North Korean Nukes, Domestic Drones, and More from CRS
An updated summary of open source reporting on the North Korean nuclear weapons program was produced this week by the Congressional Research Service. See North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues, April 3, 2013
Other new or newly updated CRS reports include the following.
Integration of Drones into Domestic Airspace: Selected Legal Issues, April 4, 2013
Drones in Domestic Surveillance Operations: Fourth Amendment Implications and Legislative Responses, April 3, 2013
Super PACs in Federal Elections: Overview and Issues for Congress, April 4, 2013
“Amazon” Laws and Taxation of Internet Sales: Constitutional Analysis, April 3, 2013
FutureGen: A Brief History and Issues for Congress, April 3, 2013
Congressional Redistricting and the Voting Rights Act: A Legal Overview, April 2, 2013
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, April 2, 2013
The Recess Appointment Power After Noel Canning v. NLRB: Constitutional Implications, March 27, 2013
Overview of Health Care Changes in the FY2014 Budget Proposal Offered by House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan, March 22, 2013
Cuba: U.S. Policy and Issues for the 113th Congress, March 29, 2013
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.