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1. Trevor Bickford, a 19-year-old man from Wells, Maine, arrested for attacking three New York City police officers near Times Square on New Year’s Eve with a large knife is now facing federal charges. If convicted, Bickford could face up to 80 years in prison on the federal charges. (WMTW)

2. XBB 1.5, a new strain of COVID-19, has become the dominant strain in the northeast, including Maine.  This appears to be one of, if not the most contagious variant. It is still in the omicron family, and the most booster vaccine protects those who received it.  As of Monday, there were 145 people with COVID-19 in Maine hospitals. (WMTW)

3. The US Supreme Court upheld Maine’s law forcing cable companies to prorate bills. The AG’s Office says Spectrum has agreed to prorate the final month for any customer who canceled service between September of 2020 and January of 2022, but you must request it. (WGME)

4. A new TV series based on Portland author Richard Russo’s novel “Straight Man” will begin airing March 19 on AMC. The show is called “Lucky Hank,” after the college professor who is the book’s main character, and will star Bob Odenkirk. Odenkirk most recently starred in the hit AMC series “Better Call Saul.” (PH)

5. DoNotPlay, an AI-powered robot lawyer, will defend a human fighting a traffic ticket next month. The AI-creation runs on a smartphone, listens to court arguments and formulates responses for the defendant. The AI lawyer tells the defendant what to say in real-time, through headphones. DoNotPay will pay the court cost if their robot lawyer loses next month’s case. (CBS)

Made Hot in Maine by the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein. Injured in an accident? Call Joe today and get the Bornstein advantage. Dial 207-CALL-JOE.