Article snippet: With marijuana legalization sweeping through New England, cannabis consumers in the “Live Free or Die” state are now surrounded by places where residents are, at least in one sense, more free. The Senate minority leader says he’ll seek additional measures in the wake of the Sept. 13 disaster in the Merrimack Valley. Praised across the political spectrum for his independence and willingness to take tough votes, Mr. Culver served five terms in the US House in the 1960s and early 1970s. A statement from the National Security Council’s spokesman contradicts reports that the president directed the military to pull 7,000 troops out of a conflict he’s long criticized. Trump escalated his threats as up to 800,000 government workers were left in limbo and with Congress not set to take up the issue again until after the new year. The pay bumps will be the first for the governor’s nine cabinet secretaries since he took office in 2015. It will push their salaries from $161,500 to $170,400 a year. Officials said the impact of the shutdown will eventually become more obvious at state agencies that receive federal grant funding. Steve Aylward lamented how the party has not capitalized on the successes of Scott Brown and Charlie Baker. Outgoing Governor Paul LePage tweeted Friday he signed off on the results despite his dislike of Maine’s new ranked voting method. The former president released his annual year-end lists on Facebook Friday. <?EM-dummyT... Link to the full article to read more