The theory and practice of no-fly zones, including questions of their legal authorization and financial cost, are reviewed in a newly reissued report from the Congressional Research Service. The report does not reference the current conflict in Syria. See No-Fly Zones: Strategic, Operational, and Legal Considerations for Congress, May 3, 2013.
Some of the other most recent CRS products (all of which are updates today) are these:
Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2013, May 3, 2013
Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions, May 3, 2013
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): An Overview, May 3, 2013
Child Support Enforcement Program Incentive Payments: Background and Policy Issues, May 2, 2013
Energy and Water Development: FY2013 Appropriations, April 25, 2013
Nuclear Energy: Overview of Congressional Issues, April 29, 2013
No one will be surprised if we end up with a continuing resolution to push our shutdown deadline out past the midterms, so the real question is what else will they get done this summer?
Rebuilding public participation starts with something simple — treating the public not as a problem to manage, but as a source of ingenuity government cannot function without.
If the government wants a system of learning and adaptation that improves results in real time, it has to treat translation, utilization, and adaptation as core functions of governance rather than as afterthoughts.
Coordination among federal science agencies is essential to ensure government-wide alignment on R&D investment priorities. However, the federal R&D enterprise suffers from egregious siloization.