Alex Lear
Staff Writer
Alex Lear is a lifelong Mainer who has spent 25 years in journalism -- the first 20 as a reporter for newspapers in Damariscotta and Falmouth, then as Opinions section editor for the Sun Journal and now a digital producer with the Maine Trust for Local News. His long-running “Learics” column won first place in the Maine Press Association’s 2023 Better Newspaper Contest. He and his wife Lauren are kept young by their 9-year-old daughter Alaina. Send feedback and suggestions to Alex.
David Haines: Praise for nixing Thompson Lake milfoil
Congratulations to the Thompson Lake residents in Oxford for their impressive and continuing work to eliminate variable milfoil from the lake, as featured Feb. 14 (“Paul Cain: Milfoil removal at Thompson Lake has been a great success“). One small plant may appear harmless, but some of us have seen first-hand the consequences of billions of […]
Austin Bay: Russia joins China’s Wuhan virus lie campaign
From the beginning of the COVID-19/Wuhan virus epidemic, China’s communist government has lied about the disease, its origin and its transmissibility. It has also avoided an accurate accounting of the contagion’s health and economic consequences within the Peoples Republic, always insisting Chinese Communist Party leadership has minimized the pandemic’s effects.
Rich Lowry: Democrats would regret nuking the filibuster
There is now an effort to brand the filibuster as inherently an instrument of hatred and repression. The filibusters of civil-rights legislation in the mid-20th century are justly notorious, but the tactic has often been used to progressive ends, most recently thwarting as much of Trump’s legislative agenda as possible.
Bob Schaible: Sen. King complicit in Israel’s Big Lie
Our grassroots group, Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights, has tried in multiple ways for two years to engage Sen. Angus King regarding Israel’s false narrative and brutal policies. We focused on King, since we believed he would entertain new information and alter his heretofore-ardent support of Israel. We were wrong.
Leonard Pitts Jr.: He was having a bad day
So said Cherokee County Sheriff’s spokesman Jay Baker by way of explaining last week’s mass shootings at three Atlanta-area massage parlors.
Cal Thomas: Now come the taxes
Anytime is a bad time to raise taxes, but raising them while people are still struggling with the consequences of government shutdowns is immoral.
In rebuttal: Sam May and Sen. Rick Bennett: Flanagan speaks for Spain, not Maine
We welcome foreign investment, but we insist they participate by playing by our rules and working for our benefit, not just theirs. When it comes to a regulated utility like CMP, the state has the absolute right and responsibility to protect its citizens’ interests.