1. A Portland man has pleaded guilty to running a high-stakes gambling operation from his home and used-car business for 14 years. The charges and plea agreement for Stephen Mardigan of Portland were entered in federal court Wednesday morning. Federal officials seized nearly $750,000 from Mardigan – as well as cash and jewelry from others they allege were involved in the gambling operation – during raids on April 7, 2017. But he wasn’t charged until papers were filed in the plea agreement Wednesday. He could face up to 28 years in prison. Mardigan, 61, admitted to running an illegal gambling operation out of his home on Baxter Boulevard and his Portland business, Avenue Auto, from 2003 to 2017. He took bets on college and pro basketball games, college and pro football, baseball, professional hockey, stock car racing and golf tournaments. The documents say bets typically ranged from $30 to $10,000, but transactions with two gamblers totaled nearly $5 million.
(Press Herald)
2. On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that President Trump can’t block people on Twitter, deeming his account to be a “public forum.” “This case requires us to consider whether a public official may, consistent with the First Amendment, ‘block’ a person from his Twitter account in response to the political views that person has expressed, and whether the analysis differs because that public official is the President of the United States,” wrote Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the Southern District of New York. “The answer to both questions is no.”
(BuzzFeed)
3. On Wednesday, NFL owners approved a new rule that will fine teams whose players kneel during the singing of the national anthem. Players may choose to remain in the locker room during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but If they take the field and take a knee, their teams will be subject to fines–and, in turn, teams could decide independently whether to fine their players. New York Jets chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson told Newsday he would pay any fine handed down by the NFL, allowing players to freely kneel during the “Star-Spangled Banner” –– without fear of repercussions from the team.
(ESPN)
4. Rookie Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and Al Horford had 15 points and 12 rebounds to help the Boston Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-83 on Wednesday night and take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics remained perfect in Boston this postseason with their 10th straight victory at home and moved within one win of their first trip to the NBA finals since 2010. Game 6 is in Cleveland on Friday night.
(Press Herald)
5. Hot 104.7 & SIS Bank Present: Hot Summer 2018 featuring Fabolous, Big Boi (of Outkast), Bazzi, Joyner Lucas, HoodCelebrityy. June 15th – Maine State Pier. Tickets on Sale Now HERE / Aura’s Box Office 121 Center Street Portland / Charge By Phone 1-800-745-3000
Made Hot in Maine by Job Corps! Job Corps offers housing and FREE career training classes to those who qualify!
