The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed President Donald Trump’s appointees for U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal for the District of Maine.

In party line votes, Judge Andrew Benson of Unity got the nod to be the next U.S. attorney, and former Lewiston Police Chief David St. Pierre was confirmed as U.S. marshal.

Both nominees received bipartisan support in the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year. They were approved “en bloc,” along with 47 other nominees in a single vote, prompting dissent from Maine’s junior senator.

Benson and St. Pierre were recommended to Trump by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a five-term Republican whose Federal Appointments Advisory Committee helps vet possible appointees.

“Judge Benson and Chief St. Pierre have each devoted more than three decades to public service and law enforcement in Maine,” Collin said in a written statement. “I was proud to support both their nominations and now confirmations, and I am confident that they will serve the people of Maine with distinction.”

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Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, also signed off on the recommendation. But King joined Democrats in voting “no” on Monday.

A King spokesperson said the junior senator opposed approving all of the nominations in a single vote, because the slate included “many seriously problematic candidates.”

St. Pierre is a 2018 graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, who oversaw the Lewiston Police Department during the 2023 mass shooting that resulted in 18 deaths. He retired last year after serving more than 30 years with the department.

The U.S. Marshals Service is the enforcement arm of the federal courts. Its duties include protecting the federal judiciary, managing property seized from criminals, transporting federal criminals and overseeing the Witness Protection Program.

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Benson, a graduate of the University of Maine Law School, is currently serving as the interim U.S. attorney of Maine, a position to which he was appointed last October. He was a Maine District Court judge from 2014 to 2025. Prior to that, he was a homicide prosecutor in the Maine Office of Attorney General for 15 years.

Benson will now be the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Maine. He’s one of 83 U.S. attorneys, and the only one in Maine.

Despite Monday’s partisan votes, both nominees received strong bipartisan support from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Benson was recommended 19-3 in January and St. Pierre was endorsed 20-2 in March.

This is just jaw-some.

Another shark species has the attention of local white shark researchers, who will be “closely monitoring” an additional apex predator this season as beachgoers return to the water.

Dusky sharks — which were spotted attacking seals off Nantucket in the past — have also been seen off Orleans’ Nauset Beach, where great white sharks are frequently spotted during the summer and fall.

Local white shark researchers previously had not observed dusky sharks preying on seals off Massachusetts, but now it seems like the shark species is making a comeback in these northern waters.

“It’s something we’re going to be keeping track of this year,” said Megan Winton, senior scientist with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. “We’re definitely going to be closely monitoring them.

“Some people might say, ‘Oh great, now we have another shark species we have to worry about at the beach,’ but the public safety messaging stays the same,” Winton added. “The same ‘Shark Smart’ behaviors still apply.”

To the untrained eye, dusky sharks can look like big white sharks.

They are large-bodied, about 8- to 10-feet long, typically grey with dusky margins on the fins. While a white shark’s fin is triangular, a dusky shark’s fin slopes and curves.

Dusky sharks are not as beefy as white sharks, and their tail movements are more snake-like.

Dusky sharks are potentially dangerous to beachgoers due to their large size and occurrence in shallow coastal waters, though they have been implicated in few interactions with humans, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

“The same messaging goes with a second shark species feeding on seals: You don’t want to be swimming with shark food,” Winton said. “That means seals and big schools of fish.

“Also, we’ve learned that white sharks spend a lot of time in shallow water hunting for seals, so be aware of your depth when visiting our beaches,” she added. “Always pay attention to the lifeguards, and don’t swim or surf alone. Anytime you’re going into a wild environment and you know large predators are around, pay attention and be smart about it.”

Researchers put real-time shark receivers off the Cape, so lifeguards get instant updates if a tagged white shark is nearby. The lifeguards will then order everyone out of the water for some time.

Also, beachgoers are urged to report shark sightings to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app. The app helps raise awareness of the presence of white sharks off the coast. The app sightings are fed by researchers, safety officials, and users who upload photos for confirmation.

Last week, the first confirmed white shark report of the season was off Martha’s Vineyard when a shark fatally bit a seal.

This is the typical time of year when great whites return to the Cape and Islands to hunt for seals.

Winton over the winter was off South Carolina, where she helped tag seven white sharks. One of those sharks recently pinged off Maryland.

“Some are making their way north already as the water temperatures tick up,” Winton said.

Over the weekend, a porbeagle shark beached itself and died in Rhode Island’s Point Judith Pond.

“The species itself isn’t that surprising as they love colder water and unlike many other sharks that have yet to arrive, this shark was likely getting ready to follow the colder water north as our waters slowly warm,” the Atlantic Shark Institute posted.

The shark was apparently first found wedged in rocks by the breakwater at Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee, but then the shark freed itself and started swimming in circles. The porbeagle then swam into Point Judith Pond and eventually died.

“Thanks to everyone who reached out to us over 24 hours to provide information and video on this shark along with Greg Skomal at MADMF and John Chisholm from New England Aquarium,” the Atlantic Shark Institute wrote. “Both aided our executive director in reviewing all the video and photos to identify this shark.”

I’m always one to relish local eats, adventures, and unexpected experiences from around the area. I kept hearing whispers through the grapevine about a legendary psychic medium out of Portsmouth, a woman in her 70s who people swore is crazy accurate with her intuitive abilities.

And after multiple recommendations from locals, I knew I had to meet her.

Her name is Betty Lipton.

Around the Seacoast, Betty’s name (the “Portsmouth Psychic”) seems to travel in an almost folkloric way. Nobody hands you a business card, but they’ll most certainly mention her and the specificities of their reading that left them with goosebumps.

That alone intrigued me.

In an era where every self-proclaimed psychic has a social media brand and a neon storefront, Betty feels like a relic. The kind of local legend whose reputation was built slowly, person by person, reading by reading, over the course of decades.

Now approaching her late 70’s, she’s reportedly spent most of her life working as a psychic medium but has always known about her gift since childhood. First living in New York for a good portion of her early adult life, she now resides along the seacoast.

According to an interview with WMUR, Betty says, “she’s spent more than 40 years helping locals find clarity, comfort and, above all, connection.”

So on a whim, I called Betty to book an appointment and to my surprise, she had a cancellation that day. Coincidence much?

Found at the heart of Portsmouth, Betty has her own office with a beautiful waiting area for those coming in groups.

I spent 45 minutes with her reading my palm, channeling my energy and inner thoughts and even having a visit from my grandmother (who, to my surprise, is watching over me). And although I won’t disclose intimate details about my read, I will say that she knew details about my life that you certainly wouldn’t find on the internet!

I’ll give you a quick example… Betty told me my daughter would have children who would call me “Mimi”. Ready for the freaky part? My toddler had JUST started calling my mother Mimi this past week.

READ MORE: This Inspiring Free Portsmouth Exhibit Spotlights Christa MCauliffe, 39 Other Trailblazing NH Women

Meeting Betty Lipton started to feel less like booking an appointment and more like a crazy coincidence. As a firm believer of signs and “meant to be” moments, I can vouch that she will help you gain clarity or give you reassurance from a loved one.