Esta Pratt-Kielley
Digital News Reporterepratt-kielley@mainepublic.org
Esta Pratt-Kielley is a digital news reporter at Maine Public, where she writes and produces multimedia stories, seeking to bring Maine Public’s storytelling to life across platforms.
Before moving to Maine, Esta lived and worked in New York City. She wrote and produced daily news for MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, covering national politics, the 2020 election, racial justice protests and the coronavirus pandemic. Before that, Esta reported national education stories for NBC News, where she produced short documentaries and educational video series, helped launch a Webby award-winning parenting website, wrote and produced episodes for a daily news show for kids, and traveled across the country to produce live-audience broadcasts in partnership with local NBC affiliate stations. In October 2019, Esta was the senior producer for a televised, live-audience event in Detroit, Michigan, that put a spotlight on the city’s education system.
Esta is originally from Madison, Wisconsin, where she attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with a Journalism degree and a Fine Arts minor. Esta’s career in journalism began at her college radio station, where she reported daily newscasts and hosted a weekly talk show.
Esta lives with her wife, their baby, and two rescue dogs. They spend most weekends outdoors, hiking or swimming.
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3,000 Mainers called the LGBTQ+ hotline last year, according to the Trevor Project. Maine advocates say the elimination of this specialized service puts already vulnerable kids at risk. But they say there are still resources for LGBTQ+ youth to find support. -
Spring and summer are a busy time of year for Maine florists who typically rely on imported cut flowers to make arrangements for weddings, funerals and other special occasions. But President Trump’s ever-changing tariffs may start to disrupt that. Local flower growers could be the beneficiaries, if they can keep their own costs down. -
The Supreme Court's decision has no effect on Maine, which currently has no bans restricting access to gender-affirming care for minors. -
Advocates say the bill is a “civil rights victory” for people with disabilities in Maine. -
It’s LGBTQ Pride Month, and the political climate has Pride organizers putting an extra focus on safety this year – and doubling down on pride's protest roots. -
The new tests are about a third of the size of the current kit which will save the nonprofit more money, help them reach more people, and allow for more discretion. -
Several proposals aim to reverse gender identity protections in the Maine Human Rights Act that have existed for years, but have drawn repeated criticism from Republicans and President Donald Trump. -
On Friday, the judge ordered the State Department to issue passports to six of seven transgender and nonbinary plaintiffs while their lawsuit plays out in court. Maine state law still allows for a person to select X as their gender marker or change their sex designation on state IDs like drivers licenses. -
In Maine, individuals can still get IDs and birth certificates to reflect their gender identity, but many are confused about how they align with new federal requirements and whether it's safe for them to travel. -
As the May 7 Real ID deadline approaches, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows says Bureau of Motor Vehicles branches across the state are seeing a huge influx of applicants.
