Fall is upon us, and so is another season of school shootings. Since Aug. 1, we have already seen 122 school incidents that involved guns, resulting in eight fatalities and 12 non-fatal injuries. While many may be shocked and horrified, these numbers are not surprising to those of us counting. In 2021 and 2022, we […]
Ben Bragdon
Staff Writer
Ben Bragdon is managing editor of the Sun Journal. Prior to that, he was deputy managing editor for news at the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. Ben was previously editorial page editor for those newspapers and Central Maine Sunday for more than 10 years. Before that, he was managing editor for weekly newspapers at Current Publishing in Westbrook. He began his career as a reporter at the Piscataquis Observer in Dover-Foxcroft and editor at the Moosehead Messenger in Greenville. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston University.
Posted inLetters to the Editor, Opinion
Maine is on right course with Trap-Neuter-Return
Maine has dedicated advocates and organizations on the right path with Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats in the state (“Maine rescue leaders say it’s raining cats and cats, with shelters full and colonies growing,” Sept. 10), and yet much more can be done to expand, promote, and bolster these lifesaving efforts. Increased support for low-cost […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: This is the missing puzzle piece to getting COVID-19 vaccines into arms
On Sept. 11, the Food and Drug Administration approved an emergency use authorization for updated COVID-19 vaccines. The next day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a statement that recommended updated vaccines for people 6 months and older. As these new vaccines become available, it is critical that we improve access to save […]
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Clean vehicle standards will get Maine where it needs to go
Requiring electric vehicles to be sold here is a logical step toward reducing carbon emissions and building a cleaner, healthier economy.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Is it time for a federal judge to put a gag order on Donald Trump?
It’s been clear for some time that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will jail Donald Trump for contempt or impose other severe penalties for his behavior only if he leaves her no choice. Based on the former president’s response to the Justice Department’s motion for a limited gag order in the Jan. 6 case, it […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Social media is just one online habit hurting teens
Last spring, my tween was begging for more independence, starting with being allowed to walk home from school alone. The mile-plus walk involves crossing a few busy streets. I was hesitant; she doesn’t have a phone, so she had no way to contact me if something went wrong. But we practiced a few times (with […]
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
View from Away: US Sen. Robert Menendez should resign
New Jersey’s Robert Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence (again). But after his latest federal indictment on bribery charges, he should not be entitled to continue to serve in the United States Senate. Menendez should resign. The cloud hanging over the Garden State’s senior senator will inevitably distract from his ability to put […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Nedra Rhone: Manufacturers need a lesson in toxic chemicals transparency
Some American chemical companies have an important lesson to learn: It doesn’t pay to keep secrets. Earlier this month, DuPont and four other companies filed a suit to prevent The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Rome News-Tribune from obtaining certain documents. Those legal filings reveal how much the chemical companies are paying to settle a lawsuit […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Planned cut to VA funding for ambulances would harm our nation’s veterans
Unless stopped, the Department of Veterans Affairs is set to knock over a domino that may drastically harm veterans’ health care and then spread to the general community. In a cost-cutting measure on track to take effect early next year, the VA plans to sever a critical link between veterans and medical facilities by significantly […]