Author: Cara DeRose
Cara DeRose is a staff writer for Beacon. A graduate of the University of Southern Maine, she served as writer and copy editor for the USM Free Press and interned at the Portland Press Herald.
Direct care professionals, who work with older Mainers and those with disabilities in homes and congregant living facilities, are some of Maine’s lowest-paid workers, even as they serve on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. While efforts have been made by Governor Janet Mills’ administration to raise wages for these workers, whether or not…
On Wednesday, Senator Susan Collins voted against a proposed amendment to an expansion of the PATRIOT Act that would have required federal intelligence investigators to show probable cause before accessing an individual’s web browsing information and search history. To advance, the amendment required support from 60 senators. It fell one vote short. Both parties were…
Maine will begin this week to ramp up testing for COVID-19, with the state Center for Disease Control (CDC) prioritizing broader testing in congregant living settings, such as long-term care facilities and homeless shelters. But an internal discussion is being held over whether and how the state will engage in universal testing of workers in…
The Democratic Senate Majority PAC has launched a six-figure ad buy in Maine criticizing Sen. Susan Collins for accepting $1.4 million in donations from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, including from insulin and opioid manufacturers. The Washington, D.C.-based super PAC, aligned with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), was formed in 2011 to maintain or secure a Democratic majority…
With up to 221,000 Mainers at risk of losing their employer-sponsored health insurance as a result of the pandemic, Maine health care advocates convened a press call Thursday to denounce Republicans for continuing their effort to undo the Affordable Care Act. “At a time when, more than ever, we should have a government that works…
After a wave of Maine small business owners have expressed frustration with the Paycheck Protection Program, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey are each calling for changes to the federal program to ensure that the state’s small business community can weather the pandemic. Frey announced on Wednesday that he has joined…
At a virtual forum on Tuesday more than a dozen Maine small businesses owners joined state Sen. Heather Sanborn (D-Portland) and national economic policy experts to discuss ongoing issues with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal initiative meant to provide payroll relief to small business grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. “One of the narratives…
To keep Maine from repeating the mistakes of Wisconsin last month, a local coalition of pro-democracy groups electronically delivered a petition to Governor Janet Mills on Monday calling for her to ensure that voters will safely be able to participate in the July statewide election. The petition — which was signed by over 2,300 Mainers…
Maine housing advocates are calling on Democratic Reps. Jared Golden and Chellie Pingree to support legislation that would suspend rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Due to layoffs and mass unemployment, even more renters are making choices between food and rent, accruing debts, and at risk of being forced from their homes,” read…
Workers whose employers re-open under guidance from the state of Maine but who choose to continue to stay home due to concerns over contracting COVID-19 may no longer be eligible to receive unemployment insurance, according to Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman. “It depends,” Fortman said in response to a question posed by WCSH-6…