Politics - Centralmaine.com

Prosecutors: Trump’s ex-lawyer Cohen met Russian offering ‘political synergy’

by CHAD DAY, ERIC TUCKER and JIM MUSTIAN Associated Press December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

Court filings laid out for the first time details of Cohen’s cooperation with investigators and took positions on the punishment he should face.

Local & State, Politics

Secretary of state won’t investigate claim of mystery 2nd District ballots

by Scott Thistle December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

Matt Dunlap says there is no evidence to support statements by 17 midcoast voters who say they received 2nd District ballots even though they live in Maine’s 1st District.

Nation & World, Politics

Prosecutors: Cohen paid illegal hush-money at Trump’s ‘direction’

by By MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press December 7, 2018December 8, 2018

Mueller filing says contact offered ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen ‘political synergy’ with Russia

Local & State, Politics

Head of Maine’s botched unemployment system named to top child welfare post

by Associated Press December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

John Feeney oversaw the roll-out of a new unemployment system last year and is now COO of the state Office of Child and Family Services.

Nation & World, Politics

James Comey faces off with Republicans over Clinton emails, alleged bias

by MARY CLARE JALONICK associated press December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

Republicans say they are unhappy with the former FBI director’s level of cooperation, while Democrats say these repeated investigations seek to undermine the special counsel’s probe.

Nation & World, News, Politics

Trump says he’ll nominate William Barr for his former job as attorney general

by The Associated Press December 7, 2018December 7, 2018

Barr was attorney general under George H. W. Bush between 1991 and 1993, serving in the Justice Department at the same time Mueller oversaw the department’s criminal division.

Nation & World, Politics

Trump expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman as U.N. ambassador

by CATHERINE LUCEY, MATTHEW LEE and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press December 6, 2018December 7, 2018

Heather Nauert, who was an anchor and correspondent at Fox News before joining the State Department, would replace Nikki Haley.

Business, Nation & World, Politics

Report to Congress calls for raising gas tax to upgrade roads and bridges

by Mark Niquette Bloomberg December 6, 2018December 6, 2018

The authors say $45 billion more is needed annually. The tax would have to rise to almost 30 cents a gallon within 10 years, and the diesel levy to about 40 cents, to bring in just $20 billion more annually.