House Leaders Expect Vote on Russia Trade Bill Next Week. The House will vote next week on legislation establishing permanent normal trade relations with Russia, setting up likely enactment by the end of the year and giving a big win to the business community. The House returns on Nov. 13, and a floor vote is expected by week's end, according to a House GOP leadership aide. If the bill is passed with broad bipartisan support, as is likely, the Senate could clear the legislation for the president's signature early on in a lame-duck session that will otherwise be consumed by high-stakes negotiations over tax and spending issues. Congressional Quarterly

Picking the Next US Secretary of State. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she will step down from her job as President Barack Obama prepares for his second term. Secretary Clinton announced her decision earlier this year, telling State Department employees that she needs a break. "I will certainly stay on until the president nominates someone and that transition can occur, but I think after 20 years of being on the high-wire of American politics and all of the challenges that come with that, it would be probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am," said Clinton. Voice of America

NATO Assembly Meeting in Prague. NATO's Parliamentary Assembly is beginning its four-day annual meeting in Prague on November 9, with delegates expected to examine issues critical to the alliance. Committee reports will address issues including Iran's nuclear program, the Syrian conflict, the euro crisis, Arab uprisings, Russian internal politics, and Arctic natural resource development. The Journal of Turkish Weekly

Coast Guard Mission in Arctic Morphs in Response to Needs of Coastal Alaskans. Coast Guard crews made way for home last week after wrapping up their 2012 season in the Arctic. Nov. 1 marked the end of Arctic Shield 2012, the fourth year of the Coast Guard's northernmost program, which focuses on operations, outreach and evaluation of Coast Guard capabilities within the Arctic Circle. It began as a crossroads into a safer, more efficient Coast Guard presence in the Arctic. As the agency continued to access local knowledge to streamline their missions and needs, they were able to identify and provide services for various humanitarian needs among coastal communities. Alaska Dispatch

Healy to Return Home After 84-Day Arctic Deployment. The nation's only operational polar ice breaker, Coast Guard Cutter Healy is scheduled to arrive U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle, Pier 36, Nov. 10, 2012 at 10 a.m., after an 84-day deployment to the Arctic. Healy departed Juneau, Alaska Wednesday morning on the final leg of their Arctic West Summer 2012 deployment in the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, Amundsen Gulf and Arctic Ocean, conducting three missions to further the nation's scientific knowledge of the Arctic. Alaska Native News

Nunavut Company Wants More of Turbot Quota: Arctic Fishery Alliance Says Request Likely to be Denied Over Inuit Ownership Questions. The Arctic Fishery Alliance says its application to double its turbot quota will likely be denied because the council that makes quota recommendations in Nunavut believes the alliance is not controlled by Inuit. The Arctic Fishery Alliance is made up of the Hunters and Trappers Organizations from Grise Fiord, Resolute, Arctic Bay and Qikiqtarjuaq. It wants its turbot quote upped to more than 2,900 ton from 1,500. Turbot is worth about $5,000 per ton. CBC News

Setnetters Have Lowest Harvest in Decades. Upper Cook Inlet setnetters had one of their worst seasons in decades. The Peninsula Clarion says preliminary figures provided by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game show that the 2012 setnetter harvest was the lowest since 1966. Setnetters had to sit out much of the season because of poor king salmon returns. Anchorage Daily News

Agencies Looking into Reports of Oiled Wildlife. Separate reports of birds and a seal that had oil on them have prompted local, state and federal officials to begin an investigation on St. Lawrence Island.Coast Guard spokesman David Mosley says the culmination of reports raised red flags, prompting a closer look. A Coast Guard plane was conducting an aerial survey Thursday, and investigators from the guard and state were expected on scene Friday. Anchorage Daily News

U.S.-Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum (2012) Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum 2012, November 13-15, 2012. The Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum is a biannual event with representation from government, industry, academia, Aboriginal groups, and northerners from both Canada and the United States. The forum provides an opportunity for United States and Canadian decision makers, regulators, Aboriginals, industry members, non-governmental organizations and scientists to discuss current scientific research and future directions for northern oil and gas activities. The focus is on technical, scientific, and engineering research that can be applied to support management and regulatory processes related to oil and gas exploration and development in the North. The North Slope Science Initiative and the U.S. Department of the Interior is hosting, in partnership with our counterparts in Canada and the United States, the third United States - Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum from November 13 to 15, 2012, at the Hilton Hotel, Anchorage, Alaska. The Forum will showcase the value of Northern scientific research in support of sound decision-making for oil and gas management. 

Arctic Technology Conference, December 3-5, 2012. The burgeoning Arctic arena offers a host of opportunities for companies that can solve the complex environmental, physical and regulatory challenges it presents. ATC 2012 will include a highly specialized technical program, education courses, networking events, and an exhibition - all deisgned to help ensure that oil and gas professionals throughout the world are prepared to succeed in these challenging Arctic arenas.

Arctic Transportation Infrastructure: Response Capacity and Sustainable Development in the Arctic, December 3-6, 2012. The Arctic Council's Sustainable Development Working Group approved a project during the Swedish Chairmanship (co-led by the United States and Iceland) to assess transportation infrastructure. The Arctic Marine and Aviation Transportation Infrastructure Initiative (AMATII) seeks to evaluate Northern infrastructure -ports, airports, and response capability - by inventorying maritime and aviation assets in the Arctic. As part of this project, the Institute of the North is hosting an Arctic transportation infrastructure conference 3-6 December at the Icelandair Hotel Natura in Reykjavik, Iceland. The conference theme is "Response Capacity and Sustainable Development in the Arctic." Participants will include policy makers and government officials; aviation and marine subject matter experts from the private, public, independent and academic sectors; as well as community leaders and Permanent Participants.

AGU Fall Meeting, December 3-7, 2012. The American Geophysical Union hosts in fall meeting in San Francisco. Roughly 20,000 scientists will be in attendance. On December 3rd, there will be a town hall meeting entitled "Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions."The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) is organizing a Town Hall meeting at the Fall AGU Meeting entitled "TH15G Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions". Ice sheets and ocean sediments hold important climate evidence from the past. International collaboration for drilling in the polar regions requires coordination between science, technology, and logistics.  The research community is invited to hear updates on recent planning by the IDPO/IDDO, IPICS, ANDRILL, IODP, SCAR-ACE, and WAIS initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement in interdisciplinary planning will be highlighted and input solicited.