WASHINGTON, July 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13022) by Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)/Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC) Between 2018 and 2025, the U.S. Army developed several versions of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) as part of an effort to improve the combat effectiveness and training of soldiers. IVAS includes a "ruggedized" (i.e.,  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12715) by labor policy specialist Benjamin Collins: * * * Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Workforce Development Programs at the Department of Labor Congress has authorized a group of workforce development programs administered by the Department of Labor (DOL). These programs support activities like job training and career services that aim to improve participants' employment outcomes. Congress has expressed interest in the pot more PR

WASHINGTON, July 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12716) by international trade and finance analyst Kyla H. Kitamura: * * * Canada's Online Streaming Act: Background and Issues for Congress In April 2023, Canada enacted the Online Streaming Act, amending Canada's Broadcasting Act to allow the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to regulate entities that broadcast video or music through social media (e.g., Meta's Facebook) or online streaming serv more PR

WASHINGTON, July 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11719) by Asian affairs analyst Caitlin Campbell: * * * China Primer: The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Overview The People's Liberation Army (PLA) serves the Communist Party of China. Established in 1927, it carried that party to victory in the country's civil war, which concluded with the 1949 founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China). Since 1978, PRC leaders have sought to transform the PLA from an infant more PR

WASHINGTON, July 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report entitled "Estimates of the Cost of Federal Credit Programs in 2027." Here are excerpts: * * * The federal government supports some private activities by offering credit assistance to individuals and businesses. That assistance is provided through direct loans and guarantees of loans made by private financial institutions. In this report, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the lifetime costs of new loans and loan guarantees that are projected t more PR

WASHINGTON, July 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48624) on July 15, 2026, entitled "Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: FY2026 Budget and Appropriations" by foreign assistance and foreign policy specialist Emily M. McCabe and foreign affairs analyst Cory R. Gill. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Congress typically considers 12 distinct appropriations measures on an annual basis to fund federal programs and activities. Since FY2008, one of these measures has been  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48624) on July 15, 2026, entitled "Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs - FY2026 Budget and Appropriations:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Foreign Operations Funding Title II: U.S. Agency for International Development Title II traditionally has provided funding for USAID's administrative accounts, including the Operating Expenses (OE), Capital Investment Fund, and Office of Inspector General (OIG) accounts./19 more PR

WASHINGTON, July 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11459) by legislative attorney Milan N. Ball: * * * Fifth and Sixth Circuits Divided on Whether the Necessary and Proper Clause Authorizes Federal Ban on At-Home Spirit Distilling For more than 150 years, federal law has banned individuals from distilling spirits at home. Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Sec.Sec. 5601(a)(6) and 5178(a)(1)(B) prohibit individuals from producing spirits at home for personal consumption by restr more PR

WASHINGTON, July 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10576) by foreign affairs specialist Michael A. Weber: * * * Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Sanctions: The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Global Magnitsky Act; Title XII, Subtitle F of P.L. 114-328, as amended; 22 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.10101 et seq.) authorizes the President to impose economic sanctions and deny entry into the United States to foreign persons i more PR

WASHINGTON, July 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11617) by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Clayton Thomas and Jim Zanotti. Here are excerpts: * * * Lebanon Renewed war between Israel and the Iran-backed Shia Islamist group Lebanese Hezbollah (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, or FTO) in 2026 has significantly impacted Lebanon's society and its U.S.-supported government. While Hezbollah has suffered major losses in armed clashes with Israel since 2023, it  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. LSB11460) by legislative attorney Christopher T. Zirpoli: * * * Legal Authority for Section 301 Tariffs to Address Forced Labor and Excess Manufacturing Capacity Title III of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. Sec. 2411-2420, collectively referred to as "Section 301") authorizes the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to impose tariffs on U.S. imports in response to conduct by foreign countries that burdens or restricts U.S. commerce more PR

WASHINGTON, July 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11556) by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Libya and U.S. Policy Fifteen years after a 2011 uprising and U.S.-backed military intervention that toppled longtime authoritarian leader Muammar al Qadhafi, Libya has yet to make a transition to stable governing arrangements. Elections and diplomacy have produced a series of interim governments, but militias, local leaders, and su more PR

WASHINGTON, July 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS21282) on July 16, 2026, entitled "Military Service Records, Awards and Unit Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources" by research librarian Travis A. Ferrell. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary This guide provides information on locating military unit histories and individual service records of discharged, retired, and deceased military personnel. It also provides information on locating and replacing military awards and medals. Included is c more PR

WASHINGTON, July 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11879) by section research manager Lauren R. Stienstra. * * * National Level Exercises: History, Authorities, and Congressional Considerations Every two years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducts a National Level Exercise (NLE) to evaluate the nation's progress toward preparedness for catastrophic events. These exercises have multiple components, and culminate in a large, full-scale exercise with thousands  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48641) on July 16, 2026, entitled "Proposals to Limit Member of Congress Financial Activities: Analysis of Introduced Legislation in the 119th Congress" by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In recent years, some Members of Congress have proposed reforms that would prohibit the purchase, sale, ownership, or holding of certain financial instruments by Members of Congress and other specified congressional of more PR

WASHINGTON, July 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13257) by natural resources policy specialist Caitlin Keating-Bitonti. Here are excerpts: * * * The Role of U.S. In Situ Ocean Observation Networks: A Case Study of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation A climate tipping point generally refers to a "critical threshold" in an Earth system that when crossed can cause the system to shift into a new state. Scientists contend that crossing a tipping point may result in a more PR

WASHINGTON, July 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11743) by government organization and management specialists Taylor N. Riccard and Maeve P. Carey. Here are excerpts: * * * The Senior Executive Service: An Overview The Senior Executive Service (SES) was established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA; P.L. 95-454) to provide a centralized government-wide cadre of high-level managers within federal agencies. Prior to the SES, agencies used a fragmented set of hirin more PR

WASHINGTON, July 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13272) by legislative attorney Dave S. Sidhu: * * * Standards of Proof in Federal Criminal Law The Supreme Court has recognized that governmental interference with individual liberty must be supported by sufficient justification for that interference. Generally, as the severity of governmental intrusion lessens, so too does the quantum of proof needed to support that intrusion. In the context of criminal law, for example, an i more PR

WASHINGTON, July 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11458) by legislative attorneys Madeline W. Donley and April J. Anderson: * * * Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety: Supreme Court Bars Prisoner's Religious Liberty Suit Against Prison Officials In Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, the Supreme Court ruled that individuals cannot be sued "in their private capacities" under the Religious Land Use and Institutionali more PR

WASHINGTON, July 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48447) on July 16, 2026, entitled "Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues in the 119th Congress" by income security specialists Julie M. Whittaker and Katelin P. Isaacs: * * * SUMMARY The Unemployment Insurance (UI) system is a joint federal-state partnership that consists of two types of benefits: (1) permanently authorized programs, including the Unemployment Compensation (UC) and Extended Benefit (EB) programs; and (2) temporary feder more PR

WASHINGTON, July 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48447) on July 16, 2026, entitled "Unemployment Insurance - Legislative Issues in the 119th Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Legislative Proposals in the 119th Congress This section provides summary information on legislation introduced as of July 13, 2026, in the 119th Congress that would amend UI programs and benefits. UI Integrity Proposals Program integrity issues, such as improper benefit payments, have long been of con more PR