Directors Florian Cossen and Katrin Gebbe give us an historical fantasy, full of diddling with that history, but still playing out in a glorious and glossy setting. Shot in Germany, where everything, outside of the big towns, is summer, verdant and lavish. “The Empress” is full of beautiful gardens, and people playing people who weren’t […]
Op-Eds
Opinion columns from the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Douglas Rooks: Labor on the cusp of revival
Since Democratic President Grover Cleveland signed the law proclaiming Labor Day in 1894, the holiday’s significance as a unique American observance has waxed and waned. Lord knows it’s time for a revival and one might — just might — be here. There are signs. President Biden is the first self-proclaimed friend of labor in the […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: The pandemic that coronavirus uncovered
In many people, long COVID may actually be ‘long Lyme,’ and better diagnosis and treatment of both diseases are vital – especially in Maine, with the nation’s highest Lyme rate.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Lisa Jarvis: Brain-to-text technology is about more than Musk
Two new studies published simultaneously in the journal Nature document a leap forward in the race to teach computers to translate brain signals into text. It’s an exciting development in a field that is attracting millions in investment, including to Elon Musk’s brain-implant company, Neuralink Corp. But to turn these discoveries into viable commercial products, […]
Posted inLife & Culture, On Music Lucky Clark, Op-Eds
Gregory Thom talks about upcoming Grateful Floyd concert in Madison
Over the years, I’ve covered a fair amount of tribute acts and although the Not Fade Away Band isn’t a Grateful Dead tribute, the five members of this seacoast New Hampshire group formed out of a mutual fondness for the music created by that legendary jam band. A few years back, I chatted with […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Maine’s business leaders must be mindful of back-to-school pressures
September is a challenging month for parents of school-age children. Employers would do well to take that into account.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Lisa Jarvis: Women are drinking more alcohol and it’s killing them
New data show that more U.S. women are dying from alcohol than ever before. Public health authorities need to adopt more effective strategies to help women realize when their drinking is a problem. Considering the many marketing messages pushing a “rosé all day” lifestyle, that campaign will be an uphill battle. But exposing the dangers […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: States should give rural families school choice
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will call a special legislative session this fall in hopes of joining a national trend toward expanding families’ K-12 options via school choice policies. Opponents claim that school choice will “destroy” rural school districts, but the available evidence says otherwise. Over the last 15 years, students in rural Texas have suffered […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: The March on Washington was more than a dream
Sixty years ago, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream turned the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom into a near-religious revival. King’s speech remains so emotionally powerful that we remember little else about that historic march and rally. That’s a shame, because the demonstration was so much more than a dream; it was […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Maine must ban utility shutoffs during extreme heat
With record-high heat – and record-high bills – more Mainers than ever find themselves at risk.