Beacon Podcast

Esther and Ben talk about some of the best news and most interesting stories out of Tuesday’s primary election. Share your thoughts, ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Give your input on the podcast and what you’d like to hear with our podcast survey. Subscribe to the podcast feed right…

We revisit an interview by Ben Chin with author, commentator and researcher Heather McGhee, on how and why she wrote her bestselling book The Sum of Us and what it means to move past zero-sum politics toward a future where people of all races work together to solve public problems and build better lives. McGhee was…

Cate talks with Geoff Bickford of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition (on Facebook) about the work that organization is doing to enact “common sense” gun control in Maine, and how the lack of gun laws is hurting Mainers and people outside the state. They also discuss the coalition’s Show Up Network, which brings Mainers who…

Esther, Cate, and Nora respond to shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo and talk about replacement theory, where it’s from and how we can work against it. Share your thoughts, ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Give your input on the podcast and what you’d like to hear with…

Esther, Ben and Cate, with special guest host Nora, run through the end-of-session nothing burger that was Veto Day, and talk about some of the many recent media pieces on Maine’s housing crisis, and where they fit into the larger picture. Share your thoughts, ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at…

Esther, Cate and Ben talk about the bombshell leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade with Nicole Clegg of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. They also preview veto override day and talk about the still-uncertain future of the Tribal Sovereignty bill. Share your thoughts on the podcast, ask a question or leave a comment for…

Cate, Esther and Mike discuss the final outcome of the Good Samaritan law, housing legislation, tribal sovereignty negotiations and what was funded in Maine’s state budget. Also: Opportunities to continue to make an impact on important issues, starting with a statewide meeting on childcare on May 9th. Plus: Share your thoughts on the role of…

As the legislative session winds to an end this week, Mainers rallied outside the capitol for tribal sovereignty and the Good Samaritan law. On the podcast, Gen, Cate and Mike discuss the fate of these bills, the budget and other legislation at the close of the short session. Also: New research shows the LePage administration…

Sarah Woodbury, director of advocacy at Defend Our Health, joins the podcast today to discuss the Maine legislature’s response to PFAS contamination. Also: Esther, Cate and Ben give a legislative update on tribal sovereignty, out-of-state waste, housing and more. Plus: A look forward to some troubling predictions about the November legislative elections. Give your input…

James Myall of the Maine Center for Economic Policy joins the podcast to discuss the current debate in the State House over how much should be sent out in one-time checks and which Mainers should receive them. Cate, Esther and Mike provide an update on the last days of the Maine legislative session and what…