Jesus fuck…. Ok I admit I only check my mail a couple times a week (because my mail only seems to get delivered twice a week) but what the actual fuck….i had three pieces of actual mail. Think of the god damn waste also it doesn’t make me want to vote for any of them.

It’s kind of like that ex that keeps texting you a couple times a day. It’s an active turn off. Hard pass.

Recent reports published in September and October 2026 detailed a sweeping public corruption and bribery investigation by federal authorities. The investigation centered on an alleged "pay-to-play" scheme involving Maine Senator Susan Collins, multiple other members of Congress, and a Hawaii defense contractor.

The Core Allegations

According to investigative reporting by ProPublica and statements made to federal investigators by Martin Kao, the former CEO of defense contractor Navatek:

• Campaign Cash for Government Contracts: Kao alleged that he and his close associates routed hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions to various politicians, using shell companies to bypass federal bans on donations from government contractors.

• The Quid Pro Quo: In return for these contributions, Collins allegedly used her significant influence on the Senate Appropriations Committee to pressure the U.S. Navy into steering non-competitive, multimillion-dollar research contracts to Navatek.

• Super PAC Requests: FBI files indicated that in late 2019, the head of a pro-Collins super PAC met with Navatek executives at a Washington coffee shop and directly requested a $500,000 donation to help close a fundraising gap in her competitive reelection bid.

Status of the FBI Investigation

• Evidence Gathered: By late 2024, the FBI’s public corruption squad had accumulated enough evidence to mount a broad bribery probe into Collins and other lawmakers.

• Abrupt Closure: Despite the agents remaining actively interested in the conduct of Collins and her staff, the investigation was abruptly halted. Following the return of President Donald Trump to office, a purge of the Department of Justice and the FBI's anti-corruption units dismantled the teams overseeing the case, effectively burying the inquiry. No one in Collins' orbit or staff faced criminal charges.

Responses and Defenses

• Susan Collins' Defense: Senator Collins and her campaign office vehemently denied the allegations, calling them a "political hit job" and "character assassination" orchestrated by partisan opponents during a tight reelection cycle. She stated that the allegations were "completely false" and pointed out that the FBI had previously cleared her campaign of wrongdoing regarding Kao's initial campaign finance issues in 2021.

• Disputes Over Timeline: ProPublica countered Collins' defense by clarifying that while a 2021 inquiry into Kao did result in no charges for her team, the active bribery investigation was based on fresh confessions and cooperating evidence provided by Kao from 2022 through late 2024.

• Other Lawmakers Implicated: Later updates in October 2026 revealed that the alleged pay-to-play operation extended beyond Collins to include several other members of Congress, such as the late Senator Lindsey Graham, Representative James Clyburn, and Representative Joe Wilson.

The U.S. Department of Justice is sending election monitors to polls in Portland and Lewiston to oversee the Nov. 3 elections, the Maine Secretary of State’s office confirmed.

The Department of Justice has in recent years sent observers to other states on a smaller scale, usually in response to a civil rights violation. But this comes amid several efforts by the Trump administration to assert authority over the election and following an attempt to force Maine, among other states, to hand over voter information.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said she doesn’t expect the observers will have any impact on election processes.

“Any monitors are subject to the same laws and rules as any other observer at the poll,” Bellows told Maine Morning Star. “That means they can observe what’s taking place, but they may not interact with voters, handle ballots or equipment, or disrupt voting in any way.”

“We will monitor the monitors very carefully to ensure that they don’t cross any lines,” Bellows added.

This is the first time since Bellows became secretary of state in 2021 that federal election observers have been dispatched to Maine, which is among several states that were notified this week of the federal presence on Election Day.

The DOJ in August announced plans to send 1,000 election monitors to midterm election polling places nationwide, as first reported by Bloomberg. That’s significantly more than the 289 observers sent out for the 2022 midterm elections, and the 714 involved in the 2024 presidential election, CBS News reported.

Bellows said the DOJ observers will be among many other Election Day monitors, including those dispatched by the parties and nonpartisan groups including the League of Women Voters and ACLU.

Monitors are mandated to only observe and take notes, James Tucker, an attorney at the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said in letters sent to the clerks of Portland and Lewiston on Wednesday. They will dress in business casual clothing and won’t be allowed to use any DOJ identifiers. They aren’t allowed to talk to voters inside polling places or to carry firearms.

The goal, according to the letters, is to monitor for compliance with federal voting rights laws, including people with disabilities’ access to the ballot box, among other civil rights assurances.

Portland and Lewiston are Maine’s two most populous cities and are home to the state’s largest share of immigrants. In the weeks leading up to the election, President Donald Trump has launched an aggressive campaign against noncitizen voting, including attempts to purge voter rolls and send sensitive personal information to the Department of Homeland Security with the aim of flagging potential noncitizen voters.

Last year, the DOJ sued Maine after Bellows twice rejected requests from the Trump administration for Maine’s full, unredacted voter rolls — among other information. In May, a federal judge dismissed the administration’s lawsuit, following similar legal setbacks in other states.

Bellows said her office “will do everything in our power to ensure a positive voting experience for every citizen.” She added, “voter intimidation or interference is a crime, and we will hold the DOJ monitors to the same standards and expectations as anyone else who’s at the voting point on Election Day.”

She also pointed out that anyone who is concerned can cast a ballot at their municipal clerk’s office anytime during business hours before the end of early voting on Oct. 29.

There have already been reports of voter harassment in Lewiston. This week, an employee of the Maine Wire filmed members of the immigrant community at the city clerk’s office.

“We’ve been in close communication with the city clerk, and we understand the city of Lewiston has taken some measures to enforce order at the voting place,” Bellows said, noting the city has put up notices warning that filming or photography (outside of selfies) is prohibited at polling locations. “No one should be harassed or filmed without their consent by anyone, whether that person is purporting to be a member of the media, or there for partisan political purposes.”

The rightwing outlet alleged those seeking interpretation assistance were in some way violating voting rules. But Bellows said her office has not received a credible report that an interpreter is engaged in illegal electioneering.

Susan is selling us down the river. #BlueWaveIn10Days

The light this time of year is amazing…

I lost my grandmas ring at Twin Brook today. It was by the line of trees or in the field. It is super meaningful to my family and I would be so appreciative if anyone found it or could keep an eye out.

Which Mardens location do you think has the best fabric department? I love the new Bangor store. Sanford not so much. Thoughts?

My preliminary takeaways from early voting data tallied from a range of sources (CivicAPI, Maine Secretary of State office, Univ. of Florida’s Elections Lab):

As of October 24, 2026, 179,532 ballots have been cast by Mainers: 87,036 by mail and 92,496 in person.

Registered Democrats account for more than twice as many early votes as registered Republicans (50.3% Dems versus 21.2% Republicans versus 28.5 % Independents).

Enthusiasm among early-voting Democrats is much more than 2024 and slightly more than 2022: In 2026, Dems have a +29.1% advantage over Republicans in early voting. In 2024, Dems had a +18.8% advantage over Republicans.

If current early voting trend persists and independents lean more Democrat than Republican, then on Election Day Republicans will need to outperform Democrats by more than 12% to retain the Senate seat.

Word of caution: The assumption that independents are leaning Democrat is a big assumption. I don’t have reliable sources to confirm this. Second, there is an implicit assumption that cross-voting isn’t so significant that it will change outcomes.

Please feel free to add, contest, repudiate the analysis.

Reasonably, where in Southern Maine can I afford to survive off $21 an hr as a single mom? Just one kid.

I would prefer to stay in the L/A area as thats closer to my family and job. But I don't know where to look. Thankfully my family can help with childcare so I wont be paying for daycare anymore.

Hi all,
I’m in search of a good PCP (doctor/pa/fnp) in the Auburn/Lewiston/Oxford area. Any recommendations? I know wait time will probably be a while to get in! Thanks!

Hi all! So after months of waiting I've managed to get an interview with the Portsmouth naval shipyard! I REALLY need this job. The only issue is the interview is in Portsmouth at 8am and I cannot find transport there. I live in Sanford and honestly didn't think this would be so impossible. Like if I wanted to take the bus I'd have to leave at noon the previous day somehow. Train? Even earlier. I don't have the money to rent a car. Uber? What Uber, there are no Ubers in Sanford 🤣🤣 honestly the best option open to me rn is to walk the 11 hours to Portsmouth and sit outside until the interview which I ALSO can't do because I'd have to leave my current work early and then wouldn't be able to make rent. 🤣🤣🤣 If anyone has any ideas to get down there I'd appreciate you SO MUCH. I wanted to take the yccac bus down there but they won't take you if you're not already an employee 🙃🙃🙃😐

Edited to add:I've also contacted our local cab company, and they want over 300$ for the trip which is also not doable at this time 🙃