#Tag
Democratic and Republican lawmakers across the country tried to push through bills to tighten gift limits, toughen conflict-of-interest provisions or expand financial disclosure reporting requirements. But many of the measures were derailed.
#News #Ethics #Law #Government #Virginia #Texas #NewMexico #NorthDakota #Connecticut #Maine
Sometime around the turn of the 20th century, the sea mink disappeared from the coasts of New England and maritime Canada forever. Its loss came during a rush of North American extinctions like the passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet, but many today have never even heard of it.
My latest for Smithsonian:
#wildlife #maine #extinction
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-life-loss-and-lore-of-the-sea-mink-180987400/
Sometime around the turn of the 20th century, the sea mink disappeared from the coasts of New England and maritime Canada forever. Its loss came during a rush of North American extinctions like the passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet, but many today have never even heard of it.
My latest for Smithsonian:
#wildlife #maine #extinction
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-life-loss-and-lore-of-the-sea-mink-180987400/
Democratic and Republican lawmakers across the country tried to push through bills to tighten gift limits, toughen conflict-of-interest provisions or expand financial disclosure reporting requirements. But many of the measures were derailed.
#News #Ethics #Law #Government #Virginia #Texas #NewMexico #NorthDakota #Connecticut #Maine
If you aren't fighting ICE, are you even fighting?
Join your local immigration rights group!
#Massachusetts:
LUCE IJ Network https://www.lucemass.org/
BIJAN/Beyond Bond https://www.beyondbondboston.org/donate
#RhodeIsland:
AMOR https://amorri.org/
ONA https://www.ona-providence.org/
#Vermont
Migrant Justice https://migrantjustice.net/
VAAP https://www.vaapvt.org/enforcement-blog
#NewHampshire
let us know if you have leads on ICE watch or immigrant advocacy groups in NH!
#Maine
MIRC https://maineimmigrantrights.org/welcome-to-the-mirc-resource-hub/
#Connecticut
let us know if you have leads on ICE watch or immigrant advocacy groups in CT!
#Maine's invasive #GreenCrabs aren't going anywhere, so why not eat them?
Maine's coast is overrun by invasive green crabs, which harm natural nurseries for lobster larvae and eat clam beds. Fishermen are looking to turn them into food.
By Jack Molmud, June 26, 2023
Excerpt: "To the year, Masi's crew is hauling in around 5,000 pounds of live green crabs. They said more could easily be harvested, but they are still looking for more buyers.
"One buyer in Portsmouth, Row 34, is using the soft-shell green crab to make a slider.
"Josh Peck, the chef at Row 34, said it's getting customers talking.
" 'We sell a fair amount of them,' Peck said. 'There is no lack of sustainability with the green crab.'
"But while the thousands of pounds of green crabs are shipped to restaurants and bait dealers around New England, Masi, and his crew hope that number will only grow. The summer months are moving on, and the crabs are stopping the molting process, which produces the soft shell.
" 'It's a start. You got to start somewhere,' Masi said."
#SolarPunkSunday #InvasiveSpecies #WhatsForDinner #ChangingClimate #ClimateChange #ClimateChangeAdaptation
#Maine's invasive #GreenCrabs aren't going anywhere, so why not eat them?
Maine's coast is overrun by invasive green crabs, which harm natural nurseries for lobster larvae and eat clam beds. Fishermen are looking to turn them into food.
By Jack Molmud, June 26, 2023
Excerpt: "To the year, Masi's crew is hauling in around 5,000 pounds of live green crabs. They said more could easily be harvested, but they are still looking for more buyers.
"One buyer in Portsmouth, Row 34, is using the soft-shell green crab to make a slider.
"Josh Peck, the chef at Row 34, said it's getting customers talking.
" 'We sell a fair amount of them,' Peck said. 'There is no lack of sustainability with the green crab.'
"But while the thousands of pounds of green crabs are shipped to restaurants and bait dealers around New England, Masi, and his crew hope that number will only grow. The summer months are moving on, and the crabs are stopping the molting process, which produces the soft shell.
" 'It's a start. You got to start somewhere,' Masi said."
#SolarPunkSunday #InvasiveSpecies #WhatsForDinner #ChangingClimate #ClimateChange #ClimateChangeAdaptation
If you aren't fighting ICE, are you even fighting?
Join your local immigration rights group!
#Massachusetts:
LUCE IJ Network https://www.lucemass.org/
BIJAN/Beyond Bond https://www.beyondbondboston.org/donate
#RhodeIsland:
AMOR https://amorri.org/
ONA https://www.ona-providence.org/
#Vermont
Migrant Justice https://migrantjustice.net/
VAAP https://www.vaapvt.org/enforcement-blog
#NewHampshire
let us know if you have leads on ICE watch or immigrant advocacy groups in NH!
#Maine
MIRC https://maineimmigrantrights.org/welcome-to-the-mirc-resource-hub/
#Connecticut
let us know if you have leads on ICE watch or immigrant advocacy groups in CT!
When it comes to standing up to #Trump, I laud #Maine Governor #JanetMills. But when it comes to #Wabanaki #Sovereignty, building wind terminals on undeveloped islands (#SearsIsland / #Wahsumkik ), destroying untouched forests to supply #WesternMass with electricity, or building highways through farmland (#MDOT), we definitely DO NOT always see eye-to-eye!
Governor opposed to latest change to #SettlementAct backed by #WabanakiNations
by Emma Davis
Wed, April 9, 2025
"Discussion of legislation to afford the Wabanaki Nations more authority over their land revealed that Gov. Janet Mills does not support the change, presenting a steep path for a plan that otherwise has bipartisan support.
"After not testifying during the public hearing last week, the governor’s counsel, Jerry Reid, told the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that Mills’ concerns stem from the inability to predict the future needs of state government, an issue also raised in written testimony from the #MaineDepartmentOfTransportation, which was made available after the hearing.
"When pressed by committee members, Reid said he doesn’t have a specific example of an infrastructure project that would warrant seizing tribal land but that, 'We need to write the law mindful of the potential for problems.'
"While Reid and Wabanaki leaders noted that progress has and continues to be made to improve the relationship between the state and Wabanaki Nations, Reid added, 'the fact that we have such a good relationship right now might not always be true.'
"The U.S. government can seize private property for public use, a principle known as eminent domain, however that authority is restricted by the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which requires just compensation for land taken, as well as some federal laws.
"The 1834 federal Indian Nonintercourse Act prohibited land transactions with tribes unless authorized by Congress. However, the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act specified that that federal law was not applicable to the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians, the #PassamaquoddyTribe and the #PenobscotNation.
"This is the act that has overall resulted in the Tribes being treated more akin to #municipalities than #SovereignNations. So far, sweeping changes to the act have failed due to opposition from Mills, but the governor, lawmakers and Wabanaki leaders have successfully made some targeted adjustments, including expanding tribal authority to prosecute crimes last year.
"The legislation being considered this session, #LD958, would amend the Settlement Act to prohibit the state from exercising eminent domain on trust and reservation land, which is protected under federal law, though fee land — or private property for which the owner owns the title — would still be subject to the state taking.
"The bill would also amend the 2023 #MikmaqNationRestorationAct to make this change for the Mi’kmaq Nation, which wasn’t included in the Settlement Act.
"On Tuesday, the Taxation Committee unanimously voted in favor of a bill to ensure equal tax treatment among all of the Wabanaki Nations, which Mills supports. #LD982 would provide the #MikmaqNation the same rights to sales tax revenue on its land that the other three tribes of the Wabanaki Nations were granted in 2022 through an amendment to the Settlement Act.
State hasn’t exercised this authority in decades, but argues it’s necessary
"The state hasn’t exercised eminent domain over #TribalLands since the #SettlementAct. However, testimony from Wabanaki leaders and state government officials underscore that it is a possibility."
Source:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/governor-opposed-latest-change-settlement-185134791.html
#MaineSettlementAct #EminentDomain #LandTheft #FirstNations #WabanakiConfederancy
#MaineFirstNations #Maine #MainePol
#NativeAmericanNews #TribalSovereignty #SaveSmilingHillFarm #SaveTheForests #MainePol
#JanetMills seems keen on demonizing environmentalists and tribal leaders, rather than clean up #MackPoint -- an already industralized area -- to build the offshore wind terminal
Maine House, protecting sand dunes, rejects plan to build offshore wind terminal on #SearsIsland
It is unclear how severely the decision will delay the buildout of a wind port in Maine, which would create hundreds of high-paying jobs and advance the state's climate goals.
by Stephen Singer
April 9, 2024
"The Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday to protect sand dunes on Sears Island where the Mills administration has proposed to build an offshore wind terminal.
"In an 80-65 vote, the House rejected legislation that would have authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to grant a permit to build the terminal on an area of Sears Island that includes a coastal sand dune system.
"If the legislation fails, it is unclear how severely the decision would delay the buildout of a wind port in Maine, where turbines and other components would be assembled and then shipped to the Gulf of Maine. The project involves lengthy state and federal permitting processes after a site is selected.
"The legislation, which is narrowly crafted to reference the sand dunes, would allow the DEP to act only after all laws and agency rules also permit construction.
"The sand dune area is about four-tenths of an acre, according to the bill, which now heads to the Senate.
"Gov. Janet Mills announced in February her selection of Sears Island for Maine’s foray into wind power. She said it was not an easy decision, and it was opposed by environmentalists who favored nearby #Mack Point.
"Criticism quickly focused on the potential threat that construction would pose to the sand dunes. #MaineAudubon says sand dunes and coastal #beaches protect buildings and infrastructure from waves and flooding and provide #habitat for migratory shore birds, and endangered and threatened species."
#Wahsumkik #WabanakiAlliance
#Maine #Searsport
#WindTurbines
#ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm
Maine Coat of Arms
#maine #pun #illustration #art
Maine Coat of Arms
#maine #pun #illustration #art
How #Maine churches are reckoning with fear of #ImmigrationRaids
by Sean Scott, August 24, 2025
Excerpt: "Selma, an asylum seeker from Angola, moved to Texas at the start of the pandemic and then to Maine in January 2022. She fears persecution if she returns because of a family member’s involvement in a #HumanRights group.
" 'As a Christian, I was praying, and then God just gave me direction, which was Maine,' she said.
"She joined a nondenominational Christian church in Portland right away, and she and her two children have been regular attendees ever since. After President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, her 12-year-old daughter asked if it was still safe to go to school.
"As immigration enforcement efforts have increased dramatically this year, many migrants have also reckoned with whether it’s safe to go to places of worship, whether they’re congregants or faith leaders like one Westbrook pastor detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month.
"In one of his first acts in office, Trump rescinded a policy that essentially barred #ICEAgents from making arrests at sensitive locations like #churches, #hospitals and #schools. A coalition sued the Department of Homeland Security over the policy in February, arguing it violated #ReligiousFreedom. A judge declined to block the policy, citing a lack of evidence that churches were 'singled out as special targets' for immigration enforcement.
"Faith leaders are preparing for the possibility of enforcement regardless, and several other lawsuits have been filed on similar grounds, including one in late July with a New England plaintiff.
"#MichelTshimankinda, a Westbrook man who founded a church in South Portland, has been in ICE detention in New Hampshire since Aug. 14, according to the Portland Press Herald. He wasn’t arrested on church property, but his detention has shaken his family and congregation."
Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/maine-churches-reckoning-fear-immigration-100000727.html
#ICESucks#ICEKidnapping#MaineNews#DHS#Gestapo#FascismInTheUSA#Racism#Fascism#Authoritarianism#TrumpIsARacist
How #Maine churches are reckoning with fear of #ImmigrationRaids
by Sean Scott, August 24, 2025
Excerpt: "Selma, an asylum seeker from Angola, moved to Texas at the start of the pandemic and then to Maine in January 2022. She fears persecution if she returns because of a family member’s involvement in a #HumanRights group.
" 'As a Christian, I was praying, and then God just gave me direction, which was Maine,' she said.
"She joined a nondenominational Christian church in Portland right away, and she and her two children have been regular attendees ever since. After President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, her 12-year-old daughter asked if it was still safe to go to school.
"As immigration enforcement efforts have increased dramatically this year, many migrants have also reckoned with whether it’s safe to go to places of worship, whether they’re congregants or faith leaders like one Westbrook pastor detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month.
"In one of his first acts in office, Trump rescinded a policy that essentially barred #ICEAgents from making arrests at sensitive locations like #churches, #hospitals and #schools. A coalition sued the Department of Homeland Security over the policy in February, arguing it violated #ReligiousFreedom. A judge declined to block the policy, citing a lack of evidence that churches were 'singled out as special targets' for immigration enforcement.
"Faith leaders are preparing for the possibility of enforcement regardless, and several other lawsuits have been filed on similar grounds, including one in late July with a New England plaintiff.
"#MichelTshimankinda, a Westbrook man who founded a church in South Portland, has been in ICE detention in New Hampshire since Aug. 14, according to the Portland Press Herald. He wasn’t arrested on church property, but his detention has shaken his family and congregation."
Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/maine-churches-reckoning-fear-immigration-100000727.html
#ICESucks#ICEKidnapping#MaineNews#DHS#Gestapo#FascismInTheUSA#Racism#Fascism#Authoritarianism#TrumpIsARacist
Jasmin Belanger believed the deal was simple: pay off what she owed, and her landlord would let her keep her housing.
It wasn’t until months later that she learned it had left her with a permanent record of an eviction — despite there never being one.
https://www.propublica.org/article/maine-public-housing-eviction-repayment-agreements?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Are You a Public Housing Resident Behind on Rent? Received an Eviction Notice? Here’s What to Know.
—
If you’re one of 1.6 million people living in public housing nationally, you have special protections meant to prevent low-income tenants from being evicted when they fall behind on rent. We created a guide to the process.
https://www.propublica.org/article/maine-eviction-safeguards-public-housing?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Jasmin Belanger believed the deal was simple: pay off what she owed, and her landlord would let her keep her housing.
It wasn’t until months later that she learned it had left her with a permanent record of an eviction — despite there never being one.
https://www.propublica.org/article/maine-public-housing-eviction-repayment-agreements?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
The USDA failed to follow its own guidance for a rural mortgage program, taking years to foreclose on delinquent loans.
As a result, 55 Maine borrowers racked up, on average, $110,000 in additional debt before the agency moved to take the homes.
https://www.propublica.org/article/usda-maine-foreclosures-rural-homeowners?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
Our raspberries are the perfect ripeness right now. Amazingly tasty.
#maine #raspberries
A space for Bonfire maintainers and contributors to communicate
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