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QUOTE OF THE DAY
— MSAD 20 Superintendent Melanie Blais on an anti-bullying dance performance at Fort Fairfield Middle High School that conservative influencer Libs of TikTok later seized upon to drum up an online moral panic, claiming the school was “grooming” students.
TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Here’s how Maine’s new “millionaire tax” will work. Maine is a second-home getaway for many millionaires but has few of its own compared with other states that have adopted similar taxes.
We fact-checked the dark-money election ads about Susan Collins. Most don’t mention the U.S. Senate race directly but focus on kitchen-table issues urging viewers to either thank Collins or tell her to change gears.
Bangor extended the contract of a group that collected nearly 8,000 littered syringes. The Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness program has become increasingly relevant amid an HIV outbreak and the city’s ongoing struggle to the homeless and drug addicts.
A Maine school hosted an anti-bullying dance team. Libs of TikTok called it “grooming.” Commenters tagged the U.S. Department of Justice and called Maine a “demonic” state. Some encouraged violence against one of the dancers.
Maine lawmakers have extended a tax credit that will keep thousands of apartments affordable. The bill, approved by Gov. Janet Mills last week, pushes the end date of the Maine Affordable Housing Income Tax Credit to Dec. 31, 2036.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
A Winslow man with disabilities is missing
Midcoast dress giveaway ensures no one is priced out of prom
Saint Albans man hospitalized after hit-and-run outside of his home
Federal government terminates contracts with Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers unions
Ellsworth will pay $19K to demolish a home gutted by a 2023 fire
Maine fisherman left disabled after boat ran aground sues captain for negligence
Bangor wedding caterer who left newlyweds hanging must pay restitution
One of the most famous views in American art is now open to the public
Rockland sets referendum asking citizens to approve affordable workforce housing funds
Police justified in shooting Wilton man who pointed pellet gun during standoff
Sudden snow flurries blow through Bangor
Major monthlong road detour in Hancock County starts today
Judy Camuso has been named 1st woman in history to lead Maine Audubon
This Puritan tradition to appease God’s wrath became a Maine holiday
Main Street in Bangor will be reduced to one-lane traffic this week
MAINE IN PICTURES
High school students try on prom dresses at the Cinderella Project of Maine’s annual dress giveaway on Saturday in Searsport. Credit: Bridget Huber / BDN
FROM THE OPINION PAGES
“We need to stop asking how to make private insurance more affordable and start asking how we can build a system that bypasses insurance and prioritizes human health over shareholder dividends.”
Opinion: I lived and worked with universal health care. It works and it’s less expensive.
LIFE IN MAINE
An Aroostook border collie stars in several children’s books written by his owner and pet therapy partner.
Volunteers used radar to find sentry dog remains at the former Loring Air Force Base.
UMaine star Adrianna Smith signed with an Australian professional basketball league.