This week on the podcast, Esther Pew interviews Luc Kuanzambi of Portland. An immigrant from the Congo, Kuanzambi is a communications specialist and host of Luc’s 2 Cents Podcast, which highlights immigrants’ experiences and opinions on sociopolitical events. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Subscribe to the… The post Podcast: Luc Kuanzambi on the Maine immigrant experience and what the media gets wrong first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

On the podcast this week, organizing luminary George Goehl sits down to talk with Ben Chin about Fundamentals of Community Organizing, his new treatise, website and podcast on how to bring people together and win structural change. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Subscribe to the podcast… The post Podcast: How to win fights and influence politicians first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

This week on the Beacon Podcast, Esther, Ben, and Cate discuss the end of the legislative session. They reflect on some of the wins from the session, including $18 million for rent relief, funding for more recovery community centers, and a bill that will create options for development of offshore wind power in Maine. They… The post Podcast: The thrill of (legislative) victory, the agony of (legislative) defeat… first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

This week on the Beacon Podcast, Cate interviews Hillary Knight with the Capital Region Public Defenders Office in Augusta, who clarifies what the right to counsel means for Mainers, some of the realities of meeting the constitutional right to counsel, and some hopeful developments in the state. After a lawsuit in 2022 (which is ongoing)… The post Podcast: Maine’s long-awaited public defenders first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

Today on the Beacon Podcast, Ben and Esther discuss updates from the legislative session including the new pilot program for housing subsidies, the outcome of Planned Parenthood’s proposed constitutional amendment regarding protecting access to abortion, and the Sears Island offshore wind proposal. Additionally, the two discuss Pres. Biden’s new plan to help erase or lower… The post Podcast: Rent relief, abortion access, wind power and student debt relief! first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

Esther is joined by Emily Cain to talk about her time as a legislator in Maine, her experience as the executive director of Emily’s List, and the climate for women candidates for office today. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Subscribe to the podcast feed using any… The post Podcast: Women, Emily Cain wants you to run for office! first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

This week on the Beacon Podcast, Ben and Cate discuss the results of the Super Tuesday vote, including affordable housing in Kennebunk, Kingfield, and Cumberland. And they break down a new Pan Atlantic poll of 800 Mainers on the presidential election, and wonder why it didn’t consider ranked-choice voting. Ask a question or leave a… The post Podcast: Kennebunk says yes to affordable housing, but not Cumberland or Kingfield first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

This week on the Beacon Podcast, Cate, Ben, and Esther talk about how the extra $107 million Gov. Janet Mills wants to put away on top of the Rainy Day fund could be better spent. They also talk about Mills’ change in tack on tribal self-determination in Maine, and dive into a complicated bill to… The post Podcast: It’s a rainy day, so why are we still putting away more? first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

This week, Esther is joined by community organizers Carrie Jadud, Jodi Cohen Hayashida, Nyawal Lia and Genevieve Lysen to talk about the ins and outs of community organizing, what it means to be a community organizer, and the rewards of a very hard job. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show… The post Podcast: So what is community organizing, anyway? first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more

This week on the Beacon Podcast, Ben and Cate discuss how proposed Maine legislation could help combat otherwise-unnoticed wage theft in Maine. They also discuss how the federal Child Tax Credit would dramatically help low-income Maine families improve their standard of living, and they ponder the necessity of the proposed federal military spending bill. We’ll… The post Podcast: Wage theft? Heck no! first appeared on Maine Beacon ..read more