Morning Links - Wednesday April 9, 2025

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Arts

Windham Chamber Singers give preview performance for spring 2025 tour 🏛 Portland Press Herald

At the Portland Museum of Art, florists offer a fresh perspective 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Playwright John Cariani reflects on Maine roots in new work 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Asylum Seekers

Wells Police Department joins ICE program, sparking concerns of eroded trust 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Wells becomes 1st Maine police department to agree to assist ICE 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Immigration detention increase reveals expanded federal operations in Maine 🏛 Maine Morning Star

ILAP Community Update: April 4 🏛 Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

Conversations About Community - Kevin Joyce - Apr 2025 - YouTube - Portland Media Center

Bears, Sharks, and Zombies

WILD VIDEO: Rabid fox attacks Maine man in backyard brawl; sights, sound caught on camera - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Business

Business owners get creative to avoid pricing out customers 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Buy Local

Rosemont Market ＆ Bakery celebrating 20 years - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Climate Emergency

Letter: ‘Harnessing the ocean’s power’ begins with personal responsibility 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Constitutional Crisis

Trump administration pulls funding from Maine prison system over trans inmate 🏛 Bangor Daily News

US attorney general says she’s pulling ‘nonessential’ funds to Maine prisons over transgender inmate 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Trump administration pulls some federal funding from Maine over transgender prison resident 🏛 Maine Public

Read the email from the Trump administration notifying Maine it’s cutting prison funding 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Trump administration pulls Maine prison system funding over trans inmate 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

U.S. Justice Department cuts Maine corrections grants reportedly over transgender policy 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Bondi says $1.5M in funding pulled from Maine DOC over trans inmate - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Trump administration cancels $1.5 million in funding for Maine prisons over transgender policy - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Maine sues Trump administration over withheld USDA funds for child nutrition programs - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Maine sees dramatic cut in amount of food being delivered by USDA - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Trump administration should stop using charges of antisemitism as a pretext for repression 🏛 Bangor Daily News

While we’re distracted by transgender athletes, Republicans are working to take away our voting rights 🏛 Bangor Daily News

FARMER DAY of ACTION Honor the Contracts! Stand Up for… 🏛 Bluesky - Pine Tree Activism

Letter: Trump health funding cuts hurt people like me 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Democrat Jared Golden's only tariff fear: Trump will back down 🏛 Axios

County residents fear price hikes from Donald Trump’s trade war 🏛 The County

Maine towns that cater to Canadian tourists fear potential boycott - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Letter: Trump has Mainers on the road to ruin 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Letter: Sen. Collins needs to speak out 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Trump administration’s destruction comes to Maine | Letter 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Letter: Tariffs are just a big game to Trump 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Letter: CPB cuts make a mockery of border privileges 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Letter: You don’t have to be a ‘fraudster’ to miss a Social Security check 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Letter: Lutnick has no regard for hard-working people 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Hands Off! rally in Houlton draws close to 100 🏛 The County

Hundreds lend a hand to local Hands Off rally 🏛 Daily Bulldog

Education

Portland schools adopt 2025-26 calendar with Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Portland school board advances $171.7 million budget to city council 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Charter School Commission votes to allow further consideration of school serving new Mainers 🏛 Maine Public

Environment

Bill removing referendum requirement for nuclear plants fails early test in Maine House 🏛 Maine Public

About 50 gallons of jet fuel spills at Brunswick airport 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Maine farmers turn to hemp in the fight against PFAS contamination 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Maine Legislature to discuss three-year halt on artificial turf installation 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Food and Drink

Za to Open Friday 🏛 Portland Food Map

Health Care

Lewiston health center cuts staff and services due to MaineCare funding gap 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Opinion: Drug rebate bill would benefit some at the expense of many 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Advocates propose toolkit to tackle state’s high cancer rates 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Housing

Most of Maine’s big mobile homeparks are owned by out-of-state investors 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Biddeford discusses affordable housing strategies 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Biddeford family facing eviction claim landlord illegally rented space - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Justice

Maine Commission on Public Defense Services submits plan to tackle courtroom crisis - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Labor

The enforcement gap: Maine wage theft violators technically don't have to prove they paid - YouTube - CBS 13 News

LGBTQIA+

Maine Democrats won’t suddenly change transgender laws in fight with Donald Trump 🏛 Bangor Daily News

A note from a transgender Mainer: from me, to you 🏛 Reddit

Nazis

Maine House Republicans fall short of repealing ban on paramilitary activities 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Outdoors

State Representative Puts Forth Bill To Legalize Deer Hunting On Mount Desert Island 🏛 Bar Harbor Story

Photography

Sunset Boats, Pine Point, Maine 🏛 Reddit

Politics

Secretary of state issues language for people’s veto of Maine state budget 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Opinion: A lobsterman should not pay higher taxes than a Wall Street speculator 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Proposed reforms of neglect law that can punish impoverished families receives support at hearing 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Bipartisan lawmakers, educators, parents push to expand Maine’s child tax credit 🏛 Maine Morning Star

Maine lawmakers push bill to boost child tax credit for families 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Maine Republicans call for investigations over state audit 🏛 Maine Public

GOP lawmakers share concern over state audit published in March - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Opinion: Let’s help Maine’s Death with Dignity Act live up to its name 🏛 Portland Press Herald

'It's ridiculous': Maine drivers speak out against bill to increase car inspection prices - YouTube - CBS 13 News

Steve Collins: Maine women ought to be included in State House art 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine Senate unanimously approves new Department of Marine Resources commissioner 🏛 Maine Public

Pingree to hold in-person town halls as more constituents demand to meet with lawmakers 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Mainers could see higher taxes if US cuts local bond exemptions 🏛 Portland Press Herald

MFFM Press Conference to speak up for SNAP 🏛 Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets

Pingree Slams Trump Administration and Republicans for Threatening to Cut SNAP Benefits 🏛 Munjoy Hill News

Nebraska will continue with Maine to split electoral votes in presidential elections 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Public Safety

Maine dentists concerned over plan to drop federal recommendation for fluoridated drinking water 🏛 Maine Public

Police identify snowboarder who died in Sugarloaf accident 🏛 Maine Public

Snowboarder who died at Sugarloaf Mountain over the weekend identified 🏛 Boston.com

Police identify snowboarder who died in Sugarloaf Mountain accident 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Sears Island / Mack Point Wind Port

Maine lawmakers reject proposal to extend Sears Island conservation easement 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Sports

Blooms and Bruises 🏛 Maine Roller Derby

Portland Hearts of Pine Announce Community Ticketing ... 🏛 Hearts of Pine

‘Community Ticketing Program’ Announced by Portland Hearts of Pine Founder 🏛 Munjoy Hill News

Portland Hearts of Pine launch community ticketing program 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Portland Sea Dogs' home opener: Here's what fans need to know 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

MAINE BASEBALL IS BACK! - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Portland Sea Dogs bring perfect record into 2025 home opener - YouTube - WMTW-TV

Things to Do

The Live Music Guide: April 9th – 15th, 2025 🏛 Portland Old Port

Willi Carlisle 🏛 SPACE

Maine Things To Do | Big Spring Flea Market, Model Railroad Show, USM Spring Craft Show - YouTube - NEWS CENTER Maine

Transportation

Technical problems force Maine DOT to reapply for $3M in federal grants 🏛 The County

Utilities

Regulators launch investigation into Versant Power’s management practices 🏛 Bangor Daily News

Maine PUC orders investigation of Versant management 🏛 Maine Public

Maine regulators investigating Versant Power’s management practices 🏛 Portland Press Herald

Maine PUC investigates Versant following audit findings on management practices 🏛 WCSH News Center Maine

Vacationland

What is the Maine Accent? | Maine Explained - YouTube - Maine Public