CQ Roll Call Policy Briefs

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe — in a hastily assembled news conference late Wednesday — said that Iran and Russia had managed to steal voter registration information with intent to interfere in the election. CQ Roll Call's Gopal Ratnam explains why Ratcliffe’s warnings immediately drew skeptical reactions from Democratic lawmakers and former intelligence officials. 

This is the biggest lawsuit against any technology company since 1998 when an antitrust lawsuit was filed against Microsoft. CQ Roll Call's Dean DeChiaro explains how this increased scrutiny against Google is bipartisan and may have ripple effects against big tech.

Clinical trials for COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines are well under way and some drugs are already being given tentative approvals, with a vaccine likely to follow in coming weeks. But some of the populations that are most affected by the pandemic — the elderly and communities of color — are underrepresented in the research. CQ Roll Call's Andrew Siddons reports on what this could mean.

The cruise industry, shut out of federal COVID-19 aid and ordered not to sail through Oct. 31, is now the subject of even more scrutiny. Democratic lawmaker Sean Maloney wants to know if the Trump administration intervened in a decision on when cruises can safely resume sailing. CQ Roll Call's Jessica Wehrman reports.

The Trump Administration has scheduled a court case in front of the Supreme Court for November 30th to rule on whether the government can exclude undocumented immigrants from apportionment. Michael Macagnone unpacks this case and what is at stake.

The FDIC released survey results on the number of unbanked Americans -- a measure that determines poverty levels. While the numbers in it are improving, the survey does not include data since the pandemic, which in all likelihood pushed the number higher. CQ Roll Call's Jim Saksa breaks it down.

Nursing homes have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. This may be a moment for government to recalibrate and make much needed improvements. Lauren Clason reports.

Marijuana is on the ballot on Nov. 3 in several red and blue states alike. CQ Roll Call's Emily Kopp discusses why these initiatives are important to watch and why many eyes are on South Dakota and New Jersey in particular.

There has been lots of talk about packing the Supreme Court if the Democrats win the presidency. But CQ Roll Call's Shawn Zeller lays out the case on why eliminating the filibuster would rebalance the scales of power between the Supreme Court and Congress.

If former Vice President Joe Biden wins the presidency, taxes will likely increase for the top 1 percent of American taxpayers. Doug Sword takes a look at what the candidate is proposing.