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Maine's donkey party loves the rich and the poor — but can't protect both

Two-faced Democrats
In the current legislative fight over Republican Governor Paul LePage's lust to slash Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) programs because of a $221-million shortfall in its budget, Democrats say over and over that they want to protect the poor, sick, and disabled people from whom the governor wants to withdraw state assistance.

By: LANCE TAPLEY | February 15, 2012

Question authority

Press Releases
Maine journalists appear to disbelieve their own eyes, decline to do their own research, and prefer to quote officials instead of relying on independent knowledge and experience.

By: JEFF INGLIS | February 08, 2012

Getting the Ron-around

Checking in with presidential hopeful Paul
While fellow Republican hopefuls Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum fight it out in Florida, Ron Paul, dark-horse candidate and Constitutional fundamentalist, sallied forth along his unorthodox campaign trail, hitting states with upcoming caucuses rather than primaries.

By: NICHOLAS SCHROEDER | February 01, 2012

Mega Up Yours

Your files could be forfeit in the government's attack on Megaupload. Can the Entertainment industry take down cyberlockers entirely?
This week, some 50 million users may begin to permanently lose whatever it is that they stored on Megaupload.

By: WAYNE MARSHALL | February 01, 2012

Gambling 'the hardway'

Embedded in South Portland's seven-nights-a-week bingo hall
Let's start out by sharing how inauspiciously this adventure began — on a Tuesday evening, with both of us entirely bewildered by the South Portland Bingo Hall on John Roberts Road.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON AND NICHOLAS SCHROEDER | January 25, 2012

Reining in your loans

Use the federal program, no matter how hard your lender tries to sell you something else
Last October, President Obama initiated an improved income-based repayment plan called Pay As You Earn.

By: NICHOLAS SCHROEDER | January 25, 2012

Black Bears at Fenway

Balls, Pucks, and Monster Trucks
I had my doubts about Frozen Fenway, the 16-day-long "ice event" held at the venerable old ballpark, starting on New Year's Day.

By: RICK WORMWOOD | January 25, 2012

The Making of Paul LePage, Part 2

Rise to Power
Governor Paul LePage has made plenty of waves in his first year in office, and has many wondering where his sometimes provocative political attitudes come from. In this two part series we ask: who is Paul LePage?

By: COLIN WOODARD | January 18, 2012

The Making of Paul LePage, Part 1

Escaping Poverty; or, the Horatio Alger Years
Governor Paul LePage generated more controversy and negative press in his first year in office than most Maine politicians do in their entire careers.

By: COLIN WOODARD | January 18, 2012

New faces

Press releases
The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram and its sister papers announced at 4 pm last Friday that an effort was under way to bring in new owners to take over the papers, in the wake of Richard Connor's abrupt departure back in October.

By: JEFF INGLIS | January 11, 2012

Twelve sweet ideas for Maine in 2012

Better by the dozen
With the new year upon us, we're looking into the future to see what things will be making Maine better in the coming 12 months. Here's a selection of things we'll be watching — and you should, too.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON, JEFF INGLIS, AND NICHOLAS SCHROEDER | January 04, 2012

Looking ahead to 2012

A year of big elections and business development (fingers crossed)
While its members (and the rest of the 99 percent) wait to see about how OccupyMaine fares in court — and in possible multiple rounds of appeals and requests for reconsideration — they're not resting on their pallets and sleeping mats.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON AND JEFF INGLIS | December 28, 2011

Small potatoes

Balls, pucks and monster trucks
There are too many ridiculous college football bowl games to really care about unless your alma mater plays in one.

By: RICK WORMWOOD | December 28, 2011

Looking back on 2011

Portland's year in progressive politics, the Press Herald , and pop-up shopping
If it seems like the year of the Occupy movement, that's a huge testament to the power of the effort that arose in New York on September 17, and had its Maine debut on October 1, spreading from Portland through the entire state over the course of that month and into the fall.

By: DEIRDRE FULTON, JEFF INGLIS, AND NICHOLAS SCHROEDER | December 21, 2011

Privatized prison medical care is sick

But will cutting costs cure it? Joe Ponte's balancing act
For years complaints that the privatized medical care at the state's prisons was inadequate and abusive have poured into the mail and email boxes of prisoner advocates, the state's Corrections commissioner, and the press.

By: LANCE TAPLEY | December 14, 2011