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Texas Senate backs election changes; critics suspect suppression

The Republican-majority state Senate voted Monday for a package of election law changes that opponents deride as a thinly-veiled effort to suppress turnout in Texas as it moves toward becoming the nation's biggest politically competitive state.

The bill would turn some election-related misdemeanors into felonies and end the requirement that such offenses be committed with fraudulent intent. It would also expand police powers to conduct sting investigations in political cases, make it tougher for seniors and the disabled to get help at polling places, and tighten the regulation of election volunteers. (To the delight of those advocating for more transparent elections, however, the measure would mandate all electronic voting machines produce a paper record.)


"There are no changes in this bill that are intended or would create a pitfall or a trap for the unwary or a 'gotcha' in elections," GOP state Sen. Bryan Hughes said. "Changes in this bill are to catch and punish cheaters."

"This legislation magnifies the voter suppression tactics that [Texas politicians] have been pursuing for the last couple of years," Zenén Jaimes Pérez, advocacy director for the Texas Civil Rights Project, countered to the San Antonio Current.

GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says the measure is one of his top priorities for a session that ends in six weeks. It now goes to the state House, where the Republican majority is a bit narrower than in the Senate.

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Similarity Hub Shows >700 Instances of Cross-Partisan Common Ground

Two coloured pencils one red and one blue drawing a reef knot on a white paper background.

Getty Images, David Malan

Similarity Hub Shows >700 Instances of Cross-Partisan Common Ground

It is a common refrain to say that Americans need to find common ground across the political spectrum.

Over the past year, AllSides and More Like US found >700 instances of common ground on political topics, revealed in Similarity Hub. It highlights public opinion data from Gallup, Pew Research, YouGov, and many other reputable polling firms.

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U.S. Refines Military Strategy in Africa As Development Programs Face Cuts

Royal Moroccan Armed Forces service members and U.S. Army Soldiers hold an African Lion banner during a Moroccan F-16 flyover at the closing day of African Lion 2025 (AL25) at Tantan, Morocco, May 23, 2025.

By Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Mallett/U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

U.S. Refines Military Strategy in Africa As Development Programs Face Cuts

WASHINGTON – Both the Trump administration and its critics agree the U.S. risks losing influence in Africa to rivals like China and Russia. But while the administration argues its commercially driven foreign policy will reverse the trend, critics warn that retreating from development and diplomacy could deepen the problem.

Under the Trump administration, the U.S. plans to consolidate embassies, scale back USAID operations, and pivot towards a security and commercial driven approach on the continent. While U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) defense officials insist their core missions within Africa will remain intact, civilian experts and lawmakers argue that abandoning diplomatic and development tools opens the door for strategic competitors to fill the void and fails to take into account what would best benefit African countries.

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