And a big thank you to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Every dollar helps! These events have costs and your donations help very much!
Welcome to all the new members on our mailing list! Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor, followed by the great list of important actions and information from our friends at Mid Maine Indivisible that includes information about “Fall of Freedom,” an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces, information on the Trump-ordered extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean and Pacific, and Mike Johnson’s keeping the House in recess so Adelita Grijalva can’t be sworn in, preventing her from signing a petition to trigger a vote on legislation that would force the release of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein (PBS).
Also, actions from Hancock Country Democrats, Action 172 ICE-out – No dICE, concerning LD1971, and from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance (10/20) that discusses Russ Vought, the Insurrection Act, Spotify & ICE, and more.
A lot of research goes into these additional actions, so be sure to read them!
Weekly Vigils
Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area! First in the week is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor, followed by the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil.
TODAY, there is the Friday Bangor Visibility Brigade, which meets at 3:30 at Essex Street overpass. Join us as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here!
UMaine Homecoming Sign Brigade TOMORROW, 10/25
Join us tomorrow, Saturday the 25th of October, on the Brandon M. Silk Memorial Bridge in Orono at 10:00 am. (This is the bridge that crosses the river from downtown Orono). We’ll be holding signs with full messages to show the drivers who are on their way to the big Homecoming football game where our Maine Black Bears battle Elon at 1:00 pm!
The Maine ICE Watch Hotline Is LIVE!
The purpose of the hotline is to protect immigrant families by providing accurate, real-time information about ICE and Border Patrol activity and connect Maine families to resources and support services during a time of heightened enforcement and targeting of immigrants and refugees.
The Hotline project has already trained over 100 community volunteers, both as operators to receive calls and verifiers to confirm or refute reported sightings of immigration enforcement activity.
A project of the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and the People’s Coalition for Safety & Justice. Volunteers trained across Maine to respond, verify, and connect families to help.
REAL INFORMATION. RAPID RESPONSE.
Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition ICE Watch Resource Hub.
Read more about it here in this Newscenter Maine article.
Verifying ICE and Border Patrol activity in real time.
Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry
It is important that we continue the good work we did on Saturday in other ways! Voting is integral and so is helping our community. SNAP (read this and this) and LIHEAP benefits will be drastically reduced soon. Obamacare health insurance premiums will increase to levels that will make it unaffordable for many Mainers. Read this PDF dated October 17, 2025, from the Maine State Legislature.
Also, this message from Maine DHHS: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told all states that November SNAP benefits cannot be issued right now because of the federal government shutdown. Any benefits already on your card are still available and can be used to buy food.” The official notice can be read here.
Please DONATE to a local food pantry. Faith Linking in Action maintains a database of all food pantries and free meals– organized by both location and day of the week– in the Bangor area. Check it out here.
Food and Medicine will be holding its annual Solidarity Harvest next month. Please consider volunteering to help them assemble and distribute locally-sourced meal baskets, each with nearly 30 pounds of produce, which is enough food for 8-10 people. The dates for this year are November 13-24. More information, donation, and sign up is here!
What’s Next?
We made a difference on Saturday and we are keeping that momentum going! From Activate Maine:”On Saturday, an estimated 53,384 Mainers across 60+ towns rose up to resist facisim. That’s about 3.8% of our state’s population — surpassing the 3.5% threshold that history tells us can change everything.”
There were an estimated 7,000,000 people at 2700 events across the country. This is 2 million more than No Kings in June and 4 million more than Hands Off in April. This was the largest nationwide protest in American history
These huge nationwide demonstrations help show other citizens that they are not alone! People across all walks of life see our protests- they see that there are more of us than there are of the people who are trying to turn our country into an dictatorship with Donald Trump ruling over us all. This gives them hope, motivation, encouragement – they are not alone. We are united! And we WILL triumph!
Keep the momentum going by VOTING on November 4th! Or even earlier as early voting is now available! And check out the State of Maine website, Your Right to Vote in Maine.
No on 1
Vote “No on 1” to reject the Leonard Leo and Laurel Libby (and recently endorsed by Paul LePage in the Bangor Daily News) scheme to suppress the vote here in Maine. Question 1 will reduce the ability for Mainers to request absentee ballots, affecting our senior citizens, active military, and homebound citizens the most.
Tell your friends about Question 1, its real purpose, and to vote no! While this question may by pushed as a “common sense” voter ID law by MAGA supporters, focus on the real world ramifications of its restricting of absentee ballot access.
And CANVASS! CANVASS! CANVASS! See below for information on how you can talk to your neighbors about Question 1 and why they should vote NO!
City Council and School Board Elections!
Many municipalities are holding elections for positions on city councils and school boards! Bangor has been in the news lately because of the far-right activist running for council who describes himself as an “America First” nationalist (BDN). He is one of 9 running for three positions on the city council. Read the BDN article for profiles of the these 9 candidates.
Food AND Medicine has released a list of good, not-so-good, and mixed candidates running for the Bangor city council and school board-you can read that here.
Bangor is one of a handful of towns holding public office elections include Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, and Orono. Click on the town names to go to their elections page. This is not a comprehensive list, so check your town office to verify. Check here, Find a Municipal Clerk or Registrar, to find your town!
Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry
It is important that we continue the good work we did on Saturday in other ways! Voting is integral and so is helping our community. SNAP (read this and this) and LIHEAP benefits will be drastically reduced soon. Obamacare health insurance premiums will increase to levels that will make it unaffordable for many Mainers. Read this PDF dated October 17, 2025, from the Maine State Legislature.
Also, this message from Maine DHHS: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told all states that November SNAP benefits cannot be issued right now because of the federal government shutdown. Any benefits already on your card are still available and can be used to buy food.” The official notice can be read here.
Please DONATE to a local food pantry. Faith Linking in Action maintains a database of all food pantries and free meals– organized by both location and day of the week– in the Bangor area. Check it out here.
Food and Medicine will be holding its annual Solidarity Harvest next month. Please consider volunteering to help them assemble and distribute locally-sourced meal baskets, each with nearly 30 pounds of produce, which is enough food for 8-10 people. The dates for this year are November 13-24. More information, donation, and sign up is here!
Contact Your Elected Representatives in Washington
We all have three people in Washington, D.C., who represent us. We all have the same two senators, as well as one representative in the House, depending on where you live in the state. Contacting them MAKES A DIFFERENCE. You can call them, you can email them, you can write them, you can even visit them. Carry this momentum forward by letting your senators and your congressman or congresswoman know that you want changes made! Ask them questions! Voice your opinion! Scroll down for more information on how to contact them!
Indivisible.org “What’s the Plan” Call
TODAY, is a celebratory What’s the Plan with Ezra and Leah at the normal weekly time (Thursday, 3pm ET) to discuss next steps. Lean in this week. Join Ezra and Leah, and encourage others to join with you!
No Kings Bangor Recap
An estimated 4000 people showed up on that bright, sunshiny day to be with friends and neighbors and listen to leaders in our community who spoke about our love for our country and the dangers of the Donald Trump administration. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this a truly spectacular day!
Several news outlets were there, such as WABI, WLBZ, The Bangor Daily News, WVII, and WERU. People gave generously to our food bank drive!
We have plenty of photos on our Facebook page– check it out! If you’re not already part of our Facebook group, just ask to join!
TOMORROW
Canvass for Save Maine Absentee Voting!
Food AND Medicine is organizing a weekly canvassing action: “Canvass with us! Spread the word to our neighbors in Bangor to remember to vote, and talk about the issues that we all hold dear, and the candidates who support those values.
We’re going out each Saturday in October at 9am from our building at 20 Ivers Street, Brewer. Contact FAM@foodandmedicine.org to join us. We’ll have all the materials you need, and will train if you haven’t canvassed before. It’s actually fun! You don’t have to live in Bangor to canvass with us.”
There are other opportunities to canvass in Maine, too! Click here for a list!
We all know talking to people is an effective way to change hearts and minds on issues, so please don’t forget to talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about this!
Write a Letter to the Editor!
There are letters weekly playing this down, calling it “common sense” legislation and simply lying about the effects and intent of this voter suppression law. This is part of the continuing MAGA war on voting and we can stop it!
Use this form to send one to the Bangor Daily News. “The BDN will stop accepting letters and OpEds related to the Nov. 4 election on Oct. 29. Not all submissions can be published.” That’s next Wednesday, so get to it!
Jordan Wood Is Returning to Bangor!
Democratic Senate Candidate Jordan Wood is coming to meet you. We’ll be at the Bangor Public Library. Come out to meet Jordan, learn why he’s the strongest candidate to defeat Susan Collins, and hear about what his plans as your next Senator: sweeping campaign finance reform, passing the Ultra-Millionaire Wealth Tax, enact universal childcare and addressing the affordability crisis head on.
Thursday, November 13, 6:00pm-7:30 pm. at the Bangor Public Library.
Bangor City Council and the 287g Agreement
Background on the 287g agreement on the ICE site (including a list of all 1,034 agencies in the country that participate) and a more accurate take from the Immigrants Legal Resource Center. Wells, Maine, has already entered into an agreement and is the only municipality in Maine to do so.
Wednesday night, October 15, the Bangor City Council voted on a resolution. View proceedings here.
Bangor Daily News articles:
Bangor residents frustrated as ‘watered down’ resolve on ICE fails in City Council vote
Bangor City Council to reconsider public comment policy after hateful attacks
Stop the Military Occupation of American Cities!
We cannot allow Donald Trump’s continued use of armed federal agents and the military on American soil to intimidate and terrorize civilians to stand. This cannot be the new norm. The sole purpose of these actions is to intimidate and terrorize the local communities into compliance. Please contact your congressional delegation in Washington to let them know this is unacceptable and un-American. This should not be tolerated in our country!
OBAMACARE Price Hike Info Now Available
Information on premium increases for ACA healthcare plans for a dozen states has been made available, according to a New York Times article “Higher Obamacare Prices Become Public in a Dozen State – Consumers are facing greater costs for their 2026 A.C.A. health coverage as Congress continues to debate whether to extend subsidies that help people afford their premiums.”
From the article, “Based on the newly posted information, a family of four making $130,000 in Maine would face an increase of $16,100 in annual premiums next year.” Such an increase will result in many Mainers simply not having healthcare insurance any longer.
This is what the Democrats in the Senate are fighting against. Please contact your Maine senators and let them know you would like them to vote with the Democrats on the Continuing Resolution to extend the ACA tax credits!
And see Mid Maine Indivisible’s call to action to learn how you can get a letter hand delivered to Senator Angus King!
Angus King
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Susan Collins
DC: (202) 224-2523
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
STOP THE TRUMP SHUTDOWN
What you can do
Republicans shut down the federal government because they insist on taking away healthcare and giving Trump another blank check to fuel his dangerous and illegal power grab. The Indivisible toolkit has everything you need to know about our next steps, including how to hold Republicans accountable, how to help Democrats hold the line, and how to mobilize locally against blank checks for a wannabe king.
In the News
Speaking of the shutdown and, as if you don’t have enough news to read, here are two New York Times gift articles concerning the shutdown, including how Donald Trump is using this as another excuse to punish Democratic districts while attempting to bribe Argentinian voters to vote for his ally:
Big Investors Await Windfall From Trump’s Argentina Bailout -The United States finalized a $20 billion lifeline for Argentina that will benefit Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s allies. – NYTimes – 10/9/25 Gift Article
Request your absentee ballot or vote early
Would you like to take advantage of the opportunity to vote when it’s convenient for you?
Will you be out of town on Election Day, November 4, 2025?
Maine offers the option to obtain an absentee ballot that you can mail in early or drop off at your town’s drop box. There are even days of early voting, too! Click the link to request YOUR absentee ballot!
Volunteer on election day
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Have you thought about volunteering at your town office to help? It’s a great way to learn about the election process as well as to give back to your town. Call your town office today-click the button/link for the list of all Maine towns, find your town, and give ’em a call!
COVID vaccinations are available without a prescription in Maine
On September 12, 2025, the Maine CDC issued a standing order (PDF) “all recommended individuals six months and older can receive routine COVID-19 vaccination.”
Please call your pharmacy to verify before you arrive to make sure this order has not changed. Click the button/link for more information from the Maine.gov site.
Join Indivisible Bangor!
Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! We have had a huge influx of new members these past few months and to keep up, YOUR skills, connections, and input are needed!
Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the button to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!
New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings!
Make Some Calls!
It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!
Write Some Emails!
If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.
We are on Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook!
Follow us! Invite your friends! Comment! You’ll be glad you did!
We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangor and tell them to put it on the account of Dave Cox. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!
****Be sure the attendant writes down “Dave Cox” or “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****
And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.
Thank you for all you do! – Dave from Indivisible Bangor
And now to the Mid Maine Indivisible morning Call to Action!
Action Thursday October 23d: For the Heart – Join the Call to Act for the Arts Community – Check Out Fall of Freedom + Call to Bring the House Back From Recess
Hi Folks, it’s Friday and the fourth week of the Government Shutdown.
Even some people furloughed are supporting the shutdown as they have seen how Trump’s demolition of the Civil Service continues shutdown or no. They are looking for backbone from the Democrats and public pressure on Congress. What can you do about this?
Call King and Collins to support extension of the ACA tax credits by voting with the Democrats. (If you have done this already this week, call one friend and ask them to do the same. If everyone on this email did so, it would generate close to 200 calls today!) A family of four in Maine making $130k, is estimated to have a $16,100 ANNUAL increase in costs to their healthcare if these insurance tax credits are not extended. More on this from a NY Times article (gifted) here. (Thanks to Indivisible Bangor for the article!)
From Earlier this Week:
Trump and his gang have started a series of extra-judicial killings in the Caribbean. Seven civilian vessels have been blown up and dozens of people killed, with no hearings, no due process, and only two reasons. Trump wants to distract from his problems at home by creating a “war” on drug traffickers in which he can order anyone he wants killed by claiming they are drug dealers. What could go wrong? Congress has done nothing about this.
Our lawmakers should be demanding an investigation of these murders NOW. For more information go here.
Ending our fourth week of House recess, Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House on recess in order to keep from having to swear in a new member of Congress: Adelita Grijalva won an election in Arizona on September 23’d, and has not been sworn in because of the recess. She is the final vote needed to get the discharge petition passed that will release the Epstein Files. Call Representatives Golden + Pingree to demand that the House be opened so that work can continue on this issue as well as many, many others. See 5calls.org for more on this.
Arts and Politics!
Fall of Freedom“is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. Our Democracy is under attack. Threats to free expression are rising. Dissent is being criminalized. Institutions and media have been recast as mouthpieces of propaganda.
This Fall, we are activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance. Beginning November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters, and concert halls across the country will host exhibitions, performances, and public events that channel the urgency of this moment.” (from their website) They have a toolkit to help with creating graphics, posters, events to join the Art Resistance. (Thank you Connie for this.)
TODAY’S ACTION (s) (just pick one!)
- If you’ve already called King and Collins to vote with the Democrats on the shutdown: Call one friend and ask them to do the same. Give them the information below on numbers. You could also email 5 friends with the same request.
- Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here.
- Ask our Maine Law Makers to Ring the Alarm on Trump’s murder of civilians in the Caribbean: Trump’s orders to blow up boats in the Caribbean because they are carrying drugs is illegal, unconstitutional, and a trial run for what he would like to start doing at home. These killings must be investigated and Trump must be held accountable. Call Pingree, Golden, King and Collins to raise a storm about these killings. Go to 5calls.org for a script.
- Groundhog Day Alert, if you haven’t yet – Call King and Collins and ask them to vote with the Democrats on the Government Shutdown. This is the only sure way to make sure our Health Insurance rates don’t skyrocket!
- Call Reps Pingree + Golden and ask them to demand that the House Recess End Now: Work needs to get done and the Epstein files need to surface, we now have the votes necessary to force their opening if Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in. For a script on this call go to 5calls.org.
- Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to Sign LD 1971: Go here to make a comment on this on her website.
- Send a hand-delivered letter to Senator King to let him know you would like him to vote with the Democrats on the CR to extend the ACA tax credits: Up to now he has consistently voted with the Republicans throughout the voting on the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the budget. He has also voted yes on the Democrat alternative. An Indivisible member of the DC Indivisible group Herd on the Hill will hand deliver your email as a letter if you send her the letter as an email.
- Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities: It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
- Vote absentee today especially if you want to be involved on Election Day canvassing, tabling, or helping work the polls: see the links above or below to get moving on this.
- Get involved in the referendum questions coming up in Maine on November 4th: Here is the wording of the questions; you can donate and canvass to oppose the voter ID law (Question 1) by going to SaveAbsenteeMe , and you can support the institution of a Red Flag Law (Question 2) by going to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can request your absentee ballot here, now. One yes vote (Red Flag), one no vote (Voter ID).
- Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives: Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
- Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below: Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
Statewide Actions
- This Election Day, MPA members will be at dozens of polling locations identifying voters who are ready to support bold progressive candidates running for statewide office in 2026. Sign up here to volunteer at your polling place on November 4th!
- Start a Poster/Chalking Campaign in Your Neighborhood! Go here for ideas and check in with Karen about a postering campaign in Mid Maine.
- VOTE YES ON #2 – Support the effort to get a red flag gun law in Maine – Question 2 on this Fall’s Referendum. Gun rights advocates will be out in force to defeat this one. For more information go to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. You can help by voting YES, canvassing and donating to this cause as well.
- Ask Janet Mills to join other Blue States to call for a redistricting of Maine so that Democratic candidates have the edge in the second district, if and only if other states join Texas in redistricting to the Republican advantage. For talking points on this go here. For a toolkit on this for red and blue states go here.
- If you know your Maine Representative or Senator is supportive of making ICE accountable in Maine, ask them to join with Representative Cassie Julia to put in a bill to ensure proper identification of ICE agents acting in Maine. Lawmakers in California have introduced legislation requiring the identity and affiliation of ICE agents to be displayed while interacting with the public.
- Check out Graham Platner’s “Un-Shuck The System Tour”, TONIGHT – Wednesday 10/15 Auburn/Lewiston, Craft Brew Underground 6pm, Thursday 10/16 Waterville, VFW Hall 6 pm, to sign up go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
As always, throw a little sand in their gears!
~~~Mid Maine Indivisible
“If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past.”
― Baruch Spinoza
“I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them.”
― Baruch Spinoza, Tractatus Theologico-Politicus
“The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions, the more you become a lover of what is.”
― Baruch Spinoza
It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!
The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!
Senator Angus King
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Senator Susan Collins
DC: (202) 224-2523
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019
Waterville: (207) 873-5713
Congressman Jared Golden
DC: (202) 225-6306
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767
Find your State Representative:
By name: Here
By district: Here
Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here
Our government in Augusta:
Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400
Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800
Questions or comments? Contact Dave!
