The Trump administration issued a rule Friday that sharply limits the Affordable Care Act’s contraception coverage mandate, a move that could mean many American women would no longer have access to birth control free of charge. The new regulation, issued by the Health and Human Services Department, allows a much broader group of employers and […]
politics
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
New policy strengthens claims of religious freedom violations over LGBT protections
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions WASHINGTON (AP) — In an order that undercuts federal protections for LGBT people, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a sweeping directive to agencies Friday to do as much as possible to accommodate those who claim their religious freedoms are being violated. The guidance, an attempt to deliver on President Donald Trump’s […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Northern Maine voters back Susan Collins despite spats with LePage and Trump
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine is surrounded by reporters in July 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins says she is poised to announce by next week whether she will run for governor in 2018. Her extended “to run or not to run” drama continues to draw breathless scrutiny in Maine and national […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
NRA supports push to regulate 'bump stocks'
WASHINGTON — The National Rifle Association has joined an effort to restrict a device that was used to accelerate gunfire in the Las Vegas massacre, after the White House and top Republicans signaled a willingness to debate the issue in response the tragedy. “In Las Vegas, reports indicate that certain devices were used to modify […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Democrats target Bruce Poliquin in new advertising blitz
Democrats are taking aim at Maine’s two-term Republican congressman, Bruce Poliquin, with an advertising blitz that got underway Thursday. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee assailed Poliquin and 10 other GOP lawmakers it considers vulnerable in the wake of a House vote in May for a failed health care overhaul that critics said would have stripped […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
What do Maine Trump voters think now?
The crowd cheers Donald Trump as he makes a campaign stop at the Open Door Bible Baptist Church’s Christian Academy during an October 2016 rally in Lisbon. Maine’s 2nd Congressional District did something no place else in the Northeast did in 2016 by giving Donald Trump an electoral vote. That Electoral College vote — the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Digital court records task force wants to restrict public access
As Maine undergoes a $15 million project to digitize its court records, open-access advocates are criticizing a task force recommendation that would limit some court files to lawyers and involved parties — forcing anyone else to physically travel to a local courthouse to view the same public records. “The public does not benefit from a […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Anti-casino campaign launches website attacking developers' background
Opponents of a Nov. 7 ballot question that will ask voters to approve a casino in York County have gone on the offensive, launching a blistering campaign website Wednesday that attacks “Shady Shawn,” a reference to Shawn Scott, the Las Vegas casino developer who would benefit from the project. The website, wickedshady.com calls into question the ethics […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Rex Tillerson denies he wanted to quit or called Trump a moron
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson leaves his office to make a statement to reporters at the State Department in Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017. WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared Wednesday he never considered resigning as President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, disputing what he called “erroneous” reports that he wanted to step […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Business groups split on Medicaid expansion referendum
Business groups in Maine have sharply diverging positions on the Nov. 7 referendum to expand Medicaid, with some viewing it as a source of economic benefits and others as a precursor to a tax increase. Still others are undecided. The contrasting views were apparent Tuesday when the Maine Small Business Coalition, which claims to have […]