Free Republic

Gas prices in Chicago are still falling, but the price at the pump is having a negative impact on the economy. ... as the cost to fill up your tank goes down, could this also be a sign -- the economy is tanking? Commodities trader Scott Shellady thinks so. "It's bad for everybody. We are going to lose one-fifth of the jobs we created in 2008," said Shellady. And he doesn't expect a market rebound anytime soon. So if you were hoping to cash in your 401K or IRA and retire in the next year, Shellady says, rethink your plans....

Christie's ground game doesn't match his aggressive debate style. His volunteer effort it rather tame. The NJ crowd didn't make the 4-hour drive north to New Hampshire.

Good morning from Augusta, where a large group of Republican legislators and activists is set to endorse presidential hopeful Ted Cruz on Thursday. Between 40 and 50 legislators will hold a noon news conference at the State House to announce support for the Texas senator, who won the Iowa caucuses on Monday, finishing ahead of runner-up Donald Trump and the third-place Marco Rubio...

For years Mainers have been pulling our hair out over the absurdity, idiocy, and outright delusions that have come from Gov. Paul LePage’s mouth. (SNIP) And the third one was John Kennedy, but we don’t know if he’d’ve succeed or not. But the other two are not known for being successful.” (SNIP) Sure, the list of past presidents who were governors before taking the White House includes Thomas Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt, but it also includes Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush. Not exactly a stellar list. As president, LePage concluded, “you’ve gotta make some decisions and...

ELLSWORTH, Maine —Maine police said they have discovered the dangerous drug Flakka for the first time. Flakka, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is a synthetic drug similar to bath salts. It has been found commonly in the southern U.S. Ellsworth police said a test of a brown powder they seized from a man in August 2015 came back positive for Flakka. Police said, Ryan Miller, 33, of Southwest Harbor, Maine, was issued a summons for unlawful possession of a schedule W drug.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage says his state is too easy on drug crimes, suggesting it should bring back the guillotine for serious offenders. The Republican governor, known for his controversial statements, was speaking on local radio Tuesday about combating the drug epidemic in his state. "What I think we ought to do is bring the guillotine back," he told WMOV. "We could have public executions and have, you know, we could even have (guessing) which hole it falls in."

Let me be clear - I am pro-life. I support that position with exceptions allowed for rape, incest or the life of the mother being at risk. I did not always hold this position, but I had a significant personal experience that brought the precious gift of life into perspective for me. My story is well documented, so I will not retell it here. However, what I will do with the remaining space is express my feelings about life, and the culture of life, as we just marked the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. I build things. There is...

AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage said he has made it a point to attend the Maine Right to Life’s Hands Around the Capitol rally every year because of children. “They are the future and we have to have more children and a better future for our society,” LePage said. “Right now, more people are dying than being born, so it’s time to have an opportunity to keep them alive. We should not have abortion.” LePage, who received two standing ovations, was among a handful of speakers Saturday afternoon to a crowd gathered at St. Michael School gymnasium in Augusta to...

Critics of Maine Gov. Paul LePage failed to muster enough support to require a vote Thursday on an independent investigation that could have led to impeachment for alleged abuse of power. Instead, House lawmakers voted 96-52 to indefinitely postpone debate after Republican leader Ken Fredette introduced a motion to pre-empt any action on the impeachment order. A group led by Democratic Rep. Ben Chipman of Portland wanted to punish the brash and outspoken Republican governor for pressuring a school operator into rescinding a job offer to Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves. ...

Not sure about the press herald's policy for copywrite, so I'll just sum up here- Democrats in Maine are going after Gov Paul Lepage for 8 charges- mostly to do with what they call "abuse of power"- and for his comment a bit ago that out of state drug dealers were impregnating "Young White Girls" in Maine. The are calling for a special house committee to investigate "allegations of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance and other misconduct"

The furor over Gov. Paul LePage's comment about "young white" girls being impregnated by out-of-state drug dealers is last week's news. This week could bring an impeachment order calling for an investigation into the Republican's alleged abuse of power. A group of lawmakers led by Rep. Ben Chipman, a Portland Democrat, submitted the order, and Chipman said it's due to be debated on the House floor on Thursday. But House Democrats are divided, and the situation remains fluid. ...

Video from Maine Imaging Photography showing the U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt (DDG-1000) entering Portland Harbor following sea trials in December. The Zumwalt is the first of three planned Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers being built for the Navy by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine.

He was supposed to win the GOP nomination easily and just six months ago, it appeared he would do just that. He had tens of millions of donor dollars at the ready, the approval of the GOP Establishment, and a successful stint as governor of one of the most important swing states in the country. Nothing went as planned. SNIP A D.C. Whispers source painted the Bush campaign with the following colors: "He just doesn't have it and he's not a good enough politician to fake it. He's also suffering from eight years of Barack Obama faking it and voters...

A long-time math teacher at Bangor High School said on her Facebook page that she was ordered by the principal on Friday to remove a small Christmas tree from her classroom. Catherine Gordon said in a post timestamped Dec. 18 at 9:17 p.m. that the "tree had no religious symbols on it whatsoever. No crosses or angels, just pink Hello Kitties and my students really enjoyed it and it cheered me up during the day." Gordon said in the post that she has been decorating her classroom for the holidays for 30 years. Bangor School Superintendent Betsy Webb issued the...

Republican Gov. Paul LePage recently began enforcing Maine’s volunteer and work requirements for food stamp SNAP recipients to keep their benefits. The end result was more than 9,000 non-disabled adults getting dropped from the program. The rules prevent adults who are not disabled and do not have dependents from receiving food stamps for more than three months, unless they work at least 20 hours a week, participate in a work-training program, or meet volunteer guidelines for 24 hours out of the month. Any one of those three getting met will not result in the loss of their SNAP food benefits.

The lone health insurance cooperative to make money last year on the Affordable Care Act's public insurance exchanges is now losing millions and suspending individual enrollment for 2016. Maine's Community Health Options lost more than $17 million in the first nine months of this year, after making $10.9 million in the same period last year. A spokesman said higher-than-expected medical costs have hurt the cooperative.

Since the start of the Syria's civil war in the spring of 2011, the U.S. has admitted 2,311 Syrian refugees and resettled them in 36 different states. According to data from the State Department's Refugee Processing Center the top three destinations for Syrian refugees since the beginning of the conflict are California, Texas, and Michigan. From March 15, 2011 through December 1, 2015, California received the most (261) Syrian refugees, Texas received the second most with 242, and Michigan has received the third most with 217. Other states that have received Syrian refugees since March 2011 include: Arizona (182), Illinois...

Some people just can’t seem to catch a break. Maine resident Harvey Lembo had suffered from a number of health issues which wound up landing him in a wheelchair. Then his apartment was broken into. Four times. Having had enough of being the target of criminals, Mr. Lembo went and purchased himself a handgun. On the night of the very same September day that he brought his new weapon home, criminals broke into his place for a fifth time, but on that occasion things ended differently. (CBS News) “I had the gun under my pillow. I reached out and...

Now, 25 Republican governors – and one Democrat too – have said they don't want Syrian refugees in their states, as President Obama recommitted the U.S. to take a portion of this population fleeing from ISIS. In a press conference this morning in Turkey, Obama said that 'the United States has to step up and do its part,' while chiding those in the opposition party for suggesting there be a 'religious test' for entry into the United States. There's concern, after Friday's brutal attack in Paris, that ISIS fighters are infiltrating those fleeing Syria and will carry out future violence...

"Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values," [Obama] said.Six Republican governors have announced that Syrian refugees won't be allowed to resettle in their states in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in Paris. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley issued statements Sunday saying that they wanted to prioritize the safety of the residents in their states. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a GOP presidential candidate; Arkansas Gov. Gov. Asa Hutchinson; and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence joined them on Monday. "Michigan is a welcoming state and we are...