WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11151) on Oct. 30, 2024, by Peter J. Meyer, Latin American and Canadian affairs specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Central American Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy U.S. policy toward Central America has been a subject of significant debate and oversight over the past decade as Congress has sought to address the underlying factors driving migration from the region to th more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12058) on Oct. 28, 2024, by Maeve P. Carey, government organization and management specialist: * * * Cost-Benefit Analysis in Federal Agency Rulemaking Since the 1970s, federal agencies have been required to consider the costs and benefits of certain regulations that are expected to have large economic effects. Under current requirements, most agencies are to design regulations  more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11211) on Oct. 30, 2024, by section research manager Kristin Archick. Here are excerpts: * * * The European Parliament and U.S. Interests A Key EU Institution The European Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected institution of the 27-country European Union (EU). The EP's current 720 members represent the EU's roughly 450 million citizens. The EP has accumulated more power more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11211) on Oct. 31, 2024, by research librarians Barbara Salazar Torreon and Carly A. Miller. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Gold Star Designation Background During the years of U.S. participation in World War I (WWI, 1917-1918), a service banner with a blue star was flown by some families to represent each family member in military service. The white field, edged with more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12801) on Oct. 31, 2024, by legislative attorney Dorothy C. Kafka: * * * Health Claims on Food and Dietary Supplement Labels: FDA Regulation and Select Legal Issues A food or dietary supplement manufacturer may seek to market a product through a statement on its product's label that suggests a link between a nutrient in that product and a disease or health-related condition. Such more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12106) on Oct. 29, 2024, by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr: * * * Iran and Nuclear Weapons Production Background Iran's nuclear program has generated widespread concern that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons. According to U.S. intelligence assessments, Tehran has the capacity to produce nuclear weapons at some point, but has halted its nuclear weapons program and has more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12207) on Oct. 31, 2024, by foreign affairs specialist Joshua Klein. Here are excerpts: * * * Paraguay: An Overview Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America bordered by Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. The United States has had good relations with Paraguay for decades, providing assistance to counter corruption and spur trade and economic development. The United States a more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12760) on Oct. 30, 2024. The white paper is written by section research manager Mary Beth D. Nikitin, Asian affairs specialist Mark E. Manyin and Russian and European affairs analyst Andrew S. Bowen. Here are excerpts: * * * Russia-North Korea Relations Overview Over the past two years, the Russian Federation (Russia) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or Nor more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12798) on Oct. 28, 2024, by cybersecurity policy specialist Chris Jaikaran: * * * Salt Typhoon Hacks of Telecommunications Companies and Federal Response Implications In early October 2024, media outlets reported that People's Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers infiltrated United States telecommunications companies (including internet service providers). This is not more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12798) on Oct. 29, 2024, by cybersecurity policy specialist Chris Jaikaran: * * * Salt Typhoon Hacks of Telecommunications Companies and Federal Response Implications In early October 2024, media outlets reported that People's Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers infiltrated United States telecommunications companies (including internet service providers). The U.S. go more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12728) on Oct. 28, 2024, by public finance analyst Brendan McDermott: * * * Taxation of Tip Income Federal law generally requires workers to pay individual income taxes and the payroll taxes on their tip income, as on other compensation. Lawmakers have introduced several bills in recent years to exclude tip income from the individual income tax, and in some cases, from payroll t more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12800) on Oct. 30, 2024, by income security specialists Julie M. Whittaker and Katelin P. Isaacs. Here are excerpts: * * * Unemployment Benefits for Workers Impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton Workers who become unemployed for reasons directly attributable to a major disaster, such as Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, may be eligible for income support based on their wo more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12799) on Oct. 30, 2024, by social policy analyst T. Lynn Sears. Here are excerpts: * * * Veteran Disability Compensation and Pension Exams The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a wide range of benefits and programs for veterans and their families. VBA administers monetary benefits for disabled veterans: disability com more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12347) on Oct. 29, 2024. The white paper is written by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Jim Zanotti, Jeremy M. Sharp, Clayton Thomas and Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Escalation of the Israel-Iran Conflict Overview In October 2024, Iran and Israel exchanged attacks for the second time this year (see Figure 1 and Figure 2), after doing so in April. This r more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12452) on Oct. 28, 2024, by American national government analyst Barry J. McMillion. Here are excerpts: * * * United States Bankruptcy Courts: Overview and Analysis of Bankruptcy Filings for the 12-Month Period Ending June 30, 2024 This Insight provides information and statistics related to bankruptcy filings in the United States bankruptcy courts for the 12-month period ending  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12453) on Oct. 28, 2024. The white paper is written by Christina L. Arabia, security assistance, security cooperation and global arms trade analyst, Luke A. Nicastro, defense infrastructure policy analyst and Andrew S. Bowen, Russian and European affairs analyst: * * * Presidential Drawdown Authority and Ukraine Security Assistance: Issues for Congress Presidential drawdown auth more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12454) on Oct. 31, 2024, by Social Policy specialist Alexandra Hegji: * * * Student Loan Debt Relief: The Biden Administration's Second Proposed Rule On October 31, 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 a borrower's outstanding feder more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. IF11211) on Oct. 31, 2024, by section research manager Kristin Archick. Here are excerpts: * * * Application of the Bill of Rights to the States Through the Fourteenth Amendment and Selective Incorporation The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, protects certain rights against infringement by the federal government. A recurring questi more PR