WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security has released the following public communication dated Feb. 26, 2025, from Aroostook Unmanned Aerial Services, Saint Agatha, Maine, Chief Pilot John A. Mazo: * * * To: Marc Coldiron U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security 1401 Constitution Ave NW Washington, D.C. 20230 Subject: Response to ANPRM RIN 0694-AJ72 - Aroostook Unmanned Aerial Services * * * Aroostook Unmanned Aerial Servi  more

PORTLAND, Maine, March 6 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine issued the following news release: * * * California Man Sentenced to 11 1/2 Years for Role in California-to-Maine Drug Trafficking Alex Hanna, others trafficked drugs mailed from Calif. to Downeast Maine BANGOR, Maine: A California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Alex   more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * Doggett, Van Hollen Renew Effort to Curb Foam Container Pollution to Protect Our Environment, Public Health Contact: Alexis Torres (link sends email) (Doggett) | Francesca Amodeo (link sends email) / Matt Slavoski (link sends email) (Van Hollen) WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) reintroduced the Farewell to Foam Act, bicameral l  more

WASHINGTON, March 7 (TNSFR) -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an extension of the public comment period for the Draft Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the continued operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico. Issued by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the EIS evaluates potential environmental impacts of ongoing and future activities at the laboratory, which plays a critical role in nuclear research, nati  more

WASHINGTON, March 7 (TNSFR) -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has released a final environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing the licensing and amendment proposals for multiple hydroelectric projects on the Kennebec River in Maine. The EIS evaluates the Shawmut Hydroelectric Project's license application, along with proposed species protection plans for the Lockwood, Hydro-Kennebec, and Weston hydroelectric projects. These projects, located in Kennebec and Somerset countie  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Golden reintroduces PRO Act to protect workers' right to organize WASHINGTON - Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) last night reintroduced H.R. 20, the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (link is external), a comprehensive proposal to protect workers' right to bargain collectively for higher wages, better benefits and safer workplaces. The American people's support for unions i  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Golden, colleagues introduce John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act WASHINGTON -- Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today reintroduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act along with other lawmakers in the House. The bill would protect the right to vote by preventing discriminatory or overly restrictive voting laws at the state level. "John Lewis once said that the right to vote is the most   more

AUGUSTA, Maine, March 6 -- Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, issued the following news: * * * Governor Mills Statement on President's Decision to Delay Tariffs Governor Janet Mills today issued the following statement in response to the president's announcement that he will delay tariffs on Canada and Mexico until April: "The president's broad tariffs on our major trading partners will increase prices for Maine people and businesses and cause havoc to our economy. While today's temporary tariff re  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * Heinrich: "Trump and Musk's Public Lands Firings a Disaster" VIDEO Heinrich heard from fired public lands employees and a New Mexico small business owner about the impacts of Trump and Musk's mass firings WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, along with U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of th  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has released the following public communication dated Feb. 28, 2025, from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: * * * HUD Request for Information Regarding Resilience Measures and Insurance Coverage FROM: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy * * * We appreciate HUD issuing a request for information regarding resilience measures and insurance coverage and providing an opportunity to weigh in on this critical and timely c  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: * * * ICE arrests Chinese citizen charged with sex trafficking PORTLAND, Maine - An unlawfully present Chinese national charged with sex trafficking now faces removal to China after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation. Tian Tao, 54, a citizen of China, was arrested by Rockland Police and ICE for sex trafficking violations and entered ICE  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: * * * Kaine, Britt, Carbajal, Lawler Lead Introduction of Bipartisan, Bicameral Proposal to Make Child Care More Affordable WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Katie Britt (R-AL) and U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) introduced the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act --bipartisan, bicameral legislati  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * King Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Make it Easier for Rural Veterans to Access Health Care WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), are introducing legislation aiming to help veterans in rural areas get transportation to health care  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * King: Congress's Inability to Pass Spending Bills Harms National Security WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King questioned three witnesses about the adverse impact of the Republican-led House and Senate not passing annual federal spending bills on military capability and production. During the hearing, Senator King spoke with Da  more

AUGUSTA, Maine, March 7 -- Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey issued the following news release on March 6, 2025: * * * Attorney General Aaron M. Frey and Multistate Coalition Secure Court Order Blocking Trump Administration from Freezing Federal Funds AUGUSTA - Attorney General Aaron M. Frey and a coalition of 22 other attorneys general today won a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration to block its illegal policy that would freeze funding for essential federal agency grants,  more

AUGUSTA, Maine, March 7 -- Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Aaron M. Frey Secures Nationwide Preliminary Injunction Against Trump Administration for Defunding Medical and Public Health Innovation Research AUGUSTA - Attorney General Aaron M. Frey and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general have secured a nationwide preliminary injunction in Massachusetts v. NIH. The order prevents the Trump Administration, the Department of Health an  more

PORTLAND, Maine, March 7 -- Maine Policy Institute issued the following news release: * * * Maine Education Initiative & Maine Girl Dads Urge MPA to Amend Policy for Female Athletes' Safety and Fairness AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Education Initiative, a project of Maine Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Maine Girl Dads coalition, has released a formal letter urging the Maine Principals' Association (MPA) to amend its Gender Identity Participation Policy to ensure fairness and safet  more

PORTLAND, Maine, March 4 -- Maine Policy Institute issued the following news release: * * * New Analysis Quantifies Costs of Local Regulations on Maine's Housing Market Burdensome rules stifle housing development and must be eliminated to ensure availability and affordability in Maine's housing market AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine Policy Institute today released Under Construction: Fixing Maine's Self-Imposed Housing Crisis, its newest publication which quantifies the costs of local zoning and lan  more

PORTLAND, Maine, March 6 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine issued the following news release: * * * New Hampshire Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Sell Stolen Government Property Christopher Hagan, formerly of North Berwick, received items from an employee of a national defense contractor and employees of the Defense Logistics Agency PORTLAND, Maine: A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to transport stolen propert  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, issued the following news release: * * * Padilla, Colleagues to Trump Administration: Ensure Legal Representation for Children in Immigration System WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, demanded the Trump Administration protect Congressionally mandated legal representation for unaccompanied children in the immigration system. The letter comes in respons  more

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Corey Hinton, on behalf of Passamaquoddy Tribe Chief William Nicholas Sr., from a Feb. 25, 2025, public witness hearing on funding for tribal law enforcement, family and child services and fish and game services: * * * Chair Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree and Members of the Subcommittee, my name is Corey Hinton, and I am here to testify on behalf of Wi  more

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Penobscot Indian Nation Chief Kirk Francis from a Feb. 25, 2025, public witness hearing on fiscal 2026 budget for the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency and Indian Health Service: * * * On behalf of the Penobscot Nation, thank you for providing me with the opportunity to testify on the Fiscal Year 2026 budget for the Interior Departmen  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Senator Collins Announces that Department of Commerce has Agreed to Renegotiate Maine Sea Grant Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the Department of Commerce has agreed to renegotiate funding for Maine Sea Grant. At the urging of Senator Collins, Secretary Lutnick is directing NOAA to renegotiate the terms and conditions of the work to be performed by Maine Sea Grant  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Senator Collins Questions NIH Director Nominee on Cap on Indirect Research Costs Click here to watch and here to download video of Senator Collins' questioning. Washington, D.C. - At a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Senator Susan Collins questioned Dr. B  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, issued the following news release: * * * Senators Marshall and Moran Introduce Legislation to Lower Interest Rates for Farmers and Rural Communities Washington - U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) today introduced the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act. This legislation allows community banks to administer agricultural real estate loans by granting them tax exempt status on earned intere  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Senators Merkley, Heinrich, King Join Illegally Fired Federal Workers to Stress Dangers of Public Lands Staffing Shortages ***VIDEO FROM ROUNDTABLE HERE *** Washington, D.C. - Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Senate Energy and Natural Resources National   more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, issued the following news release: * * * Sens. Moran, King Lead Reintroduction of Legislation to Expand Access to Capital for Farmers & Rural Communities WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Angus King (I-Maine), Roger Marshall M.D. (R-Kan.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) today reintroduced the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act. This legislation would benefit American   more