A new explainer by the Migration Policy Institute seeks to apply facts to the lively discussion of immigration and crime. A spokesperson for MPI said the nonpartisan research organization, known for a sober tone, hoped to clear up “confusion.” That’s one way to characterize Donald Trump’s nine-year campaign of lies. Trump is busy making his […]
Ben Bragdon
Staff Writer
Ben Bragdon is managing editor of the Sun Journal. Prior to that, he was deputy managing editor for news at the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. Ben was previously editorial page editor for those newspapers and Central Maine Sunday for more than 10 years. Before that, he was managing editor for weekly newspapers at Current Publishing in Westbrook. He began his career as a reporter at the Piscataquis Observer in Dover-Foxcroft and editor at the Moosehead Messenger in Greenville. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston University.
Commentary: The true cost of Trump’s tariff scheme
Pundits sometimes claim that U.S. presidential campaigns are devoid of big, consequential policy ideas. That’s clearly not true this time around. Arguably the most profound policy change being proposed in this campaign is former President Donald Trump’s big idea to broadly raise tariffs on imported goods, possibly to levels the U.S. has not seen in […]
Healthy Lakes, Healthy Communities: Time well spent in the conservation Band-aid brigade
Any amount of effort you can give toward nature is worth it, the columnist writes.
Scholars Strategy Network: Our health is on the line this election
Americans have the ability to pick representatives who will make a huge slew of decisions affecting our futures and also our ability to empower ourselves, writes Amy Fried.
Photos: ‘The Black Azaleas Song Cycle’ from ‘Post Pardon: The Opera’
Students and faculty from Colby College were part of the performance Oct. 5 at the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts in Waterville. Photographer Rich Abrahamson captured their rehearsals and live performance.
Photos: Local vocalists, musicians bring opera to life in Waterville
Students and faculty members from Colby College were also part of the recent performance of “The Black Azaleas Song Cycle” from “Post Pardon: The Opera” at the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts at Colby. Photographer Rich Abrahamson captured their rehearsals and live performance.
Sen. Craig Hickman: We must protect all our children
Maine has the worst rate of child maltreatment in the nation. We can’t stand for this. Despite historic investment in recent years, key indicators on child welfare aren’t improving. Improvements haven’t come fast enough for the thousands of children without permanent homes, the burnt-out case workers watching children fall asleep in hotel rooms overnight, the foster parents […]
Maine Compass: National Coming Out Day is a reminder of our history, strength
We also gather with hope, determination, and a fierce commitment to protecting what we’ve created together.
Commentary: Will voter turnout in November repeat the historic numbers of 2020?
As we race to Election Day, one polling question will gain enormous importance in our understanding of the race — who are the actual voters? Using likely-voter screens, pollsters are now trying to figure out who will vote and who will sit this one out. In most polls, there is usually a small difference in […]
Commentary: How much will the Supreme Court matter in the 2024 election?
What role, if any, will the Supreme Court play in the November presidential election? That is the crucial, unknowable question, as the court returns from its summer recess. Will this be an election like 2000, when the Supreme Court in effect decided the outcome with its decision in Bush v. Gore? Or will this be […]