Articles by David Sharp, Patrick Whittle and Nick Perry

What Testimony on Titan Submersible Disaster Revealed

Last year, five people hoping to view the Titanic wreckage died when their submersible imploded in the Atlantic Ocean. A Coast Guard panel that’s investigating the Titan submersible disaster heard two weeks of testimony that ended Friday. Previous witnesses provided …

Maine Bill Would Require Army to Use State Crisis Laws to Remove Weapons

A bill introduced after a mass shooting in Maine would require the Army to use state crisis intervention laws to remove the weapons of a service member who is deemed to be a serious threat to themselves or others, U.S. …

Maine Can Forbid Discrimination by Religious Schools Taking State Money

Maine didn’t violate the U.S. constitutional rights of religious schools by requiring them to abide by the state’s antidiscrimination law to receive taxpayer-funded tuition assistance, a federal judge ruled. But the judge also acknowledged that a higher court will ultimately …

Reporting High Electric Bills Helps Nab Illegal Marijuana Farms But Raises Privacy Issues

Operators of illegal marijuana grow enterprises hidden inside rural homes in Maine don’t have to worry much about prying neighbors. But their staggering electric bills may give rise to a new snitch. An electric utility made an unusual proposal to …

Prompted by Mass Shooting, Maine Implements New Gun Safety Laws

With eleventh hour guidance from the state, Maine gun retailers on Friday began requiring a three-day wait period for gun purchases under one of the new safety laws adopted following the state’s deadliest mass shooting. Maine joined a dozen other …

Debby Triggers Floods, Power Outages, Water Rescues in Rural MidAtlantic, Northeast

First responders launched high-water and helicopter rescues of people trapped in cars and homes in rural New York and Pennsylvania as heavy rain from the remnants of Debby slammed the Northeast with intense floods. The worst of the flash flooding …

Report Claims ‘Utter Chaos’ Including Drunk Deputies During Search for Maine Gunman

The search for the gunman behind last October’s mass shooting in Maine was marked by “utter chaos,” including one group of deputies who had been drinking nearly crashing their armored vehicle and others showing up in civilian clothes who could …

Maine Alters ‘Yellow Flag’ Law, Expands Mental Health Care in Wake of Shootings

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has signed into law a suite of gun safety legislation approved by lawmakers after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, expanding background checks for private sales of weapons, bolstering the state’s “yellow flag” law, criminalizing …

Maine Lawmakers Approve Liability Shield for Abortion and Gender Care Providers

The Democratic-controlled Maine Legislature gave final approval Friday to a bill that would protect health care workers who provide abortion and gender-affirming care from legal action brought in other states. If signed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, Maine would join …

Maine Gov. Proposes Gun Safety, Mental Health Measures After Deadly Mass Shooting

Maine Gov. Janet Mills called Tuesday evening for strengthening the state’s yellow flag law, boosting background checks for private sales of weapons and bolstering mental crisis care, telling lawmakers that there’s broad support for action to prevent future tragedies following …