The broad spectrum of policies relating to gun control is surveyed in a sadly timely, updated report from the Congressional Research Service, which also provides statistics on the prevalence and use of firearms in the United States. See Gun Control Legislation, November 14, 2012.
Other new and updated CRS reports that Congress has not made available to the public include the following.
Judicial Activity Concerning Enemy Combatant Detainees: Major Court Rulings, December 11, 2012
Women in Combat: Issues for Congress, December 13, 2012
Intelligence Identities Protection Act, December 13, 2012
Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress, December 10, 2012
Outside Employment, “Moonlighting,” by Federal Executive Branch Employees, December 12, 2012
Follow-On Biologics: The Law and Intellectual Property Issues, December 6, 2012
Nuclear Energy: Overview of Congressional Issues, December 11, 2012
Fatherhood Initiatives: Connecting Fathers to Their Children, December 7, 2012
Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation, December 11, 2012
Bee Health: The Role of Pesticides, December 11, 2012
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades as the base prepares for the ability to store U.S. nuclear weapons.
It will take consistent leadership and action to navigate the complex dangers in the region and to avoid what many analysts considered to be an increasingly possible outcome, a nuclear conflict in East Asia.
Getting into a shutdown is the easy part, getting out is much harder. Both sides will be looking to pin responsibility on each other, and the court of public opinion will have a major role to play as to who has the most leverage for getting us out.
How the United States responds to China’s nuclear buildup will shape the global nuclear balance for the rest of the century.