Author: Jon Fetherston

The uneasy standoff between the United States and Iran took a dangerous turn Sunday when American forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, marking the first known U.S. attack on Iran since late July and raising the prospect of another round of retaliation. The Aug. 30 strike came after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards quickly vowed retaliation, saying the American attack killed and wounded Iranian military personnel and civilians, although Tehran did not immediately provide a precise…

For years, the sprawling former Great Northern Paper mill site in Millinocket has represented something increasingly rare in rural Maine: the possibility of bringing large-scale industry, and good-paying jobs, back to a community that lost thousands of them. Now one of the site’s most ambitious redevelopment projects has been put on hold, and the reason reaches far beyond Millinocket. Great Northern Salmon has paused plans for a roughly $300 million land-based Atlantic salmon farm at the 1,400-acre One North industrial site, citing uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump’s escalating trade dispute with Canada and the cost of imported equipment needed to…

By Jon Fetherston “Harm reduction.” Sounds good, right? Who could oppose reducing harm? Who doesn’t want fewer overdose deaths, fewer infectious diseases and more people connected with treatment? But after years of Maine embracing harm reduction, there is a question our elected officials and public-health establishment should have to answer: Is this actually working? Don’t start with a government press release. Look around. Walk down Preble Street in Portland and look at people staggering along the sidewalk, seemingly disconnected from the world around them. Spend time around Kennedy Park in Lewiston, where the debate over discarded needles became serious enough…

Maine is a small state about to experience an enormous political war. Political advertising surrounding the state’s 2026 U.S. Senate race could approach $400 million, according to projections from Ad Impact, roughly twice the staggering amount spent during Maine’s record-setting 2020 Senate contest. https://adimpact.com/blogs/adimpact-reveals-2026-election-cycle-to-reach-record-11.6-billion-in-ad-spending? And beginning this Labor Day weekend, that money will collide with a race that remains essentially deadlocked. A Fox News poll conducted Aug. 6-10 found Democratic challenger Troy Jackson leading Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins 48 percent to 46 percent among registered voters, a two-point difference that falls within the poll’s margin of sampling error. The…

Classic cars, new Chevrolets and a community effort to help shelter animals came together Saturday as Quirk Chevrolet of Portland hosted its annual Quirky Cruise-In to benefit the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland. The car show and donation drive was held Saturday, Aug. 29, at Quirk Chevrolet of Portland, 1000 Brighton Avenue, bringing car enthusiasts and animal lovers together for an afternoon centered on community support. “It’s a beautiful day and a beautiful event for a great cause,” Brian Johnston, chief operating officer of Quirk Chevrolet of Portland, told The Maine Wire during Saturday’s event. The idea behind the…

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Troy Jackson is embracing the far-left flank of Maine politics just weeks after being tapped to rescue his party from the wreckage of Graham Platner’s scandal-plagued campaign. Jackson this week endorsed Portland City Council candidate Todd Chretien, a former co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America who has described himself as a “revolutionary socialist,” written extensively about Karl Marx and argued for a political movement capable of fundamentally overturning the existing system, according to a Friday report by the New York Post. The endorsement could provide Republicans with another opening to challenge Jackson’s efforts to portray…

Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles has put election integrity and immigration enforcement squarely at the center of Maine’s gubernatorial race after telling young Republicans he plans to ask White House border czar Tom Homan for federal law enforcement assistance around polling places in November. The comments have triggered a political firestorm, with Democrats accusing Charles of voter intimidation and independent candidate Rick Bennett joining the criticism. But the controversy also exposes a larger question for Charles: Can a message that helped energize Republican primary voters also win over the independents and undecided voters he needs to capture the Blaine House?…

Agreement could give the United States access to one of the world’s largest pools of petroleum reserves as Trump promises lower gas prices, but production increases could take years President Donald Trump announced Friday night that the United States has reached an extraordinary oil agreement with Venezuela that he says will place more than 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan petroleum reserves under majority U.S. control. Trump, writing on Truth Social, called the agreement “THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY” and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth negotiated the arrangement with Venezuela’s interim president,…

Three people and two dogs escaped without injury from an early-morning house fire Friday in West Paris, while one cat died in the blaze, according to the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office. The West Paris Fire Department responded at approximately 3:41 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, to a 911 call reporting a structure fire at 31 Smith Street. All three occupants of the residence were able to get out safely along with two dogs before the fire overtook the home. One cat was killed. At the request of the West Paris fire chief, investigators with the Maine State Fire Marshal’s…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has agreed to participate in four televised debates this fall, setting up an early test for Democratic challenger Troy Jackson as Maine’s closely watched U.S. Senate race moves toward Election Day. Collins announced Thursday that she has accepted invitations to four debates across the state, including one that could take place as early as the week of Sept. 7. Jackson has said publicly that he is willing to debate Collins, but his campaign has not yet agreed to the specific four-event schedule proposed by the Republican incumbent. The first proposed debate would be jointly hosted by…

Portland Hearts of Pine’s ambitious plan to transform an industrial section of the city’s western waterfront into a $50 million-plus professional soccer stadium faced its first significant public test Thursday night, as residents raised questions about traffic, parking and the future of Portland’s working waterfront. The club held its first neighborhood meeting on the proposal at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at Waynflete School, beginning what could become a months-long approval process for one of Portland’s most consequential waterfront development proposals in years. The meeting was the first of two neighborhood sessions expected as the project moves toward formal city…

A 37-year-old man was shot and killed by Portland police Thursday night after authorities say he threatened workers with a firearm, stole vehicles at gunpoint, led officers on a pursuit through downtown Portland and then appeared to reach for a weapon while being pursued on foot. Three Portland police officers have been placed on administrative leave following the deadly-force incident, which will now be investigated by the Maine Attorney General’s Office. According to the Portland Police Department, the series of incidents began at approximately 9:32 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, when the Portland Regional Communications Center began receiving reports of shots…

Federal immigration arrests in Maine have surged in 2026, already surpassing the previous two years combined, according to newly released government records that provide one of the most detailed looks yet at where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is operating across the state. And Maine may be about to see even more. White House Border Czar Tom Homan quietly traveled to northern Maine last week, where he met with federal immigration officials after telling a Maine lawmaker that the state should expect “a lot more enforcement action.” The new enforcement numbers come from the Deportation Data Project, an independent research…

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Wednesday over what the White House described as a growing foreign threat to the nation’s electric grid, directing the federal government to restrict potentially dangerous foreign-made equipment from entering or remaining in critical parts of the U.S. bulk-power system. Executive Order 14420, signed Aug. 26, says foreign actors are increasingly capable of exploiting vulnerabilities in the American electric grid at a time when data centers, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and defense production are placing greater demands on the country’s power infrastructure. Trump said the threat extends beyond traditional supply-chain concerns, warning that foreign-produced…

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is taking the Trump administration back to court, joining a multistate lawsuit challenging new U.S. Postal Service rules governing mail-in ballots just 69 days before Election Day. “This is not over,” Bellows said Wednesday. “Today, Maine joined states across the country in filing a lawsuit to stop this unconstitutional attack on every American who votes by mail,” Bellows said. “It is unconscionable that the Trump Administration and the U.S. Postal Service would try to change the rules around voting by mail.” Bellows sought to reassure Mainers that absentee voting remains available despite the escalating…

What was shaping up to be a head-to-head November battle between Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson just became considerably more complicated. Six Mainers met Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline to formally declare as write-in candidates for Maine’s U.S. Senate race, guaranteeing that ranked-choice voting will be available in one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country. The candidates are Brent Andrews of York, who is unaffiliated; Sigrid Ann Olson of Cape Elizabeth, a Democrat; Gina Oswald of Strong, an independent; Joseph Steinberger of Rockland, running under the designation “Faith in Humanity”; Michael “Mike”…

Attorney Emma M. Sisti of Shaheen & Gordon sent Lewiston Corporation Counsel Michael Carey a six-page letter on Aug. 26 challenging the city’s proposed Mobile Home Lot Rent Stabilization Ordinance and warning that park owners are prepared to pursue legal remedies. Lewiston’s increasingly contentious effort to regulate mobile-home park rents is facing a potential legal challenge after attorneys representing several park owners warned city officials that the proposed ordinance may be unlawful, prompting Council President Joshua Nagine to halt work on the city’s legal review and rewrite while attorneys examine Lewiston’s potential exposure. The six-page legal notice, dated Aug. 26…

The Lewiston City Council voted 4-0 Wednesday night to extend a moratorium on mobile home park lot-rent increases, but the second special council meeting in as many nights did little to quiet growing questions from some residents and councilors over transparency at City Hall. At the center of the criticism were Mayor Carl Sheline and newly installed Council President Josh Nagine, who defended the process as critics questioned why the council was moving with extraordinary urgency and why the city attorney whose legal advice helped trigger the special meetings was not present to publicly answer questions. The controversy was underscored…

Maine is poised to receive at least $56 million from a sweeping multistate settlement with Meta that will also dramatically change how children in the state can use Facebook and Instagram. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced Wednesday that Maine had joined the landmark settlement with Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, resolving allegations that the social media giant deliberately designed its platforms with addictive features that harmed children while misleading the public about the risks. The settlement, which Frey’s office valued at up to $17.1 billion, is the largest state consumer-protection settlement outside of the Big…

Portland city councilors received the final report of the city’s Social Housing Task Force Monday, concluding a year-long effort examining whether the city should play a larger role in creating permanently affordable, publicly owned housing. Councilor Kate Sykes presented the report to the City Council, outlining a proposal that could eventually add social housing to Portland’s existing collection of affordable housing programs. Over the past year, the task force held 18 public meetings and educational sessions while examining social housing models used in other communities, potential financing mechanisms and the use of city-owned land. Sykes said the group’s work focused…

A Lewiston man will spend three years in federal prison after prosecutors say he stole another person’s identity and used it to fraudulently collect more than $36,000 in taxpayer-funded SNAP and MaineCare benefits. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Joseph Dobie, 38, on Tuesday to 36 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Dobie was also ordered to repay $36,373.16, the amount federal prosecutors say he fraudulently obtained through government benefit programs. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 13 to aggravated identity theft, making false statements relating to health care matters and unlawful use of Supplemental…

Thirteen years old. That is the age of the youngest child identified in newly obtained Lewiston Police Department data documenting juveniles caught up in the city’s escalating gun violence. Others are 14. Others are 15. They are children. Yet the police records offer a disturbing look behind the shooting statistics that have dominated public safety discussions in Maine’s second-largest city throughout 2026: teenagers becoming involved in gun violence at ages when most kids are navigating middle school and high school, learning to drive or thinking about what they want to do after graduation. The Lewiston Police Department records, obtained through…

Inflation may no longer dominate the headlines the way it did several years ago, but for millions of Americans, the damage has already been done. Groceries cost more. Housing remains out of reach for many younger families. Electricity bills are climbing. Gasoline prices have jumped again. And even as politicians in Washington point to slowing inflation as evidence that the economy is stabilizing, voters are increasingly asking a different question: When will America become affordable again? That question could loom over nearly every competitive congressional race in November. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Aug. 25 found Democrats holding a 36 percent…

Iran’s effort to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz is beginning to change how major oil companies and refiners move crude through one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, adding a new layer of pressure to President Donald Trump’s escalating confrontation with Tehran. Reuters reported Wednesday that at least three Indian oil refiners and one major global energy company are planning to stop using vessels blacklisted by Iran, including for ship-to-ship transfers. The development marks a significant shift in the standoff. Iran’s recently established Persian Gulf Strait Authority has blacklisted 45 tankers it says violated Tehran’s new transit…

The Lewiston City Council voted Tuesday night to advance another extension of the city’s controversial moratorium on mobile home park lot rent increases, but an attempt to immediately finalize the measure failed, potentially setting up a second special meeting in as many nights. Councilors approved first passage of the extension 5-2 during a special meeting at City Hall. The council then attempted to waive its normal rules and proceed immediately to final passage. That motion received a 4-3 majority but required five votes, leaving the extension unfinished. Ward 7 Councilor Bret Martel told The Maine Wire following the meeting that…

Portland police reported 16 drug-related arrest charges during the latest reporting period, while traffic stops, 911 hang-up calls and complaints involving people bothering others ranked among the department’s most common calls for service. The Portland Police Department released the figures as part of its continued effort to provide the public with weekly calls-for-service data, along with selected incidents from the previous week. According to the department, unlawful possession of drugs was the most common arrest charge, with 16 charges reported. Warrants and violations of conditions of release followed with 13 charges each. Police also reported eight criminal trespass charges, five…

Iranian propaganda claims the president’s 20-year-old son is being “fully monitored” and references $10 million reward as threats against Trump family escalate The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a chilling Iranian state television broadcast that openly discusses killing President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, claims his movements and security have been monitored, and references a $10 million reward for reaching him. But amid the extraordinary allegations contained in the roughly three-minute production, there is an important distinction: The threatening Iranian broadcast and the Secret Service response are real. Iran’s claims that it has penetrated Barron Trump’s security, tracked his…

A federal investigation into alleged pandemic-era fraud has reached deeper into Massachusetts politics, with Democratic State Rep. Francisco Paulino arrested Wednesday amid growing scrutiny of elected officials in Lawrence and the Merrimack Valley. Paulino, who represents the 16th Essex District covering portions of Lawrence and Methuen, was arrested Aug. 26 in connection with a federal investigation involving COVID-era government relief programs. The arrest comes less than two weeks after Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was arrested by federal authorities and accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $1.5 million in COVID-19 small-business loans. Federal prosecutors charged DePeña, 61, on Aug. 14 with…

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday morning that the U.S. Navy has cleared the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz of naval mines, while issuing a stark warning to Iran that any vessel attempting to place new mines in the strategically vital waterway will be destroyed. “I have just been informed by the United States Navy that all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post at approximately 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. “Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be…

Less than three weeks after voting down an extension of Lewiston’s moratorium on mobile home park lot rent increases, the City Council will return to City Hall Tuesday night for a special meeting devoted exclusively to reconsidering the controversial rent freeze. The special meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Lewiston City Hall, where councilors will hold a public hearing and could give both first and final passage to a proposed 179-day extension of the moratorium. If approved, the extension would take effect Sept. 29, one day after the existing moratorium expires, and continue the prohibition on mobile home…

Portland police are searching for the driver of a pickup truck that allegedly struck and killed a 57-year-old woman on Forest Avenue Monday night before fleeing the scene. Officers responded to the area of 1837 Forest Avenue at approximately 9:18 p.m. on Aug. 24 following reports that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. Police found the woman deceased at the scene. Witnesses told investigators the woman was crossing Forest Avenue when she was struck. The vehicle involved did not stop and fled the area following the crash, according to police. Witnesses described the suspect vehicle as a dark-colored…

Governor Janet Mills lashed out at Vice President JD Vance on Monday, calling him a “neutered lapdog for Donald Trump” after Vance returned to Maine and accused the state’s political leadership of allowing Maine to become a national hot spot for healthcare fraud. The governor apparently had no trouble finding words for Vance. Getting her to answer questions about fraud in her own administration has proven considerably more difficult. Over the past several months, this Maine Wire reporter has visited the governor’s office at the State House 10 separate times seeking answers from Mills about allegations of fraud, waste and…

BREWER, Maine — Vice President JD Vance returned to Maine on Monday with a message that blended manufacturing, border security and the Trump administration’s economic agenda with an increasingly aggressive warning over alleged fraud involving taxpayer-funded programs in the state. Speaking from the floor of CompoTech in Brewer, Vance repeatedly praised former Gov. Paul LePage, who is running for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, while accusing Maine’s Democratic leadership of failing to adequately confront fraud. The vice president also offered unusually direct comments about the administration’s efforts to work with Gov. Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey on…

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree rarely approach President Donald Trump from the same political direction, but the escalating trade fight with Canada has put the two lawmakers on increasingly similar ground. Both are warning that the latest round of tariffs could hit Maine particularly hard, raising costs for families while squeezing manufacturers, farmers, lobstermen and other businesses that have spent decades building supply chains across the Canadian border. The warnings have taken on new urgency after U.S.-Canada trade negotiations collapsed late Friday and a new 50 percent tariff took effect on roughly $20 billion worth…

Maine voters will elect all 151 state representatives and 35 state senators on Nov. 3. With the deadline for declared write-in candidates arriving Tuesday, the field of people asking to represent Maine families in Augusta is nearly complete. Summer is beginning to slip away in Maine. The sun is setting a little earlier. School supplies have returned to store shelves. Before long, buses will be back on the roads, tourists will begin heading home, and campaign signs will increasingly compete with fall foliage along Maine’s highways and back roads. Election season is coming. But before the television advertisements, mailers, debates…

Something unusual is happening in Maine. For a state of roughly 1.4 million people, tucked into the northeastern corner of the country and represented by just four members of Congress, Maine has suddenly become a regular destination for some of the most powerful people in Washington. Vice President JD Vance has been here. House Speaker Mike Johnson has been here. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been here. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has been here. White House Border Czar Tom Homan was reportedly here last week. And on Monday, Vance is coming back. The growing…

For the first time in American history, IndyCars will race Sunday through the streets surrounding the National Mall, turning some of the most recognizable ground in the country into a 250-mile celebration of speed, engineering and American independence. But the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. is about considerably more than motorsports. The race represents the culmination of an unusual, months-long effort involving the White House, multiple federal agencies, the District of Columbia, law enforcement, the National Park Service and the private sector to accomplish something that had never been attempted before: building a temporary professional racing circuit through…

By Jon Fetherston “You know they hate you, right?” That sentence stopped me the first time I heard it. It felt too harsh. Too personal. I don’t like the word hate. I don’t hate anyone, and I don’t use that word casually. But after everything I’ve seen in Maine, I keep coming back to the same uncomfortable question: If it isn’t hate, then what is it? What else do you call it when the people entrusted with running the government watch waste, fraud and abuse pile up while ordinary Mainers are left paying the bill? What do you call it…

For more than two decades, Troy Jackson argued that government had failed American workers by allowing foreign labor to take jobs, suppress wages and make it nearly impossible for Maine loggers to compete. Today, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee says immigrants are being unfairly blamed for Maine’s problems, supports bringing immigrant workers into the state and wants to abolish ICE. So, what happened between the Troy Jackson who blocked logging roads over foreign labor and the Troy Jackson who now wants to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement? In the fall of 1998, long before Troy Jackson became one of Maine’s…

Lewiston voters will have a crowded choice for mayor this November, with five candidates, including incumbent Mayor Carl Sheline, a former city council president, a longtime businessman and a perennial candidate, qualifying for the ballot in a race that could become a referendum on the direction of Maine’s second-largest city. According to the city’s candidate list for the Nov. 3 municipal election, Brian R. Beaulieu, Ricky R. LaChapelle, Jay A. Rodrigue, Carl L. Sheline and Charles A. Soule have qualified to run for mayor. The five-way contest comes at a consequential moment for Lewiston. The city continues to wrestle with…

State Rep. Mike Soboleski says Trump’s border czar was in Maine Tuesday; two days later, farmers were warned of possible ICE operations targeting farms and construction sites White House Border Czar Tom Homan was in Maine earlier this week, according to Republican State Rep. Mike Soboleski, a previously little-noticed visit that takes on new significance as farmers and immigration organizations brace for the possibility of increased federal enforcement across the state. Soboleski disclosed Homan’s presence during an interview Thursday with WVOM’s Maine’s Morning News, saying President Donald Trump’s top immigration enforcement official had been in Maine on Tuesday, Aug. 18.…

For most Americans, the bond market is something that happens somewhere on Wall Street, far removed from the monthly mortgage payment, the price of a new truck or the federal taxes coming out of a paycheck. But beneath Washington’s debates over spending, taxes and the national debt sits an enormous financial market that helps determine how much it costs the federal government — and ultimately ordinary Americans — to borrow money. And when that market gets nervous, Washington has reason to pay attention. The U.S. Treasury market is where the federal government finances much of its debt. When Washington spends…

Timberlake says donors believed their money was going to the right places as lawmakers push for clarity on whether OPEGA can investigate Nearly three years after Mainers poured money into relief efforts following the Lewiston mass shooting, lawmakers are still trying to determine whether the state’s government watchdog has the authority to investigate where that money went and how it was distributed. Sen. Jeff Timberlake (R-Androscoggin), a member of the Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee, said during the committee’s latest meeting that the issue deserves serious scrutiny because donors contributed believing their money would reach the people it was intended to…

BREWER, Maine – Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to deliver remarks at noon Monday, Aug. 24, at CompoTech, a Brewer-based defense technology and advanced manufacturing company with deep ties to the University of Maine. The White House has not yet publicly detailed the full substance of Vance’s remarks, but the setting puts the vice president inside one of Maine’s homegrown defense manufacturing success stories at a time when the administration has emphasized rebuilding American manufacturing and strengthening the domestic defense industrial base. CompoTech grew out of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center and designs and manufactures…

SACO, Maine — What began as a Saco Police Department response to a domestic violence-related incident led authorities to two alleged clandestine drug laboratories and the seizure of kilograms of psychedelic mushrooms, cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, DMT and nearly 1,500 doses of LSD, according to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA). Christopher Blanchette, 52, of Saco, was arrested and charged with two counts of Trafficking in Scheduled W Drugs and two counts of Trafficking in Scheduled X Drugs following the discovery at a Cumberland Avenue residence. Blanchette was being held at the York County Jail on $250,000 cash bail, according to…

Maine has suddenly become a regular stop for some of the most powerful figures in President Donald Trump’s administration and Republican leadership in Washington. Vice President JD Vance came to Bangor in May. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz traveled to Portland earlier this month. House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared alongside former Gov. Paul LePage in Auburn earlier this week. On Wednesday, it was U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s turn. Wright traveled to Lincoln, where he toured the former Lincoln Paper and Tissue mill property that is being redeveloped into a sprawling technology park — including…

President Donald Trump is dramatically escalating economic pressure on Iran, threatening severe consequences for countries, banks and businesses that continue helping Tehran as nearly six months of war show few signs of ending. Trump announced Wednesday what he described as the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,” declaring that the United States would pursue “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale” after diplomatic efforts to end the conflict again stalled. “ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences,”…

Screenshot PORTLAND, Maine — Portland police made dozens of arrests on warrants, drug charges and alleged violations of release conditions last week as officers responded to hundreds of traffic stops, welfare checks and complaints involving disruptive or suspicious behavior. The Portland Police Department released its latest weekly calls-for-service statistics as part of what officials described as an ongoing effort to provide the public with greater transparency about police activity in Maine’s largest city. Warrants were the most common arrest-related charge during the reporting period, appearing in 18 cases, according to the department. Unlawful possession of drugs followed closely with 17…

BANGOR, Maine — A Florida man was arrested Wednesday evening after Maine State Police said an erratic box truck generated 14 separate 911 calls, crashed through a closed weigh-station gate, crossed an interstate median and briefly traveled the wrong way on Interstate 95 before winding up in a Bangor parking lot. The incident began at approximately 5:32 p.m. on Aug. 19, when the Bangor Regional Communications Center began receiving reports of a box truck driving erratically southbound on I-95 in Old Town. According to Maine State Police, callers reported that the truck drove through a closed gate at a weigh…

President Donald Trump stepped back into a familiar role Wednesday — builder and real estate developer — as he led reporters onto the South Lawn of the White House for an impromptu look at a nearly completed multimillion-dollar granite helipad designed for the new generation of Marine One helicopters. The Aug. 19 tour offered reporters an up-close look at one of the more unusual changes Trump has made to the White House grounds during his second term: a massive permanent landing surface featuring a carved granite Seal of the President of the United States. Trump even left his signature behind.…

Maine’s first affordable senior housing development designed specifically to provide an LGBTQ+-affirming community will celebrate its grand opening Wednesday in downtown Portland, adding 54 income-restricted apartments amid an ongoing shortage of affordable housing for older Mainers. Equality Commons, a five-story apartment building at 25 Casco Street, was developed adjacent to the Equality Community Center and is intended to provide affordable housing for residents 55 and older, with additional programming and services geared toward LGBTQ+ seniors. Despite its stated mission, the publicly supported housing development is not restricted to LGBTQ+ residents. Anyone who meets the age and income requirements can apply,…

A Guilford man initially arrested on an aggravated assault charge is now facing murder after authorities say a 63-year-old man died from multiple sharp-force injuries and a second victim was left critically injured following a violent incident Sunday evening. Ryan Carleton, 49, of Guilford, was charged with murder Tuesday during his initial appearance at the Piscataquis County Judicial Center in connection with the death of 63-year-old Brent Doore, according to the Maine State Police. Carleton is being held at the Piscataquis County Jail. The investigation began shortly after 7:19 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, when the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office requested…

Maine State Police are investigating a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 95 in Hermon Tuesday afternoon that sent a tractor-trailer and utility truck across the median and into oncoming traffic. Despite the severity of the crash, no injuries were reported. The crash happened at approximately 3:52 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, near Exit 180 after a pickup truck hauling a trailer attempted to merge onto northbound I-95 from Coldbrook Road, according to Maine State Police. Investigators said the pickup failed to yield the right of way while merging onto the interstate, causing its trailer to strike a utility truck traveling in the…

President Donald Trump dramatically escalated the war of words surrounding the Strait of Hormuz this week, posting an image portraying the strategically vital waterway as a “New US Territory” as hopes for a negotiated end to the nearly six-month conflict with Iran appeared to collapse. Trump said Tuesday that there are no negotiations currently underway with Tehran and none scheduled, contradicting suggestions from other officials that diplomatic contacts could still be taking place behind the scenes. “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, according to Reuters.…

More than two years after 10-year-old Braxtyn Smith died following prolonged starvation, restraint and brutal abuse inside a Bangor home, Maine lawmakers are preparing to confront a question that has remained largely unanswered since his death: Did the Maine Department of Health and Human Services know anything about Braxtyn or the conditions inside his home before he died? The Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee is scheduled to consider a request Wednesday from Sen. Jeff Timberlake concerning any involvement by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Child and Family Services in Braxtyn’s case. The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m.…

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) traveled to Maine Monday to campaign alongside former Gov. Paul LePage (R), bringing one of the Republican Party’s most powerful figures to Auburn as the GOP sets its sights on flipping Maine’s open 2nd Congressional District seat in November. Johnson joined LePage at Auburn Concrete, where the former two-term governor is campaigning to succeed Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who is not seeking reelection. LePage will face Democratic State Auditor Matt Dunlap in November in a contest expected to draw significant national attention as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the U.S. House. For…

BIDDEFORD, Maine — Inside the Little Theater at Biddeford High School Monday, the conclusions came quickly. Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero had been “murdered.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be abolished. President Donald Trump was responsible for a campaign of fear. Republicans had abandoned congressional oversight. And before the hearing adjourned, those gathered were reminded that voters would have an opportunity to do something about it on Nov. 3. Outside that theater, however, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey’s office was offering a considerably more cautious assessment. The investigation isn’t finished. Frey issued a statement Monday specifically “prompted by the shadow hearing,”…

Maine congresswoman previously called for a “thorough, objective accounting” of the fatal shooting, but Democrats will convene a hearing Monday focused on ICE’s alleged “abuse of power” before investigators have publicly reached their conclusions U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) will join some of the highest-ranking Democrats in the U.S. House on Monday for a congressional-style “shadow hearing” examining the fatal shooting of a Colombian national by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Biddeford. But the timing of the hearing raises a significant question. Why are Pingree and congressional Democrats publicly examining what they are already describing as ICE “abuse…

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson received tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded travel and lodging payments while maintaining his official residence nearly 300 miles from Augusta, even after purchasing a home just minutes from the State House. The Maine Wire drove the route, spoke with residents in Jackson’s hometown and found that one central question remains unanswered. Six hours after leaving Augusta, The Maine Wire finally arrived in Allagash. By then, the State House felt a long way away. Interstate highway had given way to rural roads. The cities and larger towns of central Maine were long behind…

Former Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner is preparing to return to the public stage, reportedly reaching out to former allies and proclaiming his innocence, and while it is too late for him to reappear on Maine’s November ballot as an independent, one potentially consequential option remains open: a write-in campaign. Is Graham Platner planning a political comeback? It is a question Maine Democrats may soon have to confront as the former Democratic U.S. Senate nominee prepares for his first major public appearance since abruptly abandoning his campaign in July. Platner is scheduled to headline a Labor Day rally at…

Fourteen motorists called 911 Saturday afternoon to report an allegedly dangerous driver traveling at speeds exceeding 100 mph on Interstate 295, helping Maine State Police track the vehicle north until troopers were able to make a traffic stop in Waterville. The reports began around 3:35 p.m. on Aug. 15, when the Bangor Regional Communications Center started receiving calls about a vehicle traveling northbound on I-295 in the Bowdoinham area. Callers reported that the vehicle was traveling more than 100 mph and being driven erratically, according to Maine State Police. As the vehicle continued north, additional motorists called 911 and provided…

Screenshot MADAWASKA, Maine — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins will take her reelection campaign deep into northern Maine on Sunday, walking in Madawaska’s 48th annual Acadian Festival Parade as her “All of Maine” bus tour reaches the St. John Valley, the political backyard of Democratic challenger Troy Jackson. Collins’ campaign announced Saturday that the Republican senator will participate in the parade beginning at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16. The parade is scheduled to begin at NorState Federal Credit Union and conclude at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Main Street. The appearance provides a high-profile northern Maine conclusion to the opening…

A Bridgton man who spent nearly seven months in federal immigration detention after being pulled over during a January ICE enforcement operation in Portland has been released and granted lawful permanent resident status. Marcos Gaspar Da-Silva, 32, was released Thursday from immigration detention in Arizona following a Wednesday hearing in which an immigration judge granted him lawful permanent residency. He and his wife, Alessia Gaspar Da Silva, are expected to arrive at the Portland International Jetport at approximately 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16. His release concludes a case that became increasingly controversial in Maine because Da-Silva’s detention did not stem…

Federal court clears Trump administration to terminate protections for nearly 1,100 Somalis nationwide, but officials have yet to say how many live in Maine A federal judge on Friday cleared the way for the Trump administration to end more than three decades of Temporary Protected Status for Somalia, potentially stripping deportation protections and work authorization from nearly 1,100 Somali nationals across the country. In Maine, where Somali immigration has reshaped parts of Lewiston and Portland over the past quarter-century, the ruling raises an immediate question that neither federal officials nor immigration advocates have publicly answered: How many people in Maine…

More than 80 percent of Maine is now abnormally dry or in drought, with severe drought returning to the Midcoast and southern communities beginning to restrict water use Maine’s brief early-summer reprieve from drought is disappearing fast. More than 82 percent of the state is now classified as abnormally dry or experiencing drought conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, as weeks of limited rainfall have once again pushed portions of southern and coastal Maine into severe drought. Approximately 841,800 Mainers are now living in areas classified as drought, according to federal drought data. The deterioration comes after an…

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased its presence at Portland International Jetport, where immigrant advocates say federal agents have arrested at least five people in recent weeks as the Trump administration expands immigration enforcement at airports and other transportation hubs nationwide. The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition has reported at least five arrests at the Jetport, including detentions occurring during passenger check-in and boarding. The figure comes from the advocacy organization and has not been independently confirmed by ICE. The activity appears to be part of a more coordinated effort involving ICE and the Transportation Security Administration. A Portland city…

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage picked up a major business endorsement Thursday as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce threw its support behind the Republican in his campaign for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. The Chamber announced its endorsement during an Aug. 13 press conference at Sheridan Construction in Fairfield, where representatives highlighted LePage’s record as governor and his decades of experience in the private sector. The organization praised LePage for efforts during his two terms as governor to reduce regulations, balance state budgets and promote a business-friendly environment in Maine. For LePage, who spent decades working in the private sector before…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Kentucky woman is facing two federal felony charges after authorities say she spray-painted the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., and poured soap into its fountain before posting videos of the vandalism on social media. https://twitter.com/chicago1ray/status/2088393980278919191?s=46 Melissa L. Farris, 41, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was charged Friday by criminal complaint with depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans’ memorials, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Both charges carry a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The charges stem from an incident Thursday, Aug. 13,…

By Jon Fetherston Walk into almost any restaurant today and look around. A family of four sits together, but all four are staring at their phones. A couple waits for dinner while scrolling separately. Teenagers sit inches apart but communicate through screens. Somewhere else, two people who have never met are calling each other vile names on Facebook because they disagree about politics. We have never had more ways to communicate. So why does it feel like we have forgotten how to talk? Technology was supposed to make our lives easier. It was supposed to bring us closer together. In…

AUGUSTA, Maine — As Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Troy Jackson faces fresh scrutiny over allegations of past violence and abuse, a newly released statewide poll shows his race against Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins remains virtually deadlocked. A Fox News poll released Wednesday found Jackson leading Collins 48 percent to 46 percent among registered Maine voters, a two-point advantage that falls within the survey’s margin of error and leaves one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate contests essentially tied. The poll was conducted Aug. 6-10 among 1,000 registered Maine voters, just before a series of reports brought renewed attention…

BANGOR, Maine — Three out-of-state men are facing felony drug trafficking charges after Maine drug agents say a weeklong investigation uncovered an alleged crack cocaine operation centered in downtown Bangor. The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Bangor Police Department announced the arrests of Diany Garcia, 28, and Arismendi Acosta, 27, both of Paterson, New Jersey, and Jeremy Rodriguez, 30, of the Bronx, New York. Garcia was charged with Class B trafficking in Schedule W drugs, specifically cocaine base. Acosta and Rodriguez were each charged with Class A aggravated trafficking in Schedule W drugs. According to MDEA, agents with the agency’s…

Most parents would probably agree that getting children off their cellphones during the school day is a good thing. Fewer distractions, less social media, more face-to-face interaction and more attention in the classroom are difficult goals to argue against. But as Maine schools prepare to open their doors for the 2026-27 school year, a new statewide “bell-to-bell” cellphone restriction is raising another question that has received considerably less attention: Can a public school require a student to surrender a cellphone that, in many cases, actually belongs to the student’s parents? And if the school takes possession of that privately owned…

The Maine Office of State Fire Marshal is investigating an intentionally set fire inside a Waterville memory care facility that forced residents to evacuate early Thursday morning. Investigators responded during the early morning hours of Aug. 13 to Woodlands Memory Care Unit, located at 141 West River Road, after a fire was reported inside the facility. According to the Fire Marshal’s Office, investigators interviewed witnesses and conducted a detailed examination of the scene before determining that the fire originated inside a resident’s bedroom and had been intentionally set. The circumstances surrounding the fire have since been referred to the District…

After months of shootings, juvenile arrests and growing concern over repeat offenders, Lewiston officials are moving toward a more visible, neighborhood-based policing strategy aimed at putting officers directly into some of the areas most affected by the city’s recent violence. The Lewiston Police Department on Wednesday launched its new C.E.A., Community Engagement and Accountability Initiative, beginning with officers conducting foot patrols and staffing the department’s Mobile Command Unit in the Sunnyside Park neighborhood. The initiative represents another step in what has become a noticeably more proactive response from City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath and the Lewiston Police Department under Chief Carly…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins will hit the road Friday morning for the latest edition of her traditional “All of Maine” bus tour, beginning a campaign swing that will eventually take the Republican incumbent through all 16 Maine counties ahead of the November election. Collins will kick off the tour Friday morning at the Kittery Trading Post before traveling north through the state, with the campaign planning to reach Madawaska during the opening weekend. The Kittery-to-Madawaska route, stretching from Maine’s southern border to the northern reaches of Aroostook County, is intended to underscore a central theme of Collins’ reelection campaign: that…

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey’s office is looking for a new director to lead the state’s Healthcare Crimes Unit at a moment when Maine’s Medicaid system is facing intense scrutiny from federal officials, lawmakers and investigators over allegations of fraud and millions of dollars in questioned payments. The timing raises an obvious question: Why now? The Attorney General’s Office posted the Assistant Attorney General position on July 28, seeking an attorney to serve as director of the Healthcare Crimes Unit, which is Maine’s federally designated Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Applications closed Aug. 11. The salary range is $71,843 to $139,110…

Portland police officers will join law enforcement agencies from across Cumberland County in a coordinated effort aimed at getting impaired drivers off Maine roads and reducing serious crashes. The Portland Police Department announced that approximately 10 of its officers will participate in upcoming enforcement details through the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety’s Regional Impaired Driving Enforcement, or RIDE, program. The initiative brings officers from multiple departments together for high-visibility patrols and targeted enforcement in areas where crash data indicates an increased risk of impaired driving. Portland officials said the effort also supports the city’s Vision Zero initiative, which seeks to…

A Standish man has been arrested and charged with intentionally setting two fires at his own home last month, including a blaze that destroyed an attached garage, according to the Office of State Fire Marshal. Timothy Nickels, 42, of Standish, was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with two counts of arson and one count of failure to report a fire. Fire Marshal investigators met with Nickels at approximately 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, following his release from a local hospital, where authorities said he had been undergoing an evaluation. Nickels was taken into custody and transported to the Cumberland…

An Allagash man who has known Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson for decades says he personally witnessed Jackson strike his longtime partner, Lana Pelletier, in an incident outside a St. Francis retail store years ago, an allegation that comes as Jackson faces renewed scrutiny over a separate 1988 assault documented in a police report. https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/2087875295235776585?s=20 Kim McBreairty of Allagash recently sat down with The Maine Wire for an interview in northern Aroostook County, where Jackson has built much of his political identity around his roots as a logger and working-class advocate. During the interview, McBreairty described an encounter he…

The Justice Department has dramatically expanded its criminal case against the Southern Poverty Law Center, arresting a former senior official and accusing the prominent civil rights organization of secretly funneling more than $4 million in donated money to individuals associated with extremist groups while allegedly concealing how the money was being used. A federal grand jury in Montgomery returned a second superseding indictment on Aug. 11, adding 59-year-old Heidi Beirich, a former director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project, as the first individual defendant in the case. The indictment was unsealed Wednesday, Aug. 12, as Beirich was served with an arrest…

BIDDEFORD, Maine — U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) will be joined by two high-ranking House Democrats in Biddeford on Monday for a congressional “shadow hearing” examining the fatal shooting of Colombian national Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last month. The hearing, titled “Seeking Justice in Biddeford: Oversight of ICE’s Use of Force in the Death of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero,” is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, at 11 a.m. at the Little Theater at Biddeford High School, according to an official announcement from Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security. The event…

Maine election officials have repeatedly assured voters that the state’s elections are secure, pointing to paper ballots, offline vote-counting machines and layers of local oversight. But behind the paper ballots sits a statewide computer system that determines who is registered, where they are registered, which legislative district they belong to and how voter records are maintained. And a growing series of questions, including allegations that roughly 110 Windham voters were shifted between legislative districts without moving, the unexplained difficulty of producing detailed same-day registration reports and last year’s discovery of 250 official ballots inside a package delivered to a Newburgh…

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine State Police are investigating after a suspicious package was opened Wednesday afternoon inside the Maine Revenue Services building in Augusta, prompting an evacuation and a response from the state’s bomb squad. Capitol Police were called to Maine Revenue Services at 51 Commerce Drive at approximately 4:56 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, after receiving a report that a suspicious package had been opened inside the building. According to Maine State Police, the person who handled the package moved it outside before contacting authorities. Capitol Police requested assistance from the Maine State Police Bomb Squad, and the building…

Lewiston police arrested two juveniles Tuesday evening following a foot chase that began after teenagers were allegedly caught smashing apartment windows and one was reported to be carrying a gun, marking the second police pursuit involving juveniles in the city in less than 24 hours. The latest incident unfolded Tuesday, Aug. 11, when police were called to an area of Lewiston following reports that a group of teenagers was breaking apartment windows, according to information obtained by The Maine Wire. A witness also reported seeing one of the teenagers displaying what appeared to be a firearm. When officers arrived, the…

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine health officials say the state will not alter its childhood vaccination guidance following a new executive order from President Donald Trump that substantially changes federal recommendations and places a greater emphasis on parental choice. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that it will continue following childhood vaccine recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics rather than adopting the Trump administration’s newly announced “Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations.” “Maine will continue to follow the science and the facts, and our approach to vaccines remains unchanged by yesterday’s executive order,” Democratic Gov. Janet…

GENEVA, Ohio – President Donald Trump made a high-profile appearance Tuesday at the finale of the inaugural Patriot Games in Geneva, Ohio, where teenage athletes from across the country competed for $250,000 in college scholarship money as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. Among the competitors was Lewiston High School junior Liam Jones, who represented Maine during the three-day tournament at SPIRE Academy. Trump attended the Aug. 11 championship round alongside ESPN personality and former NFL punter Pat McAfee, watching as the remaining competitors battled through a final obstacle course designed to test strength, speed, agility and endurance. https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2087309616300364211?s=20…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration finalized a sweeping new rule Tuesday that will prohibit federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program funding from being used for puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone treatments, and gender-transition surgeries for minors. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule, finalized Aug. 11, applies to children under 18 enrolled in Medicaid and individuals under 19 covered through CHIP. The restrictions are scheduled to take effect Oct. 13. The policy does not make the procedures illegal nationwide. Instead, it prevents states from receiving federal matching dollars when Medicaid or CHIP pays for the covered treatments. States…

Motorists traveling southbound on the Maine Turnpike faced delays Monday after a tractor-trailer spilled several hundred gallons of diesel fuel across a stretch of highway in Cumberland, forcing the closure of the right travel lane for hours. Maine State Police responded at approximately 1:20 a.m. Monday to the southbound side of the Turnpike near mile marker 58 after a tractor-trailer hauling asphalt suffered a mechanical failure. According to police, the truck, owned by Lowe and Bassett LLC, was transporting asphalt for a paving project when an axle broke and punctured the vehicle’s diesel tanks and hydraulic lines. Despite the damage,…

A young Maine woman who stepped forward at just 18 years old to save a threatened candlepin bowling alley from demolition is now receiving national attention for what she has built in the years since, not simply a surviving business, but a gathering place for a Maine community. CBS News’ Sunday Morning featured Autumn Mowery and the Ellsworth Candlepin Bowling Alley on Sunday, highlighting her unlikely journey from teenage employee to business owner and community advocate. Mowery, now 24, took responsibility for the aging bowling alley six years ago after learning the building could be demolished. According to CBS, the…

LEWISTON, Maine — Lewiston endured another chaotic Monday as police investigated an early-morning shooting before officers were later drawn into an unrelated high-speed pursuit that ended with a police cruiser crashing into a suspect vehicle and multiple people reportedly being taken into custody. The two incidents came as Maine’s second-largest city continues struggling with a surge in gun violence that has increasingly involved juveniles and repeat offenders — and as residents continue asking what more can be done to restore order to neighborhoods where gunfire has become an unsettlingly familiar occurrence. By Monday night, police had spent hours responding to…

Hawes, Fish and Mallar oppose Yellen Pines deal as residents question costs, drug use and long-term financial risk BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor City Council voted 6-3 Monday night to approve a controversial 30-year tax arrangement for a permanent supportive housing development intended for some of the city’s chronically homeless population, despite warnings from residents and three councilors that Bangor taxpayers could be assuming a costly long-term obligation without enough financial certainty. Council Chair Susan Hawes and Councilors Carolyn Fish and Wayne Mallar voted against both the credit enhancement agreement and creation of the tax increment financing district for Yellen…

Maine politicians mobilized after an ICE shooting and the detention of a Portland nurse. A Maine Wire review found a dramatically different public response when victims were killed or allegedly assaulted in cases involving people federal authorities say were unlawfully present in the United States. Within hours of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shooting Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford last month, hundreds of people were gathering in the streets. Candles were lit. Flowers were placed near the site where the 25-year-old Colombian national died. Hundreds gathered for a vigil in Biddeford and another demonstration in Portland. Elected…

Israeli prime minister refuses Gaza withdrawal until Hamas is fully disarmed as Washington confronts simultaneous crises involving Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and renewed Houthi attacks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected President Donald Trump’s 15-point Gaza peace proposal Sunday, opening a rare and potentially consequential disagreement between two leaders who have otherwise remained closely aligned throughout the widening Middle East conflict. “Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet, according to the Associated Press, while making clear that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas has been fully disarmed. The rejection puts Netanyahu directly at…

Shake Shack denies that refusing to leave a gratuity triggers higher prices and says it is investigating the incident at a Salt Lake City airport location. A viral video showing the price of a Shake Shack order apparently increasing moments after a customer selected “No Tip” at a self-service kiosk is fueling fresh outrage over America’s increasingly aggressive tipping culture. The video, recorded at a Shake Shack inside Salt Lake City International Airport, shows a customer and his wife ordering three Classic Shakes priced at $5.99 each. One of the shakes included a 49-cent whipped cream add-on. Everything appeared routine…

Nearly a dozen sharks were spotted near Pine Point over a two-day stretch as researchers investigate whether juvenile great whites are beginning to treat southern Maine waters as a regular summer home. Great white sharks are no longer an occasional curiosity off southern Maine. They are becoming increasingly familiar summer visitors in Saco Bay — and some are showing up remarkably close to beaches packed with swimmers, surfers, paddleboarders and families. Nearly a dozen great whites were spotted near Pine Point Beach in Scarborough over a two-day period last week, including juvenile sharks estimated at six to eight feet long…

“Jesus Is King” was rejected while “Allah Is King” and even “Satan Is King” were reportedly allowed to advance through Coca-Cola’s personalization system, according to a viral video that has ignited accusations of anti-Christian bias against the beverage giant. Is Coca-Cola anti-Jesus? It is a provocative question, but one the beverage giant is now being forced to confront after its personalized “Share a Coke” program became the center of a growing controversy over what customers can — and cannot — put on a Coke can. A video reviewed by The Maine Wire appears to demonstrate dramatically different results depending on…

Lorri Nandrea’s writings for Communist Party USA include pieces on Marxist theory, “green socialism” and class consciousness; Jackson is now challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a pivotal U.S. Senate race Months before Troy Jackson became the Democratic nominee seeking to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine activist with a documented history of writing for Communist Party USA was among the hosts of a campaign event organized to support Jackson’s political ambitions. Lorri Nandrea of Canton was listed as one of four hosts of a June 5 campaign brunch for Jackson at the Local 14 Solidarity Center in…

Twelve maternity units have closed since 2015. As Hannah Pingree calls for a moratorium, her six years inside the Mills administration — along with Maine’s spending on reproductive health and its troubled child-welfare record — are coming under new scrutiny. For generations of families in Lincoln County, having a baby could begin and end close to home. That is about to change. On Thursday, MaineHealth’s Board of Trustees voted to close the labor and delivery unit at Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, ending months of uncertainty, community opposition and pleas to preserve one of the increasingly scarce places in rural Maine…

By Jon Fetherston For years, Maine taxpayers were told everything was under control. This week, Washington made it clear it wasn’t. Christmas came early this week. It began with a phone call Monday morning. “Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, wants to meet with you in Portland. He wants to discuss fraud in Maine’s home health care and autism billing system.” That meeting confirmed what The Maine Wire has been reporting for months. The federal government believes Maine has a serious problem. Dr. Oz made it clear that CMS intends to aggressively pursue…

A Lewiston High School student-athlete is heading to Ohio this weekend to represent Maine on a national stage, competing against some of the country’s top high school athletes for a share of $250,000 in college scholarships. Liam Jones, a junior at Lewiston High School, has been selected to represent Maine in the 2026 Patriot Games, a national athletic competition being held Aug. 9-11 at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. Lewiston Public Schools celebrated Jones’ selection this week, with Superintendent Jake Langlais congratulating the young athlete before his trip. “Congratulations to LHS Junior Liam Jones headed to Ohio to represent Maine…