WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11672) on Dec. 4, 2025, by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke. Here are excerpts: * * * Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Introduction The Coast Guard's Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) program envisages procuring 30 replacements for the Coast Guard's 35 aging river buoy tenders (WLRs), inland construction tenders (WLI  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: * * * Crapo, Risch Join Cornyn to Introduce Back the Blue Act * Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators for Idaho Mike Crapo and Jim Risch joined Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and over 30 of their Senate Republican colleagues to introduce the Back the Blue Act, which would increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves. "The Back the Blue   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken final action to approve several revisions to the regional haze state implementation plans (SIPs) submitted by Oklahoma and Texas, concluding a multi-year effort to satisfy federal requirements for improving visibility in U.S. national parks. The agency approved revisions submitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on March 20, 2014, and July 20, 2021. The TCEQ's plans address requirements unde  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the following news release: * * * Marketplace 2026 Open Enrollment Period Report: National Snapshot * The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that nearly 950,000 consumers who do not currently have health care coverage through plans in the individual market Marketplace have signed up for coverage in 2026, since the start of the Marketplace Open  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: * * * Risch, Crapo Join Cornyn to Introduce Back the Blue Act * Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators for Idaho Jim Risch and Mike Crapo joined Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and over 30 of their Senate Republican colleagues to introduce the Back the Blue Act, which would increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement officers and provide new tools for officers to protect themselves. "Any violence or a  more