Taipei is gearing up for an election season that should be a celebration of local democracy, yet there is an uneasy feeling in the air. The upcoming mayoral race is not just about housing policy, transit plans, or the usual promises that come with any campaign—it has become a stage for a much quieter, more insidious battle. According to officials familiar with China’s united front operations, Beijing is likely to escalate its information warfare aimed at influencing the outcome of this election. The concern is not traditional political interference, like overt endorsements or direct mobilization through immigrant communities, but something…

In the final stretch of one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country, Texas Democrat James Talarico found himself at the center of a political storm that had nothing to do with policy. The 37-year-old candidate had stepped off the campaign trail in late September, telling supporters he was battling a bad case of the flu. It was a mundane, even relatable setback for a candidate running an energetic statewide campaign — until a right-wing media ecosystem decided his absence was something far darker. On October 11, two conservative influencers published a recording that they claimed proved…