June 26
Clean Elections Board considers if Portland council candidate violated program rules
The board decided that Brandon Mazer, accused of accepting a gift of polling data, may receive clean elections funds – but it won't issue a final decision until July.
June 26
$10 million offered for Russian accused in ‘WhisperGate’ malware attack on Ukraine
A federal grand jury indicted Amin Stigal this week on charges that he conspired with the Russian military to hack Ukrainian computer systems ahead of the war.
June 26
Biden pardons potentially thousands of ex-service members convicted under now-repealed gay sex ban
The president’s use of his pardon powers is occurring during Pride Month and his action comes just days before he is set to hold a high-profile fundraiser with LGBTQ donors in New York on Friday.
June 26
Attorney for Ethan Strimling zeroes in on timeline of eviction, union complaints
The former mayor's attorney is alleging that his landlord, Geoffrey Rice, only ramped up efforts to evict Strimling after the tenants union he founded began filing complaints with the city.
June 26
Amazon joins exclusive club, crossing $2 trillion in stock market value for the first time
Amazon now joins Google's parent Alphabet, software behemoth Microsoft, iPhone maker Apple, and AI chip maker Nvidia among companies with valuations of at least $2 trillion.
June 26
Military flees Bolivia government palace after coup attempt fails, general taken into custody
Wednesday’s rebellion followed months of tensions, with economic hardship and protests growing ever stronger.
June 26
Paris Hilton recounts child abuse in congressional testimony
In Paris Hilton’s opening remarks to Congress on Wednesday, she recounted institutional child abuse she said she experienced.
June 26
Massachusetts jurors weigh evidence in a murder trial that challenged police integrity
Jurors have to consider whether the sometimes tiny bits of evidence – pieces of a broken tail light, a single human hair – point to the girlfriend’s guilt, or a sprawling cover-up by law enforcement officers.
June 26
Israel blames U.N. for Gaza aid crisis amid fresh reports of starvation
About 500,000 Palestinians are on the brink of starvation, according to a report by United Nations agencies and aid groups.
June 26
A signature Biden law was aimed to boost renewable energy. It also helped a solar company reap billions
President Biden points to the legislation as an example of investing in alternative energy in ways that'll help the environment and lift the economy. But one solar company shows how that legislation can yield mammoth returns to the well-connected.
June 26
Why NASA astronauts are delayed at the space station after Boeing Starliner launch
This week, Boeing said the Starliner capsule's problems aren’t a concern for the return trip and 'the astronauts are not stranded.'
June 26
IRS delays in resolving identity theft cases are ‘unconscionable,’ independent watchdog says
An independent watchdog within the IRS reports that while taxpayer services have vastly improved, the agency is still too slow to resolve identity theft cases
June 26
Startup developing ‘vaccine’ to fight fentanyl addictions, overdoses
Fentanyl poisoning has been the leading cause of death for Americans between age 18 and 45 since 2019, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
June 26
U.S. Supreme Court seems poised to allow emergency abortions in Idaho, report says
Based on a copy of the opinion that was briefly posted prematurely, it does not appear likely the court will fully resolve the issues at the heart of the case.
June 26
Man arrested, accused of chasing kids with knife near Portland grocery store
Christian Crawford, 54, was arrested Tuesday night at the Shaw's on Auburn Street.
June 26
Augusta assisted living facility with history of violations slated to close in July
Capitol City Manor, a 29-bed facility on State Street, was under investigation in recent months for reports of abuse and neglect.
June 26
Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit claiming Biden censored social media
The case is among several before the court this term that affect social media companies in the context of free speech.
June 26
Officials identify man’s body found in burned Auburn home
Brian Woodbury apparently struggled with Leein Hinkley at Woodbury's friend's home June 15 before explosions and a blaze destroyed the house.
June 26
Small plane crashes into trees on Swans Island
Only minor injuries were reported. Investigators were headed to the scene of the crash.
June 26
Shots fired into Portland home when 6 children were inside
Police ask neighbors around 77 Grant St. to check their property for damage from gunfire and review any security camera footage.
June 26
National Democrats target 2 Republican seats in Maine Senate
The party is focusing on Senate seats in Auburn and Augusta, which are currently held by Republicans who are not seeking reelection.
June 26
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to Australia free man after U.S. legal battle
'WikiLeaks’s work will continue and Mr. Assange, I have no doubt, will be a continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government,' one of his lawyers says.
June 26
U.S. journalist goes on trial in Russia on espionage charges that he, employer deny
Bowdoin graduate and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is the first Western journalist arrested on espionage charges in post-Soviet Russia.
The Wrap: Blue Lobster gets bigger; Maine Cheese Guild hires new executive director
Also, Portland's food scene basks in more national media attention in The New York Times and CNN.
June 26
Video of man smashing turtles at Portland cemetery triggers outrage, police investigation
Both Portland police and the Maine Warden Service are investigating the incident.
June 26
Portland complex to feature condos with attached studio apartments
Eighteen of the 90 condos in Stroudwater Commons include a studio that could house relatives or be rented out for extra income. Its developers say the project reinvents the starter home.
FDA warns maker of Sara Lee and Entenmann’s not to claim foods contain allergens when they don’t
U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors found that a top U.S. bakery listed ingredients on labels even when they weren't in the foods.
June 26
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, free after pleading guilty, to return to Australia
Assange, who had spent 5 years in a British prison, pleaded guilty to one count under the Espionage Act and was sentenced to time served.
June 26
Man charged after off-duty Oxford police officer struck by vehicle
Oxford police reserve officer Joseph Correia was in surgery Tuesday night after he was hit by a car on Crockett Ridge Road in Norway, according to Maine State Police.
June 26
‘They’re like Superwomen’: Tibetan Buddhist nuns create a sand mandala to help heal after mass shooting
One of the motivations behind the mandala is to help the Lewiston-Auburn community recover from the trauma of the 2023 mass shooting.
June 25
Anti-tax protesters storm Kenya’s parliament, drawing police fire
Medical workers report 5 people have been killed, but no official number has been provided.
June 25
Israel’s high court orders army to draft ultra-Orthodox men, rattling Netanyahu’s government
The prime minister would struggle to pull together a ruling coalition without the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, who oppose any change to the system.
June 25
South Portland teen awaits judge’s decision on his alleged school shooting plot
The judge said he plans to announce his decision in about 3 weeks.
June 26
Maine’s civilian workforce returns to pre-pandemic size
Maine also filled 9,300 nonfarm jobs from May 2023 to May 2024, in large part thanks to gains in Maine's health care and social assistance sector.
June 25
At Longest Day Of Homelessness sit-in, organizers advocate for more shelter
The annual event is held each June around the summer solstice to draw attention to the issues homeless people face in the summer.
June 25
Portland landlord says tenant Ethan Strimling, a former mayor, was ‘dominating’ over rent issues
In the second day of the former mayor's eviction trial, his landlord took the stand, giving Ethan Strimling's attorney a chance to ask him about his history of rent control violations with the city.
June 25
Portland City Councilor Anna Trevorrow announces she won’t seek reelection
The District 1 councilor announced on Tuesday that she would not seek another term on the council.
June 25
Burn-off of toxics in Ohio derailment was unnecessary, NTSB investigators say
Cleanup by the EPA is ongoing – one of many ways the accident’s effects are still being felt.
June 25
Lewiston woman showed ‘depraved indifference’ in death of 90-year-old Litchfield man, authorities say
When he was found in his Litchfield home on May 18, Gerald Marin had been dead more than a week, police say in the criminal complaint charging Shari Allimah with murder.
June 25
UN tells Israel it will suspend aid operations across Gaza without improved safety
The Israeli military claims it's trying to facilitate aid shipments but that Hamas is disrupting them.
June 26
My Dad’s Place in Jay to be featured on ‘America’s Best Restaurants’
My Dad's Place, owned by Lynn and Matt Brennick, will be featured on 'America's Best Restaurants' show.
June 25
More than 500 people have been charged under the gun safety law Biden signed
Enhanced background checks under the new law have stopped roughly 800 sales of firearms to people under age 21 who would be prohibited from buying them.
June 25
Girlfriend of Biddeford landlord says tenant shot him after getting eviction notice
Randal J. Hennessey, 33, is accusing of killing his landlord Douglas 'Doug' Michaud Jr. in 2021 on their building's front porch.
June 25
TD Bank looks to consolidate Lewiston and Auburn call center offices
Roughly 2,000 TD Bank employees and contractors continue to work remotely in Lewiston and Auburn, which has left tens of thousands of square feet of office space largely vacant since 2020.
June 25
Whale found dead off Harpswell was a humpback
This is the second humpback whale found dead in Maine waters this month.
June 25
Union man’s death was from natural causes, police say
Jonathan Dodge was found dead at a home on Saturday.
June 25
Judge relaxes Trump’s gag order after hush money criminal conviction
The changes allow the former president to comment about witnesses and jurors, but not court and prosecution staff members.
June 26
Maine swimmer’s poolside proposal to U.S. Olympian makes a big internet splash
James Wells got down on one wet knee to ask Olympic gold medal swimmer Lilly King to marry him. She said yes.
June 26
Mobile medical team aims to reduce overdose deaths in Greater Portland
The van is operated by Greater Portland Health, which serves vulnerable communities in Portland, South Portland and Westbrook.
June 25
Woman, toddler die in 2-vehicle collision on state Route 108 in Livermore
Harley Lausier, 20, and an 18-month-old girl in a car seat in the rear passenger side, both died at the scene.
June 25
Dempsey Center to open location in Westbrook’s Rock Row
The Dempsey Center plan to expand its counseling and support services at the new location.
June 25
U.S. surgeon general declares gun violence a public health emergency
Dr. Vivek Murthy calls on the U.S. to ban automatic rifles, introduce universal background checks for purchasing guns, regulate the industry, pass laws that would restrict their use in public spaces and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons.
June 25
Romance turned deadly or police frame job? Karen Read trial nears close
Lawyers were due to deliver closing arguments Tuesday before jurors tasked with sifting the wildly differing accounts of the death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe.
Looming flood threat: Maine coastal infrastructure at risk as soon as 2030
The Union of Concerned Scientists predicts that high-tide flooding caused by rising seas will hit critical facilities with a few years if emissions stay the same.
June 26
Our highest-rated Maine restaurants from the past year
Sixteen restaurants received at least 4 stars in reviews by Andrew Ross since last June.
June 24
Presque Isle man killed in Westmanland shooting
Maine State Police are investigating the death in northern Aroostook County and say there is no danger to the public.
June 24
Motorcyclist seriously injured in Portland hit-and-run
A 36-year-old man sustained life-threatening injuries when he laid down his bike and was hit by a car that fled the scene.
June 24
Whale carcass found floating in Harpswell cove
The town has not yet determined what species of whale it is.
June 25
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty in deal with U.S.
Assange will plead guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, the Justice Department said in a letter filed in court.
June 26
Fireworks and American Idol firecracker Julia Gagnon coming to Lewiston-Auburn’s Liberty Festival
The 27th annual Liberty Festival is set for three days around Independence Day in the Twin Cities. This year's lineup includes fireworks and a performance by American Idol contestant Julia Gagnon.
