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US Foreign Service
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- 1US data firm accused of Russian ties served EU projects●"A U.S.-based data-extraction firm accused of being secretly run from Russia has worked on EU-backed projects and sold i
Oxygen Forensics, a data-extraction firm presented as US-based, has been accused of being secretly run from Russia. According to documents seen by POLITICO, the company worked on EU-backed projects and sold its services to European law enforcement agencies. The US Justice Department last week charged the firm, raising questions about how it gained access to European police and public contracts.
- 2Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Repeal Helms Amendment▼Schakowsky, Booker, Colleagues Reintroduce Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act to Repeal Harmful Helms Amendment
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Senator Cory Booker and fellow Democrats have reintroduced the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, legislation that would repeal the Helms Amendment. The decades-old measure blocks US foreign aid from funding abortion services overseas. Supporters argue the restriction denies safe care to women in low-income countries, while opponents back the long-standing funding ban.
- 3'America First' means counting the true cost of America's wars▼‘America First’ means evaluating real cost of our wars — and who pays the ultimate price
A new opinion piece argues that an 'America First' foreign policy should start with an honest accounting of the real costs of American wars — financial and human — and asks who ultimately pays the price when the United States goes to war. The argument challenges policymakers to weigh the burden borne by service members and taxpayers before committing to future conflicts.
- 4James Madison University names its first-ever Rangel Fellow●Foreign affairs, diplomacy and JMU's first~ever Rangel Fellow
James Madison University has its first-ever Rangel Fellow, a student selected for the prestigious Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, which prepares young Americans for careers in the US Foreign Service. The fellowship funds graduate study and offers internships in Congress and US embassies abroad. The university is highlighting the achievement as a milestone for its foreign affairs and international relations programs, marking JMU's entry onto the list of schools producing future diplomats.
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A decline in international tourism is hitting the US economy, according to reporting by Semafor. Fewer foreign visitors means reduced spending on hotels, restaurants, attractions and travel services, sectors that rely heavily on inbound travel. The drop is being read as a potential drag on growth and a concern for businesses and workers in tourism-dependent regions.
- 6Russia accused of recruiting US men for Ukraine front lines●Russia paying US recruits $26,000 to become cannon fodder in Ukraine war Russia is recruiting frontline troops for its w
Reports say Russia is paying American recruits around $26,000 to fight as frontline troops in its war against Ukraine, with at least 18 US men allegedly duped into enlisting. The claim highlights Moscow's desperate manpower shortages, with Russian casualties estimated at 1.5 million, including 500,000 deaths, since the full-scale invasion began.
- 7HIV services for children and pregnant women still disrupted in Tanzania●"More than a year later, she said that disruptions to HIV/AIDS services for children and pregnant women remain across Ta
More than a year after US government funding cuts disrupted HIV/AIDS programmes, services for children and pregnant women in Tanzania remain broken, according to a woman cited in the report. Limited American funding has since returned, but the damage persists. Similar disruptions are playing out across Africa, Asia and beyond as a result of the Trump administration's aid cuts.