Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Maine Gov. Janet Mills' administration is asking an Augusta court to throw out an arbitrator's ruling that found the state illegally fired epidemiologist David Abafi after his work authorization briefly lapsed. Abafi, who immigrated from Nigeria in 2021, worked at the Maine Center for Disease Control from early 2024 until his termination in April 2025, when U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied his green card application and gave him 18 days' notice that his work authorization would end. The union sought unpaid leave for him instead under the contract, but the state refused, citing legal obligations tied to employing unauthorized workers.

An arbitrator sided with the union in June, noting Abafi's authorization was restored by July 2025, and ordered the state to make him whole. Maine's lawsuit, filed Sept. 10, argues the arbitrator exceeded his authority, citing the Supreme Court's Hoffman Plastic Compounds precedent. The union calls the state's case "frivolous" and says the ruling is binding. Abafi has taken another job but could reclaim his position and back pay.

A new academic study finds that California's 2019 law mandating later school start times is producing measurable benefits for students. The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom after his predecessor Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill in 2018, requires middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m., a mandate that took effect for the 2022-23 school year.

Researchers examined data from 2022 to 2025 and published their findings in a National Bureau of Economic Research report. They found students are sleeping more, reporting fewer mental health issues, and scoring better on math and English tests. Gains were seen across demographic groups but were especially pronounced among boys and Latino students.

The law had faced years of opposition from parents and education officials concerned about disruptions to extracurricular activities and family schedules, with critics arguing it would burden working families. Supporters cited backing from groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC, which linked early start times to sleep deprivation and related harms in adolescents.

Ohio's 2026 governor's race has surfaced starkly different positions on gun policy among the three candidates. Democratic nominee Amy Acton says she would pursue expanded background checks and a "red-flag" law allowing authorities to seize firearms from people deemed dangerous, echoing a scaled-back version of outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine's "Strong Ohio" plan proposed after the 2019 Dayton mass shooting. Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy has pledged to be the most pro-gun-rights governor in state history and has explicitly ruled out a red-flag law, though he has offered few other specifics and did not respond to questions on the matter. Libertarian candidate Don Kissick opposes new restrictions but, through running mate James Mills, supports reintroducing firearm-safety education in schools along with expanded mental-health services.

The debate comes as Ohio's GOP-controlled legislature has loosened gun laws in recent years, including eliminating concealed-carry permit requirements, while gun homicides statewide rose 37% between 2014 and 2024, though below a 2021 pandemic-era peak.