Author: Steve Robinson

Rainbow bullies have hijacked Maine’s state government and our allegedly democratic institutions. After winning majorities in the Maine State Senate and House by just a few hundred votes, the far-left Democrats are governing like they’ve got some kind of mandate. They don’t. Yet their thuggish abuses of power now pose serious threats to Maine’s democratic institutions. Thanks to these undemocratic thug tactics, the precedent now set is that Maine’s House Speaker can strip voting rights from members of the opposite party if he’s personally offended by or disagrees with a Facebook post. To recap the past few weeks of inglorious…

The Maine House Democrats endeavored to move forward with what will be a nearly $12 billion biennial spending program on Thursday—a controversial measure that the majority party is looking to pass, once again, on a majority basis with zero input from Republican lawmakers. But the debate over the record-setting budget devolved when it came time for Republican amendments to be considered, thanks in part to the House Democrats’ earlier decision to censure Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) for a social media post they didn’t like. [RELATED: Rep. Libby Files Federal Lawsuit Against Speaker Fecteau for Violating Her Constitutional Rights…] The censure,…

After failing to secure a $120 million MaineCare bailout package at the State house last week, the Democrat-controlled State Legislature is slated to vote on the first part of a nearly $12 billion budget that contains spending for fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027. As admitted last week by Sen. Mark Lawrence (D-York), the Democratic strategy appears to be to advance the a partisan spending package in two parts, with roughly $11.3 billion of spending up for a vote on Thursday. [RELATED: Here Are All the Taxes and Fees Janet Mills’ Budget Would Create and Increase to Fuel Record State…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights ruled Monday that Maine’s education authorities and a local high school violated federal law by forcing female athletes to compete against a male athlete who identifies as a female. The ruling is the latest escalation a nationwide debate over transgender ideology, as well as fairness and safety in athletics. [RELATED: Mainers Rally at Capitol in Support of Girls Sports…] The debate has put Maine at the center of a media firestorm that began with Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) posting an image of the male athlete accepting his first…

The young Maine child who was given a controversial and experimental Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA injection at a public school without his parents consent may not have immunity from Covid-19. But the doctor who delivered the non-consensual shot and the powerful hospital system that supplied it do. Legal immunity, that is. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court decided on March 4 in Hogan v. Lincoln Medical Partners that the hospital system and its affiliates are fully immune from legal liability after administering an experimental mRNA injection to a five-year-old child without parental consent. The ruling, issued March 4, affirms a lower court decision…

Legislative Democrats failed this week to secure a $120 million supplemental spending bill — thanks largely to Republicans in the Senate opposing the latest version of the MaineCare bailout package. At the same time, Democratic lawmakers in the House and the Senate also rejected a handful of mild welfare reforms and other cost-saving measures Republicans offered that would make voting for the emergency bill more palatable for GOP elected officials. Here’s a brief look at the amendments Democratic lawmakers killed: Paid Family and Medical Leave Premiums (Rep. Boyer, R-Poland): This amendment required state employees, including those in the executive, legislative,…

The Maine Democrats’ failed to advance a $120 million MaineCare bailout plan after Democratic lawmakers rejected modest welfare reforms proposed by Republicans leaders and even Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. Following a lengthy procedural fight, complicated by the absence of some GOP lawmakers, the Democrat-controlled Senate could not get two-thirds support for LD 209, an emergency spending bill sponsored by Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook) on behalf of the governor. Thursday afternoon, a rushed session of the Senate ended with the measure dying. At the same time, debate over the controversial spending package revealed that Democratic lawmakers have already resolved to pursue…

The fentanyl crisis in North America is not just a drug problem—it is deeply intertwined with a sophisticated international money laundering operation. As President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth increasingly succeed in clamping down on the southern border, multiple federal and state law enforcement sources anticipate an increase in illicit border-crossing activities at the U.S.-Canadian border, including Maine’s northeastern border and relatively unguarded coastline. In the following investigative report, Sam Cooper exposes the vast networks linking Chinese Triads, Mexican cartels, and Canadian financial systems in a transnational crime web that fuels the illicit drug trade. Cooper’s reporting reveals…

Maine’s leading Democratic figures have recently condemned the act of posting pictures of minors on Facebook as a serious political offense — one worthy of stripping Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) of her right to vote and speak on the floor of the House of Representatives. Since House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) is in the business of determining what is acceptable to post on social media and what is not, it would be prudent for Maine Democrats to also examine the social media activity of OUT Maine. This taxpayer-funded organization, which advocates for transgender ideology in schools, uses its Facebook page…

A Maine church embroiled in a legal dispute with the Hermon School System has claimed that Drummond Woodsum—the law firm representing Hermon and numerous other public schools in Maine—intentionally withheld emails during the discovery phase. These emails, according to the church, could have demonstrated that religious discrimination influenced the school board’s decision to deny the church a rental lease. The lawsuit, brought by The Pines Church and its pastor, Matt Gioia, accuses the school district of religious discrimination after the Hermon School Committee denied the church a long-term lease for school facilities. As previously reported by the Maine Wire on…

As a result of every federal judge in Maine recusing themselves from a Republican State Representative’s case against the Democratic Speaker of the House, the case will now be heard by a Biden-appointed Rhode Island judge with a history of eschewing judicial tradition in favor of strident left-wing activism. The case in question—which will now be heard by Judge Melissa R. DuBose of the District of Rhode Island—involves Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), who was censured on Feb. 25 in a 75-70 vote led by House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford). As a result of the censure, Fecteau claimed the House rules…

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday targeting the law firm Perkins Coie LLP, directing federal agencies to suspend security clearances for its employees, review contracts linked to the firm, and investigate its hiring practices for alleged racial discrimination. Perkins Coie, long a major legal power in Washington’s Democratic circles, rose to national attention for its role in helping promulgate and spread the debunked Christopher Steele dossier that was used to attack President Trump throughout the 2016 presidential campaign and during his first term in office. During Trump’s first campaign for office, Perkins Coie was paid by the Democratic…

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has joined a bipartisan group of senators in introducing the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act, which aims to bolster security along the U.S.-Canada border. The legislation, co-sponsored by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), comes in response to growing concerns over illegal crossings and transnational criminal activity along the northern border. The bill mandates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to update its “Northern Border Threat Analysis” every three years and its Northern Border Strategy every five years, a move lawmakers say is necessary to improve security efforts and…

President Donald Trump issued a memorandum Wednesday directing federal agencies to enforce a rule requiring plaintiffs who seek injunctions against the federal government to post security covering potential costs and damages in cases where an injunction is later overturned. The directive, addressed to executive departments and agencies, cites concerns over what Trump described as “activist organizations” leveraging the legal system to obstruct government policies. He argued that these groups, often backed by large donations and, in some cases, government grants, have obtained sweeping injunctions that interfere with executive policymaking and delay policies backed by voters. “This anti-democratic takeover is orchestrated…

Ever since President Donald Trump went full Don Rickles on Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) at the White House, Maine has taken center stage in a national debate over the morality and legality of forcing girls to compete athletically against males who say they’re transgender. But the political fight, more broadly, orbits 2019 changes Maine made to the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA). These changes transformed “gender identity” into a legal construct which could be used to impose left-wing transgender ideology on public institutions. Following those changes, transgender ideology became the de facto state religion for Maine’s public schools, government…

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked Wednesday about Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ decision to defy federal civil rights law by forcing female athletes to compete against male athletes. Leavitt reiterated President Trump’s commitment to enforcing federal civil rights laws, including his Executive Order requiring the protection of female-only spaces and female athletics. “The Department of Education has sued the state of Maine,” said Leavitt. “As you know, there’s ongoing litigation. The President has made a commitment to ensure that states are being held accountable if they continue to allow men in women’s sports, which he believes is an…

Following the execution of a search warrant at 199 Middle Road in Fairfield related to an illegal cannabis growing operation, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department released images from the raid that show illegal Chinese-made fumigants—highly toxic chemicals not approved for any use in the United States. According to a statement from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, more than 700 illegal cannabis plants were present at the time of the search warrant execution—a small haul compared to the dozens of raids executed over the past year that have resulted in thousands of illegal marijuana plants being seized. As previously reported exclusively…

Multiple Maine law enforcement agencies responded on Tuesday to a property at 199 Middle Road in Fairfield that has long been suspected of having ties to Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations (ATCOs) involved in illicit drug trafficking. Video obtained by the Maine Wire shows more than a dozen marked and unmarked law enforcement vehicles at the house Tuesday morning. According to a statement from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department, more than 700 illegal marijuana plants were found on the premises but no arrests were made. According to Somerset Registry of Deeds records, the property is owned by Guoli Liu, aka Skylur…

Maine Gov. Janet Mills emerged from seclusion on Monday to address corporate media reporters for the first time since she and her Chief of Staff Jeremy Kennedy put on a petulant and embarrassing display in Washington, DC. Of her now-infamous tantrum in front of President Donald Trump, Mills compared the Commander-in-Chief to French “Sun” King Louis XIV. It’s true that King Louis’ most memorable saying, “L’État, c’est moi,” or “I am the state,” is grammatically similar to how Trump reminded the governor that he is in control of the executive branch of the federal government. But the context is key.…

Maine has become ground zero for a fight between the Trump Administration and the American left over “gender identity”— the nebulous concept that descended from the halls of academia to state houses, city councils, and school boards across the country to serve as a club that Democratic officials and progressive activists would use to batter voters and taxpayers into submission to far-left ideology. Marching under the banner of “gender identity,” leftists adorned American classrooms and city streets with Pride Progress flags, filled public school curricula with queer theory and pornographic children’s books, and labeled anyone who would not submit to…

Four Ecuadorian illegal aliens caught a one-way ticket back to South America thanks to a busted tail light and some diligent cops from a small town on the Maine-Canada border. A Fort Fairfield officer pulled a vehicle over for a busted tail light this week, but the roadside interview revealed the driver and his passengers were up to more than operating a defective motor vehicle. According to the local TV station that first reported the story, authorities discovered three Ecuadorian nationals and one Guatemalan national. All four foreign nationals were present in the U.S. illegally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection…

House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) probably thought the Tuesday night censure vote against Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) would become a cause célèbre among Maine Democrats. After Maine Gov. Janet Mills embarrassed herself—and the state—by pitching an unwise fit at the White House, Democratic leaders and strategists have desperately searched for a way to save face. Instead, Speaker Fecteau created a new viral moment ripped from the pages of The Handmaid’s Tale as he and his fellow Democratic men stripped away a Republican woman’s right to vote. On Tuesday night, Fecteau loomed menacingly over a poised Rep. Libby like Commander Waterford,…

On Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi initiated “Phase One” of a high-profile campaign promise from President Donald Trump: releasing the secretive files pertaining to notorious pedophile and billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein, who was found dead in his prison cell in August 2019 under suspicious circumstances, was a close confidante of many international political elites, including President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew of the British royal family. [RELATED: Bowdoin College Moved Slowly to Remove Epstein Pal Staley from Board…] Maine’s own George Mitchell, the former Senate Majority Leader, has been associated with Epstein via witness testimony, and his name and…

Nearly 30 percent of Maine’s government-run school districts will conceal children’s health information from parents as it relates to gender dysphoria or transgender treatments, often described by LGBTQ advocates as “gender affirming care.” That number was derived from public records obtained under Maine’s Freedom of Access Act by Parents Defending Education and reported exclusively Wednesday by The Federalist. [RELATED: Trans Identifying Male Leap-frogs Competitors at Girls’ Pole Vaulting Meet in Maine…] From The Federalist: According to documents reviewed by The Federalist and obtained by Parents Defending Education through public records requests, a significant portion of Maine’s public school districts —…

The U.S. Department of Justice has warned Maine officials that it is prepared to take legal action if the state continues to require girls to compete against boys in sports, a policy the department says violates federal antidiscrimination laws. In a letter dated Feb. 25 to Gov. Janet Mills (D), U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the DOJ will hold states accountable if they defy federal law. Bondi cited Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, including athletics. [RELATED: Gov. Mills Vows to Resist Federal Ban on Boys in…

The Maine Democratic Party issued a rare off-cycle fundraising text message on Monday, asking recipients to donate money in support of Gov. Janet Mills’ fight to prevent male athletes from competing against female athletes, a policy decision that risks Maine losing hundreds of millions in federal funding. https://twitter.com/BigSteve207/status/1894081668832473298 Mills drew national attention last week when she threatened to sue President Donald Trump over his executive order requiring the protection of female-only spaces and sporting events. [RELATED: Mills’ Chief of Staff Threw a Tantrum and Stormed Off during White House Meeting: Report…] The order — “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”…

The former SpaceX engineer who recently announced his intention to run as an unaffiliated candidate against Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins may be more aligned with far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) than SpaceX founder Elon Musk if his political contributions are any indication. According to Federal Election Commission Records, Phillip P. Rench, 37, of Waterboro has made just five small political contributions — but all have gone to left-wing Democratic officeholders or committees, including Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif.), and former Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris. The contributions were made through ActBlue, a massive online donation service that facilitates the…

President Donald Trump is threatening to withhold more than $250 million in estimated annual spending from the federal government for Maine’s public schools if Maine officials continue to flout his executive order requiring the protection of female-only spaces and activities. “I heard men are still playing in Maine,” President Trump said at a speaking event last night. [RELATED: Maine Education Department Tells Public Schools to Ignore Trump’s Order on Transgender Ideology…] “I hate to tell you this but we’re not going to give them any federal money. They are still saying that we want men to play in women’s sports,…

The amount of money taxpayers are spending on Suboxone prescriptions for individuals enrolled in MaineCare has surged to $26.2 million per year, making it the most expensive and most popular drug covered under Medicaid. According to state health spending data, Medicaid paid out $26,177,048 for Suboxone prescriptions for 7,920 individuals from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. That’s an increase from the period from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 of $5.6 million per year and nearly 1,000 Suboxone users. Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, is used to treat opioid addiction. Versions of the drug come…

The 34-year-old man charged with allegedly murdering his wife in Readfield on Wednesday is a former SpaceX engineer who traveled the globe extensively with his now-deceased partner, a French woman who documented the luxurious trip on social media before the pair moved back to Maine. Maine State Police were called Wednesday to the Giles Road residence of Dorothy Whittemore, 67, and arrived to find 32-year-old Margaux Whittemore, née Margaux Nguyen, deceased in the driveway, also unclothed. Police took into custody Samuel Whittemore of Belfast, Dorothy’s son and Margaux’s husband, who had fled the scene. According to a press release from…

A Canadian national has been charged with illegally photographing sensitive U.S. military installations using a drone, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The charges stem from an ongoing multiagency investigation involving federal law enforcement and military agencies, per ICE. Xiao Guang Pan, 71, is accused of using an unmanned aircraft — a.k.a. a drone — to capture aerial images of critical defense infrastructure at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida on three separate occasions in January 2025. Federal prosecutors say Pan’s drone photographed Space Launch complexes, a payload processing facility, a submarine wharf, and munitions bunkers without…

Travis Mills, a retired United States Army staff sergeant, motivational speaker and author, known for his advocacy for wounded veterans, is floating the idea of running for governor of Maine. “I might have to start an exploratory campaign for Governor,” Mills mused in a Feb. 12 Facebook post. Although there has been some private speculation in political circles that Mills would run as an independent, unaffiliated with either party, his comments suggested that his politics are more in line with the current Republican majority in Congress and the man in the White House. “It’s just surprising how you can lose…

Maine’s Attorney General has instructed employees of at least one state agency to avoid cooperating with officials from the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to a Jan. 10 email obtained by the Maine Wire. “All DHHS Departments have received a directive from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) advising staff that if an attorney, or anyone else, from the Department of Justice or the U.S. Attorney’s Office reach out looking to meet or seeking information, staff should not respond,” the author of the email said. “Instead, they should forward the correspondence to their supervisor…

Maine Attorney General Aaron M. Frey has joined a coalition of 12 state attorneys general in opposing the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s decision to grant Elon Musk and his newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to sensitive financial and personal data of American citizens. In a joint statement released Thursday, the attorneys general condemned DOGE’s cost-cutting measures, calling the initiative an “unlawful, unprecedented, and unacceptable” violation of privacy and constitutional protections. So far, the highest-profile spending reductions have targeted the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a $50 billion per year government sub-agency that exists almost exclusively…

A Maine-based nonprofit funded entirely by U.S. taxpayers is using its social media presence to teach illegal aliens tips and tricks for evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Maine. The nonprofit, Presente! Maine, is funded almost entirely by government grants, which means taxpayers are footing the bill for the Spanish-language activists’ efforts to undermine the Trump Administration’s enforcement of long-standing federal immigration laws. According to publicly available tax documents, Presente Maine’s 2022 Form 990 tax document indicates gross receipts of $1,431,085 and government grants totaling $1,424,520. According to an analysis performed by DataRepublican.com, much of Presente Maine’s taxpayer…

The Trump Administration’s rapid moves to impose fiscal restraint on the sprawling federal bureaucracy will hit at least one governmental organization in Maine: Medical Care Development, a 501(c)3 group that pulled in $37 million in 2023. Medical Care Development, which operates as “MCD Global Health,” is a Hallowell-based nonprofit that claims to employee 195 people, according to its 2023 Form 990 tax filing. According to tax documents, MCD Global Health worked on USAID-funded malaria control programs in Mozambique, Niger, and Uganda under USAID agreements, as well as cervical cancer screening in Equatorial Guinea, funded by a corporate donor. MCD also…

A Lynn man admitted in federal court Monday to running a large-scale drug operation that peddled fentanyl-laced pills disguised as candy—part of what authorities say was one of the biggest drug busts in Massachusetts history. Deiby Felix, 41, pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and firearms charges after investigators seized a mind-boggling eight million doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine—some pressed into pink, heart-shaped pills—from a clandestine drug lab in Lynn. Photo Source: FBI The drug operation, the FBI’s Boston office said, flooded the North Shore with dangerous narcotics, including fentanyl-laced methamphetamine, cocaine, and cutting agents like xylazine, the powerful animal…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results for 2024 were released on Wednesday and the results are nothing short of disastrous for Maine’s public schools. The NAEP, which measures the reading and mathematics proficiency of 4th grade and 8th grade students in American public schools, is one of the few nationwide standardized tests policy makers can use to evaluate the efficacy of public education systems. By any standard, Maine is failing relative to its peers, though almost no state in the Union can boast a meaningful return on the higher-than-ever rates of per pupil spending. Per the NAEP results…

“Jason” spoke broken English. But the energetic Chinese man communicated well enough to tell an HVAC tech from Lewiston-Auburn about working for the Chinese Communist Party as an organ harvester. Jung Yen Tsai, or Jason, was a middle-aged man from the Flushing area of New York with a noticeable scar over one eye. He told Maine locals that he emigrated from China in the 1990s or early 2000s. Prior to arriving in the U.S., his specialty was kidneys, the HVAC tech recalled Jason saying. But by late 2019, he’d found his way into Maine, begun forming a web of interconnected…

In a meandering and at times pedantic speech Tuesday night, Gov. Janet Mills (D) defended her proposed FY 26-27 spending plan, painted the state of Maine’s economy as glowing and growing, and assailed critics of her plan to raise taxes on cigarettes. “I am proud to report to you that Maine’s economic growth is outpacing the national average, including the rest of New England, and it’s outpacing even large states like New York and California,” Gov. Mills told lawmakers. [RELATED: Protestors Gather in Augusta for Gov. Janet Mills’ 2025 State of the Budget Address…] “In fact, over the past six…

(Editor’s Note: The following opinion editorial represents the opinion and perspective of the MMCM and its leadership.) Protect Small Businesses: Maine’s Cannabis Industry Needs Fair Policies Gov. Janet Mills’ proposal to impose mandatory testing and tracking on the medical cannabis market is a misguided approach that will harm small businesses while failing to address real concerns. Her claim that regulation is necessary for consumer safety ignores the fact that Maine’s medical program has been operating without incident since its inception in 1999 and that Maine’s existing adult-use (AU) testing program is deeply flawed. Inconsistent lab results, arbitrary microbial thresholds, and…

Gov. Janet Mills (D) will deliver her annual address to a joint session of the Maine State Legislature tonight starting at 7pm. The Maine Wire will livestream the address — along with some commentary — here and across our social media platforms.

Maine is at rock bottom. The state is half a billion dollars in the hole, even after receiving an unprecedented injection of some $15 billion in invented-from-thin-air pandemic funds. The roads are like a Zydeco vest frottoir, the schools are so terrible that Mills will stage a cover-up of the latest NAEP results tomorrow, and transnational criminal organizations are making millions in Maine by peddling fentanyl and trafficking poisonous cannabis grown in slave houses. Absolutely nothing in the state has improved as a result of all that spending. Nothing has improved; everything has gotten worse, and Mills is so low…

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) and her finance commissioner have remained silent in the face of bipartisan condemnation of the administration for withholding information from lawmakers. The controversy over the Mills Administration’s closed-door governance spilled into the public when the deputy director of Maine’s Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) admitted to illegally withholding documents from lawmakers during a Jan. 16 meeting of the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee. Despite the outcry—and even belated coverage from media outlets other than the Maine Wire—Gov. Mills and DAFS Commissioner Kirsten Figueroa haven’t commented publicly on a scandal that continues to…

A leading progressive law firm in Maine is advising public school officials on how they can effectively resist potential immigration enforcement actions that may involve the families of minors who attend government-run schools, including by destroying evidence of potential immigration crimes. The advice may place school officials in the legal crosshairs of the Trump Administration under a new policy advisory distributed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which warns state and local officials not to interfere with federal law enforcement activities. “[S]chool officials should generate a plan for what to do if immigration officials seek to conduct activities at school,…

A self-described independent investigative journalist admitted Tuesday to falsely accusing a pro-Trump activist of providing drugs and alcohol to a minor as part of a ruse to get the activist fired from his job. The alleged journalist — Chris J. Barry, 56, a.k.a. Crash Barry — confessed to leveling the false allegations against an activist he’s been targeting for several years with similar tactics, but he explained that he was driven to make the phone call by the inauguration of President Donald Trump and some unusually potent cannabis oil. In an expletive-ridden, 2,600-word self-aggrandizing blog post entitled “Mea Culpa,” Barry…

Two Democratic lawmakers escalated their efforts to obtain long-overdue reports on Maine’s cannabis industry on Wednesday, writing a letter to the director of Maine’s cannabis regulatory agency demanding that the reports be turned over by Friday. The letter comes nearly a week after a high-ranking state government employee admitted to intentionally hiding the documents last year because she wanted to influence the legislative process. The stunning admission from Anya Trundy, Deputy Director for Legislative Affairs at the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), came during a Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee hearing last week. Trundy confessed that she…

Xisen Guo, 68, pleaded guilty Jan. 14 to federal drug trafficking charges, becoming the first individual in Maine to do so as the result of an investigation into a massive rural drug trafficking operation linked to Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations. Guo, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, was arrested at 549 Main Road in Passadumkeag during a raid that uncovered an unlicensed marijuana cultivation operation. While his guilty plea pertains solely to illegal marijuana trafficking at that location, court records reveal much more information than has previously been reported, including what appears to be an act of kidnapping as…

Northern Light Health, the nonprofit that operates some of Maine’s largest health care providers, is bringing back COVID-19 Era mask mandates for all employees. “Beginning Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 7 am, all staff will be required to wear a Northern Light Health issued masks in all areas,” Deborah M. Sanford, vice president of Nursing and Patient Services, said in a Monday email to employees. “This change was made led by recommendations from our Infectious Disease team in response to the Maine CDC tracking upward trends of respiratory illness, including influenza and COVID across our state,” Sanford said. Light A…

The Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU) reported that sportsbooks in the state accepted $52.7 million in bets during December, a 1.5 percent increase from the previous month. That gambling activity resulted in just $417,000 in taxes from the month’s wagers, according to information provided by MGCU to Covers.com. The two legal sportsbooks in Maine, Caesars and DraftKings, recorded the following performance in December, according to Covers: OperatorBetting HandleGross RevenueCaesars Retail Sportsbooks$452,000$17,000DraftKings Mobile Sportsbook$44.7 million$3.4 millionCaesars Mobile Sportsbook$7.6 million$500,000Total$52.7 million$3.9 million DraftKings has maintained a dominant position in Maine’s sports betting market since its launch, with its gambling volume for 2024…

Donald J. Trump, once a twice-impeached political pariah navigating the stormy seas of legal battles, made history Monday by becoming the 47th president of the United States. Taking the oath of office on the hallowed grounds of the Capitol, Trump cemented his return as the ultimate political phoenix, delivering a fiery inaugural address that promised a “Golden Age” for America. “It’s been a long journey,” Trump declared before a packed Rotunda. “But today, we prove that nothing is impossible in this great nation. The American people have spoken—and they have chosen greatness.” WATCH and SHARE highlights from Trump’s Second Inaugural…

President Donald Trump is expected to issue hundreds of Executive Orders on his first day in office, including several orders aimed at restoring order to America’s southern border with Mexico, combatting transnational criminal organizations, and reversing the Biden Administration’s immigration policies. Of President Trump’s first-day Executive Orders, 11 will make sweeping changes to immigration enforcement, according to several news reports. At an event for supporters Sunday night in Washington, D.C., Trump seemed to corroborate the claim that his Day One use of executive authority will be extensive. “Oh, you’re gonna have a lot of fun tomorrow watching the news,” said…

Just hours before leaving office, President Joe Biden issued presidential pardons for retired Gen. Mark A. Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “This issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in the statement. https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1881319888372842565 “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country,” he said. Neither Milley nor Fauci…

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) told House Republicans that if they can’t support raising taxes as outlined in her budget, then they should expect her to sign whatever proposal legislative Democrats put on her desk, including a potential increase in Maine’s income tax. According to House Republican leaders, the Mills Administration informed GOP lawmakers that she would pursue a Democrats-only budget that included tax increases during the Friday, Jan. 10 briefing — even before she had formally released her plan, LD 208. Last Friday, Jeremy Kennedy, the governor’s chief of staff, and Kirsten Figueroa, the Commissioner of the Department of…

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows provided an update to the Maine Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee regarding the administration of the state’s voter registration systems in 2024 on Wednesday. The letter, addressed to the committee chairs, Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec) and Rep. Laura Supica (D-Bangor), Bellows provided the following stats: Maine’s Central Voter Registration (CVR) system supported 1,040,701 active voters as of Jan. 1, 2025 90.8 percent of the state’s voting-age population is registered to vote, including 182,583 inactive voters 22,611 voter records were deleted in 2024 due to required list maintenance activities, including 12,892 deceased voters and…

A political cartoonist who developed an online following among anti-Trump readers of the Washington Post has been arrested on charges that he possessed child sexual assault material. Darrin Bell, who has been celebrated in left-wing media for unflattering caricatures of Trump voters, Republicans, and parent rights advocates, was taken into custody Wednesday morning by Sacramento County Sheriffs Deputies, according to multiple media outlets. The Sheriff’s Office has said Bell’s arrest was the first by the task force connected to AI-generated material. Such material was incorporated into existing child pornography law on Jan. 1. https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1879830822838206807 Bell’s arrest drew widespread attention from…

A high-ranking official at the cabinet-level state agency admitted Wednesday that she intentionally withheld a report from lawmakers last year to protect the Office of Cannabis Policy’s legislative agenda. Anya Trundy, the deputy director for legislative affairs for Maine’s Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), made the shocking confession during the Office of Cannabis Policy’s first appearance before the legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. According to Maine law (Sec. B-19. 28-B MRSA §113, sub-§1), Trundy was required to submit a report to the committee on Feb. 15, 2024, as lawmakers were returning to Augusta for the second half…

Maine’s chief cannabis regulator said Wednesday that the Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) is aware that it’s been issuing licenses to individuals associated with transnational organized crime. However, the agency lacks the authority to deny licenses to those who apply for medicinal cultivation licenses even when the applicant was previously linked by law enforcement to illicit cannabis activity, said OCP Director John Hudak. At a hearing before the Maine Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee (VLA), Director Hudak attempted to address concerns about the hundreds of illegal cannabis cultivation operations in mostly rural Maine that are controlled by Asian Transnational…

The state of Maine is staring down a $450 million “structural deficit” for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. “Structural deficit” is the term government employees use when the state’s economists are predicting money allocated by lawmakers or spent by Gov. Janet Mills will be nearly half-a-billion short of the revenue collected in taxes. It’s kind of like saying that you have a “structural deficit”—as opposed to a problem—when you’ve got $37 in your checking account but you were planning on spending $2,000 on cocaine, DraftKings, and strippers over the weekend. The massive spending crisis follows the state’s unprecedented spending binge the…

Maine’s Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-CD1) says the wildfires raging in Southern California are the result of rising temperatures, stronger winds, and longer droughts — all caused by climate change. “It’s clear that climate change is helping fuel these fires,” Pingree said in an Instagram post. In a similar post on BlueSky, Pingree predicted that the fires will, because of climate change, “only get worse.” Interestingly, Pingree posted a similar message at the same time on X about the LA fires but failed to identify climate change as the culprit. Although the fires are still raging and an investigation has…

The Maine Republican Party on Saturday elected York County GOP Chairman Jim Deyermond to serve as the chairman of the part’s state committee, replacing Joel Stetkis, a former Republican state lawmaker from Canaan. “I’m excited to get rolling and get to work — the next elections are right around the corner and Maine badly needs conservative values to fix the direction of the state,” Deyermond said. “I look forward to getting our message out and bringing Republicans, Independents, and people of all political stripes together to win. I appreciate this opportunity to represent all Maine Republicans,” said Deyermond. Deyermond, a…

The Mills Administration warned lawmakers Tuesday that Maine’s looming half-a-billion dollar budget shortfall and a $118 million projected MaineCare deficit may mean the state needs to increase revenues—which is government-speak for raising fees and taxes. Although the memo mentioned potentially reducing some expenditures already obligated under existing law, the administration was clear that the only revenue-increasing option Gov. Janet Mills (D) isn’t currently considering is a broad increase in Maine’s income tax. Maine currently has among the highest tax rates of any state in the country, with a WalletHub study pegging our tax burden at the 3rd highest in 2023.…

The Maine State Police (MSP) have arrested a suspect in the murder of William “Nate” Robinson, 34, of Austinville, Virginia, whose body was found inside a trash barrel in the Schmid Preserve in Edgecomb on December 3, 2023. The Maine Wire previously reported on Dec. 19 that the Maine State Police were investigating a homicide linked to the location of an illicit cannabis operation at 57 Conant Road in Turner—a location previously described in police records obtained by the Wire as being controlled by a “Chinese gang” from New York. [RELATED: Maine State Police Investigating Homicide at Illicit Cannabis Grow…

More than 80 cannabis industry stakeholders gathered Friday in Augusta to address the myriad challenges facing Maine’s adult-use and medical marijuana markets as the State Legislature prepares for its 132nd session. From testing issues to regulatory complaints, the discussion painted a sobering picture of an industry grappling with high operating costs, illegal competition, and intense dissatisfaction with state oversight. State Rep. David Boyer (R-Poland), who organized the event and played emcee during the day-long discussions, said the purpose of the gathering was to unite those across the cannabis industry to focus their energy and activism on shared political challenges. The…

The Democratic majority on the Joint Rules Committee voted Monday to preserve the controversial practice of “concept drafts,” brushing aside Republican leaders’ efforts to boost transparency in Maine’s legislative process. In a party-line vote, the committee rejected a Republican proposal to ban the placeholder bills, which critics say allow lawmakers to sidestep scrutiny and introduce sweeping changes to state law with minimal public input. Republican leaders Sen. Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) and Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) have argued that concept drafts erode public trust and shield lawmakers from accountability. [RELATED: Lawmakers to Consider Limiting Use of Vague “Concept Draft”…

Maine’s Democratic leaders held a press conference in Bath on Thursday to tout the beginning of a new program that will see most Maine businesses and employers pay an additional one percent tax on paychecks to fund a paid leave program that will begin in 16 months. Starting with the first pay period of 2025, most Mainers will see smaller paychecks, thanks to the so-called Paid Family and Medical Leave program, which was signed into law last year by Gov. Janet Mills (D) as part of a supplemental budget bill. “The backbone of Maine are small businesses, and as a…

Advocates for Voter ID laws in Maine will mark a significant milestone on Monday with the submission of over 170,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office, aiming to bring a citizen initiative requiring voter identification to the 2025 ballot. The grassroots effort, led by Dinner Table Action Executive Director Alex Titcomb and Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn), relied on minimal funding and more than 800 volunteers to gather the signatures. The legislation behind the petitions, if enacted, would require voters to present a photographic ID or otherwise prove their identity in order to cast a vote on Election Day.…

As many as 40 percent of the noncitizens present in Maine, including those who entered the U.S. illegally and those with legal alien status, may have voted in the 2024 elections or had votes cast in their names, according to records obtained and reviewed by the Maine Wire. That figure is based on a collection of MaineCare records obtained by the Maine Wire, as well as voter data from the Central Voter Registration (CVR) system maintained by Maine’s Secretary of State. While the MaineCare records show the individual’s immigration status, date of birth, and home address, the CVR records show…

A routine traffic stop on I-295 in Richmond on Dec. 28 turned into a major drug bust, leading to the arrest of two men allegedly trafficking fentanyl, cocaine base, and prescription narcotics. According to the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department, deputies seized more than 100 grams of fentanyl, 51 grams of cocaine base, and 100 OxyContin pills during the late-night operation near Exit 43. At approximately 10:08 p.m., a deputy stopped a vehicle for a defective headlight while working an impaired driving detail. The vehicle’s operator, who was unlicensed, and the passenger, who owned the car, quickly drew the deputy’s suspicion.…

Arkansas State Police arrested a 53-year-old Oklahoma man on Christmas Eve after a traffic stop led to the discovery of 248 pounds of marijuana, authorities said Monday. The story was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette in an article published Dec. 30. [RELATED: Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ Brother Helped Transfer Nine-Acre Black Market Cannabis Grow to Chinese National “Mother” Living in Guangdong Province…] Xiong Ren, of Chickasha, Oklahoma, was stopped around 6:50 p.m. Tuesday along Interstate 40 near the 165-mile marker for a traffic violation, according to the agency. Ren was driving a white 2021 Ford F-150 at the…

The shooting of a 34-year-old Virginia man whose body was discovered in Edgecomb on Dec. 3 is tied to an illicit Chinese marijuana grow in Turner, the Maine Wire has learned. The Maine Wire previously reported on Thursday that the Maine State Police (MSP) were investigating a homicide at 57 Conant Road in Turner, the location of a massive marijuana cultivation facility controlled by Chinese criminal organizations. The MSP announced on on Dec. 10 that William N. Robinson, of Austinville, Va., had been found dead of an apparent homicide near a Lincoln County land preserve not far from the banks…

A Guatemalan illegal alien who was deported under the Trump Administration has been arrested for allegedly setting a sleeping subway passenger on fire, resulting in her death, at a Brooklyn station early Sunday morning, New York City authorities said Sunday. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the suspect used a lighter to ignite the clothing of the victim, who was seated near the end of the subway car. CCTV footage shows the illegal alien, who has yet to be identified, calmly watching from a subway bench as his victim immolates. Officers on patrol in the station responded to the scene…

The federal government under President Joe Biden has engaged in broad efforts to censor Americans’ speech and manipulate information relevant to elections, according to a new congressional 17,000-page report from the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. The report is the culmination of work by congressional Republicans to document what they view as abuses of federal authority by a diverse range of federal agencies and officials. “By investigating, uncovering, and documenting executive branch misconduct, the Select Subcommittee has taken important steps to ensure that the federal government no longer works against the American people,” the report states.…

The CEO of the nonprofit group that owns most of Maine’s newspapers received a massive pay increase for 2023, a boost that came even as she reduced staff at many of Maine’s once-reputable newspapers. The pay hike was first flagged by former Press Herald reporter Ted Cohen in a post at Patch.com. As Cohen reported, Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, CEO of the National Trust for Local News, saw her salary skyrocket 217 percent over two years, according to the organization’s latest IRS filings. Hansen earned $116,667 in 2021, $231,250 in 2022, and a whopping $370,540 in 2023. Hansen is not only…

State House Republicans are joining calls for reform at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) after 145 unionized workers issued a letter of no confidence in the leadership of Bobbi Johnson, director of the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS). The audacious letter, rare to see from government employees, criticizes systemic issues under Johnson’s tenure, which they argue compromise the safety and well-being of vulnerable children in Maine. [RELATED: Director of Maine’s Worst-in-the-Nation Child Welfare System Finally Resigns…] The issues highlighted in the letter have been at the forefront of Maine politics for more than a…

The Maine State Police are investigating a homicide that is tied to the location of a former illegal Chinese marijuana grow in Turner, near the defunct Twitchell-Turner-Auburn Airport. According to a source who asked to remain anonymous, the Maine State Police (MSP) have asked at least one Turner property owner for security camera footage from the first week of December. It was disclosed during that process that they were investigating a homicide that involved a large building on Conant Road. [RELATED: Asian Biz Owners with Illegal Cannabis Ties Targeted in Complex Home Invasion Spree Across Maine…] A law enforcement official…

Authorities seized nearly 1,500 marijuana plants, 53 pounds of processed marijuana, and other items during a drug raid at a property in Cornville on Thursday afternoon, according to the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office. The raid, conducted around 1 p.m. on West Ridge Road, involved detectives from the sheriff’s office, Waterville Police Department, an agent from the U.S. Border Patrol, and a field investigator from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy. Officers discovered an extensive indoor marijuana cultivation operation in a detached garage, as well as additional growing activities inside the residence. Two individuals, both from Brooklyn, New York, were arrested…

Three Chinese nationals — only one of which was present in the U.S. legally — have been arrested in York County for attempting to scam and 82-year-old Alfred man out of more $100,000. “The local man was tricked into believing that he received a fraudulent payment in his bank account and was coaxed to repay the money with cash,” the York County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Wednesday. “The scammers received an initial payment of $50,000 and returned on Tuesday to collect the remaining funds,” the Sheriffs office said. The suspects are accused of tricking the elderly man…

Top Maine Democrats and the Mayor of Lewiston joined President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a holiday party at the White House on Saturday. “Incredible White House holiday party last night with President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden,” Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline wrote on Facebook. Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) and Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) also appeared in the set of pictures Sheline posted online, though neither of them similarly advertised the occasion on their own social media pages. Sheline’s Facebook friends seemed less excited about the event than he was. “I think…

A Holden man with a troubling criminal history is back in custody after a domestic violence incident, raising questions about why he wasn’t behind bars serving his sentence. David MacKenzie, 52, was arrested Wednesday night after police responded to a 911 call from an upset woman around 9:15 p.m. Holden Police said in a Facebook post that MacKenzie was charged with domestic violence assault, operating after suspension, and violation of conditions of release. Just months ago, in August, MacKenzie was convicted of four felony charges related to a hit-and-run incident that left 87-year-old Ira Williams of Brewer injured. Prosecutors said…

On Jan. 1, working Mainers will ring in the new year with an unwelcome gift from State House Democrats: the largest blue-collar tax increase in decades. Unless lawmakers can summon the common sense to kill off this ruinous program in its infancy, most Maine workers and businesses will be subjected to the new one percent tax on paychecks beginning next month. The central planners in Augusta styled this wage theft as a payroll tax, with 0.5 percent coming from employees and the other half coming from business owners. However, economists generally agree that the burden of payroll taxes is completely…

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed the District 64 license plate to the newly elected representative for the district; however, the plate is a 2022-2024 issue, which means it belongs to Rep. Colleen Madigan, whose term expired on Dec. 5, 2024. We regret the error. A term-limited Waterville representative was caught taking advantage of her potentially expired legislative plates — and the slim design on her Chevy Spark — to slip into a “No Parking” zone over the weekend. Rep. Colleen Madigan (D-Waterville) Ex-Rep. Colleen Madigan, a Democrat from Waterville, who was just term-limited out of…

As Maine continues to struggle with how to confront the sprawling networks of Chinese criminal organizations that have taken the state’s medicinal and black-market marijuana business, two men have been arrested in New York on bank fraud charges connected to the illegal cannabis conspiracy. Yuantong Liang, 36, and Yongliang Deng, 34, both described as U.S. citizens, were taken into custody in New York on Thursday following their indictment by a federal grand jury in Maine, according to a report from the Bangor newspaper. https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1866559025300517063 [RELATED: Triad Weed: How Chinese Marijuana Grows Took Over Rural Maine…] The men face multiple charges…

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), embroiled in serial controversies related to its overtly political and unethical conduct, has found time to chase down the real threat to Americans’ safety and security: Barstool Sports’ podcast host Kirk Minihane. Minihane, host of the eponymously named and thrice-weekly podcast, the Kirk Minihane Show, revealed on Thursday that he’d received a phone call from a Lexington Police Department detective who said he was investigating a tip that Minihane had threatened a Florida health care executive. The Lexington PD gumshoe, in Minihane’s telling, said the alleged threat was made on his podcast (it wasn’t)…

The U.S. government has executed the fourth “large-frame charter removal flight” returning Chinese illegal aliens to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in less than six months, the Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday. The Dec. 9 flight carried Chinese nationals who had no lawful basis to remain in the United States. Illegal immigration by Chinese nationals has increased exponentially during the Biden Administration, with a record 78,701 Chinese nationals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally in FY 2024, according to DHS data. In 2022, that number was just 27,756, growing to 52,700 in 2023. For comparison, DHS data shows…

A new trend sweeping Maine schools has parents concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding medical treatments — including sex-change related treatments and mind-altering prescription drugs — their children might be receiving without their knowledge or consent. The latest battleground is the Gardiner area school system, where school officials are looking to create a so-called “school-based clinic” — that is, a fully functional medical office colocated with a public school. Maine School Administrative District 11, which includes Gardiner, West Gardiner, Pittston, and Randolph, is currently reviewing a contract that would create medical office within the schools capable of prescribing drugs…

Despite the hysteria over rising sea levels, allegedly caused by anthropogenic global warming, a comparison of satellite imagery of some of Maine’s most iconic coastal communities shows virtually no change in the coastline. The lack of sea level rise, however, hasn’t stopped the flood of apocalyptic predictions. The most recent comes from Newsweek this Sunday, a hyperventilating story based on predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to those predictions, New England can expect an increase in sea levels of between 10 to 12 inches over the next five decades. Newsweek somberly conveys this news with the…

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) announced Thursday the arrests of six individuals on drug trafficking charges, including two foreign nationals from the Dominican Republic. The arrests followed a coordinated execution of two search warrants early Wednesday morning, according to Maine State Police spokesperson Shannon Moss. The operation resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs, firearms, and suspected drug proceeds. The arrests include: Adrian Batson (60) — Charged with Class B Unlawful Trafficking of Fentanyl; bail set at $50,000 cash. Juancel Ledesma Pujols (20) of the Dominican Republic — Charged with Class A Aggravated Trafficking of Fentanyl, aggravated due to…

A Maine family developed unusual respiratory symptoms after touring a Monmouth home that had previously been used as an illicit Chinese marijuana grow. Unbeknownst to the family, the home had only been listed for sale after it was exposed by the Maine Wire as a former unlicensed cannabis grow and an active shipping hub for Chinese-made pesticides and fungicides. The property, located at 254 Academy Road in Monmouth, was placed for sale shortly after the Maine Wire published an Aug. 29 story identifying it as part of an illegal Chinese drug trafficking network with ties to California. According to a…

Maine Democrats confirmed their nominees for Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and State Auditor on Wednesday, with Republican only nominating alternative candidates for AG and Secretary of State. Following the votes taken by a unicameral body State Senators and State Representatives, Attorney General Aaron Frey, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and State Auditor Matt Dunlap will continue on in their posts. State Rep. Joe Perry of Bangor will assume the role of State Treasurer after beating out former Gorham representative Maureen Terry to replace Henry Beck. Republican lawmakers offered no alternative candidates for State Auditor or State Treasurer…

There’s a special place in hell for fraudsters who target the elderly, but for 39-year-old Sohil Usmangani Vahora, of Des Plaines, Illinois, federal prison will have to suffice. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the legal permanent resident from India has been sentenced to nearly 16 years in federal prison for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar telemarketing scam that targeted predominantly elderly victims across the United States. Vahora pleaded guilty in October 2023 to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Vahora to 188 months in prison, followed…

The FBI and Maine State Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Stefanie Damron, a 14-year-old girl from New Sweden, Maine, who has been missing since September 24, 2024. Authorities announced a reward of up to $15,000 on Monday for information that leads to her safe return or the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in her disappearance. Damron was last seen walking into the woods near her home on West Road. She was wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeved blue shirt, and black Harley Davidson hiking boots. She is described as a white female with green eyes and shoulder-length…

Black Friday is typically a day when normal people relax with family and watch as hordes of materialistic zombies storm big-box stores to trample one another and get into fistfights over the latest flat-screen television. But this year is special. This year is special because the Kirk Minihane Show has offered perhaps the single greatest t-shirt ever sold as part of Barstool’s legendary Black Friday stream-a-thon. This magnificent artwork, for the uninformed, is inspired by the penultimate scene of “Triad Weed: How Chinese Mafia Infiltrated Maine,” which premiered in September at the Saco Drive-In Theater. Click here to get the…

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey (D), facing a surprise challenge from the left-wing District Attorney of Kennebec County and still reeling from a sexual misconduct scandal that embroiled his office last year, has come up with a plan to shore up his support among Democratic lawmakers. He’s going to sue “Big Oil.” Frey announced the last ditch effort to preserve his progressive street credentials in a press release this week. [RELATED: 8-Month Long “Error in Judgement” – Maine AG Aaron Frey Caught in Sex Scandal…] The litigation, at least as Frey’s office describes it, would be a sweeping case against…

Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP) has for the first time released documents related to its investigations into marijuana operators who have fallen afoul of the agency and had their licenses revoked. The documents, which the Maine Wire has been pursuing for more than a year, offer a glimpse at how the cannabis regulatory agency has tried — and failed — to grapple with the scope of Asian transnational organized crime in Maine. The records show that the OCP has barely scratched the surface of the massive criminal networks surrounding the 270 illegal Chinese marijuana grows that the U.S. Department…

The Maine Wire has obtained a copy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s list of 270 properties in Maine that federal law enforcement believes are affiliated with Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations. Additionally, we’ve obtained records from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy that show, in a few limited cases, that the agency has revoked cannabis licenses acquired under the names of out-of-state operatives who are or were part of the illegal Chinese grows. At the same time, we have obtained Maine law enforcement records that show the Maine State Police have been aware of the activities of “Chinese gangs…

Bangor horror writer Stephen King’s perplexing attempt at music-making surfaced this week on X, and users were quick to react with acid tongues and mockery, with one user comparing King to their imaginary “elderly, liberal, lesbian, Subaru-driving aunt who owns a bakery for cats and dabbles in music.” https://twitter.com/JebraFaushay/status/1861571440761356608 The bizarre video of King bebopping at an undisclosed musical venue spawned a host of jokes at the horror novelist’s expense. https://twitter.com/MaineLogic/status/1861614713882186015 https://twitter.com/JamesPleickhar2/status/1861591098226839623 This isn’t the first time King, a New York Times best-selling author and literary icon, has conjured comments about his resemblance to someone’s aunt. In April, a viral…

As Maine Wire reporter Edward Tomic detailed on Friday, agents from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) have ordered longtime poultry farmers Scott and Tracy Greaney to destroy 300 turkeys or else face ruinous financial penalties. The Greaney Family Farm, in operation for more than 30 years, has never had this kind of trouble before. This year, however, DACF agents have decided that the Greaneys should destroy the birds or else face fines worth nearly $30,000. The DACF claims that the Greaneys have run afoul of labeling and licensure requirements, which necessitates the wonton destruction of enough…

A Franklin County man who was charged in an alleged marijuana conspiracy is taking his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the federal investigation into his licensed cannabis business has raised profound constitutional questions about the limits of governmental power. A federal grand jury indicted Lucas Sirois, 44, of Farmington, and his now-ex-wife Alisia in 2021. The indictment was based on federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents’ theory that he was the kingpin of a sprawling black-market marijuana conspiracy that had earned millions of dollars through out-of-state sales. The alleged out-of-state sales form the foundation of the federal…

Tom’s of Maine — a popular toothpaste brand celebrated for it’s use of all-natural ingredients — has violated federal rules around the safety and hygiene of facilities that produce food, drugs, and cosmetics, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for fail During a recent inspection, the Tom’s of Maine manufacturing facility, located in Sanford, was found to be out of compliance with the required rules for “methods, facilities, or controls for manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding” involved in toothpaste production. The news emerged from a Nov. 5 warning letter from the FDA. The letter, addressed to Colgate-Palmolive’s…