As the fall semester begins, Dr. Anand Parekh discusses how colleges can ensure the health and safety of their students. Also, with many still reeling from the economic fallout due to the pandemic Shai Akabas lays out the best practices for when Americans should claim their Social Security benefits. Finally, with the help of Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Robin Kelly (D-IL), BPC launched its roadmap for a national artificial intelligence strategy for Congress.

BPC's Early Childhood Initiative released a new survey to better understand parents’ child care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed that more than 70% of parents reported that their child care programs either closed or are operating at reduced capacity, and finding quality child care that fits within a parent’s budget is even more challenging and directly impacts a parent’s ability to work.

The coronavirus forced a sudden move to virtual conventions, but long-term changes in our politics have been pushing in this direction for years. Conventions used to be primarily party-driven affairs with suspense and sometimes surprising choices of nominees, however, now they are driven by the campaigns of the presidential candidates with controlled and scripted messages.

With less than three months before Election Day, election officials and policymakers need to act immediately to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the vote counting process. In a new report, BPC's Task Force on Elections provides guidance on best practices and key considerations at each step of the vote counting process.