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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

ME: Children's

It is estimated that Mainers facing hunger would need a total of $97,584,000 more income per year to adequately meet their food needs, according to Feeding America. (Adobe Stock)
Maine food banks meet growing demand as Farm Bill lags

Food banks in Maine are struggling to keep up with demand as the Farm Bill remains stalled in Congress. The bill is renegotiated every five years …

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Latino children in Maine fare better than their peers nationwide, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation report. An estimated 70% of Latino children in Maine live in families with incomes at or above 200% of the poverty line, compared to 47% of Latino children nationally. (Adobe Stock)<br />
Report finds gaps in child well-being persist across Maine

Children of color in Maine fare relatively well compared to their peers nationwide, but gaps in child well-being persist - according to a new report…

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Second-graders in South Portland are designing their own Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons to take part in a popular lesson based on the children's book,
Beyond book checkouts, ME librarians teach “digital citizenship”

School librarians in Maine are teaching students the importance of "digital citizenship." The concept is similar to civics education but helps stude…

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Mainers offered family insurance plans through their workplace that cost more than 9.12% of the total family income may qualify for more affordable healthcare coverage through the health insurance marketplace. (Adobe Stock)
MaineCare Recipients Urged to Update Forms to Ensure Coverage

Public health advocates are working to ensure Medicaid recipients in Maine continue to have health care coverage as pandemic-era policies have ended…

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Teachers could use the new Maine Climate Hub to teach students about the  Gulf of Maine, which is considered one of the fastest-warming ocean regions on the planet. (Adobe Stock)
ME Students Benefit from New Climate Change-Related Education Tool

Educators in Maine will have a new online resource this school year to help them teach what they say is one of the most challenging subjects: climate …

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Care provided by millions of unpaid family caregivers across the United States was valued at $600 billion in 2021, a $130 billion increase in unpaid contributions since 2019, according to AARP. <br />(Adobe Stock)
Mainers Celebrate Passage of Paid Family Medical Leave Program

After years of grassroots advocacy, Maine will become the 13th state in the nation to adopt a mandatory paid family and medical leave program…

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90 percent of middle and high schools and 84 percent of elementary schools were providing a device for every student, according to a March 2021 Education Week survey of school leaders. (Adobe Stock)
Education Advocates Say Expired Chromebooks Teach Kids the Wrong Lesson

Education advocates say pending expiration dates for Google Chromebooks teach kids the wrong lesson about technology. Software on thirteen models …

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A study by the American Institutes for Research showed children who participated in outdoor education programs raised their science test scores by 27%. (Adobe Stock)
Outdoor Education Key to Improving Health of Students, Planet

Congressional lawmakers are considering a bill to help improve the environmental literacy of America's students. Dubbed the "No Child Left Inside …

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Maine ranks first in the nation for having the lowest percentage of children in families where the head of household lacks a high school diploma, at 4%, compared to the national rate of 11%, according to a new report. (Adobe Stock) <br />
ME Parents Struggle with Lack of Affordable, Accessible Child Care

CLARIFICATION: Percentages of students' reading and math scores were clarified. (12:46 p.m. MDT, June 14, 2023) Maine ranks 12th in the nation on …

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From 2008 to 2021, Maine saw a sharp decline in the number of licensed child care providers operating in the state, with Lincoln County alone experiencing a 61% decrease. (Adobe Stock)
Training Underway to Eliminate 'Child Care Deserts' in Maine

A community-development nonprofit is helping to counter the sharp decline in child care providers in Maine by offering the training needed to start an…

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Immigrants make up 3% of Maine's total population and 4% of Maine's workforce, including more than 2% of Maine's self-employed business owners, according to the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />
Lawmakers Consider Expansion of MaineCare to All Immigrant Adults

Lawmakers in Maine are considering a bill to expand MaineCare to all low-income residents, regardless of immigration status. LD 199 would ensure …

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 8% in early 2022, with 5.2 million people having gained coverage since 2020. (Adobe Stock)
End of Public Health Emergency Brings Changes to Mainers' Medicaid Coverage

Public health advocates are working to ensure Medicaid recipients in Maine continue to have health-care coverage once pandemic-era policies end this s…

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