Articles – 2017

Sen. Collins’ vote on Republican tax plan risks her moderate reputation; The honeymoon’s over for those elated when she saved Obamacare – they fear the Senate has lost a voice for process and deliberation;  Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 24 December 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Federal judge orders voter fraud panel to give Dunlap documents; Maine’s secretary of state had sued the commission he serves on to compel it to hand over information enabling him to fully take part; Maine Sunday Telegram; MAINE & NEW ENGLAND; 24 December 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Can an Old Mill Town Become the Silicon Valley of Human Organ Manufacturing?; Inventor Dean Kamen thinks so, and the Pentagon is backing him up; Politico Magazine; WHAT WORKS; 18 December 2017; MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Bill to resolve issues around Acadia advances on Capitol Hill; If the bill passes, wormers and clammers will be guaranteed traditional harvesting rights on mudlflats in the national park; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE; 14 December 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. C2

Conflict erupts in Wiscasset over state’s decisions about Route 1 project; Detrimental implications for downtown parking and historic preservation have resulted
 in a snag over the DOT’s proposed fix to a persistent summertime bottleneck; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 10 December 2017, WISCASSET, MAINE, p. A1

Wiscasset sues state to block controversial Route 1 traffic project; The town asks a judge to prohibit the Department of Transportation from starting work until it complies with local regulations and reaches an agreement with the town on covering long-term costs; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE; 30 November 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. C1

George H.W. Bush’s legacy likely to survive serial groping allegations; Barring more serious claims, presidential scholars say sexual improprieties often fade in the larger historical context; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 26 November 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

State largely ignores role as seas grow more acidic; Despite a bipartisan recognition of a threat to Maine’s shellfish industry, leadership on the issue has fallen to a group of concerned volunteers;  Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 19 November 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Maine secretary of state seeks to force Trump voter fraud panel to keep him informed; Matthew Dunlap has already sued the commission and says he can’t participate if he’s shut out from information; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 17 November 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Bill to resolve problems in and around Acadia advances on Capitol Hill; A newly revised version of the bill, reflecting local input on issues like clammers rights, is scheduled for a hearing Nov. 15; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE; 10 November 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. C2

Maine secretary of state, a member of Trump voting commission, sues panel for information about its work; Democrat Matthew Dunlap contends that the commission’s chairman, Vice President Mike Pence, and vice chairman are excluding him and other members; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 10 November 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

No, the Divide in American Politics Is Not Rural vs. Urban, and Here’s the Data to Prove it; Within each of the 11 “nations” of the U.S., rural and urban voters behave very similarly — but very differently from voters in other regional cultures; Medium; BALKANIZED AMERICA, 8 November 2017

Acadia wormers, clammers, towns await congressional action to fix park boundary, marine harvesting issues; Legislation submitted by Sen. King and Rep. Poliquin to resolve several conflicts remains stalled on Capitol Hill; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 29 October 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Maine women among 5 to say former President George H.W. Bush groped them in photo shoots; The allegations threaten to tarnish the legacy of the 41st president, a summer resident of Kennebunkport; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 28 October 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Right whales could be extinct in less than 25 years, scientists warn after spate of deaths; Researchers meeting in Halifax put hopes on a technological fix for lobster traps; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 25 October 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Maine’s member of Trump voter fraud commission decries ‘vacuum of information’; Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap made the request after learning from the press that a staffer he’d never heard of had been arrested on child porn charges; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE; 19 October 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. C1

Matt Dunlap says he’s heard nothing from Trump voter fraud commission for a month; Initially open minded, Secretary of State Matt Dunlap has become the most critical member of the controversial panel; Portland Press Herald; LOCAL & STATE; 14 October 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Storm brews over New England’s national monument offshore; Looser restrictions advocated for the site by the U.S. Interior secretary split scientists and commercial fishing interests; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 8 October 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

With scathing letter, climate scientist from Maine quits Interior Department; Joel Clement, a policy expert who was reassigned to an accounting job after disclosing how climate change affects Native Alaskan communities, calls forInterior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s resignation; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 5 October 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

When debtors’ prisons in Maine flouted justice, Pine Tree emerged as a legal ally; The group that for 50 years has helped low-income Mainers and ended archaic practices in the state now faces cuts to federal funds; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 1 October 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

TD Bank paying compensation for shortchanging customers at coin counting machines; Most users will see just pennies from the class action lawsuit settlement; Portland Press Herald; BUSINESS; 23 September 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Congress set to reject Trump’s wide range of federal program cuts; A ‘meat ax’ approach to service and research programs isn’t likely to pass even Republican muster; Maine Sunday Telegram; MAINE/NEW ENGLAND; 17 September 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Dunlap blasts head of election integrity commission over N.H. voter fraud assertions; Maine’s secretary of state calls Kris Kobach’s assertion that the election was stolen from Donald Trump in New Hampshire ‘absurd’ and ‘reckless.’; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 14 September 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Researchers find summer heat’s lasting longer in the Gulf of Maine; The warmer conditions endure two months longer than in the early 1980s, posing threats to the food chain and raising risks from more powerful hurricanes; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 10 September 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Trump voter fraud commission accused of violating public records laws; The commission, which includes Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, has been using personal email accounts to communicate rather than federal ones as mandated by the Presidential Records Act; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 8 September 2017; PORTLAND, MAINE, p. C1

For years, the so-called ‘grandfather’ of neo-Nazis called Maine his home; Decades after George Lincoln Rockwell was killed by one of his followers, a fresh crop of racists are invoking his name; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 3 September 2017, BOOTHBAY HARBOR, MAINE, p. A1

Canada sees Gov. LePage as key ally on trade; Officials across our northern border believe LePage ‘speaks Trump’s language,’ and will be influential in preserving the benefits of NAFTA; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 27 AUGUST 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

The Almost Civil War of 1789; the colonies had fought one another before. As states they created the constitution to avoid doing so again; Medium; BALKANIZED AMERICA, 17 August 2017

Catastrophic die-off of right whales in New England, Canadian waters puzzles scientists; The endangered mammals may be facing a food shortage in the Gulf of Maine, causing them to migrate to less-protected areas; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 16 AUGUST 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Collins: Trump ‘can’t set red lines’ for Justice Department probe of Russia ties; The Maine senator tells CNN that special counsel Robert Mueller should ‘follow leads wherever they may be.’ ; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 5 August 2017; PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

State budget error costs heavily used mapping agency its funding; Officials scramble to restore money to run the geographical information office, which produces data needed by towns and cities, developers, foresters, surveyors and even Google Maps; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 4 AUGUST 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Our untold past comes to life in South Berwick; The ‘Forgotten Frontier’ exhibit at the Counting House Museum tells stories of natives and newcomers in the 1600s who helped shape today’s Maine and New Hampshire; Maine Sunday Telegram; AUDIENCE; 30 July 2017,SOUTH BERWICK, MAINE, p. E1

Sinclair Broadcasting – and 2 Maine TV stations – under fire for pro-Trump segments; To the dismay of the president’s opponents, WGME and WPFO carry the taped segments on orders from their corporate owner; Maine Sunday Telegram; MAINE/NEW ENGLAND; 30 July 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Trump election fraud commission presses Maine, other states for voter details; Maine’s secretary of state serves on commission but says he will delay compliance until mid-September; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 28 July 2017; PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Sen. Collins warns Trump not to interfere in special counsel’s probe into Russian election meddling; Collins, who serves on the Senate panel also investigating Russian involvement in the 2016 election, says ‘what the president should do is not say another word and let’ Robert Mueller’s probe go forward; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 22 July 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Scientist from Maine files whistle-blower complaint against Trump Administration; Joel Clement, an Interior Department official who grew up in Falmouth, says in a Washington Post op-ed that he was retaliated against for speaking out about the dangers of climate change; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE;21 July 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Trump’s election commission won’t probe Russian infiltration at state level; Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, a panel member, raises the issue during its first meeting on Wednesday; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 20 July 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Maine’s river herring making dramatic comeback, a godsend for the food chain; With the path to inland spawning grounds clear, the species rebounds with unexpected speed, benefiting everything from bald eagles to Atlantic cod; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 16 July 2017, BATH, MAINE, p. A1

Sen. Collins says she won’t support latest version of Senate health care bill; On Twitter, she says proposed cuts to Medicaid mean she could not vote for passage of the Republican-crafted Better Care Reconciliation Act, and says she would be willing to work with Democrats to fix the Affordable Care Act instead; Portland Press Herald; NATIONAL;14 July 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A5

Sen. Collins calls for Trump Jr. to testify before Senate Intelligence on Russia meeting; The Republican from Maine also expects that special counsel Robert Mueller will want to interview President Trump’s son, who admitted he met with a 
Russian lawyer who offered anti-Clinton material; Portland Press Herald; NATIONAL;11 July 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A5

Welcome (back) to the Divided States of America; The U.S. is cracking along centuries-old cultural fissures; Medium; BALKANIZED AMERICA, 6 July 2017

Trump election fraud panel asks Maine, other states for voter registration data; Maine’s secretary of state, who serves on the panel, will partially comply as per Maine law, although other Democrats have expressed concern the lists will be part of a voter suppression effort; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE;1 July 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

White House may have tried linking worker visas to senators’ health care votes, report says; The investigative organization Pro Publica reports that federal officials were ordered by senior administration officials to increase the number of H2-B visas for seasonal workers for Maine and Alaska; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 22 June 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Russia’s still targeting U.S. elections, King warns, and experts say we’re not prepared; Maine is less vulnerable than many states thanks to paper ballots and same-day voter registration, but vulnerabilities in other states mean that foreign 
governments could swing the results of a national election; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 25 June 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Controversy surrounds new pirate ship exhibit at Portland Science Center; Artifacts from the Whydah were discovered by a team led by Barry Clifford, who has come under fire for his handling of archaeological sites; Maine Sunday Telegram; AUDIENCE; 25 June 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. D1

Maine member of Trump voter fraud panel wants it to probe Russian election hacking; Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap serves on the president’s voter fraud commission and says it makes sense for the commission to investigate Russia’s efforts to hack state electoral systems; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 23 June 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A5

Sens. Collins, King question Comey in high-stakes hearing; Maine’s senators pose separate lines of questions for the fired FBI director in his appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee; Portland Press Herald; NATION; 9 June 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A5

Legal experts look ahead at keys to Comey’s testimony to Senate panel; The fired FBI director goes before the Senate Intelligence Committee, including Maine Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins, today at 10 a.m.; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 8 June 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Bill Cohen’s lessons from Watergate; Breaking with a president of his own party, the first-time congressman from Maine believed doing the right thing would doom his career in D.C.; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 28 May 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Maine environmental advocates warn of ‘crippling’ cuts in Trump budget; One describes the range of cuts as a ‘full-on attack’ on a natural resource-dependent state; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 25 May 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Maine resolution would aid scheme to rewrite U.S. Constitution; It closely mirrors a secretive group’s model bill and calls for a controversial convention of the states – the first since 1787; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 23 May 2017, AUGUSTA, MAINE, p. A1

Gulf of Maine will become too warm for many key fish, report says; Cod and haddock will see prime habitat areas vanish this century, but lobsters will find new spaces to grow; Maine Sunday Telegram; MAINE & NEW ENGLAND; 21 May 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Sen. Collins wants Comey to testify, deliver memos on Trump meeting; Maine’s Republican senator tells NPR she wants to establish the key facts amid allegations Trump tried to quash part of the FBI’s Russia investigation; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 18 May 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Panic flows over the future of 2 dams in eastern Maine; A pulp and paper company’s move to surrender the dams worries communities bordering lakes and draws intervention efforts from Canada; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 13 May 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Sen. King concerned by ‘bizarre and puzzling’ shifts in Trump’s account of Comey firing; Sen. Collins declines to comment on the president’s statements, but previously said that Comey’s ouster would not stop the FBI’s Russia investigation; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 12 May 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Sen. Collins considering support for special counsel to probe Trump-Russia ties; Maine’s Sen. Angus King floats the idea of hiring James Comey to lead the Senate’s probe of Russia’s links to the president’s campaign; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 10 May 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Pesticide-friendly bill from LePage mirrors model by secretive national group; His plan to restrict local ordinances is nearly identical to a model law promoted by a corporation-funded organization with chemical producers as members; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 9 May 2017,PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Bill to stop Maine towns from building high speed internet fails; Even the bill’s sponsor votes against the measure, which would have hampered public investments in providing high-speed broadband to rural areas of Maine; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 4 May 2017,AUGUSTA, MAINE, p. C1

Bill seeks to restrict Maine towns’ efforts to build high-speed internet networks; The proposal, modeled after a measure promoted by a secretive national group, would make it hard for municipalities to install broadband, often when telecom companies decline to do it; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 3 May 2017,AUGUSTA, MAINE, p. A1

Amid criticism, Sens. King, Collins reaffirm confidence in Senate intel committee’s Russia-Trump investigation; Collins calls for hiring a prosecutor or investigator;  Maine Sunday Telegram; MAINE & NEW ENGLAND; 30 April 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

If federal government shuts down, a mixed impact for Maine; With few federal employees and facilities, most Mainers may not notice a brief shutdown; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 27 April 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Maine sawmill owners welcome Trump’s tariff on Canadian softwood lumber; Punitive duties of 3% to 24% establish a long-sought ‘level playing field,’ but the state’s forest-products industry as a whole has concerns about commerce; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 26 April 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Is your digital life private? A lot depends on your provider; President Trump’s repeal of FCC rules for internet service providers means your data is – potentially – far less secure; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 24 April 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Is your data for sale? We asked local internet providers about their safeguards; Some local companies don’t collect users’ data at all; others offer opt-outs or more ambiguous security; Maine Sunday Telegram; SIDEBAR; 24 April 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A10

How Trump breathed new life into the cultural war waged by evangelicals; Review of Frances Fitzgerald’s “The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America”; Washington Post; OUTLOOK; 16 April 2016, p. B6

Deeper EPA cuts pose a particular menace to Maine; Critics say both the environment and the economy would be hard hit by losses in funding for Superfund sites and water quality monitoring; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 16 April 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Rollback of EPA’s lead-paint efforts chills state officials; Maine’s delegation and health experts warn that ‘very shortsighted’ funding cuts could expose more kids to harm; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 9 April 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Sen. King says he’ll vote against Gorsuch for Supreme Court; Maine’s independent senator says the judge’s refusal to answer questions about his judicial philosophy, as well as his record, means he cannot support his nomination; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 5 April 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Collins, King say Senate committee’s Russia probe will be steady; The investigation of Moscow’s effort to sway the election is a model of bipartisanship, the lawmakers say; Maine Sunday Telegram; MAINE & NEW ENGLAND; 2 April 
2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Rep. Poliquin tries to help White House bridge partisan divide; The Republican representing Maine’s 2nd District reportedly approached Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Massachusetts, on behalf of President Trump; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 31 March 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. C6

Maine internet providers blast Senate vote to strip customers’ privacy protection; Sen. Susan Collins voted with fellow Republicans to repeal rules preventing broadband providers from selling consumers’ personal data; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 25 March 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Federal regulators put an end to turbulent season in northern Gulf of Maine scallop fishery; The season was fraught with controversy between small-boat fishermen from Maine and full-time scallopers operating bigger boats, and the closure 
pleases many fishermen; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 23 March 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Deep cuts in Trump’s proposed budget would have dramatic impact in Maine; The state stands to lose funding for a range of programs and services, but would benefit from a beefed-up military budget; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 17 March 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Trump’s proposed EPA cuts would damage Maine’s environment and economy, critics fear; Sen. King calls the cuts ‘deeply troubling’ while Rep. Pingree says they’ll hurt Maine business; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 12 March 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Trump’s proposed NOAA cuts imperil Wells Reserve in Maine; The president wants to end the funding that covers 70% of the operating costs for the wildlife sites used by the public, researchers and educators; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 9 March 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Trump’s proposed cuts to NOAA alarm Maine’s marine community; Funds for federal services that fishermen, aquaculturists and others rely on would be slashed, and UMaine’s vital Sea Grant program would be gone; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 7 March 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Navigating political crosswinds, Sen. Collins stays true to her goals; Scrutinizing the senator’s record in controversial votes, observers say she generally satisfies those most affected by the outcome; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 5 March 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Sens. King, Collins pleased with Sessions’ recusal from any probe of presidential campaign; While Maine’s senators and Rep. Poliquin had called for his recusal early Thursday, Rep. Pingree said the attorney general should resign; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 2 March 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Sen. King fears integrity of probe into Russia-Trump campaign contacts has been compromised; He worries that an inquiry by the investigating committee he serves on will lose credibility because the Republican chairman challenged media reports at the request of the White House; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 27 February 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Voters are pressuring Sen. Collins to hold a town hall meeting; But Maine’s senior senator, like others before her, says she prefers to schedule private meetings to confront constituents’ concerns; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 26 February 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Sen. Collins aims to ‘get to the bottom’ of Russian ties to election, whatever it takes; She and Maine’s Sen. Angus King both want Michael Flynn to testify; Collins doesn’t rule out a subpoena of Trump tax returns; Portland Press Herald; NATION; 22 February 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A3

For fisheries regulations, a Trump edict signals uncertainty; There’s some dispute about how routine rules would be affected, but larger actions would be all but undoable under the presidential executive order; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 19 February 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Sen. Angus King says Intelligence Committee probing Flynn’s talks with Russian diplomats; He and Senate colleague Susan Collins have confidence in their committee and see no need for the independent commission being called for by 
Democrats; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 14 February 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Susan Collins defends her vote to silence colleague Elizabeth Warren; Collins voted in favor of upholding an obscure rule after the Massachusetts senator read a scathing letter that Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow wrote about Jeff Sessions, who was confirmed Wednesday as Trump’s attorney general; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 8 February 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Maine senators on losing side in opposing DeVos nomination; Observers predict the education chief’s appointment will have little effect on Maine schools; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 7 February 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Sen. Susan Collins develops pivotal, but uncomfortable, role as check on Trump; The Senate’s most moderate Republican has an elevated profile, observers say, in an era when the stakes are particularly high; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 5 February 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

Sen. Collins says Trump’s education nominee may not have her vote; She has concerns about Betsy DeVos’ unfamiliarity with a school-related disabilities laws, the latest of several stances the senator has taken opposing the president’s statements and actions; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 31 January 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Maine braces for possible EPA funding delays and shortfalls; Trump’s order to freeze the agency’s grants and contracts has contractors, and state and local officials, unsure when or if they will receive money for environmental work; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 27 January 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

Sen. Angus King to vote against Betsy DeVos as education secretary; Maine’s independent senator cites the Trump nominee’s lack of commitment to public education but says he will support two other Cabinet nominees; Portland Press Herald; STATE & LOCAL; 25 January 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. B1

Maine’s rural hospitals fear crisis if Obamacare is repealed without comparable replacement; By insuring tens of thousands of their patients, the Affordable Care Act has helped hospitals and clinics to stay open; Maine Sunday Telegram; FRONT PAGE; 22 January 2017, PORTLAND, MAINE, p. A1

How Mormon Principles and Grassroots Ideals Saved Utah; Fearful of rampant growth, officials put control in the hands of citizens who preferred collaboration to government; Politico Magazine; WHAT WORKS; 19 January 2017; SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Jeff Sessions, Trump’s pick for attorney general, finds unlikely ally in Sen. Susan Collins; Collins and Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby will introduce Sessions before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, when she will defend him against charges of racism; Portland Press Herald; FRONT PAGE; 10 January 2017; PORTLAND,  MAINE, p. A1

The American Nations and the 2016 Election; Washington Monthly, POLITICAL ANIMAL; 9 January 2017; FREEPORT, MAINE

How Colin Woodard’s ‘American Nations’ explains the 2016 presidential election; Regional cultures can help explain president-elect Donald Trump’s victory in November;Portland Press Herald (online); AMERICAN NATIONS; 6 January 2017