As U.S. nation prepares to ring in the new year, the U.S. Census Bureau projects the United States population will be 332,403,650 on Jan. 1, 2022.
This represents a 0.21% increase in population or an additional 706,899 people since New Year’s Day 2021. Population increased 0.29% since Census Day, April 1, 2020, adding 954,369 people during that period.
In January 2022, the United States is expected to experience a birth every nine seconds and one death every 11 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 130 seconds.
The combination of births, deaths and net international migration increases the U.S. population by one person every 40 seconds.
The projected world population on Jan. 1, 2022 is 7,868,872,451, an increase of 74,235,487, or 0.95%, from New Year’s Day 2021. During January 2022, 4.3 births and 2.0 deaths are expected worldwide every second.
LOS ANGELES, CA, DEC 19 – Today, The 3rd Asian Film Festival Golden Diamond Awards ceremony was held in Los Angeles. The event’s red carpet scene was spectacular and the award stage was full of stars. Academy Award winning directors, Hollywood stars, producers, investors and Asian Film Festival ‘s filmmakers are once again gathering together to celebrate.
Holmes Stoner, Chairman of the Asian Film Festival; Leith Enron, Co-Chairwoman of the Asian Film Festival; Inge Sawerthal, President of the American Chamber of International Commerce; Richard Anderson, Oscar winner and Emmy Winner and Mariana Tse, former US Assistant Secretary of Education, As well as Asian Film Festival judges representatives Amber Martinez and Francesca Gioia Drommi and other awards guests on stage at Golden Diamond Awards ceremony to award Best Future, Best Documentary, Best Animation winners, As well as the Best New Director, Best New Actress, Best Child Actor and Best Child Actress award were presented with a Golden Diamond Awards trophy and certificate.
Chinese feature film “Run. Shunzi” Leading actress Xu Yuan won the golden Diamond Award for Best Actress. Xu won much attention for her performance as Zhang Shunzi, the heroine of the movie, which depicts a young amateur athlete who becomes a professional athlete and continues to make miracles.
Jason Quin, The executive chairman of the Asian Film Festival Los Angeles delivered a speech via video on the ceremony today, He announced that the 4th Asian Film Festival was launched at the same time and will be open for application soon.
Following is the full list of the 3rd Golden Diamond Awards winners:
Best Feature: “Winter in LA”, USA Best Foreign Language Film: “Four Ever Young”, China Best Documentary: “Song of Little Saigon”, USA Best Animation: “Nai Nai”, USA Best Short Film: “Hell in a Handbasket”, Canada Best Documentary Short: “Believer”, China Best Student Short: ” Magician: Game of Detective”, China Best Director: “The Road to Eden”, Kyrgyzstan Best First Director: “Take it Easy”, USA, Suja Raghuram Manoj Best Director Student: ” One Afternoon”, China, Yumin Zhang Best Script: “Like Rainbow”, Iran, Behrad Sahebgharani Best Cinematography: ”Path To The Sky”, Sammy Su, Canada Best Production Design: “Bloody Romeo”, Canada, Alina Lapteva Best Music: “A Paper Plane Ride Home”, USA, Georgia Conrad Best Actor: “The Road to Eden”, Kyrgyzstan, Bakyt Mukul Best Actress: “Run! Shunzi”, China, Yuan Xu Best New Actress: “An Hero”, USA, Tyler Li Stoner Best Child Actor: “Snails”, USA, Aiden Lu Best Child Actress: “Where the Light Ends”, China, Zili Zhang
Washington DC, Dec 16 – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced new membership to its Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees, composed of private-sector intellectual property (IP) executives who help advise the Secretary of Commerce and the USPTO Director on the management of patent and trademark operations. The Secretary of Commerce appoints the nine members of each committee to serve three-year rotating terms.
“The Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees are great examples of fruitful public-private collaborations that serve the interests of our valued intellectual property community,” said Drew Hirshfeld, Performing the Functions and Duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property (IP) and Director of the USPTO. “I am thrilled to welcome our new members and look forward to working with them to expand and strengthen the innovation ecosystem. I also want to extend my appreciation to all outgoing PAC members for their many years of outstanding service–Julie, Jennifer, Barney, Chris, Stephanie, and Kelly–your leadership has been instrumental during such an unprecedented period, and we are exceedingly grateful.”
In addition to the new members, former PPAC Vice Chair Steven P. Caltrider will now serve as Chair, and Tracy-Gene Durkin will serve as PPAC’s new Vice Chair. Former TPAC Vice Chair Susan Natland will serve as Chair, while David J. Cho will serve as TPAC’s new Vice Chair.
Current PPAC members include Jeffrey M. Sears, Jeremiah Chan, Daniel P. Brown, and Judge Susan G. Braden. TPAC members are Tricia McDermott Thompkins, Jennifer Kovalcik, Tracy L. Deutmeyer, and Joemarie B. Fredericks.
The new members of USPTO’s Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) include Charles Duan, Suzanne Harrison, and Heidi S. Nebel, while the new members of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC) are Adraea Brown, Rodrick J. Enns, and Dana Brown Northcott, (bios for all PAC members are further below). Recent PPAC members Julie Mar-Spinola, Jennifer Camacho, and Barney Cassidy, as well as recent TPAC members Christopher Kelly, Stephanie Bald, and Kelly Walton, have rotated off the committees having completed their terms.
The Public Advisory Committees for the USPTO were created through the Patent and Trademark Office Efficiency Act statute in the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999. The committees review the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of the patent and trademark operations, respectively, and advise the director on these matters.
WASHINGTON .D.C., Dec 3rd – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the November 2021 Employment Situation Report:
“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 210,000 jobs in the month of November, and the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, down from 4.6 percent in October. With more people entering the job market and an unemployment rate approaching pre-pandemic levels three years ahead of projections, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to deliver a historic, worker-centered recovery. We are committed to an inclusive recovery and among the highlights of this report were major reductions in the unemployment rates for Black workers, Hispanic workers, and workers with less than a high school diploma. ”
“The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will drive more job growth in the months and years ahead, and at the Department of Labor we are focused on making sure those new jobs are good jobs with access for all through proven pathways like Registered Apprenticeship. Moving forward, the President’s Build Back Better plan is the key to both reducing the biggest costs working families face and increasing equity in our labor market by investing in the care needs that keep so many women, especially Black women, from fully participating in our economy. We are committed to supporting all workers and their families morning, noon and night. ”
“As the holiday season begins, to stay safe and keep our economy moving forward I urge everyone to remain vigilant about COVID transmission and committed to getting yourself and your family vaccinated and boosted as soon as you are eligible.”
Washington, DC. Nov 15 – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is made permanent and will be expanded and elevated with the passage of this historic legislation. This action allows the agency to increase their programs and outreach to the Nation’s more than 9 million minority-owned businesses.
“President Biden has made clear his commitment to not just rebuilding to how things were before COVID-19, but to building back better and more equitably,” said U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo. “The Minority Business Development Agency is ready to step into this historic moment and build on its success – because we recognize that America’s road to recovery runs through our minority business community. Making MBDA a statutory Agency provides MBDA with the authorities, workforce and resources needed to help level the playing field on behalf of minority businesses and minority entrepreneurs.”
“The Department of Commerce and MBDA play a pivotal role in promoting the growth and competitiveness of minority-owned businesses,” said U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves. “This legislation is transformative and signifies a new era in minority business development and progress toward addressing the long-standing racial disparities in access to capital, contracts, and business ecosystems.”
“Created by Executive Order in 1969, the Minority Business Development Agency is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises,” said Miguel Estién, Acting National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency. “The Minority Business Development Act of 2021 is one of the most significant pieces of legislation impacting the minority business community in the last 50 years. I look forward to helping lead the Agency’s transformation at this critical juncture in our nation’s history.”
The bill expands the geographic reach of the MBDA by authorizing the creation of regional MBDA offices, rural business centers, and increasing the number and scope of existing programs.
The Act also:
Creates a presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development to lead the agency.
Increases the MBDA’s grant-making capacity to partner with community and national nonprofits engaged in private and public sector development as well as research.
Mandates the creation of the Parren J. Mitchel Entrepreneurship Education Grants Program to cultivate the next generation of minority entrepreneurs on the campuses HBCUs and MSIs across the Nation.
Creates a council to advise the Under Secretary on supporting MBEs; and
Authorizes the Under Secretary to coordinate federal MBE programs.
Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagiuda Koichi held an introductory meeting via teleconference.
The Secretary congratulated the Minister on his recent reappointment by the Prime Minister. The Secretary and Minister discussed opportunities to grow the U.S.-Japan commercial relationship. They also discussed collaborative efforts to improve supply chain resilience and cooperation on digital technology. The Secretary also thanked the Minister for his efforts to encourage continued Japanese investment in the United States and for the strong participation from Japanese investors at the SelectUSA Investment Summit.
Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced a series of new commitments and initiatives at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) that will deepen economic ties between the United States and the Indo-Pacific region.
“For nearly 30 years, USTDA has been the partner of choice for the Indo-Pacific region’s infrastructure development, especially in the areas that are the focus of this year’s Indo-Pacific Business Forum, including climate resilience, energy, digital economy and healthcare infrastructure,” said Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally (ret.), USTDA’s Acting Director. “Hosting the Forum highlights our commitment to building lasting partnerships with this vital part of the world.”
During the IPBF, USTDA announced new funding commitments, including a feasibility study to develop four utility-scale solar generation plants with the Philippines’ Rural Electrification Finance Corporation and technical assistance to help Vietnam’s Ecotek Corporation transform its Ecopark Township into a cutting-edge smart and sustainable city.
In addition to these commitments, USTDA announced a call for aviation proposals to support new aviation infrastructure in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Interested U.S. firms as well as Southeast Asian and Pacific Island aviation stakeholders are encouraged to submit initial proposals for feasibility studies, technical assistance and pilot projects to develop airport, airspace, airline and other aviation infrastructure to USTDA by January 10, 2022.
The USTDA-sponsored IPBF is co-hosted by the U.S. and Indian governments, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. India Business Council, U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum, AMCHAM India, and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council.
BRUSSELS – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today met with EUROFER (European Steel Association) Director General Axel Eggert and Director for International Affairs and External Relations Karl Tachelet.
Ambassador Tai and EUROFER representatives agreed on the importance of the steel sector to the American and European economies.
Ambassador Tai noted the productive ongoing discussions with the European Union on ways to address global steel excess capacity and consequent market distortions that pose a serious threat to EU and U.S. workers and producers. Ambassador Tai stressed the need to make rapid progress to reach a consensus to preserve our critical industries and meet the economic and environmental goals shared by the United States and European Union.
Ambassador Tai offered her belief that EUROFER can play an important role in helping the United States and European Union reach an agreement that helps steel workers and producers on both sides of the Atlantic. She also reiterated that the United States’ proposal would ensure the long-term viability of the American and European steel and aluminum industries and strengthen the transatlantic relationship between the U.S. and EU.
Ambassador Tai and EUROFER representatives pledged to remain in contact as these discussions continue in order to resolve this pressing global issue.
The Department of State notified Congress on October 21, 2021 of the certification of Mexico under Section 609 of United States Public Law 101-162 (“Section 609”). Section 609 prohibits the import of shrimp and shrimp products harvested in ways that may adversely affect sea turtle species. This certification, allowing again for importation of wild-caught shrimp into the United States from Mexico pursuant to Section 609, is based on a determination that Mexico’s turtle excluder devices (TEDs) program is again comparable in effectiveness to the U.S. program.
The United States and Mexico have been working in close cooperation on sea turtle conservation as well as a range of bilateral fisheries and marine conservation issues. The Government of Mexico implemented a plan of action in the past several months to strengthen sea turtle conservation in its shrimp trawl fisheries, resulting in significantly improved use of TEDs by its fishing industry, as verified by a team of representatives from the State Department and National Marine Fisheries Service.
The U.S. government is currently providing technology and capacity-building assistance to other nations to contribute to the recovery of sea turtle species and help them receive certification under Section 609. When properly designed, built, installed, used, and maintained, TEDs allow 97 percent of sea turtles to escape the shrimp net without appreciable loss of shrimp. The U.S. government also encourages legislation in other countries to prevent the importation of shrimp harvested in a manner harmful to protected sea turtles.
Today, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Finland Ville Skinnari to discuss how best to utilize the goals and objectives set during the 1stU.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council ministerial to reinforce and strengthen bilateral and multilateral efforts. The Secretary also expressed appreciation on behalf of the Department of Commerce for Finland’s cooperation on efforts pertaining to important technologies, including 5G. The Secretary and Minister also discussed other topics important to the U.S.-Finland commercial relationship, including technology supply chains.
