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特朗普削减科研经费 “让人变聪明”研究中途喊停

2026年8月31日 23:14 / 联合早报

特朗普政府持续收紧联邦科研开支，并推动部分部门把资金从基础研究转向应用研究，导致一些大学科研项目被取消或中断，也引发美国学界对长期科研能力受损的担忧。 （彭博社）

美国特朗普政府削减科研经费，导致一项研究“人能不能通过训练提升空间思维能力”的项目在去年底被迫中途取消。

负责项目的科学家警告，如果政府继续把资源从基础研究转向短期内看得见成果的应用研究，未来可能会削弱科学突破的根基。

《纽约时报》报道，卡内基梅隆大学心理学教授、发展神经科学系主任坎特隆（Jessica Cantlon）长期研究人类大脑和认知能力。近几年，她的研究重点放在数学思维和空间视觉能力上，比如人如何在多维空间中发现规律、判断物体移动方向，以及预测行动结果。

这些能力对工程师、外科医生、船舶和飞机驾驶员等职业都很重要，但学校里通常不会专门训练。坎特隆因此想弄清楚：空间思维能力到底能不能通过后天训练明显提高？

她的团队获得了美国海军150万美元（约190万新元）的拨款。这个项目属于一个更大的“注意力控制计划”。研究人员先让参与者接受功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）脑部扫描，然后进行九周的空间问题训练，训练结束后再做一次脑部扫描，用来观察大脑活动是否发生变化。

团队也希望比较不同性别在空间任务上的表现。过去有研究认为，女性在某些空间任务上的表现相对较弱，但学界一直有争议：这种差异到底是生理原因造成的，还是社会和文化环境影响的结果。

坎特隆说，项目的初步结果显示，训练确实有帮助，而且男女参与者的大脑神经活动并没有明显差异。

不过，项目才进行到一半，拨款就在去年底突然被取消。当时团队只完成了大约三分之二所需的脑部扫描，也来不及对数据做完整分析。由于经费被砍，项目损失了约三分之一预算，团队还不得不紧急寻找其他资金，以保住博士后研究员、技术人员和研究生的岗位。

更严重的是，整个研究计划后来也被关闭。坎特隆说，当局给出的理由是，相关部门要把重点从基础研究转向更有实际用途的应用研究。

坎特隆担忧称，基础研究虽然不一定马上变成产品或技术，但它提供的是未来科学发现最根本的知识。很多重大突破，甚至诺贝尔奖级别的成果，都是建立在长期基础研究之上的。

她警告，如果基础研究不断被压缩，应用科学最终也会失去新的知识来源。这样一来，“我们只会停留在已经知道的东西上”，科学进步可能因此变慢。

Abdul El-Sayed shares dozens of donors with ex-GOP candidate at center of antisemitism controversy

Shared donors gave more than $61,000 combined to the Michigan Senate candidate and the failed GOP congressional hopeful

August 31, 2026 5:00am EDT / Fox News

By Elaine Mallon Fox News

Published August 31, 2026 5:00am EDT

Democrats urged to ‘disavow’ Hasan Piker

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed faces scrutiny over his campaign’s ties to far-left streamer Hasan Piker. Piker’s highly controversial remarks about U.S. Jews prompt prominent Democrats to warn colleagues to distance themselves. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer joins ‘America Reports’ to analyze the fallout and the growing antisemitism concerns on the far-left.

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Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed shares nearly two dozen donors with former Republican congressional candidate Dan Bilzerian, whose campaign included antisemitic attacks against Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla.

El-Sayed and Bilzerian are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, but both have criticized U.S. support for Israel and called on the United States to cease all aid to the Jewish state.

Bilzerian has supported the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts, while El-Sayed has called for abolishing ICE. Bilzerian has called for lower taxes and less regulation, while El-Sayed has called for higher taxes on the wealthy and Medicare for All.

The two candidates’ shared donors have contributed more than $61,000 to their campaigns, according to a Fox News Digital review of FEC filings for both campaigns. The shared donors gave $23,144.12 to Bilzerian’s campaign and approximately $38,626.20 to El-Sayed’s campaign.

EL-SAYED CAMPAIGN BACKED BY OVER $100,000 FROM DOZENS OF MEMBERS OF GROUP WITH ALLEGED TERROR TIES

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, speaks to the press with Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., at a campaign rally at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Aug. 26, 2026. Separately, Dan Bilzerian visits India to announce his association with sports predictor LivePools and the launch of his male grooming brand, Alister, on Sept. 13, 2019, in Mumbai, India.(Katie McTiernan / Anadolu via Getty Images; Prodip Guha / Getty Images)

Bilzerian lost to Fine in the primary, and his campaign tactics and advertisements drew sharp criticism from Republican leaders. His attacks against Fine, who is Jewish, included a 2½-minute AI-generated campaign ad calling Fine a “fat Jew” as well as other antisemitic remarks.

“Jewish supremacy is the greatest threat to the world today,” Bilzerian told Fox News Digital in response to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, El-Sayed, who has routinely accused Israel of committing “genocide” against the Palestinian people, has drawn criticism for his associations with social media influencer Hasan Piker, who said the terrorist group Hamas was “a thousand times better than the fascist settler colonial apartheid state,” referring to Israel.

Donors to both El-Sayed and Bilzerian include prominent critics of Israel, such as Georgia attorney Ibrahim Awad of Awad Law Firm. He contributed $12,651.88 through a joint fundraising committee supporting Bilzerian’s campaign on April 25, 2026. It is unclear how much of that contribution was attributed to Awad. Fox News Digital reached out to Awad for comment.

EL-SAYED DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM HASAN PIKER AFTER DISTURBING REMARKS ABOUT JEWISH AMERICANS

A little more than a month earlier, Awad donated $7,000 to El-Sayed’s campaign.

Awad, whose mother was born in Gaza, has been a vocal critic of Israel and has accused the Jewish state of committing a Holocaust in Gaza that may be worse than the Holocaust during World War II.

“It’s a Holocaust,” Awad shared during an appearance on the “Sumud Podcast” hosted by Dr. Ed Hasan. “Like, it’s present day. There are so many ways that it’s even worse than [the] World War II Holocaust because it’s happening in real time right in front of us.”

Awad appeared on the podcast in August 2025, when he decried Zionism as a “toxic way of thinking.”

“That’s the poisonous sin, right? The toxicity of Zionism,” Awad said. “It’s all rooted in this supremacy. Racism is rooted in this supremacy. Slavery is rooted in this supremacy.”

He said he distinguishes Judaism from Zionism but argued that Palestinians should not be responsible for explaining that distinction.

U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders and embraced comparisons between him and Zohran Mamdani.(Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED’S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS

“The onus is on the oppressor,” Awad said. “I mean, about whether you’re coming in, and you’re saying, ‘Hey, Israel is a Jewish state,’ and that same Jewish state is coming in and spray-painting the walls with the Star of David, and then I have to now, as the victim whose home was stolen, say, ‘Oh no, it’s not that you’re a bad Jew. It’s that you’re just a Zionist settler.’

“Nonetheless, we take the high ground, and we distinguish, and we say, ‘No, this is Zionism, right? This is Jewish supremacy. That is antithetical to Judaism, right? But that’s what it is,’” Awad continued.

Awad also rejected the characterization of the Palestinian resistance as “terrorism.”

Meanwhile, Hussein “Sam” Mahrouq, a Texas resident and owner of Enterprises International, which is the parent company of AutoMax and Dollar Rent-A-Car, donated $3,500 to El-Sayed’s campaign from May 2025 to April 2026.

He also contributed more than $1,000 through a joint fundraising committee supporting Bilzerian. Mahrouq has donated to other candidates critical of Israel, including Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

He also donated $400,000 to American Priorities PAC, which was created this year to counter the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the New York Post reported.

Mahrouq shared during an appearance on the podcast “Bigger than Business” that he is the child of Palestinian refugees.

Poker player Dan Bilzerian attends qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 24, 2015, in Richmond, Virginia.(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

In a statement, Mahrouq did not directly answer Fox News Digital’s question about whether El-Sayed and Bilzerian’s stances on Israel factored into his decision to donate.

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE CONFRONTED REPEATEDLY OVER ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO EXIST, DEFUNDING THE POLICE

“I have made contributions and donations to many different candidates, organizations, community initiatives and charitable projects over the years,” Mahrouq said. “A contribution should not be interpreted as an endorsement of every position taken by a candidate or organization.”

Muhi Khwaja, co-founder of the American Muslim Community Foundation, donated $625 to El-Sayed’s campaign and $26.68 to Bilzerian’s campaign.

Khwaja described a visit to Gaza in a November 2023 essay and advocated for building support for Palestinians beyond the Arab world.

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“The Israel-Hamas war has made one thing clear: The philanthropic world can no longer turn a blind eye to the collective punishment facing Palestinians,” Khwaja wrote. “As a student of philanthropy, I believe in the love of humankind. As a Muslim, I believe in compassion for all. My Jewish friends and colleagues believe in Tikkun olam — repairing the world. But Israel’s actions in Gaza are doing the opposite.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign and Khwaja for comment. Awad was also contacted for comment.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

‘Jesus was a radical’: Progressives invoke Christ to sell left-wing agenda on campaign trail

Christ ‘pushed for the same things that I’m fighting for today,’ Angie Nixon tells congregants

August 31, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

Florida progressive compares her ‘radical’ positions to Jesus

Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon took a page from Abdul El-Sayed’s book and compared her “radical” positions to Jesus in an unearthed clip. (Credit: St. Paul AME Jacksonville – Aug. 23)

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Progressives seeking a seat in the Senate are taking a decades-old page from their Republican counterparts, using faith as a political tool to build connections with voters.

Three progressive Democratic candidates running for the Senate, Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, Abdul El-Sayed and Texas state Rep. James Talarico, share a penchant for bucking the Democratic establishment in their meteoric rise this midterm cycle.

They have also incorporated their religions and faiths into their campaigns and messaging to voters, showing shades of the “Moral Majority” coalition that formed during the late 1970s in the GOP when former President Ronald Reagan was running as Republicans sought to tie policy to Christianity.

PROGRESSIVE FLORIDA LAWMAKER ANGIE NIXON TOPPLES TRUMP IMPEACHMENT WITNESS IN DEM SENATE PRIMARY UPSET

Progressive hopefuls are lifting a page from Republicans’ playbook and tying faith to their policy platforms.(Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images; Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Nixon, who scored a major upset against Alexander Vindman, a major figure during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial who was backed by the Democratic establishment in Washington, D.C., has become a prime target for the GOP because of her connection to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

During a sermon last week at the Saint Paul AME Church of Jacksonville, Fla., Nixon, who will face Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., in November, contended that her “radical” positions were akin to those of Jesus Christ.

“They are trying, y’all. They are trying … to label me as this extremist, this radical. But, you know, Jesus was a radical,” Nixon said.

EL-SAYED MAKES JESUS COMPARISON WHEN PRESSED ON SOCIALIST VIEWS: ‘RADICAL IN HIS TIME, TOO’

“And Jesus fought for — I mean, he pushed for the same things that I’m fighting for today, right? Right now, we’re literally in a civil rights moment,” she continued. “Whether or not people wanna believe it or not, but we are.”

She joined the DSA in June, prompting immediate backlash from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, which tied her to socialism, despite her denial that she’s a Democratic socialist.

Nixon isn’t the only one of the three to make the same comparison.

El-Sayed, during an appearance on the Progressive Christians Podcast that aired in May, similarly invoked Christ when asked about his policy positions. El-Sayed, who is Muslim and running in Michigan’s toss-up race against former Rep. Mike Rogers, was asked about the similarities between his faith and Christianity and why they were being targeted as radical.

“Well, you know, Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, was considered radical in his time, too,” El-Sayed said.

JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS ‘MISSED THE MARK’ WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS ‘NON-BINARY’

“And there is a radical nature to being willing to stand forthright in a time of corruption, and I think it’s important for all of us to realize that popularity and zeitgeist don’t make truth. And we live in a time where people are trying to normalize corruption,” he continued.

Of the three, Talarico, who is running in the toss-up race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has displayed his faith the most. He has been taking seminary classes to become a Presbyterian minister, and has blended Christianity with his policy platform since launching his candidacy last year.

And like the others, Republicans have pounced on his use of faith as a point of attack, particularly in his defense of transgender children.

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In pushing back against the Texas GOP’s newly signed anti-trans bill in 2021, Talarico argued Texas Republicans were trying to justify the measure “in the name of God’s law.”

“The first two lines of the Bible, the first two lines in Genesis, use two different Hebrew words to describe God. One is the masculine Hebrew noun for divinity,” Talarico said. “The second is the feminine Hebrew noun for spirit. God is both masculine and feminine, and everything in between.”

“God is non-binary,” he said.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

中国羽协副主席夏煊泽、原副主席王伟同日被查

2026年8月31日 19:35 / 联合早报

中国羽毛球协会副主席夏煊泽（左）、原副主席王伟（右）同一天官宣被查。 （互联网）

中国羽毛球界推进反腐行动。中国羽毛球协会副主席夏煊泽、原副主席王伟同一天官宣被查。

中国国家体育总局官网星期一（8月31日）发布消息称，夏煊泽和王伟均涉嫌严重违法，目前正接受中央纪委国家监委驻国家体育总局纪检监察组和江苏南通监委监察调查。

加上今年4月29日官宣被查的中国羽协时任主席、南京体育学院副院长张军，中国羽协四个月内已有三人被查。

据财新网，此次落马的夏煊泽在羽协官网的副主席排序中名列首位，但在官宣消息后他的名字被从该栏目中删除。

王伟曾是羽毛球运动员，在2001年第九届全运会上获得过男双金牌，退役后曾在中国羽毛球队担任教练。他在上一届羽协领导层中任副主席兼秘书长，现任上海市竞技体育训练管理中心乒羽运动中心党支部书记、上海市羽协秘书长，8月16日还在上海参加公开活动。

花拉公园尿斗面对面”相隔仅60厘米 使用者如厕时“进退两难”

2026-08-31 19:41 / 新明日报

• 花拉公园地铁站男厕两排尿斗面对面设置，中间相隔仅约60厘米，通道狭窄致使用者如厕时进退两难。 – 记者走访发现外侧尿斗若同时有人使用通道即被堵住，内侧虽有空位后来者仍须等候，携物者更不便。 – 有公众反映高峰时段常因通道受阻被迫排队甚至改去别处如厕，建议减少设施或交错排列以留出空间。 – 新捷运表示已知悉厕所空间狭窄问题，正检讨改善设计的可能方案，称工程需仔细规划以减少不便。

记者观察，一旦靠近入口的两侧尿斗同时有人使用，通道便几乎被堵住。 （陈渊庄摄）

花拉公园地铁站男厕两排尿斗“面对面”设置，中间相隔仅约60厘米，一旦外侧的尿斗有人使用，即使里面仍有空位，其他人也可能因通道太窄而无法进入。新捷运强调，已知悉情况，并正检讨改善设计的可能方案。

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《联合早报》记者星期一（8月31日）下午2时许走访花拉公园地铁站，发现男厕内共有两排尿斗相对而设，每排四个，中间形成一条狭窄通道。

记者现场测量，两排尿斗之间的距离仅约60厘米。记者站在两排尿斗之间横向伸展双臂时，双手根本法伸直，可见空间相当局促。

据记者观察，如果每一排只有一人使用尿斗，其他人尚能勉强从中间经过。不过，一旦靠近入口两侧的尿斗同时有人使用，通道就会被堵住。即使内侧仍有多个无人使用的尿斗，后来者也只能站在外头等候。使用者如果背着背包或携带较大的随身物品，情况则更加不便。

印度游客普拉万（36岁，信息技术工程师）告诉《联合早报》，他过去一周到过本地不少公共厕所，花拉公园地铁站男厕的空间最狭窄。

他说，自己去厕所时人不多，倒没怎么觉得不方便，但高峰时段的情况就不难想象了。“如果我使用的是最里侧的尿斗，之后又有人站到外侧，那我可能连走出来都有困难。”

他觉得，与其为了增加尿斗数量而牺牲通行空间，不如减少部分设施。

“宁可拆掉一边的尿斗，或两边交错排列，留多一些空间让人进出。”

另一名公众张德春（79岁，退休人士）则说，他经常使用花拉公园地铁站的公厕，不时会因有人使用外侧的尿斗而必须排队，很不方便。

他忆述，有一次在傍晚高峰时段上厕所时，就有人在如厕之后，因靠外的尿斗有人使用而出不来，厕所外一下子就有四五人排队等候。

“还好当时我不是特别急，只能去附近的商场上厕所。”

张德春认为，这种情况已不单是“稍小一些”的瑕疵，而是直接掣肘了正常使用，这种情况在人流较多时尤其明显。

根据卫浴文化协会2022年发布的第五版《公厕设计与维修指南》，尿斗正前方至墙壁、其他设施或门之间，建议保留约900毫米，也就是90厘米的净空空间。

指南附录中有关多个尿斗的设计示意图，也显示尿斗前方应预留足够的活动和通行空间。不过，有关指南属于设计建议，花拉公园地铁站男厕目前的设计是否符合相关强制建筑规范，仍有待有关方面进一步说明。

针对男厕空间狭窄的问题，新捷运发言人陈贵珍答复《联合早报》询问时说，公司已知悉此事，并正在检讨改善厕所设计的可能方案。

她说：“任何工程都必须经过仔细规划，以尽量减少对乘客造成的不便。这需要一些时间，我们恳请乘客给予耐心和谅解。”

巫统与大选成焦点 伊党周三至周末办全国大会

2026年8月31日 19:48 / 联合早报

伊党星期三（9月2日）至星期六（5日）将在吉兰丹举行第72届全国代表大会。伊党主席哈迪阿旺到时将出席并发表重要演说。 （取自哈迪阿旺脸书）

伊党星期三（9月2日）至星期六（5日）将在吉兰丹举行第72届全国代表大会。伊党主席哈迪阿旺到时将出席并发表重要演说。 （取自哈迪阿旺脸书）

马来西亚反对党伊斯兰党星期三（9月2日）至星期六（5日）将在吉兰丹举行第72届全国代表大会。国民阵线成员巫统到时委派何人出席大会，以及伊党主席哈迪阿旺将发表的政策演说都备受关注。

据《星洲日报》报道，据伊党发布的议程，伊党青年团代表大会将于星期三和星期四（3日）在哥打峇鲁一家酒店举行。伊党妇女组代表大会则于星期三在万捷县的回教教育中心举行。

据议程，伊党最高决策机构长老协商理事会代表大会星期三在哥打峇鲁一处礼堂举行。伊党全国中央代表大会则于星期五（4日）及星期六，在彭加兰芝柏的吉兰丹回教传教中心举行。

伊党与巫统接连在柔佛与森美兰州选举合作后，巫统主席阿末扎希上星期天（8月23日）告诉记者，伊党已经邀请巫统领袖出席伊党大会，他将委派代表出席。

巫统青年团团长莫哈末阿克马隔天说，他将应邀出席伊党青年团大会。

伊党总秘书达基尤丁星期天（30日）告诉记者， 巫统总秘书阿斯拉夫，以及巫统吉兰丹州主席阿末贾兹兰及一些巫统区部主席，到时都将出席伊党大会。

巫统领导的国阵与伊党领导的国盟未来的合作动向日益受到关注，巫统代表出席伊党大会是否释放双方加强交流与合作的信息，也成为外界关注焦点。

伊党主席哈迪阿旺上星期五（28日）告诉记者，这次伊党大会将讨论党内团结、与盟友保持良好关系，以及加强与其他政党的合作。

伊党是马国国会最大党。它去年举行的第71届全国代表大会，展现伊党领导国盟及争取执政中央的愿景。伊党当时提出副主席及登嘉楼大臣阿末山苏里将是首相人选后，随即成为大会焦点。

马国国会最迟将在2027年底解散，第16届全国大选最迟须在2028年2月前举行。马国政坛近来则盛传首相安华可能在明年下半年举行大选。

各方因此相当注意伊党此次大会是否进一步表明执政中央的议程与立场，包括如何领导国盟及与其他阵营合作面对全国大选，以及伊党首相人选等信息。

Vulnerable Dem’s own audit admits Medicaid oversight failure amid massive statewide fraud scandal

Vance said Dunlap should be ‘fired, not promoted’ as he faces Republican Paul LePage in the general election

August 31, 2026 7:00am EDT / Fox News

Maine whistleblower Christopher Bernardini alleges Minnesota-like fraud within the state’s Medicaid program and explains its extent on ‘The Will Cain Show.’

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Maine’s state auditor Matt Dunlap, who is now pursuing a bid to represent Maine’s 2nd Congressional District as a Democrat, released a report earlier this year sounding the alarm that the state’s internal watchdog for its MaineCare program had a serious gap in utilization control.

“[The Program Integrity Unit] could not provide documentation of the methodology used to identify projects and post-payment reviews performed in relation to surveillance of all Medicaid services provided under the State plan,” the report reads, referring to the “PIU,” the program’s watchdog.

The report’s release, which comes after revelations of healthcare fraud in Maine from federal investigators and a local whistleblower, puts renewed focus on Dunlap’s tenure as auditor and raises questions about Maine’s past systems to detect fraud amid one of the country’s most competitive congressional races.

VANCE TURNS UP HEAT ON STATES WITH FEDERAL CASH THREAT OVER MEDICAID FRAUD CRACKDOWN

Maine state auditor Matt Dunlap, the Democratic congressional nominee in the state’s 2nd District, is interviewed by Fox News Digital, on July 25, 2026 in Bangor, Maine.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

In order to ensure that state programs are complying with federal requirements, the PIU, the watchdog, selects a set number of cases for review, picking those cases based on “data analytics.” The report didn’t expand on those analytics —but noted a key weakness. In addition to being unable to provide documentation of why those cases had been chosen for review, the process also didn’t take into account possible misuse — by patients or by the companies that bill MaineCare.

In the report’s words, the PIU, the watchdog group, “does not document consideration of misutilization practices of beneficiaries or providers … [and] may not provide adequate monitoring of all Medicaid services, resulting in potential noncompliance with Federal regulations.”

Dunlap’s 2026 report also acknowledged that this particular reporting issue hadn’t been caught before, noting that it had a “prior year findings: none” designation.

When asked about the weakness and whether this was really the first time it had surfaced in an audit, Dunlap’s campaign stressed that the report only narrowly applied to that particular weakness and that Dunlap had recieved praise — even from local Republicans — on his work identifying other liabilities.

“As Auditor, Matt Dunlap has flagged many issues that date back to the LePage administration. He has been praised by local press and Republican leaders alike for his work to recommend ways to safeguard taxpayer dollars. Paul LePage should answer why his team didn’t implement the recommendations of his own Auditors from when he was governor,” Harry Burke, a spokesperson for the Dunlap campaign said in a comment to Fox News Digital, referring to the Republican nominee in the race, a former governor of Maine who served from 2011 to 2019.

The campaign also observed that, Dunlap himself, as an auditor, has little power to implement changes he flags as problematic. Decisions to remedy issues within Maine’s programs lie within the departments themselves, although auditors can recommend specific changes.

“The auditor’s job is to be a fire alarm: identify the problems so that state agencies can act. For example, last year, his recommendations led to the arrest and prosecution of a procurement fraudster saving taxpayer dollars,” Burke added.

Despite his campaign’s pushback, Dunlap has received backlash from Republicans for failing to stop fraud schemes that have caught national attention.

TRUMP TASK FORCE IS TACKLING $250 BILLION IN GOVERNMENT FRAUD. IT’S JUST GETTING STARTED

Vice President JD Vance spoke during a news conference on anti-fraud initiatives in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on May 13, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration warned states they could lose Medicaid funding if they fail to comply with federal anti-fraud statutes.(Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Dunlap first came into the role in 2021 despite lacking the credentials to become an auditor. After being installed, he had to resign after twice failing the needed tests to become a certified auditor. Even so, Dunlap returned to the role in November 2022 after passing the requisite exams.

That track record has become a focal point for Republicans in the congressional race after the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General revealed in January that the state had paid out at least $45.6 million in improper Medicaid payments for autism services.

The findings only furthered concerns raised by a whistleblower in December.

Christopher Bernardini, a former employee of Gateway Community Services, said his company had been defrauding Maine’s Medicaid program. According to Bernardini, the health services contractor had routinely filed false records about client visits, billing the state for services that Gateway had never provided.

The compounding stories of fraud have captured the attention of figures like JD Vance, who highlighted them in a visit to the state on Monday.

“How did Maine become one of the main capitals of defrauding the American taxpayer?’” Vance asked at a campaign event.

“One of the answers is somehow you guys hired an auditor who is not actually an auditor and failed the auditor exam. Well, call it old-fashioned common sense, but if you want somebody managing your money, maybe they ought to actually meet the constitutional requirements to do the job,” Vance said.

Vance argued Dunlap’s track record should be disqualifying.

“And for Matt Dunlap, if you’ve got a guy who cannot protect your tax dollars from fraudsters, who has turned your state into one of the fraud capitals of the United States of America, maybe you should be saying to Matt Dunlap, ‘You’re fired, not promoted to the United States Congress,’” Vance said.

Previous years of reporting before Dunlap’s time as auditor also cast doubt on the office’s aggressiveness in uncovering fraud, hinting that the office’s zeal has declined under his watch.

Notably, in the six years before Dunlap took over the reins in 2022, the state had identified that it had almost too many active fraud investigations.

“Cases opened because of potential fraud, abuse, or questionable practices need improved supervisory review,” several reports state.

Audits going back to 2016 noted that the office had routinely taken on more cases than its resources and its staffing would allow for, leading to a lack of monitoring of individual cases.

DR. OZ NAMES 5 STATES IN FRAUD CRACKDOWN AS TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS MEDICAID ABUSE

Maine state auditor Matt Dunlap is primary challenging Democratic Rep. Jared Golden in the state’s Second Congressional District(Matt Dunlap for Congress)

Since Dunlap returned to the role in 2022, the auditor’s office has not resurfaced that concern.

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Having secured his party’s nomination in the state’s primaries earlier this year, Dunlap heads to the general election on Nov. 3, where he faces off against the Republican nominee, former Gov. Paul LePage.

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

白化频率过高 珊瑚礁难恢复

2026年8月31日 19:37 / 联合早报

全球珊瑚礁正遭受气候变化威胁。图为8月30日，鱼群在帕劳科罗尔（Koror）附近海域的珊瑚礁间游弋。 （法新社）

（悉尼/新加坡路透电）科学家警告，珊瑚礁白化事件日益频繁，以至于它们在下一轮白化来袭前根本来不及恢复。目前，全球珊瑚覆盖率已远低于正常水平，并面临不可逆转的衰退风险。

全球珊瑚礁监测网络（GCRMN）周一（8月31日）发布的报告显示，过去珊瑚礁白化事件曾间隔数十年，但如今平均仅为五六年。

这份报告进一步表明，气候变化正在冲击脆弱的珊瑚礁生态系统。2020年至2024年期间，全球硬珊瑚（也称石珊瑚）覆盖率较历史平均水平萎缩了9.5%。

科学家于1998年记录到全球首次大规模白化事件。自2010年以来，这类事件又发生了三次，最近的一次是在2023年，当时全球有77%的珊瑚礁区域受影响，是有记录以来范围最广的一次。

报告主笔里韦罗（Manuel Gonzalez Rivero）说：“如果给它们足够时间，珊瑚礁有能力恢复，但白化事件发生的频率已增加约一倍。”

珊瑚白化是因为排出寄生体内的彩色藻类，而少了这些输送养分的藻类，珊瑚会容易受到饥饿和疾病侵害。白化珊瑚虽然并未死亡，但海洋温度必须降低，它们才有望复原。

里韦罗预计，随着厄尔尼诺现象加剧，海洋表面也于8月22日达到21.1摄氏度的历史新高，今年很可能会再次发生白化事件。

报告指出，全球在接下来10年里为遏制气候变化、减轻珊瑚礁压力，以及维持长期监测和管理所采取的措施，将决定珊瑚礁未来的状况。

习近平与普京会面

2026年8月31日 19:49 / 联合早报

当地时间星期一（8月31日）下午，中国国家主席习近平与俄罗斯总统普京会面。

据新华社，习近平是在比什凯克出席2026年上海合作组织峰会期间，与普京见面。

Inside the dangerous US mission that cleared Iran’s mines from Hormuz shipping lanes

Navy divers, SEALs and air power quietly neutralized threats in the Traffic Separation Scheme over months

August 31, 2026 5:00am EDT / Fox News

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

CENTCOM commander says US forces cleared mines from Hormuz shipping lanes

Adm. Brad Cooper says U.S. forces cleared Iranian sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz’s international shipping lanes after months of work, allowing commercial vessels to resume transit under U.S. protection. (CENTCOM)

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President Donald Trump declared last week that the United States had removed or detonated all mines in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, the commander of U.S. Central Command has offered the clearest public account yet of the high-stakes operation behind that declaration: a monthslong effort in which U.S. forces quietly cleared Iranian sea mines from established international shipping lanes used by commercial vessels.

Other threats still stand between the cleared lanes and a return to normal activity in one of the world’s most important waterways. The latest maritime guidance still classifies the Strait at a “SEVERE” threat level. Recent attacks have struck tankers near Oman, and oil flows remain far below prewar levels.

“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the Strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a video update.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN’S NAVY ‘OBLITERATED’ AS US ENFORCES HORMUZ BLOCKADE — BUT KEY THREAT REMAINS

The Strait of Hormuz is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, with shipping lanes that are two miles wide in each direction. It is the only sea passage from many of the world’s largest oil producers to the Indian Ocean.(AP Photo)

“Internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait are free of Iranian sea mines thanks to the incredible work of the U.S. military,” Cooper said.

Cooper identified the cleared area as the Strait’s Traffic Separation Scheme, the long-standing system of opposing lanes that guides commercial vessels through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman.

“Our forces meticulously and quietly cleared them of sea mine threats using a combination of Navy divers, Navy SEALs and U.S. air power from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps,” Cooper said.

The operation was carried out as the Navy was in the middle of a major transition in how it handles mine warfare.

The service had retired its four Bahrain-based mine countermeasure ships the previous year as newer unmanned systems were still being fielded. In April, defense analyst Bryan Clark told Fox News Digital the Navy was at a “nadir” in its mine-sweeping capacity.

At the time, retired Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, who previously commanded the Navy’s 5th Fleet, said newer technology was increasingly being used to locate and neutralize mines, including unmanned systems that map the seabed and identify potential threats before explosive ordnance teams move in.

Cooper’s account now shows U.S. forces relied on a broader combination of Navy divers, SEALs and air power to clear the international shipping lanes. CENTCOM has not disclosed the precise role each capability played.

“The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done,” Cooper said. “Bottom line, today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building.”

Image shows the Turkish Navy’s version of the mine-sweeping drone.(Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Donegan, who was not involved in the current operation, said mine-clearance operations begin with surface and subsurface vessels, including unmanned systems, locating and identifying possible mines. Once mines are identified, autonomous systems, specially trained Navy divers and SEALs can destroy or neutralize them.

Different sections of a waterway can be at different stages of the process at the same time, Donegan said, with forces neutralizing mines in one area while detection and identification continue elsewhere.

Throughout the operation, the Navy continues scanning the waterway to ensure it has not missed any mines, he said.

Donegan said the Navy uses a sophisticated detection model before declaring a waterway clear.

“In simplest terms, they have to conduct enough sweeps of the lanes to drive the probability of detection of mines to virtually 100% in the model,” he said.

Donegan said the calculation takes into account factors including the detection systems and their effectiveness, characteristics of the waterway and the type of seabed.

Ships are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on August 10, 2026, off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran.(Ali Saeedi/Getty Images)

WHITE HOUSE SILENT ON IRAN-OMAN HORMUZ PLAN TEHRAN SAYS WOULD BAN US WARSHIPS

The Navy has also spent years preparing for such an operation. Donegan said elements of large-scale mine clearance in the Strait have been practiced through recurring NAVCENT mine-countermeasure exercises dating to 2012, along with regular Navy training.

Cooper said U.S. forces have assisted nearly 1,500 commercial vessels through the Strait in recent months by providing coordinated protection. Those ships carried nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil bound for global energy markets, he said.

The CENTCOM commander said the military is pursuing two missions at once: enforcing a naval blockade on Iran and protecting commercial passage through the Strait. He said that since the blockade resumed in mid-July, U.S. forces have turned around 75 vessels attempting to run it and disabled three that failed to comply with directions.

Cooper did not say how many mines U.S. forces found or destroyed.

Axios reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials, that American forces swept more than 200 mine-like objects from the main shipping lane. Of those objects, 11 were actual mines, and only a few had been properly deployed.

The figures illustrate the painstaking identification process Donegan described: Forces must investigate possible threats before determining which objects are actually mines.

CENTCOM has not provided further details on the systems used during the operation or how individual mines were neutralized. A defense official told Fox News Digital that the military would not discuss operational specifics for security reasons.

The broader maritime-security picture has yet to catch up with CENTCOM’s declaration.

The latest Joint Maritime Information Center advisory, issued through the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations office on Aug. 25, keeps the Strait of Hormuz at a “SEVERE” threat level and says deliberate hostile action remains highly likely.

The advisory says mine-danger areas remain active and warns of a continued risk from drifting or uncharted mines in and near the Traffic Separation Scheme. It says clearance and mine-surveying operations continue throughout the Strait and that commercial traffic is expected to remain below prewar levels.

The assessment predates Cooper’s video update. No public advisory downgrading the threat level or lifting the underlying warnings had been issued as of Friday.

Donegan said the possibility of drifting mines does not disappear entirely after a route has been cleared.

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“In the Gulf there is always the danger of drifting mines that are not fixed, that are left over from this conflict or previous ones in the region,” Donegan said. “That threat from those in the Gulf has historically been very low, especially due to currents in that area that make it unlikely that drifting mines stay in the lane and contact a commercial vessel.”

Commercial crews are also still confronting attacks.

UKMTO reported that tankers near Oman were struck by unknown projectiles on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, setting off fires that crews later extinguished. All crew members were reported safe in both incidents. The public alerts did not identify the vessels or attribute the strikes.

Oil flows through the Strait stood at about 5 million barrels per day Monday, down from more than 20 million before the war, according to Reuters, which cited provisional Vortexa tracking data.

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The recovery remains uneven. Reuters reported Friday that seven commodity vessels transited the Strait on Thursday, down from 17 the day before and below the 10-day average of 15 vessels, based on preliminary shipping data.

Iran and Oman separately announced this week that they were discussing a temporary joint navigation corridor and a joint mine-clearance project. Their statements did not specify whether that work would cover the same Traffic Separation Scheme CENTCOM says U.S. forces have cleared.

Cooper’s announcement provides the most detailed official account yet of the operation behind Trump’s declaration and marks a significant step toward restoring commercial passage through the Strait.

The U.S. military says the recognized commercial lanes are open and protected. But the latest maritime risk guidance, continued attacks and sharply reduced traffic show that the broader Strait remains dangerous and disrupted.