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1. Georgia voters are set to decide the balance of power in Congress in a pair of high-stakes Senate runoff elections today. Democrats must win both of the elections to gain the majority. In that scenario, the Senate would be equally divided 50-50 with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaker for Democrats. (AP)
2. The U.S. tops 20.8 million Covid-19 cases with over 353,000 deaths. The Maine CDC reported 1 new covid related death and 376 new cases on Monday. Maine’s death toll is 360. 186 Mainers are currently hospitalized w/ covid-19. (WMTW)
3. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was sworn in by Governor Janet Mills Monday at the State House. Bellows is the first woman to be Maine’s Secretary of State and the 50th person elected to the office. During the ceremony, Bellows spoke about being the first woman to serve in the position… (WGME)
4. As the program was set to expire, Portland’s City Council approved a plan Monday night to extend outdoor dining in public spaces (parking lanes and public sidewalks) through May 10. (WGME)
5. Biddeford takes the number one spot on the top 25 coolest cities to visit in America in 2021 by travel website Matador Network. The old mill town was praised for its transformation into a restaurant/brewery scene. (WMTW)