A Maine paper mill joins the fight against superbugs, with a product inspired by sharks

Hospitals face perhaps no bigger challenge today than the proliferation of dangerous infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Their weapons of choice in the battle against so-called “superbugs” span from the low-tech (thorough hand-washing) to the high-tech (paint and fabrics infused with antimicrobial chemicals). Now comes a new defense against those nasty germs, which are responsible for an uncounted […]

Maine marijuana and tax campaigns load up on cash

The campaigns to legalize marijuana and fund education spending with a new tax on the state’s highest earners came close to doubling their already substantial campaign coffers in September. Campaign disclosures filed Wednesday night show that groups supporting both ballot questions in September raised about 40 percent of what they’d raised prior to that month, both from two large donors. […]

Where Maine ballot question campaigns are getting their money

This year’s ballot questions in Maine are a primary attraction for political fundraising, with high-stakes fights on five different policy questions, including marijuana legalization and expanded background checks on gun sales. On Wednesday, groups spending to support or oppose those questions filed detailed financial disclosures through September, revealing where they got their money, though much of it remains hard […]

Mainers are paying less for energy and way more for health care

Mainers continued to pay less for gasoline and other energy last year as spending on health care continued to climb, according to the latest federal figures. The sudden drop in gasoline and energy spending by Maine households follows the global drop in oil prices and is in line with the rest of the country, where spending in that category dropped by about 24 […]

See where Maine donors gave the most to Trump, Clinton

With only six weeks left before voters hit the polls and pick the next president, patterns in campaign donations are making clearer the landscape of big support on each side of the aisle from Maine donors. What’s clear from overall donations is that most itemized donations to the presidential race went to Democrats. (Campaigns are required to list names and ZIP codes […]

Women and minority owners are more common at Maine’s newest businesses

Social and cultural changes are making an impact on new business starts in Maine, with female- and minority-owned businesses showing up in greater numbers. But while minority business ownership is on par with Maine’s relatively small non-white population, the share of female business owners remains about half of the state’s 51.1 percent female population. The figures come from a new U.S. Census Bureau […]