Fridays with Fossel
The weekly update for Friday, July 18, 2025
Welcome to this week’s recap, everyone - for Friday, July 18, 2025.1
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🗳 Maine News & Politics🗳
Susan Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was one of three Republicans to vote against Trump’s budget cuts. She was joined by Lisa Murkowski, who miraculously rediscovered her principles this time around, and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Yet again Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to enact the budget cuts, which eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS and NPR. Fortunately, Collins was able to save funding for PEPFAR, the AIDS relief program for Africa established under George W. Bush.
The gubernatorial candidates have released their first round of campaign finance reports. Unsurprisingly, Democrats have raised way more than Republicans and Hannah Pingree has raised the most, but Shenna Bellows isn’t far behind her. Bellows has done very well thanks to the support of small donors. On the Republican side, Bobby Charles has raised the most, while independent Rick Bennett has raised more than any of the Republicans thus far.
A referendum overwhelmingly passed by Maine voters to implement campaign finance reforms was found unconstitutional by a district court judge, as expected. The law would limit the amount of money that can be donated to Political Action Committees. It will likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, as the authors of the referendum, including activist and professor Lawrence Lessig, intended. It seems unlikely to survive if it does.
Rep. Jared Golden introduced a bill to increase penalties for crimes against federal law enforcement officers. The law is co-sponsored by Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska), a centrist Republican who isn’t running for re-election. Bacon has notably opposed Trump frequently on the issues, and is mulling running for president - which is adorable. If there’s room for a more centrist lane in the 2028 Republican field, it would have to be somebody much more high profile than a midwestern congressman best known for his delicious-sounding last name.
Bath Iron Works, one of Maine’s largest employers, has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the state’s new paid family leave law. This was the bill that led Governor Janet Mills to renege on her promise not to increase taxes if re-elected, a promise that she treated like a campaign bumper sticker, to be discarded after the election. The lawsuit seems unlikely to completely gut the program, but instead would affect a fund covering employers who already offer private plans.
🏀 Sports 🏀
As the All-Star break approached, the Boston Red Sox were suddenly the hottest team in baseball, winning ten in a row and overtaking the Tampa Bay Rays for third in the AL East, just behind the Yankees. They’re entering a tough stretch, though, with fifteen games in a row against probable playoff teams, starting with the Chicago Cubs. We’ll see if they can keep the momentum going. Hopefully I was wrong about them and some of my friends were right.
Cooper Flagg isn’t the only Mainer on the path to becoming a professional athlete: several Mainers were selected in the MLB draft. RHP Cody Bowker of Bowdoinham was selected by the Phillies, University of Maine leftie Caleb Leys was selected by the Tigers, and OF Jacob Humphrey, of Standish, wasn't drafted, but signed a contract with the Colorado Rockies. Congratulations to all of them.
🍺 What I’m drinking 🍺
Prime (6.6%), by Goodfire Brewing Company, is a light, smooth, drinkable IPA with a malt backbone. Goodfire, like Belleflower, originated in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood, though they now have a Freeport location. While they make quite a few excellent IPAs, they do a wide variety of other beers as well. Prime is one of their flagships, and it’s been a mainstay of mine for years.
🎵What I’m listening to 🎵
The Goo Goo Dolls, a staple of the 90s, have a new song out, Nothing Lasts Forever. It’s definitely a song of theirs, but rockier and a bit less ballad-heavy than their usual fare. Hopefully they’re working on a new album!
Jim is also a weekly columnist for the Portland Press Herald, Maine’s largest daily newspaper. Follow him on X, BlueSky, and on Facebook.
This was written Thursday evening and scheduled for publication Friday morning.