WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10675) on the Army Security Force Assistance Brigades on Aug. 21, 2023, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) What Is Security Force Assistance (SFA)? Security Force Assistance (SFA) is defined as "unified action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host nation or regional security forces in support of a legitimat more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11797) on the Army's Multi-Domain Task Force on Aug. 22, 2023, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Army's Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) The Significance of the Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) Congress has expressed concern about the threat to U.S. national security posed by Russia and China. The Army believes that in order to address this  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11455) on Cambodia on Aug. 22, 2023, by Asian affairs specialist Thomas Lum. Here are excerpts: * * * Cambodia Overview: U.S.-Cambodia Relations The Department of State refers to the Kingdom of Cambodia, located in mainland Southeast Asia, as "strategically significant." Bilateral relations have become strained during the past decade, as Cambodia's relationship with the People's Republ more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12479) on Cote d'Ivoire on Aug. 24, 2023, by African affairs analyst Tomas F. Husted. Here are excerpts: * * * Cote d'Ivoire Cote d'Ivoire is a leading economy in West Africa and an increasingly important U.S. security partner amid Islamist insurgencies, military takeovers, and growing Russian activity in the region. President Alassane Ouattara, in office since 2011, has overseen an inf more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12376) on the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy fiscal 2024 appropriations on Aug. 23, 2023, by energy policy specialists Corrie E. Clark and Martin C. Offutt. Here are excerpts: * * * DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy FY2024 Appropriations The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is responsible more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12480) on the Fair Labor Standards Act Exemption for executive, administrative and professional employees on Aug. 24, 2023, by labor policy specialist Sarah A. Donovan and legislative attorney Jon O. Shimabukuro. Here are excerpts: * * * The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Exemption for Executive, Administrative, and Professional Employees The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishe more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11623) on hypersonic missile defense on Aug. 21, 2023, by Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Hypersonic Missile Defense: Issues for Congress The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) are currently developing elements of a hypersonic missile defense system to defend against hypersonic weapons and other eme more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11830) on Medicaid and incarcerated individuals on Aug. 24, 2023, by health care financing specialist Evelyne P. Baumrucker. Here are excerpts: * * * https://crsreports.congress.gov Updated August 24, 2023 Medicaid and Incarcerated Individuals Medicaid is a joint federal-state means-tested entitlement program that finances the delivery of primary and acute medical services, as well as more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12478) on Project AWARE on Aug. 23, 2023, by health policy analyst Johnathan H. Duff. Here are excerpts: * * * Project AWARE Background Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) is a school-based mental health grant program administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11455) on the Section 45Q tax credit for carbon sequestration on Aug. 25, 2023, by environmental policy analyst Angela C. Jones and public finance specialist Donald J. Marples. Here are excerpts: * * * The Section 45Q Tax Credit for Carbon Sequestration Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies are intended to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel-fired power more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10607) on South China Sea disputes on Aug. 21, 2023. The white paper was written by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke and Asian affairs specialists Ben Dolven and Caitlin Campbell. Here are excerpts: * * * China Primer: South China Sea Disputes Overview Multiple Asian governments assert sovereignty over rocks, reefs, and other geographic features in the heavily trafficked South more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12209) on statues and busts in the U.S. Capitol on Aug. 24, 2023, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus and American national government specialist R. Eric Petersen. Here are excerpts: * * * Statues and Busts in the U.S. Capitol: Collections and Authorities The U.S. Capitol is home to hundreds of works of art. Among them are a number of statues and busts, including the National Statuar more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12481) on Taiwan - defense and military issues on Aug. 24, 2023, by Asian affairs analyst Caitlin Campbell: * * * Taiwan: Defense and Military Issues U.S. policy toward Taiwan has long prioritized the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. To dissuade the People's Republic of China (PRC) from using force to try to gain control of self-governing Taiwan (which offici more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12040) on the U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine on Aug. 25, 2023. The white paper was written by Christina L. Arabia, security assistance, security cooperation and global arms trade analyst, and Andrew S. Bowen and Cory Welt, Russian and European affairs specialists. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine The United States has been a leading provider of securit more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11946) on circumvention inquiry into solar imports on Aug. 21, 2023. The white paper was written by international trade and finance analysts Liana Wong and Christopher A. Casey and industrial organization and business analyst Manpreet Singh. Here are excerpts: * * * Circumvention Inquiry into Solar Imports On August 18, 2023, the Commerce Department issued a final determination affirmi more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11911) on flood buyouts on Aug. 23, 2023, by Diane P. Horn, flood insurance and emergency management specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Flood Buyouts: Federal Funding for Property Acquisition Flooding is the most frequent natural disaster in the United States and experts expect effects to intensify in the future. Buyouts offer one way to reduce flood risk. Unlike other approaches to fl more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12228) on meme stock MMTLP and FINRA trading halt on Aug. 21, 2023, by financial economics specialist Eva Su. Here are excerpts: * * * Meme Stock MMTLP and FINRA Trading Halt During the fourth quarter of 2022, abnormal trading in MMTLP attracted the attention of capital markets observers and regulators. MMTLP was the over-the-counter (OTC) stock trading symbol for non-voting series A pre more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12229) on military construction and housing authorizations on Aug. 23, 2023, by defense infrastructure policy analyst Andrew Tilghman. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2024 NDAA: Military Construction and Housing Authorizations On March 13, 2023, the Biden Administration delivered the annual President's Budget Request seeking $16.675 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) Military Constru more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12230) entitled "OMB Issues Final Guidance on "Buy America" Domestic Preference Requirements" on Aug. 24, 2023, by Christopher D. Watson, industrial organization and business analyst: * * * OMB Issues Final Guidance on "Buy America" Domestic Preference Requirements On August, 14, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a pre-publication internet version of its final guida more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11719) on the TRICARE's next generation contracts on Aug. 24, 2023, by Bryce H. P. Mendez, defense health care policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * TRICARE's Next Generation Contracts: T-5 The Department of Defense (DOD) administers a Military Health System (MHS) that provides health care entitlements authorized in Title 10 of the U.S. Code (Chapters 55 and 56) and is organized un more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12227) on the U.S. "Housing Recession" on Aug. 21, 2023, by macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. "Housing Recession" Economists often look to the housing market as an indicator of the health of the economy. As the COVID19 pandemic accelerated, the housing market was relatively strong, characterized by robust demand, rising prices, and increase more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11027) on antitrust agencies release draft Merger Guidelines and propose HSR rule changes on Aug. 24, 2023. The white paper was written by legislative attorneys Peter J. Benson, Chris D. Linebaugh and Alexander H. Pepper: * * * Antitrust Agencies Release Draft Merger Guidelines and Propose HSR Rule Changes On July 19, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Com more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11025) on public corruption and the limits of federal fraud statutes on Aug. 21, 2023, by legislative attorney Peter G. Berris and section research manager Michael A. Foster: * * * Public Corruption and the Limits of Federal Fraud Statutes Over time, Congress has shown consistent interest in policing public-sector corruption, enacting a number of criminal provisions aimed at holdin more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11026) on the recent appellate decisions of interest to lawmakers, Aug. 14 - Aug. 20, 2023, on Aug. 21, 2023. The white paper was written by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia and legislative attorneys Jason O. Heflin and Jimmy Balser: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (August 14, 2023-August 20, 2023) The federal cou more PR