Local Politics
Maine Joins 17 Other States Challenge Trump’s Order Ending Birthright Citizenship
(Augusta) Maine yesterday joined 17 other states challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. Attorney General Aaron Frey and the others say the order violates the constitutional rights to which all children born in the United States are entitled. Frey further stated the election did not change the Constitution and reminded the President his oath is to “uphold that sacred document, not rewrite it.” The states are requesting immediate relief to prevent the order from taking effect through both a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. In addition, Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington filed a separate suit in federal court challenging the order, as well.
(Augusta) Attorneys General from 18 states, including Maine, acted swiftly yesterday to challenge President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and the others say the executive order violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution and Section 1401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The states have filed a lawsuit requesting immediate relief to prevent the order from taking effect through both a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. In addition, Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington filed a separate suit in federal court challenging the order, as well. The President’s executive order ending birthright citizenship would affect hundreds of thousands of Americans and significantly harm States themselves by, among other issues, causing them to lose federal funding to programs they administer, such as Medicaid, foster and adoption assistance programs, and others.
Trump Begins Rule with Sweeping Rollbacks
(Washington, DC) President Donald Trump began his second term Monday with a sweeping order aimed at reversing dozens of President Biden’s top priorities, from regulations aimed at lowering health care costs, Affordable Care Act expansions, and protections against gender-based discrimination. STAT reports the “initial rescissions” order, signed in front of cheering crowds at the Capital One Arena, revokes dozens of policies the new White House called inflammatory, inflationary, and possibly illegal. The rescissions include an October 2022 order to test Medicare and Medicaid models that could lower health care costs, and an extension of the Biden administration’s signature achievement to negotiate drug prices in the Inflation Reduction Act. The new President is also peeling back certain Biden administration efforts to expand access to Covid-19 treatments and vaccines and multiple gender and sex discrimination protections.
(Washington, DC) President Donald Trump has ordered the United States to begin the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization, an entity Trump blames for mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic. STAT reports the President’s broad proclamations, like any President’s executive orders, generally begin the process of regulations and rulemaking at federal agencies. The reversals could meet legal challenges or congressional intervention. Several of former President Biden’s orders were tied to laws passed by Congress. Also on Monday, Trump ordered federal workers to return to their offices full time and froze federal hiring, with some exceptions.
(AP) President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order saying the United States would designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, in a move the Associated Press reports could push a militarized agenda for the border and Latin America. The order highlighted Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American criminal groups like Venezuela gang Tren de Aragua and Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), which it said “threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere”.
(AP) As promised on the campaign trail, President Donald Trump Monday signed an executive order temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing issuance of approvals, permits and loans. The order applies to both onshore and offshore wind projects. The Associated Press notes the President wants to increase drilling for oil and gas and has been averse to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, which currently provides about 10% of the electricity generated in the U.S., making it the nation’s largest source of renewable energy. It’s unclear how much authority Trump has to stop wind projects, particularly those that have their federal permits, and the order is likely to be challenged in court.
Collins Reacts to Pardons
(Washington, DC) Senator Susan Collins Tuesday issued a statement on Presidential pardons, saying that while she believes some Americans were caught up in the crowd on January 6th and may well deserve the clemency issued by President Trump, she does not support pardons given to people who engaged in violence on January 6th, including those who assaulted police officers and broke windows in order to breach the Capitol. The Senator also said she disagreed with President Biden’s recent clemency decisions, including commuting the sentences of convicted murderers, one of whom killed two FBI agents. Senator Collins concluded, “This has been a terrible week for our justice system. Violence must never be tolerated in America.”
Economy
Tips for Setting Financial Resolutions
(Undated) Many have given up on setting resolutions at the beginning of the year, but financial expert Robin Growley, Bank of America’s Head of Consumer Deposits, tells Star 97.7, setting financial resolutions can be especially important. (((Resolutions 1 “…and then save for a goal together.” :24))) Growley says it’s also critical to save for and contribute to an emergency fund that’s available for the unexpected.
(Undated) The new year is a great time for families to resolve to helping their children become financially literate. Bank of America financial expert Robin Growley tells Star 97.7 why it’s important to start talking about money with kids at an early age; and she gives us some tips on where to start. (((Resolutions 2 “…can help your child grasp the concept of money.” :22))) Growley says her 10 yo twins are involved in sports, so they use that as a catalyst to talk about budgeting and saving for such things as baseball bats and basketball shoes the kids have had their eyes on.
(Undated) We often turn to schools to help teach children financial literacy, but financial expert Robin Growley tells Star 97.7, such teachings can begin at home at an early age and involve the family as a whole.
(((Resolutions 3 “…improve the financial literacy for the whole family.” :19))) Growley says think about shared savings goals, such as saving for that beach vacation; and also teach kids to think about giving back to community causes that are important to them – not only financially, but by volunteering their time.
(Undated) One new year’s resolution many make is to be more intentional with their finances. Financial expert Robin Growley with Bank of America has some tips for helping to include kids in learning about financial literacy. (((Resolutions 4 “…being very intentional about what they want to spend it on.” :20))) Some financial institutions offer parent-owned accounts where children can learn to use debit cards and other resources under parental control and guidance. Learn more at bank of america dot com forward slash family banking.
Infrastructure
Versant Touts 2024 Projects Designed to Improve Reliability
(Bangor) Versant Power says it completed a variety of projects in northern and eastern Maine last year that will improve reliability to its customers. Among those projects, crews replaced a 65 yo substation in Machias with a new one in a better location than the former Bad Little Falls substation. The new substation boasts modernized equipment and improved communications technology. A new station in Tremont – an area formerly served from a Southwest Harbor line – will benefit about 2,000 customers there. The utility says it also replaced 23 miles of bare wire with a covered wire with insulated coating to help prevent faults and outages when trees and branches come in contact with the lines. Among towns that will benefit from those upgrades – Blue Hill, Brooklin, and Dedham.
(Bangor) Versant Power is touting multiple upgrades made by the utility in 2024 in order to improve reliability to its customers. Among improvements, the 65 yo Bad Little Falls substation in Machias was replaced with a new one in a better location that is out of the public eye. Crews also updated equipment at the University of Maine’s Steam Plant substation, increasing reliability to the location that provides heating to 90% of campus, the Alfond Arena, Hotel Ursa and other campus buildings. Other projects benefitted the Orono and Tremont areas, as well as Aroostook County, where 60 yo rotted poles and structures in the St. John Valley were replaced with more than a hundred new poles, and the rebuilding of ten miles of transmission line throughout Versant’s service territory.
Human Interest/Entertainment
Ellsworth Public Library Hosts Evening of Hygge
(Ellsworth) If the cold has you feeling anything but chill, join the Ellsworth Public Library Thursday for an evening of hygge (Hoo-guh). Hygge is simply an evening designed to get you through the long winter months with warmth, comfort and relaxation. From 5 to 7, come explore cozy stations with games, puzzles and coloring … or bring along your favorite craft or book. The library will have light music and refreshments to set the perfect mood for embracing the Danish art of creating moments of contentment and connection. That’s 5 to 7 tomorrow at the Ellsworth Public Library, and all ages are welcome.
(Ellsworth) After the connection and warmth of the holidays, January’s cold winter days have us all feeling a bit DIS-connected – perhaps even discontent. The Ellsworth Public Library has the perfect remedy! Come enjoy the Danish art of hygge (hoo-guh) tomorrow night from 5-7. Explore cozy stations with games, puzzles and coloring … or bring along your favorite craft or book. The library will have light music and refreshments to set the perfect mood for folks of all ages to create moments of contentment and connection. If an evening of warmth, comfort and relaxation sounds good to you, pop in tomorrow evening at the Ellsworth Public Library!
Curtain Falls on Criterion Theatre
(Bar Harbor) The curtain has fallen for the last time at the Criterion Theatre – at least for now. The Mount Desert Islander reports the Board of Directors last week voted to close the struggling facility and let go its employees. The Board says the decision is intended to be temporary and was largely due to safety concerns regarding the structural integrity of the nearly 100-year-old theatre. Estimated repair costs are believed to be around $1.7M. The theatre last went dark from 2010 to 2015 when it reopened under new ownership.
(Bar Harbor) The Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor has performed its final act – at least for now. The Mount Desert Islander reports at its January 12th meeting, the Board of Directors voted to close the struggling facility and let go its employees. They say over the past decade, the theatre has operated at a yearly deficit of $150K and was only able to stay open because of a generous donor and an active non-profit board. The board’s goal is to have a capital campaign that will raise funds for needed structural repairs and operating costs for the 93 yo facility. The Board said the theatre needs to raise around $1.7M to return the building to a safe and viable condition.
Sports
The Bruins take on the Devils in New Jersey. The Celtics in LA to shoot hoops with the Clippers.
These local high school games scheduled this evening: the MDI girls take on the Hermon Lady Hawks, and these boys’ games scheduled – Calais vs. Sumner, the Ellsworth Eagles take on the Bucksport Golden Bucks, and Woodland hits the court against Washington Academy.
Some results from last night’s local high school basketball games – a pair of nailbiters, as the Calais girls defeated Machias 42-40, but the boys then turned it around with Machias beating Calais by the same score and margin 42-40; other girls games – Shead over Jonesport-Beals 53-47, Lee Academy crushing Searsport 53-12, and Sumner over George Stevens 29-23. On the boys’ side, Hermon beats MDI 64-46, Old Town over John Bapst 68-58, and Narraguaus defeats Shead 50-44.