1. After nearly every mass shooting, investigators and the media inevitably uncover warning signs and incidents where the suspect conceivably could have been stopped, but legislators are struggling to craft laws that would empower police to act against potentially dangerous individuals without infringing on the rights of people who have not committed a crime. The latest shootings have revived discussions of “red-flag” laws that would allow police to temporarily confiscate firearms from people who are deemed by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others. (WGME)
2. Maine health agencies have secured $6 million in federal grants to battle the opioid crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced. The $6 million will go to community health clinics, hospital systems and the University of Maine for treatment, prevention and to help boost the workforce. Maine has been in the midst of an opioid crisis for the past several years, with 417 drug overdose deaths in 2017 and 354 deaths in 2018. (Press Herald)
3. The Outside Lands festival is set to make history this weekend as the first major festival in the United States to allow cannabis sales and a designated smoking area on site. According to a press release shared by Consequence of Sound, attendees of the California event will be able to buy up to seven grams of non-concentrated cannabis and two grams of cannabis concentrates across all vendors. Those vendors will be part of the festival’s pre-existing Grass Lands area that was introduced in 2018. Cannabis purchased in the area can only be consumed within Grass Lands. (Consequence of Sound)
4. Frontier Airlines has dubbed August 13th-20th “Green Week” to highlight its efforts to become the most eco-friendly airline in the United States. To mark the occasion, the airline is offering free flights of up to $400 to anyone with the surname Green or Greene, as long as they leave this coming Tuesday and return by 11:59 p.m. the following Tuesday, when Green Week ends. (UPI)
5. HOT SUMMER 2019 Saturday August 31 Maine Savings Pavilion At Rock Row In Westbrook starring Wiz Khalifa, A Boogie, YK Osiris, Ally Brooke, Big Freedia, Lil Tecca, Iyla and a Maine Made Showcase. Tickets on Sale Now – Hot1047maine.com / waterfrontconcerts.com or locally at the box office located at Aura – 121 Center Street Portland.
Made Hot In Maine By the US Army. Make a difference in the world around you in the boots of a US Army soldier and gain leadership skills in one of more than 150 career fields. (Go Army)
