Beacon Podcast

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.

A year ago today, a shooter killed 18 people and wounded another 13 in Lewiston. On this week’s podcast, Ben, Cate and Esther talk about what’s happened since then to get justice for the people who were hurt or killed, and their families. They also dive into a Maine law that could have stopped the…

The post One year after the Lewiston mass shooting first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Election season is just around the corner, and our host and public policy director Cate Blackford connected with Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to help educate folks on their voting rights. Bellows also offers an inside look of the electoral security process that ensures all votes are counted accurately. Listeners can ask a question…

The post Podcast: Exclusive interview with Secretary Shenna Bellows on voting rights, election protections first appeared on Maine Beacon.

Ben, Cate and Esther are all back together for this week’s podcast episode. Our hosts discuss the major talking (and fashion) points of Monday’s debate between Rep. Jared Golden and state Rep. Austin Theriault in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. Also, early voting is now available to Mainers; Esther shares how to get an early ballot.…

The post Golden wins the debate, early voting and rent stabilization in mobile home parks first appeared on Maine Beacon.