QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I really wanted to understand what was wrong with me. Why do I not have this maternal instinct that everyone says exists in women? Why am I not drawn to having kids?”

— University of Maine professor Amy Blackstone on studying why fewer people are having kids. 

TODAY’S TOP MAINE STORIES

We asked five Maine politicians to reflect on their extreme remarks. Their reactions ranged from “shame on you” to a story of how one left politics altogether. The story is the first from our new Democracy Project series, which will examine how political polarization, cynicism and apathy is changing civic life in Maine. We want to know how you think polarization is changing civic life in Maine.

The Bangor Public Library has become a flashpoint in the city’s homelessness crisis. Despite prevalent negative social media posts about people who are homeless gathering there, parents at the library didn’t share those concerns, and attendance has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Aroostook’s former Air Force base is a tourism hub despite little marketing. It’s drawing thousands of former military personnel and others fascinated with the base’s historic sites and ties to the Cold War.

She didn’t want to have children. It turns out she was far from alone. A new study illuminates how fewer people plan to have kids. 

MAINE IN PICTURES

Adrienne Tomah of Bangor reads to her children Kendall King, 6, and Ezra King, 4, at the Bangor Public Library’s Childrens’ Department on July 18, 2024. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

“Let’s face it, the idea of just outlawing price increases to limit inflation has superficial appeal. But the Biden proposal should be dismissed for what it is, a clumsy election year attempt to attract some more votes for his party by appearing to quench inflationary fires that ironically Biden himself helped ignite.”

Opinion: Biden’s effort to bring housing price relief with rent controls is flawed

LIFE IN MAINE

It all started with a rotting dock. Lon Cameron and Tyler Kidder used their Maine ingenuity to make a new type of boat and start a small business around it.

The state’s wildlife department wants to balance the needs of hunters, recreationists and the moose herd. So if you spend any time in the Maine woods, you can help find that balance.

There’s nothing more beautiful than the mournful wail of loons on a lake or pond in Maine. In this video, you can hear two loons talking to each other at sunset.