WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R48289) on Dec. 2, 2024, by research librarians Travis A. Ferrell and Clayton M. Levy. Here are excerpts: * * * Fact Sheet: Congressional Votes Relating to the Israel-Hamas Conflict This report compiles congressional votes on legislation, including amendments and resolutions, related to the Israel-Hamas conflict that began on October 7, 2023. CRS compiled the information presented in this r more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12317) on Dec. 3, 2024, by health policy analyst Kavya Sekar: * * * The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a committee of nonfederal experts who make recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the use of vaccines and related agents for the control of vaccine-preventabl more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11646) on Nov. 27, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Clayton Thomas: * * * Afghan Women and Girls: Status and Congressional Action Afghan women and girls live under what is considered to be the world's most repressive set of restrictions, ranging from Taliban prohibitions on employment and education opportunities to orders for women to hide their faces and voices in pub more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12006) on Dec. 2, 2024, by natural resources policy specialist Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Status of Oil and Gas Program The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR or the Refuge) comprises 19 million acres in northeast Alaska, administered primarily by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in the Department of the Interior (DOI). ANWR' more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11032) on Dec. 5, 2024, by Megan S. Lynch, Congress and legislative process specialist: * * * Budgetary Decisionmaking in Congress The Congressional Budget Process The Constitution grants Congress enormous power and freedom to engage in what is now referred to as budgeting. First, the Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse, but does not prescribe or require specific more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10789) on Nov. 27, 2024, by Latin American affairs analyst Karla I. Rios. Here are excerpts: * * * Caribbean Basin Security Initiative The United States developed the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a regional U.S. foreign assistance program, in 2009 through a process of dialogue with Caribbean countries. The initiative seeks to reduce illicit trafficking in the regi more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12570) on Dec. 2, 2024, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie. Here are excerpts: * * * Clean Vehicle Tax Credit Transfers to Car Dealers In May 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued final regulations for transfers of clean vehicle tax credits from consumers to car dealers. The regulations apply to the clean vehicle credit (CVC) and the used clean vehicle credit more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10015) on Dec. 3, 2024. The white paper is written by Congress and legislative process analyst Mark J. Oleszek, government organization and management analyst Ben Wilhelm and legislative attorney Todd Garvey: * * * Congressional Oversight and Investigations Congress engages in oversight of the executive branch through the review, monitoring, and supervision of the implementation more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12717) on Dec. 4, 2024, by telecommunications policy specialists Colby Leigh Pechtol and Jill C. Gallagher: * * * CrowdStrike IT Outage: Impacts to Public Safety Systems and Considerations for Congress On July 19, 2024, CrowdStrike, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, released a software update to their customers. The update caused certain computer systems to crash, disrupting services ac more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12811) on Nov. 29, 2024, by section research manager Lauren R. Stienstra and research assistant Daniela E. Lacalle: * * * Current Status of Federal Disaster Relief Accounts Introduction On November 18, 2024, President Biden requested from Congress supplemental appropriations to provide an "expeditious and meaningful Federal response" to Hurricanes Helene, Milton, and other natu more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12591) on Dec. 4, 2024, by health policy specialists Nora Wells and Amanda K. Sarata: * * * Cybersecurity and Digital Health Information As the technologies used in health care expand, so too do cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Increasingly, health care actors use electronic health records (EHRs), artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and telehealth services to provide and fac more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10537) on Nov. 29, 2024, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist: * * * Defense Primer: Cyberspace Operations Overview The Department of Defense (DOD) defines cyberspace as a global domain within the information environment (IE) consisting of the interdependent networks of information technology infrastructures and resident more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12172) on Dec. 2, 2024, by domestic security specialist Kristin Finklea: * * * The Dark Web: An Overview Many observers of the World Wide Web (web) have described it as having layers. One layer, the surface web, contains indexed content easily accessible with a traditional search engine such as Google. Another layer, the deep web, contains unindexed content that cannot be accesse more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12830) on Nov. 28, 2024, by macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock and acting section research manager Grant A. Driessen. Here are excerpts: * * * Deficits, Debt, and the Debt Limit in 2025 The Constitution empowers Congress with the authority to manage federal spending, revenues, and borrowing through its "power of the purse." Deficit outcomes represent the difference b more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12611) on Dec. 2, 2024, by Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist: * * * DOD Replicator Initiative: Background and Issues for Congress Introduction Replicator, unveiled on August 28, 2023, is a Department of Defense (DOD) initiative, led by DOD's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), to field thousands of uncrewed systems by August 2025. Replicator's firs more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11861) on Nov. 29, 2024, by acting section research manager Ashley J. Lawson. Here are excerpts: * * * DOE's Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Removal Programs Federally funded research and development (R&D) on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon removal is supported primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This In Focus summarizes recent authorization more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12829) on Nov. 27, 2024, by domestic security specialist Kristin Finklea: * * * The Evolving Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime Over the past several decades, criminal networks have adapted and evolved, posing challenges for federal law enforcement. Transnational organized crime (TOC) is not a singular crime, but is instead a range of illicit activities committed by more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12843) on Dec. 5, 2024, by aviation policy specialist Bart Elias: * * * Federal Aviation Administration Oversight of Boeing Commercial air travel is one of the safest forms of transportation, and fatal crashes are extremely rare. Between 2013 and 2022, U.S. air carriers flew more than 175 million cumulative flight hours and experienced six fatal crashes resulting in 15 total fat more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12200) on Dec. 2, 2024. The white paper is written by emergency management and disaster recovery specialist Erica A. Lee, research assistant Daniela E. Lacalle and acting section research manager William L. Painter. Here are excerpts: * * * FEMA: Increased Demand and Capacity Strains Introduction Disasters in the United States have become more frequent, severe, and expensive i more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12831) on Nov. 29, 2024, by Foreign Affairs Here are excerpts: * * * Fiji: Background and Issues Facing Congress Successive U.S. presidential administrations and some Members of Congress have identified U.S. national security interests in the Pacific Islands, including maintaining free and open waterways, supporting U.S. diplomatic engagement with Pacific Island Countries (PICs) more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11799) on Dec. 3, 2024, by legislative attorney Kelsey Y. Santamaria: * * * Child Migrants at the Border: The Flores Settlement Agreement and Other Legal Developments A specific body of law - a 1997 settlement agreement, federal statutes, and regulations enacted that partially implement that agreement - governs the care and custody of alien minors who seek to enter and be admitte more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12618) on Nov. 30, 2024, by agricultural policy analyst Eleni G. Bickel. Here are excerpts: * * * Gene-Edited Plants: Regulation and Issues for Congress Plant biotechnology, which includes gene editing and genetic engineering, allows a more precise and efficient method for developing desirable traits in crops compared to conventional breeding, which relies on natural genetic va more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12837) on Dec. 3, 2024, by agricultural policy analysts Joel L. Greene and Lia Biondo. Here are excerpts: * * * H5N1 HPAI Continues to Spread in Dairy Herds The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed a strain (H5N1) of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (HPAI) in dai more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12438) on Dec. 5, 2024, by South Asian affairs specialist K. Alan Kronstadt: * * * India-U.S.: Major Arms Transfers and Military Exercises Since 2008, defense trade has emerged as a central facet of the U.S.-India security partnership, and bilateral military exercises across all services are now routine. The U.S. Congress designated India a "Major Defense Partner" in 2016, conveyi more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12470) on Nov. 27, 2024, by Michael E. DeVine, intelligence and national security analyst: * * * The Intelligence Community's Foreign Malign Influence Center FMIC Background General concern over the potential for foreign efforts to manipulate U.S. public opinion and interfere in U.S. elections has grown with the recognition that foreign malign actors are able to employ sophisti more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12565) on Nov. 29, 2024, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist: * * * Defense Primer: What Is Irregular Warfare? Introduction U.S. military doctrine distinguishes between two types of warfare: traditional warfare and irregular warfare. In Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Publication (JP) 1 Joint Warfighting, conventional more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10236) on Dec. 2, 2024, by Asian affairs specialists Ben Dolven and Thomas Lum. Here are excerpts: * * * Laos The Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR or Laos) is one of Asia's poorest nations, and an authoritarian state, led by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). Political participation is heavily limited. The LPRP selected all candidates in the most recent National  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10215) on Dec. 4, 2024, by Clare Ribando Seelke, Latin American affairs specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Mexico's Migration Control Efforts Background In FY2022 and FY2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported record numbers of migrant encounters on the Southwest border, raising congressional concerns. In June 2024, a new U.S. policy limiting access to asylum,  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10684) on Dec. 3, 2024, by military manpower specialist Kristy N. Kamarck and research librarian Carly A. Miller. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Military Enlisted Personnel Grade and Rank The Armed Forces are hierarchical organizations with clearly defined levels of authority. These different levels are called grades, while rank refers to the order of precedence among  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11643) on Dec. 3, 2024, by Rachel Lindbergh, science and technology policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Artemis: NASA's Program to Return Humans to the Moon Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed 12 American men on the Moon and returned them safely to Earth (see Figure 1). Since then, no human has been f more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11643) on Dec. 5, 2024, by Rachel Lindbergh, science and technology policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Artemis: NASA's Program to Return Humans to the Moon Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed 12 American men on the Moon and returned them safely to Earth (see Figure 1). Since then, no human has been f more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10771) on Nov. 29, 2024, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist: * * * Defense Primer: Operations in the Information Environment Information as a Joint Function In 2017, Joint Publication (JP) 1 Doctrine of the Armed Forces of the United States was updated to establish information as the seventh joint function of the mili more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12563) on Dec. 4, 2024, by acting section research manager Emily G. Blevins and legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey: * * * Patent-Eligible Subject Matter Reform: An Overview The U.S. patent system is designed to encourage innovation. The types of inventions that can be patented, however, may affect the patent system's ability to promote innovation in certain fields, especially  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12833) on Dec. 2, 2024, by Diane P. Horn, flood insurance and emergency management specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Post-Disaster and Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Assistance With the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters, policymakers often view mitigation funding as a way to control disaster-related spending. The impacts of natural hazards are expected t more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12836) on Dec. 3, 2024, by Michelle D. Christensen, government organization and management analyst: * * * Presidential Transitions: Security Clearance Background Investigations The security clearance process is designed to determine the trustworthiness of an individual prior to granting him or her access to classified national security information. Only federal entities may issue more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12582) on Dec. 3, 2024, by science and technology policy analyst Emily G. Blevins and legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey: * * * Pricing and March-In Rights Under the Bayh-Dole Act To promote the utilization of inventions arising from federally supported research and development (R&D), Congress enacted the Patent and Trademark Act Amendments of 1980 (P.L. 96-517, as amended; co more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11255) on Dec. 4, 2024, by acting section research manager Emily G. Blevins and science and technology policy analyst Marcy E. Gallo: * * * Research Security Policies: An Overview The international scientific community generally views the free and open exchange of information as vital to the process of scientific inquiry, including the vetting of ideas and the verification of res more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12835) on Dec. 2, 2024, by natural resources policy specialists Anthony R. Marshak and Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * The Rice's Whale: Conservation Efforts, Implications for Ocean Sectors, and Considerations for Congress The Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei; Figure 1) is a recently described species of baleen whale (i.e., whales that contain baleen plates in their mou more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12838) on Dec. 3, 2024, by economics specialist Mark P. Keightley. Here are excerpts: * * * Selected Issues in Tax Policy: Section 199A Deduction for Pass-Through Business Income The 2017 tax revision (P.L. 115-97, also known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act or TCJA) created a temporary tax deduction for pass-through businesses under Section 199A of the federal tax code. The deduct more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12841) on Dec. 3, 2024. The white paper is written by firearms policy analyst Jordan B. Cohen, legislative attorney Matthew D. Trout and presidential management fellow Jillian Long: * * * Stun Guns, TASERs and other Conducted Energy Devices: Issues for Congress Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs) are weapons that transmit electroshocks, whether via close contact or projectiles, to i more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12839) on Dec. 4, 2024, by income security specialist John J. Topoleski and research assistant Sylvia L. Bryan. Here are excerpts: * * * Types of Private Sector Defined Contribution Plans Background A pension is an employer-sponsored benefit that helps workers prepare for their financial security in retirement. The two types of employer-sponsored pension plans are those (1) th more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12200) on Dec. 2, 2024, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * The U.S. Marine Corps Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) Background On March 23, 2020, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) announced a major force design initiative planned to occur over 10 years originally referred to as "Force Design 2030," which is now known as "Force Design." As part of this initiative more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11353) on Dec. 5, 2024, by defense policy analyst Daniel M. Gettinger. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: U.S. Precision-Guided Munitions According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), a precision-guided munition (PGM) is a "guided weapon intended to destroy a point target and minimize collateral damage." In contrast to unguided munitions such as certain artillery rou more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12840) on Dec. 4, 2024, by defense policy analyst Jennifer DiMascio and Air Force fellow Robert Switzer. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: U.S. Space Command U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) is responsible for U.S. military operations in space. As a geographic combatant command (CCMD), USSPACECOM receives personnel and equipment from each of the military services to execut more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12510) on Dec. 5, 2024, by Karen M. Sutter, Asian trade and finance specialist, and Emily G. Blevins, science and technology policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement On January 31, 1979, weeks after the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) established diplomatic relations, U.S. President Jimmy C more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12082) on Dec. 6, 2024, by international trade and finance analysts Liana Wong and Kyla H. Kitamura. Here are excerpts: * * * USMCA: Automotive Rules of Origin The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA; P.L. 116-113) entered into force on July 1, 2020, replacing the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA was viewed as instrumental in creating a highly int more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11255) on Dec. 4, 2024, by foreign affairs specialist Jared G. Tupuola and Asian affairs specialist Thomas Lum. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-Papua New Guinea Relations: Issues for Congress Overview The Independent State of Papua New Guinea (PNG) lies in a region of the southwest Pacific known as Melanesia on the eastern side of the island of New Guinea. It is the most populous  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10256) on Dec. 6, 2024, by Asian trade and finance specialist Karen M. Sutter. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-Taiwan Trade and Economic Relations Taiwan is a top U.S. trade partner and a key link in global technology and manufacturing supply chains, supporting the United States, the People's Republic of China (PRC or China), and other global markets. Taiwan's economy is highly de more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11995) on Nov. 29, 2024, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist: * * * Use of Force in Cyberspace Introduction There are presently no internationally accepted criteria for determining whether a nation state cyberattack is a use of force equivalent to an armed attack, which could trigger a military response. Likewise, no in more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12468) on Dec. 3, 2024, by Lisa N. Sacco, illicit drugs and crime policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Class-Wide Scheduling of Fentanyl-Related Substances (FRS) Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has recognized medical uses in pain management; it is a Schedule II controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Fentanyl analogues, in generic use of th more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12417) on Dec. 2, 2024, by immigration policy specialists Holly Straut-Eppsteiner and Audrey Singer. Here are excerpts: * * * The Impact of the "Securing the Border" Rule on Migrant Encounters and Processing In FY2023, enforcement encounters by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Southwest border reached their highest recorded  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12465) on Dec. 3, 2024, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn: * * * Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization Activities, 2023-2024 Since its inception in 2021, the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization has focused on providing a whole-of-government re more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12466) on Dec. 2, 2024, by Asian affairs specialist Mark E. Manyin and foreign affairs analyst Daniel J. Longo. Here are excerpts: * * * Political Rebalance in Tokyo and U.S.-Japan Relations The U.S.-Japan alliance has been a centerpiece of the United States' strategy toward the Indo-Pacific region, as the two countries have grown increasingly aligned in responding to the People' more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12467) on Dec. 3, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Syria: Conflict Resurgence Two coalitions of armed groups opposed to Syrian President Bashar Al Asad (alt. Assad) made rapid and unexpected advances in late November 2024, taking Aleppo, the country's second largest city, and other parts of northwestern Syria (Figure 1) more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12467) on Dec. 5, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Syria: Conflict Resurgence Two coalitions of armed groups opposed to Syrian President Bashar Al Asad (alt. Assad) have made rapid and unexpected advances since late November 2024, taking Aleppo, the country's second largest city; other parts of northwestern Syria; and t more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11248) on Dec. 3, 2024, by legislative attorney Jared P. Cole: * * * Appellate Courts Divided Over School Employee Discrimination Lawsuits and Title IX Federal appellate courts have split over how two federal laws that bar sex discrimination in certain settings and programs relate to one another. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) bars (among other things more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. LSB10694) on Dec. 5, 2024, by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * Funding Limits on Federal Prosecutions of State-Legal Medical Marijuana Federal law generally prohibits the production, distribution, and possession of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes. In May 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposed to change the status of marijuana under t more PR