Topic: U.S. Congressional Research Service
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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Briefing
US gun industry by the numbers
As the debate over gun control rages on, the firearms industry in the United States is thriving. Here are seven key figures.
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Gas prices fact check: Six ideas in Congress, but can they work?
Soaring gas prices have also shown a consistent and significant ability to push members of Congress over the deep end. Here's the experts' take on 6 ideas floating through Congress.
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East Asia's top 5 island disputes
Many of the island territories are small, isolated from the countries’ mainlands, and sparsely populated. But strategic interests and abundant natural resources make them valuable.
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Out of options in debt ceiling talks? Nope, here are five.
How many ways are there to resolve the debt ceiling crisis? Frustration is mounting in both political parties as an Aug. 2 deadline looms to avoid default on America's debt obligations and deficit-reduction negotiations are gridlocked. Still, at least five options for handling the matter have been discussed in recent days and months. Other possible solutions may emerge, but here’s the state of play on the options to date.
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Top 5 overlooked stories of 2010
Here are five 2010 developments that probably didn't get as much attention as they should have, given their potential import to America in the years ahead.
All Content
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How would a new US ban on assault rifles work? (+video)
A new federal ban on sales of assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, likely to be proposed in the next Congress, would probably be similar to a ban that expired in 2004.
- Briefing
US gun industry by the numbers
As the debate over gun control rages on, the firearms industry in the United States is thriving. Here are seven key figures.
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West Virginia gas pipeline explosion – just a drop in the disaster bucket
The West Virginia gas pipeline explosion follows several high profile natural gas accidents and a rapid increase nationally in pipeline mileage – even as federal oversight appears to lag.
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Backchannels
Vast sums of aid continue to be stolen in AfghanistanDespite years of supposed effort to stop money laundering out of Kabul airport, billions continue to flow from the country unchecked.
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Opinion: To avoid fiscal cliff, Obama and GOP should compromise like Founding Fathers (+video)
President Obama and John Boehner express optimism that a budget deal to avoid the fiscal cliff will be reached, but gridlock threatens. Politicians would do well to remember that America was established by men who sorely disagreed. Consider the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
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Energy Voices
Gas lines? Rationing? Is it the '70s again?Back then, America's economy was over-reliant on oil. Now, its dependent on an electric grid that needs to be modernized.
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US outspends Islamabad on flood relief in Pakistan
But instead of helping repair US-Pakistan relations, the flood aid looks as if it is feeding into old patterns of distrust between the two countries.
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Backchannels
A quiet waiver for Pakistan from the Obama administrationIn September, the Obama administration waived conditions that would have halted $2 billion in aid to Pakistan on the grounds it hasn't made progress in fighting terrorism. Why? 'National security.'
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Nuclear deal? New North Korea and Iran pact raises international concern
North Korea and Iran appear to be deepening their nuclear technology relationship under a new agreement reached between the two nations that President Bush labelled part of an 'axis of evil.'
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More worries for the wealthy? Inheritance tax to jump unless Congress acts
The federal inheritance tax rate will jump to 55 percent in 2013 unless Congress acts. Republicans and Democrats disagree on the best plan. But a stalemate will result in higher inheritance taxes than either party wants.
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Sub fire could have ripple effects for Navy fleet
The Navy is evaluating whether it's worth spending millions of dollars to repair the USS Miami, the nuclear-powered submarine damaged in a fire in a Maine shipyard. If the submarine is scrapped, the fleet could feel the effects for years.
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Decoder Wire
Obama honors Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Who's eligible? (+video)Answer: Anybody who's accomplished anything the president of the United States likes. Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom to Bob Dylan, John Glenn, and 11 other recipients Tuesday.
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Decoder Wire
Boehner says Obama misuses Air Force One for political trips. Is he right?Using taxpayer dollars to fly to battleground states to make political points is 'pathetic,' Boehner says. But presidents running for reelection are often accused of using perks of office to unfair advantage – and guidelines are not clear.
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Judge strikes down 'suspicionless' drug testing of Florida state workers
A federal judge's ruling strikes down Florida's first-in-the-nation drug testing law – and could give pause to other states considering suspicionless drug testing of state workers or others receiving state funds.
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As US and Vietnam get closer, human rights concerns grow
Ties between the US and Vietnam are good, but Vietnam's human rights record has activists asking if Washington is pushing Hanoi enough on political, economic, and free speech reforms.
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Decoder Wire
Ted Nugent meets Secret Service: Was he singled out?Ted Nugent said he met with two 'fine, professional' agents, and the Secret Service called the issue of his remarks about Obama 'resolved.' The meeting, it appears, was nothing out of the ordinary.
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Secret Service scandal sheds light on sex tourism in Latin America
Large events like the Summit of the Americas and upcoming Olympic games in Brazil can drive up the demand for prostitution and sex trafficking.
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Secret Service Colombia scandal: Agents working too hard, or not hard enough?
Twelve US Secret Service agents were sent back to the US from Cartagena, Colombia, after allegedly drinking heavily and consorting with prostitutes. Is the long-veiled agency struggling with an increasingly complex mission?
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On eve of Iran nuclear talks, sanctions bite
Iran is struggling with the financial and economic sanctions imposed by the West in efforts to convince the regime to restrict its nuclear program. More sanctions are in the works.
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What the 'Buffett rule' reveals about Obama tax reform plans
President Obama is pushing Tuesday for the so-called Buffett rule – a proposal to ensure that millionaires pay a higher rate on federal income taxes than the middle class. He and Democrats see it as a guarantee that the rich will pay more, even if Congress again extends the Bush tax cuts.
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Economist Mom
Why broadening the tax base is so difficultIncreasing revenue from taxes will be difficult if the government can't touch a few common tax expenditures. But there are a few things that qualify for tax breaks that we can do without
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Drug testing: Florida aims to be first to test public workers
New Florida drug-testing law allows agency heads to randomly test public workers for illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and alcohol. But it exempts the governor and state legislators.
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Gas prices fact check: Six ideas in Congress, but can they work?
Soaring gas prices have also shown a consistent and significant ability to push members of Congress over the deep end. Here's the experts' take on 6 ideas floating through Congress.
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Decoder Wire
How to get House and Senate bills to match up on payroll tax cut?A conference committee on the payroll tax cut meets Wednesday to try to resolve differences between House and Senate bills. It's the old-fashioned way of coming to agreement, used for barely half the bills in the last Congress.
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Backchannels
Are the assassinations of Iranian scientists an act of terrorism?Iran has many capable engineers, and none of the victims appear to have had indispensable knowledge. But spreading fear among the living can slow them down and deter young recruits.
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