Latest news with #PortlandPressHerald
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jewel Box bar in Portland faces uncertain future
May 28—Jewel Box owner Nathaniel Meiklejohn is entertaining offers from investors or buyers for his idiosyncratic, James Beard-nominated bar on Congress Street, he announced in an Instagram post. Meiklejohn had been considering closing the bar altogether, he wrote. "Since the pandemic, I have taken on a lot of debt in order to keep functioning as a business. Portland itself & the world at large is changing, the saturation of bars/restaurants in this town, the cost of living, the increase in prices of goods & the overwhelming wealth discrepancy that exists in this town/country/world are all factors contributing to this reality. We are at a point where our sales cannot pay our overhead in addition to the loans we have," the post says. "This is likely the last year of this iteration of the Jewel Box with myself as the owner. I am unsure what the future may bring, but I invite all possibilities," it concluded. Jewel Box, originally called Bearded Lady's Jewel Box, opened in 2014 at 644 Congress St. in the Arts District. One of Portland's early cocktail bars, it was aimed at being especially welcoming to marginalized people. The bar has made repeat appearances on the Portland Press Herald's annual Best 75 list, including this year, when then-restaurant critic Andrew Ross described it as "a dimly lit speakeasy with no sign to indicate you've found it, while the interior is what you might get if Jules Verne listened to trip-hop and drank one-too-many Back Bay Boulevardiers (bourbon, Speckled Ax coffee, Cynar, Campari)." Meiklejohn could not be immediately reached for comment. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
High School Runner Slams 'Bully' GOP Lawmaker For Attacking Race's Trans Winner
A high school runner in Maine who recently finished second to a transgender athlete in a school track meet is speaking out against a state lawmaker's public attack of her opponent, calling her behavior 'hateful' and 'ugly.' 'I didn't feel like first place was taken from me. Instead, I feel like a happy day was turned ugly by a bully who is using children to make political points,' Anelise Feldman of Yarmouth High School wrote of state Rep. Laurel Libby (R) in a letter to the editor published Wednesday in the Portland Press Herald. Feldman's competitor, Soren Stark-Chessa, won the girls 800-meter and 1,600-meter events. Though Feldman finished behind Stark-Chessa, she emphasized the value of teamwork, community, and personal improvement she receives from the sport, which she said is just as important as where athletes finish. 'Last Friday, I ran the fastest 1,600-meter race I have ever run in middle school or high school track and earned varsity status by my school's standards,' she wrote. Her pride and joy weren't diminished, she added, because 'someone else finished in front of me.' 'No one was harmed by Soren's participation in the girls' track meet, but we are all harmed by the hateful rhetoric of bullies, like Rep. Libby, who want to take sports away from some kids just because of who they are,' she wrote. Libby publicly ripped the other girl's win as 'absolutely not fair' in an interview on Fox News last week. 'This same athlete has been dominating in girls cross-country running, in Nordic skiing, and now in track,' Libby said. 'We're talking about just one athlete. Just one of these biological male athletes pushing many, many of our young women out of the way in their ascent to the podium.' Libby was censured last month by Maine's House after posting photos of a high school athlete on Facebook in February while criticizing the state for allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls sports. The post generated threats against the child and despite being told that it put the child in danger, Libby kept the post up and continued to bring media attention to the child 'in an effort to advance her political agenda,' the House said in a resolution addressing her censure. 'It is a basic tenet of politics and good moral character that children should not be targeted by adult politicians, especially when that targeting could result in serious harm,' the House said. Libby, who was first elected to the state legislature in 2020, lost her ability to vote on the House floor due to the censure. She has since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, accusing the House of violating her First Amendment rights. She did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment on Friday about Feldman's letter. Military Commanders Will Be Told To Send Transgender Troops To Medical Checks To Oust Them The Transgender Man At The Center Of Trump's Military Ban Has A Lot To Say Supreme Court Allows Trump Ban On Transgender Members Of The Military To Be Enforced Sen. Tommy Tuberville Says 'Woke Globalists' Are 'Pushing Kids' To Become Transgender Athletes In Women's Sports
Entrepreneur
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Entrepreneur
Retired David Letterman Surprises Local 'Nite Show' Audience
Danny Cashman, 47, has been hosting "The Nite Show" at Husson University in Bangor, Maine, for 15 years. The local program airs on several Maine television stations on Saturday nights (and has a YouTube channel). It's set up like a traditional late-night variety show, with an in-house band, an opening monologue, sketches, interviews with live guests, and musical performances. Cashman's top inspiration for his show was "The Late Show with David Letterman," according to the Portland Press Herald, and he's asked the now-retired Letterman, 78, to be a guest on his program for many years. On Saturday night, it finally happened. Related: At Least 50 Local TV Meteorologists Across the Country Were Just Laid Off — Here's Why Dubbed a "mystery guest," no one in the audience knew Letterman was actually going to appear. So it was a huge surprise when he walked out and joined Cashman at his desk to be his final live guest for one of the last episodes. "This is a self-made man," Letterman said, after receiving a standing ovation from the crowd and sitting down in the guest chair. "This is the product of his life for the last 20 years." Despite being a local program airing against NBC's Saturday Night Live, Cashman told Letterman that his show has remarkably high ratings during the time slot. Still, Cashman said it was time to put down the microphone. (He told News Center Maine that it just felt like "the time was right to do some other things.") "This is no small accomplishment, because I'm guessing this is not network supported, it has not been syndicated supported, I have great admiration for what you've done," Letterman said. Letterman also talked about the struggles he has faced since leaving his own show. "It's not easy, it took me quite a long time to break the daily routine," Letterman said. "Now people treat me differently." Here's the full episode. Related: This Entrepreneur Pranked Mark Cuban on National Television. The Shark Was So Impressed He Offered to Invest $640,000 — in Empty Boxes.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Yes, You Can Still See The Milky Way In The Northeast — Here's Where
The Milky Way shines above the ocean off the coast of Acadia National Park in the early morning ... More hours of Monday, April 23, 2018. (Staff photo by Gregory Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images) If you live in the northeast of the U.S. the chances are very high that you cannot see any but the brightest stars at night. It's estimated that about a third of the world's population cannot see the Milky Way because of light pollution. In the U.S., it's even worse; nearly 80% of Americans are unable to see the arc of light across the night sky. Wherever there are people, there is light. That might cause those in the densely populated and wetter regions of the U.S. — namely the northeast — to abandon the idea of stargazing altogether. Yet a glance at a light pollution map reveals some remaining dark areas where, on a clear night, you will be able to see the Milky Way — one of nature's most sublime sights. Here are eight destinations in the northeast U.S. and Canada to go stargazing, from New York and Pennsylvania to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and just over the border in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada. Look on a light pollution map, and you'll see a circle of darkness in northern Pennsylvania, where it borders New York. This is Susquehannock State Forest, and Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania, is in the middle of that. As a result, it has some of the darkest night skies the eastern U.S. has to offer. It also has a dedicated Astronomy Field (which requires booking in advance), as well as many other locations from which to stargaze. Here's an astrotourism adventure like no other. About 20 miles from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (just 3.5 hours on The CAT high-speed car ferry from Bar Harbor, Maine) is the Deep Sky Eye Observatory, where legally blind astronomer Tim Doucette will share his unique gift at the telescope (hint: his eyes see what only space telescopes can). There's an onside Nocturnal Sky Theatre as well as a Sky Cabin and Sky Bubbles to stay overnight in. It's North America's first Starlight Tourist Destination (issued by the UNESCO-backed Starlight Foundation). The Milky Way from Cherry Springs National Park. The darkest place in the entire region, according to light pollution maps, is the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. In Tupper Lake, west of Lake Placid, the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory has free stargazing and a roll-off roof observatory when skies are clear, with stargazing. It also has solar telescopes, an indoor planetarium and guest lectures. For stargazers, something exciting is happening in New Brunswick. Kist over the U.S. border, a Dark Sky corridor is taking shape along the dramatic Bay of Fundy coast, with New River Beach Provincial Park, Irving Nature Park, the charming St. Martins, Fundy Trail Provincial Park and Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park all now being certified for a Dark Sky status, filling in the gaps either side of the existing Fundy National Park Dark Sky Preserve. Cliff Valley Astronomy has tours, star parties and dark sky destinations. In light-polluted Massachusetts, it's difficult to find dark skies. If you stay on land, that is. Stellar Events organize stargazing cruises during which an astronomer uses a light pointer to reveal constellations, planets and star clusters from the top deck of the boat while far from land. Cruises go from Gloucester, Massachusetts and Sayville on Long Island, New York (and Galveston, Texas) from May through October. Katahdin Woods & Waters scenic byway along a field of blooming flowers (Photo by Gregory ... More Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images) Maine is far and away the darkest state in the northeast U.S., but stargazers' favorite Acadia National Park no longer has particularly dark skies, thanks to nearby Bar Harbour. Instead, head to the more remote Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, which was designated a precious International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020. Just east of Albany, New York, Grafton Lakes State Park holds astronomy events, including its monthly Full Moon Hike and a Star Party on Friday, May 23. Albany Area Amateur Astronomers will have telescopes and give tours of the night sky at the Deerfield Pavilion. (8:30-9:30 p.m. EDT). NYC is one of the most light-polluted cities in the world, but there remain some reliable places to go to see the brighter stars and solar system objects (planets and the moon are immune to light pollution). A great place to be during twilight is The High Line, the 1.5-mile-long elevated park built on the former New York Central Railroad in the city's Lower West Side. Stargazing is offered every Tuesday from sunset to 30 minutes before park closure between April and the end of October by The Amateur Astronomers Association. Other options in NYC include Central Park, Floyd Bennett Field, Great Kills Park, Harriman State Park and Columbia University's Pupin Hall, according to New York Family. Wishing you clear skies and eyes.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine Gov. Janet Mills beats Donald Trump, gets school meal funds restored while defending trans kids
The Trump administration has backed down after a federal court intervened in its attempt to cut off funding for Maine's school meal programs—punishment for the state's refusal to discriminate against transgender people by barring trans girls from participating in girls' sports. Under a legal settlement announced Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed to restore access to millions of dollars in nutrition funding and to stop using school meals as a weapon in President Donald Trump's anti-trans agenda—at least for now. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The retreat follows a now-infamous confrontation between Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Trump at the White House in February. When Trump demanded she comply with his executive order banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports or lose all federal funding, Mills didn't flinch. Related: Maine Gov. Janet Mills confronts Donald Trump to his face over anti-trans sports order at White House 'We'll see you in court,' she said. On Friday, standing before reporters, she delivered the follow-up: 'Well, we did see him in court—and we won,' the Portland Press Herald reports. The victory for Maine is also a win for basic decency and due process. Trump's USDA had frozen more than $3 million in funding for programs that feed over 170,000 children and vulnerable adults in the state, claiming Maine's inclusive sports policy violated Title IX. But a federal judge ruled last month that the agency had likely failed to follow required legal procedures. Rather than risk a broader injunction, the USDA folded. 'It's unfortunate that my office had to resort to federal court just to get USDA to comply with the law and its own regulations,' said Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey in a statement. 'But we are pleased that the lawsuit has now been resolved and that Maine will continue to receive funds as directed by Congress to feed children and vulnerable adults.' Related: Maine Gov. Janet Mills doubles down on defying Trump's attacks on trans rights after court victory The Trump administration is still pursuing a separate legal attack on Maine, suing the state over its policy and threatening to revoke $250 million in broader education funding through the Department of Education, The New York Times reports. Civil rights advocates warn that the broader case is part of a calculated campaign to undermine protections for transgender students nationwide—and to use the machinery of government to intimidate states that refuse to fall in line. Trump signed the misleadingly titled 'No Men in Women's Sports' executive order on February 5. It applies to all public schools, colleges, and even the U.S. Olympic Committee. It requires institutions to ban transgender girls and women from participating in female sports categories or lose federal funding. At its signing, Trump parroted debunked claims that thousands of victories had been 'stolen' from cisgender athletes by trans competitors—statements not supported by any data. The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 575 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures in 2025 across the United States. These proposals include restrictions on health care access, curriculum censorship, forced outing of LGBTQ students, barriers to accurate identification documents, and bans on participation in school sports and access to public accommodations. In reality, NCAA president Charlie Baker recently testified that fewer than 10 transgender athletes compete among the 510,000 student-athletes in the NCAA.
