This report provides information for Members of Congress and congressional staff on current developments in Congress, the states, and the relevant advocacy and policy communities concerning the Article V Convention alternative for proposing constitutional amendments.

Webpage from McKinney TXSSAR website containing a program and photographs from the June 15, 2017 meeting.

This report focuses on the institutions and procedures associated with the contemporary electoral college system. It opens by noting four rarely occurring electoral college eventualities that took place in connection with the 2016 presidential election. These included the election of a President and Vice President who received fewer popular votes than their major opponents; the actions of seven "faithless electors," who voted for candidates other than those to whom they were pledged; the split allocation of electoral votes in Maine, which uses the district system to choose its electors; and challenges to electoral votes in the joint session of Congress at which they are counted. The report also examines the constitutional origins of the electoral college system and identifies the additional components and processes that are the product of federal and state law, party requirements, and political tradition, explaining their role in presidential elections. It provides a timeline for operation of the electoral college system for the 2020 presidential election, a brief examination of alternative reform measures, including constitutional amendment proposals and non-governmental initiatives, such as the National Popular Vote initiative1 (NPV), and closes with concluding observations on the state of the electoral college system and prospects for change.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent grant making agency and the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums and related organizations. IMLS helps ensure that all Americans have access to museum, library, and information services. The agency supports innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement, enabling museums and libraries from geographically and economically diverse areas to deliver essential services that make it possible for individuals and communities to thrive. The agency’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, learning, and civic engagement and to provide leadership through research, policy development, and grant making.Those goals are reflected in this year’s report as IMLS continues to be an outstanding steward of federal funds. IMLS will continue to look for ways to achieve even greater impact on library and museum services throughout the United States.

This report examines the history of the Purple Heart award for military service members and changes in eligibility over time. The report also discusses current issues facing Congress -- such as whether traumatic brain injuries or PTSD diagnoses should be grounds for receiving the award, and whether those injured or killed assisting others during terror attacks outside their military duties should be eligible.

This report describes Kuwait's political and governmental structure, economy, relations with the U.S. especially in the area of defense, regional policies, and human rights issues.

This article reports on the detection of a remarkable new fast high-energy transient found in the Chandra Deep Field-South, robustly associated with a faint host in the CANDELS survey.

Annual report of the Statewide Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program describing goals, activities, and accomplishments during fiscal year 2017.

This report discusses the launch of oversight.gov by the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) and which agencies are currently participating in the beta test. The site allows Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reports related to participating agencies to be accessed in one place with keyword searchability.

This report discusses the structure and role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and recent legislation in the 115th Congress regarding the FCC.

Weekly student newspaper from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas that includes news and information of interest to the college community along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from Elgin, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

This report provides background on the use of special envoys, representatives, and coordinators (primarily within the foreign affairs arena; for the most part, interagency positions are not included). It identifies various temporary positions, their purpose, and existing authorities. The report presents commonly articulated arguments for and against the use of these positions and issues for Congress going forward. The scope of this report is limited to the special envoy and related positions identified by the Department of State in a 2017 report to Congress and additional selected positions identified by CRS. This report may be updated to reflect congressional action.

Semiweekly student newspaper from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas that includes local, state, national, and campus news along with advertising.

Triweekly newspaper from Chickasha, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

This report discusses net neutrality and the concept of open internet access. A decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2015 to classify broadband internet service as a telecommunication subjected the industry to further regulation and provoked a debate over what level of regulation should be used for the internet. The FCC in May 2017 announced their intention to modify rules from the 2015 regulations opening the debate once again. Past and current Congressional legislation related to internet policy is included in the final section.

Daily newspaper from Henderson, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

This report discusses the EPA's standard-setting process for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the specifics of the most recent reviews, and issues raised by the 2015 rulemaking, which lowered the allowed levels of ozone pollution in the air, and its implementation.

Weekly newspaper from Sanger, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Daily newspaper from Gainesville, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Semiweekly newspaper from Mount Pleasant, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Weekly newspaper from Alvin, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl Call. Call joined the Army Air Forces in January 1943 and went to weather school in Michigan. His first assignment was to Mitchel Field in New York as a weather observer. He went overseas aboard SS Jeremiah O'Brien (1943) to New Caledonia, then to a weather station on Guadalcanal for one day. Then he went to an island north of Bougainville, Green Island, and was assigned to the weather station there with the 17th Weather Squadron. He also spent a few months on Christmas Island before being assigned to Hickam Field. He was also assigned to Kwajalein. When the war ended, Call was discharged, but joined the Navy in 1947.

Triweekly newspaper from Chickasha, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.