This report discusses Afghanistan's government and political structure, ongoing security and defense issues, U.S. assistance to the Afghan military, U.S. humanitarian and economic aid, human rights issues, regional relations, and economic development.

This report answers frequently asked questions about the blue-slip process of gaining the approval of senators from the home states of federal district and circuit court nominees before the process moves to the Senate floor. The report provides historical information and analysis as to how blue slips have been used in the past for judicial nominations, with a focus on the various blue slip policies used during recent presidencies. This report also discusses potential changes that might occur in the Senate and in the confirmation process for judicial nominees if there is a lesser role for home state Senators in approving some, or all, of a President's judicial nominees from their respective states.

Photograph of Orlando BP-5.

Presented at the 2017 NFAIS Open Access Conference. In June 2015 the University of North Texas Libraries launched a for-fee service for publishing works of scholarship from authors affiliated with the university. While authors can choose from a menu of editing and design options, all publications are made free to read online through the institutional repository. Editing and design are carried out by freelancers and vendors, with charges passed on to authors; project management is provided by libraries staff for free. This service is meant to complement the UNT Press, which operates under a traditional university press model. This presentation reflects on the parameters of the service—such as charging authors, delivering publications through the repository, requiring free public access but not Creative Commons licenses, and not organizing peer review or charging for project management—and on what authors have chosen from the menu of options since the service was launched.

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

Lecture presented at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.

This report discusses the economic impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in affected areas and to the U.S. economy as a whole.

Photograph of UNT College of Visual Arts and Design fashion design and art history undergraduates attending a presentation in a classroom in Welch Street Complex 1 featuring garments from the Texas Fashion Collection. The lecture was organized by UNT Art History Associate Professor Denise Baxter and featured Liz Way and Emma McClendon, staff from the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, NY.

Photograph of UNT College of Visual Arts and Design fashion design and art history undergraduates attending a presentation in a classroom in Welch Street Complex 1 featuring garments from the Texas Fashion Collection. The lecture was organized by UNT Art History Associate Professor Denise Baxter and featured Liz Way and Emma McClendon, staff from the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, NY.

Photograph of UNT College of Visual Arts and Design fashion design and art history undergraduates attending a presentation in a classroom in Welch Street Complex 1 featuring garments from the Texas Fashion Collection. The lecture was organized by UNT Art History Associate Professor Denise Baxter and featured Liz Way and Emma McClendon, staff from the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, NY.

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

Photograph of UNT College of Visual Arts and Design fashion design and art history undergraduates attending a presentation in a classroom in Welch Street Complex 1 featuring garments from the Texas Fashion Collection. The lecture was organized by UNT Art History Associate Professor Denise Baxter and featured Liz Way and Emma McClendon, staff from the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, NY.

This report discusses Libya's political situation of local politicians and armed militias controlling power and attempts to establish a stable central government since the 2011 uprising that overthrew Muammar al Qadhafi. U.S. relations and economic and security assistance to efforts to form a representative central government in Libya and combat Islamic extremism are also discussed.

This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Navy's irregular warfare (IW) and counterterrorism (CT) operations. The Navy's IW and CT activities pose a number of potential oversight issues for Congress, including how much emphasis to place on IW and CT activities in Navy budgets, particularly in a context of constraints on Navy budgets and Navy desires to devote resources to developing "high end" combat capabilities for countering improved conventional military capabilities of countries such as China and Russia.

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the John Lewis (TAO205) class oiler shipbuilding program, a program to build a new class of 20 fleet oilers for the Navy. The TAO-205 program was previously known as the TAO(X) program. The first ship in the program was funded in FY2016 at a cost of $674.2 million. The Navy's proposed FY2018 budget requests $466.0 million in procurement funding for the second ship, which the Navy wants to procure in FY2018, and $75.1 million in advance procurement (AP) funding for the third ship, which the Navy wants to procure in FY2019. Decisions that Congress makes regarding the program could affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.

Photograph of Orlando FD members in front of two rigs. Photo taken in the OFD.

This report discusses the withdrawing of a proposed rule by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) that would have required long-haul truck drivers and railroad engineers to be screened for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The risks of OSA, current regulations and safety requirements, and recent accidents involving drivers with OSA are also discussed.