Beacon Podcast

Apr 03 2025 40 ep. 34 mins 144

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News and information for the people of Maine

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Podcast: Trump administration targets immigration (again)

Apr 03 2025 41 mins

This week on the podcast, Cate and Ben dive into the real-life impact of national immigration policies right here in Maine. They break down some recent high-profile ICE arrests, including a viral TikTok video out of Waldo County and the troubling case of a truck driver detained in Lewiston. They also take a hard look… The post Podcast: Trump administration targets immigration

Podcast: How art fuels activism with Natasha Mayers and Anita Clearfield

Mar 27 2025 34 mins

This week on the podcast, Ben sits down with artists Natasha Mayers and Anita Clearfield to discuss the intersection between art and activism. They share the role art has in shaping political movements, and how they’ve seen their work make an impact in the past. In 2012, Natasha founded the Artist Rapid Response Team (ARRT!),… The post Podcast: How art fuels activism wi

Podcast: How you can fight for fairer health care at the State House

Mar 21 2025 28 mins

This week on the podcast, Cate and Esther do a deep dive on what is happening with health care at the state and federal level. They break down three bills that would help reform Maine’s health care system by: preventing medical debt from affecting consumer reports, preventing AI from denying health insurance claims, and addressing… The post Podcast: How you can fight fo

Podcast: What Trump’s trade war means for Maine and more budget threats

Mar 13 2025 35 mins

On this episode of the podcast, Ben, Cate and Esther provide an overview on what’s happened at the federal level this past week — from Pres. Donald Trump’s unconstitutional threat to deport a Palestinian activist with a green card, to how the potential Canadian boycott of Maine would impact the state’s local businesses and overall… The post Podcast: What T

Podcast: Navigating Trump’s policies and Maine’s continuous budget battles

Mar 06 2025 35 mins

This week on the podcast, Ben and Cate cover Trump’s State of the Union exploring its nationalist tone, economic impacts, and the need for fact-checking. They also break down national deportation trends and the legal hurdles of immigration policy. On the state level, Cate discusses budget negotiations, Republican-driven funding roadblocks, and the powerful child care… T

Podcast: Cracks in Trump’s power and the push for Maine budget solutions

Feb 27 2025 30 mins

This week on the podcast, Ben breaks down Trump’s plan to slash taxes for the rich and gut Medicaid — moves that could hit Maine hard. Esther and Cate dig into the real-life impacts, from delayed meds for MaineCare patients to USAID job losses. But it’s not all doom and gloom: they also explore the… The post Podcast: Cracks in Trump’s power and the push for Maine budg

Podcast: Rep. Gary Friedmann on Maine’s budget deadlock and the fight for affordable housing

Feb 21 2025 26 mins

This week on the podcast, Channa interviews Rep. Gary Friedmann (D-Bar Harbor), who is currently serving his first term in the Maine House of Representatives. Friedmann shares why he decided to run for office; his frustrations with the lack of bipartisanship when it comes to the supplemental budget; two bills he is sponsoring surrounding affordable… The post Podcast: Rep. Gar

Podcast: How Trump’s executive actions actually impact Mainers and more on Maine’s budget standoff

Feb 12 2025 36 mins

In this week’s episode, Ben, Cate and Esther come together to explain the flurry of political developments coming out of the White House and what federal news is actually impacting Mainers. They revisit the role of protesting and its importance in building community and momentum. Cate unpacks the partisan deadlock in the Maine legislature over… The post Podcast: How Tru

Podcast: The future of strategic protesting in Maine and resisting Trump’s immigration agenda

Feb 07 2025 32 mins

This week on the podcast, Ben, Cate and Channa discuss how Mainers and people across the U.S. have been responding to the first few weeks of the Trump administration. On Wednesday, a “50 protests in 50 states” rally was held in Augusta as part of a larger movement of organizers in each of the 50… The post Podcast: The future of strategic protesting in Maine and re

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