Maine Calling

This show is a rebroadcast of an earlier program (original air date March 21, 2019); no calls will be taken. DNA testing has changed the way we understand ourselves and in how we can identify people’s past history. We’ll explore what information genetic testing can reveal in the fields of medicine, genealogy and forensics, as well as what we do with the information.

Due to Maine Public Radio's coverage of the impeachment vote, Maine Calling will be live-streamed at 1 pm on mainecalling.org and Facebook. Maine’s primarily rural population is served by hospitals that are increasingly struggling to maintain the resources, staff and up -to-date health care that is needed to serve their surrounding communities. In the past year, two — Penobscot Valley Hospital and Calais Regional Hospital — have entered bankruptcy. We discuss the particular challenges that face

Alcohol use disorder has gotten less attention in recent years due to the opioid crisis. But, in Maine, unhealthy use of alcohol continues to be a problem. A recent report, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that almost 11% of adults aged 65 and older reported binge drinking – having more than five drinks for men and four for women – at least once in the past month. We’ll discuss the various forms of alcohol abuse, what demographic groups are most affected, and

Our car experts weigh in on the latest automotive news, from Tesla to new electric vehicles to cars with high winter safety ratings—and we'll answer your automotive questions.

As the process to impeach President Trump continues to develop, we discuss the origins of impeachment in U.S. history, what has transpired during past impeachment inquiries, as well as how Constitutional law applies to various aspects of the current impeachment proceedings.

This is an 8 pm rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date November 26, 2019); no calls will be taken. Mainers weigh in with their favorite made-in-Maine gifts. We’ll hear from craftspeople, artists, authors, small store owners and Etsy business operators about what they produce and where to find it. These products and services reflect the depth of innovation and entrepreneurship in Maine.

The steep decline in birds throughout North America has been dubbed a "crisis." New research published recently in Science shows bird populations have dropped by about 3 billion across North America—an overall decline of 29 percent from 1970. As the annual Christmas Bird Count kicks off (Dec 14-25), we discuss why this is happening, what the outlook is for birds in Maine, and what individuals can do to help.

Acupuncture has gone from being considered a more fringe technique to a widely accepted and practiced method of addressing health problems. This traditional Chinese medical practice of inserting needles in the skin at strategic points in the body is most often used to treat pain. But it has been embraced more recently for everything from anxiety to weight loss. We'll learn about how the Western medical community and scientific researchers view acupuncture, how it is being applied today, and what

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date November 6, 2019); no calls will be taken. Climate change has the potential to wreak havoc on Maine’s coast and coastal islands. Since 1950, the sea level along the coast of Maine has risen eight inches and is continuing to rise at the rate of one inch every eight years. Warming waters and ocean acidification present additional challenges to those residing and making a living on Maine’s islands. Multiple efforts are underway to protect

Our panelists discuss the books that got people reading this year, those that should have received more attention, and the classics they chose to revisit. And we'll hear from listeners and local authors about books that they enjoyed the most in the past year.