Things You Need to Know Today: Collins Introduces Plan to Repeal + Replace Parts of the Affordable Care Act
Here are the things you need to know today......
Senator Susan Collins is introducing a plan to repeal as well as replace parts of the Affordable Care Act. According to centralmaine.com the Patient Freedom Act would give power over health insurance markets back to the states. One of the things it does is repeal the individual mandate forcing Americans to buy insurance, or face a penalty. (additional info and video Bangor Daily News)
An Augusta man is accused of having child pornography. According to WABI 40-year-old Craig Hartley was indicted last week by a Kennebec County grand jury A search of his computers last spring found the images. They reportedly showed children under the age of 12.
The Attorney General's Office is investigating a fatal shooting involving a Waldoboro man and two police officers on Sunday. According to WGME the officers were responding to a domestic violence disturbance. 57-year-old Jon Alspaugh, who lived in the home with his wife and mother-in-law, was shot and killed at the scene, all were home at the time of the shooting, He has no any criminal record and police had never been called to the home before this last weekend.
Selectmen in Manchester will talk about potential rules for recreational use of marijuana, the state laws and a potential moratorium on related businesses. According to centralmaine.com they will also have a discussion about the mold issue at the elementary school.
A Newcastle woman bit a member of Capital Security after the officer asked topless woman down from a pillar, and cover up because of the kids around at the women's rally Saturday. Centralmaine.com reports as he was reaching for a belt loop on her pants, he was bitten by another woman. Teresa Frisbie-Calder, 64, was issued a summons on a charge of assault.
From the Associated Press:
A mix of snow, freezing rain, sleet is greeting commuters in northern New England. The National Weather Service says there's a chance for up to 6 inches or more of snow in New Hampshire and Vermont, and up to 3 inches for parts of Maine by Tuesday afternoon. Winter storm watches and advisories were issued Monday night through Tuesday.
State fire officials say a house fire killed two men and injured a woman in the town of Washington. Fifty-six-year-old Elizabeth Rhodes survived the fire and is being treated at a hospital. Police say Rhodes lived at the house with her husband and son, who they believe to be fire victims. They are 53-year-old Steven Rhodes and 25-year-old Isaac Rhodes.Investigators are searching for a cause of the fire.
A Maine native walking barefoot across the U.S. to raise awareness about climate change has been struck and killed on a Florida highway.Police say 33-year-old Mark Baumer was walking along the shoulder of U.S. Highway 90 in Walton County on Sunday when a driver lost control and hit him. Baumer was pronounced dead at the scene. Baumer was also raising money for a Rhode Island nonprofit group called the FANG Collective that opposes the natural gas industry. FANG stands for Fighting Against Natural Gas.Police say the SUV driver will face charges.
An acclaimed Passamaquoddy canoe builder remembered for his traditional art and activism has passed away. David Moses Bridges died on Jan. 20 of cancer after what loved ones called a courageous battle with sinus cancer.
State fire officials in Maine say a house fire killed a man and injured a woman in the town of Washington. Police say another man is missing in the aftermath of the fire, which destroyed a one-story home off of Route 105. The fire took place on Monday morning and was discovered by neighbors.
A Maine native walking barefoot across the U.S. to raise awareness about climate change has been struck and killed on a Florida highway. Police say 33-year-old Mark Baumer was walking along the shoulder of U.S. Highway 90 on Sunday when a driver lost control and hit him. Baumer was also raising money for a Rhode Island nonprofit group that opposes the natural gas industry. He had raised more than $14,000.
Several countries say they're hopeful that the Trans-Pacific Partnership can be salvaged after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the trade pact. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull acknowledges that Trump's move is a massive blow to the 12-nation agreement, but Turnbull suggests that other countries, such as China, may help fill the void left by the U.S.
Mike Pompeo has been sworn in as director of the CIA. At Monday night's swearing-in ceremony, Vice President Mike Pence said, "The men and women serving under your command give true meaning to the word courage." Earlier Monday the Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee despite some Democratic objections that the Pompeo has been less than transparent about his positions on torture, surveillance and Russia's meddling in the U.S. election.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton's office says the 69-year-old Democrat" will be back at work Tuesday after briefly fainting during his State of the State address Monday night. Dayton fell and struck his head on a lectern about three-fourths of the way through the speech. A state senator who is also a paramedic was among those who went to Dayton's aid. Sen. Dan Schoen says the governor was joking about it soon afterward.
The Denver Police Department will not discipline two officers involved in a fatal shooting that sparked angry protests and followed high-profile killings by police elsewhere in the country. The department announced Monday that the officers used appropriate force when they shot and killed 17-year-old Jessica Hernandez on Jan. 26, 2015. The district attorney's office declined to prosecute the officers, saying their lives where threatened when Hernandez drove toward them in a stolen vehicle.
The White House is moving forward with plans to give what it describes as a more "diverse group of journalists" a chance to ask questions at briefings. Press Secretary Sean Spicer says the White House will designate four "Skype seats" in the White House briefing room. He says the idea is for outlets that may not have the resources to hire a Washington correspondent to have an opportunity to weigh in with questions.
New Jersey Transit and Amtrak have resumed train service in New Jersey, but commuters could still experience significant delays Tuesday morning. Amtrak had suspended service for Northeast Regional and Acela Express trains in the state after commercial power lines came down in strong winds during a nor'easter.
Philadelphia has now banned employers from asking potential hires to provide their salary history. It's a move supporters say is a step toward closing the wage gap between men and women. Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney signed the measure on Monday, and said he's confident the bill can withstand legal challenges. Cable giant Comcast and Philadelphia's Chamber of Commerce have said the law goes too far in dictating how employees can interact with potential workers.