AUGUSTA — A letter from Gov. Paul LePage that sharply criticized Sen. Nate Libby’s support for raising the age to buy cigarettes left the Lewiston Democrat smoking mad. The Republican governor called senators who overrode his veto of a measure that hiked the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 “hypocrites” for […]
politics
Posted inMaine, sj-web
State increases prices of low-end liquor despite protest
AUGUSTA — Brushing aside pleas for delay, the State Liquor & Lottery Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday to press ahead with plans to hike the price of 770 low-end liquors this fall. Hardest hit in terms of percent are the cheapest 50-milliliter bottles of spirits known as nips, which will see their price tags go up […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
North Korea says it won't give up nuclear weapons, entire US is within firing range
MANILA — North Korea spurned harsh new U.N. sanctions Monday and threatened to defend itself with nuclear weapons if necessary, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson repeated an offer to bargain with the outcast nation under the right circumstances. There was no sign at a major Asian security conference here that the sanctions hailed by […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
PAC with ties to China joins campaign for new southern Maine casino
AUGUSTA — A company apparently tied to China disclosed that it’s backing the campaign for a new Maine casino Monday — a move likely to frustrate state ethics watchdogs investigating millions in offshore dollars already dumped into the effort. The effort to get voters to approve a York County casino in the November election has been run […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Three budget deadlines loom for federal government
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration and Congress face a daunting set of budget-related deadlines in the coming weeks. Blowing them could upend global financial markets and cause a partial government shutdown. What you need to know about next month’s three-car pileup of must-do fiscal business, the prospects for resolution, and the consequences of failure: […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine makes $30,000 by selling voter information
AUGUSTA (AP) — While Maine officials have refused to share voter information with President Donald Trump’s Election Integrity Commission, the state has made more than $30,000 over the past two years selling voter information. The Portland Press Herald reports the state sold a list of registered voters for $2,200 to government agencies and political groups […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Paul LePage adds George Mitchell to his ‘sadly out of touch’ list
Maine Gov. Paul LePage, testifies during a House Natural Resources subcommittee oversight hearing on the Antiquities Act on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Gov. Paul LePage shot back at former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell on Friday for Mitchell’s defense of recent votes on the Affordable Care Act by U.S. Sens. Susan […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, sj-web
Judge dismisses Community Health Option’s $23 million lawsuit against feds
UPDATED 1:30 p.m.: LEWISTON — A federal court has ruled against Lewiston-based Community Health Options in its $23 million lawsuit against the federal government. But the head of Community Health Options called the decision “a temporary setback.” “We remain very confident in the merits of our case,” said CEO Kevin Lewis. Community Health Options, a nonprofit and the […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
For Poliquin, 'fresh' should include produce that's frozen, canned, pureed or dried
In a bid to “give our children greater access to healthy fruits and vegetables,” U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin aims to gut the government’s successful Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program by adding produce that’s frozen, canned, pureed or dried. The proposal would allow almost any form of fruits and vegetables to count under the initiative created […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
U.S. gains 209,000 jobs; unemployment rate falls to 4.3 percent
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added 209,000 jobs in July, a second straight month of robust gains that underscore the economy’s vitality as it enters a ninth year of expansion. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate slipped to 4.3 percent, matching a 16-year low first reached in May. Growth in Americans’ paychecks, however, remains […]