Republicans Clogging State Department with Probes

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“Republicans have launched more than 30 investigations into the State Department since taking power in 2023, an unusually high number that is fueling partisan tensions,” Politico reports. “Democratic lawmakers and State Department officials say this particular chapter of the growing partisan rancor on Capitol Hill is affecting U.S. foreign policy: It distracts U.S. diplomats from their jobs.”

State Department Has Not Spent a Dime to Protect Against Russia’s Virtual Assault

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“As Russia’s virtual war against the United States continues unabated with the midterm elections approaching, the State Department has yet to spend any of the $120 million it has been allocated since late 2016 to counter foreign efforts to meddle in elections or sow distrust in democracy,” the New York Times reports. “As a result, not one of the 23 analysts working in the department’s Global Engagement Center — which has been tasked with countering Moscow’s disinformation campaign — speaks Russian, and a department hiring freeze has hindered efforts to recruit the computer experts needed to track the Russian efforts.”