WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R48051) on April 25, 2024, by income security specialists Elizabeth A. Myers and John J. Topoleski. Here are excerpts: * * * Contributions to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): Fact Sheet Contents Background ... 1 Contributions to IRAs ... 2 Tables Table 1. Contributions to Traditional IRAs ... 2 Table 2. Contributions to Roth IRAs ... 3 Contacts Author Information ... 3 * * * Ba more PR

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10795) on April 25, 2024, by foreign affairs analyst Michael A. Weber. Here are excerpts: * * * Global Human Rights: The Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Introduction The State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are an annual U.S. government account of human rights conditions in countries around the globe. The reports characterize cou more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10525) on April 22, 2024, by intelligence and national security analyst Michael E. DeVine: * * * Defense Primer: National and Defense Intelligence The Intelligence Community (IC), comprising 18 statutory elements (50 U.S.C. Sec.3003(4)), is charged with providing insight into actual or potential threats to the U.S. homeland, the American people, and national interests at home and abroa more PR

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12644) on April 25, 2024, by legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey: * * * Patent Listing in FDA's Orange Book For over 40 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has maintained a resource formally titled Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations. This frequently updated publication - now available as a searchable online database - is more commonly called  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10575) on April 25, 2024, by social policy specialist Karen E. Lynch. Here are excerpts: * * * Global Human Rights: Security Forces Vetting ("Leahy Laws") Introduction The "Leahy Laws" prohibit U.S. assistance to foreign security force units when there is credible information that the unit has committed a "gross violation of human rights" (GVHR). Pursuant to the laws, before providin more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10525) on April 22, 2024, by Karen M. Sutter, Asian trade and finance specialist, and Michael D. Sutherland, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * TikTok and China's Digital Platforms: Issues for Congress Congress and U.S. policymakers at the federal and state levels have taken steps to address their national security-related concerns about the People's Rep more PR

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12640) on April 25, 2024, by Asian trade and finance analyst Karen M. Sutter and international trade and finance Michael D. Sutherland. Here are excerpts: * * * TikTok and China's Digital Platforms: Issues for Congress Congress and U.S. policymakers at the federal and state levels have taken steps to address their national security-related concerns about the People's Republic of China more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11484) on April 18, 2024, by social policy specialist Karen E. Lynch. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Repatriation Program for Citizens Returned from Abroad Introduction Section 1113 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec.1313) permanently authorizes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide temporary aid to certain repatriated U.S. citizens and their depende more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12350) on April 22, 2024, by social policy specialist Alexandra Hegji and legislative attorney Sean M. Stiff: * * * The Biden Administration's First Student Loan Debt Relief Proposed Rule On April 17, 2024, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (the Secretary) published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), describing when the Secretary may waive all or part of  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12330) on April 24, 2024, by cybersecurity policy specialist Chris Jaikaran: * * * The Change Healthcare Cyberattack and Response Considerations for Policymakers On February 21, 2024, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated disclosed that one of its companies' units - Change Healthcare - was experiencing a cyberattack. The BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware group - a Russia-linked cybercrime organization more PR

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12348) on April 24, 2024, by foreign affairs analyst Joshua Klein: Here are excerpts: * * * Ecuador's April 2024 Plebiscite on Security Measures: Implications for Congress On April 21, 2024, Ecuador held a plebiscite on 11 proposed reforms that seek to address the country's ongoing security crisis. According to preliminary results released by Ecuador's electoral body, voters voted in fa more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12347) on April 22, 2024. The white paper is written by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Clayton Thomas, Jeremy M. Sharp and Jim Zanotti. Here are excerpts: * * * Escalation of the Israel-Iran Conflict Overview A series of strikes and counter-strikes between Israel and Iran in April 2024, including the first-ever direct attack on Israel from Iranian soil, represents a significant es more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12234) on April 22, 2024, by Cameron M. Keys, defense logistics and resource management policy analyst, and Brendan W. McGarry, defense budget specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2024 Defense Appropriations: Summary of Funding The annual Department of Defense Appropriations Act primarily funds U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) activities except for military construction and family hou more PR

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12238) on April 25, 2024, by defense infrastructure policy analyst Andrew Tilghman. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2024 Military Construction Appropriations: A Summary On March 9, 2023, the Biden Administration submitted the FY2024 President's Budget Request (PBR) seeking $16.675 billion for U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) military construction (MILCON) and family housing programs. The req more PR

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12274) on April 25, 2024, by Cameron M. Keys, defense logistics and resource management policy analyst, and Luke A. Nicastro, defense infrastructure policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2024 National Security Supplemental Funding: Defense Appropriations Background On October 20, 2023, the Biden Administration submitted to Congress a request for FY2024 emergency supplemental appro more PR

WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12231) on April 22, 2024, by macroeconomic policy specialist Marc Labonte. Here are excerpts: * * * Banks' Unrealized Losses, Part 1: New Treatment in the "Basel III Endgame" Proposal On July 27, 2023, the federal banking regulators released a proposed rule that would amend bank capital rules for banks with over $100 billion in assets. The proposal would implement what is popularly call more PR

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN10979) on April 23, 2024, by Kelsi Bracmort, natural resources and energy policy specialist: * * * Year-Round Sale of E15 E15 - a fuel blend of up to 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline - generally cannot be sold during the summer driving season (June 1-September 15) because it does not meet the gasoline Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requirements, which limit fuel volatility under the Clean Air Act more PR

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11156) on April 25, 2024, by legislative attorney Jon O. Shimabukuro: * * * Department of Labor's New Independent Contractor Rule On January 10, 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a rule that identifies criteria for how it classifies whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal law that establish more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11154) on April 23, 2024, by legislative attorney Jay B. Sykes: * * * The DOJ's Monopolization Case Against Apple On March 21, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ), together with 15 states and the District of Columbia, filed a complaint in federal district court accusing Apple of monopolizing smartphone markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. This Legal Sidebar prov more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11151) on April 22, 2024, by legislative attorneys Wen W. Shen and Jennifer A. Staman: * * * EMTALA Emergency Abortion Care Litigation Over Idaho's Abortion Restriction Heads to the Supreme Court The Supreme Court is set to hear oral argument in Moyle v. United States, a case about access to emergency abortion services. Specifically, the case concerns whether the Emergency Medical more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11152) on April 23, 2024, by legislative attorney Jared P. Cole: * * * Fourth Circuit Rules Parochial School's 501(c)(3) Tax Exemption Does Not Trigger Title IX Obligations Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) prohibits entities "receiving federal financial assistance" from discriminating based on sex in education programs and activities. The statute and impleme more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11153) on April 23, 2024, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (April 15-April 21, 2024) The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disputes. This Sidebar series selects decisions from the past week that may be of particular interest t more PR

WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11150) on April 18, 2024, by legislative attorney Kristen Hite: * * * Takings Claims in DeVillier v. Texas Awash in Procedural Matters In April 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in a DeVillier v. Texas, a case brought by landowners who sought compensation for property damage caused by the state. Several years ago, Texas constructed a three-foot wall along a  more PR