Maine Calling

Based on the headlines, it would be easy to think that the Maine Public Utilities Commission spends all of its time addressing issues regarding CMP. But the PUC impacts the lives of Mainers in many other ways. It regulates electric, gas, telephone and water utilities as well as setting rates that are mandated to be just and reasonable for all ratepayers. The Chairman of the PUC and the Manager of the MPUC Customer Assistance Division join us to answer questions about the work the PUC does and

Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman joins us to discuss pressing topics ranging from paid time off, minimum wage, workforce shortage, equal pay, immigrant employment, and more. In her role, she oversees the state’s labor standards, employment and training, unemployment insurance, labor market information and vocational rehabilitation. Fortman brings more than 20 years of public policy and advocacy experience to the Department of Labor. Laura Fortman led the Dept. of Labor under

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date July 16, 2019); no calls will be taken. Many businesses in Maine are having a difficult time finding workers—particularly during the busy summer season. We’ll hear from the state economist, the Maine Commissioner of Labor, and the President and CEO of Hospitality Maine about how big of a worker shortage there is and what, if anything, can be done to address it.

Before rock 'n' roll, jazz dominated the music scene in America. In the decades since Elvis and the Beatles changed the face of music, jazz has remained a steady, if somewhat diminished, uniquely American art form. A panel of jazz lovers, including Maine Public’s own Rich Tozier, join us to talk about their love of jazz and the Maine jazz scene. We’ll also hear some live jazz during the show.

This show is being broadcast live from the Bangor Library. Read ME is a statewide community reading program that encourages every adult in Maine to read two books recommended by a well-known Maine author. Dozens of Maine libraries participate in this special event. This year’s Read ME culminates on Aug. 29. Best-selling author Tess Gerritsen chose " Paris Was the Place" by Susan Conley and " After the Eclipse: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Search" by Sarah Perry as the books to be discussed.

Maine’s 65 lighthouses are visible symbols of our state’s history and nautical heritage. Many of them are still in operation as beacons for guiding ships at sea. They bring in tourism, and they’re scenic accents to our landscape. We explore the history and role of lighthouses, how they work, why they are so important to our state—and we’ll hear from a longtime lighthouse keeper about his unusual lifestyle and job. This show is timed to coincide with the September issue of Down East magazine,

Gov. Janet Mills called the Legislature back into session to consider four bond proposals totaling $163 million in borrowing for the November ballot. The bonds would fund transportation projects ($105 million), economic development aimed at high-speed internet expansion ($23 million for pollution clean up ; $15 million for energy efficiency loans) and $20 million for conservation projects under the Land for Maine’s future program. The session went into a deadlock, then three bonds were defeated.

Puffins were once on the brink of extinction, but efforts by Maine scientists have succeeded in bringing the population back. There are now 1,300 nesting pairs on five Maine islands. We’ll talk with puffin experts about the threats facing this unique seabird, and how conservation efforts continue to protect puffins and their habitat in the face of climate change as well as other threats. This show is being done in conjunction with Maine Public's recent reporting on puffin conservation, and is

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date April 16, 2019); no calls will be taken. Several different invasive pests have caused severe harm in Maine, from the brown-tailed moth to the emerald ash borer. At the same time, the overall insect population is in sharp decline. We'll learn about insects and their effects on humans from a panel of experts.

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date March 25, 2019); no calls will be taken. Peter Ditto, UC Irvine psychology professor, joins us to discuss how motivation, intuition and emotion shape and often bias our social, political, moral, medical and legal judgments. Learn how people make judgments in emotionally charged and motivationally involving situations, and particularly in how emotion and motivation can shape and often bias our reasoning processes and, ultimately, our