This report provides background information and issues for Congress on three potential new weapons that could improve the ability of Navy surface ships to defend themselves against enemy missiles--solid state lasers (SSLs), the electromagnetic railgun (EMRG), and the hypervelocity projectile (HVP).

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on China's naval modernization effort and its implications for U.S. Navy capabilities. The issue for Congress is how the U.S. Navy should respond to China's military modernization effort, particularly its naval modernization effort.

This report identifies the largest spending and tax expenditures across eight major categories of federal activity: (1) defense and international affairs; (2) general science, space and technology, natural resources and the environment, and agriculture; (3) commerce and housing, community and regional development, and transportation; (4) education, training, employment, and social services; (5) health, including Medicare; (6) income security; (7) Social Security and veterans' benefits; and (8) administration of justice and general governance.

This report discusses the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), which is a federal agency that includes private sector and other non-federal representation on its board of directors. FirstNet was created by Congress with provisions in Title VI (Spectrum Act) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-96) to ensure the deployment and operation of a nationwide, broadband network for public safety communications.

This report summarizes selected highlights of the FY2017 Defense Appropriations Act passed by the House on June 16, 2016 (H.R. 5293), and the version reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 26, 2016 (S. 3000).

This report provides an overview of the U.S. foreign assistance program by answering frequently asked questions on the subject. It is intended to provide a broad view of foreign assistance over time.

This brief report provides information on legislation that authorizes the designation of any foreign government as a state sponsor of acts of international terrorism. It addresses how each statute defines acts of international terrorism; establishes a list to limit or prohibit aid or trade; provides for systematic removal of a foreign government from a list, including timeline and reporting requirements; authorizes the President to waive restrictions on a listed foreign government; and provides (or does not provide) Congress with a means to block a delisting. The report closes with a summary of delisting in the past.

This report discusses the process of appointment of U.S. circuit and district court judges through presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. In recent decades, the process for appointing judges to the U.S. circuit courts of appeals and the U.S. district courts has been of continuing Senate interest. The responsibility for making these appointments is shared by the President and the Senate. Pursuant to the Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President nominates persons to fill federal judgeships, with the appointment of each nominee also requiring Senate confirmation. Although not mentioned in the Constitution, an important role is also played midway in the appointment process by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Robert and Paul discussed the history of the Noyola family, the different paths taken by various family members, and the political diversity within the family.

Omowale Lithuli-Allen was born in Amarillo in 1948, and grew up in Louisiana. He discusses growing up in the Jim Crow South and some of his early activism in high school. In 1966, he enrolled at the University of Houston, where he became involved in organizations such as COBER and Afro-Americans for Black Liberation (AABL). Following his activism at UH and Texas Southern University, he became involved in cross-racial coalitions, where he came together with Mexican American activists to address social, political, and economic inequalities in Houston. Mr. Lithuli-Allen also discusses the history of the role of SHAPE Center in the Third Ward, and his involvement with My Brother's Keeper, a youth outreach initiative by the Obama administration.

Michelle Barnes grew up in Third Ward, a historic African American neighborhood in Houston, TX. She talks about the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of Third Ward and how the drowing of a child in Sunnyside sparked her involvement in the Committee for Better Race Relations and the fight for African American Studies. While at the University of Houston, she played an active role in creating social organizations for Black students, particularly the creation of a Delta Sigma Theta chapter. Once she graduated from UH, Barnes participated in youth art programs at the SHAPE Community Center and eventually co-founded the Community Artists' Collective, which originally focused on providing a cooperative space for female African American artists and continues to be a major hub for African American art. She ends the interview by talking about how gentrification has affected the Third Ward community.

Robin Green was born and Raised in Clarendon, Texas. He attended McMurry University in Abilene, Texas. Afterward, he attended law school at Texas Tech University. He worked shortly as a prosecutor in Amarillo and later had a long career in Amarillo as a civil rights lawyer. He now practices law in Lubbock, Texas.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Jennings Ulbrich. Ulbrich joined the Navy in February of 1945. He was transferred to Brown Field Airport, San Diego. He worked in ships service, selling merchandise, food, maintaining Coke machines. Ulbrich made the rank of Third-Class Petty Officer. After the base was decommissioned, he was transferred to El Centro and performed shore patrol duty and guarded prisoners. He was there when the war ended. Ulbrich continued his service until his discharge in August of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Green Day. Day shares his memories of growing up during the Great Depression. He completed trade school to be a machinist. He joined the Navy around 1944. In May 1945 he was assigned to USS Halford DD-480, and they traveled to Pearl Harbor. They provided escort duty to Borneo, and Day served with the deck department helping to maintain the ship. In late 1945 Day experienced a typhoon aboard the ship. He was discharged in July of 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Albert Machaud. Machaud joined the Army Air Forces on 27 June 1946. He served as a control tower operator with the 128th Army Airways Communication System Squadron. He traveled throughout the Pacific, including Johnston Island, Wake Island, Kwajalein, Okinawa and into Tokyo by January of 1947, directing aircraft on new airstrips that had hastily been built during the war. He speaks of his experiences during his 2 years in occupied Japan. Machaud was discharged on 26 June 1949.

This overview of the grant-funded project was given as a lightning-round presentation during the panel "Giving New Life to Old Books: The NEH/Mellon Humanities Open Book Program" at the 2016 annual meeting of the Association of American University Presses.

Photograph of students watching footage on day 10 of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 2016 Summer Youth Arts Institute. A man can be seen sitting in front of laptops and desktop monitors in the center of the photograph. Students are standing around him, looking at the computer screens. They are all facing away from the camera. Their reflections can be seen in a mirror in the background of the photograph.

Photograph of a partition being rolled on stage on day 10 of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 2016 Summer Youth Arts Institute. A woman is standing next to the partition on the left, holding its side with her right hand. She is facing away from the camera. The back of the partition reads, "A Chorus Line [3x]." A second woman is sitting in a chair on the left side of the photograph, facing the camera and looking to the right. People can be seen sitting in audience seats in the background of the photograph.

Photograph of a partition being rolled on stage on day 10 of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 2016 Summer Youth Arts Institute. A woman can be seen standing with both hands on the partition on the left side of the photograph, facing to the right of the camera. A second woman is standing on the opposite side of the partition, looking down.

Photograph of a group of students on day 10 of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 2016 Summer Youth Arts Institute. Students are sitting in two rows of chairs, facing to the right of the camera with straight faces. Some of the students are looking down.

Photograph of a man on stage on day 10 of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 2016 Summer Youth Arts Institute. The man can be seen standing in the center of the photograph, facing to the right of the camera. He is resting his right hand on his hip and raising his left hand up to the back of his head. A girl can be seen standing behind him on the left side of the photograph, looking to the right of the camera. A group of people are assembling a partition in the background on the right side of the photograph.

Photograph of two girls on stage on day 10 of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 2016 Summer Youth Arts Institute. The girl closer to the camera can be seen on the right side of the photograph, standing next to a partition. She is looking to the left of the camera and resting her right hand on her hip. The second girl can be seen in the center background of the photograph, facing to the left of the camera and looking down. Another partition can be seen next to her on the left side of the photograph. Other stage set elements can be seen in the background.

Photograph of a group of students in a hallway on day 10 of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 2016 Summer Youth Arts Institute. Students can be seen sitting in a row of chairs on the left side of the photograph, facing to the right of the camera. One girl is standing against the right wall, facing another girl who is sitting down. They are extending their arms out toward each other and holding hands. Another group of students can be seen sitting and standing in the background of the photograph.

Photograph of a girl getting her makeup done on day 10 of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) 2016 Summer Youth Arts Institute. The girl is sitting down with her back turned to a mirror, facing to the left of the camera. Her eyes are closed. A second girl is standing next to her, looking down. She is holding the girl's forehead with her left hand, and appears to be applying eye makeup with her right hand.