Matthew Chapman

An interruption of the final Maine Senate debate between Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson on Wednesday led to a half-testy, half-joking exchange between the two candidates onstage.

The questioning was disrupted when a protester began yelling about data centers, throwing everyone off balance.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt ... I'm terrified," shouted the man, over Collins' attempts to speak. "AI data centers are destroying our climate! They are poisoning our waters!"...

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel will look into allegations that Anthony D’Esposito, a former Long Island congressman now serving as the Labor Department’s inspector general, has let politics seep into his nonpartisan job, Newsday reported.

In a letter Wednesday to the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, OSC said it had “accepted the matter for review.” CREW lodged the complaint in April. The case reached OSC through the Integrity Committee of the inspectors general council, which isn’t acting further.

CREW says D’Esposito used his official X account, @USLaborIG, to share and amplify content praising the administration’s immigration crackdown, Iran military action and economic policies. It argues he “blurred the lines between official duties and political activities,” compromising an inspector general’s required independence. CREW President Donald Sherman said the central question is whether D’Esposito broke the Hatch Act, which restricts partisan political activity among most federal workers, including inspectors general....

A group of Maine veterans has asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate Sen. Susan Collins, her campaign, 1820 PAC and convicted contractor Martin Kao, WABI reports.

Complainant Jason Tkacs and fellow veterans allege Kao donated to Collins and an allied super PAC in connection with Navy research funding secured through appropriations. They also claim Kao told law enforcement that the project was never requested by the Navy or put to use.

The complaint further argues Collins’ campaign should have sent the related money to the U.S. Treasury under campaign finance rules. The campaign has said it gave the funds to help rebuild a Frenchville school after a fire. Organizers say the issue arose in three recent Senate debates....

Florida Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon posted a voicemail to X on Thursday, showing a caller raging at her in an obscene and racist tirade.

"Anyway, f--- you Angie, you f------ piece of dog s---, that's coming from me, and you'll get yours," the furious caller said at one point.

Above the recording, Nixon wrote, "Hey there. If you're going to call my phone and lob racial slurs, don't block my number. Say it with your chest. Go to AngieNixon.com to donate so we can win and send this racist man spiraling."...

President Donald Trump is citing precise inflation numbers on the campaign trail that CNN’s Daniel Dale says can’t be squared with the data, and the White House hasn’t said where they came from.

At a Tuesday rally in Alaska, Trump said inflation had been “1.7” over the last three months and that former President Joe Biden had “real inflation of 19 percent.” He said it again in Montana a day later, after the government released a 3.7 percent year-over-year reading for September.

Dale, writing for CNN, examined three ways Trump might be getting the number. None worked....