© 2022 Maine PublicPlay Live Radio0:000:00Available On Air StationsThe same global consulting firm that paid nearly $600 million in a multistate settlement for “turbocharging” sales of opioids has received millions from the Maine Department of Labor to help the agency manage a crush of unemployment claims during the pandemic.McKinsey & Co. has received $6.3 million from a no-bid contract with the Labor Department since June 2020. A spokesperson for the agency said that McKinsey provided analytics, revamped the agency’s website to handle the explosion in unemployment claims and helped...…© 2022 Maine PublicPlay Live Radio0:000:00Available On Air StationsThe same global consulting firm that paid nearly $600 million in a multistate settlement for “turbocharging” sales of opioids has received millions from the Maine Department of Labor to help the agency manage a crush of unemployment claims during the pandemic.McKinsey & Co. has received $6.3 million from a no-bid contract with the Labor Department since June 2020. A spokesperson for the agency said that McKinsey provided analytics, revamped the agency’s website to handle the explosion in unemployment claims and helped...WW…

© 2022 Maine PublicPlay Live Radio0:000:00Available On Air Stations Maine's legislative leaders have recently been mired in a debate over face mask requirements at the State House even as lawmakers are expected to consider more than 1,000 bills this session, as well as two spending plans worth more than $8 billion.Democrats are trying to strengthen the Legislature's mask policy after a committee clerk quit because of fears that some Republicans are skirting the rules, while Republicans say that the rules have not been made clear. Signs throughout the...…© 2022 Maine PublicPlay Live Radio0:000:00Available On Air Stations Maine's legislative leaders have recently been mired in a debate over face mask requirements at the State House even as lawmakers are expected to consider more than 1,000 bills this session, as well as two spending plans worth more than $8 billion.Democrats are trying to strengthen the Legislature's mask policy after a committee clerk quit because of fears that some Republicans are skirting the rules, while Republicans say that the rules have not been made clear. Signs throughout the...WW…

Maine Public RadioMaine’s monthslong planning effort to prepare for the arrival and deployment of a coronavirus vaccine kicks into gear this week amid high hopes and plenty of uncertainty. The state’s first shipments of a vaccine developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech arrived at some priority hospitals and long-term care facilities on Monday. “We are delighted to say that Northern Light Mercy and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center each received a shipment of the Pfizer vaccine product this morning,” Dr. James Jarvis with Northern Light health said...…Maine Public RadioMaine’s monthslong planning effort to prepare for the arrival and deployment of a coronavirus vaccine kicks into gear this week amid high hopes and plenty of uncertainty. The state’s first shipments of a vaccine developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech arrived at some priority hospitals and long-term care facilities on Monday. “We are delighted to say that Northern Light Mercy and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center each received a shipment of the Pfizer vaccine product this morning,” Dr. James Jarvis with Northern Light health said...WW…

© 2022 Maine PublicPlay Live Radio0:000:00Available On Air StationsMaine Gov. Janet Mills is requiring business operators of all types to turn away customers who refuse to wear face masks.The governor’s new executive order strengthens a previous statewide mask requirement that allowed business operators to ask customers to leave if they don’t comply with rules designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.The new order now requires business owners to remove customers who don’t comply.“Anyone who still insists on entering a store or other facility without wearing a mask, or insists on taking it...…© 2022 Maine PublicPlay Live Radio0:000:00Available On Air StationsMaine Gov. Janet Mills is requiring business operators of all types to turn away customers who refuse to wear face masks.The governor’s new executive order strengthens a previous statewide mask requirement that allowed business operators to ask customers to leave if they don’t comply with rules designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.The new order now requires business owners to remove customers who don’t comply.“Anyone who still insists on entering a store or other facility without wearing a mask, or insists on taking it...WW…

Maine Public RadioRelated Program: Related Program: Listen Listening... 5:25 Unfazed By Record Spending, Maine's Senate Contest Is Narrow As Ever The long and wildly expensive Maine U.S. Senate race is drawing to a close. But after more than $100 million spent, a blizzard of nonstop ads and a campaign made unconventional by the pandemic, the contest could hinge on whether a majority of Maine voters believe Republican Sen. Susan Collins has changed during the presidency of Donald Trump. That’s the argument made by Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, who is within striking distance...…Maine Public RadioRelated Program: Related Program: Listen Listening... 5:25 Unfazed By Record Spending, Maine's Senate Contest Is Narrow As Ever The long and wildly expensive Maine U.S. Senate race is drawing to a close. But after more than $100 million spent, a blizzard of nonstop ads and a campaign made unconventional by the pandemic, the contest could hinge on whether a majority of Maine voters believe Republican Sen. Susan Collins has changed during the presidency of Donald Trump. That’s the argument made by Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, who is within striking distance...WW…

Maine Public RadioRelated Program: Related Program: Listen Listening... 7:47 Seeking Fifth Senate Term, Susan Collins Tries To Shift Focus Away From National Politics Over the course of nearly three decades, Republican Sen. Susan Collins has crafted a centrist brand that once made her one of the most popular politicians in the country. Now, Collins is the last Republican member of Congress from New England. And a combination of controversial votes and increasingly nationalized politics has her locked in the fight of her political career. In mid-September, Collins’ campaign bus...…Maine Public RadioRelated Program: Related Program: Listen Listening... 7:47 Seeking Fifth Senate Term, Susan Collins Tries To Shift Focus Away From National Politics Over the course of nearly three decades, Republican Sen. Susan Collins has crafted a centrist brand that once made her one of the most popular politicians in the country. Now, Collins is the last Republican member of Congress from New England. And a combination of controversial votes and increasingly nationalized politics has her locked in the fight of her political career. In mid-September, Collins’ campaign bus...WW…