Irwin Gratz

Portland

Morning Edition Host and Producer at Maine Public Broadcasting Network

Native New Yorker (Mets fan), Morning Edition host for Maine Public Broadcasting, Past Natiional President, Society of Professional Journalists

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Articles

The Maine Historical Society explores the public's fascination with true crime in a new exhibit

1 week ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

The public's fascination with crime as reflected in news accounts, reality TV and, now, true crime podcasts, might seem like a recent phenomenon. But crime stories have commanded the public's attention for hundreds of years.
Unemployment rate falls in three Maine urban areas

1 week ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

The unemployment rate fell in all three of Maine's urban areas last month. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says the biggest drop was in the Portland-South Portland market, where joblessness fell half a percentage point to just 2.7%. The Lewiston-Auburn area saw a .3% drop, to 3.5%. Bangor's unemployment rate fell from 4% to 3.8%. The unemployment rates in all three urban areas are slightly higher than they were in April 2024.
Maine airports prepare for summer travel

2 weeks ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

Airlines are expecting a busy summer at Portland Jetport. Director Paul Bradbury says they'll have the capacity to fly more than a million passengers between May and October. "The airlines are still very bullish on our market," Bradbury says. The increase in seats, about 6.5% over last year, stands in contrast to estimates from the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA expects to screen about 2% fewer passengers nationally.
Turnpike traffic may be down slightly this holiday weekend

2 weeks ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

The weather is expected to reduce Maine Turnpike traffic this weekend. Spokeswoman Erin Courtney said the Turnpike Authority is expecting fewer than a million toll transactions. That would be a 2.5% decline from last Memorial Day weekend. Courtney said the heaviest travel times should be 3-7 p.m. northbound Friday. The heaviest southbound traffic is likely to be 1-7 p.m. Monday. Incoming visitors Friday will find the Turnpike's mascot, Miles the Moose, at the northbound Kennebunk rest area.
Unemployment holds steady in April as hourly earnings increase

2 weeks ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

Maine's unemployment rate held steady in April at 3.5% according to the Maine Department of Labor. It was the fourth straight month the state recorded that low level of joblessness. Once again, the state had a lower jobless rate than the nation as a whole, which was 4.2%. Maine's 3.5% rate is up from 2.8% in April of last year. For those who are employed, hourly earnings are, on average 3.6% higher than a year ago.
Inflation cools across Maine in April

3 weeks ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

Maine Public's Grocery Price Index fell in April by 3.5%. That put our basket of grocery prices back below where it was when we began tracking in January. Egg prices retreated, as they did nationally. Overall, our basket of groceries, which would have cost $61.59 back in January, cost $61.10 last month. One caveat: some of the grocery price declines were driven by sales at some of the outlets we track.
The high school at St. Dominic Academy may stay open another year

1 month ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

The high school at St. Dominic Academy in Auburn may remain open for one more year. Last month, Roman Catholic Bishop James Ruggieri announced the high school would close after this school year. He wrote that the high school had been operating at a deficit since 2020 due to a drop in enrollment and fundraising that fell chronically short of what was needed.
Maine's new transportation plan calls for continued funding shift away from gas tax

1 month ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

Maine Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note said the state's latest three-year work plan should be able to continue making "smart and steady progress" thanks to increased federal funding. Federal sources will make up about half of the $4.8 billion the state plans to spend on transportation projects over the next three years. Van Note said it's too soon to know how President Donald Trump's policies will affect that funding.
'No indication' public money at risk despite controversy

2 months ago | bangordailynews.com | Irwin Gratz

Maine’s annual audit that examines how federal dollars are spent usually generates little controversy. State Auditor Matt Dunlap says to think of it as a “proofreading” exercise. “You don’t know if the writer intended a comma, or a semi-colon, but, if you question it, you should point it out and let them make the decision as to whether that’s something that’s material and needs to be addressed, or not,” he said.
Maine auditor: 'No indication' public money at risk despite controversy over report

2 months ago | mainepublic.org | Irwin Gratz

Maine's annual audit that examines how federal dollars are spent usually generates little controversy. State Auditor Matt Dunlap says to think of it as a "proofreading" exercise. "You don't know if the writer intended a comma, or a semi-colon, but, if you question it, you should point it out and let them make the decision as to whether that's something that's material and needs to be addressed, or not," he says.