NEW YORK (AP) — Breaking months of near-silence about his political future, Democrat Beto O’Rourke said Tuesday that he would announce his decision about a 2020 presidential run “before the end of the month” and suggested he’s leaning toward it. The former Texas congressman, who found political stardom in his unsuccessful Senate bid last fall, […]

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is expected to declare near-total triumph over the Islamic State group in Syria in his State of the Union address Tuesday, but U.S. defense officials are increasingly fearful that the militants are simply biding their time until the Americans leave the battlefield as planned. IS militants have lost territory since […]

OLD ORCHARD BEACH — A woman who drug agents say directed a friend to drive to Massachusetts to buy fentanyl and crack cocaine which was  allegedly later sold from her Old Orchard Beach apartment is scheduled to change her plea on federal drug charges next week. Lisa Lambert, who was 40 when she was arrested […]

SACO — The Saco School Department is proposing to expand its pre-K program and create a special education day program — two big ticket initiatives school officials say will bring in revenues to help offset the costs of the programs. Saco Schools Director of Finance Jason DiDonato presented a proposed “maintenance budget” that maintained current […]

The attorney for a former Somerset County Jail corrections officer said an agreement was reached Monday with a judge to postpone the domestic violence case against his client until spring. Ross Fichthorn, a court-appointed lawyer, said Superior Court Justice Robert Mullen agreed to continue the case against Jeremy A.E. Carr, 33, of Skowhegan, until May. […]

AUGUSTA — A tiny fraction of the hundreds of welfare fraud allegations made last year ended up being prosecuted by the attorney general’s office, according to state documents. Out of 1,160 allegations of potential welfare fraud last year, only 25 cases were referred to the attorney general by the Fraud Investigations and Recovery Unit of […]

  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump picked the grandest stage to unveil one of his first immigration initiatives: Appearing before a joint session of Congress a month after taking office, Trump announced the creation of a hotline to help victims of crimes committed by immigrants. Almost immediately, the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement hotline was […]

As a diabetic and bilateral amputee, John Gillis relies on CBD, a derivative of the cannabis plant, to manage his constant pain. The 30-year-old Dexter resident uses CBD-infused food, tinctures and lotion to control the pain, but he lost the right to buy all but the lotions since state health authorities started ordering businesses to remove oral […]

AUGUSTA – The Maine Senate confirmed five more members of Gov. Janet Mills’ Cabinet on Tuesday, including former Portland police Chief Michael Sauschuck, whose nomination drew opposition from gun owners’ rights groups. Following a brief floor debate, 21 senators voted to confirm Sauschuck while 13 opposed the nominee. The vote fell largely along party lines, […]