Four Maine newspapers--The Free Press, The Courier-Gazette, Camden Herald and The Republican—are being consolidated into a single title called the The Midcoast Villager. The combined product will be published by Reade Brower, with Kathleen Fleury Capetta serving as co-publisher. “This change is not a cost-saving move; in fact, it is an investment in creating a more robust, impactful product for our region — because we truly believe the health and well-being of our communities is at stake,” Fleury Capetta writes.

The Association of American Publishers responded to a request for information from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on development of the Administration’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan. AAP’s submission calls on the Administration to prioritize copyright protections, promote partnerships between American companies, embrace and encourage licensing, reject bloated fair use arguments and other sweeping exceptions that would unjustly enrich tech companies at the expense of authors and publishers, denounce the use of pirate sites in AI training, and work with Congress to prioritize transparency requirements. “The United States is an unmatched leader in both technology and intellectual property, both of which are key to global AI markets,” commented Maria A. Pallante, President and CEO, Association of American Publishers. “We thank the White House for the opportunity to inform its action plan and look forward to working with all parts of the Administration to ensure that authors, publishers, and all creative sectors are protected and positioned to partner with AI developers to achieve the extraordinary benefits of AI for the long term, in safe and lawful fashion. Among our priorities is stopping the proliferation of pirate sites that are a scourge on American IP investments and an illegal source of AI development.”

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy signed an agreement with the Elon Musk-based Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the General Services Administration (GSA) last week to help it find more cost-saving efficiencies and eradicate waste. At the same time, he called for the abolishment of the Postal Regulatory Commission, which provides oversight, and indicated the U.S. Postal Service would be reducing its workforce by 10,000 workers within the next 30 days through its voluntary early retirement program. Despite DeJoy’s earlier announcement that he intends to depart the U.S Postal Service — the 250-year-old agency that was first led by Benjamin Franklin — DeJoy continues to push his 10-year “Delivering for America” turnaround plan that he first unveiled in 2021. The plan has focused on reinventing what he calls a financially unsustainable, broken USPS business model (including a $9.5 billion loss in its most recent fiscal year) and a greater focus on package delivery. At the same time, he has sought frequent postal rate hikes in combination with slower mail delivery service standards.