Good morning. Temperatures will be in the low 60s throughout the state with some afternoon showers.
Here’s what’s happening in Maine today.
Demonstrators in Maine and DC are continuing to apply pressure to Susan Collins
–Sen. Susan Collins is one of two Republican senators undecided on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Approximately 50 sexual assault survivors and their supporters gathered in Portland Monday afternoon to urge Collins to vote against Kavanaugh — or at least to insist on an investigation into claims of sexual assault and misconduct against him.
Dozens of other demonstrators were arrested outside the senator’s office in the nation’s capital earlier in the day.
A visiting professor at a Maine college could not get into the US in time for the start of classes
–Varun Makhija, a visiting assistant professor of physics at Bowdoin College, has yet to teach a class this semester because new visa restrictions have kept him from entering the country. Makhija, who has lived in Ottawa, Canada, for four years doing research at the National Research Council, is from India and has Indian citizenship, but completed his post-secondary studies in the United States. The new restrictions for Indian citizens have delayed his entry into the U.S. He hopes to be on the Brunswick campus next week.
Here’s why no two apples taste exactly the same
–What sets apart the flavor of one apple from another? It’s subtle differences on the most minute of scales, experts say.
“As we bite into [apples] certain compounds are released from the flesh and become gaseous, thus making it easy to smell them [and] adding to the overall taste experience.”
Ex-wife of former Trump speechwriter and LePage aide countersues in defamation case
–David Sorensen’s ex-wife has countersued the former aide to Gov. Paul LePage and speechwriter for President Donald Trump, saying she will prove in court that her abuse allegations are true.
Sorensen in April sued Jessica Corbett in Massachusetts Superior Court seeking $4 million in a defamation lawsuit. He claims he was forced to resign his job at the White House after she told the Washington Post in a February interview that Sorensen had physically abused her during their three-year marriage, which ended in October 2017.
Hospitals around Maine will change their names next month
–Starting next month, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems will become Northern Light Health, and add the term “Northern Light” to many of its facilities. Thus Bangor’s Eastern Maine Medical Center will become Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and Acadia Hospital of Bangor will change to Northern Light Acadia Hospital.
The new names might be a mouthful, but they “reflect our integration as a system. Before it really was unrecognized,” Jonathan Hutter, Eastern Maine Healthcare System’s director of brand and marketing, said. “Now people can recognize the scope of the system.”
A former Jesuit priest with a long history of sexually abusing children has been put in prison
–James Talbot, who molested a 9-year-old boy in Freeport in the late 1990s, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and having unlawful sexual contact with a child under 14. The 80-year-old was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but three suspended, and was led away from the Portland courtroom in handcuffs to applause by more than 20 people in attendance, including the now-adult Freeport victim.
DA race in Hancock County gets testy over clerical job opening
–In what has been a tepid contest so far in the upcoming election for District Attorney of Hancock and Washington counties, the challenger in the race last week asked Hancock County commissioners not to fill a vacant clerical position in the office in the event that he wins in November.
The commissioners declined the request from challenger Steve Juskewitch and decided to hire the person recommended for the job by incumbent District Attorney Matthew Foster.
In other news…
Maine
Man who ran more than a dozen drug houses in Maine gets 10 years
‘There was a lot of hate mail’ — Internet buzzes over stoned Maine lobsters
Private island once owned by explorer Robert Peary put on the market
Bangor
Bangor’s new digital parking enforcement to begin next week
Bangor police arrest suspect in attempted burglary at local Vietnamese restaurant
Ex-manager settles discrimination lawsuit against lingerie store
Business
Midcoast oyster farm plans major expansion
New manager paints positive picture for Bangor Mall’s turnaround
A Maine man spent more than $100,000 to dredge for quahogs. Now the practice might be banned.
Politics
Judge rules against Maine district attorney candidate accused of sexual abuse
The race to lead the next Maine Legislature is heating up
Court seeks input on whether it should weigh tribal gaming
Opinion
Sexual assault is not youthful indiscretion or a problem of the 1980s
A sexual abuse prevention policy is an important first step for schools
Maine should stop cruel bear hunting practices
Sports
Red Sox beat Orioles 6-2 to clinch home field through playoffs
Pursuing a master’s degree and playing football is a good fit for this UMaine duo
UMaine evaluating injured QB daily to determine starting status
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