Display of the Confederate Flag at Federal Cemeteries in the United States (open access)

Display of the Confederate Flag at Federal Cemeteries in the United States

This report discusses policies regarding the display of the Confederate Flag at national cemeteries. If a state observes a Confederate Memorial Day, National Park Service (NPS) cemeteries in the state may permit a sponsoring group to decorate the graves of Confederate veterans with small Confederate flags. Additionally, such flags may also be displayed on the nationally observed Memorial Day, to accompany the U.S. flag on the graves of Confederate veterans.
Date: May 20, 2016
Creator: Comay, Laura B. & Szymendera, Scott D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Warfare: DOD's Response to the Islamic State Hacking Activities (open access)

Information Warfare: DOD's Response to the Islamic State Hacking Activities

This report briefly examines the Islamic State's (IS) strategy of accessing U.S. government computer systems for a variety of purposes, and the Department of Defense's (DOD) response.
Date: May 10, 2016
Creator: Theohary, Catherine A.; McInnis, Kathleen J. & Rollins, John W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) (open access)

Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS)

This report briefly discusses the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS), which is the principal mechanism for accomplishing the flood risk management policies established by President Obama in Executive Order (E.O.) 13690. The FFRMS is a flood resilience standard that is required for "federally funded projects."
Date: May 25, 2016
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.; Brown, Jared T. & McCarthy, Francis X.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Display of the Confederate Flag at Federal Cemeteries in the United States (open access)

Display of the Confederate Flag at Federal Cemeteries in the United States

This report discusses policies regarding the display of the Confederate Flag at national cemeteries. If a state observes a Confederate Memorial Day, National Park Service (NPS) cemeteries in the state may permit a sponsoring group to decorate the graves of Confederate veterans with small Confederate flags. Additionally, such flags may also be displayed on the nationally observed Memorial Day, to accompany the U.S. flag on the graves of Confederate veterans.
Date: May 4, 2016
Creator: Comay, Laura B. & Szymendera, Scott D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Resurgence of Unaccompanied Alien Children? (open access)

A Resurgence of Unaccompanied Alien Children?

This report briefly examines the recently-high number of unaccompanied alien children (UAC). In the first seven months of FY2016, apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border have approached levels close to what they were in FY2014 when such migration flows reached what were characterized as "crisis" proportions.
Date: May 27, 2016
Creator: Kandel, William A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
United States Lifts Remaining Restrictions on Arms Sales to Vietnam (open access)

United States Lifts Remaining Restrictions on Arms Sales to Vietnam

This report discusses the recent removal of remaining U.S. restrictions on sales of lethal weapons and related services to Vietnam. During the Vietnam War (1955-1975), the United States imposed a complete embargo on arms sales to North Vietnam, and then expanded it to cover the entire country after Communist forces defeated U.S-backed South Vietnamese government in 1975. In 2007, the Bush Administration eased the ban by allowing non-lethal defense items and defense services to be exported on a case-by-case basis.
Date: May 23, 2016
Creator: Manyin, Mark E. & Kerr, Paul K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Treasury Issues White Paper on Fintech and Marketplace Lending (open access)

Treasury Issues White Paper on Fintech and Marketplace Lending

This report briefly discusses the context and contents of a white paper issued on May 10, 2016 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The paper analyzes regulatory issues for the marketplace lending industry and offers several recommendations for industry and government responses.
Date: May 20, 2016
Creator: Murphy, Edward V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD's Rotation to the Philippines (open access)

DOD's Rotation to the Philippines

This report briefly discusses the Department of Defense's (DOD's) announcement of its intention to "rebalance" by focusing more of its attention and activity on Asia. One goal is to influence the development of regional norms and rules, particularly as China exerts greater influence.
Date: May 31, 2016
Creator: Else, Daniel H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Nordic Relations (open access)

U.S.-Nordic Relations

This report briefly discusses U.S. relations with the Nordic countries--Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
Date: May 10, 2016
Creator: Archick, Kristin
System: The UNT Digital Library
The United Kingdom and the European Union: Stay or Go? (open access)

The United Kingdom and the European Union: Stay or Go?

This report briefly examines the debate surrounding whether or not the United Kingdom should leave the European Union.
Date: May 4, 2016
Creator: Mix, Derek E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
NATO Funding and Burdensharing (open access)

NATO Funding and Burdensharing

This report discusses the the relative imbalance in defense spending and military capabilities within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has long fueled concerns about burdensharing and European allies' reliance on U.S. defense guarantees.
Date: May 19, 2017
Creator: Belkin, Paul
System: The UNT Digital Library
North American Free Trade Agreement: Notification for Renegotiation (open access)

North American Free Trade Agreement: Notification for Renegotiation

This report discusses the fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after the Trump Administration sent a 90-day notification to Congress of its intent to begin talks with Canada and Mexico to renegotiate NAFTA.
Date: May 19, 2017
Creator: Villarreal, M. A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
OPEC and Non-OPEC Crude Oil Production Agreement: Compliance Status (open access)

OPEC and Non-OPEC Crude Oil Production Agreement: Compliance Status

This report discusses the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC's) influence on global oil prices through coordinated production decisions that can impact the global oil market supply and demand balance.
Date: May 17, 2017
Creator: Brown, Phillip
System: The UNT Digital Library
President's FY2018 Budget Proposes Cuts in Public Health Service (PHS) Agency Funding (open access)

President's FY2018 Budget Proposes Cuts in Public Health Service (PHS) Agency Funding

This report outlines the significant reductions in funding for the Public Health Service (PHS) proposed by the President's FY2018 budget.
Date: May 24, 2017
Creator: Redhead, C. Stephen
System: The UNT Digital Library
President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection: Toward Final Disclosure of Withheld Records in October 2017 (open access)

President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection: Toward Final Disclosure of Withheld Records in October 2017

This report discusses the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (JFK Records Act).
Date: May 26, 2017
Creator: Petersen, R. E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
What is the Proposed U.S.-EU Insurance Covered Agreement? (open access)

What is the Proposed U.S.-EU Insurance Covered Agreement?

This report discusses the United States and European Union (EU) negotiations on the first insurance covered agreement.
Date: May 17, 2017
Creator: Webel, Baird & Fefer, Rachel F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The United States Withdraws from the TPP (open access)

The United States Withdraws from the TPP

This report discusses discusses the withdrawal of the United States as a signatory from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement as directed by President Trump.
Date: May 23, 2017
Creator: Williams, Brock R. & Fergusson, Ian F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Review of Offshore Energy Leasing: President Trump's Executive Order (open access)

Review of Offshore Energy Leasing: President Trump's Executive Order

This report discusses President Trump's executive order (E.O.) on U.S. offshore energy strategy including a brief overview of previous policies and the scope of the E.O.
Date: May 5, 2017
Creator: Comay, Laura B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran's Presidential Elections (open access)

Iran's Presidential Elections

This report analyzes Iran's 2009 presidential election, particularly the campaigns of reformist candidate Mir Hussein Musavi and incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It also describes the Obama Administration's reaction to the election results and briefly discusses the current relationship between the U.S. and Iran, as well as U.S. concerns regarding Iran, such as Iran's efforts at building a nuclear weapons program.
Date: May 5, 2017
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Executive Order for Review of National Monuments (open access)

Executive Order for Review of National Monuments

This report discusses President Trump's April 16, 2017 executive order requiring the Department of the Interior to review presidentially established national monuments since 1996 that exceed 100,000 acres or where action was taken "without adequate public outreach and coordination". It includes tables of the national monuments effected and numbers of acres protected as a national monument by each President since 1996.
Date: May 1, 2017
Creator: Vincent, Carol Hardy & Hanson, Laura A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Implications of the President's Buy American Executive Order (open access)

Trade Implications of the President's Buy American Executive Order

This report discusses President Trump's April 18, 2017 Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American and its implications for U.S. trade agreements and government procurement costs.
Date: May 2, 2017
Creator: Fefer, Rachel F. & Fergusson, Ian F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Reid Vapor Pressure Requirements for Ethanol (open access)

Reid Vapor Pressure Requirements for Ethanol

This report discusses legislation (H.R. 1311, S. 517) regarding providing a waiver for ethanol-fuel blends containing greater than 10% ethanol (E15) from the Clean Air Act's (CAA) strict requirements on volatility of gasoline. This requirement currently prevents E15 gas from being sold during the summer. Major points of the legislation, various types of waivers and current rules under the CAA for gasoline and possible options for Congress are discussed.
Date: May 18, 2017
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
System: The UNT Digital Library