Author: Seamus Othot

Two women who have been missing since Monday, after their truck was swept away in the recent storm, were found dead on Thursday. [RELATED: Janet Mills AWOL After Deadly Storm Grinds Maine to a Halt, Hundreds of Thousands Still Without Power As Temps Plunge…] The two women were swept off the road in Mexico when Gertrude “Judy” Richards, 61, drove past a road block and attempted to cross a flooded bridge. Both Richards and her granddaughter Ciara Cooper, 20, had been the subjects of a missing person search since Monday until both were found dead on Thursday. The women were…

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) has been forced to delay development of the Aroostook Renewable Energy Gateway because the developers cannot work for the agreed upon price. “LS Power made clear in its submission that it can no longer hold to its price, though nowhere in its brief or proposed transmission agreement did LS power indicate what the new price would need to be,” said Chairman Philip Bartlett of the MPUC at a meeting on Thursday. LS Power was initially set to develop a 160-mile-long power transmission line, which would connect a massive proposed Aroostook County wind power farm…

In November, 20 Romanian citizens were detained illegally crossing the U.S.-Canada border into Hodgdon, Maine. Two of them were held as international criminals, the other 18 were released into the state. “The remaining 18 were simply released into the local community,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in a speech from the U.S. Senate floor. [RELATED: Border Patrol Apprehends 20 Romanian Nationals Who Illegally Crossed US-Canada Border into Hodgdon…] The group of Romanians, 10 minors and 10 adults, rushed across the border in four vehicles. They were apprehended by border patrol. The foreign nationals were transported to Fort Fairfield Station, where…

Following the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the state’s GOP primary ballot, the Maine Wire contacted all 153 Maine state lawmakers individually to ask their opinions on the issue and its relation to a similar case to be decided in Maine. While most Republicans were critical of the decision made by four unelected judges, Democrats by and large supported the move to prevent pro-Trump Coloradans from voting for their preferred candidate. The four judges who supported removing Trump from the ballot did so because they believe he participated in an “insurrection”; however, Trump has…

A staffer for U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) was fired for filming himself having anal sex with another man in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room at the U.S. Capitol complex. Video of the Cardin staffer’s sex act circulated widely on the Internet, and it didn’t take long before a second video of an unnamed staffer engaging in similar behavior at the Capitol was reported on by Semafor. “I’m not going to get into the specifics, cause that’s not, that’s not what I know,” said Cardin, when pressed by reporters. Cardin has been reluctant to give the press any information…

Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine) finally issued a press conference on the devastating storm that left hundreds of thousands of Mainers without power after coming under fire for her initial silence on the issue. [RELATED: Janet Mills AWOL After Deadly Storm Grinds Maine to a Halt, Hundreds of Thousands Still Without Power As Temps Plunge…] Mills began her Wednesday press conference by touting the state’s effort to restore infrastructure and imploring Mainers to “stay safe” and trust in the state’s efforts to keep them safe amid dropping temperatures, road closures, and continued power outages. Following her speech, Mills was asked by…

Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine), who in 2018 received an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association, is now open to supporting a ban on “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines. “I’m going to look at every possible option to think about how it will, how it could be used in Maine, if at all,” said Gov. Mills, in an interview with News Center Maine. https://twitter.com/ZachBlanchard/status/1737074296550301866?s=20 Mills was asked a variety of questions about the state’s response to the October 25th shooting in Lewiston in which Robert R. Card, Jr., killed 18 people and wounded several more. Blanchard specifically asked Mills about…

Over half of Maine households lost power in the recent storm, and hundreds of thousands are still awaiting a restoration of service. But more than 24-hours after the power outages began, some Maine reporters and social media users are starting to ask: Where is Gov. Janet Mills? https://twitter.com/ryanbretonwx/status/1737160417141526671?s=42&t=35ofDy7P66X_FjWPzvwxLg People are evacuating. Gas station lines are held up for hours. Homes are flooded. Two people were killed and two people are missing. No statement. No press conference from Gov. Janet Mills. Her press secretary did just tweet about Cadbury Eggs at CVS though. pic.twitter.com/htRRKDQiEv— Mal Meyer (@MalWGME) December 19, 2023 “Wind-speeds…

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) said Monday that the U.S. government should not allow a Japanese company to move ahead with a $14.1 billion deal to acquire U.S. Steel. “It’s absolutely outrageous that they have sold themselves to a foreign nation,” said Sen. Fetterman. “Steel is always about security.” https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1736921963027660999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1736921963027660999%7Ctwgr%5E3a24bdeb4751a91ef270fcde649a301a08273c22%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FTheMaineWire%2Fstatus%2F1736921963027660999 Fetterman’s comments come in response to the announcement that U.S Steel, which has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, is selling itself to the Japan-based Nippon Steel. The deal is currently pending regulator and shareholder approval. Fetterman has vowed to do everything in his power to stop the sale, as he believes…

Following the Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots of 2020, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Melville W. Fuller – the only Mainer to ever sit on the court — became a casualty of the left-wing mania that continues to tear down historical markers and statues across the U.S. Now, Fuller’s statue, or what’s left of it, is rotting away at a junkyard in Vassalboro following its removal in February 2022. Kennebec County Commissioners ordered the removal of the statue of Chief Justice Fuller, a Democrat who was born in Augusta, in 2021, because of a controversial ruling on segregation. The statue was…

Maine’s legislature will consider a bill proposed by Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) that would help former convicts and “disinvested” individuals start cannabis businesses. The bill would “encourage eligible individuals to apply for registration under the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act or for licensure under the Cannabis Legalization Act and to provide related direct support services to those individuals,” said Speaker Talbot Ross’. Talbot Ross’ LD 1517, An Act to Create Equity in the State’s Cannabis Industry specifically seeks to aid criminals in the name of equity, applying to anyone, with few exceptions, who was incarcerated for Marijuana related…

Maine’s legislature will consider a bill proposed by Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D-Sagadahoc) that would enshrine abortion in the State’s constitution when it reconvenes in January. “Every person has a right to personal reproductive autonomy, which is central to dignity and the liberty to determine one’s own life course,” says Sen. Vitelli’s bill. Vitelli’s bill, LD 780, would change the state’s constitution to enshrine “personal reproductive autonomy,” effectively preventing any legal attempts to curtail abortion at any stage in a pregnancy. If Vitelli’s bill passes, it will be taken up in November as a ballot question and will require support from…

Maine’s Board of Licensure in Medicine (BOLIM) on Tuesday extended the suspension of Dr. Meryl Nass, an Ellsworth internist who criticized Gov. Janet Mills’ COVID-19 policies publicly throughout the government lockdowns. [RELATED: Robinson on WGAN: Maine agency targeting doctor who criticized COVID-19 policies…] “The Board concludes that the continued ability of Dr. Nass to practice as a physician in the State of Maine constitutes an immediate jeopardy to the health and physical safety of the public who might receive her medical services,” said the suspension letter. The board extended her suspension until April 30, 2025, without giving Nass or her…

Maine’s legislature will consider a bill proposed by Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Penobscot) that would remove all references to marijuana from Maine’s criminal code when it re-convenes in January. “This bill removes marijuana from the Maine Criminal Code by doing the following:removing marijuana being listed as a scheduled drug; eliminating the crime of unlawful trafficking in marijuana,” said Sen. Baldacci. The bill, LD 1789, would remove all marijuana related crimes and expunge all criminal records related to marijuana as Maine struggles to clamp down on the hundreds of Illegal Chinese cannabis grows discovered throughout the state. On Thursday, for example, three…

The White House has faced heavy criticism for its video unveiling First Lady Jill Biden’s White House Christmas decorations, featuring a bizarre tap dance production put on by the group of “anti-racist” activists. “Joe Biden forces entire nation to watch with horror as group of gender-fluid dancers unveil White House Christmas decoration in painfully cringe video,” said conservative commentator Benny Johnson on X. The video has been criticized as “disturbing” and has been compared unfavorably to former First Lady Melania Trump’s decorations under President Donald Trump. https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1735297854116073720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1735297854116073720%7Ctwgr%5Ee53b0d8bfb669f4ac854d0bbce52dacf22e94ee9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fbennyjohnson%2Fstatus%2F1735297854116073720 The dancers preformed a modern, frenetic version of The Nutcracker, featuring a female…

Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) and independent Senator Angus King (I-Maine). who caucuses with Democrats, voted to approve a major defense spending bill that includes a a reauthorization and expansion of a controversial surveillance program that has been used to spy on U.S. citizens. “It is disappointing to see both of our U.S. Senators continue their long records of disrespect for the civil liberties of the American people,” said Maine State Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin), speaking to the Maine Wire. The expansion of section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was included in a standard National Defense Authorization Act…

Rep. Mike Sobeleski (R-Phillips) filed a letter of intervention supporting former president Donald Trump’s right to appear on the 2024 ballot in Maine in preparation for Friday’s hearing on Trump’s eligibility. “He has the constitutional right to be on the ballot,” Rep. Sobeleski told the Maine Wire. “This is an attempt to obstruct his constitutional right to be on the ballot,” said Soboleski. Last week, multiple letters were sent to Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows contesting Trump’s eligibility to run for office, including one from former socialist Portland mayor Ethan Strimling. The hearing to assess whether Trump should be…

A new poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) puts former President Donald Trump ahead of President Joe Biden in a general election. “Unhappiness with Biden is pervasive in the new survey,” said Aaron Zitner, writing for the WSJ. “Only 23% of voters say Biden’s policies have helped them personally, while 53% say they have been hurt by the president’s agenda.” This poll marks a new low for Biden’s approval rating when pitted against Trump, who will most likely be the Republican nominee based on polling for the Republican primary. [RELATED: Record-High of Americans Describe U.S. Crime Problem as…

Mainer’s online privacy was at the forefront of discussions in the State Legislature’s Judiciary Committee on Monday, as lawmakers discussed competing competing proposals to enhance protections for Internet users. The committee hearing featured two very similar bills from Rep. Lisa Keim (R-Oxford) and Rep. Margaret O’Neil (D-Saco). The bills are modeled on a Connecticut law meant to prevent businesses from attempting to use consumers’ personal data without consent, and without the consumer having any say in how their data is used. [RELATED: Nearly All Maine Residents Victims of State Data Breach…] Rep. Keim’s LD 1973 and Rep. O’Neil’s LD 1977…

Police have confirmed that a massive illegal Marijuana grow discovered last month in Tennessee was operated by a Chinese National, according to a report from the Daily Wire. “The sheriff’s office named its suspect, 55-year-old Ruian Huang, a foreign national who is believed to be from China,” said the Daily Wire. The Stewart County Sheriff’s Office discovered 2,000 Marijuana plants being cultivated inside a former Methodist Church in Indian Mound, Tenn. on Nov. 30. [RELATED: Triad Weed: How Chinese Marijuana Grows Took Over Rural Maine…] They destroyed the illegal plants and arrested one suspect, Huang. The Sheriff’s office did not confirm…

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) said that Democrats should engage with Republicans on border security, acknowledging that illegal immigration is a serious issue. Sen. Fetterman gave his opinion in an interview with Politico. “I hope Democrats can understand that it isn’t xenophobic to be concerned about the border,” said Fetterman. “It’s a reasonable conversation, and Democrats should engage.” Fetterman wants Democrats to acknowledge the problems that come with the unprecedented amount of people coming across the southern border. He cited one statistic saying that there were nearly 270,000 encounters at the U.S southern border in September 2023 alone. “You essentially have…

A group of 300 scientists warned that Anthony Fauci would start a global pandemic as far back as 2014, according to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “300 scientists sent a letter to president Obama, asking him to shut down Anthony Fauci’s research on gain-of-function, saying that it was highly likely that he would start a global pandemic,” said Kennedy last week. Kennedy’s comments came as part of programming for Children’s Health Defense, a non-profit he runs. The group of scientists, known as the Cambridge Working Group, were concerned because Fauci’s gain-of-function research, which seeks to artificially enhance the…

A house in Arlington Virginia exploded Monday night while police were attempting to gain entry while executing a search warrant. “As officers were attempting to execute the search warrant, the suspect discharged several rounds, from what is believed to be a firearm, inside the home. Subsequently, at approximately 8:25 p.m., an explosion occurred at the residence. The investigation into the circumstances of the explosion are ongoing,” said the Arlington police department in a press release. The police secured a search warrant for the home of James Yoo, identified by ARLnow, on Monday evening after a suspect allegedly fired a flare…

In its quarterly newsletter, The Spotlight, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) highlighted the Biden Administration’s plan to combat anti-semitism and hate with food, while displaying a recipe for cheesy potato soup. The recipe includes bacon, making it unacceptable for religious Jews attempting to follow a kosher diet. “The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition is proud to play a role in helping to highlight how social activities such as sports, cooking, and breaking bread together can build community solidarity and counter antisemitism and other forms of hate,” Maine’s DHHS said in its newsletter. [RELATED: Portland…

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Florida) battled Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-California) on Thursday night in a contentious debate about the governance Florida, a red state, and California, a blue state. “What Biden would do, the people around him, they would look to California for the model to go forward in the next four years. That would accelerate the decline of this country,” said Gov. DeSantis. https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1730428195478859825 The first ever Red State vs Blue State debate, moderated by Sean Hannity on Fox News, saw the two governors taking aim at each other’s governmental records, and auguring fiercely over political and social questions. The…

A state lawmaker from Guilford unveiled a proposal on Friday to protect the rights of Mainers to bear arms in self defense by allowing property owners to be liable for violence that occurs in so-called “gun free zones.” “An Act Relating to Firearms Exclusions in Certain Locations would hold property owners liable if people are harmed at a location that doesn’t allow them to carry firearms for their own protection,” said Rep. James White (R-Guilford). The potential liability would discourage property owners from forbidding people from carrying firearms, or other self-defense articles such as pepper spray, onto their premises. “I…

Nearly every resident of the state of Maine has had their personal data, including social security numbers and medical records, stolen by a foreign criminal organization, the state revealed last month. “The State of Maine has determined that this incident has impacted approximately 1.3 million individuals, with the type of data affected differing from person to person,” the state said in a Nov. 9 press release. The press release was not attributed to a particular state agency or spokesman. Despite the breach happening between May 28 and 29, the state waited more than four months before informing residents that their…

The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office has said it is investigating the illegal Marijuana grow facilities that have proliferated throughout northern Maine. But Sheriff Troy Morton would prefer the media not mention the fact that these facilities are operated by what the Department of Homeland Security describes as Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations (ATCOs). The Penobscot Sheriff’s department was asked for comment by Fox News for the Laura Ingraham Show in advance of an interview with Steve Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of the Maine Wire. “I respectfully request that you not indicate that these illegal operations are being operated by any certain demographic,” said…

Rumble, a video sharing site meant as an alternative to YouTube came under cyberattack Monday from China. Rumble hosts all of The Maine Wire’s videos, including videos exposing illegal Chinese cannabis operations throughout Maine. “We are currently experiencing a major DDOS attack. Our engineers are investigating and we will report back here with updates,” Rumble on Monday on X. https://twitter.com/rumblevideo/status/1726690599007637675 The cyberattack on Rumble comes less than 24 hours after Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski expressed his support for Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Media Matters and other legacy media outlets for spreading misinformation about X in an attempt to harm the…

Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF) was, until November 10th, offering free state park passes based exclusively on race. The initiative was made by Maine’s Nature Based Education Consortium (NBEC). Despite desiring “to ensure that every Maine youth has access to powerful outdoor learning experiences,” as the NEBC says on its website, they focus their efforts on minority youth, rather than helping the poor regardless of race. (The webpage for this program was deleted after reporters began asking questions.) The NBEC and DACF partnered to raffle off state park passes to minorities as part of the Thrive Outside…

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) expressed his desire for a ban on entities affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from buying American farmland. “I hope many of our colleagues agree the Chinese government and other U.S. Adversaries should own zero agricultural land in our country,” said Sen. Fetterman in a September meeting of the United States Agriculture Committee. “We should take back all of their farmland,” Fetterman said. As of 2021, China held 383,935 acres of American farmland, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Other sources suggest that this number is much higher, with the China Merchants Holding International Company (CMHI) claiming…

Democrats on Maine’s legislative council recently approved a proposal which would repeal Maine’s current law limiting town municipal spending. The current law establishes a limit on how much can be levied in property tax by any town in a given year. If any town wishes to increase their spending through the property tax levy beyond the limit set forth by law, then that increase must be approved by a vote of the people. The current Maine law, known as the “Limitation on Municipal Property Tax Levy”, was initially established in 2005 in order to curb rampant spending and high taxes.…

Rep. Michael Soboleski’s (R-Phillips) attempt to appeal his failed proposal to ensure enforcement of Maine’s cannabis laws once again failed on Thursday. The bill came in response to a Maine Wire report uncovering over 100 illegal Chinese Marijuana grow sites. Last week, Soboleski joined the Maine Wire to tour several of the locations in Belgrade, including a property on the McGrath Pond Road. "I'm going to do some investigation to see if public funds and tax dollars are being used to finance these triad operations."@mike_soboleski reacts to our reporting on a bank in NY financing almost 70 illegal Chinese marijuana…

Maine’s top legislators considered the appeal on Thursday of a bill concerning the use of advanced Artificial Intelligence (A.I) in state decision-making. The Bill — “An Act to Ensure Determinations Made by the State Are Free from Unethical,Unsafe or Illegal Interference by Artificial Intelligence” — was proposed by Sen. Nicole Grohoski (D-Hancock) The proposal failed with four “yes” votes and six “no” votes. Every Republican on the council, as well as two Democrats, voted against Grohoski’s bill. Sen. Grohoski said that her bill warranted emergency status. “Senator Grohoski considers this bill an emergency, because we are currently in a moment…

The State of Maine intends to develop the untouched Sears Island in Searsport to build and ship offshore wind turbines, according to Downeast lawmakers who oppose the controversial project. “It is the largest undeveloped uninhabited causeway accessible island on the eastern coast of the United States,” said Rep. Lynne Williams (D-Bar Harbor) in her letter defending Rep. Reagan Paul’s (R-Winterport) proposal to stop the development of Sears Island. The lawmakers see the Sears Island project as a negative environmental effect of Maine’s offshore wind plans, which are supposed to lower Maine’s greenhouse gas emission and thereby forestall anthropogenic global warming.…

Maine’s Republican National Committee members are keeping quiet about RNC Chairwomen Ronna McDaniel’s future as the leader of the top GOP fundraising committee as calls mount for her to resign her post following the Nov. 7 elections. Calls for McDaniel to step began almost immediately after the election results came in, but they reached a fever pitch when Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy blamed McDaniel for Republican’s disappointing losses in recent elections during an RNC-sponsored presidential debate the following day. .@VivekGRamaswamySLAMS Ronna McDaniel "Ronna if you want to come on stage tonight, you want to look the GOP voters in…

Following the Maine Wire’s Report on the Illegal Marijuana grow facilities throughout the state operated by Chinese criminals, Rep. Michael Soboleski (R-Phillips) made a proposal to Maine’s legislative committee designed to combat these illegal grow facilities. The proposal was rejected, and unanimously opposed by committee Democrats. The Proposal read “An Act to Provide Investigative Authority to the Maine State Police, Sheriffs and Local Police Regarding Maine’s Recreational Cannabis Laws and Ordinances to Ensure Proper Enforcement.” Rep. Soboleski believes the bill to be extremely important to Maine’s well-being. “This is a serious issue and we need action. “ said Soboleski He…

Rep. Ann Fredericks (R-Sanford), Rep. Lucas Lanigan (R-Sanford), and Sen. Matt Harrington (R-York), submitted a formal letter Saturday objecting to the consolidation of Sanford’s three polling locations into one. “There have been numerous studies that show consolidating polling locations disenfranchises voters,” the Sanford Republicans said in the letter. Harrington announced their official letter of opposition on X (formerly known as Twitter). https://twitter.com/mattaharrington/status/1724116173044777224?s=46&t=xE2MHxG7vFbVWVUqWXYobA The letter comes after the proposal to consolidate the city’s three wards and polling locations into one was discussed at a Sanford city council meeting on November 8th, just one day after a very close election in the…

According to the yearly surveys conducted by the Maine State Housing Authority, homelessness has more than tripled throughout the state since 2019, especially in Cumberland County. At the same time, the state has given vast amounts of taxpayer money to the largest homeless shelters in Portland. According to tax filings, one such organization, Preble Street, brought in $34,328,653 in government funding from 2019-2022, While Shalom House, another similar organization in Portland, brought in a staggering $79,834,717. That money doesn’t include other taxpayer resources, such as services provided by the city or General Assistance. [RELATED: Portland Spends 50 Times More Per…

The Maine State Legislature next year will consider establishing a “Civil Rights Unit” to educate the public on hate and bias following approval by the Legislative Council of a bill from House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland). The proposal, which is only a draft at this point, states “This bill would establish a civil rights unit within the Office of the Attorney General to provide public education on issues regarding hate and bias.” Talbot Ross previously served as the director of equal opportunity and multicultural affairs in Portland, a position she left after an altercation with a parking attendant. The…

The Sanford City Council is considering eliminating two polling locations in future elections, a move Republicans say will disproportionately inconvenience GOP voters. “Since I became the town clerk in 2011, I have had a dream to narrow down the voting places in Sanford and Springdale,” said Sue Cote, the Sanford city clerk, speaking from behind a mask at the City Council meeting. The city council is now considering reducing the number of polling locations in the town from three to one. Sanford is Maine’s eighth largest municipality by population. At the start of her time as city clerk, the town…

Maine’s electrical utilities will not be seized by the state and placed under the control of a quasi-governmental body following the overwhelming rejection of Question 3 by Maine voters on Tuesday. Question 3 asked Mainers “Do you want to create a new power company governed by an elected board to acquire and operate existing for-profit electricity transmission and distribution facilities in Maine” The new, state-owned company was to be called Pine Tree Power. Question 3 would have dissolved Maine’s two leading, privately owned power companies, Central Maine Power (CMP), and Versant, and replaced them with the state-run Pine Tree Power…

More than 200 colleges across the country, including two in Maine, collectively received billions in funding from foreign powers, including authoritarian, Middle Eastern states, and failed to properly disclose the donations, according to a study conducted by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI). The University of Maine in Orono and Bates College in Lewiston were both listed among institutions that received the funding and failed to report it to the U.S. Department of Education, as is required by federal law. “In 2019, the Department of Education developed an online portal and issued a call to institutions of higher learning to…