Beacon Podcast

On this episode of the Beacon Podcast, Ben Chin interviews Professor Ibram X. Kendi about his new book, Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. Two weeks after their conversation, Kendi became the youngest author in 30 years to win the National Book Award for non-fiction.

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This week on the Beacon podcast, Ben and Mike continue their conversation with four of the campaign managers for measures that were on the ballot last week, including a discussion of what’s next for each of these issues.

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Today we have part one of a very special two-part feature on the Beacon Podcast, as Ben and Mike host a post-election conversation with the campaign managers for Questions 2, 3, 4 and 5, referendums to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund education, require gun background checks, raise the minimum wage and institute ranked choice voting, respectively. All but Question 3 passed on Tuesday.

In this episode guests offer their thoughts on what went right, what went wrong, what surprised them, and what advice they’d offer for others considering launching a citizen initiative.

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This week on the Beacon podcast, Ben and Mike discuss the state of the races on the ballot this Tuesday, from the presidential and congressional contests, to the referendums, to local state House and Senate elections. They even make a couple of predictions.

They also discuss Gov. LePage’s escalating, ridiculous personal attacks against them for working to raise Maine’s minimum wage.

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This week on the Beacon podcast, Ben and Mike discuss the close race in Maine’s second district and the future of our politics post-Trump.

They also cover new developments on Question 4, including more restaurants now publicly supporting the minimum wage increase than opposing it, and fact-check some of the opposition claims on Question 2, the tax fairness and education funding initiative.

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Still not in jail, this week on the Beacon Podcast Ben and Mike discuss the last presidential debate, the Question 4 debate on Maine Public, and the undermining of our democracy by Trump and LePage.

Ben also breaks down how exactly the LePage administration has been misusing TANF funds meant to help poor children.

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This week on the Beacon Podcast, Ben and Mike discuss Gov. LePage’s suggestion that they be thrown in jail for supporting Question 4, the minimum wage referendum.

Also, there’s another referendum on the horizon that could make the governor even more upset, as volunteers begin to collect signatures to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid.

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Yes on 5 campaign manager Kyle Bailey joins Ben and Mike on this week’s Beacon Podcast to discuss the Second Congressional District race, the state of media and politics in Maine and America and how electoral reform can help.

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Photo via the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting

This week on the Beacon Podcast, Ben and Mike interview David Boyer of Yes on 1: Regulate and Tax Marijuana on the campaign, the policy issues behind it and his experiences as a 27-year-old campaign manager.

They also discuss the new Press Herald poll showing Question 4, the minimum wage initiatiative, leading with 60% of the vote and new attacks from the right on the referendum, including a very strange one from the Maine Heritage Policy Center.

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Photo via Andi Parkinson

This week on the Beacon Podcast, Will Ikard of the Maine Small Business Coalition joins Mike as a guest host to discuss Question 2, the referendum to increase school funding through a tax on the top 2% and Question 5, ranked choice voting. They also discuss new polling results showing Trump gaining in Maine.

Also, Taryn Hallweaver, climate project director for the Maine People’s Alliance, interviews June Sapiel on her experience resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline.

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