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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The jail sentences, which are short, do not deter them from being violent. The financial ramifications do not deter them. They find new partners. They start new relationships, and they repeat their behaviors unless there’s an opportunity for change and reflection.”

— Julia Davidson, advocacy director for Caring Unlimited, a York County educational program for abusive men that has reopened under new leadership after being shuttered for a year and a half.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

President Donald Trump’s Title IX lawsuit against Maine has national stakes. The gambit, announced Wednesday, may push the conservative Supreme Court to rule on his interpretation of the landmark anti-discrimination law and force Maine and the 22 other states with similar policies to change them.

Bangor’s federal homelessness adviser placed on leave by the Trump administration. Nate Cavanaugh, the new director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, emailed all agency staff Monday to announce they were being placed on leave.

A Maine program for abusive men reopened despite financial uncertainty. While the program was closed, options were limited for rehabilitating men convicted of one of Maine’s most rampant crimes.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks Wednesday morning during a news conference to announce that the administration is suing Maine at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington. She is accompanied by, from left, Riley Gaines, Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Credit: Jose Luis Magana / AP

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Credit: Leela Stockley / BDN composite

“After the cheers of the crowd have long died down and the trophies and ribbons have gathered dust on an athlete’s bedroom shelf, I would much rather celebrate the fact that all athletes, cisgender or not, are being raised in a society that affirms their right to peacefully live an authentic life among their peers.”

Opinion: We need to value acceptance of all students more than we value winning

LIFE IN MAINE

Show-stopping vocals carry a flawed production of “Big River” in Ellsworth. “Hunter Jones’ portrayal of Huckleberry Finn is pretty straightforward without much nuance until he opens his mouth to sing,” Judy Harrison writes.

Maine’s golf courses are gradually opening for the season. The Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor opens today, but it will be a little while longer for other courses.

Try one of these Bangor-area hikes. If you took a winter break, it’s time to dust off those hiking boots and get back on the trail.