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Blog Entries from August 2009

Secretary Locke Conducts Swearing In Ceremony for USPTO Director David Kappos

Submitted on August 13, 2009 - 6:07pm
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Locke, Kimball and Kappos with hand on Bible, taking oath of office. Click for larger image.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke conducted a ceremonial swearing in ceremony for Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), David Kappos. In remarks before thousands of employees on the USPTO campus, Locke said, “David is taking on a big job. . . . Promoting and protecting U.S. inventions, innovation and creativity directly affects our nation’s welfare and prosperity.” Under Secretary Kappos added, “I look forward to. . . working with you to advance [the USPTO’s] mission on behalf of the American people.” (Secretary’s Remarks) (Under Secretary Kappos’s Remarks) (USPTO)

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Secretary Locke Statement on July Retail Sales

Submitted on August 13, 2009 - 11:07am
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Locke, seated, gesturing with hands.

File Photo

The U.S. Commerce Department's U.S. Census Bureau today released retail sales for July 2009. Retail sales edged down 0.1% in July, following a strong rise of 0.8% in June. The total increase over the last three months is the strongest three-month performance since December 2007. “Despite the slight decline in retail sales we remain encouraged that the Recovery Act and other economic initiatives have stabilized conditions and helped those harmed by the economic crisis,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. (More)

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Locke Travels to Massachusetts, Highlights Administration Commitment to Economic Recovery, Focus on 2010 Census

Submitted on August 12, 2009 - 11:00pm
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Secretary Locke with technician at Cambridge Innovation Center. Click for larger image.

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke traveled to Massachusetts to highlight the Obama administration’s efforts to turn around the economy by supporting innovation and spurring clean energy job growth. In Cambridge, Locke held a town hall meeting with local business leaders and toured the Cambridge Innovation Center, as well as the Genzyme Corp. headquarters building, designed in an environmentally friendly way. In the evening, Locke addressed the annual national convention of the Asian American Journalists Association in Boston, focusing on the 2010 Census and its profound effects on the future of U.S. residents and communities. (Remarks)

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Secretary Locke Statement on Trade Numbers

Submitted on August 12, 2009 - 11:08am
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Department of Commerce seal.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke issued the following statement on the release of the June 2009 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services report by the Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Today’s report showed that U.S. exports increased by 2 percent to $125.8 billion, which closely tracked the increase in imports, which rose 2.3 percent to $152.8 billion. The trade gap widened to $27 billion from $26 billion, better than analysts’ expectations. (More) (Release) (Fact Sheet)

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Novel Temperature Calibration Improves NIST Microhotplate Technology

Submitted on August 11, 2009 - 8:00pm
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Image of microhotplate. Click for larger image.

Researchers at the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new calibration technique that will improve the reliability and stability of one of NIST’s most versatile technologies, the microhotplate. The novel NIST device is being developed as the foundation for miniature yet highly accurate gas sensors that can detect chemical and biological agents, industrial leaks and even signs of extraterrestrial life from aboard a planetary probe. (More)

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Study: Better Observations, Analyses Detecting Short-Lived Tropical Systems

Submitted on August 11, 2009 - 4:23pm
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Satellite image of Tropical Storm Chantal forming south of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Click for larger image.

A NOAA-led team of scientists has found that the apparent increase in the number of tropical storms and hurricanes since the late 19th and early 20th centuries is likely attributable to improvements in observational tools and analysis techniques that better detect short-lived storms. The new study shows that short-lived tropical storms and hurricanes, defined as lasting two days or less, have increased from less than one per year to about five per year from 1878 to 2008. (More)

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Secretary Locke Discusses Americas Competitiveness Forum at Council of the Americas

Submitted on August 10, 2009 - 3:52pm
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Secretary Locke seated at table.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke delivered remarks at the Council of the Americas extolling private sector companies to participate in the Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF). He was joined by Chilean Ambassador José Goñi and Americas Society and Council of the Americas President and CEO, Susan Segal. The ACF is the preeminent commercial forum in our hemisphere and presents leaders from the private sector, government, non-profit organizations, and academia with an opportunity to discuss competitiveness issues in the Western Hemisphere. The 2009 ACF will be held in Santiago, Chile, from September 27-29, 2009. (Remarks)

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NOAA Joins Other U.S. Agencies and Canada to Survey Arctic Continental Shelf

Submitted on August 10, 2009 - 10:58am
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Image of U.S. and Canada Coast Guard icebreakers side by side. Click for larger image.

The Department of Commerce’s National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will join a multi-agency joint expedition that will bring together icebreakers from the U.S. and Canada to collect and share data useful to both countries in defining the full extent of the Arctic continental shelf. The Arctic survey is part of the multi-year, multi-agency effort undertaken by the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project, led by the Department of State, with vice co-chairs from the Department of the Interior and NOAA. NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research provided key funding for the U.S. mission. (More)

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Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Visits Tampa for Town Hall and NABJ Convention

Submitted on August 7, 2009 - 8:13pm
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Locke speaking before audience with Census 2010 logo.

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U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke visited Tampa today to hold a town hall meeting on trade and discuss the 2010 Census at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Annual Convention. The town hall was held at the Tampa Port Authority, where Locke and local business leaders addressed the Department’s trade priorities and the administration’s commitment to grow U.S. exports across the economy. At the NABJ convention, Locke emphasized the importance of Census participation and the critical role journalists can play increasing awareness about the decennial count. (Remarks)

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Dennis F. Hightower Confirmed as Deputy Secretary of Commerce

Submitted on August 7, 2009 - 2:21pm
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Image of flag flying from facade of U.S. Department of Commerce's Herbert Clark Hoover Building

The U.S. Senate confirmed Dennis F. Hightower as Deputy Secretary of Commerce by unanimous consent. Hightower, a seasoned business executive with a 40-year career in the public and private sectors, takes over general management of the Department of Commerce, an organization with nearly 38,000 employees and an operating budget of over $17 billion. “I am grateful to the Senate for moving quickly to confirm Dennis Hightower, and I’m thrilled to have him on board.” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “His management expertise and strong leadership skills will be a valuable asset to the Commerce team as we work to make American businesses more competitive and strengthen the economy. (More)

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