mOsT REcEnT sToRiES
An ‘unlucky in love’ flamingo recently laid her first egg. She’s 70.
It takes 26 to 31 days for an egg to hatch, and Gertrude the flamingo dutifully sat on her egg for about 10 days, taking breaks only to get food and water.
Portland’s working waterfront showcased at annual open house
Nation & World
Florida authorities warn of shark dangers along Gulf Coast beaches after 3 people are attacked
Outdoors
Ceremony showcases new trail system that connects Norridgewock and Madison
Politics
Trump heads to Nevada as Republican Senate candidates vie for his backing
June 8
After FDA setback, psychedelic drugmakers distance themselves from a pioneer
A resoundingly negative vote by an advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration – though not binding – has diminished the chances of winning full approvalfor MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
June 8
5 arrested over ‘sham hospices’ alleged to bilk Medicare for over $15 million
As part of the alleged scheme, the three defendants misappropriated the identifying information of doctors to claim those physicians had deemed hospice services necessary for patients, federal prosecutors said.
June 8
Biden calls France ‘our first friend’ and enduring ally as he’s honored by Macron with state visit
Biden and Macron put the war in Ukraine at the top of Saturday’s agenda, but it was the strength of the countries' long alliance, fortified at Normandy 80 years ago but with roots far deeper, that was the centerpiece of the weekend.
June 8
Attacks in Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions leave 28 dead, Moscow-backed officials say
Ukraine launched a barrage of drones across Russian territory overnight Friday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday.
June 8
Takeaways from Hunter Biden’s gun trial: His family turns out as his own words are used against him
Prosecutors rested their case on Friday. The defense could call at least one more witness when the trial resumes on Monday.
June 8
Russia’s threat puts security at forefront of European elections
Pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns sought to help the rise of the far-right, while the authorities in Poland say Russia and ally Belarus are weaponizing migrants.
June 8
Assault on Danish prime minister is latest in spate of attacks on European politicians
Political violence appears to be rising across the Europe, where societies are deeply polarized in the face of widespread migration and are badly shaken by the war in Ukraine, the largest war on the continent since World War II.
June 8
World War II veteran just married his bride near Normandy’s D-Day beaches. He’s 100, she’s 96
The location was the elegant stone-worked town hall of Carentan, a key initial D-Day objective that saw ferocious fighting after the June 6, 1944,
June 8
Hotels are finally catering to neurodivergent travelers
In the U.S., approximately 20% of the population experience a form of neurodivergence. These often-invisible conditions range from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder to dyslexia and Tourette’s syndrome.
June 8
Demand for food delivery has skyrocketed. So have complaints about some drivers
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for food delivered fast has skyrocketed.
June 8
Israel rescues 4 hostages kidnapped in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack
Hamas took some 250 hostages during the Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people. About half were released in a weeklong cease-fire in November.
Facing the devastation of its ash trees, Portland aims to diversify tree species
The emerald ash borer is likely to kill 500 of the city's 600 ash trees in 5 years. While the city is working to cut them down to stop the spread, it is planting a variety of new trees to prevent another mass wipeout.
Hollis at a crossroad: Fast-growing York County town considers hiring its first town manager
Voters in Hollis, one of the largest towns in York County without a town manager, also will decide whether to expand the select board from 3 to 5 members.
June 7
Lewiston native who invented the defibrillator honored at Friday ceremony unveiling new portrait
Dr. Bernard Lown, who died in 2021 at the age of 99, was Nobel Peace Prize laureate who invented the defibrillator – a device that has saved thousands of lives – and championed the effort to abolish nuclear weapons.
June 8
Lewiston gunman’s ex-girlfriend doesn’t believe he was targeting her
Johanna Carr said Robert Card could have easily figured out if she was at Schemengees and would have known she wasn't at Just-in-Time Recreation, the two places Card killed 18 people in October.
Scorching heat keeps grip on Southwest U.S. as records tumble and more triple digits forecast
The heat has arrived weeks earlier than usual even in areas typically a dozen degrees cooler.
June 7
New account rekindles allegations Donald Trump disrespected Black people on ‘The Apprentice’
Fresh allegations are surfacing about Trump's disrespectful behavior toward Black people inside the Manhattan skyscraper that launched his show and political career.
June 7
Denver human trafficker sentenced to historic 448 years in prison
Prosecutors said Robert Hawkins exploited 4 adult women and 2 children, using physical violence and threats to keep the victims under his control.
June 7
Minnesota jury finds 5 of 7 defendants guilty in Feeding Our Future trial
The FBI began investigating the Minnesota meal programs in 2022.
June 7
Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi testifies about her father in his federal gun trial, ending 1st week
The defense begins calling witnesses after the prosecution rests its case.
June 7
New York moves to ban ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids
A bill would let parents block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform’s algorithm.
June 7
Justice Thomas discloses two 2019 trips paid for by billionaire Harlan Crow
The billionaire paid for Clarence Thomas to visit Bali and a private club in California.
June 7
After editor’s departure, Washington Post’s publisher faces questions about phone hacking stories
New CEO and publisher Will Lewis is facing questions about whether he made recent efforts to conceal his involvement in a British scandal a decade ago.
June 7
Driver gets 3 years in prison for crash that killed 4 Maine Maritime students
Joshua Goncalves-Radding, 21, was sentenced for four counts of manslaughter and other charges in a Hanco*ck County courtroom on Friday.
June 7
U.S. hiring and wage growth picked up in May in sign of sustained economic health
America’s employers added a strong 272,000 jobs in May, a sign that companies are still confident enough in the economy to keep hiring.
June 7
The number of debt-laden public companies worldwide is growing – including 2,000 in U.S. alone
So-called 'zombies' are just stumbling by on the brink of survival, barely able to pay even the interest on their loans and often just a bad business hit away from dying off for good.
June 7
A year into $60 million Waterville-Winslow bridge project, half of the span has been removed
Work on the three-year project, which began last year, is expected to continue until August 2026.
June 7
Woman who says she inspired ‘Baby Reindeer’ is suing Netflix for $170 million
Fiona Harvey, who was targeted online as the basis for a stalker character in the Netflix hit, says she has been harmed by the negative attention.
June 7
State police trooper fatally shoots man in Hiram
Steven Nelson, 39, of Hiram, confronted Trooper Zachary Fancy with a firearm, state police say. Fancy has been placed on administrative leave while the state attorney general's office investigates the use of deadly force.
June 7
Child dies after badminton racket injury in Limerick
Lucy Morgan died after the racket came apart and the aluminum shaft struck her head while her family was vacationing in Limerick.
June 8
Lewiston gunman had been at shooting range hours before October mass shooting
The Maine State Police on Friday released more than 3,000 pages of heavily redacted documents from their investigation into the state's deadliest mass shooting.
June 8
Meet our 2024 Maine Graduates to Watch
They include several immigrants and top scholars, a few musicians and social activists, a couple of entrepreneurs, standout athletes, a barber in training, a spiritually inspired singer and a granddaughter who’s dedicated to preserving her Wabanaki roots.
June 7
Gray-New Gloucester speech therapist accused of assaulting student is still working for the district
The alleged assault, which according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office occurred on March 25, was reported by the parents to the school resource officer on May 28.
June 7
Biden apologizes to Zelensky for monthslong holdup in approving weapons
Ukrainians spent weeks not knowing if more assistance would come while Congress waited 6 months before approving a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine. The months-long holdup allowed Russia to make gains on the battlefield.
via
First lady attends Hunter Biden trial as drug expert, FBI chemist set to testify
Hunter Biden been charged with three felonies: lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.
June 7
Three Democrats competing for open seat representing Cape Elizabeth in Maine House
Michelle Boyer, Cynthia Dill and Kimberly Monaghan are vying to take over the seat held by Democratic Rep. Rebecca Millett, who is not seeking reelection.
More people are living in Maine and working remotely for out-of-state employers
Jobs and worksites that increased in tandem before the pandemic are now diverging: The number of workplaces now exceeds job growth, according to a Maine Department of Labor report.
Ranked choice voting could determine the outcome in Portland, Cape Elizabeth primaries
The Democratic races in House District 118 and House District 123 are the only legislative primaries that could end up going to ranked choice voting because they involve more than 2 candidates.
Illegal marijuana grows tied to China are funding fentanyl that’s ‘killing our citizens,’ Somerset County sheriff says
Sheriff Dale Lancaster told the county’s Board of Commissioners that his office has made investigating illegal marijuana growing operations a priority because 'those profits are used to buy the chemicals to send to the cartel to make fentanyl.'
Israel’s Netanyahu set to address the U.S. Congress on July 24, AP sources say
Democratic lawmakers most critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to be no-shows for the address.
June 6
Gray-New Gloucester Middle School speech therapist charged with assaulting student
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office says Thomas Morawiec has been charged with a misdemeanor and summonsed to appear in court on Aug. 14.
June 6
Tornado hits Michigan, killing toddler, while Ohio and Maryland storms injure at least 13
Storms tore across the eastern U.S. on Wednesday night, continuing what has been a grim spring for tornadoes in the U.S.
Juror in fraud case was given bag with $120,000, promise for more ‘if she votes to acquit,’ FBI says
The alleged bribe came as a bombshell revelation in an ongoing trial over a massive pandemic fraud case tied to Minnesota-based nonprofits.
June 6
St. Louis lawyers who waved guns at protesters get records expunged, want guns back
Mark and Patricia McCloskey filed a request in January to have the convictions wiped away. City prosecutors and police opposed the expungements.
June 6
U.S. to send new $225 million military aid package to Ukraine, officials say
Under a new U.S. directive, Ukraine can use such weapons to strike across the border into Russia if forces there are attacking or preparing to attack.
June 7
Dead humpback whale tangled in fishing gear pulled from Casco Bay
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is leading the investigation into the death of the whale known to marine scientists as 'Chunk.'
Trump says he’d have ‘every right’ to seek prosecutions of his political foes if reelected
'When this election is over, based on what they’ve done, I would have every right to go after them,' the former president told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
June 6
Woman who worked in the shadows on D-Day awarded France’s highest honor
By the time of the Normandy landings, Christian Lamb had been doing her part to defeat the Nazis for almost 5 years.
June 6
Biden says he wouldn’t pardon son in felony gun case in Delaware
The White House press secretary has said previously that the president would not pardon his son Hunter Biden.
June 6
Businesses air concerns about proposed rules of new paid family leave program
Some companies that plan to offer their own programs object to paying into the state program during its 16-month startup period. The 1% payroll tax is split evenly between employers and their workers.
June 6
Progressive influencers push labor board to crack down on Amazon
Young social media stars launched an automated email campaign to pressure federal labor regulators to force Amazon to the union bargaining table.
June 7
Deering High School holds 150th commencement ceremony
'The future isn’t something we enter but something we create…Congratulations to the Class of 2024. The world awaits us,' Deering senior class president Destinie Vor said during their speech.
June 6
SpaceX’s mega rocket, on its fourth attempt, completes test flight without exploding
The mega Starship rocket returned to Earth after blasting off from Texas and making an hourlong flight.
June 6
The AI election is here. Regulators can’t decide whose problem it is.
The government’s window to regulate artificial intelligence on the 2024 campaign trail is closing, but the FCC and FEC are sparring over the responsibility.
June 6
Europe Central Bank jumps ahead of the Fed in lowering rates, but future cuts may be limited
The ECB cut its key interest rate by a quarter of a point, moving ahead of the Reserve as central banks around the world lean toward lowering borrowing costs.
June 7
Maine hazmat teams simulate mass decontamination in training at SMCC
Maine Army National Guard Civil Support Team and the Maine Emergency Management Agency held a series of full-scale training exercises across the state this week. This scenario involved a simulated mass decontamination.
June 6
Winthrop schools may have to pay if district doesn’t use electric buses that came riddled with problems
The school buses, which were awarded from the federal Clean School Bus program but soon broke down, have been off the road since early this year. Though the buses have now passed inspection, School Board members are uncertain about whether to put them back in service.
Maine Voices Live with author Jonathan Lethem
Join us for a conversation with author Jonathan Lethem during a live event at One Longfellow Square on Tuesday, August 13 at 7 p.m.
June 6
Potentially live grenade discovered at West Paris home
The device was identified as an Mk 2 grenade, commonly known as a 'pineapple grenade,' which was introduced by the U.S. military in 1918.
June 6
U.S. antitrust enforcers will investigate leading AI companies Microsoft, Nvidia and OpenAI
The entire AI industry has also relied heavily on Nvidia's specialized semiconductors to power AI applications.
