They Saw What Their Town Was Missing…Each Other
A small Vermont town had "pretty much nothing to hold us together." A few neighbors saw the need for community…and built it, one shared meal at a time.
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A running log of stories worth your attention, tagged by what kind of piece they are.
The Mandate Mirage
Everybody keeps calling close elections a "mandate." Independents picking who sucks less this cycle is not one. Here's what a real mandate looks like…and what happens when parties inflate a loan into a deed.
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After the Arrest: The Fork Where a Maine DA Decides
Our DA explainer covers the whole job. This one zooms in on a single moment... the fork after an arrest.
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What "Dismissed" Actually Means on Our Court Lists
You've seen the word all over Crime in Our Communities. Here's what it can mean... and why the lists never say which.
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How to Spot the Same Story Spun Left and Right
Same event. Two headlines. Two completely different feelings. Here's how to find the story underneath.
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Go Find the Person Who Should Be Running
A lot of us held our noses and voted for the lesser of two evils. I do too, sometimes. We're pretty good at grumbling about the choices… and not so good at doing something about them. Consider this an invitation to change that.
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With Malice Toward None: Lincoln's Instructions for the Morning After
The country just went through one of the most hard-fought midterms in years. Lincoln's last line in 1865 still tells all of us what to do next, and voters on both sides already agree on more than the ads let on.
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Spot the Tactic: Two Dans, One Ballot
In Alaska, a decoy candidate is being used to say the race is rigged, and a lawsuit to hold up certification is being used to say it's being stolen. Each side's tactic is the other side's proof.
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Spot the Tactic: The Polls Don't Vote
It's Election Day. If you've been told it's already decided, notice who's telling you, and what they want you to do next.
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Spot the Tactic: One Vote Isn't a Membership Card
One Democrat broke with her party on ONE vote. Both headlines turn that single choice into a verdict on a whole person or a whole party.
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Spot the Tactic: The Revenge Pre-Game
The election is tomorrow, and both camps are already planning what to do with power they don't have yet.
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Midcoast Court Outcomes, Week 2: 14 Dismissals, No Reasons Given
33 charges closed in Waldo and Knox courts Oct. 21-30. 14 were dismissed, none with a reason given. No names, every source linked.
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What Should a Maine DA Charge, and When Shouldn't They?
What should Maine prosecutors charge, and when should they decline or reduce? A fair way to judge any DA's choices, using state law and court rules.
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Spot the Tactic: Whose Prosecution Was It?
If your opponent's real record is bad enough to run against, run against the real record.
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Spot the Tactic: Same Math, Both Parties
This month, two super PACs, one from each party, used the EXACT same math trick to say an opponent got rich in office.
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Spot the Tactic: Can Congress Refuse to Seat Democratic Socialists? The Oath Debate
A few democratic socialists are likely headed to Congress. A couple of Republicans say they shouldn’t be sworn in. One side wants you sneering. The other wants you scared.
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Midcoast Maine Court Outcomes, Week 1: Waldo, Knox and Lincoln Cases (Week Ending: Oct. 30, 2026)
Week 1 of a weekly look at how cases end in Prosecutorial District 6 (Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and Waldo): the charge, the outcome and the source, with no names.
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Democrats and Republicans Agree on More Than You Think: What the Polls Show
We dislike each other more than ever, but disagree far less than we think. Here's the foundation, and the policy, most Republicans AND Democrats already share.
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Pingree vs. Charles vs. Bennett: Maine Governor Race Ads Fact-Checked
Maine's race for governor, checked claim by claim: each candidate's own claims and the attacks on them, ruled against roll calls, official records and named reporting.
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Jackson vs. Collins Ads Fact-Checked: Maine U.S. Senate Race, Claim by Claim
Maine's U.S. Senate race, checked claim by claim: each candidate's own claims and the other side's attacks, ruled against roll calls, filings and official reports.
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Spot the Tactic: A Senator, a Classified Iran War Plan and One Word: Leak or Warning?
One senator, one word about a classified war plan, six days before an election. One side wants you scared of what’s coming. The other wants you furious at the man who said it. This time, one of them has a point.
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Spot the Tactic: Activists Test a Voting Rule on Camera: Crime or Journalism?
Minnesota charged James O’Keefe and Cam Higby over a polling-place video. One headline sneers at the activists; the other blames the prosecutor. Here’s what’s known, what’s claimed, and what’s missing.
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Spot the Tactic: The Second Dan Sullivan on Alaska's Ballot: What NYT Reporting Shows
The New York Times reports Peltola aides and Democratic Senate staff worked to stack Alaska’s ballot with spoilers, including a second Dan Sullivan. Both deny it. Here’s what’s backed, what’s disputed, and what’s missing.
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Spot the Tactic: Ex-Officials' “Legitimacy Test” for Washington: Coup Playbook or Fear Porn?
Leaked calls show ex-officials drafting “red lines” for when Washington stops being legitimate. One headline saw a coup; the other sneered at anyone asking. Same tapes… two scripts.
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Spot the Tactic: Speaker Johnson on a Peaceful Transfer of Power: Two Headlines, One Answer
Speaker Johnson said “Of course” to a peaceful transfer of power. One headline heard chills; the other sneered at anyone asking. Same 30 seconds… two scripts.
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Spot the Tactic: Viral AI Film Says Every Democrat Is a Socialist. Is a Faction a Party?
A viral AI film treats the whole Democratic Party as if the DSA already swallowed it. The left has a matching habit with "fascist." A faction is not a party… and the standard Democrats set for Republicans should apply both ways.
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When Prosecutors Don't Prosecute: Why Second Chances Still Need Follow-Through
I think we've drifted into a system that means well and isn't working, and I'd rather talk about that as neighbors than shout about it as teams.
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Spot the Tactic: Iran War Bad News: How Each Side Spins It
Eight months into a war with Iran, one side treats every bit of bad news as a gift for November, and the other insists there isn't any bad news. Both are keeping score. Neither is keeping count.
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Spot the Tactic: The Unexplained Name in an Ilhan Omar Federal Filing: What's Known
One unexplained name in a federal filing about Rep. Ilhan Omar. A suspicion-driven headline from the right, a contempt-driven one from the left, and what a calm look at the facts actually shows.
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Spot the Tactic: Ramaswamy's Ad With Amy Acton's Mother: Ohio Governor Race, Both Spins
One attack ad in Ohio's race for governor. A disgust-driven headline from the left, an anger-driven one from the right, and what a calm look at the facts actually shows.
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Spot the Tactic: The Federal Hunt for Noncitizen Voters in California: Fear on Both Sides
One federal push to find noncitizen voters in California. A fear-and-anger headline from the right, another from the left, and what a calm look at the facts actually shows.
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Spot the Tactic: Ex-FBI Officials Charged Over Hunter Biden Laptop Testimony: Two Spins
Two former FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden laptop. An anger-driven headline from the left, another from the right, and what a calm look at the facts actually shows.
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