the global marketplace,” said Kirk. “The more we make and the more we sell, the more jobs we support in America.”