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Africa, the G8, and the Blair Initiative

Description: Britain's Prime Minister Blair assumed the rotating presidency of the G8 group of nations (see text box) in January 2005, and he intends to use the July 2005 G8 summit, which he will chair, to push his Africa development initiative. Climate change will be the second focus of the G8 meeting, being called the "Gleneagles summit." The purpose of this report is to provide background on Africa, the G8, and the Gleneagles meeting. It outlines the British proposals and the U.S. reaction to them to dat… more
Date: July 20, 2005
Creator: Copson, Raymond W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Disparate Impact Claims: An Analysis of the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Smith v. City of Jackson

Description: This report discusses Smith v. City of Jackson, a recent case in which the Supreme Court held that workers may sue employers under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) for workplace policies that have an adverse impact on older employees, even if the discriminatory effects are not intentional.
Date: June 20, 2005
Creator: Dale, Charles V. & Feder, Jody
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Arsenic in Drinking Water: Regulatory Develpoments and Issues

Description: This report discusses issues regarding the arsenic’s health effects and how to reduce the uncertainty in assessing health risks associated with exposure to low levels of arsenic. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the current standard of 50 parts per billion (ppb) in 1975. . This report reviews EPA efforts to develop a new arsenic rule and summarizes key provisions and subsequent events.
Date: October 20, 2005
Creator: Tiemann, Mary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Asbestos Litigation: Prospects for Legislative Resolution

Description: This report summarizes H.R. 1283, 106th Congress, the Asbestos Compensation Act of 2000, as ordered to be reported with amendments by the House Committee on the Judiciary on March 16, 2000. The bill would create an administrative procedure for asbestos liability claims. Also, This report discusses such issues thematically, and will be updated to reflect major legislative actions. A section-by-section analysis of S. 852 may be found in CRS Report RS22081, S. 852: The Fairness in Asbestos Injury … more
Date: May 20, 2005
Creator: Rappaport, Edward B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Beneficiary Cost-Sharing Under the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit

Description: This report analyzes how the cost-sharing and premium provisions under Part D would affect the amount that a beneficiary would pay annually for prescription drugs. In addition, this report gives examples of how annual cost-sharing would differ for beneficiaries with various levels of total prescription drug spending in 2006 under the plan's standard benefit.
Date: January 20, 2005
Creator: Hahn, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Implications for U.S. Policy

Description: This report includes background information on Bolivia’s political unrest, economic situation, and relations with the United States. In the past few years, Bolivia has experienced extreme political unrest resulting in the country having six presidents since 2001. Under policies of recently-elected leftist-leaning President Evo Morales, Bolivia's relations with neighboring countries, foreign investors, and the United States have been complicated. For some 20 years, U.S. interest in Bolivia has c… more
Date: May 20, 2005
Creator: Veillette, Connie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Campaign Finance

Description: This report discusses campaign finance practices and related issues. Concerns over financing federal elections have become a seemingly perennial aspect of our political system, centered on the enduring issues of high campaign costs and reliance on interest groups for needed campaign funds. The report talks about the today's paramount issues such as perceived loopholes in current law and the longstanding issues: overall costs, funding sources, and competition.
Date: April 20, 2005
Creator: Cantor, Joseph E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Campaign Finance

Description: Concerns over financing federal elections have become a seemingly perennial aspect of our political system, long centered on the enduring issues of high campaign costs and reliance on interest groups for needed campaign funds. This report discusses campaign finance practices, enduring issues and today’s paramount issues. In addition it presents the Legislative Action in the 108th and 109th Congress, as well as the Congressional efforts to close perceived loopholes in Federal Election Law.
Date: April 20, 2005
Creator: Cantor, Joseph E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Campaign Finance Reform: Regulating Political Communications on the Internet

Description: In October 2002, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) promulgated regulations exempting from the definition of “public communication” those communications that are made over the Internet. In response to the FEC’s final rules, the two primary House sponsors of BCRA filed suit in U.S. district court against the FEC seeking to invalidate the regulations as opening a new avenue for circumvention of federal campaign finance law. In September 2004, in Shays v. FEC, the U.S. District Court for the Di… more
Date: September 20, 2005
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige & Cantor, Joseph E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Caribbean Region: Issues in U.S. Relations

Description: This report deals with broader issues in U.S. relations with the Caribbean and does not include an extensive discussion of Haiti and Cuba. U.S. policy toward these Caribbean nations is covered in two CRS products: CRS Report RL32294, Haiti: Developments and U.S. Policy Since 1991 and Current Congressional Concerns, and CRS Report RL32730, Cuba: Issues for the 109th Congress.
Date: December 20, 2005
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests

Description: This report provides an overview of U.S. policy concerns and relations with countries in central Asia. The report discusses issues such as Fostering Pro-Western Orientations, Obstacles to Peace and Independence, Democratization and Human Rights, Security and Arms Control, Trade and Investment, and provides an Aid Overview.
Date: June 20, 2005
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Central Asia's New States: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests

Description: After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics and established diplomatic relations with each by mid-March 1992. This report provides an overview of U.S. policy concerns after the Soviet collapse. The report presents the U.S. policy attention and aid to support conflict amelioration, humanitarian needs, economic development, transport (including energy pipelines) and communications, border controls, demo… more
Date: July 20, 2005
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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CFTC Reauthorization in 2005

Description: This report provides brief summaries of the issues in the 2005 reauthorization legislation, including (1) the market in security futures, or futures contracts based on single stocks, which were authorized by the CFMA, but trade in much lower volumes than their proponents had hoped, (2) regulation of energy derivatives markets, where some see excessive price volatility and a lack of effective regulation, and (3) the legality of futures-like contracts based on foreign currency prices offered to r… more
Date: October 20, 2005
Creator: Jickling, Mark
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China's Growing Interest in Latin America

Description: Over the past year, increasing attention has focused on China’s growing interest in Latin America. Most analysts appear to agree that China’s primary interest in the region is to gain greater access to needed resources — such as oil, copper, and iron — through increased trade and investment. Some also believe Beijing’s additional goal is to isolate Taiwan by luring the 12 Latin American and Caribbean nations still maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan to shift their diplomatic recognitio… more
Date: April 20, 2005
Creator: Dumbaugh, Kerry & Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Water Act Issues in the 109th Congress

Description: Congress has recently focused legislative attention on narrow bills to extend or modify selected Clean Water Act (CWA) programs, rather than taking up comprehensive proposals. In the 109th Congress, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has approved S. 1400, a bill authorizing $20 billion in federal grants to capitalize state clean water infrastructure loan programs. Also, a House committee has approved bills to reauthorize several Clean Water Act programs: H.R. 624 would provide $1… more
Date: April 20, 2005
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Funding and Reauthorization

Description: Community Services Block Grants (CSBG), administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provide federal funds to states, territories and Indian tribes for distribution to local agencies to reduce poverty. Several related national activities — Community Economic Development, Rural Community Facilities, National Youth Sports, Community Food and Nutrition, Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI) and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) — also provide grants to loca… more
Date: July 20, 2005
Creator: Spar, Karen & Laney, Garrine P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congress and the Courts: Current Policy Issues

Description: The purposes of this report are to examine the Congress-court connection along several discrete, but overlapping, dimensions. First, the constitutional authority of Congress and the judiciary is summarized briefly. Second, the report highlights the court’s role as legislative-executive “umpire” and federal-state “referee” in our constitutional system. Third, the report discusses the court’s part in statutory interpretation as well as the diverse ways Congress may “check and balance” the judicia… more
Date: September 20, 2005
Creator: Oleszek, Walter J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Current Economic Conditions and Selected Forecasts

Description: This report begins with a comprehensive presentation of current economic conditions focusing on income growth, unemployment, and inflation. The posture of monetary and fiscal policy is surveyed as are the forecasts of economic activity. It concludes with data on the factors important for economic growth.
Date: June 20, 2005
Creator: Makinen, Gail
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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