5 Stories to Watch | October 3, 2020

5 Stories to Watch Next Week There are simply too many developing stories to follow in the world. To make things easier, we narrowed them down to five that you should really watch next week: Vice Presidential Debate Between Biden and Harris Set for Wednesday Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris will face off in the first and only vice presidential debate at the University of Utah on Wednesday. The debate will be moderated by USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page. While the topics for the debate have not been announced yet, the recent nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and the Trump administration’s response to COVID-19 are almost certain to be topics of discussion. Following the unruly and contentious presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, watch to find out if both nominees strike a different tone next week. Also look out for any announcements from the Commission on Presidential Debates regarding modifications to the format of the debates going forward to promote a more civil dialogue that informs the American public.Justice Department to Sue Google Over Antitrust Issues The US Justice Departments plans to sue Google for withholding important information from its competitors and is asking the attorneys general of various states to join the lawsuit. The lawsuit is expected to allege that Google withheld information about users and their preferences from competitors such as Microsoft’s Bing, thereby engaging in anti-competitive behavior. Google has responded to the lawsuit by arguing that it does not engage in such behavior and that its users have access to other information sources on its platform, such as Twitter for news and Amazon for product suggestions. Google also contends that it competes with other technology giants such as Oracle and Verizon in the advertising market. Watch next week to find out which states join the lawsuit against Google and if the two parties strike a preliminary deal to prevent the case from going forward. Look out also for reactions from lawmakers given that many of them across party lines have expressed concerns about large technology companies, ranging from worker exploitation to online censorship. House Democrats to Hold Hearing on Combating Misinformation Ahead of Election The Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration, currently controlled by Democrats, will hold a hearing discussing how to reduce misinformation going into the November presidential election. The hearing will likely focus on statements made by President Trump and his allies, including those questioning the integrity of mail-in ballots. The chairwoman of the committee, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), was one of the impeachment managers who presented the case to remove President Trump from office in the Senate. She has been criticized by congressional Republicans for misinforming the Senate about President Trump’s alleged quid pro quo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Watch to find out if the Democrats on the subcommittee seek to push social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook to remove or flag content that they deem to be improper. Also, look out for members of the committee to call on members of the Trump administration to testify before Election Day. Pompeo to Meet with Asian Allies to Discuss China, North Korea Threat US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Japan, Mongolia, and South Korea next week to solidify America’s diplomatic ties with those nations at a time when American ties with China seem to be fraying. As part of the trip, Pompeo will also meet the foreign ministers of India, Australia, and Japan in order to discuss security cooperation and alternatives to regional infrastructure financing offered by China. This meeting assumes renewed importance given America’s disapproval of China’s handling of COVID-19, the new national security law in Hong Kong, and China’s actions in the South China Sea. Pompeo is also likely to discuss the North Korean threat in his meeting in South Korea as diplomacy with the former nation threatens to collapse entirely. Watch to find out if the aforementioned nations outline any steps to counter Chinese geopolitical influence or if the State Department issues a press release detailing new plans regarding North Korea. Treasury Department to Start Forgiving Small Business Loans The US Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration expect to start processing forgiveness applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program next week. The $659 billion program was started to aid small businesses that were kept from functioning at optimal capacity due to the pandemic. The SBA plans to wade through close to 96,000 requests for loans forgiveness, close to 2 percent of all loans issued as part of the program. While the PPP loans were essential in aiding thousands of small business stay open, the process of getting such a loan has been criticized by certain banks and business advocates as being long and overly cumbersome. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has stated that he would support legislation that would forgive all loans under $150,000 issued as part of the program, but such legislation has not been forthcoming. Watch next week to find out if lawmakers entertain new draft legislation to forgive all PPP loans under $150,000 or if they consider renewing the program entirely as many localities across the nation ponder reinstating lockdowns. Newt's Latest Podcasts: Order Newt's Latest Book: https://www.gingrich360.com/trump-and-the-american-future