THE CONVERSATION — School meals are critical to child health. Research has shown that school meals can be more nutritious than meals from other sources, such as meals brought from home. A recent study that one of us conducted found the quality of school meals has steadily improved, especially since the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act strengthened nutrition […]

THE CONVERSATION — The first trial ever of a former president, the so-called “hush money” case against former president and likely GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, is scheduled to begin with jury selection in New York on March 25, though that may be delayed by a month. Trump faces 34 felony charges related to alleged crimes involving bookkeeping […]

Okay, it’s official. The Republican Party is the Trump party. Any politician who bucks Trump is toast. Just take a look at all the members of Congress who have flopped into Trump’s boat in recent days. Even New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu threw his towel in with Trump after badmouthing him for years. Spinelessness is […]

I recently participated in a Maine Gun Safety Coalition lobbying effort where we respectfully expressed our concerns about the lack of meaningful deterrence to gun violence. Scheduled time all too quickly elapsed and much of the exchange was spent revisiting the tiresome defense of Maine’s hunting tradition or was eclipsed by the overwhelming shock of […]

In a previous column, I noted that in Norway, one of the coldest yet richest countries on Earth, 82.4% of vehicles sold in 2023 were fully electric. People who can afford to buy the best and most Earth-friendly cars choose electric vehicles (EVs). Both the performance and sustainability benefits of EVs are becoming better and […]

As Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program strives to advance our mission of making nutritious food more readily accessible to all members of our community, working together is key. This month, a collaboration between MCHPP’s soup kitchen and numerous partner organizations is set to provide increased access to free meals for members of the greater Brunswick […]

In an old movie, two tribes are fighting brutally on a battlefield in what may be Afghanistan. Suddenly, a single line of religious monks crosses the field. The fighting abruptly halts. All watch in silence and respect as the holy men pass, and then the battle resumes. The same thing may be happening now in […]

Piglet! My Irish surname means piglet! Like millions of Americans, I’ve been poking into my heritage using ancestry sites, such as FamilySearch.com. That’s how I learned that “Purcell” is an occupational name of Norman origin for “swineherd.” My name derives from the Norman-French word “pourcel,” which comes from the Latin word “porus,” which means piglet! […]