The child care industry has been reeling from the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic. BPC's Linda Smith gave her analysis on what this means for parents and the child care market as a whole. Elsewhere, CNN referenced a new report, States of Change, by BPC and other think tanks to show how demographic and generational shifts will impact America's electoral future. And, BPC's Matt Weil says that mail-in voting will be the real story of this election, estimating that almost 50% of votes cast will be absentee.

Observation of the voting and ballot counting processes promotes confidence and integrity. It ensures that all rules and procedures are followed fairly and that no one candidate or political party is disadvantaged. Various aspects of the elections process are monitored by both international and domestic groups.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Social Security’s finances were unsustainable. For years, demographic and economic trends have been raising the program’s costs and depressing its revenue. Then the pandemic hit, and with it came a severe recession that will exact a further toll on Social Security’s finances.

The Paycheck Protection Program was established in the CARES Act to help small businesses meet payroll costs and other fixed expenses such as utilities and rent while the coronavirus pandemic kept their doors closed through no fault of their own. The PPP was a lifeline for child care providers, and Congress should come together to enact smart reforms and improvements to the PPP to ensure they are not saddled with burdensome debt in a time of national crisis.