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| Date Dec. 2, 2024 |
Report No. IF12570 |
Title
Updated December 2, 2024 Clean Vehicle Tax Credit Transfers to Car Dealers In May 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued final regulations for transfers of clean vehicle tax credits from consumers to car dealers. The regulations apply to the clean vehicle credit (CVC) and the used clean vehicle credit (UCVC), both of which were enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (P.L. 117- ...
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| Date Dec. 2, 2024 |
Report No. IN12417 |
Title
INSIGHTi The Impact of the Securing the Border Rule on Migrant Encounters and Processing Updated December 2, 2024 In FY2023, enforcement encounters by the Department of Homeland Security s (DHS s) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Southwest border reached their highest recorded annual level (2.5 million migrant encounters). In FY2024, encounters decreased to 2.1 million. The majority (1.5 ...
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| Date Dec. 2, 2024 |
Report No. IN12466 |
Title
INSIGHTi Political Rebalance in Tokyo and U.S.-Japan Relations December 2, 2024 The U.S.-Japan alliance has been a centerpiece of the United States strategy toward the Indo-Pacific region, as the two countries have grown increasingly aligned in responding to the People s Republic of China s (PRC s or China s) rising military and economic assertiveness. Upgraded U.S.-Japan cooperation has coincided ...
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| Date Dec. 2, 2024 |
Report No. IF12833 |
Title
December 2, 2024 Post-Disaster and Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Assistance With the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters, policymakers often view mitigation funding as a way to control disaster-related spending. The impacts of natural hazards are expected to increase during the useful lifetime of much existing and new U.S. property and infrastructure, placing an increasing ...
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| Date Dec. 2, 2024 |
Report No. IF10213 |
Title
Updated December 2, 2024 Sri Lanka: Background and Issues for Congress The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a constitutional democracy situated off the southeastern tip of India s Deccan Peninsula in the heart of the Indian Ocean. Located along key shipping lanes, Sri Lanka and its Port of Colombo already a significant global shipping hub have grown in strategic importance as ...
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| Date Dec. 2, 2024 |
Report No. IF10236 |
Title
Updated December 2, 2024 Laos The Lao People s Democratic Republic (LPDR or Laos) is one of Asia s poorest nations, and an authoritarian state, led by the Lao People s Revolutionary Party (LPRP). Political participation is heavily limited. The LPRP selected all candidates in the most recent National Assembly elections, in 2021. Since a 1986 economic opening, Laos has implemented market-based ...
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| Date Dec. 2, 2024 |
Report No. IF12776 |
Title
Updated December 2, 2024 The North Atlantic Right Whale: Conservation Trade-Offs with Selected Marine Sectors and Considerations for Congress The North Atlantic right whale (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis; Figure 1) is an endangered large whale species found in the Atlantic Ocean near the United States and Western Europe. Due to historic whaling, this species was reduced to near extinction by the late ...
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| Date Nov. 30, 2024 |
Report No. IF12618 |
Title
Updated November 30, 2024 Gene-Edited Plants: Regulation and Issues for Congress Plant biotechnology, which includes gene editing and genetic engineering, allows a more precise and efficient method for developing desirable traits in crops compared to conventional breeding, which relies on natural genetic variation. Gene editing techniques can modify specific genes in plants without introducing ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2024 |
Report No. IF12811 |
Title
Updated November 29, 2024 Current Status of Federal Disaster Relief Accounts Introduction On November 18, 2024, President Biden requested from Congress supplemental appropriations to provide an expeditious and meaningful Federal response to Hurricanes Helene, Milton, and other natural disasters. The request totals almost $100 billion, and requests funding for numerous agencies and accounts, ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2024 |
Report No. IF12565 |
Title
Updated November 29, 2024 Defense Primer: What Is Irregular Warfare? Introduction U.S. military doctrine distinguishes between two types of warfare: traditional warfare and irregular warfare. In Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Publication (JP) 1 Joint Warfighting, conventional warfare is characterized as a violent struggle for domination between nation-states or coalitions and alliances of ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2024 |
Report No. IF11861 |
Title
Updated November 29, 2024 DOE s Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Removal Programs Federally funded research and development (R&D) on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon removal is supported primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This In Focus summarizes recent authorizations and appropriations for these activities. Background CCS is a process that is envisioned to ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2024 |
Report No. IF10771 |
Title
Updated November 29, 2024 Defense Primer: Operations in the Information Environment Information as a Joint Function In 2017, Joint Publication (JP) 1 Doctrine of the Armed Forces of the United States was updated to establish information as the seventh joint function of the military, along with command and control, intelligence, fires, movement and maneuver, protection, and sustainment. This ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2024 |
Report No. IF12831 |
Title
November 29, 2024 Fiji: Background and Issues Facing Congress Successive U.S. presidential administrations and some Members of Congress have identified U.S. national security interests in the Pacific Islands, including maintaining free and open waterways, supporting U.S. diplomatic engagement with Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and regional organizations, and addressing security and other threats ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2024 |
Report No. IF10537 |
Title
Updated November 29, 2024 Defense Primer: Cyberspace Operations Overview The Department of Defense (DOD) defines cyberspace as a global domain within the information environment (IE) consisting of the interdependent networks of information technology infrastructures and resident data, including the internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers. ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2024 |
Report No. IF11995 |
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Updated November 29, 2024 Use of Force in Cyberspace Introduction There are presently no internationally accepted criteria for determining whether a nation state cyberattack is a use of force equivalent to an armed attack, which could trigger a military response. Likewise, no international, legally binding instruments have yet been drafted explicitly to regulate inter-state relations in ...
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| Date Nov. 28, 2024 |
Report No. IF12830 |
Title
November 28, 2024 Deficits, Debt, and the Debt Limit in 2025 The Constitution empowers Congress with the authority to manage federal spending, revenues, and borrowing through its power of the purse. Deficit outcomes represent the difference between total federal spending and revenues, and add to debt levels that necessitate federal borrowing. This In Focus summarizes federal deficit and debt ...
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| Date Nov. 27, 2024 |
Report No. IF10789 |
Title
Updated November 27, 2024 Caribbean Basin Security Initiative The United States developed the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a regional U.S. foreign assistance program, in 2009 through a process of dialogue with Caribbean countries. The initiative seeks to reduce illicit trafficking in the region, advance public safety and security, and prevent youth crime and violence. Because of ...
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| Date Nov. 27, 2024 |
Report No. IF12470 |
Title
Updated November 27, 2024 The Intelligence Community s Foreign Malign Influence Center FMIC Background FMIC Mission General concern over the potential for foreign efforts to manipulate U.S. public opinion and interfere in U.S. elections has grown with the recognition that foreign malign actors are able to employ sophisticated tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct disinformation ...
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| Date Nov. 27, 2024 |
Report No. IF11646 |
Title
Updated November 27, 2024 Afghan Women and Girls: Status and Congressional Action Afghan women and girls live under what is considered to be the world s most repressive set of restrictions, ranging from Taliban prohibitions on employment and education opportunities to orders for women to hide their faces and voices in public. These Taliban policies appear likely to deepen Afghanistan s ...
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| Date Nov. 27, 2024 |
Report No. IF12829 |
Title
November 27, 2024 The Evolving Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime Over the past several decades, criminal networks have adapted and evolved, posing challenges for federal law enforcement. Transnational organized crime (TOC) is not a singular crime, but is instead a range of illicit activities committed by groups of individuals, often loosely connected. Until 2011, the federal ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. R48153 |
Title
Marginal Effective Tax Rates on Investment and the Expiring 2017 Tax Cuts Updated November 26, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48153 SUMMARY Marginal Effective Tax Rates on Investment and the Expiring 2017 Tax Cuts P.L. 115-97, commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), made significant changes impacting taxes on new investment. Some provisions ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. R48284 |
Title
The Congressional Budget Resolution: Frequently Asked Questions November 26, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48284 SUMMARY The Congressional Budget Resolution: Frequently Asked Questions The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (the Budget Act) provides for the adoption of a concurrent resolution on the budget by April 15 each year for the fiscal year beginning ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. R48287 |
Title
Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations November 26, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48287 SUMMARY Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations R48287 November 26, 2024 Colombia, a key U.S. security and economic partner in South America, continues to confront illegally armed groups and remains the world s largest cocaine producer despite having been Clare Ribando ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. R48285 |
Title
Overview of Dairy Cooperatives November 26, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48285 SUMMARY Overview of Dairy Cooperatives R48285 November 26, 2024 Fluid milk is a unique agricultural commodity. It is highly perishable, produced on a daily basis, and challenging to store on the farm. As a result, milk must be frequently transported off the farm Christine Whitt ( ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. R48138 |
Title
Legislative Evolution of U.S. Secret Service Updated November 26, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48138 SUMMARY Legislative Evolution of U.S. Secret Service Counterfeiting of U.S. currency after the Civil War and attacks against political leaders provided the impetus for the formation of the U.S. Secret Service, a federal agency established through President ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IF10894 |
Title
Updated November 26, 2024 Moldova: An Overview Moldova like neighboring Ukraine seeks greater integration with the West in the face of Russian interference and territorial occupation. In November 2024, Moldovan President Maia Sandu was reelected on a pro-European platform despite reportedly substantial Russian election interference. Parliamentary elections, which could reinforce or weaken Moldova ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. LSB11247 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Considerations for a Federal Criminal Prohibition on Hazing November 26, 2024 A long-standing governmental interest is keeping students safe. One harm befalling students and raising concerns with some lawmakers is hazing which generally consists of inflicting pain, discomfort, or ritualized humiliation on a student, or coercing a student to participate in the experience, usually as ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IF12608 |
Title
Updated November 26, 2024 U.S. Interest in Seabed Mining in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: Brief Background and Recent Developments In 1980, Congress passed the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA; P.L. 96-283) as an interim measure to allow U.S. citizens to proceed with seabed mining activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) until an international regime was in place ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IN11129 |
Title
INSIGHTi The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Tariffs: Historical Background and Key Issues Updated November 26, 2024 President-elect Donald J. Trump has repeatedly expressed his intention to impose a 10%-20% tariff on all imports. He has also asserted that he intends to impose tariffs on specific countries to achieve foreign policy goals, such as pressuring Mexico and ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IN12463 |
Title
INSIGHTi Immigration Courts: Decline in New Cases at the End of FY2024 November 26, 2024 Immigration courts within the U.S. Department of Justice s (DOJ s) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) adjudicate immigration cases; most commonly, formal removal proceedings under Section 240 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The number of pending cases (backlog) in immigration courts has ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IN12464 |
Title
INSIGHTi Russia s Nuclear and Coercive Signaling During the War in Ukraine November 26, 2024 Since the start of Russia s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin has invoked and the Russian military has demonstrated Russia s strategic capabilities to discourage the U.S. and other NATO governments from intervening. On November 18, 2024, Putin codified ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IF12695 |
Title
Updated November 26, 2024 Tornadoes: Background and Forecasting Tornadoes are narrow, violently rotating columns of air, extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. They affect communities across the United States every year. Tornadoes can cause fatalities and injuries, destroy property and crops, and disrupt businesses. For example, a weather system on April 25-28, 2024, produced ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IF10142 |
Title
Updated November 26, 2024 Disclosure of International Travel by Congress International travel by Members of Congress and their staffs is an issue of long-standing interest among the public, media outlets, and Members. Questions regarding the purposes, destinations, and costs of international travel by Congress frequently arise, as do questions about the ability to identify and monitor the costs ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IF12668 |
Title
Updated November 26, 2024 The U.S. Army s Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems The U.S. Army is acquiring a family of small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) for ground maneuver elements at the battalion level and below to provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) capabilities. For the past two decades, this role was largely filled by the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven ( ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2024 |
Report No. IF10967 |
Title
Updated November 26, 2024 Marine Debris: NOAA s Role Researchers have found marine debris, especially plastic items, to have some effects on humans, wildlife, and the environment, but the extent of these impacts is currently unclear. Congress has directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the Secretary of Commerce (through NOAA) to lead federal efforts to address marine ...
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| Date Nov. 25, 2024 |
Report No. R45846 |
Title
Congressional Votes on Free Trade Agreements and Trade Promotion Authority Updated November 25, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R45846 SUMMARY Congressional Votes on Free Trade Agreements and Trade Promotion Authority Congress has sole constitutional authority to regulate international trade. Since 1934, Congress has periodically authorized the President to ...
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| Date Nov. 25, 2024 |
Report No. R48283 |
Title
Reauthorization of the U.S. Fire Administration and of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Programs November 25, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48283 SUMMARY Reauthorization of the U.S. Fire Administration and of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and ...
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| Date Nov. 25, 2024 |
Report No. R48281 |
Title
Consumer-Style Protections for Small Businesses: Issues and Options for Congress November 25, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48281 SUMMARY Consumer-Style Protections for Small Businesses: Issues and Options for Congress Small businesses rely on financing to manage their finances, increase inventory, and expand their business operations. Small business lending ...
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| Date Nov. 25, 2024 |
Report No. IF12828 |
Title
November 25, 2024 Direct Loan Program Student Loans: Loan Types and Limits The U.S. Department of Education (ED) estimates it will make about $135 billion in new loans through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) program the primary federal student loan program to approximately 14 million borrowers in FY2025. Outstanding Direct Loan program debt currently totals $1.4 trillion. The ...
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| Date Nov. 25, 2024 |
Report No. IF11943 |
Title
Updated November 25, 2024 GILTI: Proposed Changes in the Taxation of Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income The treatment of income earned abroad in U.S.-controlled foreign corporations (CFCs) has been extensively debated over the years. In the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (P.L. 115-97), the tax treatment of foreign-source income was altered. The prior system imposed taxes on CFCs income only when they ...
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| Date Nov. 25, 2024 |
Report No. IF12627 |
Title
Updated November 25, 2024 Defense Primer: FY2024 Department of Defense Audit Results The Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-576) requires annual audits of financial statements for federal executive agencies, among other requirements. Under the act, audits of federal agencies are the responsibility of each agency s inspector general (IG), but the IG may contract with one or more ...
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| Date Nov. 25, 2024 |
Report No. IF12093 |
Title
Updated November 25, 2024 The Accessibility of Federal Information and Data: A Brief Overview of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Nearly one in four Americans has a disability, according to 2018 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Congress has recognized that in addition to making federal information and data available to the public, it must also make it accessible to people with ...
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| Date Nov. 25, 2024 |
Report No. IF12303 |
Title
Updated November 25, 2024 The Pacific Deterrence Initiative The Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) is a congressionally established set of defense priorities intended to support U.S. strategic goals in the Indo-Pacific region. Background and Purpose PDI originated as part of the U.S. government s effort to counter the perceived security threat posed by People s Republic of China (PRC or China). ...
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| Date Nov. 22, 2024 |
Report No. R47324 |
Title
Seabed Mining in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: Issues for Congress Updated November 22, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47324 SUMMARY Seabed Mining in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: Issues for Congress R47324 November 22, 2024 Caitlin Keating-Bitonti Specialist Natural Some scientists estimate that certain mineral deposits, including those containing ...
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| Date Nov. 22, 2024 |
Report No. R48280 |
Title
Solar Photovoltaics (PV): Status and Issues for Congress November 22, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48280 SUMMARY Solar Photovoltaics (PV): Status and Issues for Congress Over the last 15 years, solar photovoltaics (PV) has developed from a niche electricity generation technology to the most rapidly expanding renewable energy (RE) resource. During this period ...
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| Date Nov. 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF10831 |
Title
Updated November 22, 2024 Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) Background The Future Years Defense Program (FYDP, commonly pronounced fye-dip ) is a projection of the forces, resources, and programs to support Department of Defense (DOD) operations. The FYDP is compiled every year and typically completed during the programming phase of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and ...
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| Date Nov. 22, 2024 |
Report No. R48282 |
Title
Iran: Congressional Reporting Requirements November 22, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48282 SUMMARY Iran: Congressional Reporting Requirements Congress has mandated that the executive branch provide it with significant amounts of information related to Iran via singular and recurring reporting requirements. Iran-related issues about which Congress has ...
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| Date Nov. 22, 2024 |
Report No. IN12462 |
Title
INSIGHTi Elder Financial Exploitation November 22, 2024 Elder financial exploitation (EFE), as defined by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), is the illegal or improper use of an older adult s funds, property, or assets. EFE can deprive seniors of much-needed resources for retirement and research has linked EFE to additional health problems. Trends in FinCEN data reveal that EFE is ...
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| Date Nov. 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF12826 |
Title
November 22, 2024 Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF): Background and Policy Issues There has been increased attention by researchers and policymakers on the production, labeling, and marketing of ultra-processed foods (UPF). Some stakeholders raise concerns that certain processed food and beverage products may be associated with adverse human health and environmental outcomes. What constitutes a ...
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| Date Nov. 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF10540 |
Title
Updated November 22, 2024 Defense Primer: Reserve Forces The term reserve component (RC) refers collectively to the seven individual reserve components of the Armed Forces. Congress exercises authority over the reserve components under its constitutional authority to raise and support Armies, to provide and maintain a Navy, and to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia. ( ...
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