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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I stopped having suicidal ideation. For the first time in decades, I was hopeful. I was able to feel joy.”

— Cecilia Corey, an Air Force veteran, speaking to Maine lawmakers in support of a proposal to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

The latest round of Trump administration cuts blew another hole in Maine’s budget. Maine lawmakers were already facing tricky decisions on what to add to an $11.3 billion budget before adjourning in June.

A Democratic-leaning town is among Maine’s first to pursue a deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The decision in Wells came just days after a Democratic state lawmaker submitted a bill to ban Maine police from partnering with the federal agency.

Here’s what Maine can expect as Donald Trump’s tariff day approaches. Everything from electricity bills to beer prices to summer tourist throngs could be affected.

Local codes kept a developer from building more housing at an old Brewer vacuum shop. It’s an example of common rules that are making it harder to build housing in the parts of Maine that need it most.

Ellsworth’s hospital is bracing for more births as other delivery units close. Northern Light’s Maine Coast Hospital is hiring more staff to accommodate the increase in births it expects this summer.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

A painting of United States and Canadian flags on a window of a business on Main Street in Calais. Amid the trade war between the countries, local businesses say many Canadians are no longer making the trip across the border. Credit: David Ledford / Spectrum News

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

A few hundred people rallied outside of the Maine State House on March 15, 2025, to oppose Maine’s current policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls and women’s sports. Credit: Kevin Miller / Maine Public

“The same people attacking me have nothing to say about the young girls losing out on scholarships, opportunities and records they’ve spent their lives working for. Where is the concern for them? Where is the recognition of their humanity?”

Rep. Laurel Libby: I won’t stop fighting for fairness in girls’ sports

LIFE IN MAINE

Eighteen Maine eateries are offering Girl Scout cookie concoctions this month. An Aroostook County coffee shop and breweries in Greater Bangor are among those taking part in the inaugural Girl Scout Cookie Palooza.

April 1 was a great day for hunters and anglers. Maine’s annual moose lottery opened Tuesday. It was the first day of open water fishing, and the list of the ponds and lakes in the state where ice-out has occurred is growing fast.