Author: Edward Tomic

Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsom will face off against Florida Governor and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis in a Thursday evening debate hosted by Fox News. The 90-minute debate, entitled “DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate,” will be hosted by Fox News host Sean Hannity beginning at 9 p.m. EST Thursday live from Alpharetta, Georgia. Hannity will then host a live reaction segment with a panel of guests from 10:30 to 11 p.m. Fox describes the upcoming debate as “a high-profile general election-style debate putting two relatively young and very well-known governors of large states…

Chair of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) released subpoenaed internal communications Thursday revealing how the Biden White House pressured YouTube to censor content related to the COVID-19 pandemic. [RELATED: Facebook Files: Biden Admin Pressured Company to Censor NY Post, Daily Wire, ‘Vaccine Negative’ Posts…] These revelations come months after the House Judiciary Committee exposed collusion between Facebook executives and Biden administration officials to censor Americans’ speech during the pandemic. “We knew the Biden White House was pushing Facebook and Twitter to censor more,” Rep. Jordan wrote on X Thursday. “Now we know the White House was repeatedly…

Just over a month since a mass shooting in Lewiston claimed the lives of 18 people, independent U.S. Sen. Angus King announced Thursday that he will be introducing legislation aimed at curbing mass killings and gun violence. The bill, the “Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act,” increases regulations and restrictions on the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons. The legislation is being co-sponsored by two Democratic Senators, Mark Kelly of Arizona and Michael Bennet of Colorado. “For years, I have said that rather than using the appearance of these guns to restrict them, we should instead focus on…

Officers from the Wilton Police Department and investigators from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) busted a massive illegal marijuana cultivation facility Tuesday during a routine inspection, according to a Wednesday Wilton Police press release. [RELATED: Raid on Illegal Chinese Marijuana Operation in Western Maine Seizes Illicit Drugs Worth $1M+…] Wilton Police say that on Tuesday, Nov. 28, officers from the Wilton Police Department assisted OCP investigators in conducting a routine follow up inspection at a licensed marijuana cultivation facility at a property on Weld Road in Wilton. During the inspection, Wilton Police say they received information “that someone…

A man and woman were arrested in Westbrook last Friday after allegedly trespassing into a home and setting up a tent in its basement, according to a Tuesday press release by the Westbrook Police Department. Last Friday at approximately 2 p.m., Westbrook Police Officers responded to a residence on Church St. in Westbrook for a report of two suspects that were trespassing on the property, and had set up a tent in the basement of the residence. When officers located the two suspects in the basement, they discovered that the pair did not live at the residence and were refusing…

Lawyers for Hunter Biden have told the Republican-led House Oversight Committee that the president’s son is willing to testify before the lawmakers on Dec. 13 as part of their inquiry into the president and his family, according to a letter Biden’s legal team sent to the committee Tuesday. [RELATED: GOP-Led House Committees Subpoena IRS and FBI Officials Over Alleged Interference in Hunter Biden Investigation…] This comes after the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Hunter and James Biden — President Joe Biden’s brother — earlier this month, the latest step in their probe into the Biden family’s foreign business dealings. Republican lawmakers…

The Maine State Police are investigating the deaths of two adults who were found Monday deceased at a home in Searsmont. Shortly before 2 p.m. Monday the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Borough Road in Searsmont where two adults were found deceased. The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit-Central was called in to investigate the deaths. The two deceased adults are being taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta for autopsies to determine the cause and manner of their deaths. Maine State Police said in a Monday evening press release that there…

A black public housing tenant and her family have filed a lawsuit against the Auburn Housing Authority (AHA) and two employees for allegedly refusing to respond to infrastructure damage in her apartment and making racist comments last year. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Dominique Deschaine, Justin Deschaine, and their four minor children are residents at 702 Broadview Ave. in Auburn, a residential apartment unit owned by the City of Auburn and managed by the AHA. The two AHA employees named as defendants in the complaint are AHA assistant property manager Leah Landry, and AHA maintenance mechanic Daniel Jordan. The Maine…

A Florida man was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for trafficking methamphetamine from Florida into Maine with the help of co-conspirators. [RELATED: DEA Administrator Briefs Susan Collins on Illegal Chinese Marijuana Grows, Increased Opioid and Meth Use in Maine…] U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced 32-year-old Jared Fogg to eight years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Fogg pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in April. Between May 2018 and July 2018, Fogg was obtaining large quantities of methamphetamine from Florida and distributing it in areas…

A report published last week by the left-wing dark money-funded think tank the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) advocates for increased immigration and the expansion of taxpayer-funded social services and housing for non-citizens to combat the state’s “plateauing workforce.” The MECEP report, entitled “State of Working Maine 2023: Boosting Maine’s Workforce,” suggests policies including the removal of immigration status restrictions on the state’s MaineCare health insurance, subsidizing English language proficiency courses and scholarships for immigrants, and allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. https://twitter.com/JamesxMyall/status/1727045827745792231?s=20 MECEP receives funding from the Hopewell Fund and the Maine People’s Resource Center, two of…

Two people are dead after two separate incidents of tent fires in Portland and Sanford over the weekend. A Portland Police officer found a deceased person inside of a burning tent Sunday at a campsite along the northbound lane of I-295 at the rear of 140 Marginal Way. [RELATED: Maine ACLU Says Failed Proposal to Legalize Portland Homeless Encampments with Frequent Overdoses, Assaults, and Rapes Would Have Been “Positive First Step”…] An officer patrolling the area located the campsite just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday and saw a human body inside of a tent that was on fire. After the fire…

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking the extradition of an alleged lead assassin of the Sinaloa drug cartel following his arrest by Mexican authorities last week. [RELATED: High-Ranking MS-13 Fugitive Arrested on Terrorism Charges…] “Yesterday, Mexican authorities arrested Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as ‘El Nini,’ who we allege is one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s lead sicarios, or assassins,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday. “Until his apprehension, El Nini led security operations for the Chapitos and we allege that he and his security forces murdered, tortured, and kidnapped rivals, witnesses, and others who opposed the Chapitos,” Garland said.…

A Buxton man was arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning after allegedly firing several rounds from a firearm in Portland and then crossing the Casco Bay Bridge into South Portland. Shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday, police received a 911 call reporting reckless conduct with a firearm. It was reported that a male suspect fired several rounds from a firearm in the area of 262 Commercial St. in Portland, and then proceeded to drive across the Casco Bay Bridge into South Portland. South Portland Police detectives investigating a separate incident identified the vehicle as it drove west on Broadway…

Violent riots erupted across Dublin, Ireland Thursday evening following a knife attack earlier that day at an Irish elementary school that left three young children wounded. https://twitter.com/Mick_O_Keeffe/status/1727745412277113186?s=20 According to the Irish Times, a five-year-old girl was taken to a Dublin hospital in critical condition, while a boy aged five, and a girl aged six sustained less serious injuries. A woman in her 30s, who is reportedly an employee of the school, was also taken to the hospital after suffering serious injuries from the attack. Passers-by were able to intervene and stop the suspected assailant shortly after the stabbing attack began,…

Early Tuesday morning U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents of the Houlton Sector apprehended 20 Romanian nationals who had illegally crossed the U.S.-Canada border into Hodgdon, Maine. According to Border Patrol, the 20 foreign nationals — made up of 10 adults and 10 juveniles — crossed the border illegally inside four vehicles in what was described by the agency as a “border rush.” Agents responded to the crossing shortly after 6 a.m., and stopped the vehicles by utilizing emergency equipment. The foreign nationals were then transported to Fort Fairfield Station for processing. The processing revealed that all 20 foreign nationals…

On the 60th anniversary of his uncle John F. Kennedy’s assassination, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s campaign launched a petition calling on President Joe Biden to release all records related to the Nov. 22, 1963 assassination. “John F. Kennedy’s assassination left an indelible scar upon the American psyche,” RFK Jr. said in a statement Wednesday. “Everyone who was alive at the time can remember where they were on that day.” [RELATED: RFK Jr Confronted by Pro-Palestine Heckler Calling for Ceasefire at Portland Event…] “Of all the legacies that my uncle left for our country, there is one that…

The Maine American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) put out a press release Tuesday claiming that the rejected Portland City Council order to legalize the city’s homeless encampments through the winter months “would have been a positive first step toward protecting the constitutional rights of unhoused residents.” [RELATED: Chaos at Portland City Hall as Leftist Protesters Demand Legalized Homelessness…] After hearing over four hours of public comment Monday evening on the proposal — Order 68 — the Portland City Council shot it down by a vote of 6-3 shortly after 1 a.m. Maine ACLU legal fellow Heather Zimmerman testified during Monday evening’s City Council…

Over a dozen students at Wiscasset Middle High School (WMHS) staged a walkout Monday morning in protest of school staff resigning and against the move by Wiscasset Superintendent Kim Andersson to potentially fire WMHS Principal Gina Stevens. [RELATED: Wiscasset Principal Faces Possible Termination Over Hidden Camera, Mistreatment of Students and Staff Allegations…] Last Monday, Nov. 13, the Wiscasset School Committee voted 4-0 to conduct a dismissal hearing for Stevens over allegations from Superintendent Andersson accusing the principal of installing a hidden camera in a WMHS food pantry and the mistreatment of students and staff. The complaints against Stevens from Andersson…

The Portland City Council voted against an order to legalize homeless camps in public parks through the winter months after hours of public comment pushed the Monday evening Council meeting into the early hours of Tuesday morning. The order in question would have amended the city’s ordinances to permit loitering and camping for Portland’s homeless population in public parks and other areas, with few exceptions. [RELATED: Portland May Legalize Loitering, Camping in Parks for Homeless Population…] The proposed ordinance changes were estimated by the city to cost over $1.2 million in unappropriated funds across several departments. City officials including Police Chief…

A Gorham man who was previously arrested in May of this year on the charge of operating of a methamphetamine laboratory was arrested again Sunday after he was found outside of a Gorham church allegedly in the process of producing the illegal drug. On Sunday, Nov. 19, at about noon Gorham police officers responded to the area of the First Parish Congregational Church in Gorham following a call from a concerned citizen about a man suspected of conducting drug deals, according to a Monday Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) press release. Officers located the suspect, 37-year-old Matthew Cole of Durham,…

A Lewiston refugee resettlement agency is looking to hire an additional case manager to serve only Afghan refugee clients, according to a posting on the online job board Indeed. The refugee resettlement agency, Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services (MEIRS), is one of three agencies in Maine that are approved to resettle refugees in the state, alongside Catholic Charities Maine and the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine. Maine Immigrant & Refugee Services’ job posting | Indeed.com In early October, the three resettlement agencies announced that they had been approved to resettle double the amount of refugees in fiscal year 2024…

A proposal to amend the City of Portland’s loitering and camping ordinances to allow for homeless individuals to camp in public parks through the winter months is projected to cost the city over $1.2 million. [RELATED: Portland May Legalize Loitering, Camping in Parks for Homeless Population…] The ordinance changes were proposed by City Councilors Roberto Rodriguez and Anna Trevorrow on Nov. 13, and would create a temporary exemption to city’s prohibition on camping and loitering on city property for homeless individuals through April 2024. The proposal would effectively put a five-month pause on the city’s current procedure of designating one…

A growing number of Americans describe crime in the U.S. as a serious problem, according a Gallup poll released Thursday. Sixty-three percent of Americans surveyed by Gallup assessed the crime problem in the U.S. as extremely or very serious, up from 54 percent when last measured in 2021. Far fewer respondents, just 17 percent, described the crime problem in their local area as extremely or very serious, a disparity which Gallup states is a common trend among Americans’ perception of crime. Over three-quarters of Americans — 77 percent — believe there is more crime in the U.S. than a year…

Republican U.S. Senator from Maine Susan Collins was briefed Thursday by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram on efforts to combat Maine’s hundreds of illegal Chinese-owned marijuana grow operations, as well as the opioid epidemic and the rise of crystal meth use in the state. [RELATED: Triad Weed: How Chinese Marijuana Grows Took Over Rural Maine…] This briefing comes on the heels of a Maine Wire investigative report that identified more than 100 properties in rural Maine that are part of a vast network of illicit Chinese marijuana grows. Sen. Collins said in a Friday press release that she…

Maine State Police announced Thursday that a Bangor man has been arrested in connection to a robbery at a laundromat in Unity. On Nov. 15, at 5 p.m. a man entered Depot Village Laundry in Unity and stole several thousand dollars from a change machine that was ripped off the wall. Maine State Police shared surveillance video of the burglary to social media and asked for assistance identifying the man in the video. On Thursday police announced that the man in the video had been identified as 41-year-old Kevin Gray of Bangor. Kevin Gray, 41, of Bangor | Source: Penobscot…

East Millinocket Police are still attempting to learn the true identity of a “John Doe” arrested on drug trafficking charges after a traffic stop last Thursday. On the evening of Thursday, Nov. 9, East Millinocket Police Sgt. Garret Carlson conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle defect. One of the passengers in the vehicle “clearly was attempting to give a false identification” to Sgt. Carlson, police stated in a Thursday press release. Another officer was able to obtain identification from the passenger, but learned that the individual had a warrant out for his arrest under a fake identity he…

A high-ranking leader of the transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, more commonly known as MS-13, has been arrested on terrorism charges based on a December 2020 indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York. On Nov. 9, Elmer Canales-Rivera, also known as “Crook de Hollywood” and a founding member of MS-13’s “Twelve Apostles of the Devil,” was arrested by federal law enforcement upon his arrival at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. A federal judge then ordered Canales-Rivera be transferred to the custody of the Eastern District of New York to face the 2020 indictment, which also…

Gov. Janet Mills and Maine’s congressional delegation sent a letter Thursday to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) urging the agency to completely prohibit offshore wind power development in a key Gulf of Maine lobstering area. [RELATED: Gulf of Maine Lobstering Area Spared as Biden Admin Drafts Offshore Wind Development Zones…] Thursday’s letter is the latest step in the push by Gov. Mills and the delegation to bar offshore wind development in Lobster Management Area 1 (LMA 1), following a June letter to BOEM asking them to remove LMA 1 from their drafted Wind Energy Area (WEA). In late…

The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) has found a contamination rate of 42 percent in samples taken from the state’s medical cannabis program, according to the OCP’s fall 2023 testing report. [RELATED: Triad Weed: How Chinese Marijuana Grows Took Over Rural Maine…] Participants in Maine’s Medical Use of Cannabis Program (MMCP), unlike those in the Adult Use Cannabis Program (AUCP), are not required to submit their products for the testing. The State of Maine currently has over 106,000 participants in the MMCP. Based on 120 samples from the state’s medical cannabis program, the OCP has found that 50 samples…

Portland city officials provided updates regarding the homeless encampment below the Casco Bay Bridge during a Tuesday evening Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee meeting. The Casco Bay Bridge encampment, located in Harbor View Park below the bridge, has grown to become the city’s largest encampment following the city’s sweep of the Marginal Way Park and Ride encampment on Nov. 1. [RELATED: Sweep Underway at Portland’s Largest Homeless Encampment, Being Moved Below Casco Bay Bridge…] According to Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities Management Director Ethan Hipple, the Harbor View encampment has a total of 120 tents — more…

Wiscasset Middle High School (WMHS) Principal Gina Stevens faces potential dismissal over accusations that she had a hidden camera installed in a school closet and has mistreated students and staff. Stevens has been the principal of WMHS since July 1, 2023, after previously being interim principal between Feb. 21, 2023, and June 30, 2023. She was put on paid administrative leave on Oct. 30. The Wiscasset School Committee voted 4-0 Monday to conduct a dismissal hearing for Stevens, following a public personnel hearing in which Superintendent Kim Andersson detailed the complaints against the principal. Although disciplinary hearings are usually confidential,…

Update: This story was updated to reflect a change in the location of the meeting. It will now be held in the Cross Building, room 209. The Independent Commission charged by Maine Gov. Janet Mills to investigate the facts surrounding the Oct. 25 shootings in Lewiston will hold its first organizational meeting on Monday, Nov. 20 in Augusta, commission Chairman Daniel Wathen announced Wednesday. [RELATED: Maine Gov Calls for “Independent” Commission to Review Police, Army Failures and Botched Investigation Around Robert Card’s Lewiston Murder Spree…] The meeting will be held in room 209 in the Burton Cross State Office Building, next…

The Portland City Council voted Monday evening to declare a limited state of emergency in order to temporarily expand the capacity of the city’s Homeless Services Center (HSC) by 50 beds through February. [RELATED: Taxpayers Have Spent More Than $114 Million on Portland Homeless Shelters Since 2019…] The order passed by a vote of 6-2 Monday, after two previous efforts to approve the expansion on Oct. 2 and 16 failed. “I understand that the [HSC] is not the option that best meets the needs of many of the people that are unhoused, however it does meet the needs of some,”…

The cost to U.S. taxpayers of providing housing, education, health care, and other benefits to migrants who entered the country illegally over the past three years could exceed $451 billion per year. That’s according to a new report released by the Republican-led majority of the House Committee on Homeland Security. [RELATED: Portland’s $4.6M, 179-Bed Shelter for Migrants Slated to Open Later This Month…] “Every day, millions of American taxpayer dollars are spent on costs directly associated with illegal immigration and the unprecedented crisis at the Southwest border sparked by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ policies,” the interim…

Republican U.S. Senator from Maine Susan Collins has introduced a bipartisan bill, the “Working Waterfront Preservation Act,” alongside Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) that would establish a $20 million grant program to help preserve access to waterfronts in coastal areas for fishermen and maritime workers. [RELATED: Golden Slams House Republicans for Rejecting Amendment to Prohibit Offshore Wind in Maine Lobstering Area…] “The hard working men and women that make up Maine’s maritime industries continue to lose access to the waterfronts that sustain them,” Sen. Collins said in a Monday press release. “Recent demand for coastal property has only intensified the problem…

Robert Cross, businessman and former U.S. Department of Agriculture employee, suspended his campaign Monday for the 2024 Republican primary race in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. “Throughout this campaign, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I have received from friends, neighbors, and citizens concerned about our nation’s direction,” Cross wrote Monday in a post to his campaign Facebook page. “After much prayerful reflection and consideration with my family, I have made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for Congress.” Cross, who describes himself as a proud Christian, business and community leader, and constitutional conservative, was the first…

On Nov. 9, Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed an Executive Order establishing an “Independent Commission” to investigate the facts surrounding the Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston, following scrutiny of law enforcement’s response to the shooting and questions surrounding what more could have been done to prevent it. Part of the governor’s order exempts the commission from Maine’s mandatory public access laws — effectively allowing the commission to keep their proceedings and records secret until the release of their final report. In a Nov. 8 joint letter to the commission, Mills and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey — whose office…

The Portland City Council is set to consider Monday a proposed order that would amend city ordinances to allow homeless individuals to camp and loiter in public spaces, with few exceptions. The order, submitted by City Councilors Anna Trevorrow and Roberto Rodriguez, would create a “temporary exception to the City’s prohibition on camping and loitering on City property and would allow unhoused people to camp on certain public property from theeffective date of the amendments to April 30, 2024.” The proposed amendment changes would maintain a prohibition on camping in certain specified locations, including downtown streets and sidewalks, playgrounds, City…

Kevin Kelley, spokesman of Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ Independent Commission to investigate the facts surrounding the Lewiston shooting, has clarified to the Maine Wire that the Commission will be subject to public records requests upon the conclusion of their investigatory work. [RELATED: Maine Gov Calls for “Independent” Commission to Review Police, Army Failures and Botched Investigation Around Robert Card’s Lewiston Murder Spree…] Gov. Mills established the Independent Commission with a Nov. 9 Executive Order, which states that “Records, proceedings and deliberations of the Independent Commission are not subject to the requirements of 1 M.R.S. c. 13, in accordance with sections…

Apple has reached a $25 million settlement agreement with the Justice Department over allegations that the tech giant illegally discriminated in hiring and recruitment against U.S. citizens and certain permanent residents with work authorization. [RELATED: Maine Senators Announce More Than 64,000 Supplemental Temporary Work Visas for Foreign Nationals…] Under the agreement, Apple is required to pay $6.75 million in civil penalties and establish an $18.25 million backpay fund for eligible discrimination victims — the largest award the Justice Department has recovered under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The Justice Department’s investigation, which started in 2019,…

UPDATE: Kevin Kelley, spokesman for the Independent Commission, has provided a statement to the Maine Wire clarifying that the Commission will be subject to FOAA upon the conclusion of their work and the release of their final report. Kelley’s statement is below: While the order does exempt the work of the commission during the course of the ongoing investigation, the FOAA law would apply upon conclusion of the commission’s work. In addition, Chairman Wathen has pledged that, so far as practical, the commission intends to be as public as possible so long as it does not hinder its fact finding mission.…

In a Nov. 6 letter to Portland’s State Senators and Representatives, Mayor Kate Snyder requested the lawmakers’ assistance in identifying state or federal funding for the city’s resettlement of migrants. “On behalf of the City of Portland, I am writing to request your assistance in identifying State or Federal funding to continue this vital program, which addresses the critical and basic needs of thousands of asylum seekers annually,” Mayor Snyder wrote. Currently, the City of Portland Resettlement Program depends entirely on federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Food and Shelter Program. On Dec. 31, 2023, that…

Independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confronted by a pro-Palestine heckler calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at a Wednesday evening campaign event in Portland. This comes after two Jewish-owned businesses in Portland in recent weeks have been targeted by pro-Palestine graffiti and posters, and the leader of a rally in the city’s Monument Square held by the Maine Democratic Socialists of America called the Oct. 7 killing of over 1,400 Israelis by Hamas “morally and legally legitimate.” [RELATED: Maine DSA Stages Pro-Hamas Rally in Portland, Calls Terror Attacks on Israel “Morally and Legally Legitimate”……

A new 179-bed shelter for single asylum seekers in Portland’s Riverton neighborhood is set to open on Nov. 29. [RELATED: Portland City Council Approves Contract for $4.59 Million 180-Bed Shelter for Asylum Seekers…] The construction of the shelter, located at 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway, was funded by a $4.59 million grant from the Maine State Housing Authority — a grant that will be partially reimbursed through the state’s General Assistance reimbursement program. According to Portland Director of Health and Human Services Director Kristen Dow, the opening of the new shelter is expected to make an estimated 100-120 beds open at…

The Maine Republican Party announced Thursday that they will nullify the ranked-choice voting process for the upcoming 2024 GOP Presidential Primary election. “Ranked-Choice Voting is widely opposed by voters in Maine, especially Republicans,” said Maine GOP Chairman Joel Stetkis. “Our party rules are clear, and we will only recognize the first round of primary election results under our delegate allocation rules.” “One person, one vote is a sacred principle to Republicans, and it should be to all Americans. That principle is what we are defending here in this party primary,” Stetkis said. Stetkis said that the Maine Republican Party “will…

U.S. Senators from Maine Susan Collins and Angus King announced Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) are expected to make an additional 64,716 H-2B worker visas available for Fiscal Year 2024. [RELATED: Biden Admin Extends Temporary Protected Status to 472,000 Venezuelan Nationals Living in the US…] The over 64,000 temporary nonagricultural worker visas will come in addition to the congressionally mandated 66,000 H-2B visas that are available each fiscal year. “These additional H-2B visas are a welcome relief for small businesses throughout Maine that continue to face a shortage of employees,” the Senators said…

U.S. Congressman from Maine’s 2nd District Jared Golden was one of 22 House Democrats to vote Tuesday in favor of a resolution censuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for “promoting false narratives” regarding the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, and for calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. [RELATED: Congressional Democrats Draft Letter Calling on Biden Admin to Protect Palestinians from Deportation: Daily Caller…] The resolution passed by a vote of 234-188, with Golden along with 22 other Democrats siding with nearly all the House Republicans. Rep. Tlaib is the only Palestinian American serving in Congress, and…

The City of Portland has elected City Councilor Mark Dion to be their new mayor. After no candidate crossed the 50 percent threshold on election night, the race went into a ranked-choice tabulation Wednesday morning at City Hall. Mark Dion won the Wednesday morning rank choice runoff, after having received 39 percent of the election day vote, leading second place City Councilor Andrew Zarro by over 10 points. CandidateVotesPercentMark Dion8,83239.67%Andrew Zarro5,89726.49%Pious Ali4,87621.90%Justin Costa1,7577.89%Dylan Pugh9024.05% Dion, former Cumberland County Sheriff, differentiated himself from the rest of the field with his strong stance on ending the city’s homelessness crisis. While the other…

Congressional Democrats are reportedly circulating a draft of a letter calling upon the Biden Administration to extend certain protections from deportation for Palestinians living in the United States. The drafted letter, obtained by the Daily Caller, is reportedly being circulated by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). https://twitter.com/henryrodgersdc/status/1722005886036570143?s=20 The letter urges the Biden Administration to designate the Palestinian territories for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which would prevent the removal of Palestinians living in the U.S. from the country, and would make them eligible for employment authorization. [RELATED: Biden Admin Extends Temporary Protected Status…

In response to a Citizen’s Challenge of Educational Media complaint against the book “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe, an MSAD 51 review committee has recommended that the book remain in the district’s school libraries. [RELATED: Cumberland Police Conclude “Gender Queer” in High School Library Does Not Violate Maine Law Against Dissemination of Obscene Matter to Minors…] The complaint against “Gender Queer,” submitted Sept. 28 by Cumberland parent Scott Jordan, stated that the book is not age appropriate for high school students and the book should be removed from the Greely High School Library. A committee comprised of a MSAD 51…

The federal government worked extensively with Stanford University and other entities to censor American’s speech in the lead-up to the 2020 election, according to a new congressional report. The House Judiciary Committee and Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released the interim staff report Monday after a lengthy investigation into the so-called “Election Integrity Partnership” (EIP) operated by federal employees. [RELATED: Biden Administration “Likely” Violated the First Amendment By Pressuring Social Media Companies to Censor American Citizens, According to Court of Appeals…] The EIP was created in the summer of 2020, and was led by Stanford University’s…

A Waterville man who pledged his allegiance to the radical Islamist terrorist group ISIS and conspired to provide terrorists with firearms, ammunition, and explosives to carry out attacks was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor. [RELATED: Man who Threatened to Shoot Up South Portland Restaurant on Halloween Released on Bail…] Xavier Pelkey, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Pelkey pleaded guilty on April 7, 2023. “The threat of a mass casualty shooting is…

A man who allegedly threatened to retrieve an AR-15 and shoot patrons at the South Portland Buffalo Wild Wings on Halloween has been released on bail, according to the South Portland Police Department. [RELATED: Cases Less Severe Than Robert Card Triggered Maine’s Yellow Flag Law Firearm Restrictions…] Just before 11 a.m. on Oct. 31, South Portland police officers responded to the restaurant over the reported threats. The officers determined that the individual had left the scene after they cleared all vehicles in the parking lot. During their search, restaurant patrons remained inside for their safety. After speaking with restaurant staff…

Draft copies of proposed changes to City of Portland ordinances obtained by the organization “Enough is Enough” show city officials may be preparing to legalize loitering and camping for the Portland’s homeless population. [RELATED: ‘Millsvilles’: The Maine Wire Visits Portland’s Drug-Infested Tent Cities…] The drafted changes, obtained by Enough is Enough by a Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) request late last week, would alter three sections of Portland city ordinances to allow for homeless individuals to continue camping in certain areas until April 30, 2024. The first change would add an exception for the homeless to the city’s ordinances against…

Three people are facing drug charges after a gang task force in Massachusetts seized more than 220 lbs. in suspected drugs, federal authorities said Monday at a press conference in Boston. [RELATED: Bangor Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking after Police Seize Enough Fentanyl to Kill 600,000 People…] On Wednesday, Nov. 1, federal investigators along with members of the North Shore Gang Task Force raided a home in Lynn, Massachusetts, in connection with an ongoing overdose death investigation. https://twitter.com/FBIBoston/status/1721542921097195942?s=20 The raid resulted in the seizure of over 100 kilograms of controlled substances and the arrests of Emilio “6” Garcia, Sebastien “Bash”…

U.S. Senators from Maine Susan Collins and Angus King sent a letter Thursday to the Inspector General of the U.S. Army calling for a comprehensive review of the facts and events leading up to the Oct. 25 Lewiston mass shooting. [RELATED: Lewiston Shooter Robert Card’s Army Reserve Unit Was Filled with Cops…] The shooter, Robert R. Card, Jr., was a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army Reserves with a unit stationed in Saco, Maine. “As we continue to grieve the needless loss of life that day, we must work to fully understand what happened–and what could have been done…

A leaked copy of three pages from the alleged manifesto of transgender Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale obtained by Louder with Crowder show that the shooter targeted white children, calling them “cr*ckers” with “white privlages.” https://twitter.com/scrowder/status/1721545965402726734?s=20 On March 27, 2023, the transgender 28-year-old Audrey Hale opened fire at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, killing three nine-year-old children and three adults at the Christian elementary school before being shot and killed by police. Hale was a former student at The Covenant School. During their investigation in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police officers collected Hale’s manifesto. After the National…

Democratic Congressman Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd District slammed House Republicans Thursday after his proposed amendment to prohibit commercial offshore wind development in a crucial Maine lobstering area was rejected. [RELATED: Gulf of Maine Lobstering Area Spared as Biden Admin Drafts Offshore Wind Development Zones…] Rep. Golden’s amendment to the Department of Interior Appropriations Act of 2024 would have prohibited any of the funds appropriated by legislation from going towards leases, licenses, permits, or authorization for commercial offshore wind energy projects in Lobster Management Area 1 (LMA 1) in the Gulf of Maine. “Offshore wind development in the Gulf’s most…

A Bangor woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for numerous drug trafficking offenses, a sentence the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) called “one of the most significant sentences ever handed down as part of a State of Maine drug case.” [RELATED: Mills Touts Opioid Policies as Overdoses in Maine Total Almost 6,000 This Year…] On Jan. 20, 2022, 41-year-old Angelena C. Quirion of Bangor was arrested by the Auburn Police Department. During her arrest Auburn police officers seized a significant amount of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine from her vehicle. Quirion was arrested alongside Adam Jalbert, 33, of…

A Connecticut Superior Court judge has overturned the results of the City of Bridgeport’s Democratic mayoral primary election over the harvesting and mishandling of absentee ballots by partisan actors. Wednesday’s ruling comes just days Bridgeport voters head to the polls to vote in the mayoral general election on Nov. 7. The Democratic primary attracted widespread attention after third-party challenger John Gome’s campaign shared surveillance video online appearing to show a supporter of the incumbent mayoral candidate Joe Ganim stuffing papers into an absentee ballot drop box. BREAKING: A Connecticut judge has overturned the results of Bridgeport’s Democratic mayoral primary, ordering…

Democratic U.S. Congressman from Maine’s 2nd District Jared Golden joined 31 of his fellow House Democrats Wednesday in voting against a resolution to expel New York Republican Rep. George Santos from Congress. The House voted 179-213 to reject the resolution brought against Rep. Santos by a group of Republicans in the New York delegation, as he faces a 23-count federal indictment on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, making false statements and falsifying records to the FEC, identity theft, money laundering, and more. The newly-elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., has said Santos deserves his day in court. “We…

[UPDATE: The shelter in place order for all MSAD 75 schools has now been lifted after the Caribou man who allegedly threatened to bring a weapon to an unspecified elementary school was taken into custody Thursday.] All schools in Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 75 are sheltering in place as police investigate a possible threat. “I am writing to inform you that we were notified by the police department a short time ago of a possible threat made against one of our former students and the person also referenced a threat to a not named elementary school,” Interim Superintendent Heidi…

Maine State Police Col. William Ross faced tough questions Thursday morning regarding the manhunt for Lewiston shooter Robert Card during an interview on WGAN Morning News with Matt Gagnon. [RELATED: Maine Gov Calls for “Independent” Commission to Review Police, Army Failures and Botched Investigation Around Robert Card’s Lewiston Murder Spree…] The Maine State Police (MSP) was the agency in charge of the nearly 48-hour search for the shooter, which ended abruptly and surprisingly Friday evening when Card’s body was found less than a mile from where he ditched his car. Since the manhunt concluded, it has faced scrutiny and criticism…

Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Wednesday her intent to form an “independent commission of experts” in the coming days to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding last week’s horrific mass shooting in Lewiston. [RELATED: Maine Gov Calls for “Independent” Commission to Review Police, Army Failures and Botched Investigation Around Robert Card’s Lewiston Murder Spree…] Gov. Mills said that the commission will be comprised of “independent experts” from legal, investigative, and mental health backgrounds. The commission’s investigation, according to a Mills Administration press release, will cover events in the months preceding the shooting as well as the police response to the…

Portland’s largest homeless encampment at the Marginal Way Park and Ride is being cleared out Wednesday by city officials and the Maine Department of Transportation, with several of the homeless individuals being moved to another large encampment below the Casco Bay Bridge. Wednesday’s “sweep” marks the third time the city’s Encampment Crisis Response Team (ECRT) has cleared out an encampment, the first being the Bayside Trail encampment in the spring, and the second being the Fore River Parkway encampment in early September. Tents being disassembled and personal belongings being packed up at the Park and Ride Wednesday morning. An additional…

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) and the Sabattus Police Department announced Thursday the arrest of two individuals on drug trafficking charges after executing a search warrant that resulted in the seizure of an estimated $35,000 worth of methamphetamine. During the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 18, MDEA agents from the Western District Task Force, alongside officers from the Sabattus Police Department, executed a search warrant at 26 Ball Park Road in Sabattus, Maine. The search came as part of a three-month investigation into a trafficking operation at the residence, according to the MDEA. Approximately 350 plus grams of methamphetamine pre-packed…

The ACLU of Maine sent a letter last week warning Portland City Manager Danielle West and Maine Department of Transportation (Maine DOT) Commissioner Bruce A. Van Note that the city’s upcoming sweeps of three homeless encampments may be unconstitutional. [RELATED: Maine ACLU Demands Portland Stop ‘Criminalizing Homelessness’, Calls Encampment Sweeps ‘Inherently Racist’…] The City of Portland and the Maine DOT plan to sweep — clear out — three homeless encampments in the city Wednesday, Nov. 1, including Portland’s largest encampment located in the Marginal Way Park and Ride on state-owned property. Portland’s Encampment Crisis Response Team (ECRT) has previously swept…

As details surrounding the mental health history of the Lewiston mass shooter Robert R. Card, Jr., continue to come to light, more scrutiny is being placed on Maine’s “yellow flag” law and how it may have been able to prevent last week’s horrific tragedy. A list of weapons restriction orders in Maine since the yellow flag law took effect released by the Maine Attorney General’s Office Monday shows that many cases that were less severe and contained less obvious threats of harm than that of Card’s trigger the protections. The release raises additional questions about what more could have been…

Republican Maine State Rep. Laurel Libby of Auburn announced Monday that she has submitted a bill proposal for the second legislative session that would repeal certain requirements for access to and increase availability at the state’s mental healthcare facilities. [RELATED: Top Maine Republicans Question How Maine’s “Yellow Flag” Law Failed to Stop Lewiston Shooter…] The Auburn representative’s proposal comes just days after a horrific mass shooting claimed the lives of 18 people and wounded 13 in her neighboring city Lewiston. The suspected perpetrator of the Lewiston shooting, Robert Card, had a recent history of mental illness that included hearing voices…

In a letter to his constituents published Sunday to his “Dear Mainer” Substack, Democratic Congressman from Maine’s 2nd District Jared Golden explained his reasoning behind why he now supports banning “AR-15s or similar rifles” in the wake of last week’s mass murder in Lewiston. At a press conference the evening after the shooting, Rep. Golden announced that he has reversed his previous position of opposing bans on assault rifles, saying that “the time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure.” Golden stated that he will “work with any colleague” to get a ban of assault rifles…

The day after a mass shooting in Lewiston claimed the lives of 18 people, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd District announced Thursday that he has reversed his position and now supports a ban on assault rifles. [RELATED: After 40 Hours, Maine’s Largest Manhunt Continues to Search for Lewiston Shooter Robert Card…] Rep. Golden’s announcement, which came at a press conference alongside Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins at Lewiston City Hall Thursday evening, received backlash from two of his Republican 2024 challengers, who both slammed the statement as using the tragedy to advance a political agenda. https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1717674569761194048?s=20 Golden…

The Maine Wire reached out to Maine’s top Republican lawmakers Thursday morning to get their thoughts on Wednesday evening’s shooting in Lewiston, which claimed the lives of 18 people and wounded 13. [RELATED: Suspect Remains at Large: State Police Name Army Vet Robert Card as Person of Interest in Lewiston Terror Spree, Worst Mass Shooting in Maine History…] The suspected shooter, 40-year-old Robert Card of Bowdoin, is still at-large and to be considered armed and dangerous, according to a statement by Maine State Police Thursday. Local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are currently engaged in widespread manhunt to…

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey joined 42 attorneys general across the U.S. Tuesday in suing Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, for features on the platforms that they allege are knowingly designed to be harmful to children. [RELATED: Maine Will Receive $412,000 from Settlement with Blackbaud for Data Breach Impacting Millions of Consumers: AG Frey…] The attorneys general accuse Meta of designing their platforms to purposefully addict children and teens, harming their physical and mental health and violating the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). “Children are incredibly vulnerable to the manipulation of…

Democratic U.S. Rep. for Maine’s First Congressional District Chellie Pingree announced Wednesday that she mended a staffers jeans in order to fight climate change. Rep. Pingree, whom the Federal Election Commission fined in 2010 for failing to disclose trips to the Virgin Islands on S. Donald Sussman’s private jet, also said Maine will soon receive more than $3.5 million in grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund “environmental justice” projects in the state. https://twitter.com/chelliepingree/status/1717227540991901776?s=20 The funding comes from President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act — which authorized $783 billion in spending on energy and climate change initiatives.…

The Maine Ethics Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to take no further action in an investigation into whether Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Allagash) submitted a false address to the Commission when running for reelection in 2020. The Commission also clarified that other allegations against Jackson related to potential mortgage and insurance fraud, as well as his travel reimbursements, are not under their investigative jurisdiction. [RELATED: Maine Senate President Troy Jackson Locked in Bitter Legal Fight Over Augusta Home He Bought – and Moved Into – in 2019…] State Rep. John Andrews (R-Paris) requested in September that the Commission investigate the Senate…

Republican U.S. Senator from Maine Susan Collins, alongside a bipartisan delegation of Senators, gave remarks at a press conference Sunday in Tel Aviv, Israel, in which she voiced her support for the Biden Administration’s request to Congress for $14 billion in aid to assist Israel in defeating the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. [RELATED: Maine’s Delegation Weighs In On Attacks By Hamas Against Israel…] The bipartisan delegation, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), traveled to the Middle East Friday to meet with officials from Saudi Arabia and Israel to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and diplomatic relations in the region. Sen.…

A Missouri man accused of illegally crossing the U.S.-Canada border in Hodgdon, Maine, in an attempt to smuggle his wife across the border pleaded guilty at the U.S. District Court in Bangor. Clayton Dehaven, 39, was observed by U.S. Border Patrol in April 2023 walking down a road on the Canadian side of the border in the Union Corners area of Hodgdon, according to court records. A minivan was observed on the U.S. side of the border. A woman, later identified as Dehaven’s wife, Sarah Kathleen Paterson — who according to court records is not a U.S. citizen — was…

A Norway man accused of having filed multiple fraudulent loan applications to gain over $240,000 from a pandemic-era loan program pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges Monday in the U.S. District Court in Portland. [RELATED: Maine Man “motivated by sheer greed” Sentenced to 1.5 Years for Fraudulently Obtaining Over $1 Million in PPP Loans…] Merton Weed Jr., 51, of Norway, Maine, was arrested in February on an indictment alleging he filed eight fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications between May 2020 and Jan. 2021, receiving over $240,000 in Small Business Administration-backed loans. The PPP applications allegedly listed false monthly payroll…

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released operational statistics Saturday for fiscal year 2023 showing just over two million total apprehensions of illegal aliens within the last 12 months. [RELATED: Biden’s Open Border Welcomes the Next Terrorist Attack…] From Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, CBP reports a total of 2,063,692 enforcement actions against migrants entering the country illegally — just shy of the 2.2 million apprehensions during FY 2022. Apprehensions refer to the temporary detainment and processing of migrants who are not lawfully in the U.S. which may or may not result in an arrest. Those two million…

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced a draft Wind Energy Area (WEA) on Thursday identifying over 3.5 million acres in the Gulf of Maine it says are suitable for floating offshore wind leasing and development, but leaving out an area critical to the state’s fishing industry. [RELATED: Fishermen’s Alliance Highlights Offshore Wind Threat to Haddock, Lobster Fisheries in Gulf of Maine…] The draft WEA ranges from approximately 23-120 miles of the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, covering a total area of about 3,519,067 acres. Development of offshore wind in the drafted area has a combined capacity…

The Mills Administration released a report Wednesday detailing how the governor has spent the nearly $1 billion in COVID-era relief funds over the past two years. [RELATED: Mills Directs $6.5 Million of COVID-Era Funds to Maine Electrical Grid Upgrades, Favoring ‘Minority and Ethnically Diverse’ Business Owners…] The report comes on the two-year anniversary of Gov. Janet Mills’ Maine Recovery and Jobs Plan, which is the governor’s plan to use the over $984 million allocated to the State of Maine by the $1.9 trillion federal American Rescue Plan omnibus package of 2021. The Mills Administration is required by federal law to…

A Brunswick pastor preaching outside Portland’s Planned Parenthood abortion clinic Tuesday was told by police that he was violating the Maine Civil Rights Act and may be subject to arrest or other civil enforcement measures. [RELATED: Pro-Abortion Satanist Berates Christians Protesting Outside Portland Planned Parenthood…] The pastor, John Andrade of Pro-Life Missionaries of Maine, frequently preaches outside of the Congress St. abortion clinic using a small microphone and amplifier. Andrade told the Maine Wire that he has had countless interactions with the Portland Police, and that last week he was approached by officers alongside Maine Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin…

Portland Police announced Wednesday that a juvenile has been arrested in connection to a drive-by shooting that occurred in Kennedy Park Monday. [RELATED: Lewiston Teens Released on House Arrest After Being Charged for Stolen Firearm, Drug Trafficking…] On Monday afternoon, shortly after 4 p.m., police responded to a report of a shooting at Kennedy Park. Witnesses told police that a silver SUV occupied by two black males drove into the area and fired a gun at another male, who was in another vehicle. The suspects then fled the area towards Cumberland Avenue. Witnesses were able to provide a description of…

UPDATE: This story has been updated to include comments from Harold Pachios. The City of Portland’s Committee on Sustainability and Transportation will hear an informational presentation Thursday evening regarding a proposal to rename Marginal Way in honor of former Democratic U.S. Senator from Maine George Mitchell. Thursday’s presentation will be given by Portland-based attorney Harold Pachios, who served as White House Press Secretary under President Lyndon B. Johnson, and was former chairman of the Maine Democratic Party as well as the Democratic nominee in Maine’s First Congressional District in 1980. Pachios told the Maine Wire that he will be giving…

Gov. Janet Mills declared at a Tuesday afternoon ceremony held at the Blaine House that October is now Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the State of Maine. The governor’s announcement, which included telling her own story as a survivor of domestic violence, was made alongside members of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence. “Some years ago, there was a young woman who dated a man who was handsome and charming and smart, and she was in love with him,” Gov. Mills said in her Tuesday remarks. “The man was also an alcoholic, as it turned out. And one night…

Maine State Rep. Ann Fredericks (R-Sanford) has submitted a request for a resolution in the second legislative session that would direct the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MECDC) to reestablish a one-to-one requirement for its syringe exchange programs. MECDC partners with several nonprofit organizations throughout the state to provide individuals with sterile hypodermic needles in exchange for dirty ones in an effort to reduce the spread of bloodborne illnesses and encourage the safe disposal of sharps. An executive order signed by Gov. Janet Mills in March 2020 removed the one-to-one needle exchange requirement, meaning that MECDC’s partners could…

The Portland City Council is set to reconsider declaring a state of limited emergency to expand capacity at the city’s Homeless Services Center. [RELATED: Portland City Council Rejects Proposal to Add Bunk Beds to Shelter Amidst Homelessness Crisis…] A motion to approve the expansion, which would have added 50 beds to the shelter, narrowly failed by a 4-5 vote at the Council’s Oct. 2 meeting. The Council then voted 5-4 to indefinitely postpone the shelter expansion. At the request of Councilor Regina Phillips, the order has been placed on the agenda for the Council’s Monday, Oct. 16 meeting. For the…

Two Lewiston teens were arrested late Saturday night after a traffic stop led to the discovery of a stolen firearm and illegal drugs packaged for distribution. The two juveniles, one age 16 and the other age 17, were stopped by Lewiston Police at approximately 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Lewiston Police seized 15.9 grams of suspected fentanyl and 23.3 grams of suspected crack cocaine as result of the traffic stop. The illegal drugs were all individually wrapped in packages intended for distribution, Lewiston Police wrote in a Monday press release. The 16-year-old was charged with Receiving Stolen Property — a Class B…

A man was arrested Thursday near Portland’s largest homeless encampment at the Marginal Way Park and Ride after reportedly entering a local business and threatening employees and customers with a knife. [RELATED: ‘Enough is Enough’: Portland Business Owners Speak Out About Crime and Violence in City’s Homeless Encampments…] In an email to city and state officials, local business owner Sanford Fogg described the incident, and demanded that city officials do more to protect businesses and innocent bystanders near the encampment. “It is only a matter of time, and it almost happened a half hour ago, when one of these pitiful…

As the death toll in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict continues to rise, the Maine Democratic Socialists of America (Maine DSA) and the Communist Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) held a rally in support of Hamas in Portland’s Monument Square Wednesday evening. The militant Islamist organization Hamas launched a multifaceted terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, crossing over the Israel-Gaza border, including an attack on a music festival that killed at least 260 people. “The corporate media and politicians want the public to believe that Israel is simply defending itself from ‘terrorism’ — that’s a lie,” Zach Campbell…

Maine State Rep. Katrina Smith (R-Palermo) has requested to introduce a bill in the second legislative session restricting the sale or transfer of fetal remains, a move that comes following a tense battle in the first legislative session over Gov. Janet Mill’s late-term abortion bill. [RELATED: Maine Senate Blocks Ban on Trafficking in Aborted Baby Remains…] Human fetal tissue can be donated to medical research organizations by abortion providers within certain federal laws and regulations, including requiring the informed consent of the woman, and that providers cannot financially gain from their participation in fetal tissue donation. Although abortion providers cannot…

Aidan Kearney, the blogger behind “Turtleboy Daily News,” was arrested Wednesday morning on several counts of witness intimidation and one count of conspiracy related to his coverage of the murder case against Karen Read. In recent months Kearney has covered the Read case extensively on his online blog, and has often attended Read’s pretrial hearings. Read is accused of hitting Boston police officer John O’Keefe with her car outside of a home in Canton, Massachusetts, while under the influence of alcohol in January 2022, and is scheduled to go to trial on March 12, 2024. The Read case has received…

The City of Auburn saw a 330 percent increase in residents seeking aid from the city’s General Assistance program in 2022, according to a report released Thursday by the Auburn Community Development Office. [RELATED: Maine Resettlement Agencies Set to Double Number of Refugees Taken in for FY24: Maine Public…] The report, the Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER), covers the city’s use of federal funds granted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under their Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs. From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, Auburn received 426 applications for General…

Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has issued subpoenas to the liberal dark money giant Arabella Advisors and its multibillion-dollar network of nonprofits that bankroll several of Maine’s progressive organizations and causes, according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon. [RELATED: Documents Offer Insight Into Left-Wing Dark Money Juggernaut Active in Maine Politics: Free Beacon…] Issued on Sept. 22, the subpoenas target records from Arabella’s New Venture Fund, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, and the North Fund, and seek to uncover whether the nonprofit network has run afoul of charity tax laws and whether Arabella is obtaining illegal profits from…

A Moscow court on Tuesday rejected an appeal of the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter and Bowdoin graduate Evan Gershkovich, meaning he will remain imprisoned until at least until the end of November. [RELATED: Bowdoin Grad, Wall Street Journal Reporter Arrested in Russia for “Espionage”…] The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested Gershkovich on espionage charges in March of this year in Yekaterinburg, alleging that the Journal reporter was attempting to obtain classified information. The 31-year-old reporter, his family, the WSJ, and the U.S. government have denied the spying allegations, declaring Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained. “It has now…

A South Thomaston man was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison earlier this week for fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in COVID-era relief funds as part of a bank fraud scheme. At a federal court in Portland Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Mark X. Haley II, 43, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, after a guilty plea by Haley in February of this year. He was also ordered to pay $1,010,581 in restitution — the amount of money he succeeded in fraudulently obtaining under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) meant to help…

Maine’s three refugee resettlement agencies have been approved to resettle double the amount of refugees in fiscal year 2024 (FY24) than they did in FY23, according to a Friday report from Maine Public. Refugees are a separate population from the state’s asylum seekers, who are in the U.S. awaiting adjudication on their asylum application — whereas refugees are brought to the U.S. via the federal Refugee Admissions Program and must undergo screening before entering the country. Unlike asylum seekers, refugees are allowed to work immediately upon arrival in the U.S., and can usually apply for citizenship within five years of…

The State of Maine, alongside 49 other states, has reached a settlement with the software company Blackbaud after a 2020 cyber attack led to the exposure of millions of Americans’ personal data, according to a Thursday press release from Attorney General Aaron Frey. Blackbaud, a company that provides data management software to various organizations throughout the U.S., has agreed to pay a total of $49.5 million to the states that are part of the settlement. Maine will receive $412,000 from the settlement. The software company fell victim to a cyber attack in May 2020 that led to highly sensitive data…

A Maine cross country runner who competed last year in the Western Maine Conference (WMC) Boys Cross Country meets is now regularly beating female competitors after transitioning into a girl. The transgender athlete also just so happens to have a father who is the Director of Clinical Ethics at Maine Medical Center, which prescribes sex change hormones and puberty blockers to minors through the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital’s “Gender Clinic”, and a mother who is a feminist ethics professor at Bates College. Soren Stark-Chessa, a sophomore at the Maine Coast Waldorf school in Freeport, last weekend took fifth place in…

A Maine sex offender out on probation was arrested in Lewiston Wednesday after he allegedly aggressively exposed himself and attempted to force his way into a stopped vehicle. On Wednesday afternoon, Lewiston Police responded to the area of Main St. and Middle St. after several reports of a male “aggressively exposing himself,” the police said in a Wednesday press release. The exposed suspect at one point allegedly attempted to enter a vehicle that was stopped at a red light, threatening the driver with harm, according to police. After arriving on the scene, Lewiston Police identified 57-year-old Christopher Good of the…