EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, learned hard work in the dirt. 

When she was 10 years old, like several other children in Caribou, Maine, she left school to pick potato fields to aid farmers with the harvest deep in potato country in Aroostook County, dubbed «The County» by locals. 

«I remember my mother saying to me when I was going to pick for the first time at age 10, saying, ‘Now, Susan, this is really hard, back-breaking work, but you cannot quit.
The farmers are depending on you, and you can’t let them down,’» Collins told Fox News Digital. «And those words have always stayed with me.» 

SCHUMER’S ‘NUMBER ONE TARGET’ SAYS VOTERS WILL SEE HER DEMOCRAT SENATE CHALLENGER AS TOO EXTREME

It’s that work ethic born in her hometown of Caribou, molded by her parents’ separate stints as mayor of the small town in the county that helped shape her into the political titan she is today, propelling her to a record 10,000th straight vote in the Senate and a gavel atop the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

It’s also caused her to have the biggest target on her back in a highly contentious election cycle where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is once again trying to flip her seat. 

Collins’ race has also become the most-watched and controversial of the cycle because of her unlikely opponent, Democratic nominee Graham Platner, who over the last several months has been rocked by scandal after scandal.  

Speaking to Fox News Digital on the drive between Bangor, Maine and Portland, one she’s made several times since joining the Senate in 1997, Collins acknowledged Platner’s rocky past and present but that she still was taking him seriously as an opponent.

MAINE DEMOCRATS DECIDE FATE OF SENATE CANDIDATE DOGGED BY EXPLOSIVE ALLEGATIONS

«I am surprised that [Gov. Janet Mills] is not my opponent,» Collins said. «That’s what I would have predicted, particularly given the very serious allegations against Graham Platner. Plus, his own words over many years, including recently. So, I think that he has a lot of questions to answer, but I do take him very seriously as a candidate.» 

Platner has been no stranger when it comes to attacking Collins in his insurgent campaign, skewering her for her vote to authorize the Iraq War two decades ago or her backing of parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda. 

During his acceptance speech earlier this week, he accused her of being «just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves.»

Collins, who is no stranger to heated campaigns, argued that her ability to produce results was a better metric for Mainers.

«I think when people look at the accomplishments and results that I’ve delivered for the people of Maine, that the contrast is enormous,» Collins said. «And angry rhetoric does not produce results.» 

She knows how to bring the bacon home to Maine. In her climb to the top of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she’s sent back $1.5 billion over five years, dozens of new or renovated fire stations, billions in rural healthcare funding and a fire boat that saved key businesses along Portland’s waterfront when a blaze broke out.

Still, she’s in a tight race with Platner, despite the scandals and baggage. 

And Schumer, who has spent years trying to beat her, hopes to seize the opportunity in this cycle, even with a candidate who was not his first choice. 

WATCH: CHUCK SCHUMER SIDESTEPS PLATNER SCANDALS, CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR CONTROVERSIAL DEM

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference following a weekly policy luncheon with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on June 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Schumer told Semafor that Collins is «weaker than in 2020,» when they last squared off, arguing that her defense of Trump, her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the role that vote played in overturning Roe v. Wade have weighed her down.

«To me, this is déjà vu all over again,» Collins said, noting that six years ago, Schumer and Democrats spent over $160 million to defeat her. 

Collins contended, «Democratic leaders always distort my record,» and added that when she voted to advance Trump’s «big, beautiful bill» last year, it was so she and others could modify the bill. She ultimately voted against the final product but scored a $50 billion rural hospital fund nonetheless. 

«If we can’t get on the bill, I can’t help fix that,» Collins said.

And on Kavanaugh, Collins noted that she disagreed with how he voted on Roe v. Wade, but that she also voted «for people who voted on the other side of that decision.» 


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«I voted for Sonia Sotomayor. I voted for Elena Kagan. I voted for Justice Jackson,» Collins said. «And that always seems to get left out.»

She doesn’t vote in lockstep with Trump, either, who recently said that Collins was «not my best friend at all,» but was a «sane woman.» That prompted a laugh from the longtime lawmaker, who noted, «I’ve worked with five different presidents, and I have never agreed with a single one of them on every issue.» 

«I know that there’s some people who want me to oppose President Trump, just because he’s President Trump, and that’s not how I operate,» Collins said. «I look at each individual issue and then make my decision. And based on whether it’s helpful to the state of Maine, and improves the lives of families in the state of Maine.»

Martinha Brito tiene 47 años, vive en la localidad braisleña de Viçosa do Ceará y se convirtió en una voz clave para visibilizar una de las enfermedades más extrañas del mundo: la Fibrodisplasia Ossificante Progresiva (FOP).

En sus redes sociales, donde suma más de 200 mil seguidores, Martinha responde preguntas sobre su rutina, desde cómo se baña hasta cómo duerme, y lo hace con una mezcla de sinceridad y buen humor.

“Soy una persona rara. Tengo una patología que no tiene cura. Los músculos se convierten en huesos, los nervios se endurecen y la persona va perdiendo toda la movilidad, transformando el cuerpo como si fuera una estatua viviente”, explicó Martinha en uno de sus videos más virales.

Un diagnóstico que llegó tarde

Martinha nació con una malformación en los dedos gordos de los pies, el primer síntoma de la FOP, aunque nadie lo supo en ese momento.

A los seis años, tras recibir una vacuna en el brazo, su madre notó que algo no estaba bien: “Cuando me fue a bañar, sintió que mi brazo estaba raro, como si la aguja se hubiera quebrado. Ahí empezó a aflojarse la musculatura y me fui quedando rígida”, recordó.

La enfermedad avanzó rápido: primero el cuello, después el brazo, y a los 16 años ya no podía sentarse ni moverse con facilidad. En ese momento, le diagnosticaron erróneamente distrofia muscular. El diagnóstico correcto de FOP llegó recién a los 32 años, tras una consulta con un médico en Sobral, en el norte de Ceará.

La aplicación de inyecciones puede acelerar la ossificación en pacientes con FOP, por eso el diagnóstico temprano es clave para evitar complicaciones.

¿Qué es la FOP y cómo se trata?

La Fibrodisplasia Ossificante Progresiva es una enfermedad genética que hace que los músculos y tejidos blandos se transformen en hueso.

Según explicó al sitio g1 el ortopedista Leonardo Colares, cualquier trauma, vacuna o cirugía puede desencadenar una respuesta inflamatoria que termina en ossificación.

No existe cura para la FOP. El tratamiento apunta a aliviar los síntomas y retrasar la progresión de la enfermedad, usando corticoides y antiinflamatorios, y requiere un equipo multidisciplinario de especialistas. “No podemos detener la enfermedad, pero sí retardar su avance”, explicó Colares.

En Brasil, se estima que hay entre 120 y 150 casos de FOP, aunque la cifra real podría ser mayor.

Lucha por derechos y reconocimiento

Martinha estudia servicio social para poder defender los derechos de personas con enfermedades raras. “Lucho no solo por mí, sino por otros que no tienen información ni saben dónde buscar ayuda”, contó.

A pesar de su exposición pública, Martinha descubrió que no figura en los sistemas de salud del estado de Ceará como paciente de enfermedad rara.

Por eso, pelea para que su diagnóstico sea reconocido oficialmente y pueda acceder a los beneficios y tratamientos que le corresponden.

El peso del prejuicio y la denuncia

Desde pequeña, Martinha enfrentó el rechazo: su padre la abandonó cuando tenía apenas tres meses.

En las redes, también recibe comentarios discriminatorios. En abril, denunció ante la Policía Civil insultos graves recibidos en uno de sus videos. La policía de Ceará confirmó que investiga el caso como un posible delito de injuria.

Avances y conquistas en la lucha contra la FOP

En 2025, Brasil sancionó una ley que obliga a incluir el test de FOP en la triage neonatal, junto con el tradicional “test del talón”.

El diagnóstico precoz puede mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes, ya que evita procedimientos que pueden acelerar la ossificación.

La médica Patrícia Delai, fundadora de la asociación FOP Brasil, lleva más de 20 años luchando por la concientización sobre la enfermedad. “Sentimos la necesidad de crear una asociación para unirnos, participar en estudios clínicos y recibir donaciones. Hoy tenemos más de 100 pacientes registrados en Brasil, pero sabemos que hay más casos desconocidos”, explicó.

Según la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina de Estados Unidos, Brasil es uno de los países con más pacientes registrados de FOP en el mundo, solo detrás de China y Estados Unidos.

Martinha, con su historia y su lucha diaria, se convirtió en un símbolo de resiliencia y esperanza para quienes enfrentan enfermedades poco frecuentes en el país.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) fired 70 staff members working in Gaza after long-standing claims from Israeli authorities that the agency is a collaborator with the Hamas terrorist group.

«Today, the Commissioner-General ad interim of UNRWA, Christian Saunders, took the decision to terminate the employment of 70 UNRWA staff members in Gaza with immediate effect,» UNRWA wrote in a Friday statement.

UNRWA insisted its decision was not an admission of guilt, but one taken «to mitigate safety and security risks for the refugees the Agency serves under its mandate and for UNRWA personnel and premises.»

The agency claims it has «repeatedly asked the Israeli authorities to provide information and evidence to substantiate allegations against individual UNRWA staff members in Gaza but has received no response to date.»

ISRAEL SAYS UN MISLEADS WORLD AS GAZA AID STOLEN AND DIVERTED FROM CIVILIANS

«The dismissal of the staff is not part of a disciplinary process and does not constitute in any way a validation of the claims made against them,» the UNRWA statement read.

The firings follow a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) investigation that referred more than 100 UNRWA staff members for suspension or dismissal.

USAID’s investigation, the results of which the agency published June 5, assessed that a number of UNRWA’s employees were deeply enmeshed in Hamas’ civil society and military operations.

The investigation results included mention of «a deputy school principal serving as an al-Qassam deputy company commander in the Ain Gallout/5th infantry battalion, a deputy school principal serving as squad leader for the Khan Younis Brigade/2nd infantry battalion» and «a teacher with expertise as a sniper for Hamas.»

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, hand over Israeli hostages Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Nuseirat Refugee Camp, Gaza, on Feb. 22, 2025, as part of the seventh exchange under the Jan. 19 ceasefire deal. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu)

The investigation also found numerous school teachers and principals it claimed to have participated directly in Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

Israeli authorities have long charged UNRWA with being directly tied to Hamas.

«Since October 7, evidence of numerous incidents of Hamas exploiting UNRWA infrastructure and UNRWA employees being involved in terrorist activity has been exposed. Civilians in Gaza have even stated that UNRWA is Hamas,» the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a January web post.

Israeli soldiers stand inside an evacuated United Nations Relief and Works Agency compound in Gaza City during a media tour organized by the Israeli army on Feb. 8, 2024. (Jack Guez/AFP)

Additionally, the IDF claimed, citing intelligence findings, that «among the 12,521 UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip, at least 1,462 (12%) are members of Hamas or other designated terrorist organizations.»

UNRWA SCHOOLS ‘HIJACKED BY HAMAS,’ WATCHDOG REPORT WARNS

Israel’s Foreign Ministry pushed back on UNRWA’s defense framing and claims that Israel had not supplied evidence of employee-Hamas collaboration.

«UNRWA’s statement on the termination of 70 employees, while blaming the victim, Israel, and without even mentioning the word ‘Hamas,’ is a cynical cover-up,» the ministry wrote in a statement shared on X.

UNRWA’s headquarters is shown in Gaza City, Gaza, on Feb. 21, 2024. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu)

«The responsibility to purge terrorism lies solely with the UN, yet Hamas membership remains simply acceptable within UNRWA’s ranks. By harboring terrorists and letting its facilities serve as Hamas headquarters, UNRWA has become an arm of Hamas,» the statement concluded.

UNRWA, for its part, denies being an active collaborator with Hamas, but insists working with the group is an operational necessity for distributing aid in Gaza.

«UNRWA, similar to other United Nations entities, does not have police or intelligence capacities and must rely on the cooperation and assistance of Member States, including the State of Israel as the Occupying Power, to protect its operations and neutrality amid high risks in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,» the agency wrote in its Friday statement.

In April, UNRWA’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) announced the results of an investigation into 19 employees accused of participating in Oct. 7. UNRWA terminated 12 of the employees in January. Of the remaining seven cases, UNRWA had dismissed one, citing a lack of evidence. The remaining six cases were still under investigation as of April, according to the agency.

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President Donald Trump’s administration weighed levying terrorism-related sanctions against UNRWA in December.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also referred to UNRWA as «a subsidiary of Hamas.»

Fox News Digital contacted UNRWA and a spokesperson for the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations but did not immediately receive a response.