Ben Bragdon

Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel

Latest

Published
November 11, 2023

Commentary: Rise in infant mortality shows US needs to take better care of moms

New provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer a horrible statistic: The infant death rate in the U.S. rose by 3% in 2022 to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, the first significant increase in about 20 years. It’s too soon to know if this is the start of a terrible […]
Published
November 10, 2023

Commentary: Gun case forces Supreme Court to confront its own illogic

The good news is that the U.S. Supreme Court seems poised to reverse a Fifth Circuit decision that said police can’t confiscate guns from domestic abusers. The bad news is that the high court’s 2022 Bruen decision, which guided the lower court’s ruling, remains firmly in place. Bruen is among the worst-reasoned Supreme Court decisions […]
Published
November 9, 2023

Our View: Metal mining has no place in future of Katahdin region

There is too much of a chance of something going wrong if Maine allows a mine in such an environmentally sensitive place.
Published
November 7, 2023

Sen. Brad Farrin: Important decisions on electric cars should be made by Legislature

You’ve likely heard that several Maine environmental groups petitioned the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) to adopt California’s aggressive Advanced Clean Car and Truck rules for Maine. The goal of the groups Natural Resources Council of Maine, Sierra Club and Conservation Law Foundation is to bypass the Maine Legislature and force their own climate […]
Published
November 5, 2023

Our View: In the absence of gun reform, police have no room for error

Without basic checks and balances, the onus is on law enforcement agents and agencies. Too often, they are simply not up to the task.
Published
November 2, 2023

Our View: Money in politics is a problem, but Question 2 won’t solve it

Question 2 would likely keep some Maine-based companies from participating in elections, and it is a threat to the freedom of the press.
Published
October 31, 2023

Maine Compass: Rep. Jared Golden makes courageous stand on guns

It’s the kind of message that has the potential to break the national logjam on gun safety.
Published
October 30, 2023

Commentary: Our failed immigration policy is causing a child labor epidemic in the US

Children are now mainstays in migration policy debates and news, with unaccompanied minors at the border drawing much attention over the past decade. The systemic violence and poverty that displace thousands of children from Central and South America have a long history. While these factors have only worsened in recent years because of climate change, […]
Published
October 30, 2023

Commentary: Don’t grow all the way up, it’s a trap!

The other night, after a long family dinner, my 13-year-old niece disappeared into our downstairs closet and soon reemerged with a box of toys I’d saved from my daughter Chloe’s childhood. Chloe, who is now 31, was surprisingly happy. “I want that,” she said, reaching for a Furby. “That one too,” she said, looking at […]
Published
October 28, 2023

Commentary: How new House Speaker Mike Johnson tried again and again to overturn Biden’s election

In less than 15 months, Congress will count and certify the votes from the electoral college. It is truly frightening that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from the far right of the Republican Party, might have a prominent role in the process. If Republicans keep control of the House in the November 2024 elections, it […]