If Congress fails to raise the debt limit, can President Joe Biden somehow borrow more money to save the United States from default? The short answer is no. But that hasn’t stopped a group of Senate Democrats from urging Biden to act unilaterally by invoking the Fourteenth Amendment. Yet the stand-off between the president and […]
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 inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: The best way to deal with the debt ceiling: Ignore it
With two weeks left until the national debt ceiling is expected to be reached, precipitating a constitutional and economic crisis, House Republicans continue to insist that President Joe Biden cave in to their threats. The problem is that if Biden makes any concession as the price of raising the debt ceiling, it will encourage Republicans […]
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Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Shah’s experience makes him right person to lead CDC at a crossroads
In Maine, Shah was a great communicator and a true public servant, which is just what the CDC needs.
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Inability to solve payroll problems at Hallowell school district is inexcusable
The problem, which goes back nearly two years, strikes at the trust between administrators and teachers and staff.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Nicholas Goldberg: Why it matters that Johnny doesn’t know history
Most Americans don’t know which countries the United States fought against in World War II or when the U.S. Constitution was ratified. Good luck having them point to Ukraine on a map, much less Belarus. Watch them stare blankly if you ask who represents them in the state legislature or what rights are protected by […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: The US war on terror continues. We just don’t talk about it
At a time when the Biden administration has its hands full trying to reverse Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and manage a U.S.-China relationship stuck in the doldrums, America’s vast, lethal counterterrorism machine continues to be in high gear. The U.S. intelligence community, in close partnership with America’s special operators, are tracking and hunting down terrorists […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Oceans are heating up and El Nino will make it worse
Even if you hate the beach, live inland and aren’t bothered by dwindling fish, the latest spike in ocean temperature matters to you. The ocean is like a huge closet where we’ve been able to store 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. That closet is now stuffed. The latest readings from more […]
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: The wrong compromise on guns will invite more violence
With background checks, waiting periods and prohibition of sale or transfer of guns where necessary, the Legislature has an opportunity to get it right. Will it?
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: We know so little about how social media affects kids’ brains
The American Psychological Association has issued its first advisory on social media use in adolescence. What’s most striking in its data-based recommendations is how little we really know about how these apps affect our kids. The relative newness of platforms like Snapchat and TikTok means little research is available about their long-term effects on teen […]
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Strengthening the safety net for Maine’s safety net
Maine’s General Assistance program helps people when they have nowhere else to go — no other options for finding food, shelter or medicine. It is the safety net’s safety net. And since asylum seekers began arriving in large numbers in 2019, it’s been one of the only ways to keep them afloat while the federal […]