This report discusses relations between Russia and the Balkan countries of southeast Europe. Efforts by Russia to gain influence and hinder the Balkan countries in their relations with the EU through "soft power" and intelligence activities are discussed.

This report discusses the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of "National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) v. Department of Defense". The background of the case and implications of the ruling are discussed.

This report discusses FEMA's individual assistance programs for victims of natural disasters. It provides a short summary of the types of individual assistance programs administered by FEMA following a disaster. This report also provides a summary of the criteria FEMA uses in determining which individual assistance programs may be made available to impacted areas following a major disaster declaration, and discusses a proposed rule to change these criteria.

This report discusses the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) and its funding and legislation related to it in the 115th Congress.

This report discusses the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program.

This report discusses the federal debt increase, which can increase when the government sells debt to the public to finance budget deficits and acquire the financial resources needed to meet its obligations (increasing debt held by the public), or when the federal government issues debt to certain government accounts in exchange for their reported surpluses (increasing debt held by government accounts).

This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran and provides some examples, based on open sources, of companies and countries that conduct business with Iran.

This report briefly outlines the background of ethics enforcement in the Senate, including the creation of the Select Committee on Standards and Conduct and the subsequent renaming of the committee as the Select Committee on Ethics. This report examines the history and evolution of the Committee, including its jurisdiction and investigative procedure, and also provides a brief overview of the Senate Code of Conduct.

This report provides comparative historical data related to U.S. district court vacancies that existed at the beginning and end of the Obama presidency (as well as at the beginning and end of the presidencies of his two most recent predecessors, Presidents George W. Bush and Clinton).

The report summarizes the legislation that imposes restrictions on the U.S. funding of abortion or family planning activities in foreign countries. The report lists the amendments concerning this legislation and historical positions of the executive branch.

This report analyzes National Science Foundation funding trends and selected closely-related STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education policy issues to provide fiscal and policy context. It concludes with an analysis of potential policy options.

This report provides information about The Issues for Congress on First Responder Network and Next-Generation Communications for Public Safety. new policy initiatives may be needed to identify critical gaps in communication infrastructure and the means to fund the investments needed to close the gaps.

This report discusses the recent development regarding the negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program. It provides background information on Iranian nuclear program and debates the November 24 Joint Plan of Action Elements.

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This report provides an overview of current issues in U.S.-Palestinian relations. It also contains an overview of Palestinian society and politics and descriptions of key Palestinian individuals and groups--chiefly the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority (PA), Fatah, Hamas, and the Palestinian refugee population.

This report provides a brief overview of the existing statutory authority and implementing regulation. It describes several policy issues raised in previous debates regarding chemical facility security and identifies policy options for congressional consideration.

This report discusses the VRA that was enacted under Congress's authority to enforce the 15th Amendment, which provides that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, color, or previous servitude.

This report discusses the statutory prohibitions that may be implicated, including the Espionage Act; the extraterritorial application of such statutes; and the First Amendment implications related to such prosecutions against domestic or foreign media organizations and associated individuals.

The earned income tax credit, established in the tax code in 1975, provides cash assistance to lower-income working parents and individuals through the tax system. The earned income tax credit will be higher in 2012 and 2013 than it was in 2011. An increase in the size of the earned income tax credit will occur because the maximum amount of earned income used to calculate the credit and the phase-out income level and indexed for inflation. The increases reflect the inflation adjustment.

This report outlines the required minimum functions of exchanges, and explains how exchanges are expected to be established and administered under ACA. The coverage offered through exchanges is discussed, and the report concludes with discussion of how exchanges will interact with selected other ACA provisions.

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This report identifies two types of labor enforcement issues: those that relate to the free trade agreements (FTA) provisions themselves, including their definitions and their enforceability, and those that relate to executive branch responsibilities, such as resource availability and determining dispute settlement case priorities.

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