Beacon Podcast

Maine People’s Alliance Senior Organizer Esther Pew hosts a panel discussion featuring Senior Vice President of Public Affairs of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Nicole Clegg, Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney and Maine Women’s Lobby Executive Director Destie Hohman Sprague. They discuss the celebration of Women’s Equality Day this Friday, August 26th and what…

The post Podcast: What does Women’s Equality Day mean in Maine? first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Desmond Meade joins the podcast this week to discuss his own history and the referendum he helped lead to restore voting rights for felons in Florida. He is the executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and the author of Let My People Vote. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future…

The post Podcast: Desmond Meade on prison, politics and preserving democracy first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Esther, Cate and Mike discuss the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and its impacts in Maine. The also examine a wide range of new state legislation that went into effect this week, from expanded dental coverage to the good Samaritan law. Plus: they discuss the 11-year anniversary of the referendum to protect same-day voter…

The post Podcast: Fairer taxes, climate investment and more health care; what the IRA means for Maine first appeared on Maine Beacon.

On the podcast this week, Esther, Cate and Mike discuss the work by dozens of Maine People’s Alliance volunteers that goes into interviewing and choosing candidates to support in November’s election. The also describe what’s in the new Inflation Reduction Act set to be passed by reconciliation in Congress and Lizzo’s new album. Ask a…

The post Podcast: A grassroots process to endorse candidates for state legislature first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Jin Woo Chung, senior economist for the Groundwork Collaborative and James Myall, policy analyst for the Maine Center for Economic Policy join host Cate Blackford to discuss rising prices, corporate gouging and what can be done to address it at both the state and national level. Ask a question or leave a comment for a…

The post Podcast: The corporate profiteering behind inflation and what we can do about it first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Esther, Cate, Ben and Mike discuss the newly-launched paid family and medical leave referendum on the podcast this week, as well as South Portland mayor Deqa Dhalac’s candidacy for state representative and union busting by Chipotle. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Subscribe to the podcast feed right…

The post Podcast: Pushing for paid family and medical leave in Maine, one way or another first appeared on Maine Beacon.

On the Beacon podcast this week, Ben and Mike discuss the Portland referendums and charter commission proposal, a newly-open House seat in Bangor, how Maine anti-abortion rights candidates get their funding and how to grade Maine’s legislators. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Subscribe to the podcast…

The post Podcast: Referenda don’t make issues political, they just make them public first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Ben and Mike discuss the success of the Our Power referendum signature gathering and the likely ballot measures on the issue, as well as continued local fallout from the anti-abortion rights Supreme Court decision and the court’s new decision limiting the government’s ability to regulate air pollution to mitigate climate change. Ask a question or…

The post Podcast: Mills issues orders, LePage avoids questions on abortion rights first appeared on Maine Beacon.

With voices from Maine Family Planning, Planned Parenthood and Mabel Wadsworth Center, the podcast hosts focus on the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision repealing the right to access abortion this week, including the impact in Maine, the reactions from elected leaders and candidates, and what comes next. Ask a question or leave a comment…

Esther, Cate, Ben and Mike discuss the latest news including a 6-3 Supreme Court decision on state funding of religious schools in Maine, Juneteenth celebrations, emergency rent control action in South Portland and the Poor People’s March in D.C. Give your input on what you’d like to hear with our podcast survey. Ask a question…