WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11362) on Oct. 15, 2024, by senior research librarian Barbara Salazar Torreon and research specialist Clayton M. Levy. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is a military cemetery administered by the Office of Army Cemeteries. Located in Arlington County, Virginia, the cemetery was created in 1864 during the Civil more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12772) on Oct. 17, 2024, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Army's Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) Effort Background The Army's current self-propelled artillery system, the M109 Paladin, first entered service in the 1960s and has been upgraded numerous times. The Army has two types of artillery: self-propelled, a ho more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12650) on Oct. 15, 2024. The white paper is written by natural resources policy specialists Mariel J. Murray, Laura B. Comay and Anthony R. Marshak: * * * Offshore Wind: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Engagement with Federally Recognized Tribes The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), within the Department of the Interior (DOI), administers offshore wind leasing o more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10880) on Oct. 15, 2024, by Peter J. Meyer, Latin American and Canadian affairs specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Chile: An Overview Chile, located along the Pacific coast of South America, traditionally has been one of the United States' closest partners in Latin America. During the 118th Congress, the Senate consented to a tax treaty with Chile and some Members have assess more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10464) on Oct. 17, 2024, by international relations specialist Luisa Blanchfield and foreign policy legislation specialist Matthew C. Weed. Here are excerpts: * * * United Nations Issues: Congressional Representatives to the UN General Assembly The annual session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly is held at UN Headquarters in New York City. The President generally app more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12786) on Oct. 17, 2024, by financial economics specialist Rena S. Miller and research assistant graham C. Tufts. Here are excerpts: * * * Derivatives Trading in U.S. Banking Overview Bank derivative holdings are highly concentrated among large banks, with large banks holding 97.9% of the notional amounts of bank derivative holdings. This level of concentration holds across al more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12784) on Oct. 16, 2024, by agricultural policy analyst Lia Biondo. Here are excerpts: * * * Federal Inspection of Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products On July 19, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and state public health regulatory officials announced an investig more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12645) on Oct. 17, 2024, by Elizabeth M. Webster, emergency management and disaster recovery specialist: * * * FEMA's IA Program Changes to Support Disaster Survivors The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may provide assistance to disaster survivors through the Individual Assistance (IA) program pursuant to a presidential declaration of emergency or major disaster unde more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12675) on Oct. 17, 2024, by social policy analyst T. Lynn Sears. Here are excerpts: * * * A Hypothetical Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment Based on the Research Consumer Price Index for the Elderly Background The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers Social Security, a social insurance program that protects an insured worker and his or her eligible family m more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11681) on Oct. 17, 2024, by defense policy analyst Anya L. Fink. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: LGM-35A Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile The LGM-35A Sentinel is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system that is expected to replace the Minuteman III (MMIII) ICBM in the U.S. nuclear force structure. MMIII has served as the ground-based leg of the U. more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12084) on Oct. 17, 2024, by defense policy specialist Anya L. Fink. Here are excerpts: * * * Nuclear-Armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N) Congress and the executive branch have debated the merits of a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) since the weapon was first proposed by the Trump Administration in 2018. The Biden Administration proposed cancelling more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11400) on Oct. 15, 2024, by Christopher A. Casey, international trade and finance Analyst: * * * Presidential Authority to Address Tariff Barriers in Trade Agreements The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate trade with foreign nations and to lay and collect duties. Since the 1930s, Congress has periodically authorized the President to negotiate trade agreement more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11360) on Oct. 17, 2024. The white paper is written by International Trade and Finance specialists Christopher A. Casey and Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs and Foreign Affairs analyst Michael A. Weber. Here are excerpts: * * * Section 307 and Imports Produced by Forced Labor The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that in 2021 on any given day 27.6 million people were f more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10519) on Oct. 17, 2024, by defense policy analyst Anya L. Fink. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Strategic Nuclear Forces The United States is in the process of modernizing its strategic nuclear forces. This modernization effort includes numerous Department of Defense (DOD) major defense acquisition programs, some of which are annually assessed by the Government Accoun more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12645) on Oct. 15, 2024, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System Background According to the Department of Defense (DOD), the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system (Figure 1) is a key element of U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD). THAAD employs interceptor missiles, us more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12645) on Oct. 17, 2024, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System Background According to the Department of Defense (DOD), the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system (Figure 1) is a key element of U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD). THAAD employs interceptor missiles, us more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11049) on Oct. 17, 2024, by Diane P. Horn, flood insurance and emergency management analyst: * * * A Brief Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program in the 118th Congress Introduction The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is authorized by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (Title XIII of P.L. 90-448, as amended, 42 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.4001 et seq.) and is the p more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN10890) on Oct. 16, 2024, by Diane P. Horn, flood insurance and emergency management analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Closing the Flood Insurance Gap Updated October 16, 2024 There is a large flood insurance gap in the United States, where many people exposed to flood risk are not covered by flood insurance. Early estimates suggest that very few people had flood insurance in are more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12442) on Oct. 11, 2024. The white paper is written by American National Government specialists R. Sam Garrett, Karen L. Shanton and Sarah J. Eckman. * * * Elections and Hurricanes Helene and Milton Introduction In September and October 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton disrupted voter registration, early voting activities, and preparations for the November 5 general election  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12444) on Oct. 17, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Jeremy M. Sharp and Jim Zanotti: * * * Israel and U.S. Aid: Humanitarian Access in Gaza Overview On October 13, 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin jointly sent a letter, which the State Department described as a "private diplomatic communication," to Israeli Minister of more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12438) on Oct. 13, 2024. The white paper is written by section research manager Lauren R. Stienstra, American national government specialist Bruce R. Lindsay, flood insurance and emergency management specialist Diane P. Horn, homeland security and appropriations specialist William L. Painter, and emergency management and disaster recovery specialists Erica A. Lee and Elizabeth M. W more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSrep)-- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12443) on Oct. 16, 2024, by financial economics specialist Eva Su and senior research librarian Ben Leubsdorf. Here are excerpts: * * * Private Equity Investments in Large For-Profit Child Care Providers Although parts of the child care industry can be perceived as having "long hours and low profits," different providers operating within the same industry may vary greatly in size more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45221) on Oct. 2, 2024, entitled "Capital Markets: Public and Private Securities Offerings" by financial economics specialist Eva Su. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary U.S. capital markets are the largest and considered to be the most efficient in the world. Companies rely heavily on capital access to fund growth and create jobs. As the principal regulator of U.S. capital markets, the Securiti more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45221) on Oct. 2, 2024, entitled "Capital Markets - Public and Private Securities Offerings:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Facilitating Public Offerings Once a company goes through SEC registration and public disclosure, it is generally referred to as a public company. The advantages of going public include increased access to capital and liquidity, higher brand awareness, and more fle more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45221) on Oct. 2, 2024, entitled "Capital Markets - Public and Private Securities Offerings:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * Facilitating Private Offerings The vast majority of American businesses are operating as private companies. There are more than 30 million businesses in the United States, but fewer than 5,000 are publicly traded./127 Some research indicates that around 2,800 public more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS21666) on Oct. 2, 2024, entitled "Tunisia: In Brief" by African affairs specialist Alexis Arieff. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary Once considered the lone democratic success story of the 2011 "Arab Spring" uprisings, Tunisia has seen erratic and increasingly authoritarian rule under President Kais Saied, first elected in 2019. Saied has dismantled institutional checks and balances, while ov more PR