Morning Links - Thursday February 27, 2025

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Asylum Seekers

Why Mainers must defend justice for immigrants 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Business

Sea State Recap: The Thriving Blue Economy 🏛 Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Buy Local

Maine business restores life and beauty of old windows with meticulous care 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Climate Emergency

Opinion: Don’t throw solar energy out with net energy billing bathwater 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Constitutional Crisis

King, Pingree condemn firings of 7 Togus employees, including 5 veterans 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Angus King says 5 of Maine’s 7 fired VA workers are veterans themselves 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Maine Congressional Delegation criticizes firings at Togus VA Medical Center - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Sen. King criticizes DOGE layoffs at Department of Veterans Affairs - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Some Congress members push back against spending cuts in Maine - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Maine VA workers caught in nationwide job cuts 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Togus VA Medical Center employee shocked by sudden termination - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Letter: This is a terrible way to treat civil servants 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Letter: Back to school on the separation of powers 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Letter: Campaign against USAID is foolhardy, misinformed 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine craft brewers fear looming aluminum tariffs could hike beer prices 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Local demonstrations on March 1st and March 4th Demonstration in Augusta 🏛 Reddit

Education

School meals and food assistance at risk with Republican federal budget cuts 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Elections

Opinion: Aging election systems are in dire need of investment 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Environment

Brunswick lawmaker introduces bills to address PFAS-laden firefighting foam 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Public hearing over PFAs removal bills draws crowd of supporters 🏛 Maine Public

'There is fear it will happen again': Bills aim to prevent another toxic foam spill 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Get toxic firefighting foam out of Maine, lawmakers told 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Three bills aim to prevent future toxic foam spills in Maine - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Sea State Recap: Hope and the Gulf of Maine 🏛 Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Camden voters to decide fate of Montgomery Dam 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Food and Drink

Truckin' Pizza to open new 'Za' restaurant in former Slab spot in Portland - YouTube - CBS 13 News

NuMarket Campaign for Benny’s 🏛 Portland Food Map

Room in 50 Best Discovery 🏛 Portland Food Map

Best 75 places to eat and drink in Greater Portland in 2025 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Portland is restaurant-obsessed. And should be. 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine Restaurant Week returns with deals to boost winter dining 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

UNION Restaurant in Portland prepares for Maine Restaurant Week - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Health Care

Sanford family that relies on Medicaid speaks out against potential budget cuts - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Proposed Medicaid cuts put Maine families’ incomes at risk 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Maine families fear impact of potential MaineCare and Medicaid budget cuts 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Maine and US hospital bed capacity climbing towards shortage, study finds 🏛 Maine Public

UNE professor develops new test for breast cancer 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Housing

Hundreds of apartments headed for East End, Thompson’s Point 🏛 Portland Press Herald

A rural mobile home park could be Maine’s 3rd to be bought by residents 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Housing for Older Mainers - YouTube - Maine Public

Justice

Maine lawmakers renew push for rape kit tracking system, plus requiring backlog testing 🏛 Maine Morning Star

8 Investigates: Lawmakers once again push to overhaul how Maine handles sexual assault evidence - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Maine bill would establish statewide tracking, testing system for rape kits - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Labor

With lowest paid teachers in New England, Maine lawmaker aims to increase minimum salaries 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Maine educators ask Legislature to increase teachers’ minimum salary 🏛 Portland Press Herald

LGBTQIA+

GOP lawmaker's push to ban trans athletes from women's sports draws mixed reaction from Democrats 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Maine House censures Republican lawmaker after post about transgender student 🏛 WMTW

Maine bill would ban transgender athletes from competing in girls sports - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Maine lawmaker who outed trans teen censured for violating legislative code of ethics - YouTube - CBS 13 News

House votes to censure state lawmaker over social media post 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Maine Republicans stand by censured lawmaker who posted photo of transgender athlete - YouTube - CBS 13 News

I’m not always a fan of Janet Mills, but I’m proud that she stood up to Donald Trump 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Janet Mills' ascension to leader of the Trump resistance was years in the making 🏛 Maine Public

AG threatens to sue Maine over trans athletes competing in sports 🏛 Bangor Daily News

US attorney general threatens Gov. Mills with lawsuit over transgender athletes 🏛 Portland Press Herald

US attorney general threatens to sue Maine over transgender student athlete policy 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Department of Education publicly criticizes Maine Gov. Janet Mills - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

How Maine’s policy for transgender athletes has changed over the years 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Transgender rights debate takes shape in Legislature as Maine faces federal pressure 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine’s debate on transgender athletesmay be less partisan than you think 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Letter: ‘Sexual preference’ vs. ‘sexual orientation’ 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Outdoors

Skiing this mountain after 45 years rekindled my passion for the sport 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Photography

Footbridge Beach, Ogunquit | Maine Dog Friendly Adventure - YouTube - K9 Adventure Club

The calm before a little snow. 🏛 Reddit

Fiery Sky with the storm coming this morning 🏛 Reddit

Police

Lawmakers propose an auditor for controversial Maine intelligence center 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Politics

Maine supplemental budget hangs in limbo as parties push and pull plans 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Cursive could be written into Maine law under new bill 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Democrat Sean Faircloth wins Bangor-area legislative seat in special election 🏛 Maine Public

Progressive Democrat Sean Faircloth wins resoundingly in special House election 🏛 Maine Beacon

Democrat Sean Faircloth wins special election for Maine House District 24 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Chellie Pingree, Jared Golden oppose GOP budget plan 🏛 Maine Public

Douglas Rooks: Are we on course for a race between Mills and Collins? 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Susan Collins forms advisory committee for federal appointments in Maine 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Susan Collins ‘appalled’ by Donald Trump’s UN vote with Russia on Ukraine 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Letter: A disappointing call to Sen. Collins’ office 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Bowdoin College students suspended over protest return to campus 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Privacy

Letter: Legislature should proceed cautiously on data privacy 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Public Safety

20 geese found on Ogunquit Beach likely died of bird flu, town officials say 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Dead ducks found on Short Sands Beach believed to have had avian flu - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Latest pedestrian death in Portland raises questions about safety near homeless shelter 🏛 Portland Press Herald

What a colder winter means for Maine ticks 🏛 Piscataquis Observer

Social Safety Net

Mainers previously denied full Social Security benefits should start receiving payments soon 🏛 Maine Public

Certain retirees to see increased Social Security payments 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Things to Do

Allumé ft. Miss Tess, K.C. Jones, ＆ Thomas Bryan Eaton 🏛 One Longfellow Square

Saturday 3/1 at Blue. Come forget about the garbage in the world! 🏛 Reddit

Portland Boat Show returns as spring approaches - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Freeport Chocolate Festival returns with sweet treats, bonfires, and DIY candy-crafting - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Maine Jewish Film Festival opens this weekend, showcasing global Jewish experiences - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Vacationland

'Antiques Roadshow' will visit Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens this summer - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Voter Suppression

Opponents of Maine voter ID initiative rally in Augusta - YouTube - CBS 13 News