Meet the spitfire governor who's standing up to Trump

What you probably already know: The state of Maine is under threat from the White House after Democratic Gov. Janet Mills stood up to President Donald Trump’s order prohibiting transgender women and girls from participating in school sports and refused to comply. Mills said the president does not have the authority to “make laws out of whole cloth by tweet or Instagram post…” Several weeks ago, Mills, a former prosecutor, began what has become a several week-long standoff with the White House. Now, Trump is demanding Mills issue a “full-throated apology” or risk losing federal funding for Maine schools.

Why? Some influential groups in the state have come out in support of Mills, including the Maine Principals’ Association, which refused to agree with a list of changes the Trump Administration says are required to bring the state back into compliance with its view of federal law. The conflict has many Mainers concerned that the Administration could come after a wide array of federal programs. In fact, that’s already begun. The U.S. Department of Education launched a probe into the Maine Department of Education and a high school near Portland, alleging they violated Title IX by allowing a transgender student to participate in sports. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she will pursue litigation if Maine does not comply. Then NOAA suddenly pulled funding for a marine research program in Maine, which was only reinstated when Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, intervened. Then the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended a $56 million in funding for the University of Maine, a decision that was also quickly reversed.

What it means: The standoff could become a test case for other states that are seeking to push back against the Administrations bevy of executive orders, including a recent order requiring states and municipalities to confirm a person’s citizenship before allowing them to vote. Other states have banded together to sue the Administration over its decision to freeze federal funding, but few are taking the public stand Maine has taken.

What happens now? This is unlikely to resolve quickly. On Friday, the Administration launched a new probe into the Maine Department of Education, alleging school officials weren’t telling parents when their children switched gender identities at school. Many expect the Maine case to wind up in court, and be sure that many other states are watching closely.