Brief #3—Media Blog
By John McCabe
With just two weeks until the General Election, coverage of the Amy Coney Barrett hearing has dominated the web.
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The Corruption of Steve Bannon
Brief #21—Corruption Blog
By Sean Gray
Steve Bannon’s arrest on Wednesday marks yet another arrest on fraud-related charges of someone connected to President Trump.
Week That Was: Global News in Review (Foreign Policy Brief #233)
The US war on Iran has now passed the six-month mark, negotiations have been abandoned and last week saw renewed fighting with Tehran attacking American bases across the Middle East. This came after a US strike was alleged to have hit a home hosting a wedding event, killing five people and wounding dozens. Washington also launched a new aggressive economic pressure campaign and blockade to coerce Iran into submission. Tehran on its part is now threatening military escalation and a wider war. The head of Iran’s National Security Council said recently that Tehran is planning to announce a maritime “exclusion zone” outside the Strait of Hormuz where it intends to stop vessels attempting to transit the waterway without Iranian permission. The conflict currently appears to have no likely end in sight.
Changing Attitudes Toward Israel and AIPAC (Technology Policy Brief #167)
As Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian people draw international condemnation, its support among US voters is shrinking, and with it the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the wealthy and powerful pro-Israel lobbying organization. AIPAC’s backing, once crucial to candidates, is no longer a sure path to election and in some progressive districts is becoming a liability.
Who are the Biggest Donors in American Politics? (Economic Policy Brief #94)
Money in politics is as American as apple pie and tossing the pigskin, but its sheer size and impact would boggle an onlooker’s mind. When you show the size of total spending on advertisements in 2024, it looks almost comical: $11,200,000,000.
With NRSC v. FEC, SCOTUS Topples Another Bulwark Against Corruption (Elections & Politics Brief #206)
There are a lot of cases that the Supreme Court, under Chief Justice John Roberts since 2005, loves to take on; cases involving the First and Second Amendments, executive power overreach, and voting protections. But one of the most consistently targeted topics by SCOTUS is the issue of campaign finance.
California (2026 Democratic Primary Preview Series #29)
In California, voters approved a mid-decade redistricting plan that replaced the state’s independent redistricting commission with a map expected to net Democrats as many as five additional House seats. The move by the Golden State came in response to a similar effort by Republicans in Texas, setting the stage for one of the most consequential redistricting battles in recent history. As it stands today, Democrats appear well-positioned to capitalize on the new map.
United States Supreme Court Upholds Mail Ballot Receipt Grace Periods (Civil Rights Policy Brief #254)
Civil Rights Policy Brief #254 | July 5, 2026 | Rodney A. Maggay Policy Summary: In 2024 prior to the United States elections the Republican National Committee and the Trump Campaign filed numerous legal challenges that sought to invalidate mail voting ballot receipt...
Tech Bros Fail to Advance in California Elections (Elections & Politics Policy Brief #205)
Wealthy tech executives have been ratcheting up their political activism in California, sponsoring ballot measures and backing candidates up and down the ticket, often with great success. In the recent primaries, several of them tried for office themselves. Despite spending millions more than their opponents, they failed to win votes.
Crony Diplomacy Is Failing U.S. Foreign Policy (Foreign Policy Brief #233)
At a recent press conference, U.S. Defense Secretary and Christian nationalist Pete Hegseth justified the Trump administration’s unconstitutional act of starting the war with Iran by saying that before launching missiles, “We sent our best people to negotiate — Steve and Jared.”