Commerce at a Glance: September 15, 2021

The Latest News

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Addresses Importance of Building a Shared Digital Future at Tallinn Digital Summit

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo participated in the Tallinn Digital Summit and addressed the importance of building a shared digital future by establishing a framework for trusted connectivity. Secretary Raimondo is the first senior official from the Biden Administration to visit Estonia and the first Cabinet-level official to visit since 2019.

Deputy Secretary Don Graves Addresses Biden Administration’s Commitment to Economic Recovery and Expanding Broadband Access on Trip to Alaska and Washington

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves traveled to Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska, where he met with businesses and representatives from the local travel and tourism industry and outlined the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to assist in Alaska’s economic recovery, empower the Native Alaskan community, and expand broadband access and adoption across rural and Tribal lands.

NIST/JILA Fellow Jun Ye Wins Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

Physicist Jun Ye of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been awarded the 2022 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for his pioneering research on atomic clocks. Ye has been a physicist at JILA, a joint institute of NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder, for more than 20 years.

Department of Commerce Establishes National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Commerce Department has established a high-level committee to advise the President and other federal agencies on a range of issues related to artificial intelligence. Working with the National AI Initiative Office in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department is now seeking to recruit top-level candidates to serve on the committee.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Hold Roundtable with Energy Leaders on Addressing Cybersecurity Threats

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher hosted a roundtable discussion focused on critical cybersecurity challenges facing our country. With representatives from industry and academia, the group emphasized a collective imperative to increase engagement and collaboration on emerging best practices to combat increased cyber threats to our energy sector.

Supporting Allies Through Trade: U.S. & Ukrainian Leaders Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Commercial Cooperation

Recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Oleksiy Lyubchenko in Washington, DC to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining areas of renewed cooperation on trade. The MOU also notes U.S. support for Ukrainian efforts to improve its business and investment climate, which could help to increase U.S.-Ukraine commercial ties.

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Around Commerce

Four Endangered North Pacific Right Whales Spotted in the Gulf of Alaska

As the first NOAA large whale survey in the Gulf of Alaska since 2015 wrapped up, scientists had two extraordinary encounters. They saw and were able to collect valuable information on four North Pacific right whales south of Kodiak Island, Alaska.

Connecting America’s Rural Communities to Global Trade

Rural areas are known for open sky, forests, fields, and small towns. While thought of as being distant from foreign affairs, rural America is an export powerhouse of food, energy and a vast array of innovative products.

How to Scout for Your Next Business Growth Opportunity

Manufacturers displayed an abundance of resiliency in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and about half say their manufacturing business will be thriving a year from now, according to the 2021 Manufacturing CFO Outlook Survey of middle market manufacturers.

Journeys of Innovation: Inventing Salsa

Johnny Pacheco popularized a New York version of Cuban dance music by founding a label, Fania Records, and a troupe of performers, the Fania All Stars, in the 1960s. He called it all “salsa”—the music, the dancing, the culture as a whole—and the term has stuck. Through salsa, Pacheco and Fania achieved lasting recognition. . .

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Celebrate: Hispanic Heritage Month 2021

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the culture and contributions of Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean.

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Presidential Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month →

Draft California Fire Code Includes NIST Tool to Evaluate Wildfire Hazard

Severe wildfire disasters are often the product of numerous factors — vegetation, drought, a lack of firefighting resources, and many others — coalescing. Identifying which factors are the most important is not always a simple task for local leaders assessing their community’s risk for damaging wildfires.

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Measuring Communities’ Resilience in the Face of Adversity

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) is experimental no more. It will now be a regularly updated data product that measures communities’ ability to cope with disasters and other emergencies.

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Happy National Small Business Week! Ensuring the Validity of Micro Entity Certifications – Which Provide Reduced Fees to Eligible Inventors and Small Businesses

A core focus of our work at the USPTO is to foster innovation, competition, and economic growth, by providing opportunities for all current and aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs to participate in the intellectual property (IP) system.

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Presidential Proclamation on on Small Business Week →