Beacon Podcast

Jan 31 2025 40 ep. 34 mins 143

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News and information for the people of Maine

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Podcast: Responding to Trump’s chaos, Mills’ State of the Budget and ICE raids

Jan 31 2025 32 mins

Editor’s Note: This podcast was recorded Wednesday morning, before the White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded a memo that froze federal grants and loans. This week on the podcast, Esther and Ben unpack some of the chaos the White House caused when it issued a since-rescinded directive that ordered a spending “pause” on… The post Podcast: Responding to

Borders, birthrights and resistance: The impacts of Trump’s executive orders

Jan 24 2025 30 mins

This week on the podcast, Ben, Cate and Esther dive into the harmful and alarming blitz of executive orders Pres. Donald Trump released as he kicked off his second presidential term. We’ll also talk about how people can care for themselves and support their communities (or find support in them!) as Mainers work to push… The post Borders, birthrights and resistance: The

Podcast: Dissecting Mills’ budget proposal and fighting against fascism

Jan 17 2025 28 mins

Public policy director Cate Blackford joins Senior Organizer Esther Pew to chat about paid family medical leave in Maine, as well as the positive and negative aspects of Gov. Janet Mills’ recently proposed budget. And with the inauguration of Donald Trump’s second term coming up on Monday, the two highlight the Portland People’s March happening… The post Pod

Podcast: Two ballot proposals unveil barriers to voting and paths to gun safety

Jan 10 2025 28 mins

Ben Chin and Esther Pew are back for the first podcast episode of 2025! The hosts discuss two petitions — regarding voting rights and a red flag law — that will potentially be on the 2025 ballot. “ I’ve talked to people who are responsible gun owners and want to make sure that people using a… The post Podcast: Two ballot proposals unveil barriers to voting a

‘Never be cynical again’: A conversation with George Goehl

Dec 20 2024 28 mins

This week on the podcast, we are revisiting Deputy Director Ben Chin’s interview with author and community organizer George Goehl. The two discusses Goehl’s book “The Fundamentals of Community Organizing”, which looks at how to bring people together and win structural change. Goehl lays out the core practices that organizers shouldn’t leave behind, eve

How embracing community builds collective power

Dec 13 2024 29 mins

This week on the podcast, Cate Blackford connects with Organizing Director of Maine People’s Alliance Genevieve Lysen to discuss MPA’s annual member retreat that took place at the beginning of December. Pulling over 100 members from across the state of Maine, the purpose of the retreat is to focus on cultivating community, relationship-building skills and… The pos

Frances Eanes on building a worker-led climate future in Maine

Dec 06 2024 29 mins

This week on the podcast, guest host Nora Flaherty-Stanford discusses the intersection of labor and climate action in Maine with Frances Eanes from the Maine Labor Climate Council. Eanes highlights the importance of labor in social change and the need for practical, worker-friendly climate solutions like offshore wind and energy efficiency upgrades. It is urgent… The post Fra

How to make real change when mass protests fail

Nov 27 2024 49 mins

This week on the podcast, we are sharing an encore episode of Ben Chin’s interview with author and journalist Vincent Bevins. The duo discusses the common belief that large protests and social movements can lead to significant change and how these beliefs were challenged in the 2010s, with many protests leading to unintended consequences or… The post How to make real ch

How Maine can safeguard reproductive health care under Trump

Nov 22 2024 29 mins

This week on the podcast, Cate is joined by Lisa Margulies, the vice president of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund. Lisa discusses the potential impacts of a Trump presidency and Republican Congress on reproductive health, as well as how state funding for family planning providers can mitigate this impact. The need for… The post How Maine can safeguard

How faith leaders in Maine are fighting Christian Nationalism

Nov 15 2024 28 mins

This week on the podcast, Esther sits down with Rev. Dr. Jodi Cohen Hayashida and Rev. Jane Field to talk about Christian Nationalism and how it played out in this election. They explain that Christian Nationalism is not a Christian movement, but a political one that co-opts Christian language for legitimacy, and our guests highlight… The post How faith leaders in Maine are f