Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note joins us to discuss the state’s newly released three-year transportation plan. We’ll learn about projects, large and small, that are proposed for all regions of the state. We’ll also discuss how, despite Mainers driving less because of the pandemic, transportation infrastructure continues to affect just about all aspects of life.

Our panel of editorial page editors, joined by editors of local papers in Maine, return to discuss the tumultuous news of the past month – from the mob at the Nation’s Capitol to the inauguration of a new President, and the repercussions in Maine.

We discuss the rapid developments in how the pandemic is taking its toll in Maine. Mainers over 70 can now get vaccinated against COVID-19, but problems with supply and distribution continue to slow the process. At the same time, the spread of the virus continues at an alarming rate, and COVID-19 variants raise new concerns.

Since the pandemic began, and job losses have continued to mount, the numbers of those dealing with food insecurity in Maine has risen by 25 percent—and Maine has the highest rate of hunger in New England. We discuss the repercussions of food insecurity, and ways that people are helping to supply food to those who need it, all across the state.

Since legal sales of recreational marijuana began last October, pot has brought in millions in revenue to the state. As demand outstrips supply, we will discuss the status of the market for recreational and medical marijuana in Maine, and what the state policies and regulations are.

As Maine moves closer to establishing an experimental offshore wind farm, we examine ocean wind power technology and its potential. The wind farm under consideration would utilize floating wind platforms developed at the University of Maine and would be the first of its kind in the Unites States. We discuss the timeline for the Maine project, its potential energy production and environmental impact. We’ll also learn about offshore wind projects around the world, and we’ll discuss concerns about

Parents are dealing with a bevy of challenges during the pandemic, from juggling the demands of work and home life, especially with kids doing remote schooling, to helping everyone in the family cope with anxiety, isolation and health concerns. We'll discuss the range of pandemic-related problems, and get some advice on ways to handle them.

The newly inaugurated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris begin leading the nation in the face of great challenges. We’ll discuss how the executive and legislative branches will approach the many crises we face, from the pandemic to the economy to partisan strife.

This program, airing at 7 pm, is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date December 9, 2020); no calls will be taken. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Thomas E. Ricks discusses his new book about the founding fathers and their devotion to the ancient Greek and Roman classics. He wrote First Principles while a visiting fellow in history at Bowdoin College.

As the numbers of COVID-19 cases continue to surge and vaccines are gradually being administered, our medical experts update us on the status of the pandemic in Maine. They’ll answer questions about the vaccine, testing, treatment, spread of the disease and how health care facilities are handling high numbers of patients. Dr. Dora Mills , chief health improvement officer, MaineHealth Dr. Michael Schmitz , specialist in emergency medicine and internal medicine, Southern Maine Health Care COVID-19