When it comes to COVID-19, who will we trust?

President Donald Trump has made it clear – science or not – that he wants to quickly end the physical distancing requirements that are being used to slow the spread of COVID-19. And that he – alone – has the power to do it. Governors, including Maine Gov. Janet Mills among many others, are taking […]

We need a new normal after COVID-19

There’s a certain clarity that develops in a crisis. Old rules – that seemed so important to protecting the public order, to good business practices, to the rules of commerce – all of a sudden get tossed out and we adapt to new ways of doing things for the times. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we […]

During time of pandemic, Idaho targets trans kids

State governments around the country have reacted differently to the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat it poses to people and to the economy. Many states – Maine included – took quick and decisive action to help stop the spread of the disease and to help people upended by job loss and financial instability caused by […]

COVID-19 shows that all workers are essential

It’s time we retire the idea of “essential” and “non-essential” workers. If the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated anything, it’s that all the cogs in our economic machine are essential. Pull too many bits and pieces out, and the whole thing risks grinding to a halt. While we are hunkered down – working from home if […]

Practical advice for businesses in the time of COVID-19

Earlier this week, the firm where I work presented a webinar in collaboration with the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce. The two-hour presentation was intended to provide some practical advice for companies that are trying to deal with the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19. The webinar is free and you can watch it at: […]

Coronavirus demands candidates change the way they campaign

Former Vice President Joe Biden, US Sen. Bernie Sanders and even President Donald Trump need to dramatically change the way they are campaigning. It’s time for them to declare a détente and end all large rallies with supporters as a way to help combat the spread of the coronavirus. Both the Biden and Sanders campaigns […]

Trump knew more about Democratic voters than we knew about ourselves

It’s possible you will never read these words in this column again. President Donald Trump was right. He – or at least his team – saw something that many of us Democrats didn’t. Trump risked his presidency and scuttled his legacy in an effort to undermine former Vice President Joe Biden. He was impeached for […]

How does my ballot compare to yours?

So here it is. My last column before the March 3 election, and it’s time to come clean. Here’s the round up of my votes. I’m sharing them not because I think that you should vote the same way that I did, but because as I was making my decision, hearing and talking to others […]

Mills’ budget gives Republicans a chance to say ‘yes’

Gov. Janet Mills’ $127 million supplemental budget is both conservative and deferential to the Legislature – including its Republican members. When she rolled out the plan, she bragged about the fact that the two-year state budget passed last year with bipartisan support and included no new taxes. Her top priority, she said in her weekly radio […]

Vaccines are the most effective way to protect our kids

Maine’s new presidential primary system has captured much of the attention leading up to the March 3 vote. We’ve been visited by candidates, bombarded by ads (I’m talking to you Mike Bloomberg) and escaped the horror of party caucuses (sorry Iowa, you earned the scorn). When voters go to the polls on March 3, they’ll […]