Maine

Maine knows the cost of war. Our leaders must remember it too. | Opinion

Published

3 months ago

November 21, 2025

Maine knows the cost of war. Our leaders must remember it too. | Opinion

Morgan Lueck, a native of Sumner who now lives in China, Maine, served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps. He holds a Master of Science degree in counterterrorism and homeland security from American University.

As I reflect on this past Veterans Day, I am reminded of what military service demands and of what national decisions about war truly cost. It is about remembering the profound weight of what is asked when a nation chooses conflict.

The burden is not theoretical; it is carried by service members, their families and their communities for generations. Because of this, those we elect have a solemn obligation to exercise judgment before committing Americans to war.

That obligation is not being met.

The recent U.S. maritime and aerial operations have included lethal strikes that United Nations experts describe as extrajudicial killings in international waters. The president has stated that he “does not need a declaration of war” to expand these operations.

The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Caribbean signals an unjustified escalation, without clear objectives, legal grounding or an exit strategy. Senior lawmakers report they have not been given the required legal basis for these operations.

Maine has a senator who chose to ignore that history.

Sen. Susan Collins serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Her duty is to oversee covert military activity and ensure compliance with U.S. law. That role is not symbolic. It is the constitutional safeguard intended to prevent undeclared war.

Twice now, the Senate has considered bipartisan measures to require congressional authorization for further U.S. strikes in Venezuela. Twice Sen. Susan Collins has voted to block those measures. Most recently, the measure failed 51–49, and hers was the decisive vote.

Her vote preserved the administration’s ability to conduct lethal operations without congressional approval. And it confirms what Mainers who serve in uniform have long known: her self-styled reputation for moderation does not extend to upholding constitutional checks on war power.

This was not an isolated misjudgment. It was the continuation of a pattern.

Collins has built her reputation on careful deliberation. This was careless. It is an abdication of the oversight she is uniquely positioned to exercise and was entrusted with by her constituents. Collins did not defend constitutional war powers or demand transparency on their behalf. She chose the path of least resistance and opposed the guardrails. She claimed the restrictions were “too broad.” We have seen this pattern from her before.

When she voted to authorize the war in Iraq, she did so under the same framework she invokes now: deference to executive assurances, an avoidance of hard constraints and a disregard for the human cost of what those decisions set in motion.

Maine remembers that cost. We remember it in the names etched into stone on town memorials, in flag-lined funeral routes through our smallest towns, in the quiet corners of our lives where someone’s absence is still felt. The Iraq War reshaped families and communities here at home. The lesson should have been clear: war must not be entered quietly, casually or without clarity. Yet the pattern is repeating. Only the geography has changed.

Those of us who have served are not “anti-intervention.” We are against unexamined intervention. We are against wars entered casually and exited slowly. We are against repeating the pattern that has taken so much from so many for so little strategic return.

Make no mistake, Nicolás Maduro is a dictator, and Venezuela’s alignment with Russia, China and Iran is strategically concerning. But recognizing a threat is not the same as authorizing a war.

If the United States is to use military force, the administration must explain the rationale, Congress must debate and approve it and the mission must have clear goals and limits, including a plan to end the conflict before it begins.

If Americans are going to be asked to risk their lives, then those we elect to vote on our behalf have a duty to stand up, speak clearly and take responsibility. That duty is not being met. And once again, Sen. Collins is choosing caution over courage, and silence over leadership, at the very moment when bravery and clarity are required.

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Maine

How the Good Neighbor Day of Giving telethon is impacting Maine’s communities

Published

4 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

How the Good Neighbor Day of Giving telethon is impacting Maine’s communities

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Monday’s telethon held by WABI in partnership with Penquis and Heart of Maine United Way Monday raised money for the heating of homes, something so basic, yet so significant in a state like Maine.

Danielle Hewes, Penquis contributor and volunteer, says some people might not even know that they qualify for heating assistance.

“I think there’s this misconception that you can’t get that if you’re working. Like that’s just for people on general assistance. The truth of the matter is this is for the people that are maybe not able to work, but also for the people that are working. They’re making ends meet,” she said.

For Danielle, that’s what makes events like the telethon so special: it’s making a real difference in the community with people who need the help the most.

Speaking about Penquis in particular, she said, “You learn about all of the other things they do and how they help the community and you can’t help but want to be a part of that.”

If you weren’t able to donate Monday, donations are still being accepted.

You can go to homeunitedway.org/heat.

You can also call 941-2800.

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Maine

Arizona Sen. Gallego endorses Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

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Arizona Sen. Gallego endorses Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine Democrat Graham Platner has picked up another high-profile endorsement in his bid to flip a key Senate seat blue, marking another sign of the oyster farmer and combat veteran’s political resiliency even as he continues to face controversy throughout his campaign.

Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego announced Monday that he was backing Platner, saying that the first-time candidate “reflects the grit and independence that defines Maine.”

“Graham Platner is the kind of fighter Maine hasn’t seen in a long time, someone who tells you exactly what he thinks, doesn’t owe anything to the special interests, and wakes up every day thinking about working families,” said Gallego, who won a Senate seat in Arizona in 2024 by more than 2 points while Trump carried the state by nearly 6 points.

Platner has previously been endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat.

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has endorsed Platner’s main opponent, Maine Gov. Janet Mills.

Both Platner, 41, and Mills, 78, are hoping to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, 73, a five-term incumbent who announced last month that she was running for another term. A victory in Maine is crucial for Democrats’ efforts to take back control of the Senate. The Democratic Party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.

READ MORE: Maine’s Graham Platner thinks voters will overlook his past to support a new type of candidate

Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s pressed forward despite controversies over old social media posts and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he recently had covered up.

Gallego is among the Democrats named as possible 2028 presidential contenders. Last fall, he stumped in New Jersey, Virginia and Florida, where he campaigned for Democrats who went on to win their elections.

“I have an immense amount of respect for him and I’m looking forward to joining him as a fellow Marine and combat infantryman in the U.S. Senate,” Platner said in a statement.

Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

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Maine

Building Hope: A Community Film Event to End Homelessness

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Building Hope: A Community Film Event to End Homelessness

On March 2, Spurwink will join community partners for a special viewing of Building Hope: Ending Homelessness in Maine at the University of Southern Maine’s McGoldrick Hall.

Directed by Richard Kane and produced by Melody Lewis-Kane, the film shines a compassionate light on the realities of Maine’s homelessness crisis. Through deeply personal stories, Building Hope explores the challenges faced by unhoused individuals and families, while highlighting the hope that emerges when communities come together to create solutions. It’s been praised for its honesty, dignity, and inspiring message: change is possible when we work together.

Following the screening, a panel of local leaders and advocates will discuss the film and the ongoing effort in Maine to end homelessness. Panelists will include Katherine Rodney, Director of Spurwink’s Living Room Crisis Center; Cullen Ryan, Chief Strategic Officer at 3Rivers; Donna Wampole, Assistant Professor of Social Work at USM; and Preble Street staff. Catherine Ryder, Spurwink’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, will bring her expertise in trauma-informed care and community collaboration to the panel as the moderator.

This event is free and open to the public.

McGoldrick Center, USM Portland campus

05:00 PM – 07:30 PM on Mon, 2 Mar 2026

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