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

A 71-year-old man from Belfast died at the hospital Saturday after being Tasered by police after being asked to put down his gun during a call to his home after some shots were fired. Centralmaine.com reports he died from “medical complications” at the hospital.

This summer look for some murals coming to Downtown Augusta. Centralmaine.com says they hope to have it done by the end of June.

The building at 252 Water St. in Gardiner might be he home to an art space and microbrewery. Centralmaine.com reported they hope to have the space open for the fall.
From the Associated Press:

A new report in Maine shows a mixed bag when it comes to job outcomes for those kicked off temporary cash assistance in 2012. The LePage administration says after a 60-month time limit took effect in May 2012, individuals without a record of employment before the change saw higher wages. But the report calls for further analysis to determine whether the work limits led to such changes. The liberal Maine People's Alliance noted the overall economy improved since 2012.

Republican Gov. Paul Lepage's attempt to eliminate the state turnpike authority is dead after a committee vote. Maine Public reports (http://bit.ly/2qkJKQ3) the transportation committee this week voted against the governor's bill.

Two Maine lawmakers are dropping the Maine Democratic Party in the midst of budget season. The Portland Press Herald reported that progressive Reps. Denise Harlow and Ralph Chapman are unenrolling. Both politicians split with their party on a recent vote to oppose an overhaul of Maine's metallic mining regulations.

Maine GOP Gov. Paul LePage says he has granted conditional commutation orders for 17 prisoners. LePage says released inmates must abide by conditions like curfews. The ACLU of Maine and state prisoner advocates have applauded LePage's idea to release lower-risk inmates and help them find jobs, while some fellow Republicans call it soft on crime.

The governor's office says it's facing a mountain of public records requests, but one law firm isn't waiting for its documents so patiently. The firm filed a lawsuit against the state, saying it's been waiting for records for six months. Gov. Paul LePage's spokesman said the governor has received an "inordinate amount" of requests. The lag means the public isn't getting facts, like LePage's D.C. trip expenses or information behind unchecked claims he's made during interviews.

Northern New England wildlife officials are trying to encourage people and bears to keep their distance from each other a year after a spring and summer marked by a high number of nuisance bear complaints. Conflicts between bears and humans are common Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in May, June and July. Last year's total of 719 complaints of nuisance bears was the second highest number since 2007. The state is encouraging people to take precautions.

President Donald Trump is thanking the men and women who died in service to the United States. In the first of two tweets Trump sent out on Monday, he says: "Today we remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving. Thank you, God bless your families & God bless the USA!" In the second, Trump says: "I look forward to paying my respects to our brave men and women on this Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery later this morning."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman says Berlin is still committed to strengthening trans-Atlantic relations after Merkel suggested Europe can no longer entirely rely on the U.S. Merkel's comments Sunday came after a Group of Seven summit at which the Europeans couldn't reach agreement on climate change with President Donald Trump.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in France for talks with newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron greeted Putin with a firm handshake on a red carpet leading into the Versailles palace before both men walked inside. Putin's trip is likely to shape Russia-France ties for years, with Putin trying to mend strained ties with the West and with Macron after the Russian leader backed Macron's far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

A Trump administration Cabinet officer is defending White House adviser Jared Kushner, who allegedly sought to open back-channel communications with Russia after the 2016 presidential election. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says on the Sunday news shows he doesn't know whether the reports involving Kushner are true. But he says it doesn't bother him and describes such communications as a "good thing."

President Donald Trump is assailing internal leaks as he considers an overhaul of his White House staff. Trump is also grappling with a burgeoning crisis involving alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign. He unleashed a flurry of tweets on Sunday, lashing out at what he calls the "fake news" media.

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