Author: Seamus Othot

A Northfield, New Hampshire man will spend six years in prison after pleading guilty to using the U.S. Postal Service to traffic methamphetamines into the state from California with the intent to distribute, a federal judge ruled on Monday. [RELATED: Suspected Drugs Hidden in Candy Packaging Seized After South Portland Police Pursuit, Two Arrested…] Joseph Crawford, 33, of Northfield, NH, pleaded guilty in October to attempting to receive two packages containing over two pounds of methamphetamine, with the intent to distribute the drugs. “Joseph Crawford has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and yesterday’s sentence puts him out…

Tired of your straw decomposing before you’re halfway through your drink? Sick of only being able to buy LED bulbs? If so, relief is in sight. President Donald Trump took multiple actions this week to roll back some of the small, burdensome environmental mandates and regulations imposed by the Biden administration that impact Americans on a daily basis by limiting consumer choice. President Trump’s efforts began on Monday with an executive order targeting the Biden Administration’s “irrational” push for paper straws, banning the federal procurement of paper straws. “Plastic straws are often replaced by paper straws, which are nonfunctional, use…

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) executed a high-risk search warrant at a Portland apartment building on Tuesday and arrested seven suspects allegedly running a drug enterprise from the building. [RELATED: Portland Police Investigating Deaths of Two Homeless Men Found in Woods Behind Riverton Hannaford…] The MDEA, working alongside the Portland Police Special Reaction Team, executed the warrant for apartment 402 at 658 Congress Street at approximately 1:30 PM and safely secured the unit without violent resistance. Law enforcement detained and subsequently arrested the seven occupants, who were then transported to the Cumberland County Jail. Bruce Cavallaro, 46 of Portland,…

New Hampshire State Police arrested two Methuen, Mass., residents on Monday during a routine traffic stop after discovering fentanyl, cocaine, and a firearm with an illegally altered serial number. [RELATED: New Hampshire State Troopers Arrest Four in Following Fentanyl Dealing Investigation in Claremont…] Officers noticed the vehicle speeding on I-95 in Portsmouth and, during the traffic stop, discovered the vehicle’s occupants, Frandy Arias Zapata, 23, and Eduardo Garcia, 24, allegedly in possession of roughly 350 grams of fentanyl and approximately 75 grams of cocaine, along with an illegal firearm. Image of the siezed contraband from the NH State Police Zapata…

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a Department of Defense (DoD)-wide memo on Friday, officially banning the recruitment of new transgender-identifying military service members, and implementing a January 27 executive order from President Donald Trump. [RELATED: Pete Hegseth Confirmed as Defense Secretary…] “Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for Service members are paused,” said Secretary Hegseth in his memo. Hegseth’s new memo points out that, in order for the DoD to fulfill its mission, service…

Maine Attorney General (AG) Aaron Frey signed a confidential agreement with Democrat Attorneys General just weeks after the 2024 election to develop a strategy to oppose President Donald Trump’s agenda despite his democratic victory. [RELATED: Maine AG Joins Blue State Coalition Defending ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Children Against Trump Order…] The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project first published the confidential agreement on Monday, showing that the Democratic attorneys general of 22 states, along with the head attorneys for San Francisco, California, and Washington D.C., wasted no time in opposing the President’s plan to solve the illegal immigration crisis. “Despite the mandate from…

Does it make sense to get rid of cents? President Donald Trump ordered U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to stop the production of new pennies on Monday as part of his campaign against government waste, citing the penny’s production cost, which exceeds its value. [RELATED: How the U.S. Treasury Department Helps Chinese Organized Crime Transform American Homes Into Drug Dens…] “For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let’s rip…

President Donald Trump proclaimed the first ever Gulf of America Day from Air Force One on Sunday while en route to Super Bowl LIX and flying over the body of water known until recently as the Gulf of Mexico. [RELATED: Greenland, Panama, and the Gulf of America: Trump Plans 21st Century Monroe Doctrine for Second Term…] “As my Administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America,” said President Trump in his proclamation. The…

David Asher, a long-time U.S. advisor on national security, appeared on Canada’s state-funded CBC news on Sunday to defend Trump’s efforts to force Canada to secure its borders, citing the largest fentanyl lab in the history of the world busted in October. [RELATED: Trade War in Flux as Trump Agrees to Delay Tariffs on Mexico and Continue Talks with Canada’s PM…] “Several months ago you had the biggest lab in the history of the world, said Asher, “It made Breaking Bad look like, you know, minor league.” https://twitter.com/cbcwatcher/status/1888666388463833432 During the interview, Asher argued that President Donald Trump’s thus far effective…

As Maine faces an impending half-billion dollar budget shortfall, and Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) considers a flurry of tax increases that would barely dent the deficit, legislative Democrats are aiming to expand welfare benefits to include weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. [RELATED: The State of the Budget: Bad. Why? Mills…] Rep. Anne Graham (D-North Yarmouth), along with five Democratic co-sponsors, proposed LD 480, “An Act to Support Healthy Weight by Providing MaineCare Coverage for Certain Weight Loss Medications.” The bill would allow anyone enrolled in taxpayer-funded MaineCare health benefits to receive subsidies for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist drugs, such as Ozempic,…

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) told 8 Investigates that a records request aimed at exposing the agency for failing to pay thousands of dollars it owed to day care providers would cost over $250,000 to fulfill and take four years. [RELATED: Maine Democrats Take Dim View of Bills to Increase Government Transparency…] According to the outlet, they submitted a Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) request for public records to the DHHS last September after they received multiple tips from daycare owners claiming that the agency had delayed sending them funds they earned by caring for foster…

In the face of a new executive order issued by President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposing significant penalties on schools that allow males to compete in girls’ sports, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) maintained its commitment to radical gender ideology. [RELATED: Maine Education Department Tells Public Schools to Ignore Trump’s Order on Transgender Ideology…] “The Executive Order ‘Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government’ applies to the Federal government/Federal government agencies only and does not inhibit the force of Maine law or locally-adopted school board policies,” said the DOE in a priority…

New Hampshire State Rep. Travis Corcoran (R-Weare) is working to pass a bill through the state’s Republican-controlled legislature that would revoke the tax-exempt status from any non-profits that resettle illegal immigrants in the Granite State. [RELATED: NH Legislators Want Control of Maine’s Portsmouth Naval Shipyard…] “I sponsored this bill alone, with no co-sponsors. The let’s-bring-more-illegals side is funded by literally hundreds of millions of dollars, stolen from your taxes, funneled through the state, laundered into a web of NGOs,” said Rep. Corcoran in a lengthy X thread. https://twitter.com/travis4nh/status/1886904345188266009 The bill, HB 635-FN, imposes business taxes on any nonprofit discovered to…

The Maine Legislature’s Judiciary Committee held public hearings on Wednesday regarding two bills that would bring Maine’s public record laws into line with government transparency statutes in other states. The bills’ respective sponsors, Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) and Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), both believe that Maine’s current disclosure law — the so-called Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) — is insufficient. Sen. Bennett’s bill would expand the scope of FOAA to include proceedings, such as partisan caucuses, and documents that are currently exempt from the disclosure law, while Rep. Libby’s law would cause Maine to adopt stricter deadlines for compliance with…

Local officials in Bangor, Lewiston, and Portland were reluctant to say whether they would comply with deportations promised by President Donald Trump, even with the threat of prosecution for officials impeding deportation efforts. [RELATED: Pingree Votes Against Protections for Women, Harsher Deportation Rules for Illegal Aliens…] Acting Attorney General (AG) James McHenry issued a Department of Justice (DOJ)-wide memo on January 21, instructing the department to investigate and potentially prosecute any state and local officials who work against President Trump’s deportation efforts. “The Supremacy clause and other authorities require state and local actors to comply with the Executive Branch’s immigration…

More than 20,000 federal employees have announced their resignations in response to President Donald Trump’s severance offer, which would allow them to receive eight months of full pay and benefits, according to an unnamed official cited by Axios. [RELATED: “Resign”: Trump Offers Fed Bureaucrats Buyout to Trim Bloated Government Payrolls…] As part of his effort to cut down on government waste and the number of bureaucrats, President Trump offered last week to give any federal employee who resigns before Thursday an eight-month full pay and benefits severance package. An unnamed administration official reportedly told Axios that over 20,000 employees had…

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele extended an offer to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Monday meeting that his country is ready to house prisoners from the United States in its CECOT maximum security prison built to house gang members. [RELATED: Salvadoran Illegal Alien Charged with Raping Child Arrested by ICE on Nantucket Island…] “We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system. We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee,” said President Bukele on X…

A Maine State Police K9, Preacher, was killed in the line of duty on Monday night during a Portage Lake shootout that left one Aroostook County deputy injured and the suspect dead after he opened fire on law enforcement during a domestic dispute. [RELATED: Portland Police Say They Are Making Progress on Unsolved Homicide Investigations…] “K9 Preacher was more than just a working dog—he was a dedicated partner, a protector, and a hero,” said Maine State Police Colonel William Ross. “Most people will never understand the sacrifices made by our K9 teams, but last night, Preacher made the ultimate sacrifice…

Massachusetts authorities have finally arrested the 42-year-old illegal alien alleged to have incestuously raped his 14-year-old daughter multiple times in law enforcement documents first published last June by the Maine Wire. Eight months ago, the Maine Wire published incident reports revealing that Ronald Joseph, an undocumented immigrant who entered the U.S. via the southern border with his minor daughter during the Biden Administration, repeatedly sexually assaulted her while residing at a taxpayer-funded migrant shelter in Marlborough, Mass. The case against Joseph emerged when his 14-year-old daughter became pregnant, leading investigators to discover that he had repeatedly assaulted her during their…

A bipartisan group of five New Hampshire state legislators put forward a bill calling on the federal government to declare the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard part of New Hampshire rather than Maine, shielding workers from Maine’s higher tax burden. [RELATED: Bath Iron Works, Maine Chamber Sue State Over Paid Leave Rules…] The bill, put forward by Rep. Joseph Barton (R-Baton) and supported by four others, including Democratic Rep. Carrie Sorensen (Rockingham), officially calls on New Hampshire’s congressional delegation to introduce legislation declaring the shipyard part of Portsmouth, NH. The state representatives also call on President Donald Trump to take executive action…

A group of Democrats in the legislature, led by Rep. David Sinclair (D-Bath), put forward a radical criminal justice reform bill that would override minimum sentencing guidelines, allowing judges to impose minor penalties for major crimes. [RELATED: Progressive DA Shares Perspective on Restorative Justice, Prosecuting Migrants, & Maine’s Flawed Criminal Justice System…] “I am absolutely opposed to LD 268, a bill that would eliminate mandatory minimums for crimes including murder and rape. Mandatory minimums exist to make sure that the public is kept safe from those who commit the most heinous crimes,” said Sen. Scott Cyrway (R-Kennebec) in a statement…

Lawmakers in Augusta heard arguments on Monday for and against a series of bills that would reform Maine’s campaign finance laws as well as potentially alter and expand the taxpayer funded Maine Clean Elections Act (MCEA) program. The legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee (VLA) held public hearings to consider LD 9, An Act Regarding Campaign Finance Disclosure, which would change a variety of campaign finance rules, along with two bills changing the MCEA. LD 9, submitted by the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices and presented by Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec), tightens various finance rules, requires increased disclosure…

New Hampshire’s Republican-controlled Senate passed three bills on Thursday in party-line votes intended to combat illegal immigration and aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with its efforts to deport illegal immigrants. [RELATED: New Hampshire’s New Governor Wants to Ban Cell Phones from Schools…] State Sen. Bill Gannon (R-Sandown) introduced the three bills, complementing President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The first bill, SB 71, outlaws sanctuary city policies, prohibiting any local officials from impeding immigration enforcement efforts. Any town or city caught violating the law will be subject to prosecution by the state’s Attorney General (AG) and a loss…

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) launched an investigation on Tuesday into the Denver, Colorado Public Schools District for converting the women’s restroom at its largest school to an “all-gender” restroom. [RELATED: Trump Executive Order Threatening to Pull Funding from Schools Promoting DEI and Trans Ideology Could Spell Doom for Leftist Schools in Maine…] “The alarming report that the Denver Public Schools District denied female students a restroom comparable with their male counterparts appears to directly violate the civil rights of the District’s female students,” the DOE’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement. The…

President Donald Trump’s Wednesday executive order combating radical gender ideology and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) education in public schools could prove disastrous for Maine’s far-left school districts, which could risk losing part of their funding. [RELATED: Maine Education Department Tells Public Schools to Ignore Trump’s Order on Transgender Ideology… “Parents trust America’s schools to provide their children with a rigorous education and to instill a patriotic admiration for our incredible Nation and the values for which we stand,” said President Trump. “In recent years, however, parents have witnessed schools indoctrinate their children in radical, anti-American ideologies while deliberately blocking…

A group of 29 Maine Republicans sent a letter to the state’s Department of Education (DOE), urging it to comply with President Donald Trump’s federal efforts to protect female-only bathrooms, locker rooms, and sporting events from biological males who identify as females. The executive order was one of several from President Trump’s first week in the White House aimed at reducing or eliminating the influence of radical left-wing ideologies in federally funded spaces, often imposed under the guise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives or transgender ideology. [RELATED: Maine Education Department Tells Public Schools to Ignore Trump’s Order on…

Army Reserve Major and former Maine National Guardsman Michael Gary lost his position in the Guard and faced multiple investigations in what he believes was retaliation for his refusal to take the COVID vaccine when it was mandated for the military in August 2021. Gary, a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) expert with 27 years of military experience, faced investigations, accusations of political extremism, and economic hardship after he conscientiously refused to take the experimental mRNA treatment. [RELATED: Mills Gives $130,000 No-Bid Contract to Spread False Info About COVID-19 Vaccine…] “When I submitted my Religious Accommodation Request in December…

President Donald Trump’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offered on Tuesday to give all federal employees nearly eight months of full pay and benefits if they decide to turn in their resignation before Feb. 6. [RELATED: Report Shows 94% of Federal Bureaucrats Don’t Come Into the Office Full Time…] The offer allows President Trump, along with his newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, to work on reducing excess government spending and bureaucratic bloat without simply firing federal employees. Federal workers irked by the new rules requiring in-office work five days per week need only send…

President Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rescinded a memorandum freezing some federal grant spending that could have violated the priorities of the administration, after implementation of the memo was blocked by a judge appointed by former President Joe Biden. [RELATED: Trump Places Indefinite Halt on Offshore Wind Development and New England Fisherman Celebrate…] “In light of the injunction, OMB has rescinded the memo to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling and the dishonest media coverage,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in an emailed statement. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan ordered…

The two suspects accused in the fatal shooting of Vermont Border Patrol Agent David Maland, 44, have been identified as transgender extremists affiliated with the so-called “Ziz group,” according to a report from independent journalist Andy Ngo. [RELATED: Vermont Border Patrol Murdered During Traffic Stop…] On Inauguration Day, two suspects, since identified as the trans-identifying Felix “Ophelia” Baukholt, a German national in the U.S. on an H1B work visa, and Teresa “Milo” Consuelo Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, allegedly incited a firefight with Maland. The shootout left Maland and Baukholt dead, and Youngblut injured and facing charges for allegedly firing at…

A week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, cartel terrorists opened fire on Texas Border Patrol agents on Monday as members of the terror group were trying to smuggle illegal aliens into the U.S. [RELATED: American Citizen Shot by Suspected Cartel Terrorists While Hiking in Wilderness North of US-Mexico Border…] The Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman, Chris Olivarez, released drone footage showing armed cartel members taking refuge on an island between Mexico and the U.S. after the shootout. https://twitter.com/LtChrisOlivarez/status/1884091659690074511 The Mexican cartel terrorists opened fire while agents were patrolling near Fronton,…

Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) put forward a bill last week that would prevent states from using either federal or state Medicaid funds for illegal immigrants. [RELATED: Maine House Approves Taxpayer-Funded MaineCare Coverage for Illegal Aliens…] “This common sense legislation ensures that taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits are preserved for those who lawfully qualify, prioritizing the needs of American citizens and legal residents while promoting fairness and fiscal responsibility,” said Rep. Kiley. https://twitter.com/RepKiley/status/1881768422150676931 The bill allows illegal immigrants to continue receiving benefits only for services rendered during medical emergencies. Rep. Kiley claimed that his bill will save California alone $6.5 billion annually. Current…

The New Hampshire State Police arrested two suspects in Franklin, NH, on Thursday and seized over a thousand grams of fentanyl following a months-long narcotics investigation. [RELATED: Dispute Among Group of Juveniles Leads to Gunfire in Auburn Neighborhood…] The State Police Narcotics Investigation Unit (NIU) arrested Michael Brownell, 39, of Franklin, NH, and seized 1,300 grams of fentanyl, 500 grams of methamphetamine, $5,000 in cash, and two firearms. Image of seized contraband from the New Hampshire State Police While carrying out the arrest, authorities also took Kaitlyn Blake, 32, of Belmont, on an outstanding bench warrant for unspecified motor vehicle-related…

President Donald Trump has fulfilled his promise to embrace cryptocurrency, with a Thursday executive order promoting digital assets and prohibiting the establishment of a controversial Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). [RELATED: Beware the Digital Dollar and CBDCs…] “The digital asset industry plays a crucial role in innovation and economic development in the United States, as well as our Nation’s international leadership. It is therefore the policy of my Administration to support the responsible growth and use of digital assets, blockchain technology, and related technologies across all sectors of the economy,” said President Trump. The order protects the rights of everyday…

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s (D) office claimed on Friday that its investigation of the numerous hotels converted into illegal immigrant shelters across the state found no major issues or evidence of criminal activity. [RELATED: Vibe Shift: Boston Globe Finally Acknowledges Healey Hotel Horror, Bay State Gov Changes Tune on Illegal Alien Crime…] “I find it extremely hard to believe that with over 120 shelters, they could do the inspection that fast,” said Jon Fetherston, the former manager of a Healey Hotel in Marlborough, Mass., speaking to The Maine Wire. “If they did do it, and I’m under the impression that…

President Donald Trump issued a full pardon on Thursday for 23 pro-life activists who were incarcerated after the Biden Administration prosecuted them under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for peacefully protesting against abortion. [RELATED: Biden Lawfare: The Biden Administration’s History of Political Persecutions of Everyday Americans, Media Personalities, and Political Figures…] “23 people were prosecuted, they should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people, they should not have been prosecuted, this is a great honor to sign this,” said President Trump as he signed the pardon. https://twitter.com/LifeNewsHQ/status/1882536591287337236 The Thomas More Society, a pro-life…

President Donald Trump froze the ability of unelected bureaucrats at federal agencies to impose rules that affect the whole nation on Monday, signing the executive order on stage at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. [RELATED: Report Shows 94% of Federal Bureaucrats Don’t Come Into the Office Full Time…] https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1881490427511185464 The order prohibits federal agencies from proposing or implementing any new rules and regulations unless they are first reviewed and approved by a department head appointed by President Trump. Trump’s executive action serves to prevent bureaucrats hostile to his agenda from forcing through drastic last-minute regulations before all of…

The U.S. State Department, under Trump’s chosen Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced its new “One Flag” policy, preventing federal facilities at home and abroad from flying non-American flags, such as Pride or Black Lives Matter (BLM) flags. [RELATED: Trump Withdraws the U.S. from the World Health Organization on First Day in Office…] The Washington Free Beacon received exclusive access to the text of the directive and published large parts of it. “The U.S. flag is a powerful symbol of pride and it is fitting and respectful that only the U.S. flag be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both…

Weeks after former President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of all but three federal death row inmates, President Donald Trump signed a Day One executive order rescinding a Biden-era moratorium on federal executions and requiring judges to follow laws permitting capital punishment. “Capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens,” said President Trump in his executive order. “Our Founders knew well that only capital punishment can bring justice and restore order in response to such evil. For this and other reasons, capital…

The Maine State Police, along with a Maine Marine Patrol dive team, discovered the sunken wreck of a missing fishing vessel on Wednesday, with what they believe to be a human body inside. [RELATED: Trump Places Indefinite Halt on Offshore Wind Development and New England Fisherman Celebrate…] Officials, along with local fishermen aiding in the search, identified a period of “slack water,” a time of reduced motion that increases visibility and provides better conditions for divers. Using a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), officials discovered the sunken wreck of the fishing vessel “Sudden Impact” that had been reported missing on…

On Jan. 1, working people across the state of Maine started paying their share of a new one percent tax on paychecks created by Democratic lawmakers to fund a new paid leave program. But unbeknownst to many private sector workers, non-government employees will also be shouldering the new tax burden for state government employees, who are not required pay the 0.5 percent employee contribution for the tax. In other words, state workers are won’t see the tax withheld from their paychecks, but they’ll still get to benefit from 12-weeks of paid leave when the program becomes active in May 2026…

A Maine lawmaker has put forward a proposal that would create certain incarcerated individuals to obtain loans so that they can improve their creditworthiness. The bill, introduced by Rep. Daniel Sayre (D-Kennebunk), would allow prisoners in Maine’s correctional facilities to access special loans and then use those funds on certain limited expenses. “This bill allows, under rules established by the Commissioner of Corrections, a juvenileor adult client of a correctional or detention facility to obtain a loan from a financial institution or credit union,” says the summary of LD 97, An Act to Facilitate the Improvement of Credit Scores of…

Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two men driving an allegedly stolen vehicle on Friday, following a high-speed car chase, crash, and a search through the woods with a K9 unit. During routine traffic enforcement on Roosevelt Trail in Casco, deputies noticed a blue Mazda 3 apparently being operated by someone under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Officers tried to pull the Mazda over, but the driver, later identified as 19-year-old Abdiaziz Ibrahim of Portland, continued traveling at 55 mph in a 45 mph zone. [RELATED: Teen Targeted in Police Raids on ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Southern Maine Drug Trafficking Network…

Maine’s Department of Education (DOE) issued a statement on Tuesday opposing President Donald Trump’s day-one executive order that officially acknowledges there are only two sexes and preserves women-only spaces from males. “The Executive Order ‘Defending Women From Gender ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government’ applies to the Federal government/Federal government agencies only and does not inhibit the force of Maine law or locally-adopted school board policies,” said the DOE’s priority notice. [RELATED: Trans Student Had History of Sexual Harassment Prior to Assault, Biting Attack That Left Maine Girl Concussed, Vision Impaired…] https://twitter.com/BigSteve207/status/1882041989040140346 In addition to reminding…

President Donald Trump is working to make America beautiful again with a day-one executive order requiring new federal buildings to be beautiful and adhere to classical architectural traditions. “Federal public buildings should be visually identifiable as civic buildings and respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage in order to uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States and our system of self-government,” said President Trump in his executive order. The order instructs the Administrator of the General Services Administration and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, along with all relevant department heads, to provide Trump with…

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday that will substantially reduce federal support for offshore wind power and potentially halt the controversial industry’s development in the Gulf of Maine. The order prevents any of the Outer Continental Shelf, including the entire coastline of the mainland U.S. and Alaska, from being leased for offshore wind development indefinitely until the president decides to lift the restrictions. Additionally, the order calls for an immediate review of the federal leasing process for both offshore and onshore wind development, which will consider the potential downsides, including “negative impacts on navigational safety interests, transportation…

Following President Donald Trump’s day one promise to put America first, he signed an executive order on Monday placing a 90-day pause on foreign aid. [RELATED: Trump’s Day One Illegal Alien Crackdown Confronts Drug Cartels, Migrant Flights, and Open Border…] The pause is intended to allow various agency heads, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to determine whether different forms of foreign aid actually align with U.S. interests. “The United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and, in many cases, are antithetical to American values,” said the order. “They serve to destabilize world…

Vermont border patrol agent, 44-year-old David Maland, was killed in a shooting while conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in northern Vermont on Monday. The incident left one suspect dead and another injured and in custody. [RELATED: Trump’s Day One Illegal Alien Crackdown Confronts Drug Cartels, Migrant Flights, and Open Border…] “Every single day, our Border Patrol agents put themselves in harm’s way so that Americans and our homeland are safe and secure. My prayers and deepest condolences are with our Department, the Agent’s family, loved ones, and colleagues,” said Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman. The tragic…

President Donald Trump officially withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO) and cut all funding for the international agency amid a storm of executive orders issued on Inauguration Day. [RELATED: WHO Declares Monkeypox an International Health Emergency…Again…] “The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states,” said the executive order. President…

No member of Maine’s congressional delegation has been a supporter of President Donald Trump, with the only Republican, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), openly criticizing him. Following President Trump’s inauguration Monday, Maine’s federal elected officials provided a wide range of responses, including silence, condemnation, and congratulations. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) issued the most positive statement, congratulating the president and expressing a desire to work with him. Rep. Golden did not include any additional condemnation or express his disappointment that a Republican retook the White House. “No matter who you are, where you live or what political views you hold, all Americans…

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted Monday along party lines to send President Donald Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, to the full Senate for confirmation with a favorable report following an extremely adversarial confirmation hearing. [RELATED: Democrats Grill Hegseth During Extremely Adversarial Confirmation Hearing…] The committee voted along party lines, with all 14 Republicans supporting Hegseth and the 12 Democrats, along with Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, opposing the nomination. Currently, no date has been set for a full Senate vote on Hegseth, and typically the Senate waits seven days between the committee…

Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) unveiled new rules on Friday that will impose additional red tape on Maine property owners trying to improve their property with accessories such as a deck, shed, or outdoor lighting. [RELATED: Maine’s LUPC Confirmation Hearing Once Again Becomes an Unusually Contentious Issue…] Starting on January 29, Mainers living in the state’s remote, unorganized territories will be required to let the LUPC know whenever they want to add any kind of structure to their property. “Often property owners are not aware that their project needs to meet certain standards because a permit has not been…

At his final pre-inauguration rally on Sunday night, President Trump promised to order the military to begin construction on a nationwide “Iron Dome” missile defense system, modeled after the system that defends Israel from attacks. [RELATED: Jared Golden Advocated for US to Send Ukraine Long-Range Tactical Missiles Now Being Used Against Targets Inside Russia…] “I will direct our military to begin construction of the great Iron Dome missile defense shield, which will all be made in the U.S.A,” said President Trump. https://twitter.com/BehizyTweets/status/1881113245542727891 The promise did not include any details, other than that the system would be manufactured in the U.S.,…

The left-wing Boston Globe has finally begun to publish articles critical of Gov. Maura Healey (D-Mass.) and the disastrous “Healey Hotel” illegal immigrant shelter program. That’s a major shift for a liberal media outlet that ignored the epidemic of drug crime, sexual assault, and domestic violence the program spawned for six months after the Maine Wire first exposed it in June 2024. Fast forward to Jan. 2025, and New England’s largest newspaper is even publishing op-eds blasting Gov. Healey for actions that reek of a political cover-up. Last June, the Maine Wire published an exclusive report based on inside sources…

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) is once again throwing his weight behind a Republican-led effort to bar Congress members from trading stocks, after Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.) reintroduced the TRUST in Congress Act on Tuesday. [RELATED: Golden Calls For Ban on Politicians Trading Stocks…] “As lawmakers our priority should be serving our constituents — not leveraging our position to game the stock market,” said Rep. Golden on X. I’m helping reintroduce a bill to ban congressional stock trading because the practice is more than just a bad look—it undermines the meaning of public service,” he added. https://twitter.com/RepGolden/status/1880308751632334987 Golden will serve as…

President-elect Donald Trump tapped three actors on Thursday to serve as his special ambassadors to Hollywood, California, to help advise him in his plan to bring the American entertainment industry back to its pre-Biden Administration success. “It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California,” said Trump on Truth Social. “They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER…

With three recent votes, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-CD1) has taken extreme positions on immigration and transgender ideology, including opposing bills that would protect women and girls’ sports and deport illegal aliens arrested for sexual assault. [RELATED: Pingree Doesn’t Think Illegals Who Attack Police Should Be Deported…] Rep. Pingree, along with 144 other Democrats, voted on Thursday against Rep. Nancy Mace’s (R-S.C.) Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act. “145 Democrats have a lot of explaining to do after being given a second chance to protect women and girls from illegals who r*pe, m*lest and m*rder them,” said Rep.…

Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) proposed a bill on Thursday that would prevent people on welfare from using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — a.k.a. Food Stamps — to buy certain types of junk food and soda. [RELATED: ‘As a fat person, I can guarantee you that the reason why I’m fat is not because I eat candy and soda,’ Says Kansas State Rep Opposing SNAP Restrictions [VIDEO]…] “If someone wants to buy junk food on their own dime, that’s up to them. But what we’re saying is, don’t ask the taxpayer to pay for it and then also expect the…

President-elect Donald Trump is working with former Democrat and current Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) to draft an executive order halting offshore wind turbine production off the East Coast and setting the stage for further restrictions, the congressman said Monday. [RELATED: Biden-Harris Admin Set to Auction 850,000 Acres in Gulf of Maine for Offshore Wind Development…] “These offshore wind projects should have never been approved in the first place. The Biden administration rammed them through the approval process without proper oversight, transparent lease agreements, or a full understanding of their devastating consequences. They are an economic and environmental disaster…

Even as Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) is looking to close Maine’s yawning $450 million FY 26-27 budget gap and $118 million MaineCare deficit with an increased tobacco tax, Democrats in the legislature want to make it harder to buy cigarettes. A new bill from House Majority Leader Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland) would impose a complete ban on pharmacies selling any tobacco products, with violations constituting a fineable civil offense. [RELATED: Zynflation: Nicotine Pouches to Soar in Maine Thanks to 42% Excise Tax Hike…] The bill would prohibit pharmacies from receiving a retail tobacco license. Any establishment caught violating the…

After more than a year of war, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal in which Hamas will return the surviving hostages it took during its October 7, 2023, attack that left over 1,200 Israelis dead and over 200 civilians as hostages, including some American citizens. [RELATED: Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated in Tehran; Israel: “No Comment”…] “WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU,” said President-elect Donald Trump in a brief announcement on Truth Social. https://twitter.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1879579378004459965 Hamas and Israel have agreed to the ceasefire terms, with Israel set…

President-elect Donald Trump announced a plan on Tuesday to create a new External Revenue Service (ERS) to collect revenue from foreign sources, making countries benefiting from trade with the U.S. pay their “fair share.” [RELATED: Russia and China Respond After Trump Threatens BRICS Nations with 100% Tariffs For Trying to Replace the Dollar…] “For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while taxing ourselves,” said President Trump on Truth Social. “It is time…

Republican leaders say that any Democratic budget that includes tax increases, such as the budget proposal Gov. Janet Mills (D) unveiled Friday, will receive zero GOP votes. The Republican leaders from both the House and Senate held a press conference Tuesday to draw a line in the sand over what will be the biggest fiscal fight of the year, but they also outlined several other policy priorities for GOP lawmakers. https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1879273658948219064 “Republicans are not going to be supporting any budget any budget that’s going to raise taxes on Maine people,” said Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook). Stewart laid blame…

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, a decorated combat veteran and former Fox News host, faced a contentious confirmation hearing on Tuesday in the Senate Armed Services Committee. [RELATED: Maine Senator Unimpressed with Decorated Military Vet Pete Hegseth’s Nomination for Defense Secretary…] Hegseth, along with former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) for Secretary of Veterans Affairs and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, were scheduled for the first day of confirmation hearings. A former U.S. Army National Guard Major, Hegseth faced hecklers shouting about Gaza during his opening address and adversarial questions from left-wing senators, including Maine’s…

New Hampshire’s new Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) announced during her inaugural speech on Thursday that she would work to ban cell phones in the state’s public schools, citing the harm done by distracting devices to children’s education. [RELATED: One Third of Portland Students are Learning English, Fifth Receive Special Education: 2024 State of the Schools Report…] “Today, I am also announcing that we will be taking action to ban cell phones in our schools. Screens are negatively impacting our learning environments, drawing students’ attention away from their classes, and becoming a barrier for teachers to do their jobs — no…

A Republican Member of Congress wants to get rid of the Income Tax and move the United States to a consumption-based tax system, a system he says will ensure that illegal aliens pay their fair share of the nation’s taxes. U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.) introduced a bill on Wednesday, “The Fair Tax Act,” proposing sweeping tax law reforms including abolishing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), replacing the income tax with a national sales tax, and thereby making illegal immigrants pay taxes. Although illegal aliens and their employers often conspire to avoid income and payroll taxes by working “under…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) proposed a new one-dollar-per-pack tax increase on cigarettes Friday. The tax proposal comes as Mills attempts to stabilize the 2026-2027 budget in the face of an impending half-billion-dollar budget shortfall, plus a shorter-term $118 million Medicaid deficit. “This was a difficult budget to put together. Our economy is strong, but our revenues are leveling-off, and while prior legislatures have made many important and worthwhile investments, we have to consider what we can sustain in this budget cycle,” said Mills, commenting on her biennial budget proposal. In a memo released last week, the governor’s office claimed that…

President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the nation, to Hillary Clinton and Democratic megadonor George Soros on Saturday, just days after giving Liz Cheney a lesser award. [RELATED: Biden Awards Presidential Citizen’s Medal to Liz Cheney after She Endorsed Kamala Harris and Headed Up January 6 Committee…] “These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world,” said the White House press release on the awards.…

A universal basic income study published in November found that paying low-income Americans an average of $492 a month led to a net increase of just $92 in monthly income, and a significant average decrease in non-grant income compared to control groups. “When the value of cash transfers is included in total household income, treatment households experienced a net increase in monthly income of $92 at the endline survey,” said the study. [RELATED: Maine City Exploring Universal Basic Income Program, $20/Hour Minimum Wage] The Massachusetts-based National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) conducted a study from 2021 to 2023 designed to…

Maine’s Democrat-controlled House of Representatives pushed through a resolution on Wednesday, demanding a House Committee on Ethics investigation into Rep. Lucas Lanigan (R-Sanford), who faces domestic violence charges. [RELATED: Maine Republican Representative Up for Re-Election Arrested on Aggravated Assault Charges…] House Majority Leader Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland) proposed the resolution taken up in the House and received unanimous support from Democrats present on Wednesday. “Questions concerning Representative Lanigan’s conduct threaten to cast a shadow over all of the work of the 132nd Legislature,” said Moonen in his resolution. Rep. Katrina Smith (R-Palermo) objected to the motion, acknowledging the gravity of…

President-elect Donald Trump announced a new plan during a Mar-a-Lago press conference on Tuesday to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America while discussing a wide range of other topics, including his expansionary vision for U.S. control of the Western Hemisphere. “We’re going to be changing the name of The Gulf of Mexico to The Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring, that covers a lot of territory, and it’s appropriate, it’s appropriate,” said President Trump. https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1876673714781122909 He did not provide details about his plan to rename the gulf or whether he intends to try to…

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized new regulations on Tuesday, prohibiting credit reporting agencies and lenders from considering medical debt or any other medical information when establishing a credit score or determining which loans to approve. [RELATED: Maine Lawmakers Consider Insulating Medical Debt from Credit Score Calculation, Interest Accumulation, and Legal Action…] “The CFPB’s action will ban the inclusion of medical bills on credit reports used by lenders and prohibit lenders from using medical information in their lending decisions. The rule will increase privacy protections and prevent debt collectors from using the credit reporting system to coerce people to…

New Hampshire State Police arrested two Massachusetts residents on Tuesday after a traffic stop in Greenland, N.H., after allegedly discovering cocaine, fentanyl, and a firearm during the stop. [RELATED: Large Amount of Cocaine, Fentanyl, Meth, 7 Firearms Seized In Oxford County Raid…] State Troopers pulled over Abigail Arias Gonzalez, 25, and Justane Garcia, 23, of Lawrence, Mass., for speeding on the I-95 highway and, for an unspecified reason, decided to conduct a roadside investigation. Officers allegedly discovered 200 grams of fentanyl and 100 grams of cocaine during the investigation, along with a firearm. The State Police’s Narcotics Investigation Unit arrived…

Honduran President Xiomara Castro threatened President-elect Donald Trump during her New Year’s address that if he moves forward with his plan to implement mass deportations of illegal immigrants, including Hondurans, she will expel U.S. military bases from the country. [RELATED: Border Czar Tom Homan Reminds Democrat Officials Opposed to Deportations That it is a Felony to Harbor Illegal Immigrants…] “Faced with a hostile attitude of mass expulsion of our brothers, we would have to consider a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena, where, without paying a cent for decades,” said President…

Maine’s Secretary of State received more than 170,000 petition signatures on Monday from a conservative group that is looking to put a Voter ID referendum question on the ballot in November. Voter ID for ME, an organization led by Dinner Table Executive Director Alex Titcomb and co-founder Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), spoke at the Maine State House prior to the submitting the signatures along with a crowd of volunteers who assisted with the massive logistical effort. According to Titcomb, the entire signature collection effort was done on a volunteer basis and with a budget of less than $25,000—a feat that’s…

Lame-duck President Joe Biden’s administration unveiled more environmental regulations the day after Christmas, banning the manufacture of many natural gas water heaters and potentially costing consumers an extra $450 when buying a new appliance. The new regulations will go into full effect in 2029 and will require all new gas-powered tankless water heaters to use around 13 percent less energy than the current least efficient models. Tankless gas water heaters come in two main types: the more efficient but more expensive condensing heaters and the cheaper but less efficient non-condensing type, set to be banned under the new regulations. [RELATED:…

President Joe Biden is once again working to undermine President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming agenda, rushing to impose new restrictions on domestic oil production after President Trump promised to “drill, baby, drill” to increase American energy independence. [RELATED: Biden Makes it Easier for Illegal Immigrants to Evade Authorities Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration: Report…] President Biden is planning to issue a decree permanently banning new offshore oil rig development off parts of the U.S. coast, according to a Thursday report from Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The new executive decree is reportedly coming in the next few days and…

Six Worcester, Massachusetts, college students are facing felony kidnapping charges after a botched October attempt to participate in the online “to catch a predator” trend led to alleged false pedophile accusations and a violent mob. [RELATED: 16-Year-Old Girl Shot During Assault on Dennison Street in Auburn…] The six students of Worcester’s Assumption College allegedly lured a man into the college’s Alumni Hall lounge in October and reportedly forcibly restrained him. Although the alleged incident occurred in October, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette first revealed details of the situation on Tuesday after reviewing a statement of facts from Assumption Police Sgt.…

President Joe Biden selected 20 Americans to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal on Wednesday, including former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, known for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and vice-chairing the January 6 Committee. [RELATED: Biden Commutes Sentences for 37 Death Row Inmates, Including Rapists and Child Killers…] “Throughout two decades in public service, including as a Congresswoman for Wyoming and Vice Chair of the Committee on the January 6 attack, Liz Cheney has raised her voice—and reached across the aisle—to defend our Nation and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity. And decency,” said President Biden. “Her integrity and intrepidness…

Illegal immigrants from the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang assaulted an El Paso, Texas, border crossing in December, armed with knives, tire irons, and liquor bottles, according to leaked documents provided to the New York Post. [RELATED: Venezuelan Gang Recruiting Kids from Migrant Shelters in New York: NYPD…] According to an internal memo from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the assault involved as many as 20 illegal alien assailants. Victor Avila, a retired Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent, told The Post that TdA is directly assaulting border crossings to get as many gang members as possible into…

Senator Rand Paul released his annual Festivus Report highlighting the most egregious examples of government waste on Friday, as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are set to tackle wasteful spending and unnecessary bureaucracy with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “Last Festivus, we bemoaned the national debt nearing $34 trillion. In just a year, Washington’s career politicians and bureaucrats have managed to push it beyond $36 trillion,” said Sen. Paul. “Who’s to blame for our crushing national debt? Everybody. This year, members of both political parties in Congress voted for massive spending bills, filled with subsidies for underperforming industries, continued…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced last week that she is establishing a 21-member Artificial Intelligence task force, meant to compile an advisory report on the potential dangers and benefits of advanced AI. “Emerging AI technologies offer the potential to improve lives, drive economic growth, and help solve complex challenges. But like all new technologies, AI, if not embraced in a prudent and responsible manner, can cause potentially harmful changes to the lives and livelihoods of Maine people,” said Gov. Mills. [RELATED: We Asked ChatGPT to Predict What Maine’s AI Commission Will Do…] Mills instructed the task force to produce a…

President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 out of the 40 federal death row inmates in the U.S. on Sunday, including convicted rapists and child murderers. The action by Biden means that some of America’s most heinous criminal offenders will be spared the death penalty. [RELATED: Biden Pardons His Son Hunter after Promising He Wouldn’t…] Biden said the decision to grant leniency to the rapists and murderers was aimed specifically at preventing them from being executed under President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration. “Guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee,…

Two Californians arrested after allegedly stealing $1,836 worth of products from various stores in Seal Beach, California, went viral on Sunday after footage showed them shocked to learn that theft is now a felony in the Golden State. [RELATED: Even Californians are Tired of Soft-on-Crime Policies…] “That’s a felony,” asked one unnamed suspect, speaking on video in the back of a police cruiser. “Bitch new laws, stealing is a felony, and this is Orange County bitch, they don’t play that’s why I asked what county it is, that’s where I went to jail last year, and had to, and got…

U.S. Congresswoman from Texas, Rep. Kay Granger (R), has been living in an assisted living facility that provides dementia care, according to an investigation published Sunday by the Dallas Express, and has not voted in Congress since July. “The lack of representation for CD-12 is troubling to say the least. At a time when extraordinarily important votes are happening, including debt ceiling, disaster relief, farm bills and border issues, Kay Granger is nowhere to be found,” said Tarrant County Republican Chairman Bo French speaking to the Dallas Express. “The margin in Congress is razor-thin, and the lack of a Republican…

President Joe Biden has pulled the plug on his most ambitious pre-election promise to cancel student loan debt for more than 38 million Americans, but the White House announced Friday that it will continue to pursue loan “forgiveness” for a much smaller group of debtors who went into government jobs. [RELATED: Biden’s Spending Spree Continues With More Student Debt Cancellation…] “The 55,000 public servants approved for debt cancellation today are workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities. Now, they are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law,” said President Biden. https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1870110519127925181…

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder admitted on Thursday that the U.S. has more than double the number of troops in Syria than the government originally claimed, as the country faces turmoil after terrorists overthrew its government. [RELATED: Department of Defense Fails 7th Consecutive Audit on $824 Billion Budget as Officials Claim “Momentum is on Our Side”…] The Pentagon has been claiming that the U.S. only has 900 troops on the ground in Syria, but Gen. Ryder admitted on Thursday that the Pentagon was wrong in its assessment and that, in reality, 2,000 U.S. troops are currently in Syria. “We…

President Joe Biden wasted no time leveraging a tragic Monday shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, to further his political push for stricter gun control. [RELATED: Auburn Police Investigate Shooting Involving ‘group of teenagers’…] On Monday morning, a 15-year-old girl, Natalie Lynn Rupnow, opened fire at the Abundant Life School, killing one teacher and one student, and injuring six others, before turning the gun on herself and committing suicide. By Monday evening, Biden was using the tragedy to call on Congress to implement stricter gun control, pushing for expanded background checks, universal “red flag” laws, and…

The U.S. House failed to pass a temporary continuing resolution (CR) funding bill on Thursday, bringing the government closer to a shutdown, after President-elect Donald Trump worked to trim over a thousand pages of excess “pork” spending. [RELATED: 1,500-Plus Page Continuing Resolution Needed to Avoid Gov’t Shutdown Includes Billions in Storm Relief and Pay Raise for Lawmakers…] “Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American People. The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide relief for those severely…

The Somali Embassy in Washington, D.C., hired the services of the political lobbying firm BGR Group last month, just weeks after the Biden administration forgave the war-torn nation’s billion dollar plus debt. “This $1.1 billion in debt relief is in addition to the $1.2 billion of development, economic, security, and humanitarian assistance the United States has provided to Somalia just this fiscal year. The United States continues to be a steadfast partner in support of the people of Somalia,” said the U.S. Embassy in Somalia on X. https://twitter.com/US2SOMALIA/status/1853830298288665015 The debt forgiveness came alongside another $1.2 billion in U.S. taxpayer-funded aid…

H5N1 bird flu has been making headlines sporadically throughout 2024, fueling fears of another, deadlier, COVID-style pandemic. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced the first severe human case of the virus in the U.S. [RELATED: U.S. DHHS Announces $176 Million Contract with Moderna to Produce mRNA Bird Flu Vaccine…] The health agency confirmed on Dec. 13 that a Louisiana resident had been infected with the virus, resulting in his hospitalization. Although there have been 61 confirmed human cases of the virus in the U.S. since April, this is the first that has resulted in severe illness. Health…

The Ellsworth City Council suggested at a Monday meeting that it might eliminate the ability for citizens to comment at their council meetings after they said comments from former conservative City Council candidate John Linnehan violated their rules. [RELATED: Taxpayer-Funded Flophouse in Ellsworth Has Residents Living in Fear…] City Council Chair Michelle Beal said on Monday that she believes the council will no longer allow citizens to comment on general council business at their meetings. “I think we’ll be taking this off the agenda from now on,” said Beal. Beal’s comment came in response to Linnehan’s remarks, which the council…

The Fulshear, Texas, police department arrested Venezuelan national Pedro Luis Parra Pulgar, 46, after he allegedly tried to murder his three children, including a three-year-old, last month by burning them alive in his house. The Fulshear Police Department announced the incident via Facebook last week, over a month after it took place. [RELATED: Venezuelan Gang Recruiting Kids from Migrant Shelters in New York: NYPD…] Emergency services responded to a fire at 31619 Eldorado Lane in a suburban community. Police believe that Pulgar intentionally set the fire and attempted to murder his children. Pulgar’s three children, two 15-year-olds and one three-year-old,…

Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has issued a nearly $70,000, no-bid contract, set to last through all of 2025, for a federal agency to identify and neutralize the unnamed predators killing the endangered Piping Plover. [RELATED: Down the Crapper: Maine University Offers Class on Bathrooms…] According to the $68,890 no-bid contract, the bird faces possible extinction in Maine, due largely to habitat loss and predation, though the bird is not endangered nationwide. Maine’s Wildlife Department did not believe they were up to the task and instead contracted with the Federal U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant…

A heavily redacted record obtained after a lengthy legal fight of Maine’s Freedom of Access Act. Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) drummed up controversy one year ago last December when Mainers struggled through a devastating winter storm but the state’s Chief Executive and her staff remained incommunicado for several days. Following the controversy, the Maine Wire submitted multiple Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) requests for Gov. Mills’ schedule during the time of the storm that raged between December 17-18, causing severe flooding and leaving nearly half of the state without power. What began as an effort to answer questions Mainers were…

Two Iranian men who illegally conspired to arm the Islamic Republic of Iran with U.S. drone technology, culminating in an attack that killed three Americans, have been arrested by federal authorities, the FBI said Monday. At a press conference in Boston, an FBI official said the agency had arrested Iranian businessman Mehdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, in Boston on Monday for allegedly supplying materials to the Iranian government, while Italian officials arrested his alleged accomplice the 38 -year-old Mohammad Abedini. [RELATED: Chinese Illegal Immigrant Arrested after Smuggling Weapons to North Korea…] The FBI believes that the materials allegedly smuggled into Iran…

U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson took time away from her job in the nation’s highest court on Saturday night to appear in the Broadway musical “& Juliet,” featuring a “non-binary” man in a dress. [RELATED: SCOTUS Considers TN Ban on Prescribing Certain Drugs to Children for “Gender-Affirming Care”…] “It’s very important to remind people that Justices are human beings, that we have dreams, and that we are public servants, and we are not so detached from the people that we serve,” said Jackson in an interview for CBS Mornings. “Being the first black woman supreme court justice…

A bombshell Department of Justice (DOJ) report confirmed on Thursday that 26 undercover FBI informants were operating in the crowd during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, and participated in illegal activity. The report adds important new evidence to the January 6th criminal cases against thousands of Americans, including multiple Mainers. [RELATED: Amid Controversy, Failure, and J6 Revelations, FBI Finds Time to Harass Barstool Sports’ Kirk Minihane on False Tip…] “For years I was called a conspiracy theorist for asking Garland, Wray, and Horowitz whether government assets participated in J6. Yesterday I was vindicated. DOJ IG report confirms there were…

The Washington Post’s editorial board acknowledged that the alleged evidence showing the benefits of so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors could be inaccurate, misleading, and biased in a new opinion piece on Sunday. “The uncertainty [of the benefits of puberty blockers] is the result of scientists’ failure to study these treatments slowly and systematically as they developed them,” said the Post. The WaPo editors called for more scientifically rigorous studies. The debate surrounding puberty blockers and other transgender procedures for minors has been a subject of national contention for years, but has come to a head as the U.S. Supreme Court…

Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) urged President Joe Biden on Thursday to alter the U.S.’s nuclear strike doctrine to prevent presidents from unilaterally ordering a nuclear first strike without congressional approval. [RELATED: Jared Golden Advocated for US to Send Ukraine Long-Range Tactical Missiles Now Being Used Against Targets Inside Russia…] “With just weeks left in office, you can safeguard the system against Donald Trump or any future unstable president, and make it constitutional. We urge you to announce that henceforth it will be the policy of the United States that it will not initiate a…