Examining the State of Air Quality Monitoring Technology
low-cost air sensors, air quality, air quality management, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Clean Air Act, CAA, national ambient air quality standards, NAAQS
Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. United States: Fifth Amendment Takings Claims for Alleged Disclosures of Trade Secrets and Confidential Information
On January 18, 2024, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims denied, in part, the government’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Vanda) for alleged disclosure of confidentia...
Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, and Minority Business Enterprises: Definitions and Differences in Terms Used by Government Programs
Government contracting programs that promote small business contracting opportunities support certain types of “disadvantaged” business owners, among other small business owners. Some policies are age...
Funding the Transition to Next Generation 911 (NG911): Considerations for Congress
In times of crisis, people call 911 to receive emergency assistance. For decades, the 911 system has operated using legacy infrastructure (i.e., telephone calls through the public switched telephone n...
Circuit Split over the Food and Drug Administration’s Denial of Applications Seeking to Market Flavored E-Cigarettes, Part 2 of 2
This two-part Sidebar examines the circuit split over certain electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products—that is, products with many common names, such as e-cigarettes and vape pens—that come...
The CASES Act: Ongoing Implementation Challenges
The Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act of 2019, or the CASES Act (P.L. 116-50, 5 U.S.C. 101 note), is designed to improve access to, and efficiency of, government s...
The Government Spending Oversight Act and the Future of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
On March 21, 2024, Chairman Gary Peters and Senator Mitt Romney of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs introduced S. 4036, the Government Spending Oversight Act of 2024....
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FY2024 Appropriations
Enacted on March 9, 2024, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42) provided funding for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, including funding for the U.S....
Disqualification of a Candidate for the Presidency, Part II: Examining Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment as It Applies to Ballot Access
On March 4, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v. Anderson issued a per curiam opinion that unanimously held that the Colorado Supreme Court erred in ordering former President Trump excluded from t...
Overview of Federal Criminal Laws Prohibiting Threats and Harassment of Election Workers
Following the 2020 elections, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported a significant increase in threats of violence toward individuals who administer elections, identifying in 2022 more than 1,000 re...
The Nordic Countries and U.S. Relations
Political and Economic Overview
The five Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—share deep historical, linguistic, and cultural ties and many political and economic similaritie...
International Atrocity Crimes and Their Domestic Counterparts
Russia’s war launched against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the October 7, 2023, attacks perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, and Israel’s subsequent campaign in Gaza have prompted widespread attention to ...