PARIS, France, May 20 [Category: Media] -- Reporters Without Borders issued the following news: * * * "When it comes to China, we're not dealing with classic disinformation campaigns": How Albania's information space is primed for Chinese propaganda * In recent years, Balkan and European Union (EU) experts in foreign interference have been increasingly concerned about China's influence in Albania's information space. As part of The Propaganda Monitor project, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)   more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, May 20 [Category: Sociological] -- Americans for Prosperity posted the following news release: * * * AFP-AL Congratulates Endorsed State Legislature Candidates on Primary Night Victories * MONTGOMERY, AL - Americans for Prosperity-Alabama (AFP-AL) congratulates endorsed state legislative candidates Rep. James Lomax (HD-20) and Lloyd Peeples (HD-48) for their primary victories. In advance of last night's elections, AFP-AL deployed its grassroots capabilities, as well as d  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 [Category: Political] -- The Campaign Legal Center posted the following news release: * * * Campaign Legal Center Responds to Attacks on Civil Rights Organization * On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee is set to hold a hearing that appears designed to further the federal government's ongoing attacks against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a civil rights organization with a long history of protecting the freedom to vote   more

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, May 20 -- The Caribbean Community, an organization that aims to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, issued the following news release: * * * CARICOM Secretary-General Opens 29th COFCOR Meeting with Call for Strategic Unity in Navigating Hemispheric and International Shifts * "While reaching common positions from diverse national interests is complex, as we have demonstrated over the years, the ability to coordinate foreign policy positions demo  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12689) by Latin American affairs specialist Clare Ribando Seelke. Here are excerpts: * * * Colombia's 2026 Presidential Election On May 31, Colombia, a top U.S. security partner in Latin America, is scheduled to convene an election to replace President Gustavo Petro (2022-present), who is constitutionally barred from seeking reelection. U.S. officials and some Members of Congres  more

NEW YORK, May 20 -- Common Cause - New York issued the following news release on May 19, 2026: * * * Voting Rights Group Seeks Ruling to Prevent Federal Interference in Elections Before 2026 Midterms Today, Common Cause and four individual voters filed a motion for partial summary judgment in their federal lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from attempting to compile voters' personal data and take over elections from the states. With just months before the midterm elections and primarie  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on May 20, 2026: * * * WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Georgia Senate Race "Plunges Republicans into Another Monthlong Intraparty Fight," Bringing "Sharper Attacks and Deeper Divisions" National Republicans are facing yet another "bruising," "monthlong," "messy intra-party battle" that will force Mike Collins and Derek Dooley to "keep duking it out among themselves" as their "infighting" continues to "br  more

PASAY CITY, Philippines, May 21 -- The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs issued the following news release: * * * DFA-OVS Joins COMELEC Stakeholders Forum on Draft TOR for 2028 Online Voting System The Department of Foreign Affairs - Office for Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) attended the Stakeholders Forum and Presentation of the Draft Terms of Reference (TOR) for the proposed Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) and Secure Electronic Transmission Services (SETS) for the 2  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: * * * Durbin Speaks Against The Trump Administration's Efforts To Restrict Americans' Voting Rights & The Recent Supreme Court Decision To Gut The VRA * May 20, 2026 Durbin: "Across this country, Republican lawmakers and litigators are using every trick in the book to rig the rules of the game. Why? They're afraid of losing in November." WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 [Category: Political] -- EMILYs List issued the following news release: * * * EMILYs List-Endorsed Candidates Advance to General Election in Key Pennsylvania Races Up and Down the Ballot * Following EMILYs List-endorsed candidates in critical congressional and state legislative races becoming the Democratic nominees, EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler released the below statement:  "In Pennsylvania, EMILYs List women are playing a central role in the fight to take bac  more

NORTHRIDGE, California, May 20 -- California State University Northridge issued the following news release: * * * Faculty and Staff Achievements Spring 2026 * The work of CSUN faculty and staff members is recognized in a variety of ways, including: * Funding from outside organizations to support unique programs and cutting-edge research facilitated on campus. * Publications of books or articles. * Professional awards. * Presentations at conferences. * Appointments and election  more

STRASBOURG, France, May 21 -- The Parliamentary Assembly, an arm of the Council of Europe, issued the following news: * * * Georgia: democratic backsliding and crackdown on opposition and civil society continue, says PACE committee The Monitoring Committee has expressed "serious concerns about the democratic breakdown and deep political and social crisis" in Georgia, warning that "the democratic backsliding has continued unabated as has the crackdown on civil society, political opposition and  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, May 20 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release: * * * Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Jenna Persons-Mulicka as Lee County Supervisor of Elections * TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Jenna Persons-Mulicka as Lee County Supervisor of Elections. Jenna Persons-Mulicka Persons-Mulicka is a Founding Partner and Attorney at Strayhorn & Persons-Mulicka. Active in her community, she is currently elected to  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, May 20 -- The University of Tennessee posted the following news: * * * Haslam Leadership Scholars To Welcome 16 First-Year Students * This fall, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will welcome 16 first-year students as the 2026 class of Haslam Leadership Scholars. Established in 2008 with a gift from Jimmy and Dee Haslam and Jim and Natalie Haslam, the scholarship program honors the Haslam family's legacy of developing community-minded and intellectually gifted you  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Administration Committee, issued the following remarks at the markup of seven pieces of legislation, including the Campaign Finance Transparency Act and Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act: * * * Today, the Committee on House Administration will consider 7 pieces of legislation. I want to begin with the Campaign Finance Transparency Act. Three years ago, this Committee initiated an investigatio  more

LANSING, Michigan, May 21 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release on May 20, 2026: * * * ICYMI: Barrett's Mileage Reimbursements from Campaign Raises Questions New reporting finds that Tom Barrett's campaign paid himself close to $22,000 in mileage reimbursements, "notable because they far exceed the mileage payments reported by his recent opponents and most members of Michigan's congressional delegation." In response, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel r  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on May 19, 2026: * * * ICYMI: Georgia Republicans Fear "a Repeat of the GOP's 2022 Senate Blunder" as "Costly and Potentially Bruising Runoff" Looms In case you missed it, tonight's Peach State primary has Republicans consumed with "creeping anxiety" as they openly worry that "national political headwinds, an extended G.O.P. primary fight, and [Sen. Jon] Ossoff's popularity" will crater their   more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, May 20 [Category: Sociological] -- Americans for Prosperity posted the following news release: * * * ICYMI: To Win in 2026 Midterms, GOP Must Keep Fighting to Lower Cost of Living * ARLINGTON, VA- In an op-ed published in The Hill, Vice President of External Affairs Katelyn Bledsoe of Americans for Prosperity, warns that despite progress this past year, millions of Americans still do not feel enough relief from the high cost of living. She argues that voters are judging   more

LANSING, Michigan, May 21 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release on May 20, 2026: * * * THROWBACK: "Mike Rogers voted against reining in special interests. Now he's running for US Senate." [The 'Gander] Two years ago today, The 'Gander reported on how multi-millionaire GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers "has done little (if anything) to curb the outsized role that cash--and corporate influence--plays in deciding federal policy." Reviewing his record from his time in  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, May 21 -- The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor issued the following news release on May 20, 2026: * * * MEDS Commission Calls on General Assembly to Fully Fund SEIMS Replacement The Modernization of Election Data Systems (MEDS) Advisory Commission today approved a resolution urging the North Carolina General Assembly to provide necessary and sustained funding for the full replacement of the Statewide Elections Information Management System (SEIMS). The MEDS  more

EVANSTON, Illinois, May 21 -- Northwestern University posted the following news release: * * * Northwestern experts available on upcoming Supreme Court rulings CHICAGO -- Professors from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences are available to comment on upcoming Supreme Court rulings expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The court is expected to release opinions on birthright citizenship, transgender athletes and Federal Reserve Board member Lisa   more

WASHINGTON, May 20 [Category: Political] -- The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights issued the following news release: * * * Over 440 Civil Rights, Faith, and Labor Organizations Call Department of Justice Indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center a "Naked Attempt to Weaponize the the Criminal Justice System to Silence Speech" * National Coalition Urges Congress to "Put a Stop to It" Ahead of House Judiciary Committee Hearing on SPLC The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human   more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- President Trump issued the following statement on on May 20, 2026, on Cuban Independence Day: * * * Today, we commemorate Cuban Independence Day--the 124th anniversary of a once free nation's birth, forged through sacrifice, courage, and an unbreakable desire for liberty. Like the American patriots who cast off tyrannical rule 250 years ago, Cuba's founding generation rose against the Spanish Empire's subjugation to claim the same birthright our citizens enjoy today: the   more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on May 20, 2026: * * * Ranking Member Shaheen, Senator Cruz Introduce Bipartisan Bill Responding to Democratic Backsliding and Political Repression in Tanzania Yesterday, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan Reassessing the United States-Tan  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Summer Lee, Sen. Bernie Sanders Unveil Bill to Abolish Super PACs, Stop Billionaires from Buying Candidates * WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20, 2026 -With AIPAC, crypto and AI super PACs already spending over half a billion dollars this primary season, Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12)and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today introduced legislation to ban super PACs from buying our elections. The Abolish  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 (TNSletter) -- Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party, and Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Frank Bisignano, CEO of the Internal Revenue Service, on the involvement of China in "United Front" organizations. * * * Here is the text of the letter: April 8,   more

WASHINGTON, May 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10213) by foreign affairs analyst William Piekos. Here are excerpts: * * * Sri Lanka: Background and Issues for Congress The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a constitutional democracy situated off the southeastern tip of India. A democracy since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948, Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon until 1972) is located along key sea lines   more

HAMDEN, Connecticut, May 21 -- Quinnipiac University Poll has issued the following news: * * * Trump's Handling Of Economy Hits All-Time Low, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Voters Prefer Dems To Win Control Of House But Give Them Poor Marks For Current Job More than two months after the U.S. launched an attack on Iran and with a jump in oil prices, one third of voters (33 percent) approve of the way President Donald Trump is handling the economy and 64 percent disapprove, the lowe  more

RICHMOND, Virginia, May 21 -- Gov. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, issued the following executive order (No. 16): * * * A SAFER VIRGINIA FOR ALL By virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor under Article V of the Constitution of Virginia and under the laws of the Commonwealth, including, but not limited to, Sec.Sec. 2.2-103 and 2.2-110 of the Code of Virginia, I hereby announce the policy of the Commonwealth as it relates to protecting Virginians, providing the Commonwealth's public se  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * WATCH: Hickenlooper Hammers Prediction Markets on Insider Trading, Corruption in Senate Hearing * Ranking Member Hickenlooper: "There are clear risks to our national security when there's inside information being leaked out. This shouldn't be happening." Hickenlooper has demanded the CFTC rein in prediction markets as they circumvent state laws WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlo  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, issued the following news release: * * * WATCH: Padilla Pushes Back Against Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court Ruling and Leads Floor Block in Opposition * WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and California's former Secretary of State, condemned the Supreme Court's Louisiana v Callais ruling at a Senate Judici  more

GUILFORD, England, May 20 -- The University of Surrey issued the following news release: * * * Why millions of Europeans vote one way nationally -- and the opposite in Brussels, according to new study * Millions of voters deliberately back one party in national elections and another in European elections to better match their views, according to new research from the University of Surrey. In a study published in Politics and Governance, researchers argue that this behaviour is not random a  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand White House Fire Election-Denial Czar * U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their Senate colleagues in calling for election-denier Kurt Olsen's removal as Director of Election Security and Integrity at the White House. The lawmakers emphasized that Olsen has exceeded the legal limit of 130 days as a "special government employee" appointed by Trump   more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand White House Fire Election-Denial Czar * U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their Senate colleagues in calling for election-denier Kurt Olsen's removal as Director of Election Security and Integrity at the White House. The lawmakers emphasized that Olsen has exceeded the legal limit of 130 days as a "special government employee" appointed by Trump to   more