Chernobyl: Not Just Another HBO Drama

Federal Register, Highlights in History, Hot Topic News, Reports of U.S. Presidential Commissions, Statutes at Large, U.S. Congressional Documents, U.S. Congressional Serial Set, U.S. Federal Agency Library, U.S. Federal Legislative History, U.S. Presidential Library, World Treaty Library
Tara Hutchinson

Thanks to the wildly popular HBO miniseries on the subject, the Chernobyl nuclear explosion of 1986 has become a hot topic in the news. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, an area covering approximately 1,000 square miles around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, has even become quite the tourist attraction. Journey with HeinOnline into the depths of the disaster, and learn a little more about nuclear energy in the U.S. while you’re at it.

Before We Get Started:

Don’t miss out! Make sure you have the databases we’ll be mentioning in this post. Follow the links below to start a trial today…

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From Poppies to Painkillers: An Overview of the U.S. Opioid Crisis

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Current Events, Federal Register, GAO Reports and Comptroller General Decisions, Hot Topic News, Reports of U.S. Presidential Commissions, Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, U.S. Congressional Documents, U.S. Federal Agency Library, U.S. Federal Legislative History, World Treaty Library
Tara Hutchinson

It has recently been determined that drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50 years of age. This finding is just one effect (among many) of the rising U.S. opioid crisis which, as of 2018, has been declared a national public health emergency by the Trump Administration and by the Department of Health and Human Services. With the opioid crisis rising once again to the forefront of U.S. news given the recent Johnson & Johnson opioid lawsuit, learn about the context of the epidemic and recent U.S. countermeasures with HeinOnline.

Before We Get Started:

Don’t miss out…

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Exploring the Evolution of Memorial Day with HeinOnline

Current Events, Holidays and Observances, Statutes at Large, U.S. Congressional Documents, U.S. Presidential Library
Tara Hutchinson

As previous generations have done before us, this Memorial Day we honor those who have given their lives in military service to the United States. In this post, we will revisit the surprisingly controversial history of Memorial Day and use HeinOnline to examine its institution as a U.S. federal holiday.

Before We Get Started:

Don’t miss out! Make sure you have the databases we’ll be mentioning in this post. Follow the links below to start a trial today.

The Origins of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday dedicated to the remembrance of fallen United States soldiers…

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The Mueller Report: Read It Now in HeinOnline

Current Events, U.S. Congressional Documents, What's New
Lauren Mattiuzzo

Today a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report about Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election was released to the public. The report concluded that investigators did not find evidence of conspiracy between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.

Find the Mueller Report in HeinOnline

To read the report in HeinOnline, enter the U.S. Congressional Documents database. Next, click on Other Works Related to Congress.

Select the letter R in the A-Z list and scroll down until you find the title Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election (Redacted)…

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COMING SOON: U.S. Congressional Serial Set!

U.S. Congressional Documents, U.S. Congressional Serial Set, What's New
Lauren Mattiuzzo

We are excited to announce that the U.S. Congressional Serial Set is coming soon to HeinOnline! This will be included at no additional charge for U.S. Academic and Core Plus subscribers, Government, Politics & Law subscribers, and subscribers of HeinOnline’s U.S. Congressional Documents database. The Serial Set is an ongoing project in HeinOnline with the goal to add more than four million pages each year until completion.

It’s important to note that HeinOnline has always contained substantial portions of the Serial Set, including the American State Papers, comprehensive coverage of Foreign Relations of the United States,…

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Continued Growth of the U.S. Congressional Documents Database

U.S. Congressional Documents, What's New
Shannon Furtak

Congressional Committee Reports and New Congressional Documents Added

HeinOnline has added a tremendous amount of content since last September. Twelve new databases have been created and content within key databases has recently been enhanced and even rearranged.

The June 2017 content release greatly expanded the scope of material available in the U.S. Congressional Documents database, which had already experienced exponential growth since its inception in 2007. In fact, this post about the database was published just last year.

Brief Timeline of Key Content/Tool Additions

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Linking to the GPO’s Authenticated PDFs of the Congressional Record Is Now Available!

Government Documents, U.S. Congressional Documents, What's New
Benjamin Boron

About the Congressional Record

The Congressional Record was first published in 1873 and is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO) and issued when Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks. At the end of a session of Congress, the daily editions are compiled in bound volumes constituting the permanent edition. The Record is the most complete and accurate account of congressional matters to date.

Previously, congressional debates were catalogued in the Annals of Congress (1789-1824), Register of Debates (1824-1837) and Congressional Globe (1833-1873).

The Congressional Record consists of four sections:

  • Daily Digest
  • House section
  • Senate section
  • Extension of Remarks

The GPO has recently partnered with the Library of Congress to release an authenticated digital version of historical issues of the bound Congressional Record from 1951-1998…

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Researching the Watergate Scandal: Part One

Exploring HeinOnline, Law Journal Library, U.S. Congressional Documents, U.S. Presidential Library
Shannon Furtak

HeinOnline’s journal and government document coverage dates back to inception, enabling researchers to learn about key historical events from multiple perspectives. Read articles written about events as they occurred, and view exact replicas of original historical print publications; also, find current material discussing these same events with information gained through hindsight.

Research Example: The Watergate Scandal

Although the Watergate scandal happened in the early 1970s, it’s been in the news recently. Most people associate Watergate with President Richard M. Nixon’s eventual resignation, but what happened leading up to that? Here’s a brief synopsis of major events:

  • On June 17, 1972, five men were arrested after breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee…

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Food and Drug Law

Food and Drug Law, Statutes at Large, U.S. Congressional Documents, U.S. Federal Legislative History
Benjamin Boron

Tags:

fruit-food-healthy-fresh-53130

Civilization has long been concerned with the quality and safety of foods and medicines. Up until the late 20th century, there were few laws regulating the ingredients of food products or the misrepresentation of medicinal substances.

On June 30, 1906, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act which was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt and was a key piece of Progressive Era legislation. This was the first of a series of significant consumer protection laws enacted by Congress in the 20th century that eventually led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration in 1930.

The Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency of the United States and is responsible for protecting and promoting public health by ensuring the safety…

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Celebrating Presidents' Day with Abraham Lincoln and George Washington

Current Events, Exploring HeinOnline, Law Journal Library, Searching, Slavery in America and the World, U.S. Congressional Documents, U.S. Presidential Library
Bonnie Hein

presidentsday

Washington's Birthday or Presidents' Day?

The American holiday of Presidents' Day was originally established in 1885 in recognition of the first President of the United States, George Washington. It was officially called Washington's Birthday and observed as a federal holiday on February 22nd, Washington's actual day of birth. Washington's Birthday was the first federal holiday celebrating the life of an individual American, joining only four national bank holidays – Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving.

It became popularly known as Presidents' Day after it was moved by the 1971 Uniform Monday Holiday Act (82 Stat. 250) in order to create more three day weekends for American workers and increase retail and tourism revenue…

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