Center for Strategic Communication

READ: The White House’s big new climate plan

Brad Plumer / Washington Post

The details of the White House plan are posted below. The big items: The Environmental Protection Agency will craft rules to limit carbon pollution from new and existing power plants.

Senate Passage of Immigration Bill on Track

Erica Werner and David Espo / Associated Press

After Cuban scientists studied the effects of climate change on this island’s 3,500 miles (5,630 kilometers) of coastline, their discoveries were so alarming that officials didn’t share the results with the public to avoid causing panic.

Geothermal Power Tanzania Plans First Steam Generation Next Year

Sara Jerving / Bloomberg

Geothermal Power Tanzania Ltd. plans to invest as much as $350 million to drill stream fields in the country’s south and build its first geothermal plants with the capacity to generate up to 140 megawatts by 2018.

Russian and U.S. Officials Return to Geneva for Talks on Syria

Nick Cumming-Bruce / New York Times

Senior United States, Russian, and United Nations officials resumed talks in Geneva on Tuesday aimed at convening an international conference on Syria but with no hint of flexibility from the parties to the conflict or their foreign backers.

Obama to push for changes on existing power plants

Ashley Killough / CNN

President Barack Obama will begin making good on past pledges to combat climate change by calling in a speech Tuesday for new limits on emissions from existing coal-fired power plants, senior administration officials said.

World worried about nuclear terrorism, but little action at talks

Fredrik Dahl / Reuters

More than 100 states meeting next week will warn of the threat of nuclear terrorism but without deciding on any concrete new steps to counter the danger, a draft ministerial statement showed on Monday.

Workers hold US boss in China factory over dispute

BBC

Workers at a factory in Beijing have prevented their US boss from leaving for five days over a dispute. Chip Starnes, co-owner of US company Specialty Medical Supplies, said dozens of workers “barricaded” him in over a dispute about severance pay .

On Our Flashpoint Blog

Warning Signs in the Taliban Push for Diplomacy

Ollie Engebretson

U.S. officials have taken a cautious yet hopeful approach to the Taliban’s request last week to engage in peace talks with the U.S. and Afghan governments, but perhaps not cautious enough.

ASP Podcast – The Military and Public Diplomacy

Paul Hamill

This week we discuss the ways in which the U.S. military conducts public diplomacy, tactical and strategic effects, as well as how the DOD and State Department work together on this vital capability.

Berlin and the Nature of Possible Future Nuclear Weapons Reductions

Chris Smith

Last week in Berlin, President Obama set the stage for a new round of nuclear arms reduction negotiations saying that: “After a comprehensive review, I have determined that we can ensure the security of America and our allies…I intend to seek negotiated cuts with Russia.”

Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier: What It Is and Why It Matters

Kareem Chin

Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would make available up to $ 9 million in new funding to accelerate the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for use in vehicles, backup power systems, and hydrogen refueling components.

ASP in the News

ASP’s Andrew Holland featured in Domestic Fuel’s article about gas prices

ASP’s Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate Andrew Holland was recently featured in a piece by Domestic Fuel regarding the expected rise in summer gas prices.

ASP’s Brown and Consensus member Neumann: An Evolving Hope That’s Here to Stay

In the July/August edition of American Interest, ASP Adjunct Senior Fellow Seyom Brown and ASP Consensus member Ambassador Ron Neumann write on the principles sounding the Responsibility to Project (R2P) concept.

ASP’s Cheney, Gunn, and Anderson on the importance of including all degress of risk when we discuss energy security

Vice Admiral Gunn, US Navy (ret.), Brigadier General Anderson, US Army (ret.), and Brigadier General Cheney, US Marine Corps all from the American Security Project published a piece on Breaking Energy addressing energy security in the 21st Century.

Upcoming Events

Restoring American Competitiveness: A National Security Crisis

Recent reports by the American Security Project and the Harvard Business School reveal that American competitiveness is slipping, posing a severe threat to our country’s national security. Join our panel of experts as they discuss these challenges and potential solutions to restore America to a position of global leadership in the 21st century.

The panel will take place Wednesday July 10th from 1:00-2:00 pm in Cannon House Office Building, Independence Ave and New Jersey Ave, SE, Room 122.

If you would like to attend, please email events@americansecurityproject.org by July 8 to RSVP.

The Case for American Competitiveness: A Reception

ASP and the HBS Club of DC are proud to co-sponsor a reception for HBS professor Dr. Jan Rivkin, as well as prominent military leaders. This reception culminates the American Competitiveness Day to inform a bipartisan discourse on Capitol Hill. The reception will take place on Wednesday, July 10th from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Alliance Bernstein Board Room, 800 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 1001.

Cost is $35 for members and $60 for non-members

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.hbsclubwdc.net/store.html?event_id=596