Maine Liberty Journal

The White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, yesterday insisted: “The F-16s are used in counter-terrorism operations. We made them available to the Pakistanis, and they need to be maintained.”

The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and UPMC Cancer Centers plans to issue an advisory to about 3,000 faculty and staff today about the possible health risks associated with cellular phone use.

“Recently I have become aware of the growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer,” Dr. Ronald Herberman said in the memorandum. “Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is threatening to pay thousands of state employees the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour until lawmakers reach a deal on California’s overdue state budget.

If you are flying in or out of a U.S. airport this summer you may notice Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) conducting random additional screening at airline gates.

The screening – part of TSA’s Aviation Direct Access Screening Program (ADASP) – can include checking passenger identification and boarding passes, conducting physical searches of carry-on luggage, using handheld explosive detection units and screening of individuals. These checks are not announced in advance and can occur at any gate, at any time.

TSA’s specially trained Behavior Detection Officers (BDOs) will accompany the TSOs during some of the screening activities to provide an additional layer of security. BDOs screen travelers for involuntary physical and physiological reactions that indicate stress, fear or deception.

The test results are in, and Maine students are scoring higher in math and reading. Students in grades 3 through 8 saw improvement in both subject areas on the latest Maine Educational Assessment.

Sixty-five percent of students met or exceeded state standards in 2008. That’s a five percent increase over 2006 results. In math, 56 percent of students met or exceeded the standards, a four percent increase.

About 20,000 children in Maine are hungry, according to the Good Shepherd Food Bank. As the price of fuel and production costs rise, the price of food is going up, leaving some believing that the number of hungry people will also rise.

Two young men in Thorndike decided that it was time for them to figure out a solution for their community. Tim Libby and his friend Rob began farming and donating everything they grew to the local food pantry.

Tim and Rob hope to have about nine to twelve thousand pounds of food grown by the end of the summer. In addition to the lettuce and broccoli they’re picking now, Rob and Tim are also growing food like potatoes and onions that will last into the cold months.

Tim and Rob also hope that this project can serve as an inspiration for other Mainers. It’s a big project that requires a lot of hard work, but they’re happy to do it, knowing they’ll help people in their community.

Rob and Tim are always looking for more volunteers to help in their farm on Sundays. Their project called Veggies4all relies on donations for everything from equipment to land.

Cass Sunstein, an informal adviser to Barack Obama from the University of Chicago Law School, urged caution in prosecuting criminal conduct from the current administration, while also noting that egregious crimes should not be ignored. Prosecuting government officials risks a “cycle” of criminalizing public service, he argued, and Democrats should avoid replicating retributive efforts like the impeachment of President Clinton–or even the “slight appearance” of it.

The company said that even its most creditworthy, long-standing customers felt the effects of the economic slowdown currently sweeping the U.S.

Without giving specifics, AmEx said it plans to cut staff and reduce other costs, noting that the resulting charges will hit results in the second half of 2008.

“With bad debt occurring even in the superprime card segment, AmEx’s earnings clearly show that the credit crisis is going upscale, which does not bode well for the U.S. economy,” Red Gillen, senior analyst at consulting firm Celent, commented via email.

With high prices, salmonella scares and other worries, more and more people are looking for food grown close to home. For Maine’s small farmers, the growing interest in local food could mean real growth for their business.

MDEA Director Roy McKinney reports that his agents made 360 drug arrests during the first six months of the year.

McKinney said 130 of those arrests involve cocaine and crack, and another 129 arrests were for prescription drugs.

Russell Edward Coughlin, of 21 Peabody Pond Road, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs.

Coughlin had been on probation after being previously convicted of drug trafficking. A spot home visit by a parole officer on Wednesday night revealed that Coughlin was actively trafficking in narcotics, namely cocaine and marijuana, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities also seized money, drugs and a loaded firearm from his home.

State officials are investigating who’s responsible for home-heating when a landlord abandons a building.

Not since the Depression have financial difficulties so immobilized spending and credit. Listen to the talk at a local diner in Maine.