PASADENA, California, Jan. 28 (TNSPer) -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news: The distinguished geochemist and space scientist brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in academic and government service to JPL. Laurie Leshin, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), has been appointed director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and vice president of Caltech. Leshin will formally assume her position on May 16, 2022, succeeding Michael Watkins, wh more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47016) on Jan. 24, 2022, entitled "The Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: Issues for Congress". The report was written by Asian affairs specialists Susan V. Lawrence and Thomas Lum, Asian affairs analyst Ricardo Barrios, American national government specialist L. Elaine Halchin, African affairs specialist Nicolas Cook, Foreign affairs analyst Michael A. Weber and Russian and European affai more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following focus paper (No. IF11580) on Jan. 24, 2022, entitled "The Internal Revenue Service's Free File Program: Current Status and Policy Issues" by public finance analyst Gary Guenther: * * * The option to electronically file (e-filing) federal individual income tax returns began in 1986. Since then its usage has grown considerably. By the end of December 2020, 89% of returns for the 2019 tax year were e-filed. Nonetheless more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RL33608) on Jan. 26, 2022, entitled "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Background and Policy Issues" by international relations specialist Luisa Blanchfield and foreign affairs analyst Michael A. Weber: * * * SUMMARY Over the years, many Members of Congress have demonstrated an ongoing interest in the role and effectiveness of the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council (Council). The Council  more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties issued the following testimony by Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, involving a virtual hearing on Jan. 20, 2022, entitled "Voter Suppression and Continuing Threats to Democracy": * * * Thank you for holding this important hearing today to highlight the ongoing crisis of discrimination against African Americans and other c more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release on Jan. 27, 2022: U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01), a member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples, joined 70 of her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack asking the Department to reinstate Roadless Rule protections for the more than 9 million acres of pu more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-New York, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Jan. 13, 2022: Madam President, on defending democracy--something Leader Reid would have been passionate about, if he were still with us here, and he is telling us that now--over the next few days, the U.S. Senate will face a critical and unavoidable question: Are its Members going to act to protect our democracy and protect voting rights or will i more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on Jan. 28, 2022, by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken: * * * When President George W. Bush announced the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 19 years ago today, he said: "We must remember our calling, as a blessed country, is to make the world better." Only four months later, Congress authorized the first $15 billion for this historic endeavor, with overwhelming bipartisan support that has conti more PR

LAWRENCE, Kansas, Jan. 25 (TNSBook) -- The University of Kansas issued the following news on Jan. 24, 2022: In the new book she co-edited and co-wrote, "Racism by Another Name" (Information Age Publishing, 2021), Dorothy Hines contends that race has been the American public schools' most profound legacy because it is one of society's deepest fears. "From Ahmaud Arbery, who was murdered February 2020 in Georgia for jogging while Black, to Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in March 2020 i more PR

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, Jan. 22 (TNSPol) -- The University of Virginia issued the following commentary by William J. Antholis, director and CEO of the Miller Center of Public Affairs: * * * As President Joe Biden completed his first year, the Miller Center hosted a two-hour webinar, featuring Democratic, Republican and independent practitioners and scholars, who assessed his performance. That's also why I've spent the past two weeks in private conversations with two dozen individuals - a b more PR