It’s hard to follow Trump’s many moves, as he continues to mold himself even more into an odd mix of Vito Corleone, Hitler, Mussolini and Joseph McCarthy. However, as a physician, I think it’s important to emphasize, amongst all the lies and bluster and showmanship, one fact: Trump’s actions in health care will cause millions […]

In the words of Captain Jeffery Monroe, who was recently granted an undeserved public platform in an interview on Maine’s CBS affiliate, “a large ship running aground is far more catastrophic than the loss of one whale.” By all measure, the 370 remaining North Atlantic right whales should be emulated as a rare and precious […]

A devout capitalist on Facebook claimed Trump’s economic performance was superior to Biden’s (except for COVID), and flatly declared “consumers have choices.” I replied: “It’s very glib to say ‘consumers have choices.’ Many choices have been systematically reduced by capital concentrations now starving the lower classes. Increasingly dominated by monopolistic and military interests, U.S. capital […]

I waited with bated breath in the emergency department for Heather to arrive. She was on her way, suffering from H Flu epiglotitis. Would she make it in time to have her life saved? And what about Max, who was in the next examining room? Do we need to admit him to the hospital and […]

The editorial board was correct in saying we all should be concerned about the recent scores in the National Assessment of Education Progress that show only about a quarter of Maine fourth graders are proficient in reading (Feb. 2). Without going into a long critique of how schools themselves should respond to this report, there […]

I am writing in response to Joe Lawlor’s Jan. 30 article in the Press Herald titled “Health advocates unveil effort to protect discount drug program.” As reported, those criticizing the bill argue that it would “open the door to more abuse” by hospitals that are exploiting the 340B program, “buying medicines at steep discounts and […]

Maine’s education system is in crisis. According to the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, math scores have been the lowest since 1992, and reading scores have also plummeted, placing Maine students among 14 states that are performing significantly below the national average. For years, core subjects like math and reading have taken a […]