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1. Portland has welcomed more than 550 asylum seekers to the city so far this year, roughly 80 per week.  A lack of space and staffing issues are problems.  Federal law currently requires asylum seekers to wait at least six months after filing their claim to be eligible for work authorization. The city is advocating for this to change. (PH)

2. One of Maine’s largest wine and beer distributors is battling allegations in court this week from a female employee who says the company fosters a “sexist environment” where women are paid less than men. Nappi Distributors has denied all of the allegations of discrimination. But the company has not disputed that the employee was hired for less than her male colleagues and will now have to prove to the jury that she was paid less because of a company-wide policy shift. (PH)

3. Governor Mills has announced $15 million in grants to help high schools expand their Career and Technical Education programs. Biddeford Regional Center of Technology is getting $7 million to build a two-floor CTE addition to its high school. (WMTW)

4. A new bill to increase penalties for using a phone while driving will have a public hearing today.  The penalty would go up from $50 currently to $500 for the first offense, and from $250 to $1,000 for the second offense. (WGME)

5. The Westbrook ice disk is back on the Presumpscot River. In 2019, a giant, perfectly formed ice circle gained international attention. (WGME)

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