CQ Roll Call Policy and Politics

Jason Dick talks with former Roll Call Editor in Chief Christina Bellantoni, now director of USC Annenberg's Media Center, about her students' recent political reporting trips to Iowa and Texas, where the battle for the House and Senate majorities could be decided. 

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Jason Dick talks with the latest Roll Call on the Road mission crew, Mary Ellen McIntire and Tom Williams, about what they learned on their reporting trip to Pennsylvania, including interacting with candidates from Scranton to Harrisburg, as well as Sha Na Na frontman and Social Security advocate Jon "Bowzer" Bauman, who is trying to fire up voters.

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Jason Dick talks with Alex Gibney about his new film “Musk,” a documentary about Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. It’s an exploration of how one person accumulated so much power — in the White House, over AI, space exploration, transportation, robotics and more — and asks the question: What will he do with it.

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The Trump administration announced plans to cancel $810 million, mostly for health and education programs,that Congress had already appropriated, in a so-called pocket rescission. CQ Roll Call's Paul M. Krawzak and Aris Folley join host David Lerman to discuss the funding at stake, the programs affected, and the likely court battle to come over whether the move is legal.

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Jason Dick talks with Roll Call campaign writers Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire about their on-the-ground reporting as the midterm general election kicks into high gear; the latest batch of polling in key races; the crazy money being raised and spent; why we're still not done with redistricting, and what to expect from their forthcoming Most Vulnerable Incumbents list. 

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The price tag of the Iran war is $43 billion and counting, but Congress has yet to agree on a funding plan. CQ Roll Call's John M. Donnelly joins host David Lerman to discuss the latest cost estimates, projections of future costs, and prospects for funding the war by year's end.

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Jason Dick and Nathan Gonzales dive into what they learned now that the 2026 congressional primary season is over, whether re-redistricting and midterm conventions will be the new norm, if we can trust polls and how, ultimately, it might still be the economy, stupid. 

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While Congress’ fall priorities — cryptocurrency, college sports and permitting — are not budget-related, a new December spending deadline is setting the stage for another funding fight. CQ Roll Call's Peter Cohn, Savannah Behrmann and Aidan Quigley assess the fall agenda and the prospects for a final fiscal 2027 spending deal during the lame-duck session.

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Congress avoided a shutdown fight until December, but passed on several sticky problems it will need to address after Election Day. CQ Roll Editor in Chief Jason Dick and CQ Roll Call Budget Editor David Lerman outline the major fights looming in November in a very special Political Theater and CQ Budget podcast collaboration. 

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Roll Call Editor in Chief Jason Dick and 535 Political Analyst Susan Davis discuss congressional efforts to address affordability with CQ Roll Call leadership Staff Writer Savannah Behrmann for the Roll Call/535 Policy Podcast Series.

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