Alex Lear
A Maine native and Colby College graduate, Alex has been covering coastal communities since 2001. He lives in the Portland area with his wife Lauren, 4-year-old daughter Alaina, and 7-year-old bulldog Walter. He has released four CDs of original music and does occasional research work for Marvel Comics' collected editions.
Rich Lowry: The fear factor
Of all the advantages that Donald Trump has in the competition for the 2024 Republican nomination — immediate past president, ability to generate enormous media attention, etc. — perhaps foremost among them is the fact that the other Republican candidates are afraid.
Mary Ann Norcross: Harmon cares about Auburn and its residents
The first time I saw Jeff Harmon was at a sign-the-petition drive to Protect Lake Auburn at the Subaru building on Center Street in Auburn. Jeff calmly explained the petition and answered questions that citizens asked. The next time I saw Jeff, he was speaking at a City Council meeting. Again I saw he was […]
Clarence Page: Jason Aldean’s dream is my nightmare
Jason Aldean’s hit song “Try That in a Small Town” is a catchy anthem that has been selling like the latest iPhone to some music consumers, while others want to cancel it as unsubtle hate speech.
Rudolph Ziehm: Trump is Putin’s ‘greatest American fan’
Guess who wants to cut aid to Ukraine? Why, it’s Vladimir Putin’s greatest American fan, our own former president, Donald J. Trump. What a shock. I mean, just because he asked Russia for help to get elected, called Vlad a genius, refused his own intelligence about North Korea’s nuclear testing, and said he didn’t see […]
Paul Baribault: Christians should think hard about supporting Trump
I often pass by a house that has statues of Joseph and Mary on the front steps, a depiction of the nativity in their living room window — and a prominent Trump 2024 sticker on the back window of their vehicle. The correspondence of the visuals makes me wonder if these fellow Christians experience the […]
In rebuttal: William LaRochelle: Don’t lump Trump and Biden together
“Donald Trump and Joe Biden are reflections of what is wrong in contemporary culture,” Cal Thomas stated in a recent column (“Shame on us for electing bad leaders,” Aug. 2). But lumping Trump and Biden together as twin deplorables is one whale of an assertion. Let me see: Last time I looked, Biden wasn’t a […]
Noël Bonam: Results of Maine’s Second Congressional District poll from AARP
In an election where control of Congress and the White House are both up for grabs, support from caregiving voters could make the difference.
Bob Neal: The Countryman: Always conventional, not always wisdom
Next time someone says “conventional wisdom,” you may want to roll your eyes. Or just look for the reality on your own.