Public policy director Cate Blackford joins Senior Organizer Esther Pew to chat about paid family medical leave in Maine, as well as the positive and negative aspects of Gov. Janet Mills’ recently proposed budget. And with the inauguration of Donald Trump’s second term coming up on Monday, the two highlight the Portland People’s March happening…

The post Podcast: Dissecting Mills’ budget proposal and fighting against fascism first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Ben Chin and Esther Pew are back for the first podcast episode of 2025! The hosts discuss two petitions — regarding voting rights and a red flag law — that will potentially be on the 2025 ballot. “ I’ve talked to people who are responsible gun owners and want to make sure that people using a…

The post Podcast: Two ballot proposals unveil barriers to voting and paths to gun safety first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, we are revisiting Deputy Director Ben Chin’s interview with author and community organizer George Goehl. The two discusses Goehl’s book “The Fundamentals of Community Organizing”, which looks at how to bring people together and win structural change. Goehl lays out the core practices that organizers shouldn’t leave behind, even as…

The post ‘Never be cynical again’: A conversation with George Goehl first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Cate Blackford connects with Organizing Director of Maine People’s Alliance Genevieve Lysen to discuss MPA’s annual member retreat that took place at the beginning of December. Pulling over 100 members from across the state of Maine, the purpose of the retreat is to focus on cultivating community, relationship-building skills and…

The post How embracing community builds collective power first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, guest host Nora Flaherty-Stanford discusses the intersection of labor and climate action in Maine with Frances Eanes from the Maine Labor Climate Council. Eanes highlights the importance of labor in social change and the need for practical, worker-friendly climate solutions like offshore wind and energy efficiency upgrades. It is urgent…

The post Frances Eanes on building a worker-led climate future in Maine first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, we are sharing an encore episode of Ben Chin’s interview with author and journalist Vincent Bevins. The duo discusses the common belief that large protests and social movements can lead to significant change and how these beliefs were challenged in the 2010s, with many protests leading to unintended consequences or…

The post How to make real change when mass protests fail first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Cate is joined by Lisa Margulies, the vice president of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund. Lisa discusses the potential impacts of a Trump presidency and Republican Congress on reproductive health, as well as how state funding for family planning providers can mitigate this impact. The need for…

The post How Maine can safeguard reproductive health care under Trump first appeared on Maine Beacon.

This week on the podcast, Esther sits down with Rev. Dr. Jodi Cohen Hayashida and Rev. Jane Field to talk about Christian Nationalism and how it played out in this election. They explain that Christian Nationalism is not a Christian movement, but a political one that co-opts Christian language for legitimacy, and our guests highlight…

The post How faith leaders in Maine are fighting Christian Nationalism first appeared on Maine Beacon.

We’re discussing the aftermath, and pending results, of the yesterday’s elections. Our hosts Esther, Ben and Cate share their thoughts on why Donald Trump won the presidency. And despite a red wave year, it seems that Maine has maintained Democratic control of the House and Senate. Key local results include Sen. Angus King’s re-election to…

The post The 2024 election results and what’s next for Maine first appeared on Maine Beacon.

For our last podcast episode before the election, we are sharing our interview with Rep. Chellie Pingree. The congresswoman touches on the contentious nature of the current election year and the stakes involved, as well as the growing issue of housing in Maine, the expiring Trump tax cuts, the state’s efforts to expand food nutrition…

The post Rep. Pingree on Election Day, housing, tax cuts and more first appeared on Maine Beacon.