Connect with us

Maine

Social Security’s acting leader faces calls to resign over decision to cut Maine contracts

Published

on


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration’s acting commissioner is facing calls to resign after he issued an order — which was quickly rescinded — that would have required Maine parents to register their newborns for Social Security numbers at a federal office rather than the hospital.

Newly unearthed emails show that the March 5 decision was made as political payback to Maine’s Governor Janet Mills, who has defied the Trump administration’s push to deny federal funding to the state over transgender athletes.

In the email addressed to the agency’s staff, acting commissioner Leland Dudek, said, “no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child.” Staff members warned that terminating the contracts would result in improper payments and the potential for identity theft.

Dudek’s order initially drew widespread condemnation from medical organizations and public officials, who described it as unnecessary and punitive. The practice of allowing parents to register a newborn for a Social Security number at a hospital or other birthing site, called the Enumeration at Birth program, has been common for decades.

Advertisement

Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree, one of two House members from Maine, said Dudek should resign immediately. She characterized Dudek’s actions as retaliation for Mills publicly opposing President Donald Trump.

“If a federal agency can be turned into a political hit squad at the whim of an acting appointee, what checks remain on executive power? Commissioner Dudek’s vindictive actions against Maine represent a fundamental betrayal of public trust that disqualifies him from public service,” Pingree said.

Mills said Wednesday that Social Security is being subjected to “rushed and reckless cuts” and needs leadership that treats it like a public trust. She said that is especially important in Maine, which has a high number of recipients.

“Social Security is not a scheme, as some have said, it’s a covenant between our government and its people. The Social Security Administration’s leadership must act in a manner that reflects this solemn obligation,” Mills said.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter to Dudek on Tuesday, calling for his immediate resignation and a request that he sit for an interview with the committee.

Advertisement

“The American people deserve answers about your activities and communications in the time between President Trump’s February 21, 2025, public threat to Governor Mills and your February 27, 2025, order to cancel the enumeration at birth and electronic death registration contracts with the state of Maine, and about your knowledge that cancelling these contracts would lead to increased waste, fraud, and abuse,” Connolly said in his letter.

Connolly, in a letter on Tuesday, said Democrats on the House oversight committee obtained internal emails from the Social Security Administration that he says shows Dudek cancelled the contracts to retaliate politically against Maine.

A representative from the Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

Dudek on a March 18th call with reporters to preview the agency’s tighter identity-proofing measures, initially said the cancellation of the Maine contract happened “because I screwed up,” adding that he believed that the contract looked strange. “I made the wrong move there. I should always ask my staff for guidance first, before I cancel something. I’m new at this job.”

He added, “Well, I was upset at the governor’s treatment, and I indicated in email as such, but the actual fact of the matter was it looked like a strange contract.”

Advertisement

“I’m not interested in political retaliation. I’m interested in serving the public.”

Maine has been the subject of federal investigations since Gov. Mills sparked the ire of Trump at a meeting of governors at the White House in February. During the meeting, Trump threatened to pull federal funding from Maine if the state does not comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from sports.

Mills responded: “We’ll see you in court.”

The Trump administration then opened investigations into whether Maine violated the Title IX antidiscrimination law by allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports. The Education Department issued a final warning on Monday that the state could face Justice Department enforcement soon if it doesn’t come into compliance soon.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins also said Wednesday that the department is pausing federal funds for some Maine educational programs because of Title IX noncompliance.

Advertisement

___

Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine.



Source link

Maine

Program doubles enrollment, expands to more Maine schools

Published

on

Program doubles enrollment, expands to more Maine schools


Central Maine Power is expanding its Union Trade Internship Program in 2026, increasing opportunities for Maine high school students to gain hands-on experience in the electric utility industry.

Advertisement

A sign for Central Maine Power, a subsidiary of Avangrid

Advertisement

CMP expands union trade internship program for Maine students

Advertisement

Central Maine Power is expanding its Union Trade Internship Program in 2026, increasing opportunities for Maine high school students to gain hands-on experience in the electric utility industry.

WMTW logo

Updated: 11:47 AM EDT Apr 14, 2026

Editorial Standards

Advertisement

Central Maine Power is expanding its Union Trade Internship Program in 2026, increasing opportunities for Maine high school students to gain hands-on experience in the electric utility industry.Now in its second year, the 10-week paid program will double enrollment, expand to additional schools in central and southern Maine, and broaden training to include both line and substation operations. The program will serve 10 students ages 16 and older, selected through a competitive recruitment and interview process in partnership with participating schools.The internship runs from June to August and includes classroom instruction at CMP’s training center in Farmingdale, along with supervised field experience alongside union crews. Students will learn foundational skills such as pole climbing, bucket truck operation, breaker and transformer maintenance, and the safe use of tools and protective equipment. Participants will not work on live electrical wires.The program is aimed at strengthening the workforce pipeline for skilled trades while giving students early exposure to careers in the energy sector and supporting partnerships between CMP and Maine schools.

Central Maine Power is expanding its Union Trade Internship Program in 2026, increasing opportunities for Maine high school students to gain hands-on experience in the electric utility industry.

Now in its second year, the 10-week paid program will double enrollment, expand to additional schools in central and southern Maine, and broaden training to include both line and substation operations. The program will serve 10 students ages 16 and older, selected through a competitive recruitment and interview process in partnership with participating schools.

Advertisement

The internship runs from June to August and includes classroom instruction at CMP’s training center in Farmingdale, along with supervised field experience alongside union crews. Students will learn foundational skills such as pole climbing, bucket truck operation, breaker and transformer maintenance, and the safe use of tools and protective equipment. Participants will not work on live electrical wires.

The program is aimed at strengthening the workforce pipeline for skilled trades while giving students early exposure to careers in the energy sector and supporting partnerships between CMP and Maine schools.

Advertisement

`;
}

Advertisement

function refreshWeatherIframe(containerId) {
var iframeId = ‘weather-iframe-‘ + containerId;
var iframe = document.getElementById(iframeId);
if (iframe && iframe.src) {
var originalSrc = iframe.src;
iframe.src = originalSrc + (originalSrc.indexOf(‘?’) > -1 ? ‘&’ : ‘?’) + ‘t=” + Date.now();
}
}

function initializeWeatherBox(container) {
var containerId = container.getAttribute(“data-container-id’);
var isWeatherBoxV2 = containerId === ‘home-weather-v2’;

function switchWeatherTab(tabName, clickedElement) {
container.querySelectorAll(‘[data-tab-id]’).forEach(function(tab) {
tab.classList.remove(‘open’);
tab.setAttribute(‘aria-selected’, ‘false’);
});

clickedElement.classList.add(‘open’);
clickedElement.setAttribute(‘aria-selected’, ‘true’);

container.querySelectorAll(‘[data-content-id]’).forEach(function(content) {
content.style.display = ‘none’;
content.setAttribute(‘hidden’, ‘true’);
});

Advertisement

var targetContent = container.querySelector(‘[data-content-id=”‘ + tabName + ‘”]’);
if (targetContent) {
targetContent.style.display = ‘block’;
targetContent.removeAttribute(‘hidden’);
}
}

function loadWeatherData() {
// If weather data is already being loaded, wait for it
if (window.weatherDataPromise) {
window.weatherDataPromise.then(function(data) {
if (data && data.data) {
var weatherContainer = container.closest(‘.weather-box-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
weatherContainer.style.display = ‘flex’;
updateCurrentWeather(data.data);
updateForecastTabs(data.data);
updateWeatherAlertsBar(data.data);
}
}
});
return;
}

var location = { zip: window.DEFAULT_ZIPCODE };

try {
var storedLocations = localStorage.getItem(‘hrst.zip.history’);
if (storedLocations) {
var locations = JSON.parse(storedLocations);
if (locations && locations.length > 0) {
location = locations[0];
}
}
} catch (e) {}

var apiUrl = (window.DEWY_HOSTNAME || ”) + ‘/api/v1/weather/full/’ + location.zip;

Advertisement

if (window.fetch) {
window.weatherDataPromise = fetch(apiUrl)
.then(function(response) { return response.json(); })
.then(function(data) {
if (data && data.data) {
var article = container.closest(‘.article–wrapper’);
var weatherContainer = container.closest(‘.weather-box-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
weatherContainer.style.display = ‘flex’;
updateCurrentWeather(data.data);
updateForecastTabs(data.data);
updateWeatherAlertsBar(data.data);
}
return data;
}
})
.catch(function(error) {
console.error(‘Error loading weather:’, error);
// Reset to unknown background on error
updateWeatherBackground(‘unknown’);
});
}
}

function updateWeatherAlertsBar(weatherData) {
var weatherWatchHeader = container.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-header’);
if (!weatherWatchHeader) return;

var weatherWatchText = weatherWatchHeader.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-text’);
var weatherWatchLink = weatherWatchHeader.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-link’);

if (weatherData.alerts_count > 0) {
weatherWatchHeader.className=”weather-watch-header has-alerts”;
if (weatherWatchText) {
weatherWatchText.textContent = `Weather Alerts (${weatherData.alerts_count})`;
}
if (weatherWatchLink) {
if (!weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-href’)) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘data-initial-href’, weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘href’));
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘data-initial-onclick’, weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘onclick’) || ”);
}
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘href’, “https://www.wmtw.com/alerts”);
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘onclick’, “return handleWeatherLinkClick(event, ‘click_alerts’, ‘click’, ‘mobile-weather’, “https://www.wmtw.com/alerts”);”);
}
} else {
weatherWatchHeader.className=”weather-watch-header”;
if (weatherWatchText) {
weatherWatchText.textContent = containerId === ‘home-weather-v2’ ? ‘Watch Latest Forecast’ : ‘Latest Forecast’;
}
if (weatherWatchLink) {
var initialHref = weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-href’);
var initialOnclick = weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-onclick’);
if (initialHref) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘href’, initialHref);
}
if (initialOnclick) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘onclick’, initialOnclick);
}
}
}
}

function updateCurrentWeather(weatherData) {
if (weatherData.current) {
var tempValue = weatherData.current.temp_f || ”;
var skyValue = weatherData.current.sky || ”;
var feelsLikeValue = weatherData.current.feels_like_f || weatherData.current.temp_f || ”;

Advertisement

var tempEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–current-temp-value’);
if (tempEl) {
tempEl.textContent = tempValue;
tempEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, tempValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit’);
}

var iconEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–current-icon’);
if (iconEl && weatherData.current.icon_name) {
iconEl.className=”weather-grid–current-icon weather-current-icon icon icon-weather-” + weatherData.current.icon_name;
}

var skyEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–sky’);
if (skyEl) {
skyEl.textContent = skyValue;
skyEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, ‘Current condition: ‘ + skyValue);
}

var feelsEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–feels’);
if (feelsEl) {
feelsEl.textContent = feelsLikeValue + ‘°F’;
feelsEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, feelsLikeValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit’);
}

var weatherContainer = container.querySelector(‘.weather-temp-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
var summary = ‘Current temperature ‘ + tempValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit, ‘ +
skyValue + ‘, feels like ‘ + feelsLikeValue + ‘ degrees’;
weatherContainer.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, summary);
}

Advertisement

updateWeatherBackground(weatherData.current.icon_name);
}
}

function updateWeatherBackground(iconName) {
try {
var bgPath = weatherImages.backgrounds[iconName] || weatherImages.backgrounds.unknown;
container.style.backgroundImage=”url(” + bgPath + ‘)’;
} catch (e) {
console.log(‘Error updating weather background:’, e);
}
}

function updateForecastTabs(weatherData) {
var visibleItems = isWeatherBoxV2 ? 6 : 5;

if (weatherData.hourly) {
var hourlyContainer = container.querySelector(‘.weather-hourly-forecast’);
if (hourlyContainer) {
var html=””;
var maxHours = Math.min(visibleItems, weatherData.hourly.length);

for (var i = 0; i 0 ? currentIndex – 1 : tabs.length – 1;
tabs[prevIndex].focus();
break;
case ‘ArrowRight’:
e.preventDefault();
var nextIndex = currentIndex

Advertisement

`;
}

function refreshWeatherIframe(containerId) {
var iframeId = ‘weather-iframe-‘ + containerId;
var iframe = document.getElementById(iframeId);
if (iframe && iframe.src) {
var originalSrc = iframe.src;
iframe.src = originalSrc + (originalSrc.indexOf(‘?’) > -1 ? ‘&’ : ‘?’) + ‘t=” + Date.now();
}
}

function initializeWeatherBox(container) {
var containerId = container.getAttribute(“data-container-id’);
var isWeatherBoxV2 = containerId === ‘home-weather-v2’;

function switchWeatherTab(tabName, clickedElement) {
container.querySelectorAll(‘[data-tab-id]’).forEach(function(tab) {
tab.classList.remove(‘open’);
tab.setAttribute(‘aria-selected’, ‘false’);
});

clickedElement.classList.add(‘open’);
clickedElement.setAttribute(‘aria-selected’, ‘true’);

Advertisement

container.querySelectorAll(‘[data-content-id]’).forEach(function(content) {
content.style.display = ‘none’;
content.setAttribute(‘hidden’, ‘true’);
});

var targetContent = container.querySelector(‘[data-content-id=”‘ + tabName + ‘”]’);
if (targetContent) {
targetContent.style.display = ‘block’;
targetContent.removeAttribute(‘hidden’);
}
}

function loadWeatherData() {
// If weather data is already being loaded, wait for it
if (window.weatherDataPromise) {
window.weatherDataPromise.then(function(data) {
if (data && data.data) {
var weatherContainer = container.closest(‘.weather-box-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
weatherContainer.style.display = ‘flex’;
updateCurrentWeather(data.data);
updateForecastTabs(data.data);
updateWeatherAlertsBar(data.data);
}
}
});
return;
}

var location = { zip: window.DEFAULT_ZIPCODE };

try {
var storedLocations = localStorage.getItem(‘hrst.zip.history’);
if (storedLocations) {
var locations = JSON.parse(storedLocations);
if (locations && locations.length > 0) {
location = locations[0];
}
}
} catch (e) {}

Advertisement

var apiUrl = (window.DEWY_HOSTNAME || ”) + ‘/api/v1/weather/full/’ + location.zip;

if (window.fetch) {
window.weatherDataPromise = fetch(apiUrl)
.then(function(response) { return response.json(); })
.then(function(data) {
if (data && data.data) {
var article = container.closest(‘.article–wrapper’);
var weatherContainer = container.closest(‘.weather-box-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
weatherContainer.style.display = ‘flex’;
updateCurrentWeather(data.data);
updateForecastTabs(data.data);
updateWeatherAlertsBar(data.data);
}
return data;
}
})
.catch(function(error) {
console.error(‘Error loading weather:’, error);
// Reset to unknown background on error
updateWeatherBackground(‘unknown’);
});
}
}

function updateWeatherAlertsBar(weatherData) {
var weatherWatchHeader = container.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-header’);
if (!weatherWatchHeader) return;

var weatherWatchText = weatherWatchHeader.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-text’);
var weatherWatchLink = weatherWatchHeader.querySelector(‘.weather-watch-link’);

if (weatherData.alerts_count > 0) {
weatherWatchHeader.className=”weather-watch-header has-alerts”;
if (weatherWatchText) {
weatherWatchText.textContent = `Weather Alerts (${weatherData.alerts_count})`;
}
if (weatherWatchLink) {
if (!weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-href’)) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘data-initial-href’, weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘href’));
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘data-initial-onclick’, weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘onclick’) || ”);
}
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘href’, “https://www.wmtw.com/alerts”);
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘onclick’, “return handleWeatherLinkClick(event, ‘click_alerts’, ‘click’, ‘sidelist-weather’, “https://www.wmtw.com/alerts”);”);
}
} else {
weatherWatchHeader.className=”weather-watch-header”;
if (weatherWatchText) {
weatherWatchText.textContent = containerId === ‘home-weather-v2’ ? ‘Watch Latest Forecast’ : ‘Latest Forecast’;
}
if (weatherWatchLink) {
var initialHref = weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-href’);
var initialOnclick = weatherWatchLink.getAttribute(‘data-initial-onclick’);
if (initialHref) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘href’, initialHref);
}
if (initialOnclick) {
weatherWatchLink.setAttribute(‘onclick’, initialOnclick);
}
}
}
}

Advertisement

function updateCurrentWeather(weatherData) {
if (weatherData.current) {
var tempValue = weatherData.current.temp_f || ”;
var skyValue = weatherData.current.sky || ”;
var feelsLikeValue = weatherData.current.feels_like_f || weatherData.current.temp_f || ”;

var tempEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–current-temp-value’);
if (tempEl) {
tempEl.textContent = tempValue;
tempEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, tempValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit’);
}

var iconEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–current-icon’);
if (iconEl && weatherData.current.icon_name) {
iconEl.className=”weather-grid–current-icon weather-current-icon icon icon-weather-” + weatherData.current.icon_name;
}

var skyEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–sky’);
if (skyEl) {
skyEl.textContent = skyValue;
skyEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, ‘Current condition: ‘ + skyValue);
}

var feelsEl = container.querySelector(‘.weather-grid–feels’);
if (feelsEl) {
feelsEl.textContent = feelsLikeValue + ‘°F’;
feelsEl.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, feelsLikeValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit’);
}

Advertisement

var weatherContainer = container.querySelector(‘.weather-temp-container’);
if (weatherContainer) {
var summary = ‘Current temperature ‘ + tempValue + ‘ degrees Fahrenheit, ‘ +
skyValue + ‘, feels like ‘ + feelsLikeValue + ‘ degrees’;
weatherContainer.setAttribute(‘aria-label’, summary);
}

updateWeatherBackground(weatherData.current.icon_name);
}
}

function updateWeatherBackground(iconName) {
try {
var bgPath = weatherImages.backgrounds[iconName] || weatherImages.backgrounds.unknown;
container.style.backgroundImage=”url(” + bgPath + ‘)’;
} catch (e) {
console.log(‘Error updating weather background:’, e);
}
}

function updateForecastTabs(weatherData) {
var visibleItems = isWeatherBoxV2 ? 6 : 5;

if (weatherData.hourly) {
var hourlyContainer = container.querySelector(‘.weather-hourly-forecast’);
if (hourlyContainer) {
var html=””;
var maxHours = Math.min(visibleItems, weatherData.hourly.length);

Advertisement

for (var i = 0; i 0 ? currentIndex – 1 : tabs.length – 1;
tabs[prevIndex].focus();
break;
case ‘ArrowRight’:
e.preventDefault();
var nextIndex = currentIndex

Loading more articles…



Source link

Continue Reading

Maine

Carbon removal project supports Maine’s blue economy, broader marine health

Published

on

Carbon removal project supports Maine’s blue economy, broader marine health


Oceans absorb roughly 25 to 30 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that is released into the atmosphere. When this CO2 dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid, making the water more acidic and altering its chemistry. Elevated levels of acidity are harmful to marine life like corals, oysters, and certain plankton that rely on calcium carbonate to build shells and skeletons.

“As the oceans absorb more CO2, the chemistry shifts — increasing bicarbonate while reducing carbonate ion availability — which means shellfish have less carbonate to form shells,” explains Kripa Varanasi, professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. “These changes can propagate through marine ecosystems, affecting organism health and, over time, broader food webs.”

Loss of shellfish can lead to water quality decline, coastal erosion, and other ecosystem disruptions, including significant economic consequences for coastal communities. “The U.S. has such an extensive coastline, and shellfish aquaculture is globally valued at roughly $60 billion,” says Varanasi. “With the right innovations, there is a substantial opportunity to expand domestic production.”

“One might think, ‘this [depletion] could happen in 100 years or something,’ but what we’re finding is that they are already affecting hatcheries and coastal systems today,” he adds. “Without intervention, these trends could significantly alter marine ecosystems and the coastal economies that rely on them over time.”

Advertisement

Varanasi and T. Alan Hatton, the Ralph Landau Professor of Chemical Engineering, Post-Tenure, at MIT, have been collaborating for years to develop methods for removing carbon dioxide from seawater and turn acidic water back to alkaline. In recent years, they’ve partnered with researchers at the University of Maine Darling Marine Center to deploy the method in hatcheries.

“The way we farm oysters, we spawn them in special tanks and rear them through about a two-week larval period … until they’re big enough so that they can be transferred out into the river as the water warms up,” explains Bill Mook, founder of Mook Sea Farm. Around 2009, he noticed problems with production of early-stage larvae. “It was a catastrophe. We lost several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of production,” he says.

Ultimately, the problem was identified as the low pH of the water that was being brought in: The water was too acidic. The farm’s initial strategy, a common practice in oyster farming, was to buffer the water by adding sodium bicarbonate. The new approach avoids the use of chemicals or minerals.

“A lot of researchers are studying direct air capture, but very few are working in the ocean-capture space,” explains Hatton. “Our approach is to use electricity, in an electrochemical manner, rather than add chemicals to manipulate the solution pH.”

Advertisement

The method uses reactive electrodes to release protons into seawater that is collected and fed into the cells, driving the release of the dissolved carbon dioxide from the water. The cyclic process acidifies the water to convert dissolved inorganic bicarbonates to molecular carbon dioxide, which is collected as a gas under vacuum. The water is then fed to a second set of cells with a reversed voltage to recover the protons and turn the acidic water back to alkaline before releasing it back to the sea.

Maine’s Damariscotta River Estuary, where Mook farms is located, provides about 70 percent of the state’s oyster crop. Damian Brady, a professor of oceanography based at the University of Maine and key collaborator on the project, says the Damariscotta community has “grown into an oyster-producing powerhouse … [that is] not only part of the economy, but part of the culture.” He adds, “there’s actually a huge amount that we could learn if we couple the engineering at MIT with the aquaculture science here at the University of Maine.”

“The scientific underpinning of our hypothesis was that these bivalve shellfish, including oysters, need calcium carbonate in order to form their shells,” says Simon Rufer PhD ’25, a former student in Varanasi’s lab and now CEO and co-founder of CoFlo Medical. “By alkalizing the water, we actually make it easier for the oysters to form and maintain their shells.”

In trials conducted by the team, results first showed that the approach is biocompatible and doesn’t kill the larvae, and later showed that the oysters treated by MIT’s buffer approach did better than mineral or chemical approaches. Importantly, Hatton also notes, the process creates no waste products. Ocean water goes in, CO2 comes out. This captured CO2 can potentially be used for other applications, including to grow algae to be used as food for shellfish.

Varanasi and Hatton first introduced their approach in 2023. Their most recent paper, “Thermodynamics of Electrochemical Marine Inorganic Carbon Removal,” which was published last year in journal Environmental Science & Technology, outlines the overall thermodynamics of the process and presents a design tool to compare different carbon removal processes. The team received a “plus-up award” from ARPA-E to collaborate with University of Maine and further develop and scale the technology for application in aquaculture environments.

Advertisement

Brady says the project represents another avenue for aquaculture to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. “It pushes a new technology for removing carbon dioxide from ocean environments forward simultaneously,” says Brady. “If they can be coupled, aquaculture and carbon dioxide removal improve each other’s bottom line.”

Through the collaboration, the team is improving the robustness of the cells and learning about their function in real ocean environments. The project aims to scale up the technology, and to have significant impact on climate and the environment, but it includes another big focus.

“It’s also about jobs,” says Varanasi. “It’s about supporting the local economy and coastal communities who rely on aquaculture for their livelihood. We could usher in a whole new resilient blue economy. We think that this is only the beginning. What we have developed can really be scaled.”

Mook says the work is very much an applied science, “[and] because it’s applied science, it means that we benefit hugely from being connected and plugged into academic institutions that are doing research very relevant to our livelihoods. Without science, we don’t have a prayer of continuing this industry.”

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Maine

New York homicide suspect arrested in Maine

Published

on

New York  homicide suspect arrested in Maine


WATERVILLE, Maine (WGME) — A 19-year-old wanted for homicide in connection with multiple gang-related shootings in New York has been arrested in Maine.

Police say they searched a home at 439 West River Road in Waterville on Friday around 11 a.m. and found 19-year-old David McCadney of New York.

According to police, McCadney was wanted in New York for second degree homicide in connection with multiple gang-related shootings.

McCadney was arrested and charged with fugitive from justice and is being held without bail at the Kennebec County Correctional Facility.

Advertisement

McCadney is expected to be extradited back to New York at a later date.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending