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Susan Collins, Angus King and Chellie Pingree call on Trump to avoid trade war with Canada

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Susan Collins, Angus King and Chellie Pingree call on Trump to avoid trade war with Canada


Maine’s congressional delegation is calling on President Donald Trump to avoid a trade war with Canada.

That comes as Trump plans to impose 25 percent levies on goods from Canada and Mexico and double the 10 percent tariffs on Chinese goods on Tuesday. Canadian energy products would be subject to a 10 percent tariff. Canada and Mexico have vowed to retaliate with tariffs of their own.

He proposed those tariffs in early February before quickly delaying them for a month after receiving pledges from Canadian and Mexican leaders related to drug trafficking and immigration.

In a letter dated Feb. 28 to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree called Canada a “trusted friend and ally” with which the United States has substantial trade ties.

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In 2023, about $1 trillion in goods crossed the U.S.-Canada border, which supported 8 million jobs in the U.S. In Maine alone, $6 billion in goods traversed the border, and trade with Canada supports 60,000 Maine jobs, according to the delegation.

“We acknowledge that targeted and strategic tariffs can be an important tool to address unfair trade practices. However, small businesses and families in Maine and across the country will be caught in the middle during a time when so many are struggling to put food on the table and keep the lights on,” the delegation wrote in the letter.

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden didn’t sign the letter. Golden has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s trade policies, saying in February that Trump was gaining leverage with his tariffs over Canada and Mexico. Last year, Golden p roposed a 10 percent universal tariff on all imports.

About 70 percent of imports in Maine come from Canada, and 30 percent of the state’s exports are destined to the north, including between $200 million and $400 million of lobster shipped to processors over the border annually.

Nearly all of Maine’s heating oil comes from Canada, and when Trump initially announced the tariffs, Irving Oil sent a notice to customers informing them that their bills would rise to offset the tariffs.

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Unlike other parts of the country, New England has a much lower refinery capacity, meaning it relies more on Canada for refined products, while other regions source crude from Canada for processing domestically.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, told the Bangor Daily News in early February that Mainers could see a 10- to 20-cent increase for a gallon of gas and a 20- to 30-cent increase per gallon of home heating oil.

ISO New England warned last week that Trump’s tariffs could increase electricity costs for New England between $66 million and $165 million. About 9 percent of the electricity for New England comes from either Canada or New York, according to ISO New England.

If electric energy isn’t exempt from tariffs, questions remain about how those duties would be collected, and ISO New England cautioned it may not have sufficient funds on hand to cover them.

“Ultimately, it is our hope that the Trump Administration is able to work collaboratively with Canada to address issues of shared concern and foster economic cooperation, rather than engage in a tit-for-tat trade war,” Maine’s delegation wrote.

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Thieves caught on camera stealing copper pipe from Bailey Island gift shop

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Thieves caught on camera stealing copper pipe from Bailey Island gift shop


BAILEY ISLAND (WGME) – A pair of thieves were caught on camera stealing copper pipe at an iconic gift shop.

The owner says at least 200 gallons of propane leaked out of the severed pipe right under their shop.

Since 1959, three generations of the Hutchins family have owned and operated Land’s End Gift Shop at the end of Bailey Island.

In one night, they say they could have lost it all from a propane leak and buildup under the gift shop.

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“When I got to the top of the stairs, I was overwhelmed with the smell of propane,” Land’s End Gift Shop Owner Karen Hutchins said. “So I went down to see if there’s anything obvious, like a broken line or anything like that, I didn’t see anything. So then I’m thinking I better turn off my propane heaters in the store.”

She did so despite the risk of an explosion.

A technician later found the source of the leak.

“He took a walk around the back of the building, and that’s where he discovered from the regulator to under the building, copper piping was missing,” Hutchins said.

It was stolen in the middle of the night.

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“The propane was spilling out,” Hutchins said. “And actually rising up towards the building.”

Her daughter checked their security camera footage and saw two people pulling up 40 feet of copper pipe around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

“She saw two people,” Hutchins said. “And she could actually see them pulling up the line.”

The entire theft took six minutes.

Because it was dark, security cameras didn’t get a good look at the vehicle.

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All they saw was it had running boards.

A scrap yard in southern Maine says 40 feet of copper would likely only be worth $50 or $60.

“You can salvage it and get a little bit of money, but not much,” Hutchins said.

Hutchins says the propane leak caused by the theft could have cost, not only her business, but her and her daughter’s lives.

“For 8.5 hours, it was just coming out into the atmosphere and under the building,” Hutchins said. “So the potential could have been catastrophic for the whole area.”

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She hopes the suspects are caught to prevent this from happening to someone else.

“My biggest thing is not the cost of repairing this, but the potential for someone else getting hurt,” Hutchins said.

If you have any information about this theft, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office would like to hear from you.



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Arlington National Cemetery’s new exhibit showcases rare artifact from USS Maine explosion

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Arlington National Cemetery’s new exhibit showcases rare artifact from USS Maine explosion


There’s a new exhibit at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), showcasing a rare artifact from the USS Maine, a U.S. Navy ship that exploded in the Havana Harbor in 1898.

The exhibit’s centerpiece is a wooden fragment of the Maine’s spar mast, which survived the explosion that claimed more than 260 lives and ultimately led to the Spanish-American War. The piece was recovered after the ship sank, ANC said.

The fragment was donated by the Pascack Historical Society in New Jersey in 2023.

SEE ALSO | Honoring the brave: a journey through five poignant memorials in the heart of our nation

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“The Maine was one of the most famous ships in American military history,” Arlington National Military Cemeteries Command Curator Roderick Gainer said, “and its destruction was a critical event in our nation’s history.”

The new exhibit is located in the Memorial Amphitheater Display Room, which is just behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier plaza. It is open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.



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Maine allows inmates to work remote jobs

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Maine allows inmates to work remote jobs


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One prisoner has earned a six-figure salary as Maine is one of the few states to let incarcerated people work remote jobs for outside companies. NBC News’ Valerie Castro reports that other states are now watching Maine as a possible model.



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