Bessent Defends Iran Sanctions, Bond Strategy Before Lawmakers

By Tom LoBianco | Quincy News Correspondent

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    Washington (Quincy News) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the administration’s efforts to pressure Iran and calm the bond market Tuesday in testimony before the House Financial Services Committee.

Bessent highlighted Treasury’s expansive new effort to further cut off Iran financially, including action against Banque Misr UAE, which Treasury says processed about $1.8 billion for companies potentially tied to Iranian shadow banking networks. He also promoted efforts to ease bond market concerns, including Treasury’s expanded buyback operations, as the benchmark 10-year yield has climbed above 5% in recent days.

Bessent highlighted the recent G-20 meeting of global finance ministers in North Carolina, touting that the U.S. has become rededicated to economic growth during the second Trump term.

“In substance and in spirit, these priorities reflect the administration’s approach to international institutions by ensuring that American time and resources serve American interests,” Bessent said Tuesday. “Of course, as growth guides our leadership on the world stage, it is the force that is carrying our great nation into a new era of strength here at home.”

But the panel’s Democrats peppered Bessent with a range of concerns, from how the U.S. would pay for President Donald Trump’s proposal to give American adults $5,000 if Republicans win in November, to where the money from the administration’s Venezuelan oil plans is going.

Bessent’s trip to the Hill comes as tensions have risen ahead of the midterm elections. The Iran war has pushed energy prices higher as consumer sentiment has fallen, while concerns about U.S. debt, which topped $40 trillion this year, have contributed to pressure in the bond market.

Democrats on the panel criticized the sweeping imposition of new tariffs as well as ongoing trade tensions with longtime partners like Canada.

“Boy, do we need financial literacy in this country,” said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif. (Sherman also criticized a handful of protesters who interrupted the beginning of the hearing and were quickly escorted out.)

House Financial Services Chair French Hill, an Arkansas Republican, opened by praising Bessent’s work and focusing on efforts by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to curb China’s expansive global influence.

“You’ve taken steps to restore focus to our international financial institutions and ensure that America remains the center of global markets, and the U.S. dollar remains the world’s reserve currency,” Hill said Tuesday.

But Democrats hammered Bessent on domestic financial concerns. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., pressed Bessent on the effectiveness of Treasury’s expanded buyback program, noting that higher Treasury yields can push up borrowing costs for consumers and that the 10-year yield had risen above 5% this week.

Bessent rebuffed the question saying that Treasury has held the two best bond auctions in the last 20 years and the U.S. bond market continues to be the “best-performing bond market in the developed world.”

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A former sheriff’s deputy is accused of lying about polygraphs exams he conducted

By Norah Hogan

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    PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — A former Cumberland County sheriff’s deputy is facing criminal charges for allegedly lying about polygraph examinations he conducted.

Regan Goan was arrested last week and charged with unsworn falsification, violation of the Maine Polygraph Examiner’s Act, and four counts of tampering with public records. He spent more than 20 years with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office before leaving to work for the Bridgton Police Department and operate his own company, RJ Goan & Associates, which offers risk management services, including polygraph examinations.

Maine law requires applicants to take a polygraph examination to become law enforcement officers.

“The main goal of the polygraph is to ascertain and confirm that the applicant is a truthful individual, not a perfect human, but one that does not employ deception when asked the hard questions,” said retired chief Noel March, a law enforcement expert who leads the Maine Community Policing Institute at the University of Maine at Augusta.

Goan conducted polygraph examinations for Cumberland County between 2013 and 2021. His company now contracts with more than 70 law enforcement agencies in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

According to court documents, the case began in 2025, after a Cumberland County dispatcher applied for a job as a corrections officer. The county hired RJ Goan & Associates to conduct the applicant’s polygraph examination, which was conducted by Benjamin Sweeney, who was then employed by Goan.

According to court documents, the applicant told Sweeney that during his first polygraph examination, when he was hired as a dispatcher in 2021, Goan allegedly allowed him to leave without taking the test because he was nervous. The applicant received notification the next day that he had passed the polygraph examination.

“If we can’t trust the person that we’re counting on to tell us of an individual’s truthful or deceptive, then certainly the process lacks all the credibility that it is intended to have,” March said.

According to an investigation by the Maine Attorney General’s Office, Goan allegedly lied about conducting polygraph examinations for nine law enforcement officers between 2019 and 2025. That includes every deputy hired by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office in 2021.

One case stemmed from Goan’s work as a contractor. The others allegedly occurred while he was employed by the sheriff’s office.

Court records show that during interviews with investigators, one officer recalled that Goan allegedly told him, “I don’t put full-time officers on the machine.”

Goan was released on $250 cash bail and is scheduled to appear in court in late October.

He resigned from the Bridgton Police Department in August.

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Family questions if cat was shot by suspected serial animal shooter

By Ari Hait

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    ROYAL PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Days after law enforcement in Palm Beach County announced they’re searching for a serial cat shooter, a family in Royal Palm Beach is wondering if their cat was a victim of the same man.

Three weeks ago, Ania Powers’ cat, Dixie, was having trouble walking, so Powers took Dixie to the vet.

“The vet was like, ‘That’s weird. We don’t know what happened.’ They did the X-rays, and it appeared like she was shot,” Powers said.

Dixie had been shot in the shoulder by an unknown person.

She required immediate surgery.

“I was pretty much shocked. Like why? What needs to go through your head to do something like this?” Powers said.

Staff at Furry Friends in Jupiter are asking similar questions about Zoe, a cat whose front left leg had to be amputated after being shot.

Investigators released security video Friday from an alley near the Sunshine Flea Market in West Palm Beach.

The video shows a man shooting Zoe.

Authorities believe the same man has shot and killed many other cats, though they are still working to identify him.

Powers wonders if Dixie could be another victim of the same shooter.

Regardless, she wants to know who shot her cat.

“I just would like to look this person in the eye and ask, ‘Dude, what’s in your head? Walk me through what’s in your brain. Why?'” Powers said.

Furry Friends has doubled the reward to $10,000 for information leading to the shooter’s identification. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

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Dog seen running on Naples Airport tarmac adopted by local family

By Kendall Brandt

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    NAPLES, Florida (WBBH) — The dog that was filmed running across the tarmac at Naples Airport has been adopted by a local family after the video gained attention online. Gulf Coast News exclusively met with the pup and his new family Monday.

The video, which circulated widely on social media, showed the stray dog sprinting across the airport grounds. Staff on golf carts can be seen chasing him on the tarmac. Airport workers safely captured him and turned him over to Collier County Domestic Animal Services.

Yvonne Worrel, the dog’s new owner, described her reaction to seeing the clip.

“I was scrolling through Facebook and just happened to see the video of it and didn’t think that it was a stray dog. I thought it was someone’s dog that got out of a crate and just thought it was funny,” Worrel said.

Colton Murray, who recorded the video from his office at First Premier Mortgage, had a clear view of the scene.

“The video cuts off short,” Murray said. “There was actually a pickup truck and another SUV that kind of joined in on the chase.”

The video inspired Yvonne and her husband, Cameron Worrel, to visit Collier County Domestic Animal Services. They didn’t expect to meet the dog from the video but were surprised to learn he was there.

“She goes, ‘No, they found him running around the airport.’ I’m like, ‘oh, that’s the same dog!'” Yvonne said. “‘We just saw this video this morning.’ So, we named him Jet, which we thought was perfect.”

Jonee’ Willette, programs manager at Collier County Domestic Animal Services, shared her thoughts on the adoption.

“It’s truly amazing. It was a really good, feel-good story,” Willette said. “We’re really glad that, you know, we can be here to give these animals these second chances and these chances at loving homes.”

Murray, the man who filmed the viral video, even covered Jet’s adoption fee.

Now, Jet has a new family and a new Naples Airport T-shirt to commemorate his time on the tarmac.

“We’re going to give him such a good home and spoil him rotten that, you know, he’s going to love every second of it,” Yvonne said.

It remains unclear how Jet ended up on the tarmac, but his story has brought joy to many.

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New Hampshire schools could face challenges if daylight saving time becomes permanent

By Ricky Podgorski

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    MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — Many Americans are still set to turn the clocks back this fall, but President Donald Trump is pushing for a permanent switch to daylight saving time, and parents have questions about how such a shift could affect the school day.

Daylight saving time ends Nov. 1, when clocks will be turned back an hour to standard time.

But the Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time permanent. It passed the House in July but still needs Senate approval. Trump said he’s in favor of the change.

If it’s signed into law, New Hampshire schools could have some adjusting to do, with the sun not rising until after 8 a.m. some winter mornings.

“We’re actively monitoring it,” said Manchester Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel. “Either way it goes, it’s going to have an impact.”

If daylight saving time becomes permanent, students might have to wait in the dark to catch a 7 a.m. bus ride. Some parents are asking whether that’s safe, while school leaders are trying to put the mental and physical well-being of their students first.

“We’re really looking at, based on research, what’s in the best interest of students, their circadian rhythms, what do they learn best, and how do we tailor those learning strengths to our bell schedule in the district,” Chmiel said.

Manchester has discussed changing school start times if the bill is passed. But the change could also affect students’ sleep. Specialists say teenagers’ natural sleep schedules shift during puberty.

“We’ve got this kind of perfect storm,” said Dr. Jessica Watrous, chief clinical officer for Modern Health. “Teenagers are starting to shift to be a little bit later. Their schools are starting earlier. If we were to stick with daylight saving time, it’s darker.”

There would be benefits to keeping daylight saving time permanent. It would mean more light after school and no twice-yearly sleep adjustment. The New Hampshire School Administrators Association said there are benefits and challenges either way.

“But I think the fact of the matter is, kids are at bus stops walking to and from school in the dark now. It’s just a question of how many more or less occurrences of that will there be,” said Jerry Frew, associate executive director of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association.

Mark Maclean, the association’s executive director, said schools should be able to adapt.

“School administrators and teachers and parents are all expert decision makers,” he said. “As long as they’re working together, I think they can handle this really well.”

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Mother pushes for federal ban on retail nitrous oxide sales after son’s death

By Norman Seawright

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    SAINT MATTHEWS, Kentucky (WLKY) — A Louisville mother is pushing for a federal ban on consumer nitrous oxide sales after she says the gas played a role in her son’s death.

Shawnna Boone said she found her son, Christopher, in January 2025 after he died by suicide. She said he had struggled with mental illness and left a letter saying he was in pain.

Boone said she also found 72 nitrous oxide canisters in his home.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises against inhaling nitrous oxide, warning of severe health risks including mental and neurological problems. Boone said Chris was suffering from paranoia near the end of his life.

Kentucky banned retail sales at the beginning of 2026, but nitrous oxide is still not a federally scheduled substance, despite the FDA warning.

Boone recently returned from Washington, D.C., where she pleaded with lawmakers to take stronger action. House Bill 7945, introduced in March, would ban nationwide sales of nitrous oxide to consumers for recreational purposes. The bill was sponsored by California Democratic Rep. Kevin Mullin and co-sponsored by Kentucky Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey.

Boone said she wants to help prevent future deaths—even just one.

“I just want to make sure that these manufacturers are shut down, that it’s gone, that you can’t ship it in from China or wherever,” Boone said. “I’m not political hardly at all. I’d never do anything like that. I don’t like getting up in front of people and doing things, but I said I will do anything to get this to happen, whatever it takes.”

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Trump-Epstein bookmobile rolls into Omaha with more than 3 million pages of Epstein files

By Carson DuRall

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    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — More than three million pages of the Epstein files sat on Omaha streets as part of the Trump-Epstein bookmobile that’s making its way across America ahead of the November midterm elections.

The truck has a few goals: to spread awareness so something like this never happens again and to urge the government to release the remaining files for the Jeffrey Epstein survivors.

The Trump-Epstein bookmobile was unveiled in Washington, D.C., over the summer. Another part of the truck’s purpose is to bring awareness to President Donald Trump’s alleged involvement with Epstein.

The president alleges he’s known Epstein since the late 1980s but that they fell out of touch. At the time of Epstein’s arrest, Trump said they hadn’t spoken in 15 years.

The truck holds the stories of many in one of America’s most famous sex-trafficking cases.

“It’s showing and expressing survivors’ stories. There’s survivors probably standing all around us that we don’t even know their story. And I think that it’s just going to continue to help people who have faced these evils and make them feel safe,” Austin Weinel, an Omaha resident who walked through the truck Monday, said.

Sharlene Rochard is an Epstein victim. She traveled with the truck to Omaha to share her story.

“I got involved because I started modeling at the age of 16. I met Jeffrey Epstein in New York, and I was there in Miami and on the Island as well,” Rochard said.

Survivors came to Omaha to share their stories in hopes that something like this will never happen again.

“It shows a lot, and it shows the truth. And it tells you exactly what’s been in front of your face the entire time,” Weinel said.

The truck holds more than three million of the files released by the Department of Justice earlier this year.

“Each book has nine pages worth of evidence, and you’ll see that inside here, the first thing you’re looking at is the timeline, and it’s really for people to get a grasp of how large this case is, the scope and the evidence that still remains here,” Amanda Roberts, another Epstein victim, said.

But the truck holds only part of Epstein’s story; there are still around 2.5 million documents in the case that are restricted or unreleased.

“We do feel like it’s a chilling effect that they feel like, well, if we come forward, nothing’s going to be done about it,” Rochard said.

The survivors are demanding that the rest of the files be released.

“It is the awareness. It is. Keep an eye on our children because it takes a village, and we all need to protect the little ones, because we need to stop all of this,” Christina Cloud, another Omaha resident who walked through the truck on Monday, said.

The Trump-Epstein bookmobile was created as a version of the reading room but on wheels to allow for more cities to see the evidence. The truck has left Omaha and is on its way to Kansas City for its next pop-up.

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Doing heroin in sheriff’s office bathroom lands woman in jail, deputies say

By Stephanie Moore

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    DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WYFF) — Doing heroin in the bathroom at the sheriff’s office landed a North Carolina woman in jail, according to authorities in Davidson County, North Carolina.

On Sept. 10, 2026, employees at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said they noticed Samantha Stilwell, 47, of Thomasville, North Carolina, make multiple trips to the public restroom and noticed a change in her demeanor.

They said Stilwell was there with someone who had an appointment at the facility regarding their sex offender registry requirements.

Detectives said they met with Stilwell in the lobby and determined that she had used heroin while inside the public restroom.

Detectives said they found a small amount of suspected heroin that had been left inside the restroom, along with drug paraphernalia.

Stilwell was placed under arrest and taken to the Davidson County Magistrate’s Office.

She was charged with felony possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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At least 3,000 acres burned and 2 homes destroyed in Gracemont Fire in Caddo County

By Dacoda Wahpekeche

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    CADDO COUNTY, Okla. (KOCO) — More than 3,000 acres have burned and at least two homes have been destroyed since a wildfire broke out over the weekend in Caddo County.

Below is what you need to know as of Monday afternoon.

Gracemont Fire The fire initially broke out Sunday afternoon north of Highway 152 near County Road 2670 between Binger and Cogar. The fire seemed to settle down overnight and into Monday morning, but the fire rekindled Monday afternoon, once again sending large plumes of smoke into the air.

Oklahoma Forestry Services officials said the fire has burned an estimated 3,000 acres, and the wildfire is 0 percent contained.

Authorities are calling this the Gracemont Fire. It’s one of several that have burned across Oklahoma over the past few days. Thirteen other fires have burned approximately 1,250 acres.

Oklahoma burn bans Oklahoma County is among 54 counties statewide that are under burn bans. Violating burn bans can result in significant penalties.

“Most of them I see are between $500 and $1,000, and up to a year in a county jail,” said Anthony Reed, chief agent of inspections for the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Oklahomans also need to pay attention to the exact language in each ban because they’re not all the same.

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Neighbor recalls final conversation with Tasia Fortune before she was found hanging from tree

By Nicholas Brooks

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    JACKSON, Miss. (WAPT) — A neighbor on Road of Remembrance recounted her last conversation with Tasia Fortune, who was found dead on Aug. 3, with her death ruled a homicide by the state medical examiner.

“When they showed her picture, the only thing I could remember are her eyes, how she looked that day when I saw her,” Violet Wilson said.

Wilson said she last encountered Fortune while walking in the neighborhood.

“I actually saw her two days before that incident. I was taking my walk around the block, and she came up behind me and she spoke to me. I spoke to her because I had seen her in the park a few days before,” Wilson said. “She spoke to me, and I said, ‘Oh, you’re not in the park today,’ and she didn’t respond.”

Wilson said the memory of that brief interaction has stayed with her.

“It still haunts me because I saw that person walking, living, breathing, and then the next few days she’s gone,” she said.

Police arrested 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff on Friday and charged him with murder. Authorities said Ratliff had an “association” with Fortune but have not disclosed how they knew each other. Fortune’s body was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant house on Road of Remembrance. According to an affidavit, police believe Ratliff used a black cable cord to hang Fortune.

Police said the investigation remains active, with the possibility of additional arrests.

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