WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12094) by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Robert Holcombe. Here are excerpts: * * * The Army's XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle Background The Army's XM-30, previously known as the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), is being designed to replace the M-2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (see Figure 1 for an XM-30 conceptual example). Optionally manned means the OMFV is to have more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12746) on Oct. 14, 2026, by energy policy specialist Ashley J. Lawson: * * * The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Backstop Siting Authority The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA; S. 5653) was introduced on September 30, 2026. The bill would address numerous aspects of energy infrastructure permitting, including by amending the condi more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11096) on Oct. 14, 2026, by government and organization and management specialist Maeve P. Carey legislative attorney Valerie C. Brannon. Here are excerpts: * * * The Congressional Review Act: Defining a "Rule" and Overturning a Rule an Agency Did Not Submit to Congress The Congressional Review Act (CRA, 5 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.801-808) provides Congress with a mechanism to review federal agency actions that meet the CRA's definitio more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 94-834) on Oct. 14, 2026, entitled "Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Federal Civil Service Annuities" by income security specialist Katelin P. Isaacs. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) are based on the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). CO more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12748) by transportation policy specialist William J. Mallett. Here are excerpts: * * * Department of Transportation's "Family Friendly" Policy and Public Transit Project Funding On October 1, 2026, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published for comment revised policy guidance for the Capital Investment Grants Program (CIG). In the Federal Register notice, FTA stated "the proposed revisions are intended to streamline t more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10767) by agricultural policy specialist Jim Monke. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Credit Administration and Its Board Members Overview Congress oversees the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), which is the federal financial regulator responsible for ensuring the safety and soundness of Farm Credit System (FCS) institutions and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac). FCA is directed by a three-member board o more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13217) on Oct. 14, 2026, by science and technology policy analyst Laurie Harris and industrial organization and business policy specialist Clare Y. Cho: * * * Federal Government and Anthropic: Considerations for AI Innovation and Competition On February 27, 2026, President Trump directed federal agencies to stop using technology from U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic, and Secretary of Defense Hegseth announce more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12747) on Oct. 14, 2026, by immigration policy analyst Jill H. Wilson and labor policy analyst Elizabeth Weber Handwerker. Here are excerpts: * * * H-1B Executive Actions in 2026 The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire temporary foreign workers for specialty occupation positions (i.e., positions that require specialized knowledge and a college degree). To date in 2026 the Trump Administration has announced several polic more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12745). The white paper is written by emergency management and disaster recovery specialists Erica A. Lee and Elizabeth M. Webster, flood insurance and emergency management specialist Diane P. Horn, American national government specialist Bruce R. Lindsay, homeland security and appropriations specialist William L. Painter and section research manager Lauren R. Stienstra: * * * Hurricane Isaias: Brief Overview of FEMA Programs,  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12106) by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr: * * * Iran and Nuclear Weapons Production Since the early 2000s, Tehran's construction of gas centrifuge uranium enrichment facilities has generated widespread concern in Congress that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons. According to past U.S. intelligence assessments, Tehran had the capacity to produce nuclear weapons at some point but had halted its nuclear weapons program  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11583) by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr: Here are excerpts: * * * Iran's Nuclear Program and 2025 UN Sanctions Reimposition On July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231 (2015) to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and other provisions concerning Iran's nuclear program, Tehran's development of missiles, and arms transfers to and from Iran. In August 2020, the United States  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12408) by labor policy analyst Elizabeth Weber Handwerker. Here are excerpts: * * * New Adverse Effect Wage Rate Methodology for Temporary Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in the United States Introduction The H-2A visa program allows for the temporary admission of foreign workers to the United States to perform agricultural labor or services of a seasonal or temporary nature. (See CRS Report R44849, H-2A and H-2B Temporary  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10472) by nonproliferation specialist Mary Beth D. Nikitin and defense policy analyst Daniel M. Gettinger: * * * North Korea's Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs Overview Over the past decade, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) has advanced its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, which has raised the threat Pyongyang poses to the United States, U.S. allies in East Asia, and U.S. int more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11096) on Oct. 14, 2026, by government and organization and management specialist Maeve P. Carey legislative attorney Valerie C. Brannon. Here are excerpts: * * * The Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation The federal government divided up tribal lands in the Southwest during the 19th and 20th centuries, triggering long-standing land disputes between the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe (both federally recognized Tribes) more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11489) on Oct. 14, 2026, by legislative attorney Jay B. Sykes: * * * SEC Proposes Rescission of the Shareholder Proposal Rule On September 16, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a proposal to rescind Rule 14a-8, which requires companies subject to the SEC's proxy rules to include qualifying shareholder proposals in their proxy materials. The SEC also proposed amendments to its proxy rules that woul more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13329) by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * When a Case Can Be Filed: Statutes of Limitations and Statutes of Repose Many federal laws are subject to time limits known as statutes of limitations or statutes of repose, which generally bar enforcement of the law after a certain amount of time has passed. Congress can set or modify statutes of limitations and repose via legislation, subject to some constitutional limits more PR