Public News Service

About one-quarter of Maine farmworkers live in poverty, and they are roughly 4.5 times as likely to live below the poverty line as other workers in the state, according to the Maine Center for Economic Policy. (Adobe Stock)

Effort continues to ensure state minimum wage for ME farmworkers

Legislation proposed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills would ensure thousands of farmworkers are eligible to receive the state minimum wage. Current law …

Voters can also track the status of their absentee ballot to ensure it's been received and counted by 8 p.m. on Nov. 7. Bellows notes the use of absentee ballots also helps shorten voting lines on Election Day and reduce the workload for election workers. (Adobe Stock)

No-excuse absentee voting helps build voter turnout in ME

With less than a month to go before Maine's November 7 Referendum Election, more than 30,000 voters have already requested a no-excuse absentee …

In Maine, protests against the Texas abortion ban occurred in Portland, Waterville, Belgrade and more. (vivalapenler/Adobe Stock)

Protesters Support Roe v. Wade in Portland, Central Maine

PORTLAND, Maine -- Reproductive-rights advocates took to the streets across Maine and the U.S. over the weekend to protest the Texas ban on abortions …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both …

Portland residents held a vigil Tuesday to honor the victims of recent hate crimes. (Reza Jalali/Adobe Stock)

White House Lays Out Plan To Combat Anti-Asian Hate

PORTLAND, Maine -- With the rise in anti-Asian violence and hate since the pandemic began, Mainers say elected officials have a key role to play in …

Young congregants of the Maine Episcopal Church. (Bishop Thomas Brown/Instagram)

Maine's Episcopal Bishop Decries Trump D.C. Church Appearance

PORTLAND, Maine -- New England's Episcopal bishops unanimously are calling out President Donald Trump's appearance in front of St. John's Episcopal …

Critics charge that Long Creek, Maine's prison for juveniles, is not organized or staffed to deal with the real needs of those young people. (Richard Ross/AECF)

Task Force Finding Maine Juvenile Justice System Dysfunctional

AUGUSTA, Maine - The task force looking at Maine juvenile justice is finding signs the whole system is upside down. Jill Ward, project manager of …

Immigrants in Maine and throughout New England can no longer be detained during their immigration proceedings without the government justifying the reason for the detention in court. (Paul-W/Creative Commons)

Maine Immigrants to Benefit from New Changes to Bond Hearings

AUGUSTA, Maine – Starting now, immigration courts in New England, including Maine, can no longer detain undocumented immigrants in bond …

CBP training materials state that the Fourth Amendment does not require officers to advise bus passengers of their right to refuse consent to a search. (Josh Denmark/Flickr)

CBP Increasing Warrantless Bus Raids in Northern New England

BANGOR, Maine — A year after the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine sued U.S. Customs and Border Protection for records on its bus …

U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Houlton Station operated an immigration checkpoint on Interstate 95 last week. (Customs and Border Protection)

Checkpoints by Customs Border Patrol Rile Some Mainers

BANGOR, Maine – Some drivers and passengers were annoyed, others angry and afraid when they were stopped last week by U.S. Customs and Border …

Civil rights advocates are concerned that businesses such as florists will now claim a religious right to discriminate against same-sex couples. (Pixabay)

LGBT Advocates Fear More Discrimination Following Supreme Court Ruling

AUGUSTA, Maine – Civil rights advocates fear the Supreme Court's ruling in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case will encourage more attempted …

Previous attempts to defund Planned Parenthood have sparked protests nationwide. (Fibonacci Blue (CC by 2.0)/Flickr)

Health Care Providers Gear Up (Again) As Trump's New Gag Rule Targets Planned Parenthood

WICASSET, Maine – If President Donald Trump's new effort succeeds to impose a so-called gag rule on family planning centers, access to women's …

FCC proposals to roll-back net neutrality could hurt Maine consumers. (Twitter/@Motherboard).

Watchdog Groups Gear Up for Net-Neutrality Decision

BANGOR, Maine -- The clock is ticking when it comes to a free and open internet in the United States, and watchdog groups are gearing up for what …

New England fast-food workers elected to walk off the job in many cities, including Boston and Hartford, for Labor Day in their fight for a $15 hourly wage. (SEIU)

For Some in New England, Labor Day Meant One-Day Strike

BANGOR, Maine – While many of us had a day off on Labor Day, fast-food workers in 300 cities, including some in New England states, walked off …

Responding to the recent violence in Charlottesville, Va., Mainers turned out Sunday to take a stand against racism and white supremacy. (Maine People's Alliance)

Mainers Take Stand Against Racism and Hate

PORTLAND, Maine -- Mainers took a stand against racism and white supremacy on Sunday, gathering in Payson Park in Portland on Sunday, to mourn the …

Advocates says May Day in Maine will focus on immigrants rights both in Portland and on college campuses. (iJonathan McIntosh/wikimedia)

Occupy Groups Sending Message: Immigrants "Here To Stay"

PORTLAND, Maine – It's forecast to be the largest mobilization of immigrants since the presidential election, as hundreds of thousands are …

Vice President Mike Pence is expressing certainty that Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch will be confirmed, but progressives in Maine aren't so sure. (Ken Hammond/Wikimedia)

Gorsuch Gets Boost from Pence; Some Mainers Aren't Sold

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Vice President Mike Pence over the weekend warned Democrats not to block President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, at one point …

President Trump's executive orders on immigration continue to spark protests and local advocates say the U.S. Senate should delay confirming his nominee for attorney general. (Love Trumps Hate/Flckr)

New England Immigrant Advocates: What's the Rush on Sessions Vote?

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Tuesday on Senator Jeff Sessions' nomination to serve as U.S. attorney …

With the passage of Question 5, Maine will be the first state to hold ranked-choice elections, but Gov. LePage now wants to change the way questions get onto the ballot. (Responsible Mainers/Facebook)

Question 5 Approval Makes Maine First State with Ranked Voting

AUGUSTA, Maine – Gov. Paul LePage opposed all of the ballot questions on Election Day, but with 52 percent of voters in favor, Mainers approved …

A new report says there will be better outcomes for juvenile offenders in Maine and the nation through alternative community-based programs. (Maine Inside Out)

Maine Advocates Agree with New Report: Youth Prisons Aren't Fit for Kids

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Kids should not be kept behind bars - that's the message of a new report examining the ineffectiveness of youth prisons in Maine …

Maine ranks 30th in the pay gap between genders. (Texas A&M University)

Report: Maine Women Earn 78% of Men's Wages

AUGUSTA, Maine – If the gender pay gap continues to close at its current rate, women will reach pay equity with men in 2059, and according to a …

Gov. Paul LePage says he needs more time before he can reveal the contents of a mugshot book he claims to keep on drug dealers in Maine. ((Matt Gagnon/Wikipedia)

Mainers in Holding Pattern for LePage Mugshot Book

AUGUSTA, Maine — Some Maine lawmakers are a little bit puzzled over why Gov. Paul LePage would need more time to reveal the contents of his …

Gov. Paul LePage has until the end of the day today to comply with a request under Maine's Freedom of Access Act to reveal the contents of a binder he says he maintains containing mugshots of drug dealers. (Office of Gov. LePage)

LePage Faces Firm Deadline on “Drug Dealer Mugshot Binder”

AUGUSTA, Maine – Embattled Gov. Paul LePage faces a Sept. 1 deadline to respond to a Freedom of Access Act request to reveal the contents of a …

Governor Paul LePage issued an apology Friday, but Maine organizers says it fell short of meeting the charge that he had injected race into a critical issue, dealing with the heroin epidemic. (Governor's Office Photo)

LePage's "White Girls" Apology Appears to Fall Short

AUGUSTA, Maine - Governor Paul LePage says it was a slip of the tongue, but local organizers say his apology falls short when it comes to the charge …

Death penalty opponents say last week's 4-3 decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court moves the state more in line with Maine and the nation. Credit: CA Corrections.

CT Death Penalty Decision: State Joins Most of New England

AUGUSTA, Maine – Death penalty opponents say last week's Connecticut Supreme Court decision striking down the death penalty moves the state …

GRAPHIC: The FCC is holding an auction in which wireless companies will bid on parts of the nation�s airwaves currently being used by television stations and use them for wireless broadband. Some say that threatens minority broadcasters. Credit: Federal Communications Commission.

Spectrum Auction: Broadband Internet vs. TV Diversity?

PORTLAND, Maine – As the song goes, "Video Killed the Radio Star." Will wireless kill some free public TV? That's the latest media question…

ILLUSTRATION: Saturday is the 12th anniversary of signing the Patriot Act, and some believe the government may have gone too far in its efforts to combat terrorism by conducting surveillance in violation of the Bill of Rights, according to privacy advocates. Courtesy Free Press.

Privacy Advocates: “Stop Watching Us”

PORTLAND, Maine - Revelations by leakers Julian Assange and Edward Snowden have shown U.S. government agencies such as the National Security Agency …

GRAPHIC: Domestic violence prevention groups across the country are spreading the word about National Stalking Awareness Month.

“Know it. Name it. Stop it.” Stalking Awareness Month in Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine - January is Stalking Awareness Month in Maine, and a national campaign is underway to "Know it. Name it. Stop it." State law lists …

The “R-Word” and Ann Coulter – Raising Consciousness?

PORTLAND, Maine - When conservative commentator Ann Coulter used the word "retard" to describe President Obama in the final days of the campaign…

PHOTO: old telephone wrapped in cord. Photo credit: Deborah Smith

RoboCops Needed for Maine Political Robocalls?

AUGUSTA, Maine - Hold the phone! Robocall season is under way in Maine, along with election season. Political robocalls are exempted from National Do …

Advocates: People with Disabilities Hampered by ME Voter Rules

PORTLAND, Maine - Eliminating same-day voter registration in Maine may not sound like a big deal, but for people with disabilities it can be a real …

Labor Bills - “Naked Attempts” to Exploit Workers?

AUGUSTA, Maine - Two bills being considered by legislators in Augusta are being called a workers' rights rollback "doubleheader." One would remove …

Patriot Act Changes Urged

PORTLAND, Maine - Critics of the Patriot Act, passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, say certain provisions of the law need to be amended, because …

MLK and the Real Power of Non-violence

Augusta, ME - The holiday marking the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., comes at a poignant moment this year, as the nation reels from the …

Message to Maine's Bullied Youth: "It Gets Better"

PORTLAND, Maine - Bullying continues to be a problem in Maine schools, and some teens are taking matters into their own hands with an effort intended …

ID Cards for Illegal Immigrants: A Good Thing?

President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday criticized Arizona's law that makes failure to carry immigration documents a crime…

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Public News Service (podcast)"
	"Hey Google, play the Public News Service podcast"
	"Alexa, play Public News Service podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the 2024 Talks podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the 2024 Talks podcast"
	"Alexa, play 2000 24 Talks podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

Audio Activation
	"Siri, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Hey Google, play the Yonder Report podcast"
	"Alexa, play the Yonder Report podcast" or "Alexa, what's my news flash?" once you set it up in the Alexa app
	Embed this Newscast

PNS Daily Newscast - April 17, 2024

2024Talks - April 17, 2024

The Yonder Report - April 18, 2024

ME: Civil Rights