Things You Need to Know: Maine is Looking for More Tourists

Here are the things you need to  know today......

From the Associated Press:

Saturday's cold set records for the lowest high temperature in several northern New England cities, including Augusta. WGME reports Augusta, Maine, where it got up to 14 degrees.

Vacationland could always use some more tourists. Expanding the state's tourism industry to help Mainers prosper is the subject of a two-day conference set to begin Tuesday. Workshops will focus on a proposed electric vehicle corridor, making the most out of Google Analytics and best practices for social media. Republican Gov. Paul LePage says tourism businesses and entrepreneurs create good-paying careers for Maine residents.

The Maine Department of Transportation says the reconstruction of the viaduct that carries U.S. 1 traffic through Bath is ahead of schedule. Glenn Philbrook from the MDOT said the $15 million project is three weeks ahead of schedule.

This year's Annual Smelt Fry in Maine will take place on April 15 in tiny Columbia Falls. The Downeast Salmon Federation puts on the event, which is a celebration of the little river run fish.

Parts of the Northeast are bracing for a powerful storm that could bring up to 18 inches of snow to some areas. Meteorologists say the nor'easter will arrive Monday night and stay through Tuesday evening. New York City and Boston could get 12 to 18 inches of snow. Philadelphia is expected to get 6 to 12 inches.

A powerful nor'easter could bring blizzard conditions and more than a foot of snow to some parts of the Northeast. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch from late Monday night through Tuesday evening for New York City and parts of northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut. Meteorologists say the storm could dump 12 to 18 inches of snow on New York City. Boston also could get 12 to 18 inches, while Philadelphia could see 6 to 12 and Washington 6 to 10.

The House intelligence committee is asking the Trump administration for evidence that the phones at Trump Tower were tapped during the presidential campaign. Sen. John McCain, a Republican, is asking the administration to either provide the evidence by Monday, or retract the accusations against the Obama administration. President Donald Trump tweeted last week: "Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

Road crews in Philadelphia already have begun treating streets, ahead of a powerful nor'easter that could bring blizzard conditions Monday and Tuesday. The Philadelphia area is expected to get 6 to 12 inches of snow. Boston and New York could see up to 18 inches. And farther south, the nation's capital is also expecting snow ahead of Wednesday's scheduled start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The United Nations' child relief agency says at least 652 children were killed in Syria in 2016, making it the worst year yet for the country's rising generation. UNICEF says at least 255 children were killed in or near schools last year and 1.7 million youngsters are out of school. One of every three schools in Syria is unusable, some because armed groups occupy them.

Israeli police say troops have shot and killed a Palestinian man who stabbed two policemen in the Old City in Jerusalem. A police spokeswoman identifies the attacker killed Monday as a 26-year-old Arab resident of east Jerusalem. The two policemen were moderately wounded.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is joining officials at the University of Delaware, his alma mater, for Monday's launch of the Biden Institute. The Institute is a new research and policy center focused on domestic issues including economic reform, environmental sustainability, criminal justice and civil rights. Biden will be the founding chair of the Institute, which will be part of the university's School of Public Policy and Administration.