UK sanctions Sudanese military leaders implicated in El Fasher 'campaign of rape' Commanders suspected of sexual violence during the largest and fastest slaughter of civilians in more than 30 years have been subjected to travel ban and asset freezeSenior Sudanese commanders implicated in a "campaign of rape" have been targeted by the UK on the first anniversary of a mass atrocity that saw tens of thousands of civilians killed over several days.A year after the fall of El Fasher, the British government said it had sanctioned military leaders from both sides in the country's ongoing conflict whom it suspected of sexual violence during the siege of the city. Continue reading...
US forces accused of 'weaponising' Somalia's floods by trapping women and children in the path of El Niño Exclusive: Coordinated airstrikes on territory held by al-Shabaab are driving the civilian population to find refuge alongside a river where rising water levels are a threat to safety. Is it a deliberate military strategy?The water was rising rapidly. It had already reached Cayni Ali's waist. Her home, five metres from the flooded River Juba in southern Somalia, never stood a chance. There was nowhere to go. Ali's city of Jilib was under attack. Repeated airstrikes, said the mother of six, were pinning its population beside the rising river."The drones come all the time," said the 27-year-old. "We hear them constantly. They kill animals, civilians. The town is big but destruction is everywhere." Continue reading...
Sudan paramilitary drone strikes cause mass power cuts in eastern states Rapid Support Forces strike five power stations in three states controlled by Sudanese armySudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have launched a coordinated drone attack against five power stations, causing mass power outages across the country's east, a government official said.The drones hit two power stations each in the states of Al-Jazira and Gedaref and one in White Nile state, "resulting in power outages across large parts of these three states", the official said on condition of anonymity. Continue reading...
UK poised to miss reduced aid spending target of 0.3% of national income Calculations from the Center for Global Development say spending next year is likely to be £410m less than anticipatedThe UK is on course to miss its target of spending 0.3% of national income on international aid by an estimated £400m by the end of next year.Calculations from the Center for Global Development (CGD) found the UK was on course for a large shortfall in promised official development assistance at the end of 2027. Continue reading...
Mystery over source of Ebola infection in Nigeria fuels concern about spread of virus Switzerland says patient is wife of Swiss diplomat and believed to have contracted virus while travelling in UgandaHealth officials across Africa are racing to determine how Nigeria's first Ebola patient in more than a decade became infected, amid fears the outbreak could spread further after reaching a fourth African country.The Swiss foreign ministry said on Friday the patient in Nigeria, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, had not travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak was first detected in mid-May before spreading to Uganda, Kenya and now Nigeria. The woman was believed to have contracted Ebola while travelling with her husband in Uganda, the ministry added. Continue reading...
Brazil: defeated Flávio Bolsonaro ordered to surrender passports Far-right senator banned from leaving country as supreme court judge's ruling makes reference to money-laundering caseThe far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro was banned from leaving Brazil and ordered to surrender his passports just hours after his dramatic loss in the presidential election to the leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.The ruling was issued by supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes, the same justice who oversaw the trial of the senator's father, the former president Jair Bolsonaro, for attempting a coup. Continue reading...
Catholic bishop says recent White House visit was 'exploited' for political purposes Catholic bishop says recent White House visit was 'exploited' for political purposesPresident Donald Trump prays during a roundtable discussion at the Trump National Doral Miami resort in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 22, 2024. -Chandan Kanna-Getty ImagesA video of Catholic bishops praying around President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House last week has sparked debate, with some bishops claiming their attendance was "exploited" for political purposes less than two weeks before the midterm elections.The 12 clergymen joined Trump on Thursday in the Oval Office, for what Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee has said was intended to be a private meeting to discuss matters such as immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity. But in a "public apology" issued Sunday, Grob expressed deep regret over the meeting that he suggested was used as a "political photo opportunity" after White House officials shared images and footage of a moment of prayer. The video, which Grob claims was posted without the bishops' consent, has been viewed over 1.8 million times on X alone.Grob said he had received "many questions" over the encounter and wanted to emphasize that the meeting "was in no way an endorsement of the President, his policies, or his party." He said his invite to the meeting had been extended by Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind the conservative policy playbook Project 2025, and that he had been informed ahead of time there may be an opportunity to pray privately with the President. "Several photos were taken and we were ushered out [after the prayer]. Unbeknownst to the group of bishops, a video was also taken. But permission for the public distribution or posting of either the video or photos was not given by the bishops," he claimed, insisting the bishops "should never have been put in that position by the White House."The White House did not directly respond to questions over whether permission was obtained from the bishops prior to the video and photos being shared. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers told TIME "there has never been a greater President for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it," citing the pardoning of "pro-life activists" as one such example.https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/2113343568823894180Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines also issued a statement suggesting that the meeting had been "exploited." Acknowledging that "there are many things tied to this present [Trump] Administration that are blatantly at odds with our Catholic faith," Joensen said he attended the gathering as the advance communication he had received "indicated that we were to have a conversation and that key officials would be interested in hearing our perspective.""None of us bishops were unaware that our meeting was on the cusp of a national election," he said. "Yet in no way did any of us intend by our involvement to endorse any political party or any individual candidate."He added: "I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes. I pray I am more prudent and wise going forward, even as I remain resolute in my openness to engaging and praying for political leaders at all levels."Archbishop James Golka of Denver, who led the prayer in the Oval Office, has also addressed the matter after people raised questions over the timing of the video."I understand that many people saw the video, posted by the Administration twelve days before an election, as an endorsement. That was never my intention," Golka told Denver Catholic magazine. "The bishops of the United States teach that the Church cannot champion any candidate or party. I hold to that." He continued: "I've had a lot of people, really good friends, ask me, 'What were you doing?' 'Why did you do that?' I just answer: 'I was being a Catholic priest. We pray for people.'"Other clergymen in attendance included the former Archbishop of Kansas City Joseph Naumann. In a statement to TIME, his successor, Archbishop Shawn McKnight, said Naumann's presence at the White House "was in his own individual capacity" and that "his actions and presence at that event were not on behalf of, or representative of, myself or the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas."A separate statement from Archbishop Emeritus Naumann's office said of the event: "The bishops were assured that no photographs would be made public. They came to have a discussion on important policy matters. As Catholic bishops, they pray with everyone, but do not endorse candidates or political parties."The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), meanwhile, has distanced itself from the gathering. A spokesperson for the group told TIME that "the meeting was not organized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops" and emphasized it was "not affiliated" in any way. Trump described the meeting as "really good" when speaking with reporters Friday, calling the bishops a "nice group of people" who "mostly prayed" in the Oval Office. Amid the online discourse, White House Faith Office director Jenny Korn defended the gathering, describing it as "not politics," but "policy in action ending with meaningful prayer with, and for, the President. The controversy comes as the Trump Administration seeks to maintain support among Catholic voters ahead of the midterms. According to data circulated by the Pew Research Center in 2025, 20% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Catholic. Trump's approval rating among Catholics has fallen to 30% as of October 2026, compared to the 47% he held when he returned to the White House in January 2025, per the D.C.-based think tank. When asked about the drop in support from Catholic voters in an Oct. 22 interview, Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert, said that while he believes Catholics, and Americans in general, are not "displeased with the direction" of the country, he acknowledges that "a lot more work needs to happen." "The Catholic vote is absolutely critical in electoral politics in the United States, and particularly in the midterms," says David Gibson, director of the Center of Religion and Culture at Fordham University. He adds that while certain religious groups may stick more with a particular political party, the "Catholic vote can shift between Republicans and Democrats much more easily than any other religious bloc."Trump won a majority of Catholic voters in the 2024 Presidential election, taking 55% of the Catholic vote to former Vice President Kamala Harris' 43%, according to the Pew Research Center. With Republicans attempting to retain control of both chambers of Congress amid tight races, Catholic voters could prove an important voting bloc.Yet the Administration has also faced growing tensions with Pope Leo XIV in recent months. Trump and the first American-born Pope have repeatedly clashed over policy disagreements, particularly Leo's opposition to the Administration's immigration crackdown and the Iran war."The dynamics are shifting. For the past few years, the white Catholic vote was very solidly with the Republicans and with Trump, but Catholics are growing disaffected with him," says Gibson. "Now you have an American Pope, from Chicago, the Midwest, and he is widely popular. American Catholics identify with him, and Trump has not ceased picking fights with the Pope, and American Catholics [could be] getting kind of fed up with it."
American Catholic leaders have raised concerns over Trump's policies
In January, three Catholic Cardinals issued a "rare joint statement on the morality of U.S. foreign policy." Archbishop of Chicago Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Washington Robert McElroy, and Archbishop of Newark Joseph Tobin said the "events in Venezuela, Ukraine, and Greenland have raised basic questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace." They argued that the "building of just and sustainable peace" is being "reduced to partisan categories that encourage polarization and destructive policies." The statement bolstered remarks Pope Leo had made earlier that month, in which he warned against a "diplomacy based on force."Trump's war with Iran has prompted further warnings from American Catholic leaders.Archbishop of Oklahoma City Paul Coakley, who serves as president of the USCCB, earlier this year joined Pope Leo in urging Trump to pursue a negotiated settlement to the war.The Trump Administration's immigration enforcement practices have also prompted debate. Upon returning to the White House, Trump rescinded previous government guidance that restricted immigration arrests in sensitive locations, including schools, churches, and hospitals. Immigration enforcement efforts subsequently intensified, with arrests reported outside churches, drawing backlash from religious leaders.In November 2025, the USCCB approved a special message opposing indiscriminate mass deportations by an overwhelming vote of 216 in favor and five against. The bishops also raised concerns about detention conditions, family separation, the loss of legal status, and "the lack of access to pastoral care."The message was later echoed by other Catholic leaders across the country. In December 2025, the Catholic bishops of Wisconsin issued a statement that expressed "strong concern" over what they referred to as "the indiscriminate nature of the current federal immigration enforcement." Gibson says that although the USCCB used to have a somewhat friendly relationship with the Republican party, particularly on the pursuit to overturn Roe v. Wade, relations have grown increasingly frayed during Trump's return to the White House. He points to the USCCB's argument that the Administration has denied visas for priests and bishops, and the announced cuts to the resettlement of refugees for Catholic charities.However, Catholic bishops have diverse views on politics and the Trump Administration.Last year, Bishop Robert Barron was among those selected to serve on Trump's Religious Liberty Commission.The 2025 National Study of Catholic Priests found that from a sample of 1,164 priests, 30% identified as somewhat to very liberal, 36% as moderate, and 34% as somewhat to very conservative.This article originally appeared on Time at https://time.com/article/2026/10/26/catholic-bishops-apologize-meeting-with-trump-white-house-video/
El-Sayed fires back at Trump with a pointed 'Senator Mohamed' joke El-Sayed fires back at Trump with a pointed 'Senator Mohamed' jokeMichigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D) on Sunday fired back at President Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric toward him, telling supporters that the president will be referring to him as "Senator Mohamed" if he wins in November."I get that the president of the United States takes personal offense to my first name," El-Sayed said at a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. "He doesn't mind as much when it's a shared name from the Saudis who are funding his son-in-law's private equity. Doesn't seem to mind as much when it's the Qataris who are giving him a $400 million private jet. He just seems to have trouble pronouncing it when it's my name.""But y'all, I don't care how he pronounces my name," he continued. "I don't even care that he remembers my whole name. Because he can just go on and call me 'senator' after November. I will be Senator Mohamed to you, bro."If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim American to serve in the Senate.Trump has frequently attacked El-Sayed's faith on the campaign trail, mocking his name and alleging the candidate has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group founded in Egypt that has influenced and supported fundamentalist movements across the region.The president has accused the Detroit-area physician of being a "terrorist sympathizer" and a "jihadist," calling the Michigan Democrat "Mohamed El-Sayed."While rallying in Michigan on Sunday for El-Sayed's opponent, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), Trump claimed that El-Sayed would "have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate."Trump then likened El-Sayed to the hijackers behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks after introducing speaker David Beamer at the rally. Beamer's son, Todd Beamer, was among the passengers who died on United Flight 93, Reuters reported.
"Twenty-five years later, Michigan needs to stand up and fight just like Todd did to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol," Trump said.El-Sayed, whose full name is Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, is Muslim and was born in Michigan to Egyptian immigrant parents. Rogers has also made claims tying El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, saying at Sunday's rally that the group "celebrated exactly one victory in the United States in the primary this year. Abdul El-Sayed's.""Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker pressed Rogers on NBC News about Trump's past remarks calling El-Sayed a "violent terrorist" and whether he agreed with the president. "No, I don't," Rogers said. "I've never called him a terrorist. I've never called him a terrorist. This election is about me versus Abdul. I mean, he's a Democrat Socialist of America-aligned candidate who has these pretty radical support groups that don't like America. I think those are issues people ought to decide their election on."Rogers said El-Sayed "just won't answer the question" about any alleged connection with the Muslim Brotherhood and told Welker that his opponent "is getting money from groups that support the Muslim Brotherhood. Money from groups that support Hamas and Hezbollah."El-Sayed has vigorously denied any personal ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, though Republicans have dug up past statements by El-Sayed they say are sympathetic to the Islamist movement that briefly took over Egypt in 2012 and 2013.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.This article originally appeared on The Hill at https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6171651-el-sayed-fires-back-trump-attacks/
Trump administration attempting to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey again Trump administration attempting to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey againWASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration is attempting to prosecute James Comey for what it calls a decade-old leak of classified information, an effort the former FBI director's lawyers immediately dismissed as invalid and outside the legal time limit for when the Justice Department can file a criminal indictment. The allegations from the Justice Department were revealed Monday in newly unsealed court documents that shed light on a closed-door fight that represents a clear escalation in the administration's targeting of Comey, a longtime critic and foe of President Donald Trump who has faced two other criminal cases since the Republican returned to the White House last year. The effort to prosecute Comey is also part of a series of politically charged investigative actions the department has undertaken in the run-up to next week's midterm elections. "Well, they're back - again," Comey said in a video statement released after the documents dropped. "It would almost be funny if it weren't such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice - one that we cannot become numb to. Nothing's changed with me; I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid of these people - and I still believe in an independent federal judiciary." The Justice Department, for its part, said it had filed what's known as a "criminal information" to extend the 10-year statute of limitations for bringing a case. "Filing a criminal information to toll the statute of limitations is a widely recognized practice in federal court and has been approved by multiple Circuit Courts of Appeals. This is an ongoing criminal investigation, and we will not comment further," a department spokesperson said. A criminal information is typically filed with a defendant's consent accompanying a plea deal, but Comey's lawyers made clear that they intend to fight the charges as invalid and barred by the statute of limitations. "For the third time in little more than one year, the Department of Justice has attempted to charge Mr. Comey with a federal crime. Mr. Comey steadfastly maintains his innocence," his attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, said in a statement.
The allegation was previously investigated
The latest allegation concerns an October 2016 New York Times story related to a secret court order that required Yahoo to scan emails for messages potentially linked to a foreign terrorist organization. The story cited two government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the order from a judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that Yahoo was barred from publicly disclosing. Federal authorities, including then-Special Counsel John Durham, began investigating the FBI's Oct. 5, 2016, disclosure to The New York Times in early 2017. Durham wrote a classified memo in December 2018 recommending no criminal charges against anyone in connection with the disclosure, Comey's attorneys said in a recent court filing. In January 2019, the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia opened a second investigation of the same matter under the code name "Tropical Vortex." But that investigation was closed without any charges filed in February 2020. "Both times the Government determined that no charges should be brought against anyone. Now, ten years after the article was published, the Government filed an "Information" against Mr. Comey that was not approved by a judge nor issued by a grand jury. It purports to charge Mr. Comey with crimes that he did not commit," Fitzgerald said.
Trump and Comey have a long and uneasy history
The first case against Comey was dismissed after the judge found that the prosecutor who brought the indictment was illegally appointed. Comey was charged in a separate case in April over a social media post depicting seashells on the beach that officials said constituted a threat against the president. Comey was the FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, having been appointed by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and serving before that as a senior Justice Department official in President George W. Bush's Republican administration. But the relationship was strained from the start, including after Comey resisted a request by Trump at a private dinner to pledge his personal loyalty to the president -- an overture that so unnerved the FBI director that he documented it in a contemporaneous memorandum. Trump fired Comey in May 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's campaign. That inquiry, later taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller, found that while Russia interfered in the 2016 election and the Trump team welcomed the help, there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal collaboration.This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-administration-attempting-prosecute-former-213613214.html
Dollar General accused of overcharging shoppers in lawsuit filed by FTC and 20 states Dollar General accused of overcharging shoppers in lawsuit filed by FTC and 20 statesBy Jody Godoy Oct 26 (Reuters) - Dollar General repeatedly charged more than advertised prices even after receiving tens of thousands of consumer complaints, the US Federal Trade Commission and 20 states alleged in a lawsuit filed on Monday. Dollar General, which appeals to low-income consumers with bargain prices, made millions of dollars by failing to honor prices advertised on fliers and shelves at checkout, the FTC and states allege. The discount retailer's stock was down more than 4% on Monday afternoon. "Dollar General has, for years, repeatedly mislabeled prices, overcharged consumers and failed to correct the issue despite extensive corporate knowledge of the problem," the FTC and states said in a statement. Representatives for Dollar General did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit cited numerous complaints from consumers, failed inspections conducted by state authorities, and undercover shopping sprees conducted by the FTC. Portions of the lawsuit detailing the company's knowledge of the practices were largely redacted. California joined the FTC lawsuit along with Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee and 13 other states. Since 2019, Dollar General has paid $6 million in settlements with six states over inaccurate pricing, according to the complaint. (Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Bill Berkrot) This article originally appeared on Reuters at https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-20-states-sue-dollar-174735286.html
Microsoft (MSFT) announced on Monday that it was offering voluntary buyouts to roughly 60,000 employees as it looks to reshape its organization for the AI era.
"The Voluntary Exit Offer reflects an important part of how we're evolving our approach to change: creating greater flexibility and, where possible, more ways for employees to shape their next chapter," Amy Coleman, Microsoft's executive vice president and chief people officer, wrote in a memo to employees.
The company is reportedly offering buyouts to employees in Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States at level 70 and below, which includes some senior-level personnel.
The announcement follows Microsoft's first voluntary retirement program, which it announced in May. The retirement packages offered ranged from eight to 39 weeks of base pay, depending on employees' positions and tenure.
The offers to staff come as Microsoft plans to spend $190 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, largely tied to its investments in artificial intelligence.
All eyes will be on the Big Tech giant on Wednesday, when Microsoft releases its quarterly earnings and provides an update on its capex plans and Azure cloud growth.This article originally appeared on Yahoo Finance at https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/article/microsoft-offers-voluntary-buyout-to-60000-employees-160011034.html
Thousands of poll watchers are preparing for an Election Day unlike any other Thousands of poll watchers are preparing for an Election Day unlike any otherNEW YORK (AP) - Democrats and outside watchdogs are planning a massive presence at the polls on Election Day driven by concerns that President Donald Trump will further leverage the vast resources of the federal government to interfere with a midterm that could hobble his final two years in office. They won't be the only ones there. A sprawling election protection effort on the left that is expected to deploy tens of thousands of monitors will be met by the largest-ever monitoring program by the Justice Department and still more observers from Republican-aligned groups. The result could be unlike anything seen at the polls in modern times. The effort among Democratic and nonprofit groups includes training volunteers to stand watch outside polling places and report activities they consider concerning. The network includes traditional government watchdogs such as Common Cause and the American Civil Liberties Union plus a flood of volunteers assembled by state Democratic parties, congressional leaders, national activist groups and organizations focused on protecting democracy. The Democratic National Committee's Association of State Democratic Committees created a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity unit staffed by former CIA and FBI officials to monitor and report online misinformation, including artificial intelligence deepfakes, said Jane Kleeb, vice chair of the DNC. That's as Democratic mayors, attorneys general and secretaries of state host tabletop exercises simulating worst-case scenarios, such as a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at voting locations or the seizure of ballots and voting equipment. On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders have assembled a legal team that rivals that of any presidential campaign. "We've never done this before," Kleeb said of the party's sweeping efforts. But "we've never had to deal with the president of the United States saying that he may seize ballots, put ICE agents outside polling locations and other kinds of very clear direct threats to the voting process." The Department of Justice has already filed lawsuits in California and Alaska that could affect ballot counting or certification. While Trump continues to make baseless allegations of cheating in the election, administration and military officials have said they have no plans to deploy immigration agents or troops to polling sites. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis blamed "radical Democrats" for creating fears about election security by refusing to enact voter ID requirements and other Republican-backed measures. "President Trump has done more than any other president to ensure we have free and fair elections," Bis said.
Tens of thousands of volunteers trained to observe
State Democratic parties have trained an estimated 10,000 volunteers to observe polling places and report anything potentially concerning they might see from federal agents. Common Cause has trained roughly 16,000 more volunteers to stand watch at voting precincts, said Suzanne Almeida, vice president of states for the group. She said a broader Election Protection coalition involving 300 other groups has trained tens of thousands more. Smaller pockets of volunteers from other groups also are preparing to show up, including roughly 100 organized by Senate Democrats and hundreds more from a Democratic-allied group called Save America, which is training clergy members, veterans, teachers and other local community members. National groups such as Indivisible and MoveOn are activating their own expansive networks. There are so many organizations working to protect the voting process - including many that cannot legally coordinate with each other - that some officials involved worry about unintentionally creating chaos outside polling locations. Almeida said Election Day confusion is possible in some precincts but the nature of the threat requires a collective effort. "It will actually take all of us if some of the threats we are most worried about come to pass," she said.
Trump administration sends its own team
Harmeet Dhillon, a Trump appointee who leads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, was asked on CBS' "60 Minutes" whether the Republican administration is planning to send ICE agents to polling places. "There is no plan to do that," she responded. Still, the Justice Department is planning its largest-ever election monitoring effort, with about 1,000 department staff expected to observe voting and ensure federal laws are being followed, spokesperson Kiersten Pels said. That comes after a primary season in which the department said it deployed more than 100 election monitors across hundreds of polling locations. At least one of those placements sparked tensions with local officials. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, said the behavior of two monitors during that state's primary was "a bit aggressive" and "irregular." A Laramie County clerk said the Justice Department monitors arrived at the polls intending to interview voters, but her office didn't allow it. The department disagrees that the monitors did anything improper, Pels said. She added that the monitors are trained to comply with federal law governing conduct at polling places and won't "interfere with the voting process." Democratic lawmakers and voting rights advocates have raised concerns that the Trump administration's monitors could intimidate voters or abandon the duty they've had for decades to protect against civil rights violations. The department plans to send them to every state, focusing on high-population areas, jurisdictions that have had problems in the past and districts with close elections, according to a senior department official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under terms set by the department. The Republican National Committee said its operation involves deploying "election integrity deputy state directors" in 22 states, among them Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina. Those workers are the "eyes and the ears of the RNC in the field" who recruit volunteers and organize trainings, said Ally Triolo, the RNC's election integrity communications director. Their mission is to surface anything that seems unlawful. At the same time, the RNC has enlisted nearly 22,000 poll workers and is recruiting poll-watching volunteers for competitive districts. The poll watchers will "observe the process and help ensure election rules are followed in accordance with the law," Triolo said.
Local election officials prepare for increased attention
While federal monitors have quietly observed elections for decades, largely without incident, some election officials are taking precautions. Chris Swope, the city clerk in Lansing, Michigan, said he preemptively contacted law enforcement and his attorney in case federal monitors violate election law, although he expects them to abide by the rules. The Democratic Mayors Association issued guidance to local Democratic officials with detailed instructions about what to do if federal agents appear at polling locations. It notes that federal law prohibits the presence of federal immigration agents, the FBI or other investigative personnel. It also issued a reminder that federal agents are not allowed to be armed at the polls, nor are they allowed to interact with voters or handle ballots or election equipment. Justice Department officials have said their monitors won't be armed and will not interfere with voting. Asked about department monitors being sent to Georgia, Trump told a reporter recently: "They're not going to do anything other than watch." Some of the poll observations have already begun. Mary Corcoran, Save America's executive director, said her group's volunteers have been monitoring precincts during early voting in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio to help give voters a sense of security. "The fear is the point, and we must do something about it," she said. "Left unanswered, fear does the work of keeping people home without a single agent setting foot at a polling place." ___ Associated Press writers Jacqueline GaNun in Lansing, Mich., Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Jessica Hill in Las Vegas contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/thousands-observers-expected-descend-polling-110838570.html
