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Henry Winkler says 'there's a string between' him and his 'Happy Days' costar Ron Howard
Winkler and Howard costarred on the '70s sitcom, and they've remained close in the decades since.
4 Sectors Attracting Seed Funding in Digital Entertainment
Digital entertainment is navigating a paradox. Overall venture capital flowing into gaming dropped sharply through 2025 and into 2026, yet seed-stage deal activity has remained surprisingly resilient across a handful of focused verticals
Building Business: New hotel taking shape on Portland's Monument Square
Zachau Construction is transforming the former Fidelity Trust building into a 101-room luxury hotel, for Jim Brady’s Fathom Cos.
Platner Has Slight Edge Over Collins in Tight Maine Senate Race, Poll Finds
The Maine race, which both parties see as key to winning control of the Senate, is extremely close as the sprint to fall begins, a Times/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll found.
Efzimfotase alfa demonstrated improvements in bone health in treatment-naïve pediatric patients with hypophosphatasia achieving median difference of 1.67 vs placebo in RGI-C Score at week 25 in MULBERRY Phase III trial
Positive results from the MULBERRY Phase III trial showed that efzimfotase alfa (ALXN1850), an investigational enzyme replacement therapy, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in bone health in children (2 to
Maine targets three initiatives for initial use of federal rural health funds
The Mills administration says it's decided how it will spend nearly half of the $190 million it's received this year through the federal Rural Health Transformation Fund.
New business brings hat bar experience to Mineral County
Haley Nelson started her business in November 2023 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Since moving to Montana, she has remained busy fulfilling online custom orders and shipping hats to customers across the country.
Caesars Entertainment (CZR) Expands In Maine Online Gaming, Is The Stock Already Fully Valued?
Caesars Entertainment expands digital footprint with Wabanaki Nations partnership Caesars Entertainment (CZR) is extending its partnership with three Wabanaki Nations to include online casino gaming in Maine, targeting a potential 2026 iGaming launch, subject to regulatory approvals. See our latest analysis for Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Entertainment shares have climbed over recent months, with a 90 day share price return of 16.79% and year to date gain of 28.14%. However, the 5 year...
This Week's 10 Must-Read Stories on Women in Politics: Title IX Anniversary, AI's Anti-Women Bias and Ranked-Choice Voting Victories
Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a weekly compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world—with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment! Published every Friday. —This week marked the 54th anniversary of Title IX. —As the Taliban approaches the five-year mark of its return to power this August, a rare protest in western Afghanistan last week laid bare both the brutality of its rule and the resilience of those living under it. —A woman will replace Eric Swalwell in California … but for not two more months. —A study of 133 AI systems found that 44 percent demonstrated gender bias, and more than a quarter showed both gender and racial bias. ... and more.
Making Our Own Luck
We are cross-posting a piece that former NIH official Kris Willis wrote for Macroscience. Kris is now the President and Founder of the Woodley Park Institute, for which I’m a board member. Picking winners or hedging bets? Federal science agencies have long wrestled with the question of how to ensure their billions of dollars of grants and contracts result in maximum benefits for Americans. On the surface, it might seem that a goal-oriented, interventionist style of management would be the best policy: prioritize our most pressing problems and distribute funding accordingly.This top-down strategy creates a unique hazard, though: bad choices can send resources in the wrong direction, resulting in slow progress that impedes the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens. Moreover, if decision makers pursue an applied advance when the underlying scientific principles remain poorly understood, they risk costly failures and a loss of support for the research enterprise at large. Examples include Nixon’s 1971 War on Cancer, undertaken on the premise that a cure could be achieved in less than a decade, the drive to build an operational commercial fusion plant by the mid-1990s, and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which failed to produce the effective treatments and prevention strategies promised by 2025. The contrasting laissez-faire approach is to hedge your bets. If the path to an advance is impossible to predict, then the wisest choice might be to distribute funding to as widely as possible. The main risk of this strategy is that spreading funding thinly may limit the resources available to the most promising research, resulting in the same negative outcomes as the interventionist approach: limited support for the most promising topics, slow progress, and delayed returns. In reality, at science agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, program managers navigate between these two extremes, setting some funds aside to target high-priority areas and using the rest to cover the widest possible range of meritorious proposals. This middle path seems like the most rational way to proceed, but it still requires making choices. How much should be set aside for high priority topics? What should those topics be? How should we define merit? Expert opinion can provide a helpful guide, but leading experts can have remarkably different opinions about what matters and what should be prioritized. Moreover, experts and administrators alike can be risk averse, giving an edge to high-profile, well-established concepts. What’s really needed is a data-driven framework to help guide decision-making, one that doesn’t simply repackage prestige or incumbency. Recognizing breakthroughs years in advance Many breakthroughs fail to attract funding or recognition at the earliest stages of development. Katalin Karikó, for example, spent years struggling to win grants for work on mRNA that would eventually win her and Drew Weissman a Nobel Prize. Similar stories can be told about Jim Allison’s groundbreaking studies leading to the development of cancer immunotherapy, Stan Pruisner’s demonstration that prions can self-replicate without DNA, or Robin Warren and Barry Marshall’s proof that Helicobacter pylori, not stress, causes ulcers. Yet at some point, the scientific community recognizes and responds to transformative breakthroughs like these. How does that change happen? And what if science funders could identify the areas that are on the cusp of a breakthrough? Those questions led my collaborators and me to study how scientists responded to past breakthroughs. Based on patterns in that data, we developed a means of predicting future breakthroughs, using biomedicine as a proof of concept. It’s worth taking a moment to describe how our approach works. Briefly, our prediction process begins by grouping the 18 million or so peer-reviewed papers in PubMed, the authoritative database of biomedical research, into roughly 50,000 unique topics. A small subset of these topics are so widely acclaimed as breakthroughs that they have been recognized with a major prize like a Nobel or a Lasker Award. We theorized that studying the development of these outliers over time, especially before they gained acclaim, was the key to identifying future instances of them. After defining topics, we chose 21 representative breakthroughs and asked what they looked like before they won prestigious prizes. To answer that question, we re-ran our topic-mapping algorithm repeatedly, winding back the clock one year each time, stringing together the years to follow the progress of each field as it grew and advanced. We found that in each case, the years leading up to a discovery followed a pattern: a burst of papers on a new, rapidly evolving topic, many of which quickly became influential. These characteristics—the percent of papers that are new, the percentage of papers that are brought in from other topics, and the influence of each individual paper—can all be measured separately for any given topic. Together, they act as a predictive signal that is detectable an average of five years before a transformative discovery is made, and up to thirty years before the discovery receives a major prize. Scanning the current research landscape for topics that display this signal allows us to predict what work will likely produce a future breakthrough. Each year we analyzed includes four or five signals, a number that appears to have remained constant across a twenty year time frame. In their classic work on the sociology of science, Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar established that the desire to participate in a major discovery is an important motivator for scientists as they consider whether they should take up (or abandon) a research problem. Although further work is needed, the simplest explanation for our results is that this behavior is widespread enough to detect at scale. A foundational advance, or something like it, draws the attention of scientists and causes them to change the direction of their research. They vote with their feet, staking their own reputation and careers by publishing on and citing the new idea. That upswell of interest is the foundation of our breakthrough signal. What kind of research does our model identify as a breakthrough? After building a model based on the patterns in our 21 preselected breakthroughs, we tested it by identifying all early signals of discovery from 1994 through 1997. Of the 18 signals we found in that time period, 17 can be traced forward in time to a breakthrough. Examples include super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see the image above), the directed evolution of proteins and enzymes (Chemistry Nobel, 2018), and sequencing the human genome (National Medal of Science, 2008). The discovery of the role of leptin signaling in obesity is a particularly interesting case study. Around 1950, scientists noticed the existence of a type of lab mouse that suffered from a unique inherited form of obesity. When given the freedom to choose their own diet, these mice ate more than normal and preferred food that was high in fat. Researchers had few clues as to why the animals overate; early experiments pointed to the existence of a soluble ob factor found circulating in the bloodstream that regulated appetite, but its identity was unknown. In 1994, Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues identified and sequenced the ob gene, noting that the protein it encoded appeared to fit the profile of a circulating factor. A year later, a trio of high-profile publications demonstrated that ob was a hormone that regulated body weight and fat deposition by regulating appetite. One of these was co-authored by Friedman, who christened it leptin from the ancient Greek word for thin. Using our model, the data from 1996 make it clear this advance would become a breakthrough. Scientists had flocked to study the biology of the new hormone, generating the flurry of new papers and citations required to produce a signal. One of these demonstrated that serum leptin concentrations reflected the amount of adipose tissue in the human body, providing clinical validation of the earlier mouse studies. Before the identification of leptin, scientists were unable to point to a specific molecule that controlled appetite and adiposity, so that it was impossible to rule out non-physiological causes of obesity; its characterization fundamentally changed our concept of weight gain. In 2010, Friedman and fellow pioneer Douglas Coleman were awarded a Lasker for the discovery. Our work also identifies breakthroughs in clinical practice and behavioral and social sciences, even though these areas are less likely to draw the attention of major prize committees. One example that falls into this category is the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, a leading cause of death among Americans over the age of 65. Relative to the previous standard of care, it reduces in-hospital mortality by almost four-fold. In 2017, Timothy Chuter received the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Jacobsen Innovation award for his multiple refinements to the technique. Another under-recognized breakthrough identified by our model is the development of standardized survey instruments to assess the quality of life for HIV+ patients. The antiretroviral cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s reduced AIDS mortality, but treatment came with serious side effects. The new evaluations showed that patients whose disease progressed had worse physical functioning than Americans with other chronic diseases, while those who were asymptomatic maintained a health-related quality of life on par with the overall US population. This evidence made it possible for patients and activists to argue that even in the absence of a total cure, and in spite of the side effects, alleviation of symptoms was a worthwhile priority for clinicians. My colleagues and I have failed to identify any significant recognition for the physicians and health policy experts who pioneered this advance, although in 2016, researchers called for the World Health Organization to set targets for good health-related quality of life as part of its framework to end the AIDS pandemic. From forecasting to funding How should science funders use our predictions? Any serious discussion of what we should do with this new capability needs to begin with an understanding of its limitations. We can’t (and shouldn’t) invest all of our resources in the small number of topics predicted to produce breakthroughs. Innovative new fields are born from existing ones; they rarely arise de novo. If funders don’t maintain a diverse portfolio, the breakthroughs of tomorrow will have no antecedents. Think of this as eating the seed corn, or killing the goose that lays the golden egg. There are also multiple goals of funding beyond basic scientific discovery, including translating discoveries into clinical practice, developing new technologies, supporting economic development, and training new scientists. The investments needed to accomplish these goals are likely different from those required to support emerging breakthroughs. Finally, we must be aware that we may not capture every instance of a breakthrough. The concept is fuzzy, and not every significant discovery is recognized with a major award. Further, breakthroughs are rare, meaning that our dataset is, by necessity, small. This makes formal estimates of accuracy challenging. Although our overall success rate appears to be high, any one signal may turn out to be a false positive. We found one apparent example: the development of the third generation COX-2 inhibitors, Vioxx and Celebrex, which were much celebrated in the early 2000s as effective but non-addictive pain relievers, meets all the algorithmic criteria of a breakthrough. Five years after it received FDA approval, researchers demonstrated that Vioxx was associated with serious cardiovascular complications, and the manufacturer voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. Celebrex remains available, although like other NSAIDs, it carries an FDA warning for increased cardiovascular risk. Decision makers who were overly focused on the breakthrough potential of this research might have wasted substantial resources nurturing an area that ultimately proved to be a failure—but so would those who relied on expert opinion at the time. That said, the potential benefits of funding the next mRNA vaccine or cancer immunotherapy years earlier than we might have are large. When we can’t assume the outcome of an action, it’s worth conducting an experiment. Can targeted support for areas that are poised to produce a breakthrough increase the return on scientific investment without cannibalizing future advances? With the necessary administrative infrastructure in place, conducting this experiment would be straightforward. First, identify all the breakthrough signals between 2018 and 2023, select half at random, and commit to a decade of investment. For biomedicine, a six year window should yield about 30 topics with the potential to produce a breakthrough. Providing strong support to half of these might be accomplished for $300 million a year. That’s roughly half of the recent annual budget of the NIH Common Fund or around 20% of the fiscal year 2025 budget for ARPA-H. After five years, then again at ten, compare to see which group — the one that was actively managed, or the control — produced more breakthroughs, and on what timescale. Although we used biomedicine as an example, the same experiment could just as well be run for physics, materials science, or any other discipline. Any attempt to undertake such an experiment should keep three points top of mind. First, we can predict the topic of future breakthroughs, but the people and vision for how to move the work forward are still important. In practice, this means success requires active program managers with the expertise to develop the science and the authority to do so, including by recruiting investigators. Second, we would be wise to learn from the failures of past attempts to fund transformative research. High among these are funding modestly repackaged work, confusing the genuinely novel with the merely unfamiliar, and relying too much on incumbent investigators. All of these risks can be mitigated by thoroughly and intelligently integrating high quality data into portfolio management. Finally, we need to have patience. Even with strong funding support, producing a breakthrough takes time. If supporting breakthroughs is the best way to nurture the birth of new fields, we also need to accurately describe and properly manage the other two stages, so that we invest wisely throughout the productive lifetime of ideas and divest once they reach the point of diminishing returns. We would benefit from more study of all of these phases, especially the transition from one to another. More research could answer questions like: When does a breakthrough become an established field? How do the availability of funding, the size and characteristics of the available workforce, and the accumulation of evidence that disagrees with prevailing models affect a field’s decline? Exactly how do old ideas give birth to new ones, and can we speed up the process? The more we understand about the dynamics of scientific progress, the better we can maximize the odds that our curiosity leads to results. I’d call that finding a way to make our own luck.
Governor Mills Celebrates Groundbreaking for Youth Mental Health Treatment Facility in Saco
Saco, MAINE-- Governor Janet Mills today participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for Sweetser's new youth psychiatric residential treatment facility. Governor Mills and the Legislature secured more than $5 million to help build the treatment facility.
Graham Platner backs legal maneuver using Maine law to rein in political spending
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner wants to overturn the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that enabled corporations and other outside groups to spend unlimited money on elections by any means possible. He supports a constitutional amendment and ethics rules on the high court, which the Sullivan oyster farmer included in his latest policy rollout […]
How Caesars’ Expanded Tribal iGaming and Community Partnership Could Shape Caesars Entertainment (CZR) Investors’ Outlook
In June 2026, Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced that it had expanded its partnership with three Wabanaki Nations in Maine to cover online casino gaming, aiming to launch Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino and Horseshoe Online Casino in 2026, subject to regulatory approval and integrated with Caesars Rewards and a universal digital wallet. A distinctive element of this agreement is Caesars’ commitment to employ and train tribal members while providing financial...
Spent 3 days at Acadia National Park; biggest mistakes we made
We spent a few days exploring Acadia National Park in Maine. Next time we go, we'll make reservations and avoid mistakes like packing the wrong shoes.
Protests at Sen. Collins’s office on Dobbs anniversary
Members of Indivisible Maine and supporters of Graham Platner gathered outside Sen. Susan Collins’ office on Wednesday to criticize her comment that she does “not regret” supporting Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Immigrant-led residential care businesses in Maine launch new coalition
The group consists of 30 agencies who provide Medicare services to Mainers with intellectual disabilities and autism.
Abortion rights fight underscores key themes in Maine’s U.S. Senate race
Four years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. In the majority of that decision was Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine had voted to confirm after he had told her the landmark decision was “settled law.”
Inside the “simple job” in government Platner held before Senate run
Platner once said the office of harbormaster of Sullivan, Maine, might've been his ceiling in politics.
Travy Awards: Vote for the top plays of the spring sports season
With the season in the books, WMTW sports anchor Travis Lee has revealed the winners for the top plays made in Maine high school spring sports.
Lead Maine petitions DHHS to adopt new Medicaid rules
Libby emphasized that neither initiative would cut benefits or eligibility for MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program that spends more than $1.4 billion a year and serves 400,000 Mainers.
While Mainers still reeling from health insurance hikes, insurers propose more
Kennebunkport resident Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons saw her family’s health insurance costs increase ten-fold after Congress last year failed to extend pandemic-era tax credits for plans purchased on the marketplace. Next year, she’s facing another potential 20% increase, this time due to a proposed hike by her insurance provider. “I didn’t know that the cost of care […]
South Portland dog park/bar closes after 4 months of business
A Maine restaurant and bar that included an indoor dog park has closed less than five months after it opened for business.
Maine state workers ready to settle contract dispute
In a statement, the Mills administration said four other state employee unions have already agreed to a 2% increase in January of this year, followed by another 2% raise next month.
Hospital must pay $23M jury verdict after radiologist misses spinal cord injury on CT
Plaintiff attorneys believe this is the largest non-death-related malpractice payout in the history of Maine, with Brewer-based Northern Light Health system on the hook for the damages.
Indian shares set to pause after oil-led rally
Indian shares were set to open flat on Tuesday, with analysts expecting a phase of consolidation in the absence of fresh triggers after gains in six out of seven sessions, while sentiment remained constructive on easing Middle East tensions.
University of Utah Health operating normally as Bonneville Fire burns nearby
University of Utah Health officials said that despite the Bonneville Fire burning east of Salt Lake City above the campus, clinics remained open and continued t
Maine forest groups warn Pingree that federal cuts could endanger research, forest health
Maine forestry groups emphasized that any reductions of U.S. Forest Service research and staffing would have consequences across the state and region. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree gathered state agencies and other forestry organizations for a roundtable discussion in Portland on Thursday about the impact of recent changes at the Forest Service and their concerns about […]
Dunlap wins Democratic nomination for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District
The seat is open following the surprise decision in November by U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, not to seek reelection.
Charles, Pingree advance to Maine’s fall governor’s race
Charles, an attorney and president of a Washington D.C.-based lobbying firm, said he believes Maine is “ready for change.”
Herring Gut Coastal Science Center welcomes two new members to Advisory Council
PORT CLYDE — Two distinguished leaders in environmental science and communications have been appointed to Herring Gut Coastal Science Center's Advisory Council: Claire Parsons and Melissa Waterman. The Advisory Council provides strategic guidance and expertise to support Herring Gut's mission of educating students and communities about the connections between Maine's waters, environment, and economy.
Pingree and Charles will compete for Maine governor and Dunlap gets Democratic nod for US House
Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles will compete to become Maine’s next governor | 830 WCCO
Matt Dunlap Wins Democratic House Primary in Maine’s Swing District
Mr. Dunlap, a progressive Democrat, is set to face former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, in a competitive general election in November.
Chinese scientists create record-smashing brain implant electrode array
Breakthrough recorded neural activity with high clarity and remained safely functional for 18 months without a drop in performance.
Dem Senate hopeful under fire for resurfaced comments calling cops 'opportunistic cowards'
Graham Platner's anti-law enforcement Reddit posts resurfaced as the far-left populist seeks to unseat Sen. Susan Collins in Maine's Senate race.
Health services deal value holds steady in 2026 with higher bar for investment: PwC
The number of health services deals dipped in the first half of 2026 but deal value "remained resilient" as strategic acquirers and dealmakers "reprice risk," according to a midyear outlook report | The number of health services deals dipped in the first half of 2026 but deal value "remained resilient" as strategic acquirers and dealmakers "reprice risk," according to a midyear outlook report from PwC.
'Not sustainable': The real impact of RVU cuts in electrophysiology
Despite a substantial increase in demand for electrophysiologists, payments for their services have remained stagnant.
A vague Iran deal leaves more questions than answers
Trump hailed the document as a breakthrough after months of negotiations. Yet its broad contours remained unclear over a day after the deal was announced.
Nearly half a billion dollars in ads projected in Maine election
Most of the spending will target the crucial U.S. Senate race between Democrat Graham Platner and Republican Susan Collins, according to AdImpact.
Platner's support reflects a changing party in the Trump era
Democrats are rallying behind Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner despite a series of controversies that might have derailed a Democratic campaign during the height of the #MeToo movement.
Can Iraola release the real Wirtz?
Florian Wirtz arrived at Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen last summer amid great fanfare in a then-British record £116m deal - but remained an enigma as he fell far short of expectations. Liverpool still have huge hopes for a gifted attacking player who has only just turned 23, which means one of Andoni Iraola's main tasks is to find a settled position for the German to release the talent he demonstrated before moving to Anfield. This is why Iraola will have been intrigued by what he saw from Wirtz in Germany's 7-1 win against Curacao in their opening World Cup game.
After a lifetime in politics, a former Maine congressman finds his biggest fight at home
Mike Michaud avoided scandal for nearly 50 years in state and federal politics. So how did he wind up in one in a small northern Maine town?
After a lifetime in politics, a former Maine congressman finds his biggest fight at home
Mike Michaud avoided scandal for nearly 50 years in state and federal politics. So how did he wind up in one in a small northern Maine town?
New poll reveals how politics reshaped trust in U.S. public health
A Harvard Chan/de Beaumont national poll of 2,205 U.S. adults found CDC trust dropped to 50% one year into new federal public health leadership, while state and local health agencies remained more trusted.
New poll reveals how politics reshaped trust in U.S. public health
A Harvard Chan/de Beaumont national poll of 2,205 U.S. adults found CDC trust dropped to 50% one year into new federal public health leadership, while state and local health agencies remained more trusted.
Kennedy Center exterior remains covered after Trump’s name is removed
Large striped tarps remained on the Kennedy Center’s exterior Sunday, prompting confusion and frustration from some visitors to the renowned arts venue after President Donald Trump’s name was removed over the weekend.
Mainers are turning to plants for health care as conventional treatment is harder to get
Maine companies sell herbal supplements, tinctures and other products made from plants, and Mainers also make their own products at home.
Dead Gowns, Stancioff to perform in Blue Hill
Working Loose will host an “intimate evening performance featuring two of Maine’s most celebrated emerging artists: Dead Gowns and Louisa Stancioff,” on Sunday, June 28, at 7 p.m., a press
Platner's 'deranged' response to Musk becoming a trillionaire sparks online outrage: 'Loserthink'
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner faces conservative backlash after posting about Elon Musk becoming the world's first trillionaire.
Democrats have a one-word defense for supporting Graham Platner: Trump
Platner’s backers in Maine say with Trump in office and Senate control on the line, the bar is low and the stakes are high: “Purity politics don’t get us anywhere.”
'Democrats want to win': Platner's support reflects a changing party in the Trump era
Democrats are rallying behind Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner despite a series of controversies that might have derailed a Democratic campaign during the height of the #MeToo movement
'Democrats want to win': Platner's support reflects a changing party in the Trump era
Democrats are rallying behind Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner despite a series of controversies that might have derailed a Democratic campaign during the height of the #MeToo movement.
Women's flag football will be a college varsity sport in Maine for the first time
The first NCAA championship season for Women's Flag Football is in 2028, and at least one college in Maine plans to field a team that season.
Maine counts ranked choice ballots to determine nominees for governor and a US House race
Maine has begun counting ranked choice ballots on Friday to determine nominees for its open governor’s office and a pivotal U.S. House of Representatives race
Survey shows growing challenge of running a business in Maine
Nearly half of Maine businesses surveyed by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce cite workforce challenges and policy uncertainty as barriers to growth .
The U.S. and Iran Stumble Back Into War | WSJ Politics Newsletter for June 11
Plus, the dilemma facing women in Maine, and Bill Gates testifies to Congress over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
South African business confidence edges up in May after April slump
South African business confidence edged up in May after a sharp fall in April, as companies adjusted to the oil price shock triggered by the Iran war and vehicle sales remained buoyant, data showed on Thursday.
WATCH: 'He's a thug,' Trump says of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner
President Donald Trump spoke at length on Wednesday about Democrat Graham Platner, who clinched Maine’s Democratic Senate nomination on Tuesday.
Republicans fear of 'fatal mistake' in must-win Platner race
The NRSC warns Republicans that scandal-plagued Democrat Graham Platner remains a credible threat to Sen. Susan Collins in Maine's pivotal Senate race.
The Dinosaur-killing Asteroid May Have Fueled Life Underground for 8 Million Years
Scientists found evidence that Chicxulub remained hydrothermally active four times longer than earlier estimates.
Trump weighs in on Maine's U.S. Senate race
While Trump attacked Platner, he said that Sen. Susan Collins is "a respected person."
Can Graham Platner beat the ‘true unicorn’ of American politics now that he’s the Dem nominee for Maine Senate?
Could Control of Congress Run Through Northern Maine?
The state’s vast rural areas, which make up the swing Second Congressional District, will be important in November.
Inflation rose again in May as elevated energy prices squeeze consumers
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the consumer price index (CPI) inflation data for May which showed that inflation rose and remained persistently high last month.
Defying Trump could help Susan Collins win reelection in Maine
Collins has managed to stay close enough to benefit politically while maintaining an independent streak. This strategy has helped her survive Trump's frequent personal attacks and his primary endorsements of opponents3.
Controversial Graham Platner overcomes allegations to seal Maine Democratic nomination for Senate race
Marine veteran won 72% of the vote despite infidelity and abuse allegations that emerged during primary campaign
Defying Trump ended some Republicans' careers. It could help Susan Collins win reelection in Maine
Maine Sen. Susan Collins often boosts her popularity by keeping her distance from President Donald Trump
The Battle for the Senate Could Come Down to Hopes and Fears in Maine
Graham Platner’s primary victory in Maine sets up a high-stakes contest between an insurgent progressive with political baggage and a battle-tested but vulnerable Republican senator.
Democrats rally round Platner in Maine while Trump reaffirms grip on GOP after primary elections
Outcome of polls in four states offer mixed signals about direction of two major parties before November’s midterms
Top takeaways from the primary elections in Maine and South Carolina: 'Movement about us'
Graham Platner cruises to Maine Democratic Senate nomination despite mounting controversies, setting up a key midterm battle against Sen. Susan Collins.
The Democratic establishment begrudgingly moves to embrace Graham Platner
Democrats largely lined up behind their new Maine Senate nominee on Tuesday, while Republicans were quick to launch their attacks.
Democrats Face Another Long Wait for Results in Maine Swing District
No candidate cleared 50 percent in the Democratic primary race to replace Representative Jared Golden, sending the race into ranked-choice voting.
Graham Platner tears into Republicans after clinching Susan Collins matchup in Maine, and other primary night takeaways
Graham Platner was all but certain to win Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday. But the progressive populist Platner was on course to earn about three-fourths of primary voters’ support — effectively ending any question about whether Maine Democrats wanted him to be their standard-bearer against Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the nation’s marquee races in November.
Platner wins Maine primary to challenge Collins
Voters also headed to the polls in primary elections in Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina ahead of the midterms.
Graham Platner shrugs off scandals to win Maine Democratic Senate primary
Platner, whose campaign was hit by series of negative headlines, to face Susan Collins in key midterm contest
Platner Wins Maine Senate Primary After a Turbulent Stretch of His Bid
Graham Platner has faced new scrutiny over his personal history, but his Democratic primary victory sets up a high-stakes race against Senator Susan Collins, a Republican.
Bernie Sanders dodges questions about abuse allegations facing Maine Senate candidate Platner
Sen. Bernie Sanders dodged questions about abuse allegations facing Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, refusing to respond at the Capitol.
Platner to frame overtly negative campaign against Collins
A speech he intends to deliver Tuesday night when he accepts the Democratic nomination, obtained by The Post, suggests the Maine Senate candidate wants to make the election a referendum on President Trump.
Will scandal-hit Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner help save or sink Democrats?
If Graham Platner wins, he could pull his party left and prove that novice candidates, baggage and all, are viable in key races.
Fetterman refuses to defend Platner, calling him 'baggage that incidentally might be a candidate'
Sen. John Fetterman breaks with Democrats, refuses to defend Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner amid mounting controversies over online conduct.
Platner holdout floats emergency lifeline for panicking Dems if scandal-plagued candidate wins
Rep. Josh Gottheimer calls for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner to exit the race, saying he should get off the ballot and let a Democrat step in.
Maine primary elections wrapping up
Polls are set to close at 8 p.m., marking the end of Maine’s primaries – a pivotal point in this year’s election cycle.
Cooper Flagg named to inaugural Time list of the 100 most influential people in sports
Cooper Flagg continues to put Maine on the map, as the recently-crowned NBA Rookie of the Year was named to Time Magazine's inaugural list of the 100 most influential people in sports.
Live results: Maine primary election results
See Maine election results and maps for the 2026 primaries.
Why Graham Platner’s margin matters in the Maine: From the Politics Desk
Plus, how California emerged as a target for unfounded election fraud claims.
The science of seeing inside explosions
During the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos scientists needed a diagnostic tool. Like an x-ray confirming a broken leg bone, the researchers wanted to be able to see into the smoke cloud of detonation products. They needed to verify that the implosion remained symmetric to ensure an efficient detonation. Although it was a time when scientific breakthroughs came quickly, this challenge stumped them, and their initial efforts to use x-rays to visualize the event were limited.
Maine’s Primary Ballot Is Crowded With Members of Political Dynasties
Among other candidates with ties to prominent officials, a senator’s son and a Bush scion are running for governor.
Democrats Accuse Republicans of Meddling in Maine’s Second Congressional District Primary
A mysterious group has spent $500,000 to elevate a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary race for a key House seat.
Opinion | The Good That Can Come From Platner’s Candidacy
The Senate race in Maine is a chance to do away with inconsistent standards applied according to political bias.
What to watch in Tuesday's primaries as Platner seeks Senate nomination in Maine
Voters across Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota head to the polls Tuesday for another day of primary elections in America, but much of the political world will be focused on Maine's high-stakes U.S. Senate contest.
Platner seeks the Democratic Senate nomination to set up critical Maine race with Collins
Graham Platner is seeking to make a Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate official in advance of one of the most anticipated contests of the year.
Sen Collins slams Bernie-backed Graham Platner as too far-left for Maine voters
Sen. Susan Collins calls Democratic challenger Graham Platner too extreme for Maine voters, while Platner charges Collins is the "radical" candidate.
Draymond Green Blames One Factor for Knicks’ Loss to Spurs
The New York Knicks had the chance to gain major momentum with a Game 3 win; however, the San Antonio Spurs did enough to claim their first victory of the 2026 NBA Finals. While the win remained the highlight of the night, another major storyline centered around the referees, which even caught Draymond Green’s attention. The Knicks lost to the Spurs in the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999.
Former Platner campaign aide: ‘The answer to a broken political culture is not to accept it’
A former top aide of Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner’s campaign urged members of her party to consider voting for another contender in Maine — one day before Tuesday’s primary cont…
The Latest: Maine primary election tests Platner’s support following mounting scandals
Voters across Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota head to the polls for another day of primary elections in America, but much of the political world will be focused on Maine’s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest
Fewer options in Maine: Health insurance company announces plan to leave the state
Only four companies have submitted rate proposals to provide health insurance in Maine in 2027. One company is leaving the state.
Graham Platner tries to clinch Senate nomination in Maine
Tuesday still marks a big moment for Platner, the embattled veteran and oyster farmer, who's fighting to rebuild his credibility in a campaign rocked by controversy.