WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- The American Action Forum issued the following commentary on Jan. 8, 2026: * * * Virginia's New Data Center Electricity Rate Class By Shuting Pomerleau and Irene Ko Executive Summary * Virginia's State Corporation Commission (SCC) has approved a new electricity rate for large-scale customers, notably artificial intelligence (AI) data centers; starting in January 2027, affected customers must pay for at least 85 percent of contracted distribution and transmission demand  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release: * * * CAIR Welcomes Senate Vote Advancing Bill Requiring Congressional Approval for More Attacks on Venezuela * The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a Senate vote advancing legislation that would force President Trump to seek congressional approval before taking any new milit  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Golden secures funding for Maine lobster industry, law enforcement in House appropriations package * WASHINGTON Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) voted today for a package of three appropriations bills Commerce-Justice-Science; Interior and Environment; and Energy and Water to fund part of the government through the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. The package, also known as a minibus, includes more than $  more

AUGUSTA, Maine, Jan. 8 -- Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, issued the following news: * * * Governor Mills Announces Bill to Create Economic Opportunities for the Wabanaki Nations to Become Law * LD 1164 authorizes the Wabanaki Nations to operate online gambling to support economic development and investments in Tribal communities Governor Janet Mills today announced her intention to allow LD 1164, An Act to Create Economic Opportunity for the Wabanaki Nations, to become law. The bill authorizes  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 8 [Category: BizConsulting] -- KBR, a provider of differentiated, professional services and technologies, issued the following news release: * * * KBR Research Psychologist on Space Missions Named to Forbes "30 Under 30" * When humankind next steps on the moon, and eventually on Mars, KBR's experts will have played a big part in making it happen. One of those experts is Morgan Stosic, a research scientist and psychologist, who was recently recognized as one of Forbes mag  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * King, Murkowski Criticize Trump Administration's Greenland Posturing * WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), co-chairs of the United States Senate Arctic Caucus, released the following statements following members of the Trump Administration's recent comments on Greenland. "America is an Arctic nation, and our strength for decades in the High North has bee  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- The Maine Coalition for North Atlantic Right Whales submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service urging withdrawal of several proposed rules that would revise how the Endangered Species Act is applied, arguing that the changes would weaken protections for imperiled wildlife, including the North Atlantic right whale. The coalition, which describes its mission as communicating science and facts to the public  more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Jan. 8 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release: * * * Maine Medical Center nurses overwhelmingly ratify three-year union contract * After nearly four months of bargaining, nurses at Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland voted last night to ratify a new union contract that provides many new safety measures for patients and nurses, among other improvements. This three-year agreement is the second contract for the MMC nurses since   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 [Category: Sociological] -- The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws posted the following news release: * * * Maine: Cannabis Sales Tax Hike Takes Effect * Augusta, ME: Sales taxes on the purchase of adult-use cannabis products rose nearly 30 percent on January 1, as new legislation took effect. Under the new tax law, which lawmakers approved last year, consumers must pay a 14 percent sales tax on adult-use marijuana products (up from 10 percent). Medic  more

ORONO, Maine, Jan. 8 -- The University of Maine posted the following news release: * * * New partnership trains UMaine graduate students, supports free services for children with dyslexia * Dyslexia is estimated to affect one in five people. For Kaycee Laffey, that means one in every five kids struggle to enter the magical world of books. "Reading can be an escape into a different reality," said Laffey, a University of Maine graduate student. "For some kids, it's really important to explor  more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Jan. 7 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release: * * * Northern Maine Medical Center nurses vote to keep their union * Registered nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC) in Fort Kent, Maine, voted tonight to re-certify their union formed in 2024, rejecting an NMMC management-backed attempt to dissolve their union. The nurses are members of Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), an a  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Pingree Secures $14.3 Million for Maine's 1st District * Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, today announced more than $14 million in Community Project Funding (CPF) for communities in Maine's First Congressional District. The funding, which was included in the "minibus" funding package that passed the House today, includes $12.3 million to  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release: * * * Senator Collins' Statement on Venezuela War Powers Resolution * WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement prior to her vote on the Venezuela War Powers Resolution offered by Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia: "Nicolas Maduro is a narco-terrorist and international drug trafficker whose actions led to the addiction and deaths of many Americans. He was an illegitimate   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: * * * Shaheen, Collins, Dexter, Lawler Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Help Clinicians Provide Care for Patients Exposed to PFAS * (Washington, DC) - U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Maxine Dexter, M.D. (D-OR-03) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) are introducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to better protect the health of Americans who hav  more