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Maine Morning Star is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news site covering state policy and politics. It is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Nearly one-third of the nation’s private sector workers are covered by paid leave programs as more states require employers to provide medical and family leave, according to a new analysis released this week. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/06/r...
Maine judicial branch says it will move all courts to online records by February 2027 mainemorningstar.com/briefs/maine...
The United States lost 92,000 jobs in February, edging unemployment up slightly according to the latest employment figures released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/06/r...
Maine lawmakers backed a plan to fund the testing and clean up of private wells contaminated with toxic forever chemicals, which have threatened drinking water through spills, the spreading of tainted sewage sludge and other applications. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/06/a...
“Congress should ensure we are spending taxpayer dollars to improve the quality of life for the American people, not paying for another endless war in the Middle East," Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle wrote. | via @jennifershutt.bsky.social @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/05/r...
An added exemption for political organizations to a sweeping data privacy proposal has narrowed support for the legislation, though it’s still moving forward — for now. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/05/n...
Golden splits with Democrats as House rejects restraint on Trump’s war power in Iran mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/05/r...
In an effort to reduce the cost of child care for working families, Maine lawmakers passed legislation to increase state support. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/05/m...
BREAKING: Kristi Noem out as DHS secretary; Trump to tap Oklahoma Sen. Mullin mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/05/r...
Several Democratic states are moving to bar federal immigration agents from being near election sites, amid persistent worries that President Donald Trump will use federal law enforcement or the military to disrupt the midterm elections. | via @Stateline.org mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/05/r...
“My children won’t go hungry,” said Buckfield resident Kasey McBlais. “I will miss a mortgage payment or an electric bill in order to feed them.” Following federal changes to SNAP, thousands of Mainers like McBlais are seeing disruptions in their benefits. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/05/h...
With Collins’ help, US Senate rejects limits on Trump war powers mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/04/r...
Following uproar over jails holding ICE detainees, lawmakers consider tweaking state law mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/04/f...
A new poll out Wednesday has Graham Platner with a sizable lead over Gov. Janet Mills in Maine’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/04/a...
"The first priority of optometrists is, and always will be, patient safety. Changing regulations will not change that," writes Dr. Lindsay Michaud in a commentary on pending legislation to expand the scope of practice for optometrists. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/04/m...
In a critical 2026 battle for control of the U.S. Senate, AP declared James Talarico the winner of the Texas Democratic primary, while incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton will spend weeks to come competing in a runoff election. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/04/r...
Thousands are now going uninsured, and a lot more are choosing plans that only cover the bare minimum, based on preliminary enrollment data from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/04/t...
Pentagon IDs four US soldiers killed in Iran drone strike, all assigned to Iowa unit mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/03/r...
“We expect exceptional leadership and you’ve demonstrated anything but that,” said Sen. Thom Tillis. “What we’ve seen is a disaster under your leadership. What we’ve seen is innocent people getting detained that turn out are American citizens.” mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/03/r...
“We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first,” President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday. “… and I didn’t want that to happen. So if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand..." mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/03/r...
The national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline topped $3 Tuesday for the first time this year, and is expected to keep going up. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/03/r...
The results will provide a glimpse into voters’ mood as the primary season opens and give a sense of what type of candidate appeals to each party’s base. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/03/r...
The senior senator from Maine had yet to make her decision as of Monday, when Maine physicians held a press conference calling for her to reject the wellness influencer as surgeon general. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/03/w...
A federal judge Monday temporarily blocked a DHS policy that required 7 days notice for members of Congress to conduct oversight visits at facilities that hold immigrants, finding it likely violates appropriations law that allows for unannounced visits. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/02/r...
The U.S. war on Iran will continue unabated on President Donald Trump’s terms, with more troops on the way and more casualties expected, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters early Monday. | via @ashleymurray.bsky.social @StatesNewsroom.com mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/02/r...
Corrections facilities “have a population that is completely isolated from the public. Their life and food and meds and everything is completely in the hands of a government agency," said bill sponsor Sen. Jill Duson. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/02/p...
What Maine’s members of Congress are saying about the Iran strikes mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/01/w...
States like Arizona, Iowa and Texas have universal programs that allow any student to use public money for private school tuition. By the 2026-2027 school year, at least 17 states are expected to have that policy. mainemorningstar.com/2026/03/01/r...
U.S. forces have launched “major combat operations” on targets in Iran, President Donald Trump said in a video posted to social media at 2:30 a.m. Eastern Saturday. mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/28/r...
Tuberculosis cases have been rising as public health agencies struggle to keep up | via @Stateline.org mainemorningstar.com/2026/02/27/r...