Author: Maine Wire Staff

VIRGINIA — A man who recently pled guilty to providing support to the Islamic State was released from federal prison in 2024, yesterday he opened fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University, killing one person and injuring two before he was subdued and killed, initially covered by Fox 5. The suspect, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh of Sterling, Virginia carried out the attack after completing his 2016 sentence on terrorism-related charges, sparking concern from officials about his release. Old Dominion University faced a shooting event on their Norfolk campus on March 12, 2026 that left Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah dead and…

BOSTON – Gov. Maura Healey announced on Friday yet another regional defiance to President Trump’s enforcement on immigration law, inviting Massachusetts residents to surveil federal law enforcement. In an announcement video on X, Gov. Healey outlined her new initiative in combatting immigration enforcement by directing residents to a new state website form encouraging them to document events, collect information, and additional provision of legal resources. The tool is hosted at the Massachusetts state website and allows submissions that are routed directly to the offices of Healey, as federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conduct operations nationwide under the Trump administration.…

PORTLAND — A Gorham man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Portland to 25 years in prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material, as announced by federal authorities in Maine on March 12, 2026.  Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Cody J. Merrill to the term, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and ordering Merrill to pay $105,000 in restitution to the victims identified in the material he possessed. Merrill pled guilty to the charges on June 18, 2025 and court records confirm that he both possessed and distributed thousands of child…

TAMPA – A U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft was downed over western Iraq on Thursday while conducting operations in support of Operation Eric fury and rescue efforts remain underway following the incident involving two aircraft in U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) airspace. The loss occurred during routine flight operations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, with one KC–135 reported down, and the second aircraft landing safely per an official command press release. Officials explicitly stated that the event did not occur in relation to hostile or friendly fire. The Tampa-headquartered, U.S. Central Command issued a statement acknowledging the loss of the…

NEW YORK — Progressive activists documented their government-hosted Islamic religious observance inside New York City Hall, in trend with leftwing selective-application of the constitution and contradicting their own beliefs regarding separation of church and state. Ariana Jasmine, an individual affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, posted photographs of herself and others breaking fast alongside socialist leader Zohran Mamdani in City Hall. The photographs of individuals breaking the Ramadan fast reveal participants sitting on rugs in a formal government room enjoying traditional Islamic meals. As hosted by Mayor Mamdani, the gathering integrates core religious practices of Ramadan into New York’s…

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control moved to designate four overseas charity organizations after presenting evidence the entities gave material support to Hamas and enabled its terrorist activities, the Trump administration’s latest step towards dismantling deceptive funding networks that prey on charitable organizations. [Press Release: Treasury Continues to Disrupt Hamas’ Sham Charity Network as the Group Refuses to Disarm] The move targets specific entities operating in Turkey and Indonesia, which have facilitated resources to Hamas under the mask of humanitarian aid, which led to the sustainment of the Izz al-Din and al-Qassam Brigades…

BANGOR — A 19-year old Portland resident pled guilty on Thursday in the U.S. District Court of Maine on federal firearms charges following his attempts to deceive a local licensed gun dealer and possessing a stolen handgun. In an official press release issued on March 12, 2026, follows the conclusion of an investigation into Jeissey Khami’ s criminal conduct that began in April 2025. The case highlights recent federal focus on enforcing background-check requirements in the state of Maine, from metropolitan Portland to rural communities like Charleston. Khamis appeared before a federal judge in Bangor and admitted his guilt to…

MICHIGAN — Armed security guards neutralized a suspect who drove a vehicle into Temple Israel, a Reform Jewish synagogue located in the Detroit suburbs, before opening fire with a rifle and prompting a large-scale law enforcement response. The attack in West Bloomfield occurred around 12:30 p.m. earlier today, when the suspect rammed his vehicle into the synagogue and exited armed before exchanging gunfire with on-site security. Following the exchange, the suspect was shot and killed by the security team according to Michigan State Police and FOX live reporting. The event unfolded after the vehicle slammed into the synagogue, where the…

AUGUSTA — Honda Motor Company announced it will cancel the production and development of three electric vehicle (EV) concepts after recording losses that total approximately $7.5 billion dollars, triggering a thorough reassessment of their electrification strategy. In an official corporate release out of Tokyo, the decision comes following a broader slowdown in the U.S. EV-demand and shifts in regulatory landscapes. The models were originally slated to be manufactured in Ohio and targeted a 2026 rollout. Originally, Honda’s plan was to assemble the 0 series SUV and Acura RSX at the Ohio plant in 2026, with the 0 Series Saloon joining…

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Lamar Cook was released from custody on Tuesday after posting just $25,000 bail despite facing charges of cocaine trafficking and illegal firearm possession. The former deputy director in the Western Massachusetts office of Gov. Maura Healey was arrested last October. Hampden County Superior Court records indicate the bail was posted by Kamai Norman and follows months of detention, in what prosecutors described as an operation of an ongoing enterprise that exploited public service and the community. Cook has been in custody since Oct. 28, 2025, and carried an initial bail set at $75,000 in the Springfield District…

BOOTHBAY HARBOR — A United States Coast Guard press release tells the story of heroic efforts of our local service members, arriving within minutes to rescue three fishermen after their commercial fishing vessel took on water and sank 23 miles south of the Lincoln County port. The incident escalated rapidly, following an initial mayday call from the crew of the Vesta Renee around 7:03 a.m. yesterday morning, which prompted a multi-unit response that rescued three mariners before lunchtime. While one fisherman was treated for minor hypothermia, thankfully, there were no other injuries sustained by the crew. Sector Northern New England…

AUGUSTA — Federal authorities have sent a warning to California law enforcement of possible offensive drone attacks on the West Coast amid the conflict in Iran, surfacing after Donald Trump recently announced a hemispheric military coalition dedicated to dismantling these criminal enterprises. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sent a bulletin to police departments in California around late February that advised of a potential surprise attack on the west coast utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from an unnamed vessel in the pacific ocean. The bulletin first mentioned on X, does not provide further detail as to the timing or specific…

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a controlled detonation at a storage unit in Pennsylvania after discovering explosive residue tied to the Mamdani Mansion terrorism incident in New York City on Saturday. The operation involved Special Agent Bomb Technicians from the FBI alongside local bomb squads in a coordinated effort between the FBI Philadelphia Field Office and agencies in Middletown and Newtown, Pennsylvania. Officials expressed gratitude for the assistance after announcing that the procedure had concluded with no further threat to public safety. During the search of the storage unit, explosive residue was identified that tied the location directly…

AUGUSTA — Today, Sen. Martin Heinrich became the third U.S. senator to formally endorse oyster connoisseur Graham Platner for U.S. Senate in Maine, in a purported chess move tied to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s devotion to Gov. Janet Mills. The endorsement, first sighted on social media in an X post, enters as Platner continues to poster himself as the voice of Maine in contrast to others relying on national donors. The message was telegraphed by Heinrich as he praised Platner and his commitments to Mainers over billionaires.  In the post, Heinrich describes his endorsee as “exactly the person the…

BOSTON — The long-tenured director of Quincy’s Department of Elder Services pled guilty on Monday in federal court after embezzling city money proposed for senior programs, spending it on specific-taste luxuries. A March 9, 2026 District of Massachusetts press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office outlines the scheme where Thomas F. Clasby Jr., 61, admitted his wrongdoings in embezzlement, mail fraud, wire fraud, and interstate logistical efforts surrounding stolen property. Clasby’s sentencing is scheduled under U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris on June 17, following the case involving misuse of taxpayer dollars at the Kennedy Center. Clasby was…

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a move today that bans foreign nationals and non-citizens from accessing federal-guaranteed small business loans, marking a significant change to taxpayer-backed financing under President Trump. The policy signals a move towards exclusive financing for American citizens, barring foreign nationals from benefitting from the program. Effective in 30 days, only United States Citizens with their principal residence being in the United States may apply for the SBA programs offered. Policy Expansion Covers Every Program, Momentum Takes Course The policy change notice builds directly upon efforts earlier this month, barring any small business…

WESTBROOK — A 39-year old adult male from Auburn with six active arrest warrants was arrested Friday evening after police in Westbrook discovered him slumped over his steering wheel while at a drive-thru. The incident began as authorities conducted a routine welfare check which rapidly escalated into the seizure of more than 80 grams of meth and the filing of several felony charges, according to an official post on Facebook by the Westbrook Police Department. The suspect identified in the slump and bust is Jason Boston, regardless of the false name initially provided to the cops, exposing his hand in…

The Cape Elizabeth–South Portland Democrats Facebook page posted photographs from a rally that appeared to offer a present-day politically violent response to President Donald Trump. The first photograph in the series shows an elderly man with a patchy white beard smiling broadly while holding a sign that reads: “THE KING HAS NO CLOTHES. THE FRENCH HAD AN ANSWER!” The reference appears to invoke the fate of France’s King Louis XVI, who was executed during the French Revolution, implying that President Donald Trump should meet a similar end. [Facebook Post: Cape Elizabeth-South Portland Democrats Share Decapitation Suggestion Protestor Sign] The Maine…

U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), dismissed concerns over the once Totenkopf-tattoo adorned Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate he recently endorsed in Maine’s U.S. Senate primary. In an episode of The Bulwark Podcast the Arizona senator addressed the Platner tattoo toss-up and proceeded to back the oyster farmer over current Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine). “This guy is an authentic man. You know, he’s not uh antisemitic.” said Senator Gallegos. Graham’s chest artwork became priority defense for Gallego while touching upon the tattoo issue, with suggestions that the endorsement leans toward anti-Israel sentiment. However, Gallego was quick to reject the speculation, calling…

NEW YORK — Suspicious homemade devices were ignited and thrown at Zohran Mamdani’s mansion, his official residence, prompting multiple arrests amid increased protests in Manhattan while drawing the attention of federal investigators. New York Police were quick to respond as tensions boiled over between a small anti-Islam demonstration and a broader counterprotest taking place near Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side. The suspicious devices, described by authorities to be jars wrapped in black tape containing bolts, screws, and fuses, produced smoke and flames but caused no damage or injury. The New York Police Department bomb squad, accompanied by the…

AUGUSTA — Maine taxpayers will immediately shoulder nearly $88 million in new General Fund spending under emergency legislation designed to defend the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program from federal changes that shift billions in benefit cost to states with high error rates.  The measure, Legislative Document No. 2122 (H.P. 1437), introduced on Jan. 7, 2026 by House Speaker Ryan Facteau (D-Biddeford) and cosponsored by various Democratic legislators, directs the Department of Health and Human Services to create a contingency fund, expand grants and unveil an digital error-detection system – all paid for by state appropriations that total $87.846 million dollars…

ATLANTA, Georgia — A Southwest Airlines flight departing Nashville, Tennessee to Fort Lauderdale, Florida was diverted on Friday night after a passenger triggered a security incident, prompting law enforcement intervention and an FBI review. The abrupt flightpath change of Flight 2094 occurred amid increased national alerts as the United States military operation in Iran continues. Although authorities explicitly ruled out any connection to terrorism or explosives, passenger videos captured moments of the panic that ensued onboard the flight. Southwest Airlines emphasized that despite the incident, safety remains its overriding priority at all times. As resolved without charges, the incident does…

DORAL, Fla. — President Donald Trump announced Saturday the formation of a new multinational military coalition with a sole objective of dismantling criminal organizations across the Western Hemisphere in a decisive response to international drug trafficking and regional threats. While speaking at the inaugural Shield of the Americas Summit, the President welcomed leaders from multiple countries and declared the formation of American’s Counter Cartel Coalition, committing participating countries to a dynamic effort, coordinating lethal force against criminal organizations. The gathering in Doral, Florida and held at Trump National brought heads of state from around the globe to address shared threats…

Congressman Seth Moulton’s (D-MA) illegal immigrant guest at the State of the Union address was revealed to be named in Milford, Massachusetts, police reports involving “sexual assault and juveniles,” according to the Boston Herald. The congressman has praised Gomes da Silva as both “a patriot” and a “great American,” illustrating him as a reminder of what courage should look like. The revelations surfaced after the Boston Herald obtained information via public record request to the Milford Police Department and the Secretary of State’s Office. Moulton proceeded to bring Gomes da Silva to the State of the Union address after the…

AUGUSTA, Maine — Officials with the State of Maine are raising concerns after federal officials in the Trump administration shared information about a major Medicaid billing investigation with a conservative media outlet before formally notifying the state, according to a report from WGME. https://twitter.com/stefkule/status/2029055427950878920?s=46 The controversy centers on a federal probe into MaineCare billing practices connected to services for children diagnosed with autism, an investigation that follows a federal audit finding that Maine made at least $45.6 million in improper fee-for-service Medicaid payments related to rehabilitative and community support services. The story broke publicly after The Maine Wire reported on…

The day before the one-year anniversary of the shootings, I learned of Ben Dyer and his story of survival and resilience. As President of the Lewiston Firefighters, the year following the shooting was occupied with ensuring all of our members who were present that evening were able to access whatever services they needed. As we approached the one-year anniversary, it was time for the department and those who responded to reclaim some sense of normalcy, as much as could be expected in light of the tragedy that unfolded for these 17 firefighters. Perhaps the most under-told portion of that night…

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — The suspected gunman in a deadly shooting at a Rhode Island ice rink was an employee at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, officials confirmed Monday, according to WGME. Three people, including the suspected shooter, were killed and three others were injured in the shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket during a high school hockey game between two co-op teams. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves identified the suspect as Robert Dorgan, who also goes by Roberta Esposito. Goncalves said the suspect suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. David Hench, a spokesperson for General Dynamics Bath Iron…

Is Maine the next Minnesota? Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), openly asked that question in a video posted to X on Friday. Sources tell the Maine Wire the video sent high-level state officials scrambling as they headed into Super Bowl weekend. Oz’s scrutiny of Maine’s Medicaid program, known in Maine as MaineCare, followed the Jan. 22 release of a blistering audit showing $46 million in suspected fraud within one MaineCare program in a single year. According to the audit, Maine’s management of Medicaid spending, which is shared between the state and federal…

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Senate on Tuesday formally recognized Steve Robinson, editor in chief of The Maine Wire, honoring him for receiving a national journalism award for investigative reporting. Robinson was recognized on the Senate floor after receiving the 2025 Dao Prize for Best Multimedia Reporting, presented by the National Journalism Center. The prize was awarded for Robinson’s investigative series examining the role of Chinese criminal organizations in rural America, work that lawmakers said brought national attention to issues affecting Maine. “This award recognizes courageous journalists and gives recognition often ignored by other organizations and media outlets,” Sen. Trey…

LEWISTON, Maine – Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant Friday at the Mogadishu Store, also known as The Little Mogadishu Store, located at 240 Lisbon St., as part of an ongoing fraud investigation, according to witness accounts and information confirmed to The Maine Wire. Multiple witnesses reported seeing two blacked-out sedans parked outside the business while authorities entered the premises. The activity drew attention along the busy Lisbon Street corridor as agents conducted the search inside the store. According to information obtained by The Maine Wire, the operation is connected to a broader investigation into an alleged $4.5 million…

FALMOUTH, Maine — Republican gubernatorial candidate David Jones is pitching a bold geopolitical vision as an economic opportunity for Maine, arguing in a post on X that increased U.S. control over Greenland could “turbocharge” the state’s economy by transforming Maine into a critical gateway for Arctic trade, security, and resources. Citing Maine’s long-standing Three-Port Strategy — which concentrates cargo and industrial development in Portland, Searsport, and Eastport — Jones said Maine is uniquely positioned to benefit from emerging Arctic shipping lanes, expanded transatlantic trade, and closer economic ties with Greenland. He pointed to shorter global shipping routes, expanded use of…

AUGUSTA, Maine – Gov. Janet Mills expressed outrage Wednesday after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman during a federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis, in which the woman appeared to be targeting officers with her vehicle. “The killing of a young woman in Minneapolis by an ICE agent today is a horrific tragedy,” Mills posted on social media. “President Trump has weaponized ICE into an unaccountable, masked, armed force deployed at his will to target those he opposes. It is a violation of American rights, a gross overstep of his authority, and a fundamentally…

It has been more than four months since Maine courts threw a shroud of secrecy over the proceedings in the state’s case against Deven Young (now 18 years old) for the brutal murder of a St. George woman on a pond in Union early last July, and – given the current weather- you can’t even hear crickets as the wheels of justice allegedly turn. “Because the case is non-public, I cannot provide any further information, including hearing schedules or any anticipated proceedings,” Barbara Cardone, spokeswoman for the Maine courts, told The Maine Wire on Tuesday. If the case again becomes…

Multiple national news outlets published reports on Monday citing whistle-blower allegations about fraud and corruption by the Maine-based Gateway Community Services first reported by The Maine Wire. NewsNation and The Hill ran reports on December 8 based on interviews with former Gateway Community Services (GCS) employee Christopher Bernadini, who first spoke with The Maine Wire earlier this year, leading to an exclusive report in May that other Maine news outlets chose to ignore, in part perhaps due to the Lewiston-based groups close ties to senior Democratic lawmakers in the state. [RELATED: Maine Agencies Funneled Grants to Nonprofits Tied to Dark…

The board of the Spruce Mountain school district, or RSU 73, voted on Thursday night to stick with their amended policy that keeps girls sports exclusively for biological females despite a new lawsuit brought by the Maine Human Rights Commission alleging they are in violation of state law. The handful of Maine school districts that voted to change their policies about biological males participating in female sports over the course of this year are now coming under new legal pressure to abandon their embrace of Title IX protections and revert to the Maine Department of Education and Maine Principals’ Association…

Maine Wire Editor-in-Chief Steve Robinson received the Dao Prize for investigative journalism on Wednesday from the Dao Feng and Angela Foundation in recognition of his dogged work breaking the news and reporting the story about how Chinese organized crime infiltrated Maine’s medical marijuana market. Launched in tandem with the Young America’s Foundation’s National Journalism Center (NJC), the Dao Prize honors “excellence in investigative journalism … that stands out for accuracy and courage.” Immigrants from communist China, Dao Feng He and Angela He created the award several years ago after they “observed that in the United States, investigative journalists face increasing…

Central Maine Power’s ambitious bid for a billion-dollar overhaul of its electric system was abruptly derailed Tuesday when the Maine Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to dismiss the utility’s five-year rate hike request, a proposal that would have pushed monthly bills up by as much as $35 by 2031 for the average household. CMP framed the increase as essential to fund more than $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades and new staffing. According to CMP, the extra money would have been used to hire 400 new, full-time employees — including 200 line workers — and fund infrastructure improvements, such as stronger…

Former Maine Senate president and 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary candidate Garrett Mason filed paperwork with the state to form an exploratory committee in a step towards possibly running again for governor next year. Mason, 40, currently an Augusta lobbyist who heads Dirigo Public Affairs, has been considered a potential candidate for nearly a year in large part due to the strength of his 2018 bid, when he came in second to businessman Shawn Moody. A conservative who is well versed in state government, Mason would add to a growing field that currently consists of nine Republicans seeking their party’s nod…

Auburn Republican Laurel Libby will not run for another term in the Maine House next year, she announced Monday morning. Instead, the conservative firebrand who rose to national prominence by highlighting the issue of biological males playing in females school sports and helped spark a stand-off between Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) and U.S. President Donald Trump (R) has now set her sights on strengthening the grassroots movement in a state that been largely dominated by Democrats for a decade. “I’m excited to build a team that will empower Mainers to take part in shaping thefuture of our state,” Rep.…

What began as a string of odd, apparent ATM malfunctions Maine towns turned out to be part of a sophisticated cyber scheme carried out by foreign nationals from Tajikistan and Iran, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). According to a February 21, 2025, statement from the LCSO, investigators responding to multiple reports of suspicious activity at local ATMs uncovered a “widespread cyberattack” that allowed foreign thieves to drain machines of cash while appearing to conduct normal transactions — a scam known as “ATM jackpotting. One of the culprits reached an agreement with a Maine court last week. Through…

Former vice president, secretary of defense, White House chief of staff and congressman from Wyoming Richard Bruce Cheney has died of complications from pneumonia, his family announced early on Tuesday. Cheney was 84 years old. One of the more controversial and powerful vice presidents in U.S. history, Cheney served under George W. Bush from 2001-2009 — a period during which America came under attack on September 11, 2001 and launched into two decades-long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Throughout the younger Bush’s administration, Cheney was seen as having at times out-sized influence for an office former occupant Harry S. Truman…

A routine arrest erupted in gunfire in Turner on Friday evening when a suspect allegedly drew a weapon on county sheriff’s deputy who then shot him twice – non-fatally. According to a statement by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Kurt Fegan spotted Christopher Lebrun on Plains Road at 10:15 p.m. on October 10 and signaled for him to pull over. Lebrun was wanted on an outstanding warrant. Instead of pulling over, Lebrun allegedly fled the deputy leading to a chase that ended when his vehicle struck a tree. Upon exiting the vehicle, Lebrun brandished a firearm and pointed it…

In a series of breathless reports over the past twenty-four hours, national news outlets ranging from Punchbowl News to the Associated Press have reported with confidence that Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) will indeed announce her challenge to U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) this coming Tuesday, permitting the good people of the Pine Tree State one more weekend of nail-baiting suspense. According to Punchbowl, Gov. Mills, 77, has been telephoning Democrat senators to let them know that the ongoing pressure campaign by their minority leader, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has finally paid off, and she will now commit her…

The state with already among the highest electric costs nationwide is looking at a massive rate increase by its largest power supplier. The rate hike over the next five years would bring the added cost to an average Central Maine Power customer of $35 a month. The first month of the rate increase — if approved — would be October 2026 with a $17 increase, according to a notice from the Public Utilities Commission. The subsequent yearly increases each October through 2030 would be $5, $4, $4 and $5, bringing the total to $35 per month. Central Maine Power expects…

Five of the Republican candidates vying for the nomination in next June’s primary to carry the party’s mantle in the 2026 race for governor shared the dais at the Dunegrass Golf & Country Club in Old Orchard Beach on Tuesday evening, the same venue that hosted the slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk during his visit to Maine early last month. Real estate developer David Jones, State Sen. Jim Libby (R-Cumberland), entrepreneur Owen McCarthy, former fitness chain leader Ben Midgely and former South Paris selectman Robert Wessels all participated in the second such forum to be moderated by WLOB 100.5 talk…

A Maine District Attorney, elected in large part thanks to $350,000 in spending from left-wing mega donor George Soros, took to Facebook on Saturday with a bizarre political rant about the political assassination of Charlie Kirk. In a lengthy statement riddled with falsehoods and Internet conspiracy theories, Cumberland County District Attorney Jackie Sartoris speculated that the Utah shooter may have been motivated by right-wing extremism, suggesting ties to Nick Fuentes, online radicalization, and the influence of “white supremacist and antisemitic beliefs.” She also drew parallels to school shootings and claimed the incident reflected a broader epidemic of violence fueled by…

A little-known disease attacks the body’s neuromuscular system making it difficult for those afflicted by it to get around, but one Maine woman diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is not letting it slow her down. This Sunday, September 14, Mary Louie will lead an awareness-raising walk around Peaks Island and is inviting the whole community – along with any mainlanders – to join her. The walk begins at 1 p.m. at the Inn on Peaks. Marie Louie has previously participated in marathons as well as the swim from Portland to Peaks Island as testaments to her resilience and commitment to showing…

A poll obtained The Maine Wire late on Thursday shows Robert “Bobby” Charles currently leading the growing field of Republicans seeking their party’s nomination next June to compete against a Democrat and an Independent for the Blaine House in 2026. According the survey of 300 likely Republican primary voters, Charles enjoys the support of 28 percent versus 24 percent who say they would vote for Shawn Moody, four percent who say Jonathan Bush – who has announced an exploratory committee, three percent for former South Paris selectman Robert Wessels, two percent for Falmouth businessman David Jones, Gorham entrepreneur Owen McCarthy…

In the sort of cross-river rivalry known best perhaps to citizens of Lewiston and Auburn, there has long been ‘brewing’ an often unspoken competition between the ‘Queen of the Penobscot,’ Bangor, and the city of the ‘Witches,’ aka Brewer. Proud of their timber capital history and various civic endowments, Bangorians have long been thought to have the upper hand in this match-up, but a recent Maine Wire man on the street survey suggests the tide may be changing. Today, many seem to agree that while Bangor — the recent scene of public fornication and broad-daylight assaults and grocery snatchings (in…

If you’re in the Midcoast region and you’re looking for some family-friendly fun this Saturday afternoon, you might check out the ‘Great American Picnic’ that Waldoboro Republicans are hosting at the Trump Wall between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., their Facebook page invites. Located at 979 Washington Road, or Route 220, a few miles north of Moody’s Diner, the event offers a special “inflation reduction” price of just $9.47 and children under 12 without cost. Menu offerings include hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, salad, assorted other sides, desserts, drinks and watermelon. For children, there will be a “Bouncy House” as well…

Anyone who thinks Augusta is woefully out-of-shape with ballooning state budgets and piddling performance on everything from the quality of public education to the off-putting Maine business environment is in for some welcome news next week when fitness executive Ben Midgely is set on Tuesday to join the fray of candidates running for the Republican nod for Governor of Maine. Kennebunkport resident Midgely is a Maine native who built a name for himself as chief executive and founding partner of Crunch Fitness and, prior to that, as president of Planet Fitness — both national gym chains. Midgely will be the…

Eric Small is not a typical politician. When he decided to run for Congress earlier this week, there was no fanfare or bunting – just a couple mentions in statewide press since Monday. Because his day-job is serving as Sanford’s chief of police, Small has his hands full with more important things than websites or press releases. “Words may sound good, but its the streets that tell the truth,” Small told The Maine Wire earlier this month, before his foray into politics. “Politicians love phrases like ‘treatment over incarceration’ and ‘harm reduction,’ but slogans aren’t solutions. Slogans don’t pick up…

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) wants the U.S. government to suspend its assistance to Israel, America’s key ally in the Middle East, until the Jewish state changes its policies with respect to Gaza, Maine’s junior senator announced on Monday. “I cannot defend the indefensible. Israel’s actions in the conduct of the war in Gaza, especially its failure to address the unimaginable humanitarian crisis now unfolding, is an affront to human decency. What appears to be a deliberately-induced famine among a civilian population—including tens of thousands of starving children—can never be an acceptable military strategy,” Sen. King said in a statement.…

An attempted firearms purchase led to the arrest of a Jamaican citizen who the town of Old Orchard Beach had hired as a police officer, FOX News reported on Monday afternoon. Jon Luke Evans entered the U.S. legally in September 2023, but overstayed his visa, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) stated. He was due to return top Jamaica on October 1 of that year but never boarded his flight home. The Maine Wire contacted the Old Orchard Beach Police Department seeking information about when Evans was hired, the status of his employment and what type of vetting the…

A Phillips community activist played ‘Karen’ earlier this month and hectored Franklin County State Representative Michael Soboleski (R-Phillips) out of a local chamber of commerce meeting, going so far as to accuse the elected official of ‘trespassing’ for attending a meeting of the town’s business boosting group. Susy Sanders of the Phillips Children’s Foundation demanded on July 6 that Rep. Soboleski leave a Phillips chamber of commerce meeting that was being held in a building she owned. “You threw this town under the bus,” she reportedly told him, referring to an effort the lawmaker had made some years back to…

17-year-old Deven Young of Frankfort appeared in court on Friday morning via Zoom from the Long Creek Youth Detention facility in South Portland and denied responsibility in the killing of 47-year-old Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart on a pond in Union just over two weeks ago. Young’s court appearance confirmed online speculation that he was the suspect Maine State Police took into custody late Wednesday evening. He had been staying with family at the Mic Mac Cove Campground on Crawford Pond in Union where the victim was also a seasonal camper. Young was a student at Hampden Academy. Those contacts of his…

News that the Maine State Police have made an arrest in the murder of Tenants Harbor resident Sunshine “Sunny Stewart, 47, on a pond in Union may allow the surrounding community to breathe a sigh of relief, but questions persist in the tragic killing. According to multiple news outlets, police arrested a 17-year-old male at approximately 10:30 pm on Wednesday, though specific charges remain unknown. Because the suspect is a minor, his name has not been released, but he was staying with family by the pond for the summer, as Stewart had also planned to do. Stewart’s cause of death,…

A national group that says it monitors and counters threats to our constitutional rights and promotes government transparency and constitutional government honored the Wells, Maine, police chief earlier this month for her “outstanding commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting citizens,” the American Constitutional Rights Union (ACRU) said in a statement on July 3. Wells Police Chief Jo-Ann Putnam is the recipient of the ACRU’s ‘Defender Award’ for exceptional leadership, the group said. Wells is currently the only Maine municipality that has an active working agreement with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, though other towns…

The outcome of a stand-off on a Bangor roof Wednesday was up in the air for seven hours as a man claiming his drugs were in the chimney of a 14th Street home refused to surrender his high position, multiple reports indicate. According to Bangor police, 39-year-old Stephen Nason climbed on to the roof of Veronica Levesque’s house at around 4 a.m. On hearing noises, Levesque contacted authorities who responded to the scene and discovered Nason on the roof, uttering nonsense and refusing to come down. As the day wore on, temperatures hit 91 degrees, but Nason remained on the…

Wednesday was a grim, two-week mark since the killing of Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 47, a Tenants Harbor resident who went paddle-boarding on Union’s Crawford Pond on June 2 but never returned to the campground at which she intended to spend the summer. While authorities have said little about their investigation, small details have come to light in recent days about Stewart’s mysterious homicide. According to the Midcoast Villager’s Stephen Betts, Stewart’s body was discovered on the southeast part of 100 Acre Island, which occupies much of the center of the pond. Separately, it has been established that her body did…

Four Maine high school students will be joining the ranks of approximately 800 selected nationally this month who will be getting a little extra help towards the ever-rising costs of college this fall, thanks to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Each year, tens of thousands of students nationally apply for NMSC scholarships, and awardees are selected based on their academic performance and essays submitted to the philanthropic organization. NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, wasfounded in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. Over the past 70 years, approximately 389,000 outstanding young individuals have won…

The same people who decry the role of money in politics — ie. the media — are often the same ones who avidly report on campaign fundraising as a metric of how the respective candidates are faring. With the today’s deadline for publicizing financial filings over the first six months of next year’s race for governor, the cumulative sums each committee has raked in since January are one indication of enthusiasm for various candidates — and of their campaign’s viability in the months ahead. While several campaign committees’ reports have yet to post on the Maine Ethics Commission website, by…

Republican candidate for Governor of Maine Robert “Bobby” Charles issued an early statement on Monday about his fundraising results for the first quarter of his campaign for the 2026 election. In the 75 days since announcing his candidacy, Charles has raised $325,000, he said. “This top-line number reflects unprecedented statewide support,” Charles said in his announcement. “It’s not just record setting, it’s a statement. Our fundraising is a message to Janet Mills and her far-left Democrat sycophants that the days of soft-on-crime, high-tax, big-government chaos are coming to an end.” Campaign finance reports for the committees will be publicly released…

Louis Sigel, a Kennebec County Democrat has submitted paperwork with the Federal Elections Committee (FEC) to challenge incumbent Congressman Jared Golden (ME-CD2) for the Democratic Party nomination, a filing on Monday shows. The Gardiner-based “Legal with Sigal” committee is listed as registering party. Sigel is a former secretary of the Kennebec County Democratic Committee and ran unsuccessfully for a state senate seat in 2014. He studied Chinese at Harvard, is originally from Elmira, NY, and has been a party activist at the county level for many years. Earlier this year, Sigal was seen at an anti-Trump protest in Augusta wearing…

New poll findings released on Thursday give former Maine Governor Paul LePage (R) a three-point lead over incumbent U.S. Representative Jared Golden (D) in a match-off that is still more than a year away. Fielded between June 19-23, the University of New Hampshire’s Pine Street Poll sampled 394 residents of the 2nd District. 50 percent said they would vote for Gov. LePage were the elected held tomorrow, and 47 percent voiced their intention to support Rep. Golden. Given the sample size, the poll’s margin of error among these respondents is 4.9 percent, meaning it pegs the race at this moment…

Maine’s House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to remove an effective gag order and restore the floor speaking privileges of Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), which were stripped of her by Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) in February after she refused to apologize for a social media post. The post in question featured a publicly available photograph of a trans-identifying male student who had won a female track competition. Rep. Libby sued Speaker Fecteau for a violation of her rights, and while a U.S. District Court ruled against her suit, she appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which restored her voting –…

While the Maine chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are busy lamenting the fact that their party’s national convention later this summer has eased its mask mandate, their brother in the Big Apple did something actually extraordinary on Tuesday and won the New York City Democrat mayoral primary — putting him, a pro-Palestinian anti-capitalist, in spitting distance of running America’s biggest city after the November election. “Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night, and he put together a great campaign,” Democrat rival Andrew Cuomo said. “He touched young people and inspired them and moved them and got them to come out…

Maine House Republicans teamed up with the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) on Tuesday to propose a counter-measure to a “Red Flag” bill that finally came to light last week after a sustained effort to compel majority Democrats to adhere to the law and legislative procedure and hold a hearing about it. “Red Flag” laws, a form of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), allow law enforcement to seize firearms from those said to be a risk to themselves or others. By contrast, Maine’s existing “Yellow Flag” law establishes a due process mechanism that involves mental health professionals working in concert…

Businessman Owen McCarthy, 37, threw his hat into the widening ring for Maine governor on Wednesday, announcing the launch of his bid for the Republican nomination through a press release and campaign advertisement. “When I look around Maine today, it’s become totally unaffordable for working class people – my people,” McCarthy says in his introductory ad. “These people wake up each morning, put in an honest day’s work, but have to fight just to make ends meet. It doesn’t have to be this way.” The Patten native is the first in his family to attend college and graduated from the…

Former director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) and daughter of First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Hannah Pingree, launched her campaign for governor on Tuesday. She is the fifth person, and fourth well-known name to join the primary field one year before Democrats will choose their nominee. Kicking off her anticipated run to succeed Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) in Rockland — the mainland city closest to her home on the island of North Haven — Pingree, 48, is no stranger to Maine politics. She served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives, where…

Advocates of gun control measures often speak of a “cooling off period” — usually in reference to a delay on firearm purchases — but after a heated debate on the Maine State Senate floor Wednesday night, Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) said he thought it best to his counterparts across the aisle the rest of the night to think about where their steadfast refusal to hold a public hearing on an initiative-proposed “Red Flag” law might lead. [RELATED: Maine Legislative Republicans Denounce Democrat Ploy to Block Public Hearing on “Red Flag” Gun-Grab Bill] “No matter which way you look at…

An Egyptian man using a makeshift flamethrower and incendiary devices attacked a peaceful event on Boulder, Colorado’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall in support of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas on Sunday injuring at least eight people, including a Holocaust survivor, multiple media sources report. A shirtless Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was captured on camera by onlookers ranting about Israel and screaming “Free Palestine” after throwing Molotov cocktails at runners and walkers and dousing some with a flammable liquid which he then lit ablaze. Soliman was in the United States illegally, having overstayed a visa. The FBI is investigating the…

A joint operation by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday at two locations in Roque Bluffs and Centerville led to the arrests on drug-related charges of 11 individuals from the local area, New York state, and the Dominican Republic, Maine’s statewide drug task force said in a statement. The Maine State Police Tactical Team and various federal law enforcement agencies assisted with the raids at 75 Duck Cove Road in Roque Bluffs and 43 Mitten Mountain Road in Centerville. At the first location, tactical units reportedly found one suspect hiding in a…

Four years ago, a founder of Maine Stands Up addressed a standing room only crowd in a Topsham church during a monthly meeting of the Sagadahoc County Republican Committee and outlined her lawsuit against then-Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah alleging that the state had wrongly elevated its testing regime to generate false positive results for COVID 19. Despite the momentum her group awakened across the state, a sign of victory would be deferred. While a Maine judge then denied her complaint, on Tuesday evening Dr. Northrup addressed a smaller group in Topsham on the same day that U.S. Secretary of…

Civic, law enforcement, legislative leaders and subject matter experts will hold a conference in Brewer on Friday evening to discuss what needs to be done to address Maine’s current drug crisis across multiple lines of action, organizers at the Concerned Citizens of Eastern Maine said. “This escalating issue is driven by a confluence of critical factors: foreign infiltration, a law enforcement crisis, government silence, and the absence of public outcry and response,” an informational brochure about the conference reads. While state authorities trumpet the year on year decline in fatal drug overdoses in Maine from 606 in 2023 to 490…

In what appears to be a sign of spiking anti-semitism in America, an Illinois man allegedly murdered two Israel diplomats in Washington, DC on Wednesday evening as they left a cultural event hosted by a museum in the nation’s capital. A young couple who were planning to get engaged next week, Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, were attending an event Wednesday evening at the Capital Jewish Museum when Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago allegedly shot them both at close range. While police were taking the shooter into custody, he shouted “Free Palestine,” DC’s police chief said. “This was…

Realtor and developer David Jones announced his candidacy for Maine governor on Tuesday, joining a field that currently includes former assistant secretary of State Robert “Bobby” Charles, former Paris selectman Robert Wessels, program manager Steven Sheppard, and former Democrat Ken Capron. Others are also expected to enter the GOP primary race. Jones, 69, lives in Falmouth and briefly ran for governor as an independent in 2006. He is the owner of F.O. Bailey, a real estate brokerage and one of Maine’s oldest, continually-operating businesses. He has restored commercial building, developed a retirement community, and owned a construction company that built…

An effort to draft the leadership of the Wabanaki Alliance into taking a position on the war in Gaza is raising some eyebrows not only among those who believe its inappropriate for the assembly of Native American tribes to choose sides in the Mideast, but also among Maine politicians whose images, they say, are being used to misrepresent their positions. In a change.org petition that seeks to pressure Wabanaki leadership to show their “solidarity with Palestine,” organizers used a 2023 photo depicting three Republican lawmakers who most likely do not back such an initiative. Former Rep. John Andrews, pictured in…

Second District Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME) put to rest speculation about his 2026 plans on Tuesday morning when he declared that he will seek a fifth term, which also means he will not be throwing his hat into the growing field of those seeking the Democrat nomination to run for governor. “While the election is still 18 months away and I remain focused on my responsibilities to my constituents and my family, I also know the path to the majority runs through Maine,” wrote Golden in a statement. “And I am going to do what it takes to make sure…

Former Maine Senate president Troy Jackson announced Monday morning that he is officially running for governor and plans to launch his campaign in Kittery at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at 11:30 a.m., according to a statement. Mainers, he says, are “under attack from billionaires, special interests, and their friends who control Washington.” Jackson pledged he would “fight for working people from day one.” “Too many Democrats have lost touch with working people or shown they’re not up to the fight,” Jackson wrote. “All while Mainers struggle as prices rise, wages stagnate, and greedy corporations rake in record profits to buy…

Almost everyone agrees doing business in Maine is much harder than it needs to be. According to the Maine Jobs Council, it is the ninth worst state in America, and unless you loathe capitalism as much as Hallowell’s cafe society does, this is the sort of statistic that ought to be flashing red for trouble. So when the new one percent tax on employers to fund a Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) program went into effect at the beginning of this year, businesses sat bolt upright at yet another fiscal and regulatory burden laid across their shoulders. Will the PFML…

(From L-R David Jones, Robert Wessels, Garrett Mason, Owen McCarthy, Bobby Charles and moderator Ray Richardson)

Following an investigation into a shots fired incident on Grant Street in Portland on Sunday night, city police made an arrest on Tuesday, taking 31-year-old Brandon Michael Lafler into custody. The discharge of a firearm in the vicinity of 33 Grant St. put the urban neighborhood on edge, and according to Portland Police, members of the community came forward afterwards with useful information allowing authorities to secure a search warrant for a residence at 288 State Street. On Tuesday morning, officers from the Portland Police’s Criminal Investigation Division paired with its Special Reaction Team executed the warrant and arrested Laffler.…

On a wall outside the State House in Augusta, 90 names of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty are carved in memorial. On Tuesday, the Maine Chiefs of Police Association held an annual ceremony there to honor the men and women in blue who gave their greatest sacrifice for the communities they serve. This year two names joined the others — Richard Betters of the Portland Police Department who died in 2009 and Herbert Tarbox of the Falmouth Police Department who died in 1959. “I don’t feel lonely when I come here. I feel like part…

Following a traffic stop at the intersection of Hammond and Union Streets Monday evening, Bangor Police arrested Thomas Pope, 48, of Orono initially on charges of violating the conditions of his bail. On further investigation, police, utilizing a K9 unit, found a plastic bag containing what they believe to be cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamines. While being transported to the Penobscot County jail, an officer noticed Pope fidgeting suspiciously in the back seat. When they reached their location, officers searched the cruiser and found another bag containing drugs. In reviewing footage from the passenger compartment afterwards, police say Pope had…

Maine’s Second District Congressman Jared Golden must be feeling his seat’s gotten a little hotter after current State Auditor Matthew Dunlap said on Monday that is considering challenging the three-term incumbent in a Democrat primary next year. According to multiple media sources, Dunlap, 60, said he is considering running for Congress because he says he is concerned about the country’s direction. Having served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives representing Old Town and as secretary of state from 2005-2011, Dunlap is currently the state auditor. He made waves in Augusta two months when he issued a report expressing…

Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) may face daunting challenges from the majority of Maine’s legislature, and even the state’s attorney general, but her appeal for emergency review by the U.S. Supreme Court drew the support of attorneys general from 15 other states this week. In an amicus brief, the chief law enforcement officials About two months ago, a modern American judge found that a similar effort to impose an ‘indefinite suspension of voting rights’ was a ‘severe’ and unjustifiable ‘burden on voting rights,’ the group led by West Virginia’s AG John McCuskey pointed out in defense of Rep. Libby’s plea for…

Maine State Attorney General Aaron Frey filed an 11-page response on Thursday to the civil action the U.S. Department of Justice filed against the state three weeks ago with the U.S. District Court in Portland. In this filing, AG Frey denies that Maine’s policy allowing trans-identifying males to participate in female school sports is out of compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as the Justice Department’s suit claims, and asks the court to dismiss the federal complaint. [RELATED: DOJ Files Civil Suit Against Maine, Rep. Libby and Two Maine Students Join AG Bondi in Live Presser]…

Second District Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME) is taking friendly fire from a national group that commits itself to resisting the Trump agenda and fighting for progressive politics, which has for months been assailing the maverick Democrat for not holding town hall meetings. In addition to waging war with President Donald Trump and Republicans generally, the so-called Indivisible is also calling out Democrats who do not meet its purity test, their Maine activities show. Rep. Golden, who supports tariffs and has bucked his party’s leadership regularly over his three terms in Congress, is the sort of Democrat the group believes needs…

Ed Martin, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, is unlikely to clear the Senate Judiciary Committee and make it to the floor for a vote, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday. One Republican senator and the panel, Thom Tillis (R-NC), told the White House earlier today he won’t back Martin. “I think that would suggest he’s not going to get out of committee,” Sen. Thune said afterwards. The clock is ticking on Martin’s nomination, which now has less than two weeks to clear the committee. If it…

There’s a new Angus in Maine’s political arena and he’s gunning for the seat his father held for two terms before moving on to the U.S. Senate. Three guesses who it is and the first two don’t count. That’s right, Angus King III is running for governor, and unlike his father who claims to be an Independent but votes with Democrats all the same, the son is dropping all pretense. Young Angus, 54, has thrown his hat into the ring for the Democrat nomination together with Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, though others are likely to join the Democrat primary…

In two days, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will begin enforcing a long-expected deadline for airline travelers to producer Read IDs before boarding their flights. But as of April 1, only 27 percent of Mainers had the required form of identification that will, as of May 7, be required for air travel and to enter federal buildings. Days before the deadline, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was asking for yet another extension of the deadline for enforcing this requirement. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which falls under the area responsibility in her job description, had been charged with issuing…

Former two-term Republican Governor Paul LePage has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and is expected to announce his bid for Maine’s second congressional seat today, a knowledgable source indicates. First elected governor in 2010, LePage went on to cinch a second term four years later. In 2022, he challenged incumbent Governor Janet Mills (D) but fell short by about thirteen points. Maine’s Second Congressional District skews Republican and has voted for President Donald Trump in three elections. Originally from Androscoggin County, LePage could lay claim to a significant portion of Republican voters in the district easing his path…

It appears Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has been taking counsel from the late troubadour Kenny Rogers, who famously sang: “You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em/Know when to walk away…,” according to a Joint Status Report filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine which indicates the state is dropping its suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In return for Maine’s dropping its lawsuit, the USDA agreed to lift its freeze on $3 million of funding, multiple sources reported. The settlement appears to bring an end to one of…

Thursday saw an array of anti-gun bills debated in public hearings before the Maine State Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, but an intriguing outlier came in the form of a proposal from a Piscataquis County Republican who believes non-violent felons who’ve served their sentences should have a shot at getting their Second Amendment rights restored. Setting the table for what some Augusta insiders called “Gun Day” in the Judiciary Committee were two measures by Freeport Democrat Rep. Melanie Sachs to destroy “forfeited” (read: seized) firearms — which she promoted with a glint in her eye — and another to prevent the auctioning…

The Maine Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee held a work session April 30 at which it considered slate of bills that will have work sessions to potentially change Maine law with regard to criminal charges and mandatory minimum sentencing. Representative David Sinclair (D-Bath), a lawyer who focuses on the underprivileged according to his biography on the Maine Legislative Democrats webpage, has introduced various measures this session that would loosen the strictures on criminal defendants or those convicted of a crime. Three of this bills up for consideration on Wednesday would impact mandatory minimums for sentencing, and require the right…

While Maine already has in place a Yellow Flag law that includes a due process element before authorities may strip of gun owner of their firearm, anti-gun activists are now gearing up for a campaign to support passage of a more restrictive Red Flag law. Otherwise known as an “Extreme Risk Protective Order” (ERPO), a Red Flag law empowers law enforcement to disarm an individual who family members, friends or others say poses a risk to themselves or the community at large. 21 states currently have Red Flag, or ERPO, laws in effect. Prior to the October 2023 mass shooting…

Maine’s Secretary of State will imminently release the ballot wording for a referendum question to go before voters this November asking whether or not they approve of requiring some form of identification to vote. If Shenna Bellows’ initial draft of that wording is any indication, she is banking on deceptive language to kill the measure. Last month, Bellows’ office released the following wording for comment: “Do you want to change Maine election laws to require voters to show ID before voting, end ongoing absentee voting for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, prohibit…

Does your heart pound with dread every time the electric bill lands in your mailbox? If so, you’re not alone. With electricity rates in Maine rising more than 50 percent over the past decade — more than twice the national average — policymakers are missing the boat when it comes it why ratepayers keep getting stuck with higher bills, energy experts and concerned legislators say. While the state is increasingly vulnerable to storm damage to its distribution network, too little is being done to amp up generation capacity. Less than a third of the electricity Mainers use is generated in…

After Russia escalated its assault on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv overnight, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to be shifting the focus of his criticism over the stalled peace talks over the war between the two former Soviet countries from Ukraine’s President Voldymyr Zelenskyy to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!” President Trump posted on TruthSocial Thursday morning. Those strikes came in tandem with a statement from the chairman of Russia’s national…