U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced legislation Friday aimed at strengthening oversight of the Medicare home health program, combating fraud, and protecting legitimate home health agencies from reimbursement losses caused by fraudulent billing schemes.

The Medicare Home Health Payment Integrity and Protection Act would provide the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with expanded authority to identify and prevent fraud before taxpayer dollars are paid out, while also making changes intended to stabilize reimbursement rates for legitimate providers, particularly those serving rural communities.

The legislation comes as federal officials have intensified their focus on home health fraud nationwide. Earlier this week, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz highlighted concerns about widespread abuse in Medicaid-funded home health programs, including scrutiny of billing practices in Maine's home health and autism services. Federal officials have said fraudulent providers can drain billions of dollars from government healthcare programs while reducing resources available to legitimate

The U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a 50-49 vote at approximately 4:31 a.m. Saturday, elevating President Donald Trump's former personal attorney to permanently lead the Department of Justice after a contentious confirmation fight.

The overnight vote came shortly before senators were expected to leave Washington for their August recess and capped weeks of uncertainty surrounding Blanche's nomination.

Every Senate Democrat voted against Blanche, while two Republicans — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — broke with their party and also voted no.

The defections left Republicans with virtually no room for error and resulted in a razor-thin 50-49 confirmation.

Blanche, President Trump's former criminal defense attorney, had been serving as acting attorney general since April after previously serving as deputy attorney general. His confirmation now gives him the permanent job atop the Justice Department.

Collins Breaks With Trump

Collins had announced before the final vote that she would oppose Blanche, putting the Maine Republican at odds with the Trump administration on one of the president's most consequential nominations.

Her opposition centered in part on concerns surrounding a controversial $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" that the Justice Department had proposed in connection with the settlement of litigation involving Trump and the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund became one of the largest obstacles standing between Blanche and confirmation.

Under the proposal, nearly $1.8 billion could have been made available to individuals claiming they had been subjected to improper government targeting or "weaponization." The proposal drew scrutiny from Democrats as well as several Senate Republicans.

Blanche eventually issued written assurances formally abandoning the fund, a move that helped win over Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had demanded that the commitment be put in writing before supporting his nomination.

The agreement helped Blanche clear the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 12-10 vote and put his nomination back on track for consideration by the full Senate.

Cassidy Provides Critical Vote

Attention then shifted to Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, whose vote became increasingly important after Collins and Murkowski announced their opposition.

Cassidy ultimately backed Blanche, effectively providing the final support Republicans needed to get the nomination across the finish line.

Murkowski, like Collins, remained opposed even after Blanche abandoned the fund.

The Alaska Republican cited broader concerns about the independence and direction of the Justice Department, including its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, tax protections contained in the Trump IRS settlement and what she viewed as the increasing politicization of federal law enforcement.

JUST IN: The U.S. Senate has just confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General in a very slim 50-49 vote, with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voting against his confirmation.

Fox News: “[Senators] pulled an all-nighter, and ONLY TWO bills passed, and with… pic.twitter.com/MwxJrdtB7j

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) August 8, 2026

From Trump’s Defense Lawyer to Attorney General

Blanche's confirmation represents a rapid rise inside the federal government for an attorney who only a few years ago was best known nationally for representing Trump in criminal proceedings.

He subsequently joined the Trump administration as deputy attorney general before becoming acting attorney general and ultimately Trump’s nominee for the permanent position.

That relationship was central to the confirmation fight.

Democrats argued Blanche's history representing Trump raised questions about whether he could maintain the traditional independence of the Justice Department, while supporters pointed to his experience as a federal prosecutor and senior Justice Department official.

In the end, Blanche survived one of the closest confirmation battles of Trump's second term.

At 4:31 a.m. Saturday, with Washington heading toward its August recess, the Senate delivered its answer.

By a single vote, Todd Blanche became the nation's attorney general.

President Donald Trump's proposed $400 million White House ballroom has hit another legal roadblock after a divided federal appeals court upheld an injunction blocking above-ground construction while a lawsuit challenging the project moves forward.

In a 2-1 decision, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declined to lift a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from proceeding with above-ground construction of the roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom.

The ruling represents a significant setback for one of Trump's most ambitious plans for the White House grounds and leaves the future of the project tied up in federal court.

Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia formed the majority, concluding that the Constitution gives Congress authority over federal property and raising serious questions about whether the executive branch can undertake a project of this scale without congressional authorization.

"Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner,

A Lewiston High School student-athlete is heading to Ohio this weekend to represent Maine on a national stage, competing against some of the country's top high school athletes for a share of $250,000 in college scholarships.

Liam Jones, a junior at Lewiston High School, has been selected to represent Maine in the 2026 Patriot Games, a national athletic competition being held Aug. 9-11 at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

Lewiston Public Schools celebrated Jones' selection this week, with Superintendent Jake Langlais congratulating the young athlete before his trip.

"Congratulations to LHS Junior Liam Jones headed to Ohio to represent Maine in the 2026 Patriot Games. Go Blue!" Langlais wrote in a social media post.

Congratulations to LHS Junior Liam Jones headed to Ohio to represent Maine in the 2026 Patriot Games. Go Blue! pic.twitter.com/BN00nu13H0

— Jake Langlais (@kjlanglais) August 6, 2026

Jones brings a multi-sport background to a competition specifically designed to test athletes across a range of disciplines.

His football recruiting profile identifies him as a Class of 2028 prospect for Lewiston High School, playing quarterback and wide receiver. The profile lists Jones at 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds and includes video of him throwing a touchdown pass in Scarborough.

Jones has also played baseball for Lewiston. MaxPreps records show him competing during the 2026 season, including appearances against Bangor, Edward Little, Mt. Blue, Messalonskee, Camden Hills, Oxford Hills and other Maine schools.

His accomplishments aren’t limited to athletics.

During his freshman year, Jones earned first honors at Lewiston High School for the second quarter of the 2024-25 school year, according to an honor roll published by the Sun Journal.

Now, Jones will trade his Lewiston Blue Devils uniform for the opportunity to represent the entire state of Maine.

The Patriot Games bring together high school athletes ages 14 to 17 from across the United States, territories and tribal nations as part of the country’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Athletes will be put through a series of physical and mental challenges testing strength, endurance, agility, teamwork and perseverance.

The competition won’t focus on a single sport.

Participants will face challenges incorporating elements of football, basketball, soccer and track, along with exercises from the Presidential Fitness Test. Competitors will also take on a military-inspired boot camp circuit before finalists advance to an obstacle course designed to test both strategy and athletic ability.

The stakes are substantial.

One male and one female overall champion are expected to receive $125,000 college scholarships, splitting the competition’s $250,000 scholarship pool.

For Jones, that means three days of competition could translate into a potentially life-changing educational opportunity.

It will also put the Lewiston athlete in front of a national television audience.

ESPN will provide live coverage of the Patriot Games through the ESPN App beginning Sunday, Aug. 9. The network will then air a one-hour primetime special on ABC at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Aug. 13, featuring highlights from the competition and the crowning of the champions.

ESPN’s coverage will feature Laura Rutledge, Matt Barrie, Beth Mowins and Tom Hart, with analysts Jordan Rodgers, Sean Farnham, Ron Slay and Danielle Lawrie. Brooke Weisbrod and Marion Crowder will serve as reporters.

Rutledge and Barrie will co-host the ABC primetime special.

Freedom 250 is organizing the Patriot Games as part of the nationwide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence.

For Lewiston, the national competition will have a distinctly local connection.

While athletes from across America descend on Ohio this weekend, one of them will be wearing Maine’s name, Lewiston High School junior Liam Jones.

A new report from the U.S. House Select Committee on China titled “Stranger Pings” details the risks posed to the U.S. by Chinese telecom companies and their potential link to cyberattacks on U.S. soil.

[RELATED: Trump Dump: Election Integrity Docs Show China, Noncitizens Messing with U.S. Elections, Plus CIA Cover-Up…]

“U.S.-based subsidiaries of Chinese telecommunications companies are beholden to the CCP, and they are a threat to all of us,” said Committee Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.).

"They make American customers promise to censor information according to the CCP's laws, and they poison the domestic cyber infrastructure we rely on. All of this leaves us vulnerable to a new wave of state-sponsored cyberattacks from our nation's biggest adversary. The CCP does not allow U.S. telecom companies into China. We must cut these subsidiaries out of our domestic infrastructure to protect the American people," he added.

The bipartisan committee looked into Chinese telecom companies China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom. The companies refused to voluntarily comply with the investigation and had to be subpoenaed.

According to the report, all three had their licenses to provide direct telecom services to Americans revoked, but they maintain extensive unregulated operations in the U.S.

Those operations include providing a variety of hardware to American telecom companies. One provider that contracted with U.S. companies included a clause in the contract prohibiting the broadcast of any material critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

The investigation confirmed that the three telecom companies are not truly independent from their parent companies in China.

The committee highlighted that, currently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can limit the companies’ ability to sell certain products, but cannot remove the equipment, presence, or network relationships the companies already have in place.

The investigation also tied the companies to notable Chinese cyberattacks on the U.S. through anomalous routing activity corresponding with the time of the attacks.

The report issued a list of recommendations for policy changes to combat the risk posed by the companies, including codifying the FCC’s ability to regulate them, establishing authority over existing infrastructure tied to foreign adversaries, funding the replacement of Chinese telecom technology in the U.S., and requiring monitoring until Chinese infrastructure can be removed.

The committee began its investigation in the wake of the Salt Typhoon CCP-sponsored cyberattack against U.S. telecom corporations discovered in late 2024.

Wednesday's accusation by State Rep. Deqa Dhalac that President Donald Trump and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller “don't want any Black or Brown people in this country", is the latest flashpoint in a political career that has repeatedly drawn statewide and national attention.

State Rep. Deqa Dhalac makes the outrageous claim that Trump doesn't want ANY black or brown people in America... 🙄 pic.twitter.com/hqxWoFDkE9

— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) August 5, 2026

Dhalac, a Democrat representing House District 120 in South Portland, made national headlines in 2021 when she became the first Somali-American mayor in the United States after being selected by the South Portland City Council. A licensed social worker, she has often described herself as an advocate for immigrants, refugees and Maine's Somali community.

At the same time, Dhalac has become one of Maine's most polarizing elected officials.

She has repeatedly said she

Two so-far unidentified culprits stole a lobsterwoman’s catch, prompting anger among downeast locals.

Lindsay McDaniels lost hundreds of dollars in catch when two men took lobsters from her crate in Northeast Harbor, fueling an online backlash among islanders, according to The Bar Harbor Story.

The news outlet’s Sabrina Martin said McDaniels, who hauls traps off Mount Desert Island, reported 30 lobsters missing from her stash at a Northeast Harbor dock.

The marina's surveillance footage showed two men walking off with her lobsters.

McDaniels, known within the fishing community as "Lobsta Lindsay," had planned to sell the catch for up to $500, Martin reported.

The footage showed a pair of middle-aged men circling various crates along the docks at Northeast Harbor Marina.

Mount Desert Police Chief Dave Kerns said he hopes the lobsters were taken from McDaniels' crate by mistake.

He said cops will continue to investigate.

A number of Bush weddings have been held in the past century at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Kennebunkport, Maine so the tiny sanctuary has a rich history with the family that produced two presidents, two governors and a U.S. senator.

The 134-year-old stone church, located near the Bush family compound at Walker’s Point, this week begins selling artwork created by the second President Bush.

The sale of George W. Bush's paintings, on display at University of New England in neighboring Biddeford, will help finance repairs to the historic seaside church, damaged nearly three years ago in a coastal storm.

Bush, who began painting after leaving the White House in 2009 following his two terms, grew up in the shadow of St. Ann's at the family’s summer property known as Walker's Point.

President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, attended summer services at St.

A Lewiston Lyft driver is being held at the Androscoggin County Jail after being charged with gross sexual assault in connection with an alleged assault inside his SUV. Court records indicate the suspect had been released from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility just days before the alleged incident.

According to police affidavits, Aguid Mahamat, 31, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman after she entered his SUV following a night out in Lewiston. Investigators allege the assault occurred in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven convenience store.

Lewiston police identified Mahamat after reviewing surveillance footage from the 7-Eleven and using the city's Flock automated license plate recognition camera system, according to court documents. Investigators said the evidence allowed them to identify the SUV involved and locate Mahamat.

When Mahamat was brought to the Lewiston Police Department for questioning, investigators were unable

The South Portland City Council voted 5-1 Tuesday to ask voters for approval of an $88 million bond to fund the construction of new police and fire stations.

If approved, the city would build a new police station at Cash Corner, as well as a new fire station to replace what has been identified as an aging facility.

This comes after the City Council rejected a $194 million bond to renovate the former Mahoney Middle School property into a comprehensive City Center complex, including a renovated theater, gym and community space. 

Earlier this year, the City entered into a contract to purchase the Cash Corner property, most recently occupied by Walgreens, with plans to use the site for a new police station, instead of the Mahoney athletic field. 

No tax increases or budgetary accommodations were necessary to cover the land's purchase price of $2.5 million, as the City opted to make use

The case against Rockland bus driver Jeffrey Colburn, 65, of Camden, was downgraded to a civil violation after he was previously arrested on manslaughter charges after he allegedly struck and killed 12-year-old Brayden Callahan late last year.

[RELATED: Rockland School Bus Driver Charged with Manslaughter Following November Crash that Killed a 12-Year-Old Student…]

The Rockland Police Department announced the change on Wednesday after being informed by the Knox County District Attorney’s Office that they believe there was insufficient evidence to support a criminal charge.

Rockland Police Chief Tim Carroll publicly disagreed with the district attorney’s assessment.

“Our investigators gathered and presented evidence that we believe demonstrated criminal gross negligence. However, following extensive legal evaluation, prosecutors at the Knox County District Attorney’s Office determined, in their opinion, there was insufficient evidence to prove criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt at trial and continue with the criminal case,” he said.

“Given the thoroughness

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) urged water treatment facilities across the state to take security measures after Iran was accused of a cyberattack that impacted water systems across multiple states.

[RELATED: Trump Warns Iran Faces 'Last Chance' for Deal as U.S. Holds Off on Massive Strikes…]

Most estimates suggest that seven states were impacted last week—with Minnesota suffering attacks against 30 individual facilities—while Axios reported that the attacks targeted at least 12 states.

Multiple outlets reported that U.S. officials and cybersecurity experts attributed the cyberattacks to Iran, though President Donald Trump expressed a belief that Iran was not responsible for the failures in water systems.

Regardless of which hostile power launched the attack, the Maine DEP is urging water infrastructure facilities to implement security measures.

Measures include strong passwords, changing credentials, separating information technology from