Maine News & Current Events | Public News Service

Researchers studying ways to reduce the dairy industry's climate-altering emissions say a hotter climate can cause heat stress in dairy cows, reducing their feed intake, milk production, and fertility. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Cow feed research aims to cut ME dairies' methane emissions

New research could help Maine dairy farmers increase profits while reducing effects on the climate. Scientists said adding a plant-based essential …

The Maine Labor Climate Council finds that building net-zero single-family residential homes (including renewable energy) would create 839 direct jobs per year and reduce carbon emissions by 16,770 metric tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, May 6, 2024

ME promotes youth apprenticeships to build green economy workforce

State officials in Maine are highlighting apprenticeships as a way to earn a living wage and contribute to the state's growing green economy…

Maine has already experienced eight inches of sea-level rise over the last century with another 1.5 feet expected by 2050 and four more feet by 2100, according to the Maine Climate Council. (Adobe Stock)

ME prepares young people for climate change-related jobs, activism

State officials in Maine are preparing the next generation for climate change-related activism and careers. A new state-run website helps young …

Maine lawmakers expanded the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit in 2023, allowing an estimated 157,000 dependent adults and children in families with the lowest incomes to receive the full credit for the first time. (Adobe Stock)

ME lawmakers increase aid for families experiencing deep poverty

Gov. Janet Mills has signed legislation to increase temporary assistance payments to families experiencing deep poverty. Payments will increase by 2…

There are more than 1,300 species listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, including the piping plover, a shorebird found on sandy beaches in southern Maine. (Adobe Stock)

New Endangered Species Act rules consider climate impact on ME wildlife

Conservationists in Maine said reinstated protections of the Endangered Species Act could help wildlife already struggling to adapt to climate change…

The majority of women veterans are not enrolled in Veteran Health Administration care, yet these women have experienced a more than sixty-percent increase in suicide rates over the past two decades. (Adobe Stock)

ME women veterans request counselors for military sexual trauma

Advocates for women veterans, who've experienced sexual trauma while serving in the military, are asking state lawmakers for much-needed funding…

At least 55 of America's largest corporations paid no federal corporate income taxes in 2020, relying on the tax breaks preserved or expanded by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as well as the 2020 CARES Act tax breaks. (Adobe Stock)

ME legislation aims to uncover corporate tax avoidance

Maine lawmakers are considering legislation to require corporations to reveal the amount of state income taxes they pay. Supporters of the bill say …

About one-quarter of Maine farmworkers live in poverty, and they are roughly 4.5 times as likely to live below the poverty line as other workers in the state, according to the Maine Center for Economic Policy. (Adobe Stock)

Effort continues to ensure state minimum wage for ME farmworkers

Legislation proposed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills would ensure thousands of farmworkers are eligible to receive the state minimum wage. Current law …

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a shortage of 74,000 social workers each year for the next decade, with more rural areas such as Maine hit hardest. (Adobe Stock)

ME social workers, educators seek end to state licensing exam

Social workers in Maine say the state's required licensing exam is biased and contributing to a shortage of workers in the field. Data show …

The Atlantic herring is one of the most important fishery resources in Maine, supplying the primary bait used in its iconic lobster industry. It is also an important forage species for seabirds, marine mammals and a variety of larger fish species, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Anglers seek trawler buffer zone as Atlantic herring stock declines

Recreational fishermen in New England say commercial trawlers are threatening the survival of smaller businesses relying on a healthy stock of Atlanti…

More than 3,300 Mainers have died from COVID-19 since 2020 and more than 9,000 have been hospitalized. Cumberland, Penobscot and York counties have seen the highest numbers of deaths. (Adobe Stock) <br />

ME fighters of COVID-19 alarmed by new federal recommendations

Today is "Long COVID Awareness Day," and Mainers will be among those who gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to commemorate it…

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard generated $1.46 billion in regional economic activity last year, according to a study by the Seacoast Shipyard Association. Shipyard workers living in Maine amassed nearly $372 million in payroll. (Adobe Stock)<br />

ME naval workers seek state-backed loans in case of government shutdown

Federal workers in Maine are backing legislation to help ensure they can pay their bills in case of a government shutdown. Those who might be …

Medicare Savings Programs help people with limited income and resources pay for some or all of their Medicare costs. Enrollment in these MSPs puts more than $2,000 back into the wallets of seniors and adults with disabilities each year, according to AARP Maine. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Supplemental budget puts Maine’s Medicare Savings Programs at risk

Some 30,000 Mainers could lose access to critical healthcare benefits under Gov. Janet Mills' proposed supplemental budget. The state legislature …

A poll of 15,000 people conducted by Stack Data Strategy in November showed the candidate winning the most popular votes nationwide next year would likely lose the presidency, repeating what happened in 2000 and 2016. (Adobe Stock)

Majority of Mainers support leaving Electoral College for national popular vote

Ahead of Super Tuesday, a new poll finds a majority of Mainers support replacing the Electoral College system with a national popular vote. More …

Majorities of Americans expressed confidence in higher education in 2015, but by 2018, confidence had fallen across all groups, including a 17% drop among Republicans, according to Gallup. (Adobe Stock)

Maine’s Colby College counters higher ed mistrust with community outreach

Americans' confidence in higher education has plummeted but students and staff at Maine's Colby College hope continued community outreach will help br…

New survey data from Maine's Consumers for Affordable Health Care found two of three Mainers said they would have difficulty paying a $500 medical expense.(Adobe Stock)

ME survey shows support for transparent hospital prices, facility fee limits

A new survey reveals most Mainers support policies requiring medical providers to disclose their facility fees before they receive treatment…

More than 60% of candidates for Maine's legislative offices participated in the state's Clean Election program in 2022, up from 30% of candidates in 2000, when it began. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br /><br />

Maine considers expanding 'clean elections' law to county candidates

Maine could become the first state in the nation to provide public funding to candidates seeking the office of district attorney. Lawmakers are …

Local and federal resources for Mainers who have been affected by the damaging storms that hit Maine on December 18, 2023, and January 10, 2024, are available through the Maine Emergency Management Agency by calling 1-800-452-8735. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Climate change, development threaten Maine’s working waterfronts

Reintroduced federal legislation aims to preserve Maine's iconic, working waterfronts still recovering from recent powerful storms. Strong winds and …

Consumer advocates say the growth of health care facility fees stems from an increasingly consolidated health care provider market, highly complex billing systems, and frequently inadequate health insurance coverage. (Adobe Stock)

Facility fees add to Mainers' growing concerns over medical debt

Maine lawmakers are calling for greater transparency in how hospitals and other health care centers charge so-called facility fees. A legislative …

Studies show fewer than half of people with a mental illness are able to access prompt care while rural and lower-income communities in particular suffer from a lack of behavioral health care providers. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br /><br />

ME mental health care advocates push for services after Lewiston shooting

Advocates for mental-health care in Maine are applauding Gov. Janet Mills' push to increase access to services, following last year's deadly shooting …

The Hudson, Susquehanna, Delaware, Connecticut and Merrimack watersheds in the Northeastern U.S. have experienced some of the steepest declines in snowpack, according to a study by Dartmouth researchers. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Study reveals climate change erasing seasonal snowpacks of New England

A new study found seasonal snowpacks throughout New England have shrunk significantly over the past 40 years due to human-driven climate change…

It is estimated that Mainers facing hunger would need a total of $97,584,000 more income per year to adequately meet their food needs, according to Feeding America. (Adobe Stock)

Maine food banks meet growing demand as Farm Bill lags

Food banks in Maine are struggling to keep up with demand as the Farm Bill remains stalled in Congress. The bill is renegotiated every five years …

Around 30% of registered voters say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion, according to a KFF poll. (Adobe Stock)

Maine lawmakers consider constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights

Lawmakers in Maine will hear hours of emotional public testimony today regarding a potential constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights…

Latino children in Maine fare better than their peers nationwide, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation report. An estimated 70% of Latino children in Maine live in families with incomes at or above 200% of the poverty line, compared to 47% of Latino children nationally. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Report finds gaps in child well-being persist across Maine

Children of color in Maine fare relatively well compared to their peers nationwide, but gaps in child well-being persist - according to a new report…

More than 95% of Mainers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 84% of the state's population is considered fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Health misinformation online builds distrust in science, vaccines

Public health experts say the rapid spread of health misinformation online is contributing to a dangerous decline in vaccination rates. Surveys show …

NextGen's new website aims to help young Mainers access the Inflation Reduction Act for up to $7,500 in tax credits towards the purchase of a new clean car, and up to $4,000 for a used clean car. <br />(Adobe Stock)

Website helps Maine’s young voters track climate change resources

A new website aims to help young voters in Maine take advantage of the historic climate progress being made through the Inflation Reduction Act…

Several studies find shifts in partisan support in places where health has stagnated or declined. For example, the frequency of alcohol-related deaths and suicide has been linked to increasing regional support for conservative candidates and movements while gains in health-care insurance coverage are associated with vote shifts toward the Democratic Party. (Adobe Stock)

Doctors say voting brings Mainers a clean bill of health

Voting is not only good for democracy - it's also good for your health, according to one of the nation's largest medical associations. The American …

Roughly half of U.S. adults report experiencing feelings of loneliness, making them more susceptible to fraud. Crime experts note that interventions to reduce social isolation among senior citizens in particular could reduce their chances of being scammed. (Adobe Stock)

Holidays, loneliness leave ME seniors vulnerable to online scams

It may be the season of goodwill, but advocates for the elderly say online financial scams only increase around the holidays. Conversations with a …

Twenty-seven states had a higher percentage of people with health insurance coverage in 2022 than in 2021. But Maine was the only state where the uninsured rate increased, up to 6.6% in 2022 from 5.7%, according to the Census Bureau. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Mainers get another chance at open enrollment for health coverage

Healthcare advocates in Maine say people who missed the most recent open enrollment deadline for healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act h…

A Spray underwater glider shortly after deployment in the Gulf Stream offshore of Miami, Fla., began one of the many glider-based surveys of the Gulf Stream completed by Associate Scientist Robert Todd's group at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution since 2015. (Robert Todd/WHOI)

Study confirms Gulf Stream warming, shifting toward Maine coast

The latest research finds the Gulf Stream has warmed faster than the global ocean over the past two decades, and has shifted toward the Atlantic …

Members of the Sunrise Movement in Franklin County, Maine, advocate for a Green New Deal. The Fifth National Climate Assessment showed greenhouse gas emissions in the United States fell 12% from 2005 to 2019 but will need to decrease 6% annually to meet international climate goals. <br />

Young activists call on Biden administration to declare climate emergency

Young activists are pressuring President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency and use the additional powers to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions…

The Maine Legislature has enacted laws to reduce the state's greenhouse-gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, and transitioning Maine's electricity use to 80% renewable energy by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

New heat-pump technology helps Maine reduce oil use, reach climate goals

A new report shows Maine is exceeding the home-heating goals set forth in its ambitious four-year climate plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions…

Respite for ME Grants, funded by the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, provide caregivers up to $5,171 to access needed services and can be accessed through the state's five Area Agencies on Aging. (Adobe Stock)

Unpaid caregivers in ME receive limited financial grants

Advocates for unpaid family caregivers in Maine say they'll need continued support beyond the recently passed paid family and medical leave program…

Maine's four-year climate plan aims to decrease the state's greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. (Adobe Stock)

ME towns share plans, resources to build climate resilience

Community groups across Maine are helping small towns with fewer resources better prepare for the growing threat of climate change. They are …

Second-graders in South Portland are designing their own Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons to take part in a popular lesson based on the children's book,

Beyond book checkouts, ME librarians teach “digital citizenship”

School librarians in Maine are teaching students the importance of "digital citizenship." The concept is similar to civics education but helps stude…

Maine voters soundly rejected a proposal to transfer the ownership of Maine's two largest privately-owned utilities to the public by a 2-1 margin as many voters expressed concern with the price to purchase the utilities' assets. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Post-election confusion remains regarding ME utility rates

The proposal to create a public owned electric power utility in Maine was defeated but the confusion surrounding electricity rates remains. A series …

According to a poll by the Climate and Community Project, 55% of Mainers believe utilities should be nonprofits, and 60% said they've experienced a power outage in the past few months. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Maine voters consider costs, climate in public utility amendment

An amendment on Tuesday's ballot in Maine to transfer ownership of the state's two private utilities to the public is considered a dead heat…

Health care experts said continued subsidies should help Mainers cope with a rise in insurance premiums on Maine's health care marketplace, which will increase by nearly 15% in 2024, according to the state Bureau of Insurance. (Adobe Stock)

Subsidies protect most Mainers from ACA insurance cost hikes

Health care premiums are increasing again under the federal Affordable Care Act, but experts said continued subsidies should protect most Mainers …

Maine has few foundational gun safety laws, including background checks for all gun sales, an Extreme Risk law, or waiting periods, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. (Adobe Stock)

Maine lawmakers, gun safety groups call for assault weapons ban

Advocates in Maine for stronger gun safety laws are calling for a complete ban on assault weapons following last week's mass shooting in Lewiston…

The House Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol concluded former President Donald Trump did not honor his constitutional obligation to

Statewide efforts grow to keep Trump off 2024 ballot

While Maine election officials determine if former President Donald Trump will appear on next year's presidential ballot, legal challenges nationwide …

Voters can also track the status of their absentee ballot to ensure it's been received and counted by 8 p.m. on Nov. 7. Bellows notes the use of absentee ballots also helps shorten voting lines on Election Day and reduce the workload for election workers. (Adobe Stock)

No-excuse absentee voting helps build voter turnout in ME

With less than a month to go before Maine's November 7 Referendum Election, more than 30,000 voters have already requested a no-excuse absentee …

Two category 4 hurricanes made landfall in Central America in November 2020, displacing at least 1.5 million people, according to the International Red Cross. Droughts were likely a key driver of family migration from Honduras and Guatemala to the U.S. in 2018 and 2019. (Adobe Stock) <br />

ME prepares to welcome more climate migrants

Community leaders in Portland, Maine are preparing for a growing number of Central American "climate refugees." Intense storms and drought in the …

Researchers with the University of Kentucky found that up to 135 people are affected to some degree by every person lost to suicide. That number includes all people who have known the deceased. (Adobe Stock) <br /><br />

More conversation, training urged to break stigma of suicide

Advocates for mental health in Maine say the stigma of suicide often prevents those most at risk from getting the help they need. The CDC reports …

The Biden administration recently announced that Medicare will soon begin to negotiate prices for up to 60 drugs covered under Medicare Parts 'D' and 'B,' through a new program under the Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

First public hearing for Mainers on healthcare, drug costs

Maine's new Office of Affordable Health Care holds its first public hearing this week, and people are being strongly encouraged to participate…

Power outages have increased to more than 100 times a year in the last five years, double the approximately 50 times a year in the early 2000s, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. (Adobe Stock)

Maine Researchers Help Develop Climate Change-Resilient Power Grids

Researchers at the University of Maine are working to develop a more resilient electric power grid to withstand the growing number of climate change-r…

The price of Enbrel, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, has increased by 701% since coming to market in 1998, and the price of Januvia, used to treat diabetes, has increased by 275% since 2006, according to AARP. (Adobe Stock)

Mainers Celebrate First Step in Lowering Medicare Drug Prices

Hundreds of thousands of Mainers are expected to benefit from the Biden Administration's recent announcement that it will begin drug price negotiation…

In 2012, candidates took 7%, on average, of all their out-of-state money from ideologically-driven donors. But in the 2022 election cycle, ideological donors typically made up 13% of the out-of-state donor pool, according to Open Secrets. (Adobe Stock)

Local and State Politics Grow Increasingly 'Nationalized'

Political candidates running for federal office have grown increasingly reliant on out-of-state donations, according to a new report. Government …

Named for Dr. Charles Scontras, a long-time Maine labor historian, author, and educator who died in March 2021, the Charles Scontras Center for Labor and Community Education will be located at the University of Southern Maine with a potential satellite office at Lewiston-Auburn College. (Adobe Stock)

New Labor Center in Maine to Focus on Union Organizing, Community Education

Union activity is thriving nationwide and a new labor center in Maine aims to keep it going. The University of Southern Maine will open the Charles …

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