WASHINGTON, July 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49019) on July 2, 2026, entitled "Democracy and Human Rights Promotion in the Trump Administration's Foreign Policy: In Brief" by foreign affairs specialist Michael A. Weber: * * * Contents Background ... 1 Change in Prioritization of Democracy and Human Rights Promotion Abroad ... 2 Emphasis on Ideological and Political Priorities ... 6 Congressional Response ... 9 Options for Congress ... 10 Contacts Author Information ... 12 * * *  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 4 -- The Federal Election Commission issued the following weekly digest: * * * Commission meetings and hearings No open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week. * * * Litigation Llop v. FEC (Case No. 26-51) On June 17, Plaintiff filed an Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Dismiss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. National Republican Senatorial Committee, et al. v. FEC, et al. (Case No. 24-621) On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an Opinion that held that the coordinated party more PR

MADISON, Wisconsin, July 1 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * FFRF rejects Alabama AG's demand to withdraw Auburn letter The Freedom From Religion Foundation is rejecting Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall's demand that it withdraw a letter raising constitutional concerns about religious practices within Auburn University's baseball program. FFRF's letter raises serious constitutional questions about reports that Auburn's baseball coaches lead team prayers and placed the cross and "Jesus" o more PR

WASHINGTON, July 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11445) on July 2, 2026, by legislative attorney Dorothy C. Kafka: * * * Food Additives and GRAS Substances: A Legal Framework Over the past few decades, the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) regulation of food additives has provoked debate. In general, food additives, which include substances such as spices, emulsifiers, and preservatives, are added to foods to improve taste, texture, shelf life, or for other reasons more PR

WASHINGTON, July 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49020) entitled "Marriage Penalties and Bonuses in the Federal Tax Code:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * Policy Reform Options This section discusses policy reforms that would reduce or eliminate marriage tax penalties. Options that would create both marriage neutrality and marriage bonuses are included. The section discusses only reforms to the income tax code and does not discuss other types of taxes, such as sales taxes or excise taxe more PR

WASHINGTON, July 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11446) on July 2, 2026, by legislative attorney Hillel R. Smith: * * * Mullin v. Doe: Supreme Court Allows Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and Syria On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court in Mullin v. Doe held that Congress statutorily barred judicial review of all non-constitutional claims related to a decision by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to terminate a country's Tempora more PR

WASHINGTON, July 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11447) on July 2, 2026, by legislative attorney Justin C. Chung: * * * Recent Litigation Highlights Debate About IRS Enforcement of Prohibition on Political Campaign Activity Against Churches Congress has granted federal income-tax exemptions to groups defined as religious, educational, or public-interest organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, but restricts those groups (known as "Section 501( more PR

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Stand Up America, an organization was born in 2016 as a digital-first grassroots community working to resist what they say is Donald Trump's corruption, racism and his threats to democracy, issued the following news release: * * * AS SUPREME COURT TERM COMES TO AN END, 30+ SOUTHERN ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSE SCOTUS REFORM, CALL FOR NATIONWIDE GERRYMANDERING BAN IN RESPONSE TO CALLAIS LOUISIANA --As the Supreme Court concludes its term, 30+ organizations that work primarily in the South, including Black Voters Matter, Fair Fi more PR

WASHINGTON, July 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11448) on July 2, 2026. The white paper is written by legislative attorneys Benjamin M. Barczewski and Todd Garvey and supervisory attorney Jonathan M. Gaffney: * * * Trump v. Slaughter and the Future of For-Cause Removal Protections In a 6-3 decision on June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court held that statutory provisions that allow the President to remove Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioners only "for cause" violate  more PR