WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. 98-684) on Nov. 18, 2024, by senior research librarian Carla Y. Davis-Castro. Here are excerpts: * * * Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections This report provides the results of recent presidential elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Below are three tables, organized by region, that include the date of each country's independence, the name of the mos more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R44279) on Nov. 18, 2024, by reference librarian Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch. Here are excerpts: * * * Thanksgiving: Fact Sheet Introduction Thanksgiving is a federal holiday observed on the fourth Thursday in November. In 1789, President George Washington declared November 26 a National Day of Thanksgiving. Subsequent Presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations, but the dates of the co more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11147) on Nov. 18, 2024, by military personnel specialist Kristy N. Kamarck and research librarian Carly A. Miller. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Active Component Enlisted Recruiting Congressional Role The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers over the Armed Forces, including the power "To raise and support Armies" and "To provide and maintain a Navy." I more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11999) on Nov. 18, 2024, by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr and acting section research manager Mary Beth D. Nikitin: * * * AUKUS Nuclear Cooperation On August 7, 2024, President Joseph Biden submitted to Congress an "Agreement among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United  more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. Child Tax Credit) on Nov. 19, 2024, by public finance analyst Brendan McDermott: * * * Selected Issues in Tax Policy: The Child Tax Credit Tax reform proposals in the 119th Congress may include reforms to the child tax credit, which increases the after-tax incomes of some households with children. The child tax credit was substantively modified by P.L. 115-97 (often referred to a more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10553) on Nov. 19, 2024, by Marcy E. Gallo, science and technology policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Advanced technology plays a critical role in ensuring U.S. national security. To maintain technological superiority on the battlefield, the Department of Defense (DOD) relies on scientific and technical knowledg more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12819) on Nov. 18, 2024, by military personnel specialist Kristy N. Kamarck and research librarian Carly A. Miller. Here are excerpts: * * * Export-Import Bank Financing of Fossil Fuel Projects The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) provides financing for U.S. exports of goods and services in many sectors, including energy. The 118th Congress has debated whet more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12466) on Nov. 19, 2024, by foreign affairs analyst Cory R. Gill. Here are excerpts: * * * State Department Passport Services: Background and Issues for Congress Background The U.S. Department of State (DOS) defines a passport as "an internationally recognized travel document that verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer." Congress has vested authority in DOS to gra more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12819) on Nov. 18, 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, Nov. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10733) on Nov. 19, 2024, by Asian affairs specialist Mark E. Manyin and international trade and finance analyst Liana Wong. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-South Korea (KORUS) FTA and Bilateral Trade Relations The U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) entered into force in March 2012. The agreement has reduced and, in most cases, eliminated tariff and non-tariff barr more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12816) on Nov. 19, 2024, by African affairs specialist Lauren Ploch Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * The War and Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan The conflict in Sudan that began in 2023 between rival elements of the security forces has fueled the world's largest displacement crisis and largest hunger crisis. The war has pushed over 11 million people from their homes. More than  more PR