Beacon Podcast

By BeaconNews

Beacon Podcast episodes

April 29, 2016 Gov. LePage is melting down
This week on the Beacon Podcast, Ben and Mike discuss the series of strange comments and reactions from Gov. Paul LePage, the possibility of a referendum on health care expansion, Sen. Susan Collins backing Donald Trump for president and (really) Beyoncé‘s “Lemonade.”
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
Photo via Andi Parkinson.
30 min
April 24, 2016 Gov. LePage in Bangor and more votes on health care and the minimum wage
In this episode of the Beacon Podcast, Mike describes a touching moment between him and Governor Paul LePage and Ben explains what happened in two strange votes in the State Senate on health care expansion and the minimum wage competing measure attempt.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
29 min
April 15, 2016 A waning session and a last-ditch attempt to undermine the minimum wage
Are corporate lobbyists ignorant or evil? That and other important questions are addressed on this week’s Beacon Podcast, as Ben and Mike explain what to expect in the last few hours of the legislative session.
Including updates on: the minimum wage competing measure, MaineCare expansion, solar energy, senior housing, health care cuts, home care and psychiatric hospital wages and Clean Elections.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
Photo via Flickr/Terry Ross
29 min
April 12, 2016 Why Heather McIntosh quit her job and what April Thibodeau thinks of Mary Mayhew
This week the Beacon Podcast features interviews with a couple of incredible Mainers. April Thibodeau is on to discuss her recent piece The callousness of DHHS head Mary Mayhew and Heather McIntosh discusses her decision to quit her job as a restaurant server and publish an op-ed opposing her boss on the minimum wage.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
29 min
April 01, 2016 Sarah Bigney: how we can begin to fix Riverview
The Maine AFL-CIO’s Sarah Bigney joins Ben Chin to discuss the ongoing problems at the Riverview Psychiatric Hospital and a new bill that could help address dangerous staffing conditions at the facility.
Also: updates on the minimum wage referendum, including an attempt by Republicans to take funding for police, veterans and seniors hostage in hopes of placing a competing measure on the ballot.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
27 min
March 26, 2016 Gov. LePage’s obsession, votes on the estate tax and minimum wage, and immigration politics in Portland
In this episode of the Beacon podcast, Ben and Mike discuss solid votes in the Maine House on the estate tax and the minimum wage competing measure proposal, Gov. Paul LePage’s strange speech at the tourism conference, Portland’s office of New Americans and early poll numbers for the Maine presidential race.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
Photo via Andi Parkinson.
29 min
March 19, 2016 Feeling wanted, a victory for the minimum wage, and Ben stars on another podcast
This week on the Beacon Podcast, Ben and Mike discuss the House vote to send the minimum wage citizen initiative out to voters without a competing measure, Governor LePage’s little arts and crafts project, Ben’s featured role on the Millenial podcast, and the rise of racism and violence in the presidential race.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
30 min
March 10, 2016 Maine’s minimum wage and a national movement for economic justice
This week on the Beacon Podcast, Ben and Mike have a conversation with Ryan Greenwood, director of movement politics for National People’s Action on the national context and philosophical grounding of the campaign to raise Maine’s minimum wage.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
Photo: Ryan Greenwood speaks at an NPA conference
28 min
March 04, 2016 The pre-caucus podcast
Candidates visit Maine, the straw poll results are announced, the minimum wage referendum comes under attack and Gov. LePage has a new plan to cut taxes for the wealthy. Ben and Mike discuss all this and more on this episode of the Beacon Podcast.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
Photo: Portland restaurant server Heather McIntosh holds up the cover of the Puget Sound Business Journal with a story on Seattle’s minimum wage increase at a State House press conference on Monday.
31 min
February 26, 2016 An attempt to derail the minimum wage referendum and a new tax cut for the wealthy
This week on the podcast, Ben Chin and Mike Tipping discuss the recent and upcoming presidential primaries, the attempt by a coalition of business groups to do an end run around the voters with a competing measure on the minimum wage, and the latest attempt to eliminate the itemized deduction cap, basically a tax break for the very wealthiest.
You can cast your own vote for one of these candidates in the MPA straw poll by texting Sanders or Clinton to 207-466-0096.
Super Tuesday predictions
Ben: Cruz wins Texas, Sanders wins Vermont. Trump and Clinton win the rest.
Mike: Cruz wins Texas, Sanders wins Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Vermont. Clinton and Trump win the rest.
Subscribe to the podcast feed right here using your favorite podcasting app or subscribe using iTunes.
Photo via Andi Parkinson
27 min