WASHINGTON, April 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12766) on April 7, 2026, by telecommunications policy specialist Jill C. Gallagher: * * * 4.9 GHz Public Safety Band: Competing Views on Use During the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, public safety agencies could not communicate effectively with one another, partly because high call volumes exceeded the capacity of local public safety radio systems. The 9/11 Commission more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12561) on April 8, 2026, by senior research librarian Shannon S. Loane: * * * Connecting Constituents with Federal Assistance for the Arts and Humanities The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is the primary vehicle for federal support for the arts and the humanities. Established in 1965, the foundation currently consists of three agencies: the Institute of Muse more PR

WASHINGTON, April 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13197) on April 7, 2026, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist and Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist: * * * Cyber and Artificial Intelligence Provisions in the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026 NDAA; P.L. more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12609) on April 9, 2026, by Diane P. Horn, flood insurance and emergency management specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC): Recent Developments This Insight provides a brief summary of developments related to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program in 2025 and 2026. BRIC funding wa more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11631) on April 8, 2026, by financial economics analyst Karl E. Schneider. Here are excerpts: * * * Financial Inclusion: Access to Bank Accounts Most U.S. consumers choose to open a bank account, such as a checking or savings account, because it is considered a safe and secure way to store money, particularly as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures up to $2 more PR

WASHINGTON, April 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11583) on April 6, 2026, by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr: * * * Iran's Nuclear Program and UN Sanctions Reimposition UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015), which the council adopted on July 20, 2015, implements the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and contains other provisions concerning Iran's nuclear program, Tehran's development of missiles, and ar more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12539) on April 8, 2026, by Congress and legislative process analyst Christopher M. Davis: * * * Resolutions of Inquiry in the House A resolution of inquiry is a simple House resolution (H.Res.) making a direct request or demand of the President and/or the head of an executive department to provide to the House specific factual information in the Administration's possession. Un more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12389) on April 8, 2026. The white paper is written by African affairs specialists Alexis Arieff and Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard and Russian and European affairs analyst Andrew S. Bowen. Here are excerpts: * * * Russia's Security Operations in Africa Thousands of Russian security personnel have deployed to Africa over the more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12862) on April 8, 2026, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie: * * * The Section 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA; P.L. 117-169) enacted or modified 20 energy-related tax credits. These credits subsidize clean energy production and increased energy efficiency, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ther more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46961) on April 8, 2026, entitled "Social Security Coverage of State and Local Government Employees" by social policy analyst Zhe Li. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Social Security is the single largest federal program in terms of the number of beneficiaries as well as budget. It pays cash benefits to over 70 million beneficiaries each month, and total benefit payments are more than $136  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46961) on April 8, 2026, entitled "Social Security Coverage of State and Local Government Employees:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Issues Surrounding Mandatory Coverage Proposals to mandate Social Security coverage for newly hired state and local government employees have been part of the Social Security policy debate for years. Such proposals draw strong support and opposition from  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10165) on April 6, 2026. The white paper is written by Asian affairs specialist Mark E. Manyin, foreign affairs analyst Daniel J. Longo and international trade and finance analyst Liana Wong. Here are excerpts: * * * South Korea: Background and U.S. Relations Overview South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States' most important strategic more PR

WASHINGTON, April 8 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11416) on April 7, 2026, by legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey: * * * Supreme Court Limits Secondary Copyright Liability for Internet Service Providers On March 25, 2026, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment (Cox), which limited the liability of internet service providers (ISPs) for the copyright infringements of their  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12603) on April 7, 2026, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie. Here are excerpts: * * * Tax Credit Exception for Leased Electric Vehicles The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA; P.L. 117-169) created or modified three tax credits for purchases of electric vehicles (EVs): the clean vehicle credit (CVC), the used clean vehicle credit (UCVC), and the credit for qualified commer more PR

WASHINGTON, April 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13092) on April 6, 2026, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Army's Infantry Squad Vehicle The Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) The ISV (Figure 1) is a lightweight, unarmored ground transport vehicle developed by GM Defense (headquartered in Detroit, MI) intended to enhance the mobility of Army Mobile B more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11991) on April 7, 2026, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW): Dark Eagle What Is the Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon? The Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) - also known as Dark Eagle (Figure 1) - with a reported range of 1,725 miles, consist more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12678) on April 9, 2026. The white paper is written by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Clayton Thomas, Jim Zanotti and Christopher M. Blanchard: * * * U.S.-Iran Ceasefire: Assessment, Reactions, and Issues for Congress On April 7, 2026, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, which may bring a temporary halt to 40 days of conflict. Attacks on and by Iran  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN10979) on April 9, 2026, by Kelsi Bracmort, natural resources and energy policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Year-Round Sale of E15 E15 - a fuel blend of up to 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline - generally cannot be sold during the summer driving season (June 1-September 15) because it does not meet gasoline Reid vapor pressure (RVP) requirements, which limit fuel volatilit more PR