Well, we can’t say we didn’t see this coming. Speculation about Trump’s admiration for the way Putin runs his country has just manifested itself in his overwhelming agreement with Elon Musk’s advice to shut down the government. It is one thing to take advice from knowledgeable people when making policy decisions but entirely another to […]

Throughout our lives, it is important for each of us to know our value — as a woman, man or child, to ourselves, our families, to all others. What struck me so boldly the morning after the November election was to realize that after eight decades of working and paying taxes, studying and gleaning so […]

Reporter Joe Lawlor did some excellent work lately (“Closure of Maine’s rural birthing centers is part of national ‘crisis,’” Dec. 20). Lawlor quotes a recent Roux Institute report authored by Kathy Simmonds. The report highlights the increasing difficulty of rural hospitals to create the competent clinical care teams needed to keep low-volume birthing centers open. […]

Why is the town of Cumberland Center planning to install EV charging stations at the library using citizens tax dollars? This does not seem to be the type of business the town should be in. Or does the school need a place to charge their proposed electric buses? It is a slap in the face […]

I write to respond to two paragraphs of a recent op-ed blaming medical malpractice lawsuits, in part, for high health care costs (“The best defense to for-profit health insurance? Staying healthy,”) Dec. 20. According to the writer, Dr. Gary Zartarian, the legal system is run by crafty medical malpractice lawyers who, in a ploy to […]

Why is it more difficult these days not to become cynical? We are today confronted with the antics of two billionaire narcissists with fragile egos and blatant self-serving ambitions, who are hellbent on dismantling political norms, thereby destabilizing political discourse even further. Donald Trump enjoys unprecedented presidential power, while Elon Musk has rather unlimited resources […]

Thanks to Dr. Gary Zartarian for reminding us of the costs of our “health care” system (“Opinion: The best defense to for-profit health insurance? Staying healthy.” Dec. 21). The decision to embrace all the emerging technologies and drugs and medical devices and short-change prevention efforts has brought us to this point. High costs are “baked […]