Legal Issues in Closing Guantanamo, and More from CRS
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that CRS is not authorized to release to the public include the following.
Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues, May 30, 2013
“This report provides an overview of major legal issues likely to arise as a result of executive and legislative action to close the Guantanamo detention facility. It discusses legal issues related to the transfer of Guantanamo detainees (either to a foreign country or into the United States), the continued detention of such persons in the United States, and the possible removal of persons brought into the country. It also discusses selected constitutional issues that may arise in the criminal prosecution of detainees, emphasizing the procedural and substantive protections that are utilized in different forums (i.e., federal courts, court-martial proceedings, and military commissions).”
Bangladesh Apparel Factory Collapse: Background in Brief, May 23, 2013
“The April 24, 2013, collapse of an eight-story garment factory, called Rana Plaza, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 workers. It is reportedly now considered the deadliest accident in the history of the apparel industry…. This report provides an overview of the recent tragedy in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh economic environment and culture. It also notes the responses to the tragedy, to date, from Congress, the Administration, the ILO [International Labor Organization], the Bangladesh government, and the private sector. Finally, it raises some possible issues for Congress.”
Who Regulates Whom and How? An Overview of U.S. Financial Regulatory Policy for Banking and Securities Markets, May 28, 2013
“This report provides an overview of the regulatory policies of the agencies that oversee banking and securities markets and explains which agencies are responsible for which institutions, activities, and markets. Some agencies regulate particular types of institutions for risky behavior or conflicts of interest, some agencies promulgate rules for certain financial transactions no matter what kind of institution engages in them, and other agencies enforce existing rules for some institutions, but not for others. These regulatory activities are not necessarily mutually exclusive.”
Airline Passenger Rights: The Federal Role in Aviation Consumer Protection, May 20, 2013
“The deregulation of the airline industry in the United States in 1978 eliminated most governmental control over most business practices of airlines. However, the federal government continues to regulate certain practices for the protection of the airlines’ customers, in addition to its long-standing role in overseeing air safety…. This report examines aviation consumer protections in the post-deregulation era. It explains the roles of Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in protecting airline consumers, and discusses some major passenger rights issues and related laws and regulations.”
International Food Aid Programs: Background and Issues, May 20, 2013
“For almost six decades, the United States has played a leading role in global efforts to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and to enhance world food security through the sale on concessional terms or donation of U.S. agricultural commodities. The objectives for foreign food aid include providing emergency and humanitarian assistance in response to natural or manmade disasters, and promoting agricultural development and food security. In its FY2014 budget submission to Congress, the Administration proposes major changes in the funding and structure of both emergency and development food aid programs (Food for Peace Title II)…. The Administration’s proposals will be fiercely debated as Congress takes up the President’s budget request.”
Chile: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations, May 28, 2013
Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Economic and Social Indicators, May 30, 2013
The 2013 Farm Bill: A Comparison of the Senate Agriculture Committee-Reported Bill (S. 954) with Current Law, May 30, 2013
Military Parents and Child Custody: State and Federal Issues, May 31, 2013
The Federal Minimum Wage: In Brief, May 30, 2013
Congressional Gold Medals, 1776-2012, May 30, 2013
Syria’s Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress, May 31, 2013
The FAS Nuclear Notebook is one of the most widely sourced reference materials worldwide for reliable information about the status of nuclear weapons, and has been published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists since 1987.. The Nuclear Notebook is researched and written by the staff of the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project: Director Hans […]
On 14 April 2023, the Belarusian Ministry of Defence released a short video of a Su-25 pilot explaining his new role in delivering “special [nuclear] munitions” following his training in Russia. The features seen in the video, as well as several other open-source clues, suggest that Lida Air Base––located only 40 kilometers from the Lithuanian border and the […]
A photo in a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) student briefing from 2022 shows four people inspecting what appears to be a damaged B61 nuclear bomb.
In early-February 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) had informed Congress that China now has more launchers for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) than the United States. The report is the latest in a serious of revelations over the past four years about China’s growing nuclear weapons arsenal and the deepening […]