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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Maine

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)

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

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 …

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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)

Monday, March 25, 2024

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 …

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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…

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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…

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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…

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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…

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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