Judicial Vacancies Rose Under Obama, & More from CRS
The number of district court vacancies during the Obama presidency grew from 41 vacancies in January 2009 to 75 vacancies in September 2016 — an unusual 83% increase, according to a new assessment from the Congressional Research Service.
By contrast, the number of vacancies decreased over the course of the George W. Bush Administration from 58 to 32 (a 45% decrease) and over the course of the Clinton Administration from 93 to 42 (a 55% decrease).
See U.S. District Court Vacancies: Overview and Comparative Analysis, CRS Insight, September 14, 2016
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
U.S. Circuit Court Vacancies: Overview and Comparative Analysis, CRS Insight, September 14, 2016
How a National Infrastructure Bank Might Work, CRS Insight, September 15, 2016
International Food Aid Programs: Background and Issues, updated September 14, 2016
FDA Regulation of Medical Devices, updated September 14, 2016
Prospects in Colombia: Cease-Fire, Peace Accord Vote, and Potential Disrupters, CRS Insight, September 14, 2016
Nicaragua: In Brief, September 14, 2016
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress, updated September 14, 2016
There is no question this is a Big Deal. If you are a university or research lab, or aspire to work in one, or are simply an enthusiast of federally-funded research, what’s next will matter.
The emerging federal metascience community is asking fascinating questions that are equally vital for democratic legitimacy: beyond “did this program work” to “how does the federal R&D enterprise itself work, and how could it work better?”
If you’re new to the climate intervention space, welcome! The TL;DR: if we can’t stop the most catastrophic impacts of climate change with current tools quickly enough, then we need a bigger toolbox.
After months of delay, the council tasked by President Trump to review the FEMA released its final report. Our disaster policy nerds have thoughts.