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New FEC chair tries backdoor route to campaign finance oversight

The new chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission says the agency is going to stop defending itself when sued for inadequately policing campaign financing.

The order to FEC lawyers from Democrat Ellen Weintraub, a commissioner for 16 years who took the gavel in January, is a backdoor attempt to enhance enforcement of political donation disclosure rules at a time when the agency is in an extended period of deadlock. (Only four of the six seats on the FEC are filled – two Republicans, an independent and Weintraub – and it takes four votes for almost any action.)


If her colleagues "are not going to vote to enforce the law, I'm not going to pull any punches and I'm not going to be shy about calling them out," Weintraub told Mother Jones. "And if we get sued, that requires four votes to defend those kinds of lawsuits ... I'm not going to authorize the use of agency resources to defend that litigation."

Four campaign finance lawyers, including three who used to work at the FEC, told the magazine the move was unprecedented and had the potential to reshape the campaign finance system, depending on how the courts react.

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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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