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Camp closes; curfew passes; activism continues

Occupy Watch
Let's just say it: The first phase of OccupyMaine ended with a fizzle, not a bang. The showing at Friday's 10 pm deadline for Occupiers to be out of Lincoln Park was poor.

By: JEFF INGLIS | February 15, 2012

At union request, Sussman steps up for Press Herald

Cash Injections
It was not the owners of the Portland Press Herald who sought out Maine hedge-fund mogul S. Donald Sussman to proffer a cash infusion to save the ailing newspaper. Rather, it was the idea of the Press Herald 's unionized employees.

By: JEFF INGLIS | February 15, 2012

Gangs study killed

Lawmaker Apology
On February 9 the Legislature's Criminal Justice Committee, which had already informally decided against LD 1707, the bill that would have created severe penalties for people associated with criminal street gangs, killed a substitute proposal for a study to be done on how to define gangs and how to have police share information on them.

By: LANCE TAPLEY | February 15, 2012

As encampment fades, protest shifts back to core issues

Occupy Transition
Even as Portland city officials continue to pressure OccupyMaine to leave Lincoln Park, they have done the Occupation a great favor, perhaps unintentionally.

By: JEFF INGLIS | February 08, 2012

Female poets step up to the mic

Could be verse
While down in Cambridge last August with a team of Portland poets for the semi-finals of the National Poetry Slam, Tricia Henley Pryce says, she never saw more than one woman up on stage at a time.

By: MEGAN GRUMBLING | February 08, 2012

Will the next Keystone fight happen in New England?

Dirty business
We may have narrowly avoided Keystone XL (for now), but local environmental activists say that Maine and New England are not safe from "the dirtiest oil on earth," with a huge Canadian oil company seeking other routes to pump crude oil out of Alberta.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON | February 08, 2012

Anti-gang bill dumped

State House Switcheroo
After a January 27 public hearing featuring a rare insinuation by one legislator that a fellow lawmaker lied, Criminal Justice Committee members were ready to throw out LD 1707, a bill that piles heavy sentences onto people convicted of involvement with criminal street gangs.

By: LANCE TAPLEY | February 01, 2012

Citizens overwhelmingly support Occupy encampment

Occupy Watch
As OccupyMaine's request to stay in Lincoln Park is considered by a Maine judge, it appears the Portland City Council's decisions (which the judge is reviewing) were based more on individual councilors' views and less on constituent complaints than elected officials have let on.

By: JEFF INGLIS | February 01, 2012

Sign conundrum continues; monuments 'join' movement

Occupy Watch
The mystery of where OccupyMaine's signs went is partially solved: it turns out their removal was witnessed — and by a police officer!

By: JEFF INGLIS | January 25, 2012

Local adjunct professors fight for their piece of the pie

Coming to the table
Even as Governor Paul LePage and others tout the importance of the community college system in Maine, the adjunct professors at Southern Maine Community College and the University of Southern Maine are without contracts.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON | January 25, 2012

Gang-buster bill gets dissed

Tattoos As A Criminal Act
A controversial legislative proposal developed by a secretive police group would send an individual to prison for up to 40 years if he or she is convicted of asking someone to join a criminal street gang.

By: LANCE TAPLEY | January 25, 2012

White House pans SOPA

Online Freedom
Maine's congressional delegation appears to be in a holding pattern while attempting to form positions on two bills that address widespread copyright and trademark violations via the Internet.

By: JEFF INGLIS | January 18, 2012

Will Ron Paul try for a win in Maine?

Primary School
Maine Republicans are gearing up for this state's presidential caucuses, scheduled for February 4-11 this year.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON | January 18, 2012

Court looms; camp signs missing

Occupy Watch
OccupyMaine has filed its comments on the city's reality-detached answer to Occupy's lawsuit, and a hearing on the Occupiers' request for court protection from city eviction is scheduled for next week.

By: JEFF INGLIS | January 18, 2012

Food sovereignty goes to court

Removing local control
The state is pursuing a lawsuit against a Blue Hill farmer that could have "a chilling effect on Maine's growing local food movement and the promise of real economic development in our rural communities," according to the Downeast activist organization Food for Maine's Future.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON | January 11, 2012

10 fun things in the OccupyMaine-Portland lawsuit

Legal ease
OccupyMaine sued Portland late last year, seeking a court's permission to stay in Lincoln Park, given that the City Council has refused to brook any possibility of anyone remaining overnight in a city park for any reason (including free speech, expression, or assembly).

By: JEFF INGLIS | January 11, 2012

Who is behind the controversial regulatory takings bill?

On the takings
Who is behind the controversial regulatory takings bill?

By: COLIN WOODARD | December 21, 2011

Chomsky to Occupy: move to the next stage

Words from the guru
Noam Chomsky has advice for the Occupy movement, whose encampments all over the country are being swept away by police.

By: LANCE TAPLEY | December 23, 2011

Congress gives us all detention

Rights watch
The $662 billion military spending bill expected to go before both houses of Congress later this week includes controversial provisions allowing the US military to arrest and indefinitely detain, without trial, anyone suspected of terrorism-related crimes, including American citizens.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON | December 14, 2011

‘Blaine House Nine’ banned from Capitol Park, State House

Augusta protests
Bet you didn't know that the police, without going to court or giving a reason, can order you not to enter public property like the State House — and if you disobey you could spend up to six months in jail.

By: LANCE TAPLEY | December 07, 2011