1. The federal government shut down Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a funding deal, clashing over health care subsidies. Roughly 750,000 federal workers face furloughs or layoffs as offices close and services stall. It’s the first shutdown in nearly seven years, with no clear end in sight. (WMTW)
2. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows says she’s investigating how about 250 blank state election ballots ended up at a woman’s home in Newburgh instead of a polling location. The ballots were reportedly delivered in a beat-up Amazon box. Bellows says securing elections is her top priority and promised accountability as law enforcement investigates. (WGME)
3. A Raymond school bus started driving off before a student was fully off the bus, and the incident was caught on video with over 260,000 views. The seventh grader suffered a minor shoulder injury, and her mother says the video has raised serious safety concerns. RSU 14 officials say they’re reviewing the incident and taking steps to make sure it never happens again. (WGME)
4. Walmart says by 2027 it will remove artificial dyes and 30 other additives from about 1,000 of its store-brand foods, including Great Value and Marketside. Sam’s Club has already begun cutting dozens of ingredients from its private labels. (Newser)
5. BuzzBalls is throwing it back to the ’80s with a new ready-to-drink flavor, Grapes Gone Wild. The 1.5-liter cocktail comes in a five-pound, grape-scented scratch-and-sniff kettlebell, with a kit that adds sweatbands and a cooling towel. It launches this month at BuzzBallzKettleBallz.com. (FB)
Made Hot in Maine by the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein. Accidents happen… to be their specialty. 207-CALL-JOE or online at: joebornstein.com.
