This week on the podcast, we are bringing back an episode from May 2024 with Luc Kuanzambi, who immigrated to Maine from the Congo. Although this episode was recorded a year ago, Kuanzambi’s message could not be more important: Americans need to be listening to immigrants’ stories firsthand. “The American public is not familiar with…

The post Podcast: What the media gets wrong about the Maine immigrant experience first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Cate brings listeners to the State House, where she momentarily steps out of a public hearing regarding Maine’s paid family and medical leave (PFML). She is joined by Maine People Alliance members’ Cassie Nedwell and Amy Jane Larkin, who share their personal stories that highlight the need for PFML. “With…

The post Podcast: Protecting paid family and medical leave for Mainers first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Esther, Cate and Ben are back together to discuss why tax fairness is a crucial part of building a more equitable future for Maine. They touch on how Mainers are putting the pressure on Sen. Susan Collins, delivering a letter signed by 1,300+ Mainers urging her to oppose new tax cuts for the ultra wealthy…

The post Podcast: Why Trump’s tax plan would leave everyday Mainers ‘paying more, getting less’ first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Esther is joined by Jan Collins, the assistant director of Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition (MPAC). After Jan’s son was incarcerated in 2012, she became intimately aware of the horrors happening within Maine’s prison system and began fighting to break down harmful stereotypes and inhumane practices. Esther and Jan discuss the…

The post Podcast: Building a more humane justice system in Maine with Jan Collins first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Cate and Ben dive into the real-life impact of national immigration policies right here in Maine. They break down some recent high-profile ICE arrests, including a viral TikTok video out of Waldo County and the troubling case of a truck driver detained in Lewiston. They also take a hard look…

The post Podcast: Trump administration targets immigration (again) first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Ben sits down with artists Natasha Mayers and Anita Clearfield to discuss the intersection between art and activism. They share the role art has in shaping political movements, and how they’ve seen their work make an impact in the past. In 2012, Natasha founded the Artist Rapid Response Team (ARRT!),…

The post Podcast: How art fuels activism with Natasha Mayers and Anita Clearfield first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Cate and Esther do a deep dive on what is happening with health care at the state and federal level. They break down three bills that would help reform Maine’s health care system by: preventing medical debt from affecting consumer reports, preventing AI from denying health insurance claims, and addressing…

The post Podcast: How you can fight for fairer health care at the State House first appeared on Maine Beacon.

On this episode of the podcast, Ben, Cate and Esther provide an overview on what’s happened at the federal level this past week — from Pres. Donald Trump’s unconstitutional threat to deport a Palestinian activist with a green card, to how the potential Canadian boycott of Maine would impact the state’s local businesses and overall…

The post Podcast: What Trump’s trade war means for Maine and more budget threats first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Ben and Cate cover Trump’s State of the Union exploring its nationalist tone, economic impacts, and the need for fact-checking. They also break down national deportation trends and the legal hurdles of immigration policy. On the state level, Cate discusses budget negotiations, Republican-driven funding roadblocks, and the powerful child care…

The post Podcast: Navigating Trump’s policies and Maine’s continuous budget battles first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Ben breaks down Trump’s plan to slash taxes for the rich and gut Medicaid — moves that could hit Maine hard. Esther and Cate dig into the real-life impacts, from delayed meds for MaineCare patients to USAID job losses. But it’s not all doom and gloom: they also explore the…

The post Podcast: Cracks in Trump’s power and the push for Maine budget solutions first appeared on Maine Beacon.