Seven graduate in Islesboro

In remarks delivered at Islesboro Central School's graduation ceremony June 11, U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, offered his congratulations to the seven graduating seniors of the Class of 2017 and applauded the entire island community on their success in helping the students learn, grow and succeed. King was invited to speak to speak by one of the graduating seniors, Olivia Olson, who wrote Sen. King last September to say: "The Islesboro Central School Class of 2017 is not a large one; there are seven of us.

White House angling to get House GOP to defang Senate-passed Russia sanctions: Report

The White House is planning to communicate with House Republicans about how to weaken legislation recently passed by the Senate that would enforce new sanctions on Russia for meddling in the 2016 election, according to a report Saturday. The Trump administration is looking to tamp down, but not kill, the legislation that would also set up a congressional review process if President Trump tried to ease sanctions on Russia, an unnamed senior administration official told Politico.

84-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein not retiring

In this June 13, 2017, file photo, Senate Intelligence Committee member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., right, with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., listens as Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Feinstein, who turns 84 June 22, 2017, is showing no signs of slowing down and is raising lots of campaign money, even if she hasn't declared her intention to run again in 2018. California's Dianne Feinstein turns 84 on Thursday and is displaying signs that she's headed for a re-election campaign, not a retirement party.

Trump Cabinet officers urge on Republicans in Georgia race on Tuesday

Trying to stave off a major upset ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, two of President Donald Trump's Cabinet officers returned to Atlanta's traditionally conservative suburbs and urged Republican voters to maintain the GOP's monopoly control in Washington. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, a former two-term Georgia governor, took sharp aim at Republican Karen Handel's opponent in Tuesday's congressional runoff election, 30-year-old Democrat Jon Ossoff, who has raised more than $23 million from people around the country hoping for a victory that could turn the tide on Trump.

No retirement talk from Dianne Feinstein, oldest US senator

California's Dianne Feinstein turns 84 on Thursday and is displaying signs that she's headed for a re-election campaign, not a retirement party. While the Democrat has been coy when asked about seeking a fifth full term next year, her political committee, unambiguously titled Feinstein for Senate 2018, raised more than $650,000 in the first three months of this year in a cue she is looking ahead.

Republicans divided as Trump reverses some Obama Cuba policy

President Donald Trump's decision to reverse some Obama-era Cuba policies landed with a thud among many congressional Republicans who say the new approach surrenders a potentially lucrative market for American goods and services to competitors. While anti-Castro conservatives hailed Trump's partial roll-back of President Barack Obama's detente, a number of other GOP lawmakers, particularly from farm states, criticized the change as misguided and isolationist.

House television / Ap; Senate Television / Ap

Journals like this one exist, generally speaking, not to praise politicians but to chastise, to upbraid, or at least to criticize them. And so, after hearing about the terrible shootings at the Alexandria baseball field the morning of June 14; after making the mistake of sampling the incivility and stupidity that some of our fellow Americans from across the political spectrum were spewing on television and on Twitter; after thinking of all the ways our public officials might fail to say what should be said-we feared the worst.

Scalise remains critical, outlook guarded

Congressman Steve Scalise can hope to make an "excellent recovery," his trauma surgeon said Friday, even though the lawmaker arrived at the hospital Wednesday at imminent risk of death after getting shot at a congressional baseball practice. In his first public comments since the shooting, Dr. Jack Sava of MedStar Washington Hospital Center said it's a "good possibility" that the Louisiana Republican will be able to return to work in his full capacity.

The Latest: UK royals hold London fire minute of silence

Emergency workers walk on the roof of the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower in London, Friday, June 16, 2017, after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building on Wednesday morning. Grief over a high-rise tower blaze that killed dozens of p... .

The Latest: Iraq captures border crossing to Syria from IS

The Trump administration is formally revoking a blocked program intended to protect the immigrant parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents from the deportation. The Trump administration is formally revoking a blocked program intended to protect the immigrant parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents from the deportation.

Scalise’s doctor hopes for – excellent recovery’ despite risk

Congressman Steve Scalise can hope to make an "excellent recovery," his trauma surgeon said Friday, even though the lawmaker arrived at the hospital Wednesday at imminent risk of death after getting shot at a congressional baseball practice. In his first public comments since the shooting, Dr. Jack Sava of MedStar Washington Hospital Center said it's a "good possibility" that the Louisiana Republican will be able to return to work in his full capacity.

Donald Trump decries ‘witch hunt’

President Trump appeared to confirm he is under federal investigation in the ongoing Russia probe as he yet again blasted the political "witch hunt" and insisted no evidence exists he colluded with the former Cold War adversary. "I am being investigated for firing the FBI director by the man who told me to fire the FBI director!" Trump tweeted yesterday.

Trump confirms he’s under investigation

Presidential smooch: President Trump had a friendly greeting for Marta Beatriz Roque, a Cuban political dissident, during a speech Friday in Miami. He reversed some Obama administration policies and announced a new Cuba plan to halt the flow of U.S. cash to the country's military and security services while maintaining diplomatic relations.

Sen. Martin Heinrich’s staff to host office hours

Sen. Martin Heinrich's staff to host office hours Constituent meetings are planned in Alamogordo, Lordsburg and Mesilla. Check out this story on lcsun-news.com: U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., speaks with constituents on Monday, April 17, 2017, during a town hall meeting at the Las Cruces Convention Center.

Latest: Few hundred gather at St. Paul rally for Castile

The Latest in the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop : A few hundred people have gathered at Minnesota's state Capitol to protest the acquittal of a police officer in the fatal shooting of a black motorist. Officer Jeronimo Yanez was cleared Friday in last July's death of Philando Castile.

Trump curtails historic opening with Cuba

In a speech in Miami, during which he greeted Cuban dissidents and denounced the Cuban regime, Trump said Cuban rulers were profiting from better relations with Washington but that ordinary Cuban citizens continued to be repressed. "The previous administration's easing of restrictions on travel and trade does not help the Cuban people, they only enrich the Cuban regime," he said.