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.
Nearly 2,000 people rallied at Portland City Hall on Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, which has led to the separation of thousands of children from their families. The rally was one among a wave of national demonstrations demanding the administration reunite separated families and shutdown detentions centers, where children have…
Sen. Susan Collins’ statement that she would not apply an abortion rights “litmus test” to President Donald Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court appointee was blasted as a “tragic betrayal of women” by the head of the Maine Democratic Party on Friday. Since Justice Anthony Kennedy announced Wednesday that he would be retiring, many have wondered if…
While Senator Susan Collins was casting her vote in favor of the Senate farm bill, which passed 86-11, faith leaders gathered in Portland on Thursday to send a strong message to the Republican to oppose any backroom efforts to slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that helps feed 189,000 low-income Mainers. “We’re…
With the release of ballot question language for the Homecare for All citizens’ initiative from the office of Maine’s Secretary of State on Monday, grassroots supporters marked another step forward in the campaign to guarantee that senior citizens and Mainers with disabilities can receive the assistance they need to stay in their homes. “Seeing it…
Maine ranks second in the nation for the likelihood of young voters having a significant impact on the outcome of the 2018 gubernatorial race, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). That may seem to be a surprising assessment in the oldest state in the country, but according…
The Maine Legislature voted Wednesday to dedicate funding for the state portion of Medicaid expansion, which advocates say leaves Gov. Paul LePage without any rhetorical room to refuse to implement the voter-approved law. Accepting federal funding to expand Medicaid is expected to provide coverage for an additional 80,000 low-income Mainers. “Gov. Paul LePage has done…
Janet Mills has won the Democratic nomination for governor and will run against Republican nominee Shawn Moody and independents Terry Hayes and Alan Caron in the race for the Blaine House this November. After ranked-choice voting tabulations were completed on Wednesday evening, Mills won with 54% of the vote over Adam Cote, who won 46%…
A crowd of over a hundred people rallied on Thursday outside the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Office in South Portland to protest the Trump administration’s border policy of separating children, including infants, from families seeking asylum. Carrying signs that read “End Family Separation” and “Families Belong Together,” the crowd called on Senator Susan Collins…
With Lewiston state Rep. Jared Golden likely securing the Democratic nomination for the 2nd District congressional race, new research shows Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin may have a hard holding on to his seat after voting for health care repeal and tax cuts for large corporations and the wealthy. Recent polling from Clarity Campaigns shows that…
The Trump administration has decided to not defend key provisions of the Affordable Care Act that prevent insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, saying that the Republican-backed tax reform law supported by Maine Republicans Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Bruce Poliquin has made the provisions unconstitutional. The administration announced last week it…