Anyone doing research into guns, gun violence and gun regulation realizes very quickly that these are complex political and policy issues. Here in Maine, the biggest gun problem is the number of suicides committed with handguns, as documented by a recent state study. In response, funding has been increased for mental health services and state […]

I am a relatively new Maine resident and have no connection with nor specific insight into UMaine Chancellor Dannel Malloy’s stormy tenure with the university system. I am, however, a former educator, connected with medical schools and state universities on the West Coast. There is something not quite right about the chancellor not resigning when […]

The City of Portland must do something to resolve the conflict between cars going to the Portland Transportation Center and those going to Thompson’s Point. Passengers trying to catch scheduled buses and trains at the transportation center are missing their trips because of horrible traffic planning. Wednesday, July 13, was a case in point. We […]

The Supreme Court has lost reason and legitimacy. How can it be right that for abortion, states’ rights to make restrictions trump longstanding precedent, yet for guns, states’ rights to make safety laws are threatened by the court? Abortion is not mentioned in the Constitution, so the justices want state-level bans. But assault weapons, also […]

I am saddened to know that half of all abortions in America are sought by women who already have a child and are impoverished. What a struggle this must be for them. I expect that they are juggling expensive child care, one or more low-paying jobs and have no health care or access to reliable […]

After the Uvalde shooting, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was quoted as saying: “It seems to me there are two broad categories that underscore the problem [of school shootings], mental illness and school safety.” McConnell’s citing of mental illness as the primary factor in mass shootings is consistent with statements from many Republican politicians, who […]

Jim Fossel’s column on July 10 exhibits a tendency by reporters and other Mainers to treat Paul LePage as if he is normal, as if this is a straight-up race with Mills over taxes. Now that we have a normal governor, who is trying to restore the state that LePage deliberately wrecked, it’s important to […]