Emergency crews desperately searched for survivors Saturday after a wave of violent storms demolished towns in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

PORTLAND — Lamenting that the “sensible center has now virtually disappeared,” U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe on Friday renewed her call for consensus building in the polarized Senate. She said voters need to reward instead of punish lawmakers willing to set aside partisanship to find common ground.

PORTLAND — When the week started, Peter Chandler, chief of staff to Rep. Mike Michaud, figured he had a pretty good idea how the next five days would go.

PORTLAND — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland will take no active role in the campaign against a same-sex marriage proposal that’s expected to be on the state ballot in November, Bishop Richard Malone announced Friday.