Chocolate is harvested and processed under appalling conditions of child slavery, child labor and trafficked, underpaid adults. Think cotton plantations in the old South. So bad is the reputation of the industry that Sen. Tom Harkin and others have tried to curtail these practices in Africa with the U.S. Department of Labor and the International […]

Jim Fossel’s recent exercise in creative writing (“‘Weird’ isn’t a pejorative term,” Aug. 11) struck me as more untethered from reality than usual. Take Fossel’s assessment of Joe Biden, that the president is really good at screwing up. I do remember two of Joe’s mistakes: his part in putting Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court […]

When did we decide it’s OK to lie? I don’t like liars. When I was a kid, my parents threatened us with a mouthful of soap when they thought we were lying. (Not little white lies. I mean intentionally twisting the truth to pervert it for our own purposes.) I get that many of us […]

I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. The Maine Public Utilities Commission’s latest decision to back Central Maine Power’s request for an exemption to review the new change of ownership is concerning. Iberdrola’s argument is that an agreement was already authorized in 2008 and doesn’t need to be looked at again. That was more than […]

I would like to thank Micayla Budd for stating the youth concerns and insights regarding the need for more supportive youth spaces in Biddeford (“Biddeford needs more supportive youth spaces,” Aug. 17). Our mission here at Apex Youth Connection (formerly the Community Bicycle Center) is empowering youth through hands-on skill building and outdoor adventure by […]

One has to have nothing but empathy for Donald Trump’s ardent supporters after hearing from his former press secretary at the Democratic National Convention. Stephanie Grisham quoted Trump as saying, in private, that his base of voters are “basement dwellers.” These are people who look up to him and this is his elitist reflection on […]

It’s hard to believe that credible journalists have become whiners and surrogates for the GOP. We hear enough spewed insults, crying, “woe is me” and innuendo from most Republicans in our country. I know it’s only an opinion column (“Democratic Party not living up to its name,” Aug. 25), but shouldn’t a columnist like Jim […]

Over the course of my career in telecommunications, I have personally witnessed the impact that high-speed, affordable, reliable broadband connection can have for people across Maine. It’s not just important for staying in touch with loved ones – it is essential for access to health care, education and economic opportunity. That is why we are […]

We are voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, people with modest beginnings who, as they rose to powerful positions, always sought to help all of us. She was a prosecutor, a district attorney and a senator and he spent his career as a teacher, a football coach, in the National Guard and as a […]