Public News Service

At least 55 of America's largest corporations paid no federal corporate income taxes in 2020, relying on the tax breaks preserved or expanded by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as well as the 2020 CARES Act tax breaks. (Adobe Stock)

ME legislation aims to uncover corporate tax avoidance

Maine lawmakers are considering legislation to require corporations to reveal the amount of state income taxes they pay. Supporters of the bill say …

The Atlantic herring is one of the most important fishery resources in Maine, supplying the primary bait used in its iconic lobster industry. It is also an important forage species for seabirds, marine mammals and a variety of larger fish species, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Anglers seek trawler buffer zone as Atlantic herring stock declines

Recreational fishermen in New England say commercial trawlers are threatening the survival of smaller businesses relying on a healthy stock of Atlanti…

Medicare Savings Programs help people with limited income and resources pay for some or all of their Medicare costs. Enrollment in these MSPs puts more than $2,000 back into the wallets of seniors and adults with disabilities each year, according to AARP Maine. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Supplemental budget puts Maine’s Medicare Savings Programs at risk

Some 30,000 Mainers could lose access to critical healthcare benefits under Gov. Janet Mills' proposed supplemental budget. The state legislature …

New survey data from Maine's Consumers for Affordable Health Care found two of three Mainers said they would have difficulty paying a $500 medical expense.(Adobe Stock)

ME survey shows support for transparent hospital prices, facility fee limits

A new survey reveals most Mainers support policies requiring medical providers to disclose their facility fees before they receive treatment…

Local and federal resources for Mainers who have been affected by the damaging storms that hit Maine on December 18, 2023, and January 10, 2024, are available through the Maine Emergency Management Agency by calling 1-800-452-8735. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Climate change, development threaten Maine’s working waterfronts

Reintroduced federal legislation aims to preserve Maine's iconic, working waterfronts still recovering from recent powerful storms. Strong winds and …

Consumer advocates say the growth of health care facility fees stems from an increasingly consolidated health care provider market, highly complex billing systems, and frequently inadequate health insurance coverage. (Adobe Stock)

Facility fees add to Mainers' growing concerns over medical debt

Maine lawmakers are calling for greater transparency in how hospitals and other health care centers charge so-called facility fees. A legislative …

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 …

More than 95% of Mainers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 84% of the state's population is considered fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Health misinformation online builds distrust in science, vaccines

Public health experts say the rapid spread of health misinformation online is contributing to a dangerous decline in vaccination rates. Surveys show …

Roughly half of U.S. adults report experiencing feelings of loneliness, making them more susceptible to fraud. Crime experts note that interventions to reduce social isolation among senior citizens in particular could reduce their chances of being scammed. (Adobe Stock)

Holidays, loneliness leave ME seniors vulnerable to online scams

It may be the season of goodwill, but advocates for the elderly say online financial scams only increase around the holidays. Conversations with a …

Twenty-seven states had a higher percentage of people with health insurance coverage in 2022 than in 2021. But Maine was the only state where the uninsured rate increased, up to 6.6% in 2022 from 5.7%, according to the Census Bureau. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Mainers get another chance at open enrollment for health coverage

Healthcare advocates in Maine say people who missed the most recent open enrollment deadline for healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act h…

The Maine Legislature has enacted laws to reduce the state's greenhouse-gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, and transitioning Maine's electricity use to 80% renewable energy by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

New heat-pump technology helps Maine reduce oil use, reach climate goals

A new report shows Maine is exceeding the home-heating goals set forth in its ambitious four-year climate plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions…

Maine voters soundly rejected a proposal to transfer the ownership of Maine's two largest privately-owned utilities to the public by a 2-1 margin as many voters expressed concern with the price to purchase the utilities' assets. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Post-election confusion remains regarding ME utility rates

The proposal to create a public owned electric power utility in Maine was defeated but the confusion surrounding electricity rates remains. A series …

According to a poll by the Climate and Community Project, 55% of Mainers believe utilities should be nonprofits, and 60% said they've experienced a power outage in the past few months. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Maine voters consider costs, climate in public utility amendment

An amendment on Tuesday's ballot in Maine to transfer ownership of the state's two private utilities to the public is considered a dead heat…

Health care experts said continued subsidies should help Mainers cope with a rise in insurance premiums on Maine's health care marketplace, which will increase by nearly 15% in 2024, according to the state Bureau of Insurance. (Adobe Stock)

Subsidies protect most Mainers from ACA insurance cost hikes

Health care premiums are increasing again under the federal Affordable Care Act, but experts said continued subsidies should protect most Mainers …

The Biden administration recently announced that Medicare will soon begin to negotiate prices for up to 60 drugs covered under Medicare Parts 'D' and 'B,' through a new program under the Inflation Reduction Act. (Adobe Stock)

First public hearing for Mainers on healthcare, drug costs

Maine's new Office of Affordable Health Care holds its first public hearing this week, and people are being strongly encouraged to participate…

The price of Enbrel, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, has increased by 701% since coming to market in 1998, and the price of Januvia, used to treat diabetes, has increased by 275% since 2006, according to AARP. (Adobe Stock)

Mainers Celebrate First Step in Lowering Medicare Drug Prices

Hundreds of thousands of Mainers are expected to benefit from the Biden Administration's recent announcement that it will begin drug price negotiation…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently allocated $300 million for projects that will increase land access for underserved farmers, including funding to restore lands into the hands of those who have been underserved. (Adobe Stock)

Cultivating Food and Community for Maine Immigrants

New immigrants in Maine are benefiting from an effort to improve access to traditional foods and farming practices. Presente! Maine, a Latino and …

ME Lawmaker Seeks Solution to 'Fast Fashion' Pollution

Democratic lawmakers are asking federal investigators to study the true cost of so-called fast fashion and its contribution to climate change…

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…

Around 65% of rural counties in the United States do not have psychiatrists, and more than 60% of rural Americans live in areas lacking mental-health providers, according to the Journal of Clinical and Translational Sciences. (Adobe Stock)

Broadband Funds Could Improve Mental Health Care in Rural ME

Health care providers in Maine hope an influx of federal dollars to expand high-speed internet service will improve access to mental health care in Ma…

In 2021, workers in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry experienced one of the highest fatal injury rates at 20 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers, compared to a rate of 3.6 deaths per 100,000 workers for all U.S. industries. (Adobe Stock)

ME Farmworkers Strive for Minimum Wage, Right to Unionize

Lawmakers in Maine are considering legislation to improve the wages and working conditions of thousands of farmworkers. Current law requires …

47% of Mainers who have hospital-related medical debt are not aware that hospitals in Maine are required to provide medically-necessary care for free to residents who meet certain income guidelines. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Majority of Mainers Concerned with Medical Debt, Rising Healthcare Costs

Most Mainers believe they are one medical emergency or illness away from financial disaster, according to a new survey. The non-profit Consumers …

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows highlighted the dangers of

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Maine Officials Cite Dangers of 'Intexticated Driving'

State leaders in Maine are calling attention to the growing number of fatalities on U.S. roads and highways due to distracted driving. The …

Since 1939, Maine has celebrated June as Maine Dairy Month. The event currently honors the 176 dairy farmers caring for 700,000 acres of critical farmland across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Grants Help ME Farmers, Processors Keep Milk Local

Dairy processors and farmers throughout Maine are eligible for grants to help them improve their operations as part of a growing movement to keep loca…

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…

The average annual pay for a fast-food worker in the U.S. is $27,040 a year, or approximately $13.00 an hour, according to ZipRecruiter. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Chipotle Pays Augusta, Maine Union Organizers for Labor Violations

Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle will pay workers at its former location in Augusta, Maine as part of a settlement over labor law violations…

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…

The walls, floor and roof of the BioHome3D are printed with a single continuous print path using the world's largest 3D printer, Ingersoll Masterprint, housed at the University of Maine. (U of Maine)

U of Maine Unveils World’s First 3D-Printed, Bio-Based Home

Engineers with the University of Maine say the successful construction of the world's first bio-based, 3D-printed house could help alleviate the …

Experts say about 15% of the cars with recalled airbags have not yet been repaired and may still be on the road. (evgenius1985/Adobe Stock)

Expert: Risk Grows for Exploding Recalled Airbags

It is a brand-new year, and consumer auto safety groups are hoping to avoid further deaths from faulty Takata air bags, by raising awareness about …

Starting in 2023, parents who are offered family health insurance at work may qualify for affordable health care coverage through the federal marketplace if premiums for that family plan cost more than 9.12% of their total family income. (Adobe Stock)

Maine Increases Rates of Children with Health Insurance

Federal funding during the COVID-19 public emergency helped to further reduce the number of uninsured children in Maine, but as pandemic-era dollars …

A 2020 Government Accountability Office report found the IRS had not revoked a hospital's nonprofit status on the basis of providing inadequate community benefits, or charity care, over the prior ten years. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Hospital Charity Care Could Help More Mainers Avoid Medical Debt

Maine requires its hospitals to provide medically necessary care to its residents at no charge as a condition of receiving tax-exempt status…

Maine has experienced the largest decline in the nation in its number of people without health insurance, falling from 8% in 2019 to 5.7% in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

'Family Glitch' Fix Means More Affordable Healthcare for Maine Families

CORRECTION: In second paragraph, people were deemed ineligible for subsidies to help pay their insurance premiums if they could get employer-…

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Maine experienced a 27% decrease in the estimated number of people without health insurance. But as of 2021, more than 77,000 Mainers were still uninsured. (Adobe Stock)

Maine’s Open Enrollment for ACA Insurance Begins Nov. 1

Maine continues to see the largest decreases in the number of people who are uninsured in recent years, and the trend is expected to continue as open …

In 2019, Maine passed a law requiring MaineCare to cover all pregnancy outcomes including abortion. (alexkoral/Adobe Stock)

ME to Protect Abortion Patients, Providers from Restrictive States

The legal status of abortion in various states is changing day-to-day with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but Maine is among those taking action to …

Proponents of a consumer-owned utility say as Maine works to improve the power grid, it is important to hold power companies in the state accountable. (Adobe Stock)

Campaign Gathers Signatures to Start Consumer-Owned Utility in Maine

A campaign in Maine is gathering signatures to replace the state's investor-owned energy grid with a consumer-owned utility. Central Maine Power (…

The price of meat has gone up 12.3% in the last year. (Fxquadro/Adobe Stock)

Report: Corporate Consolidation Seen as Major Driver of Inflation

Seven in 10 Americans view inflation as the most pressing issue facing the nation right now, and in Maine, a new report seeks to explore the causes…

Concerns over the cost of prescription drugs led 30% of Maine adults to not fill a prescription, cut pills in half or skip doses of their medicine. (Bonsales/Adobe Stock)

Maine AARP: Focus on Seniors This Legislative Session

With the Maine legislative session under way, advocates for older Americans say residents need action on issues from prescription-drug costs and …

During the COVID-19 medical emergency, Medicaid and Medicare are reimbursing telehealth at the same rate as in-person care. Beyond the pandemic, federal reimbursement parity remains uncertain. (Adobe Stock)

Social Worker: Telehealth Reimbursement Parity Critical for Future

AUGUSTA, Maine - The pandemic has revealed the benefits of telemedicine - but advocates are concerned that in Maine, some providers may not be able …

Around 72% of older Mainers live in communities without access to fixed- or flex-route public transportation services. (Satjawat/Adobe Stock)

Program to Give Rides for Non-Medical Errands to Eligible Seniors

AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Legislature has passed a bill to launch a pilot program to give eligible older residents and people with disabilities …

The Build America's Libraries Act, introduced in Congress last month, would upgrade state and tribal library infrastructure. (Tyler Olson/Adobe Stock)

Public Libraries: Funding "Critical" to Provide Community Services

MILLINOCKET, Maine -- Local libraries have adapted to offer critical services during the pandemic, from deploying mobile Wi-Fi hotspots to teaching …

The Maine Broadband Coalition says it's working to ensure that broadband speeds in rural areas of the state are comparable to speeds in urban areas. (Pxhere)

Crowd-Sourced Internet Speed Test Highlights Coverage Gaps

AUGUSTA, Maine - With so many people learning and working from home in the pandemic, the Maine Broadband Coalition is conducting a crowd-sourced …

This year, 85% of Mainers enrolled in ACA individual plans got financial help through the federal marketplace to lower their monthly premiums. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe)

ACA Enrollment Still Open, Despite Supreme Court Hearing

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Many lower-income Mainers are anxiously anticipating the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the future of the Affordable Care Act…

The Maine Legislature ended its session on March 17 due to COVID-19, also allowing Gov. Janet Mills to spend millions of dollars without specific legislative approval. (Wikipedia/Creative Commons)

Poll: More than 4 in 5 Mainers Want Legislature to Return

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Eighty-five percent of Maine voters want the state Legislature to return for a special session, according to a new survey. …

More than 21,000 people in Maine filed unemployment claims last week, a more than 3,000% increase over the prior week. More than one third of these claims came from the hospitality sector. (Michael M Stokes/Creative Commons)

Maine Renters Facing Eviction Threats Amid COVID-19

AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. Janet Mills said at a press conference this week she would not declare an eviction moratorium for the state of Maine, …

An estimated 100,000 Maine residents remain uninsured.(Wavebreak/iStockphoto)

Trump Administration Decides Against COVID-19 ACA Special Enrollment Period

AUGUSTA, Maine - Health care advocates are speaking out on the Trump administration's decision against a special enrollment period for the Affordable …

Nearly 2 million children age five and younger were missed in the 2010 census. (AdobeStock)

2020 Census: Maine's Kids Need Counted, Too

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Amid the chaos of the coronavirus pandemic, Maine families are being reminded about an important civic duty. Households now are …

It is currently illegal in Maine for public employees to strike, including teachers, but labor leaders in the state want to change that. (weaverphoto/Creative Commons)

Focus of Maine AFL-CIO Lobby Day: Right to Strike, Fair Contracts

AUGUSTA, Maine -- The Maine chapter of the AFL-CIO has its annual Lobby Day at the State House Thursday. The group will be advocating for a number …

Seafood is Maine's top export, and it's mostly lobster. The Maine International Trade Center says 14% of these exports go to China. (Gary Cassel/Pixabay)

How New USMCA, China Trade Deals Might Impact Maine

PORTLAND, Maine - President Donald Trump signed the United States/Mexico/Canada Agreement this week - and it could have some impact on Maine as …

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