A conversation with Senator Angus King
(I-ME)
In the News
Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs
Colby’s hub for politics, policy, and the press.
About “In the News”
“In the News” is a weekly event series dedicated to sparking dialogue among visiting speakers and Colby students from diverse disciplines. Every Wednesday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, students will gather in Page Commons for food and insightful conversations with leading practitioners and thought leaders. Together, we tackle pressing topics in politics, policy, and the press. Our speakers bring firsthand insights and practical wisdom about issues that resonate with our student body. We hope attendees will leave with a deeper understanding, a fresh perspective, or even a transformed viewpoint.
Spring 2026 Events
A conversation with Secretary William S. Cohen
U.S. Secretary of Defense (1997-2001); U.S. Senator from Maine (1979-1997)
A conversation with Maulian Bryant
Executive Director, Wabanaki Alliance & Penobscot Nation Citizen
A conversation with Sarah Isgur
Senior Editor, The Dispatch & Legal Analyst, ABC News
A conversation with Dr. Puthiery Va
Director of Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention
A conversation with Matthew Yglesias
Author, Slow Boring & Contributing Opinion Writer, New York Times
A conversation with Cassie Willson
Comedian and Content Creator
A conversation with Bob Bauer and Anita Dunn
Former White House Counsel to President Barack Obama; Former Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden
A conversation with Ross Douthat
Opinion Columnist, New York Times & Host, Interesting Times Podcast
A conversation with Jameel Jaffer
Director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
Fall 2025 Events
A conversation with Faiz Shakir
Senior Advisor, Bernie Sanders & CEO, More Perfect Union
A conversation with Philip Wallach
Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
A conversation with Mónica Guzmán
CEO and Founder, Reclaim Curiosity
A conversation with Farah Stockman
Editorial Board, New York Times
A conversation with Sam Cole
Journalist & Co-founder, 404 Media
A conversation with Kristen Soltis Anderson
Founding Partner, Echelon Insights & Contributing Opinion Writer, New York Times
A conversation with Doug Belkin
Reporter, Wall Street Journal ~virtual~
A conversation with Hala Alyan
Clinical Psychologist, NYU Professor, & Award-Winning Novelist & Poet
A conversation with Matt Gagnon
CEO, Maine Policy Institute
A conversation with Elisabeth Marnik
Director of Science Education & Outreach, MDI Biological Laboratory
Spring 2025 Events
A conversation with Eugene Daniels
White House Correspondent and Chief Playbook Correspondent, Politico
A conversation with Jacqueline Alemany
White House Reporter, The Washington Post
A conversation with Tyler Austin Harper
Professor of Environmental Studies, Bates College & Contributing Writer, The Atlantic
A conversation with Chris Scalia
Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
A conversation with Ejeris Dixon
Founding Director, Ejerie Labs & Host, The Fascism Barometer
A conversation with Greg Ip
Chief Economics Commentator, The Wall Street Journal
A conversation with Ramesh Ponnuru
Editor, National Review & Contributing Columnist, Washington Post
A conversation with Sara Gagné-Holmes
Commissioner, Maine Department of Health and Human Services
A conversation with:
David Leavy ’92
Chief Operating Officer, CNN Worldwide
Chip Smith ’91
Founder, Braddock Cove Ventures, and
Amy Walter ’91 Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Cook Political Report
A conversation with Dexter Thomas
Journalist & Documentary Filmmaker
Fall 2024 Events
Facebook Fried Your Parents’ Brains. Are You next? How to navigate social media and the ’24 election
A conversation with Dexter Thomas
Crisis and Consequence: Reflections on January 6th and the Future of the Republican Party
A conversation with Marc Short
Who Says Business and Politics Don’t Mix?
A conversation with Mike Federle ‘81 and Dan Kleban
Lovejoy Award for Courage in Journalism Ceremony
A conversation with Jacqueline Charles
Politics of the Past and Politics of the Future: Threats of Autocracy at Home and Abroad
A conversation with Masha Gessen
Get Out The Vote: What’s at Stake in Maine
A conversation with Shenna Bellows and Mike Shepherd
Immigration: How the Border Became the Flashpoint of US Politics
A conversation with Caitlin Dickerson
The Inaugural Peter Hart Lecture on Politics and Policy
Inside the Senate: Patrick Leahy’s Journey Through Political Change
A conversation with Senator Patrick Leahy, Vermont (Ret.)
Governor Janet Mills: Governing through Difficult Times
A conversation with Governor Janet Mills
Church and State: Understanding Religion in the Trump Era
A conversation with Tim Alberta
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? A post-election special of ‘In The News’
A conversation with Colby Alums, Political Reporters, Legal Experts, and More
Election Outcomes: How Political Power Actually Works
A conversation with Justin J. Pearson
Resilience in the Judiciary: Judge Salas’ Path from Tragedy to Purpose
A conversation with the Honorable Esther Salas
What If We Get It Right? Reimagining Climate Change
A conversation with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Staying Grounded While the World Is on Fire
A conversation with Dan Harris