Today is Thursday. Temperatures will be in the mid-teens to low 30s from north to south, with cloudy skies throughout the state and a chance for scattered snow showers. Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.
Here’s the latest about the coronavirus in Maine
Eleven more Mainers died and another 701 coronavirus cases were reported across the state on Wednesday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The death toll now stands at 530. Check out our COVID-19 Tracker for more information.
Coronavirus outbreaks that began this month at long-term care facilities in Bangor and Dexter have infected more than 130 people and killed three, as such facilities continue to be the sites of major outbreaks 10 months into the pandemic.
Joe Biden sworn in as 46th President of the United States
Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, declaring that “democracy has prevailed.” He swore the oath of office to take the helm of a deeply divided nation and inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.
Kamala Harris was sworn in as the nation’s first female vice president — and the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold the role — in front of the U.S. Capitol by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
PLUS: Maine’s top political voices heralded a “new day” in America as the Democrat was sworn in Wednesday.
What Joe Biden’s coronavirus, immigration and climate proposals mean for Mainers
After taking office on Wednesday, President Joe Biden was set to advance a series of proposals on the coronavirus pandemic, climate and immigration that would have wide and immediate effects across the country and in Maine.
PLUS: The new Democratic president also plans to ask the Department of the Interior to reassess a rule change that allowed commercial fishing at a marine conservation area in the Gulf of Maine.
PLUS: Biden is putting forth a national COVID-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing, reopen schools and businesses and increase the use of masks — including a requirement that they be worn for travel.
How outside CEOs like one dubbed ‘Chainsaw’ drove the Maine paper industry’s collapse
Wall Street greed drove the collapse that saw the industry shrink from more than 32,000 jobs in 1967 to less than 7,000 today, according to Maine economist Michael Hillard.
Maine nursing home workers are less willing to get COVID-19 vaccine than residents
That trend could hamper efforts to prevent deadly outbreaks as vulnerable residents overwhelmingly accept the shots.
This brightly colored tropical bird is popping up in Maine this winter
That doesn’t mean the species is well-suited to survive here. Vagrant purple gallinules that do make it to Maine in the winter often end up perishing due to cold temperatures and lack of food.
Theater company takes over new space at Bangor Mall to teach puppetry
Some Imaginarium has turned the former Lane Bryant clothing store into a puppetry workshop.
2 does battle for dominance in this trail cam photo
Bucks obviously use their antlers to fight. Lacking antlers, does go with the kicks to assert their place on the social ladder.
Tell us how Maine’s rent relief program is working
As Maine looks to roll out that new program, we want to talk to tenants and landlords about how rental relief worked for you last year.
Court upholds Janet Mills’ 14-day quarantine for out-of-staters
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld Gov. Janet Mills’ rule issued early in the pandemic that requires out-of-staters visiting Maine to quarantine for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Maine Capitol Police chief’s deputy takes charge after uproar over social media posts
The Maine Capitol Police is being run by its second in command, prompting speculation that its embattled chief has been put on administrative leave after he promoted far-right falsehoods about masks and President Joe Biden’s election victory.
In other Maine news …
Affidavit: 11-year-old Auburn girl reported ‘voices’ telling her to kill family
Bus service not available for the Bangor schools that resumed in-person classes Wednesday
Trump grants clemency to Aroostook County man serving life sentence for marijuana smuggling
MPA, state to allow schools in ‘yellow’ counties to hold sports activities
Vacancies spike in Greater Portland as businesses give up space, workers stay home