News from Organizations

March 2, 2026

Iran’s Temporary Council Assumes Leadership After Khamenei’s Death—What Comes Next?

After the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Tehran, a temporary council has taken over the leadership of the nation. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said March 1 that the new leadership council “has begun its work.” U.S. President Donald Trump has called on the people of Iran to rise up against the regime, explicitly tying U.S. interests in the region to regime change and preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. The commission taking over control of the nation in the midst of its war against two global superpowers is a short-term stopgap. Ultimately, a new leader will be selected by clerics within the state’s theocratic constitution.

To see complete March 1,2026 Epoch News article, Iran’s Temporary Council Assumes Leadership After Khamenei’s Death—What Comes Next?, Click here.

February 28, 2026

H.R. 2675, Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act

by David Badertscher

As ordered by the House Committee on the Judiciary on November 20, 2025.

Cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) February 27, 2026:*

H.R. 2675 would make it unlawful for a foreign state or sovereign wealth fund to directly or indirectly fund a civil lawsuit in the United States in which it is not a named party. The changes would apply to both pending and future civil actions. The bill would increase disclosure and certification requirements on litigants in cases where foreign sponsors or entities have interests at stake. H.R. 2675 also would require the Attorney General to report annually to the Congress on activities involving foreign funding of third-party litigation.

February 3, 2026

Opportunities and Risks of the Chinese Communist Party on Campus

by David Badertscher

Here’s an overview of the U.S. Department of State report titled The Chinese Communist Party on Campus: Opportunities & Risks (September 2020):

Purpose & Context

The report was produced by the U.S. Department of State as part of a broader effort to assess how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) engages with American universities, both through official programs and through student-linked organizations. It examines the potential benefits of educational exchanges as well as risks associated with influence and interference on U.S. campuses.

January 31, 2026

Answers to Questions for the Record Following a Hearing on Oversight of CBO

by David Badertscher

A Report from the Congressional Budget Office, January 30, 2026.

The House Committee on the Budget convened a hearing at which Phillip L. Swagel, CBO’s Director, testified about the agency’s work. This document provides CBO’s answers to questions submitted for the record after the hearing.

SUMMARY:

January 30, 2026

Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence: Winter 2026 Issue of SciTech Magazine

by David Badertscher

SciTech Magazine is published by the Science and Technology Section of the American Bar Association.

INTRODUCTION:

The Winter 2026 issue of The SciTech Lawyer, published by the American Bar Association’s Science & Technology Law Section, arrives at a pivotal moment in the legal profession’s evolving relationship with artificial intelligence. Centered on the theme of responsible AI use, this issue explores how rapidly advancing technologies are reshaping legal practice while raising urgent ethical, regulatory, and professional responsibility concerns.

January 25, 2026

New Jersey Festival Orchestra Establishes the David Badertscher Conductor’s Chair In Honor of Maestro David Wroe

by David Badertscher

January 19, 2026

Westfield, NJ — The New Jersey Festival Orchestra (NJFO) proudly announces the establishment of The David Badertscher Conductor’s Chair in Honor of Maestro David Wroe, made possible through the extraordinary generosity of longtime supporter and Board member David Badertscher.

Mr. Badertscher’s transformational gift reflects his, and NJFO;s continued investment in the classical repertoire and affirms NJFO’s mission to bring great works of the past to life for contemporary audiences.

January 13, 2026

CBO: Demographic Outlook, 2026 to 2056

by David Badertscher

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)* Report. January 7, 2026.

In CBO’s projections, the U.S. population grows from 349 million people in 2026 to 364 million in 2056, and the average age rises. Starting in 2030, annual deaths exceed annual births, and net immigration accounts for all population growth.

SUMMARY:

November 28, 2025

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Update: Tariffs, Revenues and the Federal Defecit–What the Latest Numbers Show

by David Badertscher

An Update from the Congressional Budget Office. *

INTRODUCTION:

The Congressional Budget Office’s November 2025 update shows that rapidly changing tariff policies have significantly reshaped federal budget projections. As of mid November, the effective U.S. tariff rate is about 14 percentage points higher than a year earlier, and CBO now estimates that tariffs implemented in 2025 could reduce federal deficits by roughly $3.0 trillion over the next decade, including lower interest costs. The report explains why these estimates are smaller than earlier projections, highlights exemptions and policy shifts affecting major trading partners. It also underscores the considerable uncertainty surrounding the long term fiscal and economic effects of today’s unprecedented tariff levels.

September 20, 2025

Stanford’s Liftlab: A New Frontier in Legal Tech, And What it Could Mean for Law Libraries

by David Badertscher

Introduction

Stanford Law School has recently announced the launch of the Legal Innovation through Frontier Technology Lab (Liftlab),led by Stanford CodeX research fellow Megan Ma, who will serve as liftlab’s executive director, alongside professor of law Julian Nyarko. Liftlab ia a bold new initiative designed to explore how artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies can reshape the practice of law. Unlike earlier waves of legal technology that focused mainly on cost savings and efficiency, Liftlab has a broader ambition: to make legal services not just faster or cheaper, but better, more equitable, and more accessible.

This mission has implications well beyond law firms and classrooms. Law libraries: whether academic, government, court, firm-based, or public stand to benefit greatly from Liftlab’s research, tools, and experiments. By acting as trusted intermediaries between new technologies and legal practitioners, libraries could become vital testing grounds and educational partners in this era of transformation.

September 20, 2025

Philip Swagel, CBO Director: Recent Speaking Engagements

by David Badertscher

September 11-18, 2025

Over the past week, Philip Swagel participated in several events where he highlighted Congressional Budget Office’s* role, discussed recent analyses, and engaged with audiences on topics ranging from tax policy to long-term fiscal challenges.

On September 11, he joined a breakfast discussion on tax policy hosted by a group of private-sector professionals, known as the “Behind the Tree” tax group.