First New Railway Crossing Linking the United States and Mexico in Over a Century

Statement from U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina - Secretary Pritzker issued the statement, as the Obama Administration commemorates the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

Trade and Investment

New U.S.-Mexico West Rail Bypass Bridge First in Over a Century - Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker joined U.S. and Mexican government leaders in Brownsville, Texas, at a ceremony to inaugurate the West Rail Bypass International Bridge, the first new international rail crossing between the United States and Mexico since 1910. During her remarks, Secretary Pritzker highlighted the deep and growing commercial partnership between our two countries.

MBDA Supporting Gulf Coast Minority Businesses—Strengthening the Economy - Deputy Director Shen discussed the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and public engagement with particular emphasis on how the public can influence how federal aid used for economic recovery is utilized in these areas.

Cloud Computing Exports Drive Growth at Home and Abroad - U.S. providers have leveraged technological expertise, innovative approaches, first-mover advantages, and other strengths to earn leading international positions in the delivery of cloud services.

Environment

10 Years after Being Hit by Hurricane Katrina, Seeing an Oiled Marsh at the Center of an Experiment in Oil Cleanup - Today, the marsh is flourishing. There is no difference between the areas that were oiled and burned 10 years ago and nearby areas that were untouched.

Hurricane Katrina: 10 Years Later - NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey looks back - Ten years later, Coast Survey reflects back on the planning and response to Hurricane Katrina, and looks to their progress in developing tools to aid in coastal resilience.

Podcast: What Was It Like Responding in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? - In this podcast, we talk with Charlie Henry and Dave Wesley, two pollution responders from NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration who were working in the area in the aftermath of not just one massive hurricane, but two, as Hurricane Rita swept across the Gulf Coast just a few short weeks later.

Satellite Technology and Spectrum Key to Better Weather Forecasting - Ten years ago, one of the deadliest hurricanes in history struck the Gulf Coast, decimating coastal cities and communities from Gulfport, Mississippi, to New Orleans, Louisiana. A decade later, we are better positioned to deal with these types of disasters.

Surveying What Hurricane Katrina Swept out to Sea - In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and less than a month later, Hurricane Rita, the marine debris in ports and navigation channels was cleared quickly. However, the remaining debris, outside of navigation channels and in fishing and boating areas, posed a safety hazard to people, damaged boats and fishing gear, and hampered recreation and commercial activities.

Natural Capital in the Big Apple: Upcoming Roundtable Set for Columbia University’s Earth Institute - The 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall highlights the risks of coastal storms, the importance of increasing economic resilience in the face of these storms, and the role natural capital can play in mitigating the impacts of these events.

Innovation

USPTO Supports Invention, Innovation and Economic Growth in the Gulf and Across the Country - As we prepare for the future, it is important to identify how individuals can get assistance with their innovation or business after a disaster.

Lessons Learned from Katrina are Helping to Build Stronger Communities - Planning for communities to prepare for and recover from hazardous events like these—to be more resilient—is complex and requires input from a wide range of disciplines and people.

Success Story: Helping the New Orleans Region Diversify, Grow, and Create Jobs - Among those investors in New Orleans’ turn-around was the Economic Development Administration. In 2009, in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, EDA invested $800,000 with The Idea Village to help the city protect itself from further economic catastrophe.

Data

U.S. Census Bureau Data Shows Gulf Coast’s Recovery from Hurricane Katrina - Census Bureau Director John Thompson writes that 10 years ago, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast, forever altering the lives of many of its residents. As we pause to reflect on the impact of the storm, we can see a story of recovery told through Census Bureau statistics on population, housing and businesses. Census Bureau population estimates show that last year New Orleans returned to the nation’s list of 50 most populous cities for the first time since the storm.

The Gulf Coast Economy: Ten Years After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - Unlike shore-adjacent counties and parishes, 2014 GDP levels in the inland portions of coastal watersheds are higher than in 2010. This broad-brush treatment misses a lot. The impact of the storm was far greater in some places than others.

The 2015 National Content Test is Underway - Census Bureau Director John Thompson writes that this month, 1.2 million households began receiving the questionnaire for the 2015 National Content Test. We want to evaluate and compare different versions of questions to ask in the 2020 Census, such as those about race and origin, relationships, and the best questions for determining where people should be counted as of Census Day.

A New Kind of Media Using Government Data - MSNBC has published a data-heavy story collection that takes advantage of the internet’s power to communicate not only faster, but in different and meaningful ways.  “The Geography of Poverty” combines narrative, data graphics, and photo-essay content through an interface so seamless as to be almost invisible.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis wrote that GDP Increases in Second Quarter and Personal Income Rises in July on their blog this week.

Personal income in July 2015 increased 0.4 percent. Nominal personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased 0.3 percent. Real PCE increased 0.2. Nominal disposable personal income (DPI) increased 0.5 percent.  Real DPI increased 0.4 percent. The personal saving rate as a percentage of DPI was 4.9 percent in July.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.7 percent in the second quarter of 2015, according to today’s second estimate. 

New orders for manufactured durable goods in July 2015 increased 2.0 percent, to $241.1 billion.  Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.6 percent.  Overall shipments increased 1.0 percent, and capital goods shipments rose 0.3 percent. Unfilled orders increased 0.2 percent, and inventories were virtually unchanged in July 2015.

Sales of new single family houses in July 2015 were 507,000 at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), up 5.4 percent from June’s revised rate and up 25.8 percent from July 2014.

Commerce Data in the News: The Huffington Post cites Census Bureau population and household income figures to write that the nation’s 12th largest metro area —  Riverside, Calif., with 4.3 million people and an average household income of $70,000 — should have at least two professional sports teams in the article, The Cities With Too Few Sports Teams.

The Associated Press cites Census Bureau preliminary figures from the Economic Census and Survey of Business Owners to write that the number of companies owned by Hispanic women rose 87 percent between 2007 and 2012, while the number of companies owned by black women rose nearly 68 percent, in the article, Get Started: Businesses Owned by Minority Women are Soaring.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Gross Domestic Product release was highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article: U.S. GDP Expands at 3.7% Pace in Second Quarter.

BEA’s Personal Income and Outlays data was highlighted in a recent New York Times article: U.S Consumer Spending Rises in July

Data Releases Next Week:  Construction Spending: July (Census); Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: July (Census); U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: July (BEA and Census)