This week on the podcast, Ben, Cate and Esther breakdown the final state budget, including wins like the new mansion tax, boosted child tax credit, and more support for General Assistance. Cate also dives into what didn’t make the cut, such as necessary funding for Maine’s family planning network. Esther shares an overview of recent…

The post Podcast: Inside Maine’s part 2 budget deal first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Lisa Margulies from Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund joins Cate to break down the serious threats in Pres. Donald Trump’s federal budget reconciliation bill. The proposal would block Planned Parenthood from participating in Medicaid (MaineCare), cutting off care for more than 1.1 million people. This could mean closing nearly 200…

The post Podcast: How the federal budget threatens reproductive healthcare and Mainers first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Cate and Ben share with our listeners how everyday Mainers can take action to protect essential programs and urge lawmakers like Sen. Susan Collins to stand up against federal budget cuts that would slash health care and food assistance while handing a $1.5 trillion tax break to the rich. Plus,…

The post Podcast: Trump’s budget is a disaster. Here’s what you can do about it. first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Esther, Cate and Ben are together to discuss the Maine state budget, as well as the federal budget proposal from the Trump administration. In Maine, lawmakers are considering a tax on income over a million dollars (which is supported by a majority of Mainers). On the federal level, the budget…

The post Podcast: How Trump’s budget cuts would hurt Mainers first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey breaks down how his office is standing up to President Donald Trump’s executive orders, holding Big Tech and Big Oil accountable, and defending immigrant and LGBTQ+ rights. With an 80% success rate in federal legal challenges, Frey shares why the rule of law still matters…

The post Podcast: AG Aaron Frey on defending Maine from Trump administration policies first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Cate connects with Charlotte Jacobs — a parent and  childcare provider at Seedlings to Sunflowers Nonprofit Childcare and Family Center in Gorham — and Hazel Willow, a Maine parent who has utilized Head Start and now advocates for protecting childcare services and workers. “My child’s last day living in the…

The post Podcast: ‘A Day Without Childcare’ and the real cost of care gaps first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Ben interviews award-winning author Ron Currie on his latest novel “The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne”. Currie’s new book takes place in his hometown of Waterville, ME, and explores Franco-American cultural and economic struggles. Even through fiction writing, Currie draws from personal experiences and dives into intimate themes of…

The post Podcast: Ron Currie explores Franco-American culture through fiction writing first appeared on Maine Beacon.

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.