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

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted on Thursday to approve a resolution put forward by its chair, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times to avoid answering questions during a Senate hearing.

[RELATED: Senate Committee to Vote on Holding Fauci in Contempt After 111 Fifth Amendment Invocations…]

"Passed by Republicans on behalf of the millions of Americans and their families still affected years after the COVID pandemic, the resolution to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress has passed out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by a vote of 8-5," said Sen. Paul on X following the vote.

PASSED BY REPUBLICANS ON BEHALF OF THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS AND THEIR FAMILIES STILL AFFECTED YEARS AFTER THE COVID PANDEMIC, THE RESOLUTION TO HOLD ANTHONY FAUCI IN

A new poll from Senate Majority PAC, a billionaire-funded left-wing super PAC, gave Democratic candidate Troy Jackson a four-point lead over Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

[RELATED: Kamala Harris Endorses Troy Jackson in Maine Senate Race Following Last-Minute Democratic Nomination…]

“A third straight poll shows us what we already know. No amount of billionaire money can overcome an organized movement of working Mainers fighting for an economy that works for us. Susan Collins should be very concerned,” said Jackson on X.

A third straight poll shows us what we already know. No amount of billionaire money can overcome an organized movement of working Mainers fighting for an economy that works for us. Susan Collins should be very concerned. pic.twitter.com/C7p7YOwYrf

— Troy Jackson (@TroyJackson207) August 6, 2026

Hart Research conducted the poll on behalf of the Senate Majority PAC from July 27 through August 1. The PAC first released its results on Thursday.

The

During an anti-fraud roundtable Wednesday, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley outlined ten proposals aimed at combating fraud in welfare programs.

“Fraud steals taxpayer dollars, but such corruption steals something even more precious. It steals the blessings and benefits of work,” Haley said.

“The greater injustice is not stealing money from taxpayers,” he added. “It is taking purpose from another human being and diverting resources from the truly needy.”

Haley’s recommendations included proactive verification measures targeting both welfare beneficiaries and the establishments that accept government benefits.

Among his proposals, Haley called for ensuring that every Medicaid provider and SNAP retail store is “legitimate and eligible for payment” before receiving funds, rather than “paying first and checking later.”

He also proposed prohibiting “high-risk retailers such as some liquor stores and smoke shops from accepting taxpayer-funded food stamp benefits.”

Haley further recommended preventing improper Medicaid payments from being made after a beneficiary’s death, calling for Medicaid programs that pay health insurers on behalf of enrollees to immediately halt payments once a death is recorded and require insurers to return any funds collected after the enrollee’s death.

Other proposals focused on verifying recipient eligibility and preventing enrollee fraud. For example, he suggested requiring that enrollees have their immigration status verified. He also recommended ending the practice of self-attestation, instead requiring applicants to provide “proof of income and eligibility before benefits are approved.”

Haley also suggested “upgrad[ing] welfare benefit cards used for food and cash assistance to have secure chip technology with a photo and expiration date.”

Other recommendations included requiring “criminal background checks and fingerprinting for healthcare providers in categories with high rates of Medicaid fraud” and conducting monthly comparisons of welfare records “against death records, wage records, and incarceration records.”

Haley also suggested ending the practice of using “government-issued pre-populated forms to do automatic re-enrollments into Medicaid” and doubling the number of welfare fraud investigators.

“I suggest that members of Congress call out as corruption the behavior of state and local leaders who refuse to enforce common-sense fraud controls or purposely embrace loopholes that avoid individual eligibility validation, allow self-certification of eligibility, expand eligibility far beyond what Congress intended, and, as a result, trap millions of able-bodied adults into a life of dependency,” Haley said.

“Whenever public officials knowingly preserve systems that deny able-bodied Americans the blessings of work, whenever they choose to look away because dependency serves such interests, people suffer,” said Haley. “Not because they lack talent, not because they lack dignity, but because those entrusted with public authority failed to act.”

“Our responsibility is to root out fraud and corruption in our welfare systems, send people to jail who steal benefits, and make it impossible for public officials to escape their responsibility to establish systems of accountability and program integrity so that more Americans will realize the benefits and blessings of work,” Haley concluded.

Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the roundtable, urged members of Congress to codify anti-fraud measures into law, arguing that legislative action would help prevent the administration’s efforts from being undone in the future.

According to Vance, the White House Anti-Fraud Task Force has identified $230 billion worth of fraudulent funds that have been distributed through welfare programs and prevented an additional $56 billion from being improperly paid out.

Although only Republican lawmakers attended the roundtable, Vance said he hoped Democratic members of Congress would also be willing to participate in the effort to combat welfare fraud.

White House Domestic Policy Council Director @vincehaley provides ten practical proposals to members of Congress to help fight fraud in America's welfare programs:

"Fraud steals taxpayer dollars, but such corruption steals something even more precious: it steals the blessings… pic.twitter.com/I1tMXqyyXG

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 5, 2026