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Today's Congressional Action:
The House of Representatives is not in session. The Senate is not expected to consider Arctic legislation today.
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Scientists Urge National Initiative on Microbiomes. Scores of leading scientists on Wednesday urged the creation of a major initiative to better understand the microbial communities critical to both human health and every ecosystem. In two papers published simultaneously in the journals Science and Nature, the scientists called for a government-led effort akin to the Brain Initiative, a monumental multiyear project intended to develop new technologies to understand the human brain. New York Times
Ice Age Lion Cubs Found in Siberian Permafrost. The almost perfectly preserved remains of two ice-age cave-lion cubs found in Siberian permafrost over the summer will be presented to the public in late November, the Siberian Times reported. The cave lions are at least 10,000 years old and are the best-preserved remains of that prehistoric species ever discovered, the Siberian Times reported. The discovery was announced this week. Alaska Dispatch News
 Agency Won't Give GOP Internal Docs on Climate Research. The federal government's chief climate research agency is refusing to give House Republicans the detailed information they want on a controversial study on climate change. Citing confidentiality concerns and the integrity of the scientific process, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it won't give Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) the research documents he subpoenaed. The Hill
8 Arctic Countries to Sign Historic Coast Guard Deal. All eight Arctic nations - including Canada and Russia - are to sign a historic deal next week for their coast guards to work together in the treacherous and increasingly accessible waters of the North. Creating the Arctic Coast Guard Forum is considered a significant step forward for international co-operation in the region and will flesh out previous search and rescue agreements. CBC News
 State releases written description of Arctic Council Chairmanship Projects. On October 29th, the US Department of State publicly released its first written description of the projects, with points of contact, that the US has been leading since it assumed the Chairmanship of the Council in April 2015. The Chairmanship, which ends in April 2017, has projects designed to promote Arctic Ocean safety, security, and stewardship, improve economic and living conditions throughout the Arctic and address the impacts of climate change. See here for details.
The Polar Bear Live Stream is Back! This polar bear live stream may be the second-best way to safely get up close and personal with one of the world's most majestic creatures -- and see for yourself how much climate change is threatening the species. To celebrate their fifth annual Polar Bear Week from Nov. 1-7, Explore.org, Frontiers North Adventures and Polar Bears International have set up a live stream tracking the world's southernmost polar bear population as it gathers along Churchill's Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada. After four to eight months of hibernation, the carnivores will wait there for the water to freeze over so they may cross it and hunt for seals. Huffington Post
 Though Labeled 'Wild,' That Serving of Salmon May be Farmed or 'Faux.' The wild-caught salmon sold by restaurants and fishmongers is frequently farm-raised fish that has been mislabeled, said a report released Wednesday. Using DNA analysis, the nonprofit ocean conservation group Oceana studied 82 samples and found that two-thirds of the salmon appearing on restaurant menus were incorrectly labeled. Twenty percent of salmon from groceries was incorrectly identified, the group found. New York Times
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
The Polar Oceans and Global Climate Change, November 3-6, 2015 (La Jolla, California USA). The American Polar Society will host this Symposium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. A flyer with a partial list of presenters is available on the Society's website (americanpolar.org) and from the Society's Membership Chairman by email.
Forum for Arctic Modeling and Observational Synthesis Meeting, November 3-6, 2015 (Cape Cod, MA, USA). On November 3rd, the 2015 School for young scientists will consider "Regional Oceanography of the Arctic marginal seas" with lectures covering major features of atmospheric, sea ice and oceanographic regimes of the: Bering, Chukchi, Beaufort, East-Siberian, Laptev Sea, Kara, Barents and Nordic seas. On November 4-6, the meeting portion will summarize project accomplishments for the last 3 years of activities and will focus on the formulation of scientific questions and directions for FAMOS future research (2016-2019) to: (a) improve Arctic modeling, employing very high resolution models; (b) develop and test new arctic monitoring/observing systems and (c) improve predictions of Arctic environmental parameters with reduced uncertainties.
Due North: Next Generation Arctic Research & Leadership, November 5-8, 2015 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) will convene an interdisciplinary conference of early career scientists working on Arctic issues. Topics will include: Arctic Communities, Arctic Sustainable Development, Arctic Wildlife, Ecosystem and Biodiversity, Arctic Food Security, Arctic Landscapes, Climate Change and Adaptation, Disaster Risk Management, Policy, Politics and Leadership, Arctic Environment (Data and Techniques), Arctic Resources, and Future of Arctic.
Matchpoints Seminar, November 12-13, 2015 (Aarhus, Denmark). The purpose of the conference is to provide a forum for policy-makers and academics to deliberate on how the security, resilience and sustainability of the globalized Arctic region and its peoples may be enhanced, and what instruments of governance may most suitably contribute. The conference will spell out (1) how the different relevant dimensions of security (military, economic, environmental, energy and human security) manifest themselves in the governing / governance arrangements in the Arctic; (2) how the challenges associated with each manifest themselves, individually and together; and (3) what forms of governing arrangements can best help to address the challenges. The conference will also focus on (4) how the Nordic countries and nations, including Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Aaland Islands, may contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Arctic region through collaborative efforts based on their shared social, human, environmental and democratic values.
** New this week** Arctic Circle Forum (ACF) Singapore, November 12, 2015 (Singapore). The event will be hosted by The Arctic Circle and Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI), with the support of the Singapore Government. The ACF Singapore will be opened by President of Iceland Ólafur Ragner Grímsson and Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security of Singapore Teo Chee Hean. Discussions will focus on a range of topics related to Arctic shipping, infrastructure financing, ocean science and research, as well as global collaboration on Arctic affairs. Among the speakers and participants will be Senior Arctic Officials, representatives of major shipping companies, investment funds, and scientific institutes from the United States, Europe, and a number of Asian states.
Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting, November 17-19, 2015 (Seattle, Washington). The Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting will be 2.5 days and held at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle, Washington. The conference will bring together individuals and teams involved in the collection, processing, analysis, and use of observations in the Arctic - from academia, agencies, industry, and other organizations. The meeting will be convened as a combination of plenary talks, parallel science sessions, and a poster session. The deadline for the Meeting Registration is Tuesday, 20 October. The agenda and registered attendees can be found on the meeting website.
In the Spirit of the Rovaniemi Process 2015, November 24-26, 2015 (Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland).When the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy, the so-called Rovaniemi Process, was adopted in 1991, it aimed at overcoming divisions and turning the zone of Cold War military tensions into a region of peace and co-operation. In this joint effort focusing on the protection of environment, and later, sustainable development, the Arctic states supported by indigenous organizations laid grounds for institutionalized collaboration and the emergence of Arctic regional identity. The second international conference will bring together decision-makers, scholars, artists, designers and students to address these questions and discuss the Arctic in global, regional and local perspectives.
** New this week** Arctic Council and Beyond, December 4, 2015 (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). This one-day conference hosted by The Northern Institute will focus on the role of the Arctic Council as a forum for Arctic cooperation, the place of the Arctic in Canada's foreign policy and approach to the circumpolar world, the role of the Arctic in global relations in light of the increasing interest in the region by European and Asian states, and the voice of Indigenous Peoples within the Arctic Council and in shaping circumpolar countries' Arctic policies.
Arctic Encounter Paris (AEP 2015), December 11-12, 2015 (Paris, France) (During the UN Convention on Climate Change - COP21). The Arctic Encounter Paris will take place at the French Senate at Luxembourg Palace and the  French Military College, École Militaire, in Paris, France, on the final days of the monumental United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP21) where thousands of global citizens and government delegates will be gathered to deliberate the world's response to our changing planet in Paris. The AEP is the only Arctic policy side event currently planned to take place during the UN Convention. A reception will take place following the closing panel.
 Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 14-18, 2015 (San Francisco, California). The 48th meeting of the union brings together nearly 24,000attendees, and lots of Arctic research results. The scientific program is here. There will be several Arctic-related "Town Hall" meetings, including those sponsored by NASA, DOE, NSF, ISAC, IARPC, and SEARCH.
This symposium is part of an ongoing initiative of the National Academies of Science Polar Research Board to expand public understanding of why the dramatic changes affecting the Arctic region ultimately matter to us all. The agenda features engaging presentations and discussions with top Arctic science and policy experts, and displays and interactive exhibits that illustrate Arctic change and its global impacts. The event is free and open to the public. There are sponsorship opportunities, and a call for exhibitor applications (by Oct.31, 2015). Audience space is limited, so register today; and please encourage your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to participate-as our goal is to reach well beyond the small circle of specialists who typically attend Arctic-themed events in the DC area. The U.S. Arctic Research Commission is helping to sponsor this event.
 Building upon the preceding Arctic Encounter event in Paris, the third annual Arctic Encounter Symposium (AES) in Seattle, Washington will convene policymakers, industry leaders, and leading experts to confront the leading issues in Arctic policy, innovation, and development. As the largest annual Arctic policy event in the United States, the AES mission is to raise awareness, engage challenges, and develop solutions for the future of a region and a people. The two-day program includes two keynote luncheons, expert plenary sessions, break out sessions, a networking cocktail reception and seated dinner. A closing reception will take place at the conclusion of the program.
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2016 (Fairbanks, AK, USA).