Washington came to a screeching halt this afternoon upon learning that Tim Russert, 58, died of a heart attack. As everyone knows by now, Russert was the host of Meet the Press and NBC Washington Bureau Chief.

Emily Little, 23, a junior at the University of Maine from Mount Desert Island was selected as the 2008 National Cherry Blossom Princess on Friday in Washington.

She is only the fourth Maine princess to be selected as the queen in the festival's 61-year history.

The Associated Press has a short story .

Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe visited Washington, D.C., on Monday with his fellow attorneys general, to meet with President Bush and Attorney General Michael Mukasey at the White House.

Rowe said in a voicemail message that he asked Mukasey to pressure Congress to restore federal law enforcement grants that Congress reduced by 66 percent in the massive budget it passed late last year.

Rowe and his fellow AG's sent a letter to lawmakers on Monday urging them to restore the money.