The Latest
Maine’s COVID-19 vaccination rate among highest per population in US
More people in Maine now have been vaccinated for COVID-19 than have had the virus. About 46,600 Mainers were vaccinated as of Friday, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That represents nearly 3.5 percent of the state’s population. At...
Chasing Maine: The Road Warriors
Snowstorms are a way of life in Maine, and especially challenging for a city like Portland to snowplow. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how a fleet of plows, massive snow blowers and dump trucks clear the streets and then move 11,000 cubic yards of snow out of...
‘All We Can Save’ anthology advocates new paths to climate action
I can’t recall reading a book I so wanted to recommend to others as the new climate anthology, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson, “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis.” For everyone concerned about...
Giving thanks to those who support independent journalism
Kindness can conquer darkness. During a week of chaos and conflict, we want to take a moment and highlight the staggering generosity and overwhelming kindness of our community of readers. The support of our donors and subscribers has propelled our independent...
Maine’s public defense agency acknowledges it didn’t enforce rules on attorney qualifications
Maine did not enforce rules mandating the minimum level of experience attorneys must have before representing parents at risk of losing custody of their children, the state's public defense agency admitted on Monday. Discussion of a proposal that would make sweeping...
Top Stories
Together, to the compassionate end
A pastor and his wife, both suffering from COVID-19, were together through the final moments of a half-century marriage because of the efforts of a loving doctor and a do-what-it-takes Houlton hospital.
Maine CDC deploys first direct-care volunteers in pandemic to fill staffing gap in Deer Isle
The number of people enrolled in the Maine Responds Emergency Health Volunteer System has more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, from 1,300 to 3,100.
State budget to take center stage during 2021 legislative session
GOP to look for ways to reassert legislative power while Democrats eye health care and climate change.
In percentage of owners as well as earnings, Black-owned businesses lag behind white counterparts in Maine
A lack of up-to-date data is hindering efforts for the state to work toward eliminating the inequalities.
Ineffective financial oversight, missed obligations of Maine’s public defense agency detailed in new report
The Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services lacks established financial policies, a strong oversight structure and adequate staffing to meet its constitutional obligations to provide high-quality representation to criminal defendants who are too poor to afford an attorney, the state’s watchdog unit detailed in a report released on Monday.
Running on empty
With a fixed income and little wiggle room in her budget, a Sangerville woman worries about keeping her home warm this winter.
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Coronavirus in Maine: Daily Headlines
A compilation of top stories about the pandemic from The Maine Monitor’s media partners across Maine.
Follow the Money
Mainers are facing a historic congressional election season in 2020. Examine how campaign fundraising and spending are shaping the races for Maine’s federal and state offices using The Maine Monitor’s interactive campaign finance trackers.
2020: A Class Dismissed
The Maine Monitor spoke to seniors from high schools across the state to tell the story of Maine’s Class of 2020 and how these soon-to-be graduates are dealing with the unexpected developments that come with a pandemic and a disrupted senior year.
Due Process: Inside Maine’s County Courthouses
The Maine Monitor examines Maine’s criminal justice system at a time when there’s appetite for major change. Our series looks at the system – successes and failures – to test whether defendants and victims can rely on it to give them due process.
Video
Chasing Maine: The Holiday Lights
Chasing Maine is a biweekly video series that explores Maine from a distinct visual perspective. Join veteran Maine journalist and storyteller Roger McCord as he chases the people, places and things that define the unique character of the Pine Tree State.
Maine CDC director answers questions on trajectory of COVID-19 heading into 2021
As COVID-19 cases continue surging in Maine and the first vaccination doses offer some hope, Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke to health reporter Rose Lundy to reflect on the state’s pandemic response, and outline...
Chasing Maine: The Boneyard Hunter
Chasing Maine is a biweekly video series that explores Maine from a distinct visual perspective. Join veteran Maine journalist and storyteller Roger McCord as he chases the people, places and things that define the unique character of the Pine Tree State.