By Lauren McCauley | Editor
“I can’t even watch baseball in peace.” - Judy Parker, a Democrat from Portland, on the slew of political ads focused on Maine’s U.S. Senate race.
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Troy Jackson takes a selfie with supporters at a campaign event in Brunswick on Aug. 26, 2026. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star)
ELECTION 2026
By Emma Davis
Wearing a Red Sox hat and jeans in a supporter’s backyard in Brunswick, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Troy Jackson did not mince his words. “They’re gonna outspend us,” he told Maine Morning Star of incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ campaign and the dark money groups blanketing the airwaves with favorable ads.
ENVIRONMENT
By Kaitlyn Budion
If passed by the Senate, the bill — introduced by Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Michael Lawler (R-New York) in June — would continue shielding lobstermen from new regulations to protect North Atlantic right whales until 2035.
EDUCATION
By Kevin Hardy, Stateline
More than 1 million American children have lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, following a recent federal law. Now, as schools gear up for a new term, a portion of those children could be at risk of losing free meals — viewed as crucial supports for both childhood hunger and classroom learning.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Trump’s newest order on birthright citizenship blocked in federal court | Ariana Figueroa, States Newsroom
Why the rushed Postal Service plan for mail-in voting has states in a panic | Jacob Fischler, States Newsroom
Immigration activity is taking a toll on children’s health, doctors say | Nada Hassanein, Stateline
9 justices on the Supreme Court or 13? Numbers battle revived in Congress | Ashley Murray, States Newsroom
Thanks for reading Top of the Morning. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.