After opening the doors for a limited number of charter schools two years ago, the LePage administration now wants to remove the cap and push the public discussion about school choice into uncharted waters. During a public hearing on the measure, the administration also argued in favor of requiring local school districts to pay the educational costs for students enrolled in religious schools. A.J. Higgins has more.

A handful of eighth-grade students from mid-coast Maine have found themselves at the center of a constitutional flap over First Amendment rights. At issue is the so-called "Blessing of the Fleet," when the kids launch boats they built themselves into the ocean. The annual ceremony is usually accompanied by a short prayer. But that won't be happening this year, out of concern that it violates one of the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution - the separation of church and state. Tom Porter has more.

For the last 30 years, the big agriculture story has been the decline of the family farm, and the rise of the biotech giants, such as Monsanto. But early indications from the Cooperative Extension Service show that in New England at least, the small farm is poised to make a big come back. As Jennifer Mitchell reports, Maine's local foods movement has ushered in a new era for new farms - and new farmers.

We're delighted to kick off a new summer series in partnership with the Portland-based Telling Room, a non-profit writing center dedicated to the idea that children and young adults are natural storytellers. Every Friday we'll share an essay from a student between the ages of six and 18 with a unique perspective on the world: tonight, 13-year-old Toby Choyt of North Yarmouth Academy, on his interview with a Maine lobsterman.

The state is now set for a major legislative floor fight over Medicaid expansion, following a committee vote - divided along party lines - over a controversial liquor contract bill. The measure defines the process for re-opening the state's wholesale liquor contract for bids, and directs proceeds from those sales to repay nearly a half-billion in Medicaid debt owed to Maine's hospitals. But over Republican protests, it also now includes a last-minute demand by majority Democrats to expand Medicaid to 70,000 more Mainers. A.J. Higgins has more.

Several abortion bills drew standing room only crowds to the State House today - in fact, crowds spilled over into hallways, and even into other rooms. Two of the measures would seek to add new consent requirements for those seeking an abortion. Another would allow certain family members to file a wrongful death lawsuit when a viable unborn fetus dies. Patty Wight has more on the reaction to those bills at today's public hearings.

Several high-profile cases of long-term sexual abuse - from the Vatican to Bangor, Maine - have put the spotlight on procedures for reporting cases of suspected child abuse and neglect. A pair of bills originally heard by Maine lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee got another hearing today before the Judiciary Committee. The bills would tighten child abuse reporting requirements, and sharpen the penalties for failure to report suspected abuse. But as Jennifer Mitchell reports, the proposals face opposition from the medical community.

The newly elected pope hails from South America, where the Catholic population has exploded, containing more than a quarter of all Catholics on earth. It's a stark contrast to North America, where the pews in many communities are emptying. Here in Maine, mass attendance has dropped by 30 percent over the same number of years. Jake Ryan of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland has the story a congregation in the rural western Maine border town of Jackman that is fighting to survive.

Another step forward - sort of - for one of the most contentious issues in Augusta this legisaltive session: how to pay of nearly a half-billion dollars in Medicaid debt owed to Maine's hospitals. Members of the Appropriations Committee are leaning toward adopting a Republican proposal that would use a revenue bond to repay the hospitals, funded by liquor sales. But the Health and Human Services Committee voted to include the expansion of Medicaid as part of the plan, which is strongly opposed by many GOP lawmakers. A.J. Higgins has more.

This week, the National Transportation Safety Board came out with a bold recommendation to reduce the number of deaths caused by drunk driving: drop the blood alcohol level threshold from .08 percent to .05 percent. According to the NTSB, more than 100 other countries use that standard, and since it was adopted in Europe over a decade ago, the number of drunk driving deaths has been cut in half. But as Patty Wight reports, some in Maine say the proposed standard takes aim at the wrong target.

Some organic farmers in Maine continue to worry they could be sued by Monsanto for patent infringement, in the event that their fields are accidently contaminated by the company's herbicide resistant seeds. Those fears gained new urgency after a decision this week by the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of the agribusiness giant. Justices of the high court ruled, unanimously, that an Indiana man violated patent law when he used already-harvested soybeans to plan additional crops, instead of buying new - and more expensive - herbicide-resistent seed from Monsanto. Jay Field reports.

Nearly 500 high school students - most of them from Maine - are grappling with some pretty heavy issues this week: human trafficking, chemical weapons monitoring, and women's rights in the Third World. It's all part of the Maine Model United Nations Conference, taking place at the University of Southern Maine's Gorham campus until tomorrow. Now in its 15th year, the program is designed to teach high schoolers about global awareness and diplomacy. Tom Porter reports.

Officials say they're still searching for the lead that will take them to a missing Old Town High school student. Nichole Cable was last seen Sunday night in her hometown of Glenburn. As Jennifer Mitchell reports, today the girl's family made an emotional plea for her return.

A Liberty woman has filed suit against the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Key Trust Company National Association over what she says was a breach of fiduciary duty, violation of her due process rights and the improper sale of some family property for substantially less than fair market value. The case arose after a member of the woman's family became incapacitated. DHHS then allegedly took over his assets, secretly sold them and had his cat euthanized without his knowledge. Susan Sharon has more.

The Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee has advanced a bill that would require labeling of genetically modified food, despite a warning from Maine's Attorney General that the measure may be unconstitutional and vulnerable to serious legal challenges. In a work session appearance before the committee, AG Janet Mills recommended that lawmakers not pass the bill. But supporters say GMO lableing has widespread support in Augusta and across the state, and they argue the full Legislature should approve the bill. Jay Field reports.

Gov. Paul LePage has rejected a proposal by a coalition of mayors to balance the budget without suspending revenue-sharing. The bi-partisan Mayors' Coalition - which represents a dozen Maine communities - says the $6.3 billion budget proposed by LePage would result in significant property tax increases for local residents and businesses. The mayors suggest, instead, a temporary sales tax increase from 5 percent to 6 percent, combined with a lodging tax increase, and comprehensive tax reform to balance sales, income and property taxes. The also suggest suspending income tax cuts enacted in the last session, which they say would save the state $350 million. Tom Porter has more.

In an op-ed in the New York Times today, actress Angelina Jolie revealed she had a preventive mastectomy earlier this year. Jolie had the procedure after discovering she carries a gene that dramatically increases her risk of developing breast cancer, and says she wants women to be aware of their options in the face of cancer. Preventive mastectomy is not a recommendation that physicians give lightly. But as Patty Wight reports, for some women, it's a welcome procedure.

A legislative panel is reviewing a half-dozen bills aimed at tweaking Maine's medicinal marijuana law, which now governs how the drug is prescribed and distributed to about 10,000 Mainers. One bill sets new fees for medical marijuana dispensaries. Another would increase the allowed number of dispensaries from the current limit of 8. And one proposal would essentially permit a doctor to prescribe marijuana for almost any ailment. A.J. Higgins has more.

It was a busy day in Lewiston District Court, where four arson suspects - two adults and two juveniles - all made separate appearances before Judge John Beliveau. The four are charged with a rash of fires that destroyed more than half a dozen apartment buildings in Lewiston in the past two weeks and left the community on edge. As Susan Sharon reports, a police affidavit also sheds new light on what may have been the motive for the most recent fire.

Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg had a string of hits in the 1970s and 80s, including "Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne." Fogelberg moved to Maine in later life and died of prostate cancer at his home in Deer Isle in 2007, at the age of 56. Maine musician Don Campbell, long an admirer of Fogelberg, never got the chance to meet him. But he did the next best thing - he's produced a double-CD tribute record to the late artist called "Kites to Fly." Keith Shortall spoke recently with Campbell and his wife Tonya - who is also his bass player - about the project, which has its roots in an experience from Campbell's youth.

The number of Maine inmates who are court-ordered to receive mental health treatment is growing, but the state's psychiatric hospitals don't have enough capacity to meet the demand. A proposed bill seeks to alleviate the bottleneck by providing mental health care within the walls of the Maine State Prison in Warren. Supporters call it an innovative solution to the lack of pyschiatric beds in the state, but opponents are waving red flags. Patty Wight reports.

The battle of words continues between Gov. Paul LePage and the union representing state employees. LePage today criticized the union's chief counsel for publicly speculating that the administration is preparing for a government shutdown. LePage last week accused union negotiators of "lying" in a letter to members that says the governor is directing state agencies to prepare for an "inevitable shutdown.'' A.J. Higgins has more.

Former Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe is doing the media rounds to promote her new memoir, "Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix The Stalemate in Congress." In it she explains her frustration with Congress's inability to get anything done - a frustration which led her to quit earlier this year, after 34 years in Congress, 18 of them in the Senate. Snowe now works for the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to the search for political compromise. Tom Porter has more.

The big fires that gutted at least eight apartment buildings in Lewiston this month are not the only time the inner city has faced the trauma of dozens of displaced residents or the challenge of rebuilding. Two dozen years ago a similar string of fires had the city on edge. And as Susan Sharon reports two of the people affected then are central figures in the city's handling of the fires today.

A retired Maine state trooper who now serves in the state Legislature says Maine's schools would be safer if communities had the option of permitting qualified school staff to carry guns. State Sen. David Burns, a Republican from Whiting, says if approved by a certain percentage of the voters, school districts should be able to arm employees to respond to a threatening situation. A.J. Higgins has more.