1. Gov. Paul LePage has pledged his name in support of a lawsuit by 11 states against guidance from President Barack Obama’s administration that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice. Matthew Moonen, director of EqualityMaine, an LGBT advocacy group, said he was disappointed but not surprised by LePage’s move. “This is the second lawsuit in a row that the governor has joined attacking the rights of transgender kids. We think it’s a shame that this is how the governor is choosing to spend his summer. We expect the suit to fail.” (BD)
2. The Biddeford Superintendent says they canceled school at the high school and Center for Technology today due to a threat. The non-specific threat came in on an app called “After School.” (WCSH)
3. Getting a look at Portland Head Light during the next few weeks is going to be tough because the lighthouse is getting a makeover ahead of tourism season.The lighthouse and museum are getting a fresh coat of paint after years of being battered by storms.The $65,000 project will be complete by June. (WMTW)
4. The Portland Planning Board has approved a new hotel proposed for the city’s eastern waterfront.The 150-room AC Hotel by Marriott at Fore, Hancock and Thames streets was approved unanimously by the six board members who voted Tuesday night.The six-story building will be near the former Portland Co. project, where city officials have established a historic district and plans are in the works for offices, retail space and housing. (PH)
5. A new study published in PLOS ONE finds that women use warmer, gentle language in their status updates on Facebook compared to men, who are more likely to swear, express anger and use argumentative language. Researchers examined 10 million posts and found that women tend to use words like “wonderful,” “happy,” “birthday,” “daughter, “excited,” and “thankful.” Men, on the other hand, commonly use phrases like “freedom,” “liberty,” “win,” “lose, “battle,” and “enemy.” (Plos)
And you should also know that Hot Summer 2016 tickets are on sale now! Fat Joe, Ty Dolla $ign, Post Malone, Nikyee Heaton, Kat DeLuna and Dreezy are coming to the Maine State Pier June 4th. Purchase your tickets now – bit.ly/HotSummer2016
