WASHINGTON Maine Sen. Susan Collins' Republican colleagues swiftly came to her defense the day after the news outlet ProPublica published an investigative story that laid out evidence of alleged involvement in a pay-to-play scheme involving a defense contractor. The story, which came out on Tuesday, Sept. 22, said that records and emails showed the FBI sought to launch a sweeping investigation examining Collins' interactions with a top donor who won lucrative federal contracts. By late 2024, the agency reportedly had enough evidence to pursue a sweeping bribery probe involving Collins and other members of Congress. But that effort, according to the ProPublica story, evaporated after the Trump administration purged the Justice Department and FBI of its teams that handle public corruption cases. It's unclear whether the accusations laid out in the article will resonate with Maine voters in November, when Collins is up for reelection in a toss-up race that will prove crucial to whichever party ultimately controls the Senate. The story does, however, add to a maze of obstacles she's facing to retain her coveted seat in Congress. While she has a track record as a Teflon political candidate in the Pine Tree State, her campaign is already being hurt by an unpopular war, President Trump's trade disputes with Canada and the sudden departure of her initial, scandal-plagued opponent. Both Collins and her top spokespeople denied any impropriety following the publication of the ProPublica article, saying the Justice Department, dating back to the Biden administration, cleared the senator and her staff of any alleged wrongdoing. Collins told a Wall Street Journal opinion columnist she was the victim of a "partisan hit job" and questioned why anyone would "take the word of a convicted felon," referring to the defense contractor at the center of the scandal whose cooperation was relied on by investigators to build their case. "It is so offensive," she said. "This is a smear job." Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told USA TODAY the accusations were a "bunch of BS." Asked why he thought so, he said, "because I know Susan Collins." Cornyn and Collins have served together in the Senate for more than two decades. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, who sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee which Collins leads, argued her Maine colleague has the "utmost ethical standards." "I have zero concern for any kind of baseless accusations," she told USA TODAY. Perhaps Collins' quickest and most politically important defender was Senate Majority Leader John Thune. "I don't think there's ever been any implication that she or her campaign were in any way implicated in that," the South Dakota Republican told reporters. "This, to me, looks like a political hit job by a left-wing outlet that's trying to score points going into an election." Much of Collins' reelection campaign was initially built around fighting Graham Platner, the oyster farmer who eventually dropped out amid a series of sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied. Troy Jackson, a logger and former president of the Maine state Senate, replaced Platner as the Democratic candidate whose name will be on the fall ballot. In the day since the ProPublica story published, Jackson slammed his opponent over what he called "corruption of the highest order." "We cant afford six more years of being sold out to Trump and Collins corporate cronies," he wrote in a social media post. Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com and on Signal @zachschermele.02. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republicans rally around Susan Collins amid pay-to-play scheme allegationsThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/23/susan-collins-propublica-maine-senate-race/91911535007/ Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:47:36 +0000

EDITORS NOTE: This story contains discussion of suicide. Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US, call or text 988 for help. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world. Eight US Navy personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a period that included when the ships undertook combat operations against Iran and the carrier set a modern record for its time at sea, according to a letter from the services acting secretary, which was obtained by CNN. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao revealed the number, which has not been previously reported and covers crew members from several ships that travel together, including the carrier, in written responses to questions posed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand about the morale and mental health of the USS Abraham Lincolns crew. Cao wrote that no service members had killed themselves during the deployment. The rate of suicide attempts among the Lincoln strike groups sailors was roughly consistent with that of the entire active duty Navy in 2024, the most recent year for which the Pentagon has released suicide data. That year, the Navy saw 356 suicide attempts among its estimated 337,000 active duty sailors. Since the beginning of Lincolns deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group, Cao wrote to Gillibrand, a Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services, in a letter dated Tuesday. This number includes the Lincoln crew and sailors from the carrier airwing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons. Between 6,000 and 7,000 US Navy sailors were deployed as part of the Lincoln strike group across roughly a half dozen ships with the carrier kept out of port for over six months while conducting a high rate of combat operations against Iran. Eight attempted suicides is incredibly high, one US military official told CNN, noting recent carrier strike group deployments have had one or two per year. The strain of combat ops is much higher than normal deployments. No port calls, constant alerts, etc. The Navy did not respond ahead of publication to a request for comment about the letter. What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as fake news turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members, Gillibrand said in a statement Wednesday to CNN. Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect. That this administration can find endless taxpayer dollars for bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires, but cannot take care of our service members, is completely unacceptable. The Lincoln deployed with various mental health resources onboard, including five chaplains, one embedded integrated prevention counselor, one psychologist, one clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians and one expeditionary facility dog, according to Caos letter. CNN previously reported that two sailors assigned to the Lincoln strike group, one from the carrier and one from another ship, had jumped overboard in recent months. Both were rescued, US officials said. Others were prevented from jumping, according to reports from the Navy Times and Stars and Stripes. In his letter to Gillibrand, Cao also confirmed that a sailor assigned to the airwing went overboard from the ship in early August but was quickly recovered and treated by the Lincolns medical department. Additionally, one sailor attempted to go overboard in March and was stopped by his shipmates. That sailor was also provided immediate medical care and subsequently returned to homeport. The Navy previously said in a statement to CNN, We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We take every service members well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise. A US official also previously told CNN that the Navy does not believe there is a correlation between deployment length and thoughts of self-harm, and that man overboard incidents are not unique to this group. A crew member serving on the Lincoln previously described to CNN that morale on the carrier was very low and said they had heard repeatedly about suicidal ideation by fellow crew members. And there were regular strains on essential amenities toilets and water fountains around the ship frequently closed, and hot water was often unavailable, the crew member said. Everyday we wake up and listen to our captain speak, we are desperately hoping and anxious for updates on our return, the crew member, speaking before the ship had been ordered to return to its home port in San Diego, told CNN. The ship left the Middle East in August and is expected back in San Diego in the coming weeks. Other sailors aboard the Lincoln who spoke with CNN described conditions unlike their prior deployments, largely due to the combat that has kept the carrier from making stops at friendly ports. Ships can take on new supplies and allow their sailors to rest and relax during those port calls. This story has been updated with additional details. CNNs Davis Winkie and Pamela Brown contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.comThis article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/23/politics/eight-sailors-lincoln-carrier-group-iran-war-attempted-suicide Thu, 24 Sep 2026 01:13:20 +0000

By David Morgan WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - US states may have added more than 30,000 self-declared non-citizens to the nations voter rolls since 2000 because of software glitches and clerical errors made while processing their driver's license and state ID applications, according to official records reviewed by Reuters. The cases expose weaknesses in voter registration systems across a dozen US states governed by both Democrats and Republicans, but at numbers that experts said were too small relative to the countrys more than 170 million registered voters to impact elections. Reuters was not able to determine how many of these non-citizens actually cast a ballot. The findings suggest that inadvertent bureaucratic failures, rather than organized efforts to register immigrants illegally, are a major source of non-citizen registrations, and raise questions about whether legislative efforts to require proof of citizenship for voter registration would eliminate the issue. President Donald Trump and his supporters have claimed, without evidence, that non-citizen voting is widespread and part of an organized conspiracy led by Democrats who hope to retake Congress in November's midterm elections, and are pushing lawmakers to toughen up voting requirements. New Jersey announced the most recent high-profile case of errant voter registrations over the summer, saying a technology glitch added about 6,600 non-citizens to voter rolls between June 2023 and June 2024, even though they answered "no" when asked if they were citizens while applying for licenses and IDs. Bureaucratic errors have also been reported in at least 11 other states including Republican strongholds like Iowa, Texas and South Dakota - bringing the nationwide figure above 30,000 since 2000, according to the Reuters reporting. A nationwide tally of such mistakes has not previously been reported. Reuters used data from the Center for Election Innovation & Research, a non-profit group that tracks claims of non-citizen voter registration and voting, to identify states where self-declared non-citizens were registered. Reuters then verified the numbers with state officials, court records, and local media reports. The data showed errors occurred in California, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The numbers are inexact because state data is often tentative and subject to revision. Such mistakes are likely a top reason non-citizens make it onto the nations voter rolls, according to Don Palmer, a senior legal fellow for election integrity at the conservative Heritage Foundation and former Trump-appointed chair of the US Election Assistance Commission. "I think thats the primary issue," Palmer said. "Driver's license agencies often make mistakes, and they often are not taking this as seriously as election officials." He said states also need to do more to verify voter eligibility. SAVE AMERICA? The White House has pressuredCongress to pass the SAVE America Act, a proposal to crack down on illegal voting that would require people to show proof of US citizenship to register to vote, and a photo ID to cast a ballot. But it is unlikely such a bill would prevent the kinds of mistakes being made by state agencies, said David Becker,executive director of CEIR. "In each of these instances, the individual did exactly what they were supposed to do. If there was some requirement that you had to show proof of citizenship, these problems would still exist, because the processes themselves failed," he said. Proponents of the SAVE America Act say it is a common-sense way to ensure only eligible voters can cast ballots. Most states dont require documented proof of citizenship. Critics counter that the legislation's restrictions could disenfranchise millions of voters who lack easy access to passports or birth certificates, including low-income people and racial minorities, while creating unnecessary turmoil for the Nov. 3 midterm elections. "This is not a problem," said Elaine Kamarck, an expert on governance at the Brookings Institution. "There's just no evidence that massive numbers of non-citizens are voting." Immigrants do sometimes make false declarations about their citizenship in order to be registered to vote in US elections, according to the Department of Justice. But there is no evidence to show it is widespread. A Reuters data analysis published earlier this year showed federal prosecutors have charged only 129 people under a federal "voting by aliens" statute created by Congress in 1996. In none of those cases did prosecutors allege a coordinated effort to influence an election. The White House said non-citizen voter registrations were proof that US elections have been compromised and cited 11 arrests of non-citizens for illegal voting announced by federal authoritiessince May. "The real story here is after decades of the media denying that non-citizens register and vote in our elections, they are finally being forced to admit after a flurry of recent arrests nationwide that it does happen," White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said in a statement. AN OLD LAW Underlying the glitches and human errors are state motor-voter systems that register people to vote when they apply for driver's licenses, state IDs and other government services under the National Voter Registration Act. The largely Democratic initiative to address low voter participation passed in 1993 with bipartisan support under then-President Bill Clinton. Voter registration has climbed to more than 86% in 2024, from 62% in 1990, according to Census data and the US Election Assistance Commission. Republicans claim that such state motor-voter systems have become a major problem, however, due to the doubling of the USimmigrant population since 1990. Automatically registering people to vote in this way "is irrational when you realize people that are not citizens in the United States are getting driver's licenses," said US Representative Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who oversees federal election policy as chair of the House Administration Committee. All 50 states allow legal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, while 19 US states and the District of Columbia also provide driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. FOREIGN PASSPORTS, BIRTH CERTIFICATES Randall Marquis, a Canadian who lives in California, remembers the day when he got a card in the mail notifying him that he was registered to vote in the 2018 midterm elections during Trump's first term. "I just said, Well, this is stupid. So, I put it aside. But after thinking about it, I decided, no, it's more than stupid. This is bad!"the 71-year-old green card holder told Reuters. He alerted news organizations, and state officials later disclosed that as many as 1,500 non-citizens had been mistakenly registered to vote by the California Department of Motor Vehicles due to a processing error, according to media reports. State officials did not respond to Reuters queries seeking confirmation. Similar problems have happened in Oregon where hundreds of immigrants who presented foreign passports and birth certificates were registered to vote because of clerical mistakes at the Department of Motor Vehicles, according to state records. DMV officials also registered hundreds of American Samoans who presented US passports, not realizing that people from the US territory are nationals but not citizens, and therefore not eligible to vote. In some other states, estimates of registered non-citizens have been initially overstated. Just before the 2024 election, Iowa, for example, announced that more than 2,000 people had registered to vote or had voted in the state after self-reporting to the Iowa Department of Transportation as non-citizens. Six months later, the number shrank to 277. Iowa state officials said 35 non-citizens cast ballots that were counted in the 2024 general election. Overall, more than 1.6 million Iowans voted in that election. The problems are bigger elsewhere. Since 2014, Virginia has reported hundreds of non-citizens each year on its voter rolls who identified themselves as foreign nationals, with a total of more than 4,500 in 2025 alone, according to annual reports by the state Department of Elections. State officials say those numbers include people who later became citizens, and others who were stricken off the rolls. Palmer of the Heritage Foundation said states should be required to address the issue. "There's an obligation to fix the problem. So, take the politics out, and fix the problem," he said. (Reporting by David Morgan; editing by Michael Learmonth and Richard Valdmanis) This article originally appeared on Reuters at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/thirty-thousand-mistakes-red-blue-100331120.html Wed, 23 Sep 2026 13:44:56 +0000

NEED TO KNOW

• Melania Trump insisted that she tells her husband, Donald Trump, how she really feels about his speeches and interviews, even though he sometimes doesnt want to hear it
• I always say the truth, she said during an appearance on Fox & Friends on Wednesday, Sept. 23
• The first lady made the comments while discussing what she thought about Trumps United Nations General Assembly speech in New York City the day prior

Melania Trump said her husband, President Donald Trump, doesnt always want to hear it when she shares her thoughts.Speaking on Fox & Friends on Wednesday, Sept. 23, Melania, 56, praised Trumps speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City the day prior when questioned whether hed asked for any feedback from his wife.I told him he had [a] great delivery, he did very well. And a great speech, the first lady who was on the show to discuss the launch of Imperia, a network for women CEOs, and her Fostering the Future Together initiative said.She added of her husband, So I tell him the truth. Sometimes he doesnt want to hear it, what I tell him, but thats okay. I always say the truth.

Elsewhere in the interview, Melania also spoke about how Trump, 80, had been handling his second term as president, in comparison to his first term in office, saying, Hes very focused. He has a lot on his plate. Its very different, whats going on around the world now. But I think hes doing the best that he can.He works nonstop. He has the most energy than anybody. Hes from morning [until] evening nonstop working, she added.Trump has previously mentioned Melania giving him feedback, including when he said she wasnt a fan of his onstage dancing earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Melania recently ended a 32-day absence from public view with a speech from the White House Rose Garden on Aug. 20, highlighting her Fostering the Future initiative and plans to expand its national network, PEOPLE previously reported.At the time, Melania approached the podium and immediately began her speech, saying, Good afternoon. I heard you missed me? The audience laughed before she added, Here I am.

Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLEs free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Her comments about Trump on Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning came after the president addressed world leaders across the globe on Tuesday, Sept. 22.During his speech, he boasted about his record as a peacemaker, as well as questioning whether he should annihilate Iran.The president also took a moment to address CNN during a press exchange at the event after spotting one of the networks reporters days after he announced a ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters from the White House.Im surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldnt be here! You should not be here covering me. You said you werent going to cover me. You shouldnt be covering me, he told CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins.Collins could be heard replying, The United Nations allowed us in, sir. She repeated her assertion in a post on X, saying that CNN was credentialed by the United Nations to cover the General Assembly.During her exchange with the president, she asked, Two thirds of Americans dont think the U.S. is winning the war with Iran. When will it end?Trump replied, Were making a lot of progress. Our country is doing really, really well. Thank you very much, everybody.Read the original article on PeopleThis article originally appeared on People at https://people.com/melania-trump-says-donald-trump-sometimes-doesnt-want-to-hear-what-she-tells-him-12136264 Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:44:51 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday, where he was met with a rare planeside greeting from President Donald Trump after their top officials agreed to extend a trade truce until January. Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the extension of the truce under which the countries agreed to scale back tariffs and refrain from imposing new trade restrictions during a Fox News Channel interview as Trump welcomed Xi at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington. I dont know whether a bigger deal can be done. I dont know whether we will just roll the current deal, Bessent said in the interview, noting the extension to Jan. 10 could give the leaders more time to talk about the issues at upcoming international summits in China in November and Florida in December. Trade has been one of the biggest flashpoints between the two superpowers, along with artificial intelligence, Trumps war with Iran and Chinas designs on Taiwan. But much of Xi's three-day visit is expected to be far more about pomp than substance, starting with Trumps decision to greet Xi as he landed, rather than waiting for him to drive up to the White House. A 100-foot (30 meter) long red carpet was unfurled at the bottom of the staircase placed at the door of Xi's plane. A 21-person honor guard was arrayed on the sides of the carpet and Trump and first lady Melania Trump stood near a staircase on the side of the plane, where they greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, with handshakes. The welcome ceremony also included a flyover by two B-1 bombers, platoons from each military service, and a presentation of the flags and anthems of both countries. Trump and his wife spoke to their counterparts, but their words could not be heard. Trump, who wore gloves and an overcoat though it was a relatively warm 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius) outside, removed one of his gloves to shake hands with Xi. At one point, he slapped Xi on the back and said something to him that was inaudible. I think they appreciate it, tremendous people, Trump told reporters after he returned to the White House Wednesday evening. In a statement marking his arrival in the U.S., Chinas leader wrote that his country and the U.S. should be partners, not rivals. Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand and the two countries can contribute to each others success, thereby benefiting the wider world.

Some Republicans have questioned the optics of the visit

Beyond using the visit to try to keep strategic stability between the two countries, Trump has lavished praise on Xi as a great leader and described a warm relationship with the man he has called a friend. That is all while he has given Xi a pass on many issues. Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the lavish welcome. Wicker, R-Miss., said during a speech Tuesday in the Senate that Trump should not have invited the Chinese leader based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. and China must interact at the highest levels because the countries are the two largest economies in the world and probably the two most powerful militaries in the world. Danny Russel, a former U.S. diplomat under former President Barack Obama's administration, said the airport pomp delivered a propaganda win for Beijing. Such extreme deference is valuable evidence that Chinas leader is now held in extraordinarily high esteem by the President of the United States. Beijing uses this at home and internationally to show Chinas and Xis growing stature, said Russel, now at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

China had hoped for a longer extension of the trade truce

China had wanted a longer extension of the trade truce, which had been set to expire on Nov. 10. It underscores that the United States is still concerned about Chinas full implementation of its commitments under the truce, particularly with respect to critical mineral exports and agricultural purchases, said Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator and now senior vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. The tight timeframe gives the U.S. a chance to test whether China will deliver on unmet promises to buy U.S. farm goods, said Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. This is less about buying two months of calm than making China earn the next extension, he said. Trump has not yet commented on the extension. The two leaders are expected to talk about issues of substance more on Thursday, after an arrival ceremony at the White House and a review of troops. Later, they will exchange toasts at a black-tie dinner, which will feature tech industry leaders like Nvidias Jensen Huang and SpaceXs Elon Musk.

Trump to welcome Xi with the most respect

Trump has made it clear he wants to wow Xi, telling reporters in recent weeks that he was delighted his new work of art helicopter landing pad would be ready for the visit while bemoaning that his massive White House ballroom would not. I wish we had it for tomorrow night," Trump said again Wednesday. Trump on Wednesday was looking to match the pageantry he was met with in China earlier this year. Xi was not at the airport to meet Trump Chinese Vice President Han Zheng was there instead. But a red carpet was rolled out to meet Air Force One in Beijing. A military honor guard, a military band and about 300 Chinese youths waving Chinese and American flags and chanting, Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome! also were present. The first lady said earlier Wednesday that her husband decided to personally greet Xi when he arrived in the Washington region because they have a great relationship. Hes coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect, she said of Xi and his wife during an interview on Fox News Channels Fox & Friends. The long red carpet recalled a similar extra-long one the U.S. laid out for Russian President Vladimir Putin when he touched down at a U.S. Air Force base in Alaska last summer for a summit aimed at trying to find an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. On Friday, Xi and Peng will be back at the White House for a private tea with the Trumps before joining them on a tour of the National Archives in Washington. The White House has said they will view historic documents underscoring the relationship between the two countries. ___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Will Weissert and Collin Binkley contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/chinas-xi-kicks-off-state-040347379.html Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:03:47 +0000