Radio Midcoast WCME - 995FM

02/14/2025

From WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midcoast Breaking News Leader

The first challenger to Republican Senator Susan Collins in 2026 is running as an independent.

Phillip Rench is also a former senior engineer for Elon Musk’s SpaceX who lives in Waterboro, and who also says he is not yet ready to discuss his candidacy.

Rench is a 37-year-old board member of the Maine Space Corp., a quasi-governmental nonprofit created by the state Legislature to establish sites to launch small vehicles and satellites into low orbit.

Collins will be seeking her sixth term next year.

02/14/2025

From NBC News and WCME

The leader of one watchdog called the moves "the equivalent of putting up a neon sign telling foreign actors 'we are open for corruption.'"

02/14/2025

Jim Bleikamp here.

This Valentine's Day we are seeking FOREVER HOMES for a cat named Loaf, and a dog perfectly named for V-Day--Amore.

The WCME Creature Feature.

Brought to you every Friday moring just after the WCME 830 news by the animal lovers at Darling's Brunswick Ford--Bath Road. You'll do better at Darling.

02/13/2025

As you may be aware, Ben Williamson is one of Maine's master photographers. He just made a discovery in his archives, which he has thankfully decided to share--for the benefit of all of us.

The story, which happened in our midst--on Bailey Island--and the photo are right here:

Friend Owl -
This encounter was so incredible.
I was chasing sunset light on Bailey Island when this barred owl swooped down across the road in front of me. I looked to see where it went, and noticed it had landed in a tree right next to the road. I quickly reached behind me and grabbed a telephoto lens. From where I was sitting, the background was made up of distracting branches across a boring blue sky, but when I stood up on my console and poked out of the moonroof, I was able to get this fantastic dark background, right on eye level with the owl.
The sunset I was chasing illuminated the bird marvelously, and we had one of those moments where there was real connection. I'm sure it was thinking, what in the world is this person doing growing out of the top of a car. Anyways, this is one of my all-time favorites and I just discovered that I had this vertical version of the otherwise well-known horizontal image taken just before this and shared widely when I made it back in 2016.

02/13/2025

Breaking from NBC News and WCME

Danielle Sassoon is a federal prosecutor with major conservative credentials--a member of the Federalist Society.

But she and two others have resigned rather than accept an order from the Trump Justice Department to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Charges which were initiated during the Biden administration.

The acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan, as well as two top prosecutors in Washington, resigned over the DOJ order to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

02/13/2025

From WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midcoast Breaking News Leader

In a 17-page decision, U-S District Judge Lance Walker in Portland has granted a request from gun rights groups to temporarily pause a new three-day waiting period on firearm purchases.

Walker says the plaintiffs' request is being granted because they have presented a strong argument that the 72-hour waiting period, which was enacted earlier this year, is unconstitutional.

However, a statement from the Maine Gun Safety Coalition indicates that members of the group are troubled by the decision of a Trump-appointed judge to roll back Maine’s gun safety laws.

02/13/2025

Breaking from NBC News and WCME

Once again Mitch McConnell breaks ranks with Republicans and votes no, as does Angus King, who prior to the vote, gave a speech on the Senate floor, in which he referred to Kennedy as “a danger,” “grossly unqualified” and “manifestly hostile” to the agency’s mission to protect public health.

Susan Collins is a yes on RFK.

Kennedy managed to allay the concerns of several key GOP senators over his anti-vaccine activism. Mitch McConnell was the lone Republican to vote against him.

02/13/2025

It turns out that the widely published journalist and author Paul Waldman has an opinion about Susan Collins that reflects much of what has lately been here on the WCME page.

The Senate Republicans most eager to trumpet their independence have abandoned their constitutional responsibility to “advise and consent,”

02/13/2025

FIRST from WCME Sports

High school hockey

Brunswick High School girls advance to their first-ever state championship with a 2-1 win over Yarmouth/Freeport.

What makes this win even more spectacular is the fact that a number of these girls were apparently playing through the flu.

Yarmouth/Freeport was first to score but Brunswick tied it at 10:54 of the first period with a goal by senior forward Paige Botts with just one second left on a power play.

The winning goal came at 10:58 of the second period from Lauren Labbe.

The Dragons will face Cheverus in the championship game Saturday afternoon at 3 at Troubh Ice Arena.

02/13/2025

From WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midcoast Breaking News Leader

After last month filing for bankruptcy for the second time in a year, Jo-Ann, the fabric and crafts retailer will soon be closing its store in Topsham Fair Mall--one of the first of 500 stores to be closed nationwide.

Jo-Ann has told CNN that the bankruptcy filing stems from severe and unexpected inventory issues.

Also due to close soon, Jo-Ann stores in Auburn and Waterville, however stores in Portland and Bangor are not on the closing list.

02/12/2025

Breaking from NBC News and WCME

Susan Collins supported her nomination, while Angus King was opposed.

Mitch McConnell was the only opposing Republican vote, saying Gabbard has a history of "alarming lapses of judgement."

Gabbard overcame initial skepticism from some Republican senators about her nomination, underscoring Trump's grip on the party.

02/12/2025

Jim Bleikamp here.

Here is one of those interviews that you probably want to find some time for if you missed it--even if your day is crazy busy--like mine.

NBC News national security analyst (and Freeport summer resident) Marc Polymeropoulos on today's WCME Midcoast Morning Buzz talking both about Middle East issues and about the FBI under Donald Trump.

Marc began this morning by joining others in saying that President Trump's plan to take control of Gaza is preposterous, and saying also that we are already in a "constitutional crisis" in this nation.

Apologies for the fact that my recording of the interview begins about ten seconds into Marc's comments--at a moment when he is talking about how it would be political su***de for the King of Jordan, a significant U-S and Israeli ally, to agree to the displacement of millions of Palestinians from Gaza.

If you missed it on the radio, or even if you did not, you may hear it all here.

https://www.radiomidcoastwcme.com/portfolio/nbc-news-national-security-analyst-and-freeport-summer-resident-marc-polymeropoulos-on-the-wcme-midcoast-morning-buzz/

02/12/2025

From WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midoast Breaking News Leader

In the course of an online town hall meeting in which she took questions and comments called in by constituents, Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says "we are dealing with unprecedented times."

Pingree went on to say that while she anticipated there would be transition and policies from President Trump that she didn't agree with, no one anticipated that "we would have a president that didn't show respect for the constitution, that took illegal actions, (and) that formed an organization called DOGE, where an unelected billionaire could shut down whole departments or lock the doors of agencies."

Pingree notes that because Democrats are not in power in the House, they don't have the same advantages they enjoyed when they were in the majority, although she says Democrats are responding with various legislative proposals.

We'll hear from Congresswoman Pingree throughout the Wednesday Midcoast Morning Buzz on 99-5 WCME!!

02/11/2025

From NBC News and WCME

Another sign of an emerging constitutional crisis.

Federal workers are being swept into the fight between Donald Trump and federal courts, with four FEMA aides fired Tuesday for being "deep state activists."

02/11/2025

From WCME News

In a move largely aimed at closing a large gap in MaineCare costs, the Maine House has approved a $121 million supplemental budget proposal, but without the two-thirds support needed for the plan to take effect immediately.

The House voted 74-71 to fill a shortfall in the budget for the current fiscal year. The plan also includes $2 million for spruce budworm remediation in forested areas.

02/11/2025

From WCME News -- Your 24/7 Midcoast Breaking News Leader

Senator Susan Collins removes another question mark by saying that she will vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Junior as President Trump's secretary of health and human services.

Collins was one of three potential Republican defectors on Kennedy’s nomination, and with a narrow Republican majority, he can’t lose many votes and still be confirmed.

02/11/2025

Jim Bleikamp here.

Cumberland County District Attorney Jackie Sartoris visits us once a month on the WCME Midcoast Morning Buzz and normally it’s all about legal matters, but this morning I asked her to talk a little about her experience with COVID-19, with which she is doing battle for a second time.

Jackie also echos others in voicing fears of a constitutional crisis after signs that President Trump may not abide by certain court orders that he doesn’t like.

If you missed it on the radio, you may hear it here.

https://www.radiomidcoastwcme.com/portfolio/cumberland-county-district-attorney-jackie-sartoris-on-the-buzz/