Maine Calling

This show is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date January 7, 2020); no calls will be taken. Gov. Janet Mills’ task force recently released its new 10-year Strategic Economic Development Plan for the state of Maine. It focuses on revitalizing the state through growth in rural communities; fostering job creation and workforce development; attracting new young families to our state; and focusing on quality of life here. We’ll discuss the plans’ major initiatives and the economic

This show is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date Dec 30, 2019); no calls will be taken. A study by Stanford University reports that 80 percent of people would prefer to die at home, yet only 20 percent actually do. End-of-life care describes the time in a patient’s life when care shifts from curative to palliative, providing relief and comfort at the end of life. We’ll discuss the kinds of care available to patients and families in Maine, what common challenges people face, as

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date December 20, 2020); no calls will be taken. We’ll discuss how adults may unwittingly compromise their children’s privacy by creating digital records of every stage of a child’s life—from ultrasound images to electronic health records. Author Leah A. Plunkett joins us to talk about how to make wise decisions about what to share on social media and preventing the excessive use of children’s digital data.

This show will be live-streamed at mainepublic.org, while the impeachment proceedings air over the radio. Maine Calling is still taking calls and comments during the 1 pm show. A new exhibit at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art celebrates the life and work of Rufus Porter, artist, inventor, polymath, musician and founder of Scientific American magazine. Porter (1792-1884) gained fame as a mural painter; his art often featured scenes of Maine, where he grew up and studied. He later patented

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date January 9, 2020); no calls will be taken.

Our panel of editorial page editors returns to discuss the top Maine news stories of the past decade, from the election of Govs. Paul LePage and Janet Mills and Sen. Susan Collins' growing national profile to legalization of gay marriage and marijuana, the decline of Maine 's fisheries, the rise in tourism and more.

Maine playwrights who’ve seen national success discuss what it takes, and what it means, to write for the contemporary stage. This discussion will air as Portland Stage Company stages John Cariani’s “Almost Maine,” which has become among the most-produced plays in America.

Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Farnham has served as Commissioner for the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management since 2016, and was re-appointed by Gov. Janet Mills in 2019. Farnham also serves as the adjutant general, Maine National Guard. Farnham will discuss his priorities, from the National Guard to veterans issues to how to deal with weather emergencies and other crises facing Maine.

The term “adulting” refers to learning how to behave as a responsible adult. While it’s often used in a joking way, it’s no joke that many young people today must learn basic daily skills, from writing checks to cooking to dealing with a flat tire. We talk with someone from one of the country’s first “adulting schools,” and we’ll hear about what young people today lack in functional skills—and what societal trends have led to this phenomenon. This show is part of Maine Calling focus on topics

In 1820, the U.S. passed an act that made participation on the slave trade an act of piracy. Yet, dozens of Maine vessels engaged in the slave trade illegally during this period. Thousands of enslaved people were transported and traded, leading to huge profits for slave traders--some of whom were Maine sea captains who are remembered as leading citizens of the day. Much of the millions of dollars from the slave trade funded the growth of New England's economy. We will learn about this troubling