Donate to WERU Today!Host/Producer: Amy Browne
The No Kings! Coalition has announced March 28th as the next national day of action.
Nurses United Against Violence invites the public to join them Friday evening for a candlelight vigil for Alex Pretti at 5pm in front of the Federal Building on Harlow Street in Bangor
From from Indivisible Bangor: 3 short whistle blasts means ICE is nearby and one long blast means they are detaining someone. They say “Stay non-violent, but don’t stay silent”
Maine Immigrant Rights Hotline 207-544-9989
Maine Immigrant Rights Resource Hub
Immigration Legal Advocacy Project Maine update on ICE in Maine
About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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World Ocean Radio 1/28/26: Morocco Water Shadow
Host: Peter Neill
Producer: Trisha Badger
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
This week we’re wrapping up a four-part series dedicated to Morocco and its relationships to ocean and fresh water. Morocco is one of the only nations in the world to have a National Water Policy. Our big challenge today is to raise water consciousness to the level required to sustain water globally. This series is designed to get us to look at our own water habits, to examine our individual water footprints, our water shadows, and to consider the little and big things that we can do and change to bring each of us into relationship with water.
WORLD OCEAN RADIO
5-minute weekly insights dive into ocean science, advocacy and education hosted by Peter Neill, lifelong ocean advocate and maritime expert. A catalog of more than 730 episodes offering perspectives on global ocean issues and solutions, and celebrating exemplary projects. Available for RSS feed and broadcast by college and community radio stations worldwide via Exchange.prx.org and Audioport.org. Visit WorldOceanObservatory.org for the full catalog, searchable by theme.
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Around Town 1/28/26: Local News, Culture and Events
Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Immigration Legal Advocacy Project Maine update on ICE in Maine
The Digital Security Discussion Group at the Witherle Memorial Library in Castine meets from 5 to 6 pm today and all are welcome.
To register ffor the zoom link contact [email protected]
On Saturday, Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, Native Gardens of Blue Hill and 5 Star Orchard will present a screening of “The Buzz on Native Plants”, followed by a discussion and seed sowing – at the Alamo Theatre in Bucksport at 1pm Tickets and more information
Maine Immigrant Rights Hotline 207-544-9989
Maine Immigrant Rights Resource Hub
About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Wabanaki Windows 1/27/26: Wabanaki Alliance
Host: Donna Loring
Other credits: Technical assistance for the show was provided by Joel Mann of WERU, and Jessica Lockhart.
Music by Ralph Richter, a track called little eagles from his CD Dream Walk.
Wabanaki Windows is a monthly show featuring topics of interest from a Wabanaki perspective.
This month: This episode describes the history of the organization, its mission and its goals.
Guest/s:
Mualian Bryant, Executive Director of Wabanaki Alliance. www.wabanakialliance.com
Darren Ranco is a member of the Penobscot Nation and a scholar of Native American studies. He knew Charles as an elder and community leader and has worked to ensure that Charles’s story is understood within the larger context of Indigenous service, sovereignty, and survival.
About the host:
Donna M Loring is a Penobscot Indian Nation Tribal Elder, and former Council Member. She represented the Penobscot Nation in the State Legislature for over a decade. She is a former Senior Advisor on Tribal Affairs to Governor Mills. She is the author of “In The Shadow of The Eagle A Tribal Representative In Maine”. Donna has an Annual lecture series in her name at the University of New England that addresses Social Justice and Human Rights issues. In 2017 She received an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Humane Letters from the University of Maine Orono and was given the Alumni Service Award. It is the most prestigious recognition given by the University of Maine Alumni Association. It is presented Annually to a University of Maine graduate whose life’s work is marked by outstanding achievements in professional, business, civic and/or Public service areas. Donna received a second Honorary Doctorate from Thomas College in May of 2022.
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Outside the Box 1/27/26: “History of Ending Poverty”
Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger
About the host:
Larry Dansinger (no pronouns) of Bangor came to Maine in 1974 and has been here ever since. Some of Larry’s activities since then: Done community organizing on numerous issues through INVERT and then Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), committed civil disobedience several times, grown a garden yearly since 1977, joined various food cooperatives and two men’s groups, refused to pay federal income taxes for war, lived on a community land trust for 23 years, and met a wonderful partner whom Larry has loved for over 40 years. Larry has produced Outside the Box features on WERU since 2007 and continues to look for unique ways of seeing almost any problem or situation.
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Around Town 1/27/26: Local News, Culture and Events
Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has announced that his office now has an email address dedicated specifically to reports of federal government actions in Maine, along with the following statement:
AUGUSTA – “Across our nation, we are seeing numerous reports of apparent civil rights violations and improper use of force by federal agents who have been sent into areas targeted for immigration enforcement by the federal government. With the federal government now surging federal agents into Maine under the banner of immigration enforcement, evidence of constitutionally-deficient, excessive, and intimidating enforcement tactics is quickly emerging in our own state.
In order to better assess the impacts of these questionable immigration enforcement activities on Mainers, as well as evaluate what action this office may take in response, the Office of the Maine Attorney General has established a dedicated email address for Mainers to share such information with the office for potential investigation.
The email address will be monitored for documentation of potential violations of the Maine and federal Constitutions, as well as Maine laws such as the Maine Civil Rights Act.
We invite the public to submit any descriptions of observed intimidating or excessive behavior used by federal agents. Information that would be helpful to provide includes: date, location of incident, names of any individuals involved as actors or witnesses, if known, and contact information. We will not be accepting photographs and videos through this email address. However, please let us know if photographs or videos are available and provide contact information so the office can arrange to obtain copies if deemed necessary.
Emailers should be advised that any content sent may be subject to public dissemination under Maine’s Freedom of Access Laws.
Finally, please also be advised that this email address is not for seeking legal advice, legal representation, or for requesting feedback.”
The email address is [email protected]
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows issued the following statement in response to US Attorney General Pam Bondi’s offer to withdraw federal immigration officials from Minnesota if the state gave in to demands including handing over their voter records to the federal government. Maine is one of the other states refusing to give the administration that information (see USA vs Shenna Bellows)
“Attorney General Bondi’s letter to Minnesota made explicit what has long been clear: ICE is invading our states and inflicting violence in order to create chaos and control our states and elections. These sinister actions are Donald Trump’s attempt to assume absolute power.
Let me say this clearly for President Trump: Maine will never turn over our voter rolls as a ransom payment to get ICE to end its unconstitutional assault on our state. Our founders designed a system where states and local governments, not the federal government, oversee elections to safeguard us from exactly this — a tyrannical, power-hungry president trampling on our constitutional rights. As Maine’s top election official, I stand with Minnesota Secretary of State Simon as we fight back against this dangerous assault together.”
Maine Immigrant Rights Hotline 207-544-9989
Maine Immigrant Rights Resource Hub
Immigration Legal Advocacy Project Maine
Indivisible Bangor and others hold a weekly vigil every Tuesday at 11 in front of the federal building on Harlow St, near the Bangor Public Library.
About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Around Town 1/26/26: Local News, Culture and Events
Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Dr. Charles Rolsky from the Shaw Institute in Blue Hill is here with news of their upcoming events – including a Valentine’s Day event inspired by the success of last year’s event. Adults only. And seahorses!
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project – Maine “As Maine’s only state-wide immigration legal services organization, ILAP advances justice and equity for immigrants and their families through direct legal services, community education, and systemic advocacy” Statement from the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) on the First Few Days of ICE’s Operation in Maine
Maine Immigrant Resource Hub & Hotline 207-544-9989
About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
A Word in Edgewise 1/26/26: Huey Smith, Unpredictability, Susan Griffin, & Vesna Vulovi? . . .
Producer/Host: R.W. Estela
Hi, I’m RW Estela: Since 1991, I’ve been presenting A Word in Edgewise, WERU’s longest-running short feature, a veritable almanac of worldly and heavenly happenings, a confluence of 21st-century life in its myriad manifestations, international and domestic, cosmopolitan and rural, often revealing, as the French say, the more things change, the more they stay the same — though not always! Sometimes in addressing issues affecting our day-to-day lives, in this age of vagary and ambiguity, when chronological time is punctuated elliptically, things can quickly turn edgy and controversial, as we search for understanding amid our dialectic. Tune in Monday mornings at 7:30 a.m. for an exciting journey through space and time with a few notable birthdays thrown in for good measure during A Word in Edgewise . . .
About the host:
RW Estela was raised as a first-generation American in Colorado by a German mother and a Corsican-Basque father who would become a three-war veteran for the US Army, so RW was naturally a military brat and later engaged in various Vietnam-era civil-service adventures before paying his way through college by skiing for the University of Colorado, playing Boulder coffeehouses, and teaching. He has climbed all of Colorado’s Fourteeners; found work as an FAA-certificated commercial pilot, a California-licensed building contractor, a publishing editor, a practitioner of Aikido, and a college professor of English; among his many interdisciplinary pursuits are the design and building of Terrell Residence Library (recently renamed the Terrell House Permaculture Living & Learning Center at the University of Maine), writing Building It In Two Languages (a bilingual dictionary of construction terminology), aerial photo documentation of two dam removals (Great Works and Veazie) on the Penobscot River, and once a week since 1991 drafting an installment of A Word In Edgewise, his essay series addressing issues affecting our day-to-day lives — and WERU’s oldest continuous short feature. When pandemics do not interfere, he does the Triple Crown of Maine open-water ocean swims (Peaks to Portland, Islesboro Crossing, and Nubble Light Challenge) and the Whitewater Downriver Point Series of the Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization. RW is the father of two and the grandfather of three and lives with his partner Kathleen of 37 years and their two Maine Coons in Orono.
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